Poker News

Phil Laak, Cake Poker Network Launch Unabomber Poker

In the online poker world, having a room named after you is perhaps the most notable sign that you have made your mark in the industry. From DoylesRoom, fronted by the legendary Doyle Brunson, to Devilfish Poker, hosted by top English pro David “The Devilfish” Ulliot, many professional poker players have made the move to the online world with their own iconic rooms.

The Cake Poker Network announced today that top pro Phil Laak will join its family of sites with his own room. Called Unabomber Poker, the site will feature Laak in action on the network and through a blog that will be available on the site. Along with the announcement of Unabomber Poker, the Cake Poker Network also announced the addition of seven other new network poker rooms, including 7Win Poker, Redback Poker, Amsterdams Poker, Safari Poker, Dimeline, Rags2Riches Poker, and Burro Poker.

“We knew we wanted to launch the sickest poker site possible,” Laak stated during the announcement of the new venture. “By joining a network that focuses on player rewards and accepts players worldwide, we knew we would be starting out on the right track. I love getting involved from the ground up.” A Cake Network spokesperson added, “The addition of Unabomber Poker to the Cake Network is a cause for great excitement. Phil’s enthusiasm for the game is infectious and brings a great energy to the network.”

With the addition of the eight new rooms, the Cake Poker Network now encompasses a total of 55 online poker sites. Some of the most popular sites offered by the Cake Poker Network include DoylesRoom, PokerHost, Lock Poker, Gutshot.com, and its own eponymous site. The Cake Poker Network is among the Top Ten in the online poker industry by cash game traffic, according to the poker industry tracking site PokerScout.com, averaging 2,100 real money ring game players.

Unabomber Poker offers many of the player amenities that are a fixture of the Cake Poker Network. Through participating in the action on the site, players earn Gold Chips and Gold Cards that can be exchanged for cash, merchandise, or free play in tournaments on the network. Unabomber Poker will also participate in the Cake Poker Network’s premier monthly event, the $250,000 Guaranteed.

Laak is arguably one of the most visible players in the game today through both his play and his exuberant behavior at the table. He exploded on the poker scene in 2004 with a victory in the World Poker Tour (WPT) Invitational at the Commerce Casino and has remained a formidable foe at the tables since then. In 2005, Laak was runner up to Johnny Chan at the World Series of Poker (WSOP) $2,500 Pot Limit Hold’em event when Chan captured his tenth bracelet. In a brief six-year career, Laak has earned slightly over $1.8 million from the tournament poker circuit.

Laak is famously called “The Unabomber” because his attire at the poker tables – a hooded sweatshirt and sunglasses – gives Laak a resemblance to the forensic sketch of notorious convicted mail bomber Theodore Kaczynski. Laak can confound players with antics at the table such as push-ups, talking to the cards, and offering buyouts to players to show their winning hands. Away from the felt, Laak also makes a great deal of noise. He has one of the most high-profile poker relationships with former WSOP Ladies’ Champion Jennifer Tilly and has been a part of television show “I Bet You” with his longtime friend and former roommate Antonio Esfandiari.

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.

Team PKR Signs Rising Russian Star

The 21 year-old from Moscow, who beat Johnny Chan heads-up to take the title and $266,690 first-place prize in Macau, then went on to crush Finnish veteran Juha Helppi to become the PKR Heads Up champ and collect $120,000, will now represent PKR at live events across the globe and online in PKR’s tournaments and cash games.

"We have been following Vladimir's progress for some time,” said PKR Marketing Director Simon Prodger. “He is an excellent poker player, charismatic, and fantastic to watch at the tables.”

Geshkenbein, who plays under the screen name 'beyne' on PKR, spent two years playing low and middle stakes tournaments until January of this year when he moved to Malta to play professionally.

Matchroom Sport Managing Director Eddie Hearn, who produced the PKR Heads Up Grand Slam, said his performance as a pro has been more than impressive.

"Poker viewers are in for a real treat when they see Vladimir in action in the upcoming PKR Heads Up Grand Slam on Sky Sports in January,” Hearn said. “The game is all about personalities and 'beyne' has it in abundance."

As a member of Team PKR Pro, Geshkenbein will be posting in the PKR forums, providing commentary on PKR.TV and writing blogs from live events.

The other eight Team PKR Pro members include Henrik 'Pokey85' Eklund, Ashley 'Ashleyhames1' Hames, Raymond 'callmebabe' O'Mahoney, Kai 'Kingkai84' Paulsen, James 'James666' Sudworth, Andrew 'Golfpro699' Teng, Karl 'discomonkey' Fenton and Adrien 'zlatan35' Allain.

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Shark Out of Water Poker Movie Released

Over the weekend, a brand new poker movie debuted, “Shark Out of Water.” The film, which stars Matty Finochio and Artine Brown, also features poker pros Brad Booth and Ultimate Bet front man Phil Hellmuth.

“Shark Out of Water” is a Made in the Shade and Strangeways production showing the ups and downs of professional poker life. Producer Andrew Halliwell told Poker News Daily how the flick came to fruition: “The director and I worked on a small project before this, a television pilot. He approached me with a script he had written. He’s an avid player and he wrote a script for a short film and asked if I would produce it. I gave it a read and we went to work on it. That was two years ago.”

“Shark Out of Water” was nominated for Leo Awards for Best Short Drama, Best Direction, Best Performance, and Best Musical Score. It weighs in at 18 minutes and its DVD is available for purchase via Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and PayPal for $9.95. It will ultimately be released through iTunes to ensure wider distribution, but is currently only available through the “Shark Out of Water” website.

In the movie’s trailer, Hellmuth, clad in Ultimate Bet attire, is seated next to Brown. Upon seeing his opponent’s shark card protector that looks like a keepsake Humberto Brenes would use, Hellmuth inquires, “That’s a nice shark you have there. Is that what you are, a shark?” According to Halliwell, Booth sucks out in a hand against one of the protagonists and Hellmuth gives the viewing audience a top-tier “Poker Brat” moment.

Hellmuth requested a fee to appear in “Shark Out of Water” and his part of the movie was recorded in a casino in Vancouver. Halliwell recalled, “Phil Hellmuth was in town to do an event with Annie Duke. We sent a taxi to bring him to a local casino. After we finished shooting his scenes, we got one of our directors (Juan Riedinger) to play him heads-up for a fee. You have to watch the DVD’s bonus features to find out what happened.” Hellmuth is the all-time World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet winner with 11, one more than Doyle Brunson and Johnny Chan. His last piece of hardware came in 2007 in a $1,500 buy-in No Limit Hold’em event.

On Finochio’s and Brown’s performances in the film, Halliwell noted, “They brought the realism of poker to life. It’s a double-edge sword and that’s what we were trying to convey with the film. A lot of people enjoy the game and have no problems, while others get too deep.” The 50-second trailer available on the movie’s official website includes such memorable quotes as “I guess sometimes luck comes into play” and “I’m having a bad run. It happens.”

“Shark Out of Water” was an Official Selection at the Miami Short Film Festival, the Edmonton International Film Festival, the Tacoma Film Festival, the Mississauga Independent Film Festival, and the Nevada City Film Festival. Despite its 18-minute runtime, the movie’s bonus features add a considerable amount of content. Its website explains, “The DVD is jam-packed with bonus features which include behind-the-scenes footage of ‘Yukon’ Brad Booth and Phil Hellmuth.”

“Shark Out of Water” isn’t Hellmuth’s first gander onto the silver screen. The pro also appeared in “All In,” Woody Harrelson’s “The Grand,” and the Eric Bana classic “Lucky You.” He could be spotted on the NBC reality franchise “Celebrity Apprentice” earlier this year supporting Duke and has also appeared on a variety of poker television programming including NBC’s “Poker After Dark” and GSN’s “High Stakes Poker.”

Jean-Robert Bellande Out as Bodog Sponsored Pro

Former “Survivor: China” contestant Jean-Robert Bellande is no longer a sponsored pro of Bodog, according to a representative from the online poker room. His current agreement expired at the end of October and was not renewed.

Only three sponsored pros currently appear on Bodog’s website: Evelyn Ng, Justin “ZeeJustin” Bonomo, and David Williams. The runner-up in the World Poker Tour’s (WPT) Ladies Night Event in 2003, Ng also took 11th in the Season IV Borgata Poker Open for $64,000. That same season, Ng grabbed 39th in the WPT Championship for $73,000.

Bonomo is one of the industry’s top online poker players, but has also dominated on the brick-and-mortar felts. Bonomo won the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Circuit Event Championship at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas in April for $227,000. One month later, he final tabled the $40,000 buy-in No Limit Hold’em tournament commemorating the 40th running of the WSOP for a colossal $413,000.

