Poker News

Full Tilt Poker Sued Over Bot Use

The legal woes keep piling up for Full Tilt Poker, as the site now has a third lawsuit on its hands to go along with pending legal action from former pro Clonie Gowen and former employee Jason “JDN” Newitt.  Unlike the previous two cases, this suit comes from a customer rather than someone with inside knowledge of how the company works.

Heads-up online poker player Lary “pokergirl z” Kennedy and former Full Tilt customer Greg Omotoy filed their complaint on October 1st and levied accusations of fraud, libel, slander, false advertising, and racketeering against the popular online poker room.

Kennedy and Omotoy sought legal action after Full Tilt Poker confiscated more than $80,000 spread across the two players’ accounts because the site believed they were using bots, which is against its Terms of Service.  Shortly after her account was frozen in 2007, Kennedy posted her story on the popular TwoPlusTwo online poker forum seeking advice.  As the thread developed, news broke that Kennedy was multi-accounting, logging into Full Tilt on Omotoy’s account in an attempt to elicit more action at the heads-up tables.

The official complaint against Full Tilt alleges that a player known on the site as “TheComplainer” accused Kennedy of being a bot and suggests that his good standing with Full Tilt resulted in her being booted off the site.  TheComplainer, known among the TwoPlusTwo community as “Crazy Mike” and “Gatorade,” had a reputation as an anti-bot poker crusader and accused several other players of being bots as well.

In addition to seeking restitution and damages in relation to the confiscated funds, the lawsuit accuses the site of a number of other crimes and makes insinuations about the inner workings of its management team.  The suit is filed against the companies Full Tilt Poker and Tiltware as well as several individual members of Team Full Tilt.  The list of individuals named in the claim includes Howard Lederer, Raymond Bitar, Phil Gordon, Chris Ferguson, Andy Bloch, Perry Friedman, Erick Lindgren, Erik Seidel, Phil Ivey, Patrik Antonius, John Juanda, Gus Hansen, Mike “The Mouth” Matusow, and Allen Cunningham.

Within the claim, Kennedy and Otomy’s representation explains that Full Tilt originally consisted of two separate companies, Tiltware and Vert Enterprises.  It suggests that, despite Full Tilt’s assertion that they are separate entities operating out of California and St. Kitts and Nevis, respectively, the two companies are one in the same and even suggests that Vert Enterprises actually ran an office out of Los Angeles for over two years.  When describing the roles of the individuals named in the suit, the claim also argues that Bitar, Lederer, and Ferguson all play major executive positions in the company.

The suit accuses Ferguson and Bloch of creating bots to populate slow cash game tables on the site and increase the profits of the company.  The bot accusation and the contention that Team Full Tilt and Full Tilt Red Pros are playing with “house money” are used in the claim to depict Full Tilt as an online casino rather than cardroom and, as such, in violation of California state law as well as online gaming laws in several other states.

These illegal online gambling charges are joined by accusations of fraud, unfair competition, and false advertising.  The complaint also invokes the Racketeer-Influenced Corrupt Organization Act (RICO), which has historically been used to levy criminal charges against organized crime syndicates, but is used in private suits as well in part because it enables plaintiffs to receive triple the amount of damages.  Kennedy and Otomy’s claim suggests that Full Tilt has willfully committed hundreds of illegal gambling transactions that fall under RICO’s definition of racketeering.

Full Tilt has yet to issue a response to any of the charges issued in this most recent suit or in the pending litigation involving Newitt and Gowen.  While the latter two are remaining mum about their cases against the company, Kennedy has taken her story to the Web and posting the complaint against Full Tilt on her official pokergirl website.

Absolute Poker College Challenge Kicks Off October 4th

Starting on October 4th, satellites will be available for the Absolute Poker College Challenge, which makes its return to the popular Tokwiro-owned online poker site. $30,000 in prizes can be won, including a $10,000 grand prize tuition for the Player of the Year.

Cash qualifiers for the Absolute Poker College Challenge range from $0.25 to $5 in buy-in and a variety of freerolls are also available. The top nine players from each daily event (regardless of the buy-in amount) will qualify for a freeroll that will take place the next day. In it, the top 15 will earn entry into the Weekly Main Event Qualifier that takes place on Sundays at 9:00pm ET. The first Weekly Main Event Qualifier kicks off on October 11th and the final one will take place on November 29th. Each tournament carries a $200 prize pool.

The top nine players in each Weekly Main Event Qualifier will make their way to the Absolute Poker College Challenge Main Event, which is scheduled for Monday, November 30th at 8:30pm ET. The action isn’t done there, however, as the top six players in the Main Event will head to sunny Los Angeles for a live final table that will air on the official website of Bluff Magazine. The Player of the Year will take home $10,000 for tuition.

Matt “Plattsburgh” Vengrin, an Absolute Poker pro and consultant for the site’s College Challenge, commented in a press release distributed by the USA-friendly online poker site, “This tournament is a fun and easy way for college students to compete for an alternative way to pay for tuition and we believe that this program is one of the best ways to create real added value for college students.” In addition to the $10,000 grand prize, the promotion’s Player of the Year will earn a custom-crafted championship ring and a story in Bluff Magazine, one of the industry’s premier poker publications.

The other five players at the live final table won’t walk away empty-handed. Second place will earn $5,000, third place will snag $3,500, fourth place will pocket $3,000, fifth place will see their bankroll grow by $2,250, and the first person sent packing from the six-handed live finale will earn $2,000. Each person also receives $750 to use for travel to Los Angeles.

Those not heading to the West Coast city will also receive prizes. The seventh and eighth place finishers will earn $750, while the ninth place finisher will pocket $550. In total, the top 18 places will pay out at least $200. Daily freerolls take place at 8:15pm ET, while $0.25 cash game qualifiers are available at 8:30pm ET. $5 qualifiers kick off at 8:45pm ET nightly.

Absolute Poker makes its home on the CEREUS Network along with its sister site, Ultimate Bet. According to PokerScout.com, which keeps tabs on online poker room traffic, the CEREUS Network is the sixth largest worldwide with a seven-day running average of 2,400 real money ring game players. During its peak hours, which occur in the evening across North America, over 3,500 cash game players can be found on its felts. At the time of writing, which is 1:30pm ET on a Sunday, a total of 2,449 real money ring game players have hit the felts of Ultimate Bet and Absolute Poker. CEREUS is the third largest network to accept players from the United States behind PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker, which rank first and second, respectively.

Representatives from Ultimate Bet, meanwhile, are busy preparing for the Aruba Poker Classic, whose $5,500 buy-in Main Event kicks off on Monday with the first of two starting days. The marquee poker tournament crowns a champion on October 11th.

Travolta, Sinbad to play charity poker event

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

For more information check out the Devonshire PALS website.

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Amazing Race: Tiffany Michelle, Maria Ho Escape Elimination in Premiere

Poker pros Tiffany Michelle and Maria Ho were spared elimination on the premiere of the CBS reality show Amazing Race, which is entering its 15th season. Michelle and Ho arrived at the first pit stop in last place.

The 15th installment of the CBS franchise began in the L.A. River, the site of movies like “Grease.” Twelve teams arrived by bus, including Michelle and Ho, who told other teams that they worked for a non-profit instead of admitting they were wealthy poker players and the last women standing in the 2007 and 2008 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Events.

In a new twist, the first challenge took place immediately, with the last team to complete it eliminated at the starting mat. In it, teams had to sort through 1,000 license plates for one of 11 from Shinagawa, Tokyo, their first destination. Despite confusing license plates, some with misleading Japanese symbols on them, Michelle and Ho finished the task first and headed to the airport to fly to Tokyo. On completing the task first, Michelle quipped, “We have our Asian lucky charm right here,” referring to Ho. In the end, married yoga teachers Eric and Lisa were eliminated in Los Angeles.

All teams flew to Japan, where they were told to head to the Tokyo Tower Television Studio. There, a live audience awaited a game of “Sushi Roulette,” which capitalized on the popularity of Japanese game shows. The Roadblock, which is a task that only one team member can perform, asked contestants to stand in front of a giant roulette wheel and eat the food that landed in front of them. The two players who received scorching hot wasabi bombs had to consume it in less than two minutes in order to receive their next clue. Play continued until each team had eaten a wasabi bomb.

On-screen graphics like an alligator breathing fire added flair to this task, which saw the wasabi land on Ho’s space on the third spin. However, she was unable to eat it within the two-minute time frame and had to play again. As luck would have it, the wasabi once again landed on her space on the fourth spin. Ho told Amazing Race cameras, “My hands were shaking. I was tearing up. It was just like one of those moments where people say it’s mind over matter.” Ho finished her wasabi with two seconds left on the clock.

After completing “Sushi Roulette,” the teams received a colored flag, which corresponded to the visors of 20 audience members. They had to lead their group to the Konno Hachimangu Shrine across town on foot navigating Tokyo’s congested streets. Dating couple Meghan and Cheyne arrived at the Shrine, the Pit Stop for the leg of the race, first and received trips to Aspen and Vail.

Michelle and Ho stopped at a hotel to get a map to the Shrine, sharing its location with brothers Sam and Dan. Michelle explained, “They’re both young, hot, 20-something guys who have become our friends.” Meanwhile, two members of Michelle and Ho’s group became separated in Tokyo’s maze of crowded streets. After hunting around, the poker players were unable to locate their lost crowd members and checked in at the first Amazing Race Pit Stop in last place. Michelle and Ho were assessed a two-hour time penalty for not completing the task, but were spared being sent home in a non-elimination leg. As punishment, they would be forced to complete a Speed Bump, which is a task that only Michelle and Ho would perform, in the upcoming leg.

The teams were then dispatched to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, where they were taken by bus to Cai Be. Despite departing three hours behind other teams at 3:22am from the Pit Stop, Michelle and Ho were quickly able to catch up, as the first flight to Vietnam did not leave until 10:30am. Meanwhile, Lance Layne, an engaged lawyer from Massachusetts, lashed out at Michelle and Ho for not being eliminated on the previous leg: “I can’t believe they gave those two chicks a Speed Bump. Bastards should have been sent home.”

A person at the airport recognized Michelle and asked, “Did you get into the Top 15?” This generated doubt in Michelle and Ho’s stated profession as non-profit workers, eventually leading to other teams figuring out that they were actually poker players. Teams arrived at the Cai Be docks just before nightfall only to see that it did not open until 7:00am. In the morning, they proceeded to mud pits across the Mekong Delta and were tasked with scooping enough mud to fertilize a fruit tree by filling up its base to a designated red line.

Before completing the fruit tree task, Michelle and Ho served the Cai Be dock master soup for their Speed Bump. The poker-playing duo completed the extra challenge with ease before heading to the mud pits. Michelle and Ho were in last place leaving the pits due to the time lost while completing the Speed Bump, but gained ground in the leg’s Road Block, which consisted of herding 150 ducks across a bridge and back again in a fenced enclosure.

Michelle claimed that she had ducks growing up and “flew” through the task, leading to the team being in sixth place after finishing the Roadblock. The Pit Stop on the Vietnam leg was a boat, the Bassac III, and Michelle and Ho arrived in seventh place, surviving a chaotic two-hour episode. Father and son Gary and Matt came in first place and won kayaks.

Amazing Race airs every Sunday on CBS at 8:00pm ET. Next week will see Michelle, Ho, and the rest of the CBS reality show’s cast travel to Cambodia.

Chris Moorman Signs with DoylesRoom

With the 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Europe Main Event on the horizon,  DoylesRoom has made a splash, signing Chris “Moorman1” Moorman to its prestigious Brunson 10.

Moorman is 24 years-old and recently ascended to the top of the Online Poker Rankings on PocketFives.com, jumping over previously number one ranked player Shaun “shaundeeb” Deeb. Moorman owns the second best PLB Score and Pro Poll Ranking on PocketFives.com and has claimed a record-setting eight Triple Crowns. The accolade is given to players who take down three $10,000 prize pool non-satellite tournaments across three online poker sites within a seven-day period.

Moorman boasts career earnings of more than $1.6 million. The Brit is currently on his home turf at the WSOP Europe festivities in London, with the Main Event of the prestigious series kicking off on Saturday. On his play at the tables, PocketFivesLive.com Tournament Reporter Jessica Welman told Poker News Daily, “Chris has an unpredictable style of play that always keeps his opponents guessing and serves him well at the tables. I think you only need to look at how long he’s been ranked in the Top 10 on PocketFives.com to see how much his peers respect his game.”

Welman noted that, despite his age, Moorman’s maturity at the tables separates him from the pack: “During the Main Event of the WSOP, I watched a pivotal hand in which Chris was able to lay down bottom set in a huge hand. As I watched him play back the hand in his head, I was really impressed that he was not only able to make a really good laydown, but he also managed to control his emotions in a situation that many others would find frustrating and potentially tilt-inducing.”

The Brunson 10 sported three members prior to Moorman’s addition this week. Alec “traheho” Torelli, who finished fourth in the World Poker Tour’s (WPT) Bellagio Cup V and Slovakia stops, also sits on the team. Torelli’s major claim to fame occurred during the 2009 WSOP, when he finished sixth in the $40,000 buy-in No Limit Hold’em tournament commemorating the 40th running of the WSOP. He banked $326,000 in the event, nearly the same total as he raked in for finishing as the runner-up to Kenny Tran in the World Championship of Heads-Up No Limit Hold’em during the 2008 WSOP.

Also part of the Brunson 10 is Amit “amak316” Makhija, who finished as the runner-up to John “The Razor” Phan during the 2008 WPT Legends of Poker. Makhija scooped $563,000 for his efforts at the Bicycle Casino in Los Angeles and finished fifth in the World Championship of Pot Limit Hold’em during the 2008 WSOP for another $198,000. That tournament aired on ESPN and marked the first bracelet win for Nenad Medic. Zachary “CrazyZachary” Clark rounds out the Brunson 10. Clark joined Makhija at the Legends of Poker final table in 2008, finishing third for $281,000.

Doyle Brunson praised the arrival of Moorman to DoylesRoom, explaining in a press release, “Moorman reminds me a lot of me, except for the British accent. He’s a poker natural, a legend in the making, and that’s why I’ve handpicked him to be the next member of The Brunson 10, my new team of elite poker players who truly are young legends of the game.”

DoylesRoom happily accepts players from the United States and makes its home on the popular Cake Network, which, in addition to its flagship site, also includes Lock Poker, Players Only, Poker Host, and Stryyke. According to the traffic ranking site PokerScout.com, the Cake Network is the 10th largest worldwide, sporting a seven-day running average of 1,680 real money ring game players. During its peak traffic hours, which occur during the evening in the United States, over 2,500 cash game players call the network home.

In addition to its Brunson 10, DoylesRoom also features “Texas Dolly” (Brunson), Hoyt Corkins, Todd Brunson, and “The Mad Genius of Poker” Mike Caro. In an interview with PocketFives.com, Moorman revealed that a recurring high-stakes cash game is in the works featuring the four poker veterans and members of the Brunson 10.

Jamie Gold sued again

In a breach of contract suit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, L.A. resident Francis DellaVecchia claims he helped Gold secure a deal with Bodog to pay Gold's entry fee into the Main Event in exchange for 1% of his winnings.

DellaVecchia, who worked as a consultant with Riptown Media doing marketing and media work for Bodog, claims to have helped put together a celebrity team for Bodog, which included Dean Cain, Mekhi Phifer, DJ AM, and Brad Garrett.

DellaVecchia claims he was introduced to Gold through a mutual friend and considering the former Hollywood agent's ties to actors like James Gandolfini and Lucy Liu, he asked Gold to help him secure a few household names to represent Bodog in exchange for a seat in the Main Event.

DellaVecchia alleges Gold was only able to secure B-List celebrities for the event, but he still made a verbal agreement to secure his $10,000 buy-in for the tournament from Bodog in exchange for 1% of anything Gold might win.

After winning the Main Event, Gold was sued by Bruce Crispin Leyser for half his winnings.

Leyser claimed he made a deal prior to the event with Gold to help find celebrities to represent Bodog in exchange for 50% of his winnings.

The suit was settled out of court with a statement issued to the press claiming Gold had always intended on sharing his winnings with Leyser.

Terms of the settlement were not released.

DellaVecchia claims he knew nothing of Gold's agreement with Leyser and his attempts to settle up with Gold immediately after the 2006 Main Event proved unsuccessful.

After May 2007, DellaVecchia claims any attempts to contact Gold or his representatives have failed.

Gold's attorney, Hugh Greenup, told PokerListings DellaVecchia's story is untrue and Gold has yet to have been served the lawsuit.

"The claims made by Francis DellaVecchia are false," Greenup said. "He has no agreement, written or otherwise, with Jamie Gold.

"If Mr. DellaVecchia ever decides to legally serve it upon Mr. Gold, which he has not done yet, his false allegations will be contested vigorously and exposed for what they are."

DellaVecchia is seeking $131,250, claiming Gold's earnings from the Main Event, including the $12 million first-place prize, a $750,000 bonus from Bodog and a monthly retainer for as long as he was representing the site, totaled $13,125,000.

- With Files from Arthur Crowson

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Master hunts 7th bracelet, denies cheating

When play resumes in London Wednesday, Men "The Master" Nguyen will have a legitimate shot at his seventh WSOP bracelet, coming in third in chips behind Swede Mats Gavatin, an EPT champion, and London's own Richard Gryko, who made 50th at the 2009 WSOP Main Event.

Sitting behind Nguyen in the chip counts are Canadian Erik Cajelais, who booked runner-up finishes at both the WPT and WSOP in 2007, and the UK's Robin Keston, who counts both an EPT and WSOP final table on his resume.

But despite the fact a win would move him into a tie for sixth on the all-time bracelet winners list with Phil Ivey and Billy Baxter, Nguyen says he doesn't play the game for such honors.

"To be honest with you, making money motivates me; I don't care about more bracelets," he told PokerListings. "I already proved to the world that I am a very good player. I've won so many tournaments that I can't even count them all. I've won player of the year four times. I don't have to prove anything to the world.

"I came to enjoy myself here in England. I came to play with other players here in the UK and from Europe and make money. That's important, not that I can win more bracelets and show poker players and the whole world that I'm good. They already know."

Allegations of chip dumping, card marking and other unethical practices at the poker table have swirled around Nguyen for years.

To this day he denies it all.

"I see a lot of things they say on the Internet," he said. "If they say that in any magazine I'll sue them for slander, but I've never seen it. They slander me on the Internet, but I talked to my lawyer and he said they can say anything they want on the Internet.

"They are probably jealous. I earned what I won. I came to the United States empty-handed. I got what I won, I got my name out there and people just talk about me now. Show me. Catch me. Until they can prove it they should not talk about it. It's just gossip."

Nguyen fled communist Vietnam in 1978 and settled in Los Angeles, California. He started playing poker in 1984 and won his first WSOP bracelet in 1992.

A devout Buddhist, Nguyen reiterated that he would never cheat and never has.

"I'm a Buddhist so I am afraid to cheat," he explained. "If I cheat on anything it will come back to me. If I do something like that God will punish me.

"If I cheated do you think I would be able to go all over the world and play poker? They would kick me out of every tournament."

An emotional player at the tables, Nguyen has also been accused of being abusive to dealers and floor staff.

Again, Nguyen denies any wrongdoing.

"The problem is that sometimes dealers make mistakes and I just try to correct them," he said. "If you play with me at the table you will see how good I am and how nice I am. I will always be nice.

"People talk and they don't think. People say 'Oh Men, you did this or that,' but they don't know. The dealer comes in and maybe they don't change the deck, so I ask why they don't change the deck, because it's a rule. I'm just correcting mistakes."

Regardless of all the allegations against him, with $9,116,177 in career tournament earnings coming into the 2009 WSOPE, Nguyen sits 12th on poker's all time money winners list.

His 65 cashes at the WSOP also put him second only to Phil Hellmuth's 75, and when the final five players return to London's Casino at the Empire Wednesday, Nguyen will have a chance to add to his already stacked resume.

To follow all the action live from Leicester Square click through to PokerListings' Live Tournaments page beginning at 2 p.m. BST.

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WPT Borgata Poker Open Attracts Over 1,000 Players

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Poker News in Brief: Sept. 14-20, 2009

The tournament series dominated the news with Annette_15 turning 21, J.P. Kelly taking the early lead in the first event and Anestis Metsas winning $1 million in a Betfair freeroll.

Of course, there's always more going on behind the scenes that doesn't necessary make it to the front page of PL.com.

As part of our ongoing Poker News in Brief feature we've compiled a list of these stories below. This week we'll take a look at a man taking first in a female event, an online player taking down his second WCOOP event, record numbers at the Commerce Casino and more.