Rounding out the shrunken crop of Bodog pros is Williams, who boasts the only bracelet of the trio. Williams captured his piece of hardware in 2006 by virtue of taking down a $1,500 buy-in Seven Card Stud tournament for $163,000, defeating a talented final table that also included “Miami” John Cernuto and 10-time bracelet winner Johnny Chan. Text found on Bodog’s website still refers to “four pros,” but only three profiles appear.

“Jean-Robert Bellande’s deal with Bodog Poker expired at the end of October and the decision was made not to renew the deal. It has been an absolute pleasure having Jean-Robert as one of Bodog.com’s Poker pros and we wish him all the best,” the room’s Poker Manager told Poker News Daily. In February, Poker Royalty, which represents Bellande, boasted that the pro had renewed his sponsorship agreement with the USA-facing site. At the time, Bellande commented, “I am thrilled to continue my relationship with Team Bodog. Bodog is a fantastic organization and I am excited to continue with such a select team of world-class poker players.”

During the 2008 WSOP, Bellande finished as the runner-up to Matt “mattg1983” Graham in a $1,500 buy-in Limit Hold’em Shootout for $173,000. The final table of the marathon tournament wrapped up after 7:00am at the Rio in Las Vegas. In 2005, Bellande grabbed third in the Rio’s WSOP Circuit Event Championship for $210,000 in a contest that saw Doug Lee and Full Tilt Poker pro Jennifer Harman battle heads-up.

Bellande was one of 16 contestants to head to China for the 15th cycle of the CBS reality series “Survivor.” Bellande was the eighth player voted out of the popular program and became the second member of its jury, the group of seven castaways who selected flight attendant Todd Herzog as the show’s $1 million winner. Bellande was on the Fei Long tribe both before and after a tribal switch-up; the group then merged to become Hae Da Fung.

In 2006, Bellande made waves by competing in the WPT’s Bad Boys of Poker against the likes of Tony G, Mike “The Mouth” Matusow, Phil Hellmuth, Men “The Master” Nguyen, and Gus Hansen. In the end, Tony G triumphed over the invite-only six-handed table and earned $25,000. All told, Bellande owns over $75,000 from WPT felts.

According to the tracking site PokerScout.com, Bodog is the 14th largest site or network worldwide with a seven-day running average of 930 real money ring game players. It features a 24-hour peak of 1,411 cash game players and, at the time of writing, which is around 8:30pm ET on a Sunday night, 1,359 combatants have taken to its ring game felts. Bodog is the fifth largest site or network that accepts U.S. action, trailing PokerStars, Full Tilt Poker, CEREUS, and the Cake Poker Network.

Macau Poker Cup breaks attendance record

This past weekend, PokerStars Macau at the Grand Lisboa hosted yet another record breaking Macau Poker Cup as 247 players vied for the Red Dragon title and a piece of an HKD $2.3 Million prize pool.

PokerStars sponsored player Kitty Kuo from Taipei booked the win and HKD $550,000 first-place prize defeating PokerStars Team Pro Asia's Tae Joon Noh heads-up.

The field also included PokerStars Team Pro Asia members Celina Lin, Raymond
Wu and Jonathan Lin, 2008 PokerStars APPT Macau High Roller champ Nam Le and two-time World Champion Johnny Chan.

Plus, 2009 World Series of Poker Player of the Year Jeffrey Lisandro, who told PokerListings last month he was headed to Macau to play in some of the biggest cash games in the world, also played.

The 247 entrants and HKD $2.3 million prize pool smashed the previous Chinese record of 168 and HKD $1.6 million respectively.

The regional tournament series will finish up with the HKD $20,000 Macau Poker Cup Championship Dec. 12-20 featuring a guaranteed prized pool of HKD $2 Million.

Players can qualify for a seat on PokerStars.

PokerStars Macau also hosts a weekly HKD $2,500 tournament with an HKD $90,000 guaranteed prize pool.

For more information, check out the PokerStars Macau website.

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Mike Sexton Elected to Poker Hall of Fame

The 38th person elected into the Poker Hall of Fame is none other than PartyPoker Ambassador and Poker News Daily Guest Columnist Mike Sexton. He will be enshrined as part of ceremonies to be held on November 7th.

2009 marks the 30th anniversary of the Poker Hall of Fame. This year, nine finalists were up for nomination to the Hall, with a panel of 15 living Hall of Fame members and 15 media representatives (including this author) determining the fate of the 2009 class. Sexton was the only one that I felt was a shoe-in for election, as 75% of the 30-member vote was required in order to capture one of poker’s most prestigious accolades. A press release distributed by World Series of Poker (WSOP) officials properly labeled Sexton “a true gentleman who has constantly enhanced the game of poker both with his play at the tables and his promotion of the game off of it.”

Ballots were due on October 2nd, with each person able to vote for up to three candidates for the 2009 class. This author selected Sexton, Tom McEvoy, and Dan Harrington, the three elder statesmen on the 2009 ballot. Other nominees included November Nine member Phil Ivey, “The Robin Hood of Poker” Barry Greenstein, “PokerStars.net Million Dollar Challenge” lead man Daniel Negreanu, Men “The Master” Nguyen, WSOP Main Event and HORSE Championship winner Scotty Nguyen, and eight-time bracelet holder Erik Seidel.

The list of Poker Hall of Fame members reads like a roll call of poker legends: Doyle Brunson (inducted in 1988), Johnny Chan (2002), Phil Hellmuth (2007), Stu Ungar (2001), Chip Reese (1991), and Barbara Enright (2007), just to name a few. Now, Sexton’s name will be added to this illustrious list. In a press release distributed by PartyPoker, Sexton commented, “I am deeply honored to be inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame and it is particularly special because for the first time it was a process that involved the fans, the media, and the living members of the Hall of Fame. To me, the most meaningful aspect of this process was the acceptance by the living Hall of Famers, who welcomed me into their exclusive club.”

One of Sexton’s most impressive feats was taking down the 2006 WSOP Tournament of Champions, which saw the new Poker Hall of Fame member best a final table that included Daniel Negreanu, Mike Matusow, Andy Black, and Chris Ferguson. Sexton earned $1 million for the victory and, according to WSOP officials, donated half of his prize money to charity. His lone WSOP bracelet came in 1989, when the World Poker Tour (WPT) host outlasted a field of 174 players to win a $1,500 buy-in Limit Seven Card Stud High-Low event. He has reached the final table in 20 of the 47 WSOP events he’s entered, a 43% success rate.

Sexton is the voice that many in the industry “grew up to” following the poker boom in 2003 and was instrumental in bringing the WPT to life. Sexton sat, and continues to sit, alongside Vince Van Patten on WPT broadcasts, popularizing the notion that Texas Hold’em takes “a minute to learn and a lifetime to master.” He represents one of the few constants in an industry constantly in flux and had the backing of a bevy of influential industry veterans in his push for the Poker Hall of Fame, including Howard Lederer, Annie Duke, Steve Lipscomb, Linda Johnson, Jan Fisher, Padraig Parkinson, Matt Savage, Roland de Wolfe, and an army of public relations staffers at PartyPoker.

To me, one of the most defining acts for Sexton was when he took on a lead role to campaign on behalf of players shut out of the 2009 WSOP Main Event after Day 1D had reached capacity. Sexton joined forces with “Captain” Tom Franklin to present WSOP Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack options to accommodate players. Sexton, curiously, had little to gain from taking an active role in the situation, as he had already played on Day 1A and survived with an average chip stack. The situation manifested Sexton’s stature within the industry and is one of the many reasons we will look forward to welcoming him into the Poker Hall of Fame in November.

Vladimir Geshkenbein Wins the PKR Heads Up Grand Slam

The first ever PKR Heads Up Grand Slam was won this weekend by Vladimir Geshkenbein. “Who?” you might well be inclined to ask since the Russian's only other major success was winning the APPT Macau High-Rollers event beating Johnny Chan...

Matt Hawrilenko Leads WSOP Europe Main Event Entering Day 4

Two days of play remain in the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Europe Main Event and, perched atop the leaderboard entering Wednesday’s battle is Matt Hawrilenko, a 27 year-old poker pro who goes by “Hoss-TBF” online.

Hawrilenko took down a $1 million first place prize for winning Event #56 of the 2009 WSOP in Las Vegas, a $5,000 buy-in No Limit Hold’em Six-Handed event. He triumphed over a final table that included Matt Waxman and Faraz “The-Toilet” Jaka and owns 701,500 chips in London, the only player to eclipse the 700,000-chip plateau. Hawrilenko already has three WSOP final tables in 2009 and has quickly become one of the most feared names on the circuit. Hot on his heels is CardPlayer Magazine founder Barry Shulman, father of WSOP November Nine member Jeff Shulman. The latter was featured heavily in last night’s coverage of the 2009 Main Event on ESPN and was seated at the feature table.