Man wins women's poker tournament

It's story that is becoming more and more frequent in the poker world. Men are entering women-only poker tournaments.

This week, Abraham Korotki of New Jersey entered the Ladies Event at the Borgata Poker Open and, after outlasting 268 women, took down the event for $20,982.

Korotki was able to enter the tournament because organizers are not allowed to exclude players based on gender.

Nicole Rowe finished in second place for $11,889 to become the last woman standing in a ladies event. Rowe was recently diagnosed with breast cancer.

Korotki allegedly offered to donate some of the money to a breast cancer foundation, but an exact amount wasn't given.

In 2007, former baseball player Jose Canseco entered a ladies event at the Bicycle Casino and recently a man filed a discriminatory lawsuit against Hollywood Park Casino because its poker room offered a ladies-only event.

g0lfa drives his way to two WCOOP titles

Ryan "g0lfa" D'Angelo proved that lightning can strike twice by winning his second WCOOP title this week.

D'Angelo outlasted 1,406 players to take first place and $69,245 in the $320 PLH/PLO event on Tuesday.

In winning his second bracelet of the online series, D'Angelo rocketed to the top of the 2009 WCOOP leaderboards with 220 points. George Danzer is the closest competition with 190 points.

D'Angelo also upped his total winnings in the 2009 WCOOP up to $120,782.

Commerce Casino event draws nearly 4,000

Say what you will about the economy, but poker tournaments are still booming in California.

A total of 3,967 bought into the $220 No-Limit Hold'em event at Commerce Casino this week, the first tournament of its Hold'em series. It was enough to create the largest land-based poker tournament in history outside of the WSOP.

Los Angeles-based player Moshe Mashiah outlasted everyone to take down a $164,627 first-place prize. But according to tournament director Matt Savage, the last 10 players actually chopped for $45,000 each.

The Commerce Casino Hold'em Series is currently in full swing with the $2,580 main event scheduled to take place this coming Friday.

SSIGI introduces new pro-online gambling ads

The Safe and Secure Internet Gambling Initiative went on the offensive this week with a new ad campaign aimed at legalizing online poker.

One of the ads featured a photograph of the prohibition era in the U.S. with the tagline, "End Prohibition! Again."

The ads were in support of Rep. Barney Frank's Internet Gambling Regulation Consumer Protection and Enforcement Act of 2009 (H.R. 2267).

"As Congress searches for ways to pay for health care reform and other worthy programs, it should end the unsuccessful prohibition of Internet gambling and start collecting taxes on the billions in revenue currently lost to unlicensed, offshore gambling operators," said Jeffrey Sandman, spokesperson for the Safe and Secure Internet Gambling Initiative.

((Full Tilt)) goes with new data expert

Full Tilt Poker is already known as one of the most secure poker sites on the web, but this week it added to that reputation.

FTP announced it would be using Aster Data for fraud detection and analytics. The goal is to provide better customer service to players, more security and manage increasing data volumes.

Full Tilt will also use Aster to fuel customer access to hand history data, meaning players will be able to learn more about how they play.

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Joe Hachem, Jeffrey Lisandro Featured on WSOP on ESPN Coverage

Day 3 of the 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event hit television airwaves on ESPN on Tuesday night, with two hours of coverage dedicated to the festivities. Seated at the feature table were two Aussies, Joe Hachem and Jeffrey Lisandro.

Lisandro became the fifth player in WSOP history to take home three bracelets in a year and has logged 29 cashes since 2004. Hachem took down the 2005 Main Event and ignited a poker boom of his own in Australia. Joining the duo from Down Under was George Hardie, the former owner of the Bicycle Casino in Los Angeles. On the first hand, Lisandro raised to 3,600 with pocket eights and, after peeking down at pocket queens, Hachem made it 9,600. Lisandro called to see a flop of 10-4-2. Lisandro checked, Hachem bet 16,000, and Lisandro quickly released his hand, igniting chants of “Aussie, Aussie, Aussie!”

ESPN announcer Norman Chad commented that, while Phil Ivey remains his perennial pick to win the WSOP Main Event, Lisandro’s heroics in 2009 make him a close second: “Let’s assume that aliens come down and lure Phil Ivey away to a cash game mother ship, then I must turn to Jeffrey Lisandro.” Ville Wahlbeck was the only player remaining in the field that could catch Lisandro for WSOP Player of the Year honors. However, he’d need a seventh place finish or better in order to do so. Wahlbeck was seated at Table Two during the 8:00pm ET episode alongside Kenny Tran.

Also found in the field were Ivey and Phil Hellmuth. “The Poker Brat” found that one of his tablemates, Lauchlin McKinnon, did not want to shake his hand. Instead, his opponent told Hellmuth, “I don’t respect anything you do. I think you’re a complete prick.” Hellmuth joked, “I think this is going to be a good day.” Elsewhere in the Amazon Room, Bodog pro Jean-Robert Bellande pushed with A-10 of diamonds for 20 big blinds and rivered a flush to double up. Chad labeled him a “survivor,” a reference to his appearance on the China installment of the CBS reality franchise.

Kent Senter, who is undergoing stem cell treatment for an incurable form of cancer, was all-in with pocket tens against Bertrand “Elky” Grospellier’s pocket jacks. The board ran out K-5-3-3-5, giving Grospellier the win and sending Senter home. He was met with a herd of television cameras upon his departure. Grospellier is a PokerStars pro; his site began sponsoring chip count leaderboard graphics on Tuesday night on ESPN.

The “Straight from the Pros” segment featured Daniel Negreanu battling against Sammy Farha in a hand during the 2005 WSOP Main Event. Negreanu folded a straight after a third spade hit the river to give Farha a flush. Negreanu, the captain of the Team Americas squad that will compete in the Caesars Cup, told ESPN cameras, “He’s either bluffing here or I’m dead.”

Negreanu’s comrade on Team PokerStars Pro, Hachem, was featured in the Jack Link’s Beef Jerky Wild Card Hand, in which the cards of one player are not shown so the audience can play along at home. Hachem raised to 4,100 pre-flop with the Wild Card hand and Claus Nielsen called with pocket threes. The flop came 8-2-5 and Nielsen checked. Hachem fired out a bet of 6,200 and Nielsen made the call. The turn was a deuce and Nielsen put in a check-raise to 32,000, causing Hachem to relinquish K-Q.

Also in the field was former November Nine member Dennis Phillips, who relived tossing out the first pitch at a St. Louis Cardinals baseball game. However, he wound up throwing the ball directly at the ground. Wahlbeck then hit the skids after running pocket queens into pocket kings, leading to an announcement from WSOP Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack that Lisandro had claimed Player of the Year honors. Ivey then moved to Grospellier’s table, leaving Chad to remark, “Poker’s superpowers clash.”

The second episode of Tuesday night kicked off at 9:00pm ET and continued coverage of Day 3 of the 2009 WSOP Main Event. David “Devilfish” Ulliott joined the cast at Table Two, while Hellmuth found himself flanking Josh Arieh. Former Main Event winners Peter Eastgate (2008), Greg Raymer (2004), Dan Harrington (1995), Hachem (2005), and Hellmuth (1989) all remained alive to begin the episode, but Raymer quickly found himself on the sidelines after running pocket tens into pocket aces.

Lunkin doubled up after rivering a straight, causing Chad to lament, “I know Lunkin has played good, but I can’t tell you how ridiculously good he’s run. He should be halfway back to Moscow on an Aeroflot flight in coach.” Meanwhile, Nielsen bet out on an ace-high board after raising pre-flop with just 8-4. However, Hachem laid down pocket queens and Lisandro released pocket kings, giving the pot to Nielsen.

The Full Tilt Poker sponsored segment “Deal Me In” featured Howard Lederer taking on Hellmuth in a hand from the 2004 WSOP Tournament of Champions, which was ultimately won by Poker News Daily Guest Columnist Annie Duke.

Hevad Khan cheerily smiled at ESPN cameras, leading to the following comment from announcer Lon McEachern: “That’s the first real sign of life from him we’ve seen in two years.” Khan finished sixth in the 2007 WSOP Main Event. His lively antics resulted in the “Hevad Khan rule” against excessive player celebrations. Elsewhere in the dwindling field, J.C. Tran and Joe Sebok doubled up, while L.A. Lakers Guard Jordan Farmar was eliminated. Also hitting the exits was “Seinfeld” actor Jason Alexander, whose opponent made trips on the river.

Finally, “The Nuts” featured Chad and Hellmuth taking turns in a dunk tank. After Chad, a southpaw, finally sent Hellmuth to a watery demise, he commented, “I took more pleasure out of dunking you than anything in my whole life. That was two honeymoons rolled into one.”

New episodes of the 2009 WSOP Main Event on ESPN air on Tuesdays at 8:00pm ET and are repeated throughout the week on ESPN’s family of networks.

Legal Online Poker’s Biggest Obstacle: Nanny Democrats

One might think that when Republicans suffered much-deserved humiliation in the last general election, the notorious Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIEGA) would soon be history.  Remember, it was back in 2006 that Senate Republican leadership effectively guillotined the “Moneymaker Effect.”  Whatever one’s views are on other worldly issues, the popular perception within the poker community was that Democratic political gains would be very good for players.

With Democrats now in complete control of all branches of the Federal Government, we can no longer limit our anger and disappointment to those musty old Republicans.  Indeed, trampling on the rights of poker players now appears to cut across party lines.  While Senator Jon Kyl (R-AZ), Representative Bob Goodlatte (R-VA), and Representative Frank Wolfe (R-VA) continue to merit our universal contempt, the sad fact is that the “out-of-touch brigade” now has plenty of company on the other side of the partisan aisle.

Consider the positions of many powerful Democrats.  The fact is that many national Democratic leaders happen to be women from western states.  Virtually all of these influential Democratic women are opposed to overturning the UIEGA.  In other words, these proud liberals march lock and step with the most repulsive elements of the religious right.  These same Democratic women champion countless progressive causes and wouldn’t agree with the likes of Kyl, Goodlatte, or Wolfe on anything except, peculiarly enough, smothering the freedoms of millions of American citizens who want to play online poker.  These Democrats are just as bad as the Republicans.

For your displeasure, here’s a list of the guilty:

Representative Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) – The Speaker of the House has repeatedly stated that she is dead-set against any expansion of gambling.  She remains stubbornly opposed to legalizing poker on the internet because a family member reportedly once had a gambling problem.  Pelosi may be the worst House Speaker in my lifetime (note that this opinion comes from an avowed political liberal), but her powerful influence on introducing bills and the legislative process unquestionably remains the biggest obstacle to overturning the UIEGA.