Speaking of the November Nine, two of its members remain in the hunt to repeat Ivan Demidov’s miraculous feat last year. In 2008, Demidov made the final table of both the WSOP Main Event in Las Vegas and the WSOP Europe Main Event in London. Antoine Saout, who hails from France, sits with the 24th largest chip stack (202,000), while England’s James Akenhead boasts the 30th biggest tally (153,500). The nine final table members in Las Vegas will take to felts on November 7th, when they’ll return to play down to two. Then, the action resumes late in the day on November 9th to determine a winner. The tournament’s finale will air on cable station ESPN on Tuesday, November 10th.

Also still in the hunt is Doyle Brunson, who was sixth in chips entering play on Tuesday. Brunson has trailed off a bit to own the 21st largest stack out of 36 remaining players. He owns 10 WSOP bracelets, tied with Johnny Chan for second most overall; the duo trails Ultimate Bet pro Phil Hellmuth’s 11. Brunson has been shut out of the winner’s circle since 2005 and will look to make a run entering the play down day in the WSOP Europe Main Event. Brunson has 246,500 chips and joining him at Table 1 today are Jason Mercier, 2009 Poker Hall of Fame nominee Men “The Master” Nguyen, and Shulman, among others.

Here are the Top 10 chip stacks remaining in the 2009 WSOP Europe Main Event:

1. Matt Hawrilenko – 701,500
2. Steven Fung – 648,000
3. Praz Bassi – 471,000
4. Arnauld Mattern – 469,500
5. Barry Shulman – 452,500
6. John Kabbaj – 448,500
7. Peter Gould – 409,000
8. Shandoi Demjan – 367,500
9. Keith Hawkins – 330,500
10. Eric Liu – 330,500

The rest of the field is as follows:

11. Ram Vaswarni – 322,000
12. Daniel Negreanu – 314,500
13. Chris Bjorin – 306,500
14. Thomas Bichon – 305,000
15. Yevgeniy Timoshenko – 285,000
16. Saar Wilf – 273,500
17. Teddy Sheringham – 272,500
18. Andre Akkari – 272,000
19. Tommy Pavlicek – 266,500
20. Anthony Cousineau – 257,000
21. Doyle Brunson – 246,500
22. Christian Harder – 243,000
23. Craig Burgess – 232,500
24. Antoine Saout – 202,000
25. Michael Fasco – 200,500
26. Elizabeth Lieu – 193,500
27. Markus Ristola – 157,000
28. Konstantin Buecherl – 156,500
29. Steve Zolotow – 156,500
30. James Akenhead – 153,500
31. Christian Kruel – 140,000
32. Jason Mercier – 125,000
33. Oyvind Riisem – 113,500
34. Dave “Devilfish” Ulliott – 80,000
35. David Docherty – 71,500
36. Men Nguyen – 63,000

The field will be chopped to nine today and the action is already underway from the Casino at the Empire. Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for the latest WSOP Europe coverage.

Doyle Brunson Sixth in WSOP Europe Main Event

History may be in the making in one of the most historic cities in the world. Doyle Brunson is in search of his record-tying 11th bracelet in the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Europe Main Event and is sixth in chips with 92 players remaining.

Brunson holds a stack of 210,900 and is in pursuit of the £801,603 first place prize. “Texas Dolly” has 10 WSOP bracelets to his name, tied with Johnny Chan for second most all-time. He needs one more to move into the lead with 11, a record currently held by Ultimate Bet pro Phil Hellmuth. Brunson has been shut out since 2005, when he took down a $5,000 buy-in No Limit Hold’em Short-Handed event for $367,000, defeating a competitive final table that also included Minh Ly, Layne Flack, and Scotty Nguyen.

Brunson will captain Table 10 on Tuesday at the Casino at the Empire, where he’ll be joined by online poker players Justin “Boosted J” Smith and Christian Kruel. Smith is fresh off a third place effort in the Bellagio Cup, a stop on the World Poker Tour (WPT). He earned $464,000 at the Las Vegas casino back in July. Kruel can be found on the virtual felts of PokerStars under the screen name “C.K.” He won a $530 buy-in $80,000 Guaranteed High Roller tournament on PartyPoker in mid-August for $22,000.

Also in the Top 10 in London is Team PokerStars Pro member Jason Mercier. In May, he took down a tournament held during the Full Tilt Online Poker Series (FTOPS) for $86,000 and then followed up that performance with a bracelet win in a $1,500 buy-in Pot Limit Omaha event during the 2009 WSOP. Mercier recorded four cashes overall during the WSOP and was quickly scooped up by PokerStars to join their pro team. He also competed in the star-studded field of the Ante Up for Africa charity poker tournament, which aired on ESPN. Mercier owns the 10th largest stack at 202,300.

Liz Lieu doubled her stack holding pocket aces on Monday in the WSOP Europe Main Event. Entering play on Day 3, she sits at 16th in the chip counts with 184,400. Meanwhile, November Nine member James Akenhead also remains in contention. Akenhead, a Brit on his home turf, sent Nick Bleeker packing after coming out on the winning end of a race holding pocket jacks against A-K. The board ran out 9-7-Q-Q-7, pushing Akenhead to 250,000 in chips. He ended the day with 178,000, which was good for 17th overall. Fellow November Nine member Antoine Saout, who held a Top 10 stack entering Day 2 play on Monday, fell back to 50th on the leaderboard with 90,100.

Here are the Top 10 stacks in the 2009 WSOP Europe Main Event entering Day 3 on Tuesday:

1. Ian Munns - 528,300
2. Praz Bassi - 299,000
3. Oyvind Riisem - 255,300
4. Arron Eric Filippi - 216,500
5. David Docherty - 216,200
6. Doyle Brunson - 210,900
7. Shandoi Demjan - 209,000
8. Markus Ristola - 205,000
9. Ram Vaswarni - 202,500
10. Jason Mercier - 202,300

Other notable names remaining in the hunt for the £801,603 prize include:

12. Yevgeniy Timoshenko - 192,100
13. Steve Zolotow - 191,100
16. Liz Lieu - 184,400
17. James Akenhead - 178,000
18. Dave “Devilfish” Ulliott - 174,000
19. Antonio Esfadiari - 173,300
20. John Tabatabai - 160,100
38. Daniel Negreanu - 113,100
39. Barry Shulman - 111,200
49. Annette Obrestad - 90,500
50. Antoine Saout - 90,100
55. Teddy Sheringham - 74,800
65. Freddy Deeb - 61,200
67. Andre Akkari – 58,300
69. Todd Brunson - 51,600
70. Eric Liu - 51,100
79. John Juanda - 38,900
85. Men “The Master” Nguyen - 27,500

The top 36 players will finish in the money, with the minimum payout being £21,142. Every member of the nine-handed final table will walk away with at least £66,533. Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for the latest from the WSOP Europe Main Event.

Brian Powell, Jason Mercier Lead WSOP Europe Main Event Day 1A

Day 1A of the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Europe Main Event played out on Saturday. When the smoke cleared, Brian Powell and Team PokerStars Pro member Jason Mercier led the field, which began with 156 players.

By the end of play in London, just 75 runners remained in contention. Packing the pack is Powell, who hails from Louisville. Powell made a deep run in the 2009 WSOP Main Event, finishing in 66th place and earning $90,000 for his $10,000 buy-in. He also finished 13th in the World Championship Mixed Event for $27,000. Powell owns a stack of 194,600 in London. Trailing him on the leaderboard is Mercier, a WSOP bracelet winner and newly-minted member of Team PokerStars Pro. Mercier holds 189,725 chips and will watch as Day 1B plays out today.

During a break in play, WSOP Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack awarded Jeffrey Lisandro WSOP Player of the Year honors. Lisandro won three bracelets during the 2009 festivities in Las Vegas, two in Seven Card Stud and one in Seven Card Razz. Lisandro recorded a total of six in the money finishes during the 2009 WSOP overall. As a result of claiming Player of the Year honors, Lisandro will be bought into the 2010, 2011, and 2012 WSOP Main Events.

Fittingly, Doyle Brunson issued the day’s “Shuffle Up and Deal” command to begin play in the third running of the WSOP Europe Main Event. Pollack told the gathered crowd, “Doyle was there in Las Vegas at the very start of the WSOP 40 years ago. Doyle was also with us when we started WSOP Europe three years ago in London. And, we are proud to have him with us today.” Brunson, a member of the Poker Hall of Fame, holds 10 WSOP bracelets, tied with Johnny Chan for the second most overall. The leader in that category is Phil Hellmuth, who has collected 11 pieces of hardware over the years and also won the 1989 WSOP Main Event.