Senator Diane Feinstein (D-CA) – The senior U.S. Senator from California recently demonstrated her appalling confusion on the issue of internet gambling.  Consider her response to a constituent in a published letter.  She wrote, “Internet gambling has become too easily accessible to minors, subject to fraud and criminal misuse, and too easily used as a tool to evade State gambling laws.” Aren’t these the very reasons we desperately need legalization, licensing, and regulation of online gambling?

Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) – It’s unclear precisely why Senator Boxer remains strictly opposed to online poker.  Unlike her contemporaries Pelosi and Feinstein, Boxer has not widely expressed her views on the subject other than making her opposition known.  However, California’s junior Senator has backed major initiatives on behalf of tribal resorts.  Perhaps tribal opposition to legalized online poker (the Pachanga Tribe, for example) has influenced her position.

Representative Maxine Waters (D-CA) – Oddly enough, Representative Waters represents a Congressional district in Los Angeles that has reaped enormous financial rewards for various municipal projects directly from casino tax revenues.  Hollywood Park is located within her district.  Waters’ opposition to online poker and internet gambling appears to be based on her view that gambling activities disproportionally harm poor people.  That said, to date there has been no word from Waters’ office as to when she plans to start fighting to dismantle the California State Lottery.

Governor Christine Gregoire (D-WA) – This politician is guilty of supporting and ultimately signing into law the most draconian sanctions against poker in more than a century.  It’s eerily reminiscent of what many Southern states did in the 1830s when gamblers were rounded up and hanged publicly.  Gregoire made Washington the first state in the nation to make gambling on the internet a Class C felony (contrary to the opinion of many courts, poker is considered gambling in Washington state).  A poker player living in Seattle or Tacoma is risking far more than a few dollars when he or she plays online.  Thanks to the Governor, the poker playing vermin could very well receive the same punishment doled out to child molesters and drunk drivers.

For far too long, groups like the Poker Players Alliance (PPA) believe they can win the political debate with simple logic.  Sure, our argument is better than their argument and most rational people would agree after listing to a five-minute exchange, but this isn’t a high school debate class.  It’s a political street fight versus powerful forces camped out on both the right and the left.  Until the PPA rolls up its sleeves and dives into the trenches with an all-out media bombardment aimed directly at the oblivious mainstream voter, nothing is going to change.  Sure, we might sway a few Ivy League professors and political columnists from time to time.  A few poker players might get five minutes of airtime on MSNBC or FOX.  That’s all good, but online poker is not going to be legalized and regulated in the United States until some significant changes in strategy take place.

The first rule of politics is that “right” and “wrong” have little to do with any issue of significance.  The debate you see on C-SPAN is pretty much scripted and irrelevant.  No Congressman or Senator is swayed one way or the other on any legislation without either coercion or compromise.

Indeed, Washington is nothing more than a gigantic power plant fueled by the only lubricant of any real action – money.  Lots of money.  Whatever your political views may be, I strongly advise against poker players donating money to national party organizations.  If you support a political candidate, donate to the person directly and not to the Democratic National Committee or to the Republican National Committee.  If you make a donation to either of these organizations, there’s a good chance some of your money is going to be funneled into the re-election campaigns of Kyl and Pelosi.  Just say no.

Poker Pro Victor Ramdin Gives the Inside Deal

This week, ESPN.com poker show “Inside Deal” welcomed Victor Ramdin. A member of Team PokerStars Pro who is passionate about charity work, Ramdin discusses Scotty Nguyen’s 2008 World Series of Poker (WSOP) antics and coming to the United States from his native Guyana.

The show began with recap of the latest poker news, headlined by WSOP November Nine member Joe Cada inking a sponsorship agreement with PokerStars. Still unsigned is chip leader Darvin Moon. “Inside Deal” host Bernard Lee gave his two cents on Moon’s future: “He’s said repeatedly that he doesn’t want to sign with a site and so far he’s keeping his word.” Attention then turned to the World Poker Tour’s (WPT) second sale to Party Gaming, the parent company of PartyPoker. As a result of backing out of its first deal, the WPT was forced to pay Gamynia Limited a $1 million penalty. Gamynia is affiliated with the iPoker Network.

After reviewing results from the WPT Legends of Poker, PokerStars Sunday Million, and the Asia Pacific Poker Tour’s (APPT) Macau stop, the “Inside Deal” welcomed Team Ultimate Bet’s Adam “Roothlus” Levy, who called into the show. On his online poker moniker, Levy explained, “It was an XBOX Live name. I just wanted something that sounded cool, so I decided to spell it phonetically.”

Levy rehashed his run-in with Phil Hellmuth during the 2008 WSOP Main Event, noting, “I thought it was pretty epic. It was surreal. I didn’t get offended or anything like that. I knew what I was getting into.” Levy then dove into the lifestyle of today’s online poker players, running into “Saved by the Bell” principal Dennis Haskins at a Los Angeles nightclub, and traveling to the Ultimate Bet Aruba Poker Classic.

Ramdin then joined the show in studio and explained his mentality when coming to the United States in 1989: “It was a dream come true. This is like all of our dreams come true – just to come to America.” He has since made a name for himself not only on the felts, but also in the world of charity, where he travels to Guyana to fund heart surgeries with a team of poker stars. Ramdin told “Inside Deal” viewers, “When it comes to charity, I’m all pumped up. I have more energy for charity than I do for poker.” In addition to a lucrative poker career, Ramdin also owns several retail stores in the Bronx and manages real estate rentals.

ESPN.com Poker Editor Andrew Feldman joined the show to discuss the results of viewer opinions on Mount Cashmore, the Mount Rushmore of poker. Viewers enshrined Doyle Brunson, Hellmuth, Stu Ungar, and Chris Moneymaker on the granite face of Mount Cashmore. Others who came close to being one of the top four nominees included November Nine member Phil Ivey, Chip Reese, Daniel Negreanu, and “Binion.” On the latter nomination, e-mailers did not specify which Binion they meant, Jack or Benny.

Discussion turned to members of a hypothetical Hall of Shame. Ramdin claimed 2008 WSOP HORSE Champion Scotty Nguyen should be the Hall’s first member: “He’s a world-class player, but he should be setting a better example. I really hated what he did.” Highlights aired of Nguyen lambasting Michael DiMichele while allegedly drunk at the televised final table and included a barrage of edited words. Nguyen has since apologized for his actions.

Ramdin called his favorite “hidden gem” of the poker tournament scene the Bahamas, the site of the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure each January. On his nickname “Computer Man,” the poker pro explained, “I don’t know where that came from. I am no computer man.” Also revealed was that Ramdin has a weight loss bet and he likes to stay around 200 pounds. While he’d like to see Ivey win the 2009 WSOP Main Event in November, his second choice would be Eric Buchman, who hails from New York.

Catch “Inside Deal” every Tuesday on ESPN.com. You can also sign up to receive daily news in your Inbox and score free autographed merchandise from some of your favorite pros.

Annie Duke to Host Charity Tournament in California

Poker professional Annie Duke, who has been at the forefront of the usage of poker for charitable means, will add to her philanthropic outlets when she hosts a charity poker tournament at the Commerce Casino in Los Angeles to benefit the Decision Education Foundation in November.

The tournament, which will play out on November 19th at 7:00pm Pacific Time, is a $300+$30 buy-in No Limit Texas Hold’em event with unlimited $100 rebuys during the first hour and a $100 add-on at the first break. Duke, a Poker News Daily Guest Columnist, will be the host of the tournament that is being held during the schedule of events for the inaugural Open at Commerce from November 6th to 22nd.

With the tournament being held near Hollywood, it is expected that there will be a celebrity-laden field in attendance. “We’ve already had confirmations from several pro players and a couple of celebrities,” Lisa Wheeler, the event organizer, confirmed to Poker News Daily. “Some of Annie’s friends from Ultimate Bet are going to be a part of the tournament. Actress Shannon Elizabeth has already confirmed and so has comedian Brad Garrett. This is only the beginning and there will be more to come!”

The tournament will have all the pomp and circumstance of a major awards show in Hollywood, befitting of its play at the jewel of California poker in the Commerce Casino. Activities will include a red carpet walk, a Commerce Casino hosted cocktail party, and silent and live auctions. The tournament itself will be officiated by one of the top tournament directors around, Matt Savage, and all proceeds raised will benefit the Decision Education Foundation.

The Decision Education Foundation is an organization that has been established to improve the lives of young people by empowering them with effective decision skills. The work of the Foundation crosses the nation from Pennsylvania to California, attempting to provide teachers with the tools to help young people acquire, appreciate, and apply the fundamentals of good decision-making.

The Decision Education Foundation is an important philanthropy for Duke. She is a member of the Board of Directors for the organization in addition to her other charitable and philanthropic work. As many may remember, Annie raised $730,000 through her second place effort on this year’s “Celebrity Apprentice” for Refugees International and continues to attempt to assist with the plight of refugees through Ante Up For Africa, an organization she co-founded along with “Crash” actor Don Cheadle.

Stay tuned to Poker News Daily as more information comes available regarding this and other charitable events in the coming months.

Card Player Cruises Releases 2009-2010 Schedule

Starting in November, Card Player Cruises will return to the high seas aboard the 138,000 ton Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines’ Explorer of the Seas. Destinations over the next year for the cruising company include Alaska, the Mediterranean, and Mexico.

The nine-night Canada and New England Fall Foliage cruise will depart from Cape Liberty Cruise Port in New Jersey in November and steam up the eastern seaboard of the United States. Ports of call include Portland, Bar Harbor, Saint John, Halifax, and Boston and the cruise starts at $550 per person. Card Player Cruises partner and Poker News Daily Guest Columnist Linda Johnson commented in a press release distributed by the travel company, “This trip will feature some of the most spectacular scenery on the Eastern Seaboard. There’s no better time to visit this region than in the fall, when the foliage stands out in every imaginable color.”

Besides the fall foliage outside of the ship, the other main attraction on the November cruise will be its poker room. $100 to $200 buy-in poker tournaments will abound, with private seminars and free poker lessons also taking place. In addition, the press release notes, “Passengers can play as much or as little as they want during the week.” The Explorer of the Seas also features a rock-climbing wall, ice skating rink, miniature golf course, basketball court, disco, spa, fitness center, pools, Jacuzzis, and shops. In addition, what would a cruise be without a parade of food?

Here is the upcoming schedule for Card Player Cruises:

Canada and New England Fall Foliage nine-night cruise – October 15, 2009
Royal Caribbean’s Explorer of the Seas
Departs from Cape Liberty Cruise Port, Bayonne, New Jersey

Mexican Riviera seven-night cruise – November 15, 2009
Royal Caribbean’s Mariner
Departs from Los Angeles, California

Western Caribbean seven-night cruise – March 7, 2010
Royal Caribbean’s Voyager
Departs from Galveston, Texas

Mediterranean Venice 12-night cruise – May 15, 2010
Royal Caribbean’s Brilliance
Departs from Barcelona, Spain

Alaska seven-night cruise – August 27, 2010
Royal Caribbean’s Rhapsody
Departs from Seattle, Washington

Eastern Caribbean seven-night cruise – September 25, 2010
Royal Caribbean’s Oasis
Departs from Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Mexican Riviera seven-night cruise – December 5, 2010
Royal Caribbean’s Mariner
Departs from Los Angeles, California

The poker room closes while the ship is parked in port and opens while the vessel is out in the open water. Card Player Cruises customers make up between 25% and 40% of the total number of passengers onboard, so traditional cruising activities still occur day and night. In order to play poker, Card Player Cruises guests must be at least 18 years-old, while some special events, such as the PartyPoker Million, feature a different age requirement.

Besides tournaments, each ship’s poker room hosts a wide variety of cash games, ranging from limits of $1/$2 to $30/$60. Customers with children are more than welcome to participate as well. Card Player Cruises explains, “There are extensive programs for children that provide entertainment for the kids from morning until night. Some of the activities are scavenger hunts, arts and crafts, talent shows, pizza parties, disco parties, trips to the spa/gym, video games, etc. Children are able to sail at reduced rates on most cruise lines.”

Prices for the above schedule vary between $448 per person and $1,719 per person. The cost covers food, cabin, nightly entertainment, and use of the ship’s amenities. According to Johnson, the majority of players who board a Card Player Cruise are recreational and several are celebrating milestones like birthdays and anniversaries. Players can call 888-999-4880 for additional information and to book passage.

Daniel Negreanu, Erick Lindgren Struggle on ESPN WSOP Coverage

In Tuesday night’s broadcast of the 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event on ESPN, Daniel Negreanu and Erick Lindgren struggled in front of a national viewing audience as Days 1C and 1D of the Main Event unfolded. This article contains language that may not be suitable for all audiences.

Daniel Negreanu and Ultimate Bet pro Phil Hellmuth were featured during the first hour of coverage on ESPN, which tracked Day 1C of the 2009 WSOP Main Event. Negreanu, plagued by sinus problems, was seated at the feature table, while Hellmuth found himself at Table Two. Hellmuth arrived in typical grand fashion, dressed as Emperor Hellmuth and flanked by scantily-clad women, drummers, and a throng of poker fans armed with cameras. ESPN announcer Norman Chad quipped, “If Tom Brady came to the Super Bowl like this, the NFL would shut down, but we embrace this.”

Even Negreanu took notice of Hellmuth’s entrance, telling his tablemates, “[Hellmuth] loves to show us his nipples. If you watch ESPN, you’ll notice that there are a lot of nipple shots. He’s either meditating with his tiny nipples or doing something.” ESPN recapped Lindgren and Negreanu’s Player of the Year competition, where poker pros could pick any partner except for Phil Ivey and compete based on Player of the Year Points. Barry Greenstein selected Jeffrey Lisandro, who promptly won three bracelets during the 2009 festivities. Negreanu and Lindgren noted that they stood to lose around $1 million as a result of the bets.

Chad and fellow ESPN commentator Lon McEachern dubbed Hellmuth “Pokerus Bratus” and “Hellmuthicus.” The 11-time bracelet winner lived up to his reputation after teeing off on tablemates early on. An opponent who made three kings after calling a raise with K-8 when Hellmuth had jacks received the brunt of the anger. Hellmuth lamented, “What the fuck? Calling a fricking raise with K-8?” Hellmuth then spouted four expletives in a row followed by the word “man.” He sat back down and vented, “Fucking moron players.” No penalty was shown despite a stricter player conduct rule.

2008 WSOP November Nine member Dennis Phillips brought an entourage of look-a-likes with him, including David Tucker, who was charged with blowing a portable truck horn every time Phillips scooped a pot. Also in the field was “Celebrity Apprentice” runner-up and Poker News Daily Guest Columnist Annie Duke, who was sent to the rails early on. Chad exclaimed, “Annie, you’re fired” when the Ultimate Bet face was ousted from the $10,000 buy-in tournament.

The “Straight from the Pros” segment featured Team PokerStars Pro member Joe Hachem squaring off against Steve Dannenmann on Day 5 of the 2005 Main Event. Dannenmann flopped a set in the hand, while Hachem flopped the nut flush draw. After Dannenmann put in a check-raise, Hachem folded, which he called “the biggest laydown of my life.” ESPN viewers then watched Negreanu get trumped during the Jack Link’s Beef Jerky Wild Card Hand, in which the hole cards of one player are unknown.

Meanwhile, Hellmuth and an opponent each bet $20 that they had the best hand. In the end, Hellmuth showed A-Q, while his opponent flipped over pocket fours. The money was given to a friend on the rail to “buy drinks,” an activity Hellmuth deemed worthy of another $40 contribution. Then, Hellmuth learned the crew was from Aruba, the site of the annual Ultimate Bet Aruba Poker Classic, and tossed another $100 their way. The situation quickly turned dark. Hellmuth ran into a rivered flush, which caused him to lament, “Is this some kind of fucking joke? I can’t even fucking believe what I’m seeing.” Again, no penalty was assessed.

Day 1D of the 2009 WSOP Main Event featured 2008 Player of the Year Erick Lindgren. Joining Lindgren at the feature table was Joe Hardie, the former owner of the Bicycle Casino in Los Angeles. Also in the field on Day 1D, which saw more than 500 players turned away, were “I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here” winner Lou Diamond Phillips and third place finisher John Salley. Others playing included Ray Romano, Ivan Demidov, J.C. Tran, Jennifer Harman, Marco Traniello, Chad Brown, Vanessa Rousso, Jordan Farmar, Phil Ivey, Tom “durrrr” Dwan, and 2006 Player of the Year Jeff Madsen.

Lindgren’s tentative play at the feature table was the theme of the second episode. Chad explained, “I hope the tape of this telecast is destroyed before Lindgren sees it. It’ll set him back 15 years.” The Wild Card Hand featured four-way action to the turn on an A-J-7-8 board with two diamonds. Serge Pouliott bet out 450 and the action folded around to Lindgren, who made the call. The river was the four of hearts. Lindgren checked, Pouliott bet 825, and Lindgren called. Pouliott turned over A-Q, out-kicking Lindgren’s A-6 of diamonds. The Full Tilt-sponsored “Deal Me In” featured Lindgren breaking down a hand that transpired during Day 1 of the 2008 WSOP Main Event.

Day 2 of the 2009 WSOP Main Event will air next Tuesday on ESPN at 8:00pm ET and runs for two hours.

Run it Twice — Ray Henson Discusses Limit Poker Hand

Ray Henson is a professional cash game player who travels from his home in Houston, Texas to Los Angeles to play at the Commerce Casino, and he sat down with Card Player to discuss a limit hold’em hand he played recently.

Out of WPT Legends, Back in Tuscaloosa

Well, my trip to Los Angeles was a quick one. My showing, or lack of, in the $10,000 WPT event was pretty disappointing. I failed to get anything going at all. It is amazing to me how many times I've busted day 1's in WPTs. I drew a table that I …

PartyGaming Purchases WPT Enterprises for $12.3 Million

The long-awaited second bidder in the sale of World Poker Tour Enterprises (WPTE) has finally been revealed. Peerless Media Limited, a subsidiary of Party Gaming, will purchase the rights to the popular poker tour for $12.3 million plus 5% of future gaming revenues.

PartyPoker, the online poker arm of PartyGaming, does not accept customers from the United States. In a form filed to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) after trading had closed on Monday in New York City, WPTE officials explained, “Buyer will pay the Company $12.3 million less the amount of certain obligations of PartyGaming or its affiliates accruing or paid to the Company from July 10, 2009 through the close of the Transaction… $1 million of such amount shall be paid by Buyer to the Company upon the execution of the Purchase Agreement and the balance shall be paid to the Company at the Close.”

The $1 million cash advance will be used to back out of a prior purchase agreement with Gamynia Limited, which is associated with Playtech, the parent company of the iPoker Network. Earlier this month, WPTE entered into an agreement to sell the majority of its assets to Gamynia for $9.075 million plus 4% of future gaming revenues. The new agreement not only increases the sale price by more than $3.2 million, but it also affords WPTE an additional 1% of future gaming revenues.

Addressing the new buyer, WPTE Founder, President, and CEO Steve Lipscomb commented in a press release distributed late Monday afternoon, “The Board of Directors has determined that PartyGaming’s acquisition proposal is financially superior and we look forward to working with one of the pioneers and leaders in the poker and online gaming markets to provide a strong vehicle for the WPT brand to continue its global expansion and return to online gaming.” WPTE stock, which is traded on the NASDAQ under the same four-letter acronym, closed at $1.05, down $0.01 on Monday. Upon hearing that a second buyer was waiting in the wings, the stock shot up from $0.93 to $1.09 last week.

In a similar arrangement as the Gamynia sale, WPTE will hand over its television library, intellectual property rights, and brand names, which include the WPT and Professional Poker Tour (PPT). The company will retain its cash on-hand and pocket “future license revenues from certain existing Sponsorship deals for Season Seven of the World Poker Tour.” WPTE will not distribute any of the proceeds of the sale to its stockholders; the Los Angeles-based company will use the proceeds as seed money in a business venture outside of poker. WPTE officials could not comment on any future proceedings, citing SEC regulations.

WPTE shareholders must now approve the sale. The company’s SEC filing notes that investors holding 39% of the company’s stock have agreed to vote in favor of the transaction. A stockholders’ meeting will be coordinated in order to vote on the proposal.

According to the filed document, “The Purchase Agreement may be terminated by either Buyer or the Company if the Closing has not occurred by February 24, 2010.” If WPTE officials were to accept an alternative proposal from another buyer, the company would be subject to a $1 million termination fee and, in some cases, a $1 million reimbursement for PartyGaming’s up-front payment.