Speaking of Hellmuth, a press release distributed last week by Ultimate Bet outlined his complex parade route around London leading to his entrance at the Casino at the Empire. WSOP officials painted the picture of Hellmuth’s arrival: “Hellmuth entered Empire Casino much like Nero burning through Rome, oblivious to the ongoing tournament and taking his seat at the televised feature table. The bizarre spectacle was ornamented by an army of faux Roman soldiers erect and pretty girls standing at attention, while trumpets blared.” Hellmuth entered dressed as Julius Caesar on Day 1C of the Main Event in Sin City.

Here are the Top 10 chip stacks after Day 1A of the 2009 WSOP Europe Main Event:

1. Brian Powell - 194,600
2. Jason Mercier - 189,725
3. Sami Kelopuro - 168,925
4. Viktor Blom - 163,175
5. Jonathan Aguiar - 160,100
6. Martin Hansen - 152,775
7. Christian Harder - 134,125
8. Tommy Pavlicek - 119,825
9. Richard Grace - 116,850
10. John Kabbaj - 104,500

Other notable players who will take to the felts when Day 2 plays out on Monday include:

13. Doyle Brunson - 92,900
15. Brandon Cantu - 89,000
19. Barry Shulman - 80,250
21. James Akenhead - 77,675
28. Liz Lieu - 65,600
37. Eric Friberg - 49,475
43. Todd Brunson - 46,050
45. Chad Brown - 44,975
47. Men “The Master” Nguyen - 43,200
58. Marco Traniello - 33,000
60. Alex Kravchenko - 31,100
62. Mike “The Mouth” Matusow - 28,900
71. Phil Hellmuth - 18,450
72, Scott Montgomery - 18,225
73. Erik Seidel - 9,925

Shulman and Akenhead are both part of the November Nine, the members of the final table of the Main Event in Las Vegas who will take to the felts in two months. Another November Nine member, Phil Ivey, was sent packing on Day 1A. Registration for Day 1B is expected to close around 3:40pm local time on Sunday.

Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for the latest from WSOP Europe.

Sports Legends Challenge Postponed Until 2010

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sports Legends Challenge postponed

Originally planned for Sept. 14-17 at Atlantis Paradise Island in the Bahamas, the event was to feature 25 sports legends and 25 top poker pros playing four days of poker, casino games and golf with anyone willing to pay the $3,999 to $9,499 package price.

Now, claiming the current economic climate and weather patterns in the Bahamas have hurt sales, organizers have decided to reschedule the event for a new location and dates in 2010.

"It's not a very exciting story," Sports Legends Challenge CEO Bruce Bibbero told PokerListings. "People were concerned about hurricane season in the Bahamas and with current economic conditions being what they are, this was just more than people were willing to do."

Bibbero and partner Lawrence Lubin's previous attempts to launch a celebrity and sports star poker tournament in 2007 also fell apart, culminating with a lawsuit against both by gaming publishers Sludikoff Gaming.

Organizers claimed some of sports biggest stars were expected to attend the Sports Legends Challenge, including Sugar Ray Leonard, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Emmitt Smith, Reggie Jackson, Joe Namath, Julius "Dr. J" Erving, and Mark Messier.

Poker Pros including Phil Hellmuth, Annie Duke, Johnny Chan, Jamie Gold and Mike Sexton were also expected to be on hand.

Bibbero said details on the new venue and dates are being finalized, but organizers will be looking for a location on U.S. soil that provides easy access to major population centers.

All prior entries will be honored at the rescheduled event and refunds have been offered.

The new location and dates are expected to be announced over the next few weeks.

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APPT Macau smashes records

After qualifying through a live satellite at the Grand Lisboa's PokerStars Macau Poker Room, Ireland's Dermot Blain booked the win in the main event, besting a final table that included 2009 WSOP Main Event Day 1b chip leader Brandon Demes.

Blain, 25, who recently left his job as a sales manager to play poker full time, took home approximately $538,700 for the win Sunday, marking the largest prize ever paid out in a poker tournament on Asian soil.

A total of 429 players from 46 countries created a more than $2 million prize pool for the main event, beating the previous record of $1.6 million set at last year's APPT Macau main event.

The APPT Macau High Roller event also finished Sunday with Switzerland's Vladimir Geshkenbein taking the $266,735 first-place prize.

Geshkenbein actually beat the legendary Johnny Chan heads-up, who managed to best his seventh-place finish in the very same event last year, coming second for $154,426.

The entire PokerStars.net APPT Macau Summer Festival of Poker actually featured 38 events with nearly 3,000 players and a total prize pool of $3,596,341.

"It's a wonderful experience to see the always-hospitable people of Macau and watch the sport of poker continue to grow," Team PokerStars Pro Joe Hachem said.

"It's truly amazing how passionate the local players at PokerStars Macau are about poker and it's abundantly obvious by not only the number of participants from Macau, Hong Kong and China, but also the great results they are having in all the events.

"I'm looking forward to coming back to the Grand Lisboa next year."

The next stop on the APPT will be in Auckland, New Zealand from October 14-18.

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Satellites Running for Sports Legends Challenge

The Sports Legends Challenge is scheduled to take place from September 14 to 17 at the Atlantis Paradise Island resort and hotel and will feature 25 athletic icons including Troy Aikman, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Richard Petty and Sugar Ray Leonard. The sporting greats will compete in a range of poker tournaments for up to ten million dollars in prize money alongside 25 top professional players including Phil Hellmuth, Annie Duke, Chris Moneymaker and Johnny Chan.

Jamie Gold on Poker in the Park Charity Tournament, WSOP November Nine

A total of 60 players turned out for the first ever Jamie Gold Charity Tournament held during London’s Poker in the Park, hosted by Gold and 2008 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event Champion Peter Eastgate. In the end, Swedish poker pro Mikael Gabrielsson took down the gala, which featured a reduced $400 buy-in.

Poker News Daily: We know you were shooting for David Craig to turn out. Tell us about the scene at your charity poker tournament.

Gold: Daniel Craig didn’t come, but we invited him. Bluff Magazine brought a few people. Michael Greco brought a soccer player named Teddy Sheringham. Out there, he’s bigger than a movie star. He was very kind and really nice.

PND: Are there any interesting stories you could share?

Gold: Peter Eastgate was obviously the big draw. He donated the shoes, hat, and shirt he wore when he won the Main Event. I felt so bad that I bought his shirt and gave it back to him.

PND: The buy-in was originally scheduled to be the equivalent of $800, but was ultimately cut in half. Can you tell us about the decision?

Gold: It felt like people were having such a hard time in this economy, especially poker players. We ended up having about 60 to 70 players total. They brought in a few more tables and we took a few alternates. Before we lowered the buy-in, we would have been fine. Once it was the day of the event, though, we felt uneasy. You could see that people really wanted to play, but couldn’t afford it. Once we lowered the buy-in, everyone started telling friends and it sold out right away.

PND: Eastgate was subdued following his 2008 Main Event win. Has he become more open?

Gold: Eastgate mentioned during his talk during Poker in the Park that he doesn’t speak English that well. Try going to another country, speaking their language, and know you’re being filmed the whole time. There is a lot of pressure on this guy. You only have certain responsibilities to be an ambassador of the game. I wouldn’t say one of those is being a public speaker. You can tell he’s not comfortable in the spotlight, which is not a bad thing. Peter could not be a nicer, more generous guy and he loves to play poker. People throw questions at him constantly and he describes himself as an introvert.

PND: Despite your busy schedule, we’re sure you’ve had a chance to check out the 2009 WSOP November Nine. What are your thoughts on this year’s group?

Gold: Phil Ivey has been kind towards me and I’d like to see him win it. It’s not like we’re close, but I respect his game so much. As a fan, I’d love to see him win it. I have a feeling that if I got to know a lot of them, I’d want them to win. I like Jeff Shulman a lot too.

PND: Speaking of Shulman, what are your thoughts on his threats to throw away the WSOP Main Event bracelet should he win?

Gold: It is what it is. I’ve only had good interactions with him, so I wouldn’t be upset if he won. He’s worked hard at it and put in so much time. It’s not like he doesn’t deserve it.

PND: Do you think you could have pulled out a win with a delayed final table?

Gold: I’d like to think that I would have still won. I could have been with Johnny Chan getting coached, for example, during the break. I’m not sure how I could have played much better in 2006 and maybe coaching would have taken my bravado away.