PartyPoker boasts WPT Host Mike Sexton as its ambassador after the two parties reached an agreement in late April. Sexton is a 2009 Poker Hall of Fame candidate and is currently on-site for the WPT’s Legends of Poker, which wraps up on Wednesday from the Bicycle Casino in Southern California. Attendance at this year’s event was off 25% from last year. The tournament will air as part of Season VIII of the WPT on Fox Sports Net.

Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for the latest WPT sale news.

WPT Legends of Poker: Steven Begleiter Chip Leader on Day 3

Two days are in the books at the World Poker Tour (WPT) Legends of Poker, which is taking place at the Bicycle Casino in Los Angeles. World Series of Poker (WSOP) November Nine member Steven Begleiter continues to lead the way entering Day 3.

Begleiter brought a commanding chip lead into Sunday in Los Angeles at the Bike’s brand new Events Center. He ended the day with 426,100 chips, comfortably ahead of the second place stack of Prahlad Friedman, who owns 382,700. Begleiter eliminated online poker sensation Isaac “westmenloAA” Baron during the last level of play after flopping a set of fives on a 10-8-5 board. Baron flipped up pocket queens for an overpair, but needed running cards for a straight or a queen to survive. However, the board filled out 10-6 and Baron was sent packing.

The champion of the WPT’s Bellagio Cup, Team PokerStars Pro member Alexandre Gomes, was eliminated early on in the day. Gomes was the chip leader during the early going in the Legends of Poker, but found himself all-in after pushing with A-Q (including the ace of clubs) on a board of K-J-6-10 with three clubs for a flush draw. However, an opponent called with 3-4 of clubs for a made flush. The river was no help, sending Gomes to the exits. Interestingly, WPT coverage noted that no player has ever won back-to-back WPT events and no player has won multiple tournaments at the same venue.

Friedman scooped a sizable pot late in the day to catapult him into second on the Legends of Poker leaderboard behind Begleiter. With blinds of 800/1,600 and a 200 ante, Friedman called a re-raise to 15,000 from the player in the big blind. The flop fell J-8-5 and the big blind bet out 20,000. Friedman called to see a seven on the turn. The action went check-check to the river, which came the nine of hearts. Friedman led out for 60,000 and his opponent called. Friedman turned over pocket nines for a set, which was enough to scoop the pot and claim the second largest chip stack entering Day 3. Here is how the Top 10 in the field looks:

1. Steven Begleiter - 426,100
2. Prahlad Friedman - 382,700
3. Thuy Doan - 254,400
4. Mike Krescanko - 248,500
5. Bryan Devonshire - 230,200
6. Corwin Mackey - 212,500
7. Billy Baxter - 209,300
8. Sergei Veytser - 207,200
9. Toto Leonidas - 195,300
10. Gary Klonsley - 181,100

Billy Baxter is a seven-time WSOP bracelet winner who won No Limit Deuce to Seven Lowball events in 1975, 1978, 1982, 1987, and 1993. More recently, he made the final table of a Deuce to Seven Triple Draw event in 2008 for $15,000. All told, Baxter has piled up over $1.1 million in WSOP tournaments and made a deep run in the 2007 Main Event.

Bryan “badbeatninja” Devonshire and Corwin “mig.com” Mackey are two top-tier online poker players. Both have also had success on the live felts. Devonshire was the runner-up to Alex Kravchenko in an Omaha High-Low Split Eight or Better event during the 2007 WSOP for $140,000. Mackey won a $5,000 buy-in No Limit Hold’em event in 2007 for his first bracelet, banking $730,000 and defeating Stuart Fox heads-up.

Other notable names remaining in the WPT Legends of Poker include:

14. Nick Schulman – 160,000
17. Kevin Schaffel – 152,000
22. Men “The Master” Nguyen – 144,000
25. Greg “FBT” Mueller – 139,900
28. Carter “ckingusc” King – 122,700
31. Adam “Roothlus” Levy – 116,200
36. Daniel Negreanu – 92,600
39. Jonathan Little – 91,200
59. Lee Markholt – 53,700
65. Scotty Nguyen – 45,100

Play will resume today at 3:00pm PT and a winner will be crowned on Wednesday.

Living large at WPT Legends

After a tough 2009 WSOP, Devonshire made back his losses taking fourth for $85k at the Venetian Deep Stack $5k event.

But instead of getting back to the grind, he hit the road.

"I always try to leave Vegas right after the series just because it's hot as balls there," he said. "I always try to go somewhere and take a little break from poker, so this year, from all kinds of people saying, 'why don't you come here and do this or that,' it just kind of morphed itself into a Trans-Continental motorcycle trip."

Devonshire hopped on his bike in Las Vegas on July 22 riding down to L.A.

He hugged the coast all the way up to Washington and into Vancouver, Canada. He took the ferry over to Vancouver Island, went back up to Whistler, all the way up to Blue River and through Jasper and Banff National Parks before going back into the United States.

Riding across Idaho, Montana, and North Dakota, he stopped in Minneapolis to see some friends, saw Phish in Chicago and hung out with his sister in Columbus before heading down to another friend's lake house in Lake Norman, North Carolina.

He spent the last week there before flying in to L.A. for Legends and plans to fly back when the tournament is done to ride the bike all the way back to Las Vegas.

"It took me 25 days on the road, I covered just under 6,000 miles and it's been great," he said. "In fact, I'm kind of itching to get back in the saddle."

While he understands playing thousands of poker hands online and devoting countless hours to studying your game can make you a better player, Devonshire, who chronicled the trip in with a blog on his own website and videos on PokerRoad.com, says taking a break from the game and having a life outside of poker can help too.

"Those hours and miles on the road, to clear your head and think about things," he said. "It's been super beneficial for me and I wouldn't trade that for anything."

Even the best go on bad runs and without some way to escape, Devonshire, who started his poker career as a dealer before cashing big in a WSOP casino employees event to build his roll, says the life of a poker player on a downswing can be a pretty depressing existence.

"It's not happy and it's not healthy and that, in turn, definitely impacts on people's game," he said.

As he continually strives to find the perfect life/poker balance, Devonshire says the clear mind and relaxed attitude he's come off the road with is paying dividends here at Legends as he inches closer to a second career WPT final table.

"I think it has just kind of helped my overall paradigm and demeanor," he said. "I'm just more relaxed right now then I have been. This summer was just go, go, go, go and after taking a break, I am stoked to be playing right now and I'm having fun doing it.

"But flopping top set a lot certainly doesn't hurt either."

Heading into Day 3 at the Legends of Poker, November Niner Steven Begleiter holds the chip lead with fellow 2009 WSOP Main Event final tablist Kevin Schaffel and a host of top pros, including Prahlad Friedman, Billy Baxter, Nick Schulman, Greg Mueller and Adam "Roothlus" Levy, in close contention.

You can follow all the action live from the Bicycle Casino in Los Angeles starting at 3 p.m. Monday on PokerListings Live Tournaments page.

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Steven Begleiter Leads WPT Legends of Poker

A total of 279 players turned out for the 2009 World Poker Tour (WPT) Legends of Poker. Now, Steven Begleiter, a member of the World Series of Poker (WSOP) November Nine, leads the pack after Day 1.

When the smoke cleared on Day 1, 181 players remained in the hunt in the $10,000 buy-in tournament, which is being held at the Bicycle Casino in Los Angeles. Although attendance was down 25% from last year, the mood remained upbeat, especially for fans of Begleiter. The Full Tilt Poker pro holds the largest stack in the room at 232,275, comfortably ahead of the second place tally of 135,025 belonging to Alex Golshanara. The average stack in the room is just 46,243, with Gary Lent claiming the smallest tally at 5,800.

Begleiter went on a heater to end his day in Los Angeles, leading to his massive edge over the field. After building his stack to over 100,000, Begleiter hit a full house on the river to draw out on an opponent who held a set. Then, Tim Phan shoved with A-K, only to run into Begleiter’s pocket kings. The better hand held, catapulting Begleiter to a commanding lead. He told WPT Live Updates Hostess Amanda Leatherman after play had concluded, “I’m glad I did this today. I hope I can do this on November 7th.”

The 2009 WSOP November Nine was determined on July 15th. One month later, Begleiter has found his way back into the spotlight. He explained, “It’s really getting my blood flowing. Seeing the level of competition here and having a good day certainly adds to my excitement for November 7th.” Here’s a look at the top of the leaderboard entering Day 2 of the WPT Legends of Poker, which will play out on Sunday:

1. Steven Begleiter: 235,275
2. Alex Golshanara: 135,025
3. Tommy Vedes: 124,725
4. Eugene Katehalor: 124,150
5. Sam Stein: 112,250
6. Markus “LURPED” Gonsalves: 108,600
7. Matt Marafiot: 107,500
8. Eddie Ngo: 105,000
9. Mike Krescanko: 104,950
10. Toto Leonidas: 90,525

Other notable names in the Top 50 include:

14. Nick Schulman: 88,000
15. Mark Seif: 84,700
30. Scott Montgomery: 71,550
35. David “The Dragon” Pham: 68,900
36. Greg “FBT” Mueller: 68,800
37. Kenna James: 67,800
48. Scotty Nguyen: 60,300

Former Bellagio Cup winner and online poker pro Kevin “BeL0WaB0Ve” Saul was ousted on the final hand of the night after running his set into an opponent’s straight. Kenna James doubled up in the closing seconds of Day 1 holding pocket kings against Alexandre Gomes’ pocket aces. A king hit the flop, sending James into the lead in the hand for good. Gomes, the chip leader early on in the 2009 Legends of Poker, now sits in 84th place with a stack of 41,200.

Mark Seif and Amir Vahedi traded shots late in the day. Seif told Vahedi that he held pocket aces in a hand, leading to Vahedi folding and Seif earning a penalty for his actions. In the first hand after rejoining the table, Seif doubled up with pocket kings against Vahedi, who held pocket queens. Vahedi then came back to double up with four of a kind against a different opponent. At the end of Day 1, Seif holds 84,700 chips, good for 15th overall, and Vahedi boasts the 120th largest stack at 30,900.

The 2009 Legends of Poker will air as part of Season VIII of the WPT on Fox Sports Net. Its six-handed final table will play out on Wednesday with the following prizes up for grabs:

1st Place: $1,034,500
2nd Place: $471,670
3rd Place: $231,300
4th Place: $144,600
5th Place: $116,225
6th Place: $89,220

Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for updates from the Legends of Poker.