PND: What was your reaction to hearing that the final table of the Main Event would be pushed back in order to coincide with its television airing on ESPN?

Gold: I understood completely. It’s a business; it’s not just a game. The people who are running it are smart, sharp business people. It was getting smaller and smaller and the excitement level was getting less and less. It wasn’t a bad move. From a pure poker player perspective, it’s never good to delay the final table of a tournament. If I were one of the ones who had made the final table, it would have been a really exciting four months. You get a check for $1 million and then do your own thing.

PND: Will you be involved in the final table of the WSOP Main Event this year in some capacity?

Gold: Last year, they invited us and gave us front row seats, introduced us to the crowd, and made us feel like a part of the process. The WSOP executives make us feel like we’re part of the family. It’s nice and also smart on their behalf. Keeping the history of the WSOP alive is very smart. I can’t imagine a poker fan that doesn’t love at least one Main Event winner. I’m always happy to be a part of it.

Adrien Allain Wins 2009 APT Macau Main Event

In the Far East, it was a Frenchman from halfway around the world who emerged victorious. Adrien Allain, who hails from Rennes, France, won this year’s running of the Asian Poker Tour (APT) Macau Main Event. Allain banked HK $3.035 million for his efforts.

Allain qualified for the APT Macau festivities by winning a $5 tournament on PKR. In the online world, he’s known as zlatan35 and his largest poker cash prior to Macau weighed in at $8,000. His HK $3.035 million payday equates to nearly USD $400,000 at current exchange ranges. In the final hand in Macau, Allain drew out with A-3 against Korean poker player Inwook Choi’s A-Q after spiking a three on the flop. Entering heads-up play, Choi was a 2:1 underdog. Here’s how the final table shook out:

1st Place: Adrien Allain (France) - HK$3,035,000
2nd Place: Inwook Choi (Korea) - HK$1,660,000
3rd Place: J.C. Tran (United States) - HK$910,510
4th Place: David Steicke (Hong Kong) - HK$708,300
5th Place: Chris Chau (Hong Kong) - HK$506,000
6th Place: Michael Woo (Hong Kong) - HK$404,800
7th Place: Christer Hallberg (Sweden) - HK$303,600
8th Place: Winfred Yu (Hong Kong) - HK$202,400
9th Place: Casey Kastle (Slovenia) - HK$131,500

J.C. Tran holds two World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelets and was arguably the most successful player at the final table. After scoring his first piece of hardware in 2008, Tran won another bracelet this year by virtue of winning a $2,500 buy-in Pot Limit Omaha event for $235,000. Tran won the 2006 PokerStars World Championship of Online Poker (WCOOP) Main Event for $670,000.

Tran, a member of the APT’s Poker Pack, commented in a press release distributed by tournament officials, “It has been a great 12-day festival for the Poker Pack. It is disappointing not to take down the Main Event, but congratulations to Allain. He played good poker and is a deserving champion. To take down such a major tournament for just $5 is quite something – there’s no doubt he has great potential.”

Day 1B of the APT Macau Main Event featured filming of the Chinese language poker film “Poker King.” Ten-time WSOP bracelet winner Johnny Chan predicted that the movie would be bigger than “Rounders,” which helped spur the growth of No Limit Texas Hold’em in the United States. Yu, who finished in eighth place, came to the Macau event as part of the crew of “Poker King.”

Tran was eliminated from the tournament when Choi and Allain checked the action down on a board of A-J-10-9-8. Tran showed the Dead Man’s Hand, aces and eights, but was trumped by Allain’s A-Q for a straight. David Steicke was ousted from the final table after running his pocket nines into Choi’s pocket kings. The board ran out 3-3-A-3-K, giving Choi a better full house and sending Steicke packing.

WSOP November Nine member James Akenhead made the trek to Macau. Also appearing in the field were 2008 WSOP Europe Main Event winner John Juanda, Chan, Liz Lieu, Season VI World Poker Tour (WPT) Championship winner David Chiu, new Team Ultimate Bet member Liv Boeree, Amnon Filippi, and reigning WPT Championship victor Yevgeniy Timoshenko. Matt Savage served as the APT Macau’s Tournament Director, a role he will reprise in October for the annual Ultimate Bet Aruba Poker Classic.

In addition to finishing third in the Main Event, Tran won the Poker Pack Headhunter tournament in Macau. Other highlights included Team Korea (featuring Steve Sung, David “Chino” Rheem, and Brandon Wong) winning the inaugural JBET Battle of the Nations. A “Poker King” charity tournament was also held, with Poker Pack member Quinn Do emerging victorious.

Johnny Chan & Scott Stewart Still Alive at Macau

The second day of the Asian Poker Tour Macau Main Event concluded yesterday evening (GMT) with 51 players remaining of the 192 that began. Aussie Millions 2009 champion Stewart Scott enjoyed a very successful day, narrowly beaten to the chip lead in the dying hands of the session by Eugene Teh.

APT High Roller Champ Leads Main Event Field.

Due to those pesky time zones that come as a result of having a spherical planet in orbit of the Sun – damn you, Galileo! – the Asian Poker Tour’s $5,000 Main Event in Macau is currently playing through Day 2, in which Johnny Chan and Liv Boeree are both doing quite well.

Brett Favre Signing Delays WSOP Main Event Coverage on ESPN

The signing of quarterback Brett Favre by the Minnesota Vikings delayed the premiere of the 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event by 20 minutes on Tuesday night, with action from Day 1A and Day 1B taking center stage.

The $10,000 buy-in feature tournament began with Full Tilt Poker pro Jennifer Harman narrating, “Someone has to win it, right? So why not you or me?” Highlights of past Main Event winning moments aired, with a player rounding out the montage by saying, “All you need is a ticket and a dream.” The feature table of the first hour, Day 1A of the 2009 WSOP Main Event, included 2006 final table participant Allen Cunningham, Eli Elezra, and Lex Veldhuis, the boyfriend of Evelyn Ng who was featured in ESPN’s coverage of the $40,000 buy-in event commemorating the 40th running of the WSOP.

ESPN announcer Norman Chad fired up viewers by claiming, “This is it. It’s the greatest event in the galaxy. Anyone can win. We could bound and gag Lon [McEachern], stick him in a potato sack, and roll him into the Amazon Room and he may make the final table. I love the Main Event.” Table Two featured 2009 dual bracelet winner Greg “FBT” Mueller and poker pro Sammy Farha, who finished as the runner-up to Chris Moneymaker in the 2003 WSOP Main Event, igniting the modern poker boom.

The 40th Annual Moments featured Johnny Chan winning the 1987 and 1988 Main Events before landing as the runner-up to Phil Hellmuth in 1989. Chan also turned in a seventh place performance in 1992. Joining Chan in the Day 1A field were Phil Laak, Jennifer Tilly, Orel Hershiser, Dewey Tomko, Steven Paul-Ambrose, and Gus Hansen. “Seinfeld” star Jason Alexander and “Everybody Loves Raymond” actor Brad Garrett were seated together, making for a lively table.

At the feature table, Veldhuis rolled over his competition, showing a bluff against Elezra, who labeled him the best player in the field on Day 1A. Veldhuis then represented a flush on a four club board to take down a pot against a player who held two pair. In the Jack Link’s Beef Jerky Wild Card Hand, Simon Muenz raised to 900 with pocket tens, Velduis called with unknown cards, and Cunningham called with A-J. The flop came 4-3-2 with two hearts. Muenz checked, Velduis led out for 2,300, Cunningham got out of the way, and Muenz called. The turn was the nine of hearts. Veldhuis bet 6,000, leaving Chad to comment, “I still think Lex has air.” Muenz called and the ace of spades fell on the river. Veldhuis pushed and Muenz folded. As it turned out, Veldhuis held K-6 for a bluff.

A brand new segment dubbed “Deal Me In” aired and featured Full Tilt Poker pros reliving key hands in live tournaments. Chris Ferguson was the focus of the inaugural segment, recapping a hand where he turned quad aces against Prahlad Friedman. The punch line, according to Ferguson: “You don’t always want to slow play.” Contrastingly, “The Nuts” featured PokerStars pros Greg Raymer, Vanessa Rousso, Chad Brown, Joe Hachem, Hevad Khan, and Dennis Phillips trying to hit a wiffleball thrown by Hershiser. In the end, Raymer laid down a bunt, only to have Hershiser blow it foul.

ESPN’s second hour of coverage, which kicked off around 9:20pm ET on Tuesday night, included a feature table with Mike Matusow. He chimed, “Life is all about the power of positive thinking.” Flanking him was John Dodge, whose grandfather started the automobile company of the same name. Also in the field was Jack Ury, the oldest player in the Main Event at age 96, and poker legend Amarillo Slim, who hasn’t cashed in the tournament since winning it in 1972.

The Wild Card Hand during the Day 1B episode featured Doyle Brunson raise to 675 with A-J of hearts. James Kier called, holding the elusive Wild Card hand. The flop fell 2-4-K rainbow and the action went check-check. The turn was a three and Kier led out for 1,500. Brunson called to watch a four hit the river. Kier once again bet out, this time for 2,500, and Brunson called with just ace-high. Kier sheepishly revealed J-9 for air and another player at the table quipped, “Were you really just trying to bluff Doyle Brunson?”

Matusow gave autographed copies of his book, “Check-Raising the Devil,” to his tablemates, while another Mike, Mike Caro, was featured in an ESPN vignette talking about his “Mad Genius” moniker. Others in the field included Raymer, Ferguson, Barry Greenstein, Joe Sebok, Chris Moneymaker, Todd Brunson, and Pam Brunson. A “Straight from the Pros” segment, in which PokerStars sponsored players gave their take on hands, aired and featured Moneymaker.

Next week, Moneymaker’s colleague at PokerStars, Daniel Negreanu, will take center stage along with Hellmuth. The action takes place from 8:00pm to 10:00pm ET barring any more Favre news.

Layne Flack - Poker Player Profile

In conversations regarding who’s had the most successful career at the World Series of Poker, it makes sense that Phil Hellmuth, Doyle Brunson and Johnny Chan are usually first to be mentioned – after all, they lead the pack with 11, 11 and 10 bracelets, respectively. However, a few names down the list you’ll find Layne Flack, who’s also had an incredible amount of success at the WSOP, with six bracelets of his own.

Born in Rapid City, South Dakota and raised in Montana, Layne Flack grew up playing cards with his grandparents, and quickly became familiar with the gambling culture by working summer jobs in a local casino. After discovering poker and becoming enamored with the game, Flack decided to quit his job to focus on playing cards. In the initial stages of his career, Layne befriended Huck Seed, who actually suggested that he bring his game to Las Vegas. Once in Vegas, Flack ran into Johnny Chan on a particularly rough night at the tables, but Chan saw through the struggles and took him under his wing.

In 1999, Layne Flack exploded on the world stage by winning his first WSOP bracelet, the $3000 Pot Limit Hold’em event for $224K. By 2002, Layne had earned his nickname – Back to Back Flack – after winning two consecutive WSOP events, the $2000 No Limit Hold’em for $304K and the $1500 Limit Hold’em for $268K. In 2003, Flack once again proved he was for real by winning two more WSOP bracelets, this time the $2500 Omaha Hi-Low Split for $119K and the $1500 Limit Hold’em Shootout for $120K. 2008 saw Layne win his most recent bracelet, the $1500 Pot Limit Omaha Rebuy event for $578K. Layne has also made some noise on the WPT with four final table appearances for a total of over $900K in cashes.

Although he’s achieved a great deal on the felt, Layne Flack has had his share of problems away from the tables, most notably drug and alcohol addictions that finally spilled over in 2004. It got so bad that his family and friends staged an intervention, with poker buddy Daniel Negreanu taking care of the $60K bill for Layne to enter rehab. As of 2009, Flack has apparently recovered from his drug addictions, but can still be seen having a few drinks.

Layne Flack currently splits his time between homes in Montana and Las Vegas.

Ante Up for Africa Poker Event Features Hollywood Invasion

On Tuesday night, cable station ESPN featured action from the Ante Up for Africa charity tournament held during the 2009 World Series of Poker. The final table aired for just 30 minutes in a unique telecast.

The two-hour show opened with a montage of celebrities taking part in the event, including “Rounders” actor Matt Damon, “Pearl Harbor” actor Ben Affleck, and comedian Sarah Silverman. A total of 137 players took to the felts, with the feature table during ESPN’s first hour headlined by basketball Hall of Fame member Charles Barkley, whose association with gambling was highlighted on several occasions throughout the episode by ESPN commentator Norman Chad. Comments included “Don’t say blackjack around Charles” and “Charles is probably wondering if he can double down on the flop.” Joining Barkley at the feature table were 2008 WSOP November Nine member Ylon Schwartz, “Seinfeld” actor Jason Alexander, and “Celebrity Apprentice” candidate Herschel Walker.

Highlights from around the field included Ultimate Bet Star Player Tiffany Michelle besting Damon in a hand holding pocket sevens. After Affleck’s pocket fives ran into a flop of 4-6-K, Chad remarked, “That’s a worse flop for Ben than ‘Gigli.’” Ante Up for Africa emcee Phil Hellmuth and Nelly then sang the St. Louis rapper’s hit song “#1” and the recurring “40th Annual Memories” relived Howard Lederer’s first bracelet win. Lederer’s sister, Annie Duke, was featured heavily during the segment and, together with actor Don Cheadle, the “Celebrity Apprentice” runner-up co-hosted the Ante Up for Africa event.

The Jack Link’s Beef Jerky Wild Card Hand featured Walker calling the big blind with unknown cards, Alexander calling with K-10, and Barkley checking his option with pocket eights. The flop came J-Q-6 and the action checked around to see a king fall on the turn. Alexander led out for 700, Barkley folded, and Walker made the call. The river was another queen. Alexander checked, Walker put out a small bet of 600, and Alexander made the call. Walker flipped up A-Q for trips and scooped the pot.

Damon recalled the public’s reaction to the movie “Rounders,” which was released in 1998 and also featured Edward Norton, John Malkovich, and John Turturro: “When it first came out, it was a bomb. It kind of hurt my feelings.” Chad revealed that 2003 WSOP Main Event Champion Chris Moneymaker got his start in poker after watching the film. Damon’s lifelong friend, Affleck, was ousted from the Ante Up for Africa event holding pocket sixes after Jennifer Harman hit a flush on the river. Affleck signed autographs for fans on the rail and headed to the feature table to support Damon.

Barkley doubled up with 8-7 against A-Q after filling his straight on the river, leaving ESPN commentators to note, “That was like a three-pointer at the buzzer to win the game.” The end of the first episode featured Barkley hitting the rails holding 8-6 of diamonds despite flopping a flush draw.

The second episode aired at 9:00pm ET. This time around, feature table personalities included Damon and Erik Seidel, whose runner-up performance to Johnny Chan in the 1998 WSOP Main Event was featured prominently in the movie “Rounders.” The Wild Card Hand saw Damon raise to 10,000 pre-flop with A-7. Seidel pushed over the top all-in holding unknown cards and Damon tanked before finally releasing his hand. Seidel turned over pocket sixes and told Damon, “I think you probably made the right choice.” Seidel eventually sent Damon packing with A-J against pocket tens when the actor inopportunely shoved on an ace-high flop.

“The Nuts,” which had featured 40th Annual Trivia the past two weeks, recapped Chad’s red carpet interviews. Chad joked to Mike Matusow that money should be pooled for Mike Tyson, who was in attendance for the event, to punch Hellmuth. Matusow commented, “I will throw an extra $5,000 to the charity if he connects.” Chad also interviewed Damon and Affleck to divulge who really wrote “Good Will Hunting” and asked the latter if he could beat Chad’s record of three marriages. Chad’s final interview was with Sasquatch, the mascot of Jack Link’s Beef Jerky. Chad referred to the furry animal as co-host Lon McEachern.

The final table featured 18 WSOP bracelets, with Seidel owning eight of them. The nine-handed spectacle did not air until 30 minutes remained in the second ESPN episode of the night, reflecting the desire by producers to show the paths of celebrities in attendance during this unique charity tournament. The final table lacked strategy, with a multitude of three-way all-ins panning out with players unable to cover their blinds. Alex Bolotin eventually emerged as the 2009 Ante Up for Africa champion and pocketed $176,000. Over $360,000 was raised for the victims of the crisis in Darfur. On the turbo structure, Chad quipped, “Bolotin is the Ante Up for Africa all-in champion.”

Next week at 8:00pm ET, ESPN will kick off its 24 hours of coverage of the 2009 WSOP Main Event.

Asian Poker Tour Invites U.S. Swimmer Michael Phelps to 2009 Event

For the second straight year, record-breaking U.S. Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps has been invited to play in the Asian Poker Tour’s (APT) Macau event. The festivities run from August 12th to 23rd at the Galaxy StarWorld Hotel and Casino.