WPT Legends of Poker Attendance Drops 25%

Saturday marked the lone Day 1 of the 2009 World Poker Tour (WPT) Legends of Poker, which emanates from the Bicycle Casino in Los Angeles. This year, 279 runners turned out for the $10,000 buy-in tournament, a 25% decline in attendance.

In 2008, 373 players were on-hand for the festivities, which ended with John “The Razor” Phan besting online poker pro Amit “amak316” Makhija. As a result, Phan earned his first WPT title and boosted his bankroll by $1.1 million. Phan is a two-time World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet winner. This year, the champion of the WPT Legends of Poker will take home just over $1 million, with the following payouts up for grabs:

1st Place: $1,009,000
2nd Place: $471,670
3rd Place: $231,300
4th Place: $144,600
5th Place: $116,225
6th Place: $89,220
7th Place: $64,400
8th Place: $52,320
9th Place: $39,240
10th to 12th Places: $32,700
13th to 15th Places: $26,160
16th to 18th Places: $22,240
19th to 27th Places: $18,285

A total of 38.4% of the prize pool is earmarked for the winner, who will also take home a $25,000 entry into the end-of-season WPT Championship at the Bellagio. The 2009 attendance number is the second smallest for the Legends of Poker, which drew just 134 players in 2002, one year before the monumental win by Chris Moneymaker changed the game forever. In 2002, the buy-in to the event was just $5,000.

Six levels lasting 90 minutes each were scheduled to pan out on Saturday. However, given the lower attendance, only five will occur. Early eliminations in the Bike’s new Events Center included Beth Shak, Carlos Mortensen, and Joe Sebok. Mortensen shoved with 10-8 after a flop of J-9-5, but was called by a player holding A-10. A nine on the turn and deuce on the river sealed the former WSOP Main Event Champion’s exit. He became short-stacked after being five-outed with pocket tens.

Sebok was bumped after pushing with A-Q on a flop of A-8-5 with two hearts. His opponent flipped up J-9 for a flush draw, which promptly hit on the turn. Among those who excelled on Day 1 of the Legends of Poker was Alexandre Gomes, a member of Team PokerStars Pro who recently took down the WPT’s Bellagio Cup. Gomes called an all-in holding 5-6 on a board of A-Q-7-4-3. His opponent revealed 7-4 for two pair, but Gomes had the stone cold nuts and took down the pot. At the time of writing, Gomes is the chip leader.

Court Harrington, who is on-site at the Bicycle Casino reporting on the action for PocketFivesLive.com, told Poker News Daily, “I don’t think anyone expected the field to be huge, but dropping almost 100 players from last year surprised a lot of people. Not long ago, a WPT field under 300 was unheard of.” Harrington added that, despite the smaller crowd, the mood remains universally upbeat, as players have their sights set on the seven-figure payday for first place.

Just 268 players turned out for the WPT’s Bellagio Cup V in July, a drop of 40% from the 2008 figure. Last season on the WPT circuit, two North American events had fields of fewer than 300, the Southern Poker Championship (283) and Foxwoods Poker Classic (259).

Stay tuned for the latest from the 2009 WPT Legends of Poker right here on Poker News Daily.

WPT Legends of Poker Begins Today

Kicking off today from the Bicycle Casino in Los Angeles, California is the annual World Poker Tour (WPT) Legends of Poker. The $10,000 buy-in tournament will crown a champion on Wednesday.

Last time out, John “The Razor” Phan trumped online poker pro Amit “amak316” Makhija in the finale of the WPT Legends of Poker. A total of 373 players took to the felts and Phan walked away with a first place payday of $1.1 million. Zachary Clark earned $281,000 for his third place showing in a lively final table that also featured Paul Smith, Trong Nguyen, and Kyle Wilson. In 2007, “Action” Dan Harrington, a former World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event Champion, bested David “The Dragon” Pham heads-up to pocket $1.6 million. That year, 485 players took to the felts.

In 2006, Joe Pelton banked $1.6 million for his win in the Legends of Poker. He defeated Frankie O’Dell heads-up in a talented final table that also featured Hoyt Corkins, Kevin O’Donnell, Randy Holland, and WSOP Main Event winner Scotty Nguyen. A total of 466 runners took to the Bike’s felts three years ago and created a $4.5 million prize pool. In 2005, Alex Kahaner outlasted “Cowboy” Kenna James to earn $1.1 million. It marked the last year that the buy-in was only $5,000 and 839 players threw their hats into the ring. O’Donnell finished sixth in 2005 and Todd Phillips, who directed “Old School” and “The Hangover,” landed in fourth place, earning $250,000.

In 2004, Doyle Brunson showed that he is truly a legend of the game by taking down the marquee WPT tournament, outplaying Lee Watkinson heads-up. Brunson banked $1.2 million for his efforts and solidified his name as among the game’s best only one year after the Moneymaker Boom began. At the time, Watkinson was fresh off a runner-up finish in the Mirage Poker Showdown and earned $578,000 for his second place effort in Los Angeles.

During Season II of the WPT, Mel Judah defeated Paul Phillips in the Legends of Poker. Judah is a two-time WSOP bracelet winner and Phillips won the Bellagio Five Diamond World Poker Classic that season for $1.1 million. Also appearing at the final table were Poker Hall of Fame member T.J. Cloutier, Chip Jett, three-time bracelet winner Farzad Bonyadi, and Phil “The Unabomber” Laak. During the inaugural season of the WPT, Chris Karagulleyan, who outlasted a field of 134 players to pocket $258,000, won the Legends of Poker. Joining him at the final table were Hon Le, Stan Goldstein, Mark Seif, Can Kim Hua, and Kathy Liebert.

The action kicks off from the Bike’s brand new Events Center at 3:00pm PT on Saturday. Players will receive 30,000 in starting chips and blinds will kick off at 50/100. The price of poker increases every 90 minutes, with the six-handed final table panning out on Wednesday.

In the WPT’s last tournament, Team PokerStars Pro member Alexandre Gomes defeated a table full of internet superstars to earn $1.2 million in the Bellagio Cup V. Heads-up, Gomes trumped Faraz Jaka, who affectionately goes by the moniker “The-Toilet” online. Also appearing at the final table was Justin “Boosted J” Smith, who suffered an Achilles injury after celebrating a win in a hand. Newly-minted DoylesRoom pro Alec “traheho” Torelli, Christoffer Sonesson, and Full Tilt Poker pro Erik Seidel all joined them at the final table. The tournament is held annually near the conclusion of the WSOP Main Event, which is held down Flamingo Road at the Rio.

Recent news surrounding the WPT hasn’t been about the Legends of Poker. Instead, attention has been focused squarely on its sale, where news of a second buyer other than Gamynia Limited has emerged. Speculation on the alternate WPT bid has run rampant throughout the online poker community and additional information should be released in the near future.

Keep up to date on the 2009 WPT Legends of Poker right here on Poker News Daily.

PokerNews Jet Set: Los Angeles

This weekend, the poker world descends on Southern California with the kickoff of the Bicycle Club's $10,000 buy-in Legends of Poker Main Event. Though the Bike is one of the most beloved venues for tour pros (especially now with it's snazzy new...

Commerce Casino To Host New Autumn Tournament Series

After moving the extremely popular California State Poker Championship to May earlier this year, the Commerce Casino in Los Angeles, CA, was left with a gap in its schedule of poker events in the fall when the CSPC traditionally was held. To cover up that gap and offer some innovations to the poker tournament world, the Commerce announced last Friday that the Commerce Casino Hold’em Series would take place from September 10^th to September 25^th.

The Commerce Casino Hold’em Series will feature sixteen tournaments that offer buy-ins from as low as $220 up to the $2500 buy-in for the Championship Event. In a departure from most tournaments, nearly each event will have guaranteed prize pool ranging from $50,000 to $500,000 guaranteed for the players. The $335 No Limit Hold’em Shootout tournament and a $1065 Pot Limit Hold’em event will not have guaranteed prize pools and other tournaments that do not have guarantees will offer seats to the $2500 Championship Event to the victors. Along with a wealth of cash, there are other innovations that will be tested during the run of the Commerce Casino Hold’em Series.

One of the best innovations is offered to players in the first tournament on the series, the $220 No Limit Hold’em tournament with a $500,000 guarantee. Slated to have three Day Ones and be a four day tournament, a player who is eliminated on Day 1A has the option to come back and buy in again to play on Day 1B. Any players eliminated on Day 1B will also have the option to buy in again and play Day 1C. The potential exists for a player to take three shots at the $500K prize pool, which should exceed the guaranteed amount.

Other interesting tweaks to tournament poker can be found later in the Commerce Casino Hold’em Series schedule. The Commerce will put a twist to the Heads Up format when they offer the $545 Double Elimination (meaning that a player has to lose twice before they are eliminated) Heads Up Championship on September 22^nd, which will feature a seat into the $2500 Championship Event for the eventual winner in addition to the cash prize. Also on the 22^nd, the first ever $335 Knockout Bounty Tournament with a $100,000 guaranteed prize pool will play out. For each player that a competitor eliminates in that tournament, the winning player will get $100 on the spot from the Commerce Casino.

On September 23^rd, arguably the most original event of the Commerce Casino Hold’em Series will take place with the $1600 Ironman Challenge. The tournament, which will have $10,000 added to the final prize pool, will truly be a test, as it has no scheduled breaks and will test the abilities of the players under extreme and unrelenting pressure. While the tournament does not deny the players the opportunity to leave the felt, the tournament does not stop and the player’s stack continues to be in play and blinded off. The payout of the event is also like no other tournament, as 50% of the prize pool is paid to first place and no deals are allowed at the final table.

Some of the new twists on tournaments are courtesy of the gentleman considered the finest tournament director around today, Commerce Casino’s very own Matt Savage. “The series will feature huge guarantees and unique tournaments that have never been seen before in poker,” Savage commented during the announcement of the Commerce Casino Hold’em Series. “The diversity of events and unusual formats will continue to make Hold’em tournaments at Commerce Casino exciting, stimulating and rewarding for our players.”

With the fall schedule a little slow in the poker community, Commerce Casino’s Hold’em Series should offer different innovations for players and plenty of guaranteed money for the winners. For a full look at the schedule of events or other information, visit the Commerce Casino website to learn more.