Last year, a six-day event played out in the Asian metropolis. This time around, the poker festivities will occur over the course of 12 days. After recording eight gold medals during the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, which included seven world records and one Olympic record, Phelps was invited to play in the APT event in nearby Macau. The worldwide race to lure Phelps to a major poker event began after he told his hometown newspaper, the Baltimore Sun, that he wanted to compete in the annual World Series of Poker (WSOP). Phelps was escorted to poker events by the game’s legends like Doyle Brunson and news of the swimmer signing with various online poker sites abounded. However,  entry into a major event did not occur.

WSOP Europe sponsors Betfair invited Phelps to play in the 2008 tournament series. In addition, Phelps was set to become involved with the poker stage show The Real Deal at the Venetian. An open letter sent by APT officials to Phelps this week read, “We heard positive noises, but there was no sign of the human dolphin when they called ‘shuffle up and deal.’ We would like to extend this invite once again to you to come, all expenses paid, and take part in this showpiece poker event. The Main Event is in Macau between the 20th and 23rd of August, but the 12 day festival of poker starts on August 12th, so let us know!”

Phelps’ appearance in a tabloid newspaper holding a bong led to a three-month suspension from competitive swimming.  He also lost several endorsement deals as a result, but has recently appeared in Subway commercials opposite Jared Fogle. The bong in question allegedly belonged to 2008 PokerStars World Championship of Online Poker (WCOOP) Main Event Champion Carter “ckingusc” King, a South Carolina native.

The open letter alluded to Phelps’ recent public relations difficulties: “Some media reports even suggest that you may have got in with the wrong crowd in the last 12 months – we promise to keep you out of trouble. We’ll give you access to pools of sharks, fish, and those that you swim in! If you don’t want to bring your goggles, fair enough; bring a pair of sunglasses and your poker face! While you are at it, you could ask a certain poker playing President by the name of Barack Hussein Obama II if he fancies joining you!”

Last year’s APT Macau Main Event was won by Yevgeniy “atimos” Timoshenko, who also took down the World Poker Tour (WPT) Championship in April, the culmination of the WPT’s seventh season. Timoshenko defeated Steve Yea heads-up in Macau, with 40 players finishing in the money. Day 1A of this year’s APT Macau Main Event kicks off on August 20th, with two starting days set to play out. Players will be given 10,000 starting chips, with blinds increasing every 60 minutes and starting at 25-50. Antes kick in at Level 4, when blinds are 100-200.

Among those slated to battle it out in this year’s APT Macau Main Event are 10-time WSOP bracelet winner Johnny Chan, J.C. Tran, Nam Le, Steve Sung, Quinn Do, 2008 WSOP November Nine member David “Chino” Rheem, and Kwang Soo Lee. Each will participate in filming of the new movie “Poker King,” which Chan stated may trump “Rounders.”

Johnny Chan Says “Poker King” Could Be Next “Rounders”

As preparations continue at the Galaxy StarWorld Hotel and Casino in Macau for the Asian Poker Tour Festival Macau (which starts next Tuesday), players are beginning to flood the Chinese territory. One of those players is former World Champion Johnny Chan, who is on hand not only for the poker that will be played between August 12th and August 23rd but also for the filming of the Chinese poker film tentatively titled “Poker King.”

Chan, who also had a significant role in the seminal American poker film “Rounders”, envisions that “Poker King” could have a similar impact on China when released. “It (‘Poker King’) has the potential to be much, much bigger than ‘Rounders’ ever was,” Chan declared after arriving in Macau. “Say there are over one billion Chinese speaking people in the world”, the 1987-1988 winner of the WSOP Championship Event asked. “Now compare that to the United States and their 300 million people…you can see that this could be huge. ‘Rounders’ gave poker a new lease of life in the West - this could kick start a new poker boom in Asia.”

Chan is looking to be a part of the film – which is tentatively slated to use the Asian Poker Tour’s “Poker Pack” of J. C. Tran, Nam Le, Quinn Do, Steve Sung, David “Chino” Rheem and Kwan Soo Lee during filming – much like he was as a part of the filming of “Rounders.” Looking back at his involvement in the 1998 poker film, Chan remembered his time on the set fondly. “I had a fantastic time filming ‘Rounders’ back in the 90s”, Chan recalled. “A big part of my involvement was behind the scenes, where I helped teach Matt Damon, Edward Norton and John Malkovich how to play poker. I also played myself in the film and, to this day, it gives me recognition in the mainstream outside of poker circles.”

“The film had a huge impact on poker and gave it a new lease of life”, Johnny continued. “In fact, I was recently talking to Chris Moneymaker – who is credited by many as being a catalyst for the poker boom in the West – and he said without the influence of ‘Rounders,’ he wouldn’t have even have tried to qualify for the WSOP Main Event that he won! People got turned on by it and I can see this happening with ‘Poker King’ in the Chinese language world.”

The film, which will be directed by famous Chinese language director Chan Hing-Kai and Janet Chun and, produced by Amy Chin and Chan Hing-Kai, will use the festivities around the Galaxy StarWorld as a backdrop for their film. The film will tell the story of two poker champions – who are also bitter enemies – as they vie for the world championship of poker. Starring Chinese actors Louis Koo, Sean Lau Ching-Wan, Stephy Tang, Cherrie In and Josie Ho, the film is slated for release in China later this year.

With the excitement regarding the filming of “Poker King,” some may be distracted from the actual poker itself being played. The Asian Poker Tour Festival Macau is scheduled to have twenty official side tournaments, a plethora of high stakes cash games and the 32,000 Hong Kong Dollar (slightly over $4000 U. S. Dollars) Championship Event. Last year’s gathering – a six day event – drew such poker notables as Chan, fellow former World Champion Doyle Brunson, top female poker player Liz Lieu and others to a locale that has passed Las Vegas as the gaming capital of the world. The eventual champion was up and coming professional Yevgeniy Timoshenko, who burst upon the scene in Macau and went on to win the WPT Championship in April of this year.

Johnny Chan: Chinese Poker Movie “Can Easily Be Bigger Than Rounders.”

The Asian Poker Tour Macau is drawing ever-nearer and another historic occassion has marked the successful tournament series as the Asian Poker Tour Macau Festival will be featured in a ground-breaking Chinese language poker movie.

World Team Poker set for take off

"This is the first time the poker world has seen anything like this," World Team Poker Director of Communications Gideon Cross told PokerListings. "It's really exciting."

Although the structure of the league is still in the works, Cross said it will include 32 teams of five players representing countries from all over the globe in heads-up challenge matches.

Team captains are being chosen by World Team Poker and the captains are expected to pick their teammates.

Eleven-time WSOP gold bracelet winner Phil Hellmuth will captain Team USA, which will take on Men "The Master" Nguyen's Team Vietnam in World Team Poker's first event, planned for Las Vegas this November.

Although no dates have been confirmed, Cross said the second event on the schedule will see Team USA take on back-to-back WSOP Main Event Champ Johnny Chan and Team China in Macau.

World Team Poker plans to broadcast its events live on the Internet with interactive features allowing viewers to chat with team captains and wager on the outcome.

The actual matches are expected to feature several different poker variants and allow the players involved to set the stakes and raise them during play.

"This is going to be like the World Championships or the Olympics of poker," Cross said.

More information can be found at the World Team Poker website.

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Inside Deal Debuts on ESPN.com, Features Chris Moneymaker

On Tuesday, the first installment of Inside Deal premiered on ESPN.com, hosted by Poker News Daily Guest Columnist Bernard Lee and ESPN The Magazine contributor Laura Lane. The first 30 minute episode to air featured an appearance by 2003 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event Champion Chris Moneymaker.

Inside Deal is presented by PokerStars.net, whose logo appears on virtually all on-screen graphics. In addition, the site aired two Americas Cup of Poker commercials and one traditional television ad. The opening segment of ESPN.com’s Inside Deal began with Lane asking Lee what Moneymaker’s real last name is. Moneymaker joined the duo and responded, “You don’t know that I changed it in 2003? It’s Berman.” Chris Berman is known to many ESPN fans as one of the original anchors of the SportsCenter franchise.

The set of Inside Deal is similar in feel to SportsCenter and makes its home at ESPN’s headquarters in Bristol, Connecticut. Poker news took center stage to open the show and featured a preview of 2009 WSOP Main Event final table. On November Nine member Phil Ivey’s legacy, Lee commented, “I think this will cement his legacy that started back in his days in Atlantic City.” Then, attention turned to CardPlayer Magazine Editor Jeff Shulman’s comments that he’d trash the Main Event bracelet should he win. Lee retorted, “He has the right to say whatever he wants, but he should be acting more like a poker ambassador.”

Other news focused on the sellout of Day 1D of the 2009 WSOP Main Event and over 500 players being unable to enter poker’s most prestigious tournament. Lee explained, “Poker players are known procrastinators,” and offered up several solutions to prevent the problem from occurring in 2010. Talk of a Rounders sequel also permeated the Inside Deal news segment, as did the results of the PokerStars Sunday Million, complete with an on-screen graphic showing paydays from a three-way chop.