Jamie Gold - Poker Player Profile

Jamie Gold is the winner of the largest cash prize in a televised sports event - $12 million for the 2006 World Series of Poker Main Event. After outlasting 8,772 players over the course of eleven grueling days, Gold instantly became a poker-star and one of the many faces of the game. Having been taught poker at a very young age by his grandfather, winning the WSOP was somewhat of a life-long dream for Jami Gold, who had a mere $100K in cashes before making the gargantuan score. Since then, Jamie’s life has been a whirlwind of magazine covers, article publications, and various T.V. appearances on shows like GSN’s “High Stakes Poker”, NBC’s “Poker After Dark” and “National Heads Up Championship”, ABC’s “Celebrity Pro-Am”, and of course, ESPN’s “World Series of Poker”.

As with many other poker professionals, Jamie Gold started somewhere else – in his case, as a talent agent interning with J. Michael Bloom. After moving to Los Angeles at the age of 21, Gold worked for a few years before co-founding the successful Gold-Bouchard management company that boasted such clients as James Gandolfini, Jimmy Fallon and Felicity Huffman.  He is now the acting head of an entertainment company called Buzznation.

In balancing life, poker, and a job while still being able to donate some of his time and wealth, Jamie Gold has earned a very becoming moniker: The Poker Philanthropist. Chief among his charitable endeavors is his involvement in the fight against ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s disease, the illness which claimed the life of his father, Robert. He has also attended, supported, or hosted more than 40 charity events since his WSOP victory. Whether he’s busy with his professional career, playing on the felt, or our giving back to the community, Jamie Gold is a true champion.

WPT: Season 8 soldiers on

"At this point we don't anticipate any changes to the Season 8 schedule," WPT Enterprises Interim Chief Financial Officer Thomas Flahie told PokerListings. "No dates or locations are expected to change."

WPT Enterprises, Inc. announced Monday that Gamynia Limited had agreed to acquire substantially all of the company's operating assets including the WPT's television, sponsorship, distribution and licensing units.

Pending shareholder approval, the $9 million sale is expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2009.

Under the agreement, Gamynia is expected to push the WPT further into the online gaming market and Flahie said the buyers may even be interested in expanding the tour.

"The buyer has expressed an interest in expanding the tour in Europe," he said. "There's definitely an interest in expanding outside of the U.S. market."

Flahie said operations will continue as normal and details regarding any possible expansion will not be available until after the sale is complete.

The WPT's Season 8 schedule continues later this month with the Legends of Poker event at the Bicycle Casino in Bell Gardens, California, August 22-29.

According to the WPT, Season 8 includes 13 additional stops featuring events in Slovakia, Cypress, Marrakech, Atlantic City, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, San Jose, Biloxi, a new stop in Lawrenceburg, Indiana and the Foxwoods Casino in Mashantucket, Connecticut.

Related Articles:

• World Poker Tour sold

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World Poker Tour Sold to Gamynia Limited

In breaking news from the World Poker Tour (WPT), its parent company has sold the roving tournament series for $9.075 million plus a percentage of future revenues to Gamynia Limited. Recently, the WPT recorded its second straight month of profitability.

Its complete library of WPT episodes and intellectual property are just two of the assets that Gamynia Limited will absorb as part of the sale. The current ownership of the WPT will continue to receive revenues associated with “the sponsorship of Seasons Four, Five, and Six of the World Poker Tour and Season One of the Professional Poker Tour by Party Gaming and the license of Season Seven of the World Poker Tour to PokerStars.” The parent company of the WPT plans to use the $9.075 million in newfound revenue for business ventures that are unrelated to poker.

The sale will likely be completed during the fourth quarter of 2009, but must first be approved by a majority of the company’s stockholders. A special meeting to ratify the sale will be held and, in the meantime, the WPT has secured 39% of its stockholders as “yes” votes. WPT Founder, President, and CEO Steve Lipscomb commented in a market update distributed late Monday, “We believe this transaction will enable the World Poker Tour to realize its full potential across both its existing businesses and the lucrative online gaming market. Gamynia and its partners possess highly complimentary resources which will help it invest in and effectively integrate with the World Poker Tour efficiently and profitably.”

Gamynia has already reached out to Hardway Investments, which, according to the same release, “will seek to exploit and develop the WPT brands with the goal of maximizing future revenue opportunities.” Hardway’s existing clients include some of the internet gambling industry’s marquee names like Playtech (which owns and operates the popular iPoker Network), Casino Tropez, Titan Poker, and Europa Casino. It also works closely with the affiliate group Euro Partners. Hardway is based in Antigua and brings a significant amount of internet gambling experience to the WPT brand.

WPT Enterprises will retain its cash on-hand, debt investments, office leases, and “employee obligations.” No proceeds from the sales will be distributed to WPT Enterprises’ stockholders. Its stock is traded on the NASDAQ under the symbol “WPTE” and was down $0.41 at the time of writing on Tuesday, or 27%, to $1.08. WPTE closed trading on Monday at a price of $1.49, but the release made to Business Wire was not published until after the NASDAQ had ceased trading for the day. After the sale is completed, WPT Enterprises will continue operations under a new name. The company plans to use its cash leftover from the poker business to enter into a joint venture or other business relationship with a new company.

The WPT is in the midst of filming its eighth season, which will once again air on Fox Sports Net. Its next tournament kicks off on August 22nd from The Bicycle Casino in Los Angeles, home of the Legends of Poker. The $10,000 buy-in tournament crowns a champion four days later. Last year, poker pro John “The Razor” Phan dominated the field of 373 players and earned a $1.1 million first place prize. He defeated online poker sensation Amit “amak316” Makhija heads-up in a final table that also featured Zachary Clark, Paul Smith, Trong Nguyen, and Kyle Wilson.

Attendance at the kickoff U.S. event of Season VIII of the WPT was down sharply. Just 268 players turned out for the annual Bellagio Cup, down 40% from the 446 that took to the felts at the storied Las Vegas casino in 2008. In the end, Team PokerStars Pro member Alexandre Gomes defeated Faraz “The-Toilet” Jaka heads-up to earn $1.2 million.

Bodog hands out 2010 Main Event seat

The Bodog Mini Poker Series wrapped up last week awarding a $12,000 prize package that includes the $10,000 Main Event buy-in for next summer.

John "Getn_Outa_MI" Ormsby took it down, wrapping up the 13-event series with a win in the 82-person final event.

"The possibility of winning a seat in next year's Main Event was the main reason I was interested in playing in the Bodog Mini Poker Series," said Ormsby.

"I've always wanted to go to Vegas to play in the World Series, but have never had the chance. The Mini Series provided me with a great opportunity to do so."

With the Bodog Mini Poker Series out of the way, the Bodog.com Poker room now turns its attention to the Bodog Flight Club, which awards players packages to major poker tournaments all over the world, including the European Poker Tour, World Poker Tour and Latin American Poker Tour.

In fact, qualifiers are currently running for the WPT Legends of Poker event at the Bicycle Casino in Los Angeles starting as low as $1.

For more on Bodog Poker check out PokerListings' Room Review.

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Harlem Globetrotters, Miss America May Join Tiffany Michelle on Amazing Race

According to an article that appeared this week in The Examiner, two members of the Harlem Globetrotters basketball team and Miss America 2004 may join poker players Tiffany Michelle and Maria Ho on Season 15 of the CBS reality show “Amazing Race.”

Poker News Daily can confirm that Tiffany Michelle is among the cast for the 15th cycle of the reality series, citing anonymous sources inside the industry. Her rumored partner is Maria Ho, who Reality Fan Forum snapped a picture of at Los Angeles International Airport on the day that “Amazing Race” filming allegedly began. In the image, she did not appear to be donning a backpack (as is customary for “Amazing Race” teams); instead, she was pulling a suitcase. Michelle and Ho represent the last women standing in the 2008 and 2007 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Events, respectively.

The Examiner speculates that Harlem Globetrotters members Nate “Big Easy” Lofton and Herbert “Flight Time” Lang are members of the “Amazing Race” cast. Lang attended Centenary College in Louisiana and wears #4 for the showcase basketball team. His biography found on the Harlem Globetrotters website appropriately reads, “He is a self-proclaimed reality TV junkie… What Flight Time likes about reality TV is that, even though he knows parts are staged and scripted for dramatic effect, ‘After a certain amount of time, you really get to see what people are like.’” Lang was roped into reality television after catching an episode of CBS staple “Survivor.”

Lofton attended Southeast Louisiana and grew up in New Orleans. His biography notes, “His gregarious personality and thunderous dunks entertain Globetrotter fans young and old.” A total of 26 players make up the current roster of the Harlem Globetrotters, which showcase unusual basketball skills at venues around the world. Several members of the team, including Lang, appeared on the ABC reality series “The Bachelorette” in May. The Globetrotters challenged the seven remaining bachelors to a pick-up game of basketball, with bachelorette Jillian Harris looking on intently. “The Bachelorette” wrapped up on Monday night with Harris riding off into the sunset with Ed Swiderski.

Joining Lang, Lofton, Michelle, and Ho will likely be Miss America 2004, Ericka Dunlap. The Examiner notes that “Amazing Race” has featured pageant winners before, as Dustin-Leigh Konzelman and Kandice Pelletier competed as part of Season 10 and All-Stars. Dunlap hails from Florida; the reigning Miss America is Katie Stern, a native of Indiana. No indication was given as to who will partner with Dunlap for “Amazing Race.”

An entry appearing on Wikipedia adds that two newscasters from the television network C-SPAN will also take part in “Amazing Race” when the 15th season kicks off in September. The show pits teams of two against each other in a race around the world. Along the way, they’ll complete various challenges as part of “Detours” (a choice between two tasks, each with its own pros and cons) and “Road Blocks” (a task that only one team member can perform). Each leg typically consists of one Detour and one Road Block; many of the legs end with the last team arriving at the “Pit Stop” being eliminated.

“Amazing Race” will once again air on Sunday nights, debuting on September 27th for two hours. The popular reality program follows CBS News program “60 Minutes” and will serve as the lead-in for the new drama “Three Rivers.” “Amazing Race” is an Emmy-winning reality show whose reigning champions are lawyers and siblings Tammy and Victor. In seasons past, the top prize has been $1 million and to date, no “celebrity” installment of “Amazing Race” has taken place.

Other poker players who have appeared on major reality shows include Annie Duke, who finished as the runner-up to comedian Joan Rivers on the second season of “Celebrity Apprentice.” In addition, Bodog pro Jean-Robert Bellande competed on “Survivor: China,” the 15th cycle of the cornerstone CBS show. Bellande was the eighth player voted out of “Survivor: China” and served as a member of the jury.