Moneymaker then joined Lee and Lane and discussed his recent success in Omaha. Moneymaker explained, “It’s hard to find myself playing Hold’em anymore.” He was then asked whether it’d be better for the game if an amateur or pro won the 2009 Main Event. Moneymaker commented, “To have Ivey come back and win it would be great for poker.” Moneymaker recalled his Main Event satellite win on PokerStars. Curiously, he was actually trying to finish fourth in the qualifier to take home $8,000 in cash. The top three spots paid Main Event seats, but Moneymaker was about $8,000 in debt. Nevertheless, he wound up winning the Main Event and igniting the modern poker boom.

Moneymaker also discussed how the play of amateurs has evolved since 2003. The champion explained that the game has become considerably more aggressive: “There was no such thing as a 4bet in 2003. If you were 4bet, it was aces or kings.” He also fielded a question from a viewer in Hershey, Pennsylvania about how to play suited connectors. Moneymaker explained, “Keep the pots small pre-flop” and “Don’t commit more than 5% of your stack pre-flop.”

ESPN Poker Editor Andrew Feldman joined the show to discuss who would appear on the Mount Rushmore of Poker. Moneymaker offered up the quartet of Jack Binion, Doyle Brunson, hole card camera inventor Henry Orenstein, and either Stu Ungar or Chip Reese. Lee made cases for Binion, Brunson, Ungar, and Moneymaker, while Feldman argued that Reese, Johnny Chan, and Phil Hellmuth should also be in the conversation.

An unaired hand from the WSOP Champions Invitational was reviewed. In it, 1983 Main Event Champion Tom McEvoy raised to 6,000 pre-flop with K-10 of clubs. 2002 winner Robert Varkonyi re-raised to 18,000 with pocket fives. McEvoy made the call to see the flop come 6-7-J. Varkonyi shoved all-in and McEvoy quickly mucked, leaving Feldman to comment that Vakonyi’s actions represented “a bold move on a scary flop.” Lee and Moneymaker gave analysis of the hand, which did not air as part of Tuesday night’s ESPN telecast of the Champions Invitational. McEvoy ultimately won the tournament, taking home a vintage Corvette and the Binion Cup.

Finally, Moneymaker was “under the gun” as part of a rapid-fire question and answer segment. Moneymaker revealed that he made $250 online during the car ride up to Bristol and his favorite tournament is the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure in the Bahamas. He noted that, while moving from Nashville to Memphis, he lost his Main Event bracelet for two years, but it now sits in a box in his closet. He also discussed his craziest fan experience, his best chip trick, and the starting hand that gives him the most trouble (pocket jacks).

Inside Deal is posted every Tuesday on ESPN.com.

Deal Me In — Johnny Chan

In its pages are never-before-revealed details of the lives of some of the biggest names in poker. Phil Hellmuth’s new book profiles 20 of the biggest poker players in the world, giving the reader an intimate look at the game’s biggest celebrities. Deal Me In, a collection of autobiographical accounts from many of

Last Chance to Qualify for APT Macau.

The Asian Poker Tour is going from strength to strength, having attracted some of the industry’s biggest names in 2008 including Doyle Brunson, Jack Binion, Johnny Chan, John Juanda, Huck Seed, Liz Lieu, Todd Brunson, Kenny Tran and Poker Pack members Nam Le, Quinn Do, JC Tran, Steve Sung, David ‘Chino’ Rheem and Kwang Soo Lee.

Vitaly Lunkin Shines in First 2009 WSOP on ESPN Broadcast

The kickoff event of the 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) on ESPN played out on Tuesday night, with Russian Vitaly Lunkin taking home $1.9 million from the record $7.7 million prize pool.

Fans of poker on ESPN noticed several stark changes in the 2009 WSOP broadcast compared to years past. 2008 WSOP Main Event Champion Peter Eastgate now appears in the opening credits of the broadcast, which are otherwise the same as last year. The show began by highlighting the 40th running of the WSOP, featuring comments by several pros, including Doyle Brunson, Howard Lederer, Daniel Negreanu, Mike Sexton, Johnny Chan, Chris Ferguson, Annie Duke, Erick Lindgren, Chris Moneymaker, Greg Raymer, Jennifer Harman, Joe Hachem, and Scotty Nguyen. Eastgate’s banner, which hung above the Amazon Room floor at the Rio during the WSOP, was then unveiled.

Jack Link’s Beef Jerky, the presenting sponsor of the 2009 WSOP, received a slew of product placement throughout the show. The foodstuff’s logo appears on the center of the ESPN featured table, on video monitors above it, and in a bevy of graphics during the broadcast. Everest Poker’s name continues to appear in the ring of the table. Commemoration of the 40th WSOP consisted of a series of “40th Annual Memories” vignettes, which honored players who have won three bracelets in one year (Jeffrey Lisandro won a trio in 2009) and Greg Raymer’s deep run in the 2005 Main Event after winning the tournament in 2004.

The hole card camera now bears the presenting sponsor’s name and a Jack Link’s Wild Card Hand of the Day allows viewers at home to see one player’s hand, but not their opponent’s. In one, Raymer held 8-7 of hearts and raised to 250,000 under the gun. Isaac Haxton, whose cards were unknown, asked for a count and then made the call. The flop came 7-7-9 and the action went check-check. The turn came a nine, leading ESPN poker commentator Norman Chad to note, “If Isaac has a small pocket pair or an ace, he’s playing the board.” Haxton checked, Raymer led out for 350,000, and Haxton called. The river was another nine. Haxton checked, Raymer bet 750,000 after seeing his full house counterfeited, and Haxton called, showing A-Q for a chopped pot. On the Wild Card Hand of the Day, Chad noted, “That was fun. We’ve found a whole new way for me to sound stupid.”

For an event featuring a $40,000 buy-in, the average age of the final table was lower than many expected. Six of the nine players were in their 20s, while Raymer, who finished third, was the elder statesman at just 44. Noah Schwartz, who finished eighth, was labeled McLovin during the broadcast due to his striking resemblance to a character in the movie “Superbad.” Lex Veldhuis was cheered on by his girlfriend, Evelyn Ng, as well as Team PokerStars Pro member Maridu Mayrinck and Karina Jett. Raymer’s wife and mother turned out to support him, while Bodog pro Justin “ZeeJustin” Bonomo’s mother and stepfather rooted him on from the rails.

Two one-hour episodes aired on Tuesday night. The second focused on a prop bet by Bonomo that at least one of 43 poker players who live in Panorama Towers in Las Vegas would win a bracelet during the 2009 WSOP. Bonomo gave 7:1 odds on the bet and watched in agony as heads-up action between Lunkin and Panorama Towers’ own Haxton featured several double-ups by the player on the short stack. Besides Haxton and Bonomo, Panorama Towers residents include David Williams, Ng, Barry Greenstein, Joe Sebok, Antonio Esfandiari, Phil Laak, and Veldhuis.

In one of the most memorable heads-up matches in WSOP history, which left viewers on the edge of their seats, Lunkin finally prevailed and banked $1.9 million. Even Chad was rooting his fellow American along. After one double-up by Haxton with K-10 against Lunkin’s aces, Chad yelled, “Take that, you Commies!” Chants of “Russ-i-a” permeated the Amazon Room following Lunkin’s win and WSOP Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack presented the commemorative bracelet to the Russian at the end of the first 2009 WSOP on ESPN broadcast. Here were the final payouts:

1. Vitaly Lunkin - $1,891,012
2. Isaac Haxton - $1,168,566
3. Greg Raymer - $774,927
4. Dani Stern - $548,315
5. Justin Bonomo - $413,166
6. Alec Torelli - $329,730
7. Lex Veldhuis - $277,940
8. Noah Schwartz - $246,834
9. Ted Forrest - $230,317

Other vignettes included Brunson, Adam Schoenfeld, and David Plastik battling in 40th Annual WSOP Trivia during the traditional segment “The Nuts.” Nine questions in three categories were asked, including Main Men, Dynamic Duos, and Famous Firsts. In the end, Schoenfeld prevailed and advanced to the next round.

Poker News Daily has learned that future WSOP episodes will feature sponsored vignettes from PokerStars (called “Straight from the Pros”) and Full Tilt Poker (called “Deal Me In”). Pros from each online poker site will explain why they played a hand a certain way, giving the viewer unique insight. The Wild Card Hand of the Day will also continue to appear in each episode.

Stay tuned for the latest from the 2009 WSOP on Poker News Daily.