Poker News

Additional Haiti Earthquake Relief Online Poker Tournaments Announced

This week, members of the online poker community wishing to donate to victims of the magnitude 7.0 earthquake that struck Haiti last week can take advantage of several tournaments being held across cyberspace.

Today, a magnitude 6.1 earthquake shook Haiti, the strongest aftershock to date according to the Associated Press. Roughly 200,000 people may have died due to the original quake last week and 1.5 million people, or nearly 20% of the country’s population, are now homeless. The Associated Press reported that 40 aftershocks have rumbled through the island nation. On the magnitude 6.1 tremor that hit on Wednesday, a geophysicist told the American news service, "Aftershocks sometimes die out very quickly. In other cases they can go on for weeks, or if we're really unlucky it could go on for months."

On Wednesday, UB.com, which makes its home on the CEREUS Network, will host a $5 rebuy online poker tournament to raise funds for the victims. The event gets underway at 20:30 ET and the field is capped at 750 players. In a generous gesture, UB.com officials will match the entirety of the prize pool and then donate the sum to the Red Cross Haiti Disaster Relief Fund. In addition, $10,000 in prizes will be on the line, consisting of entries to Ultimate Bet Online Championship (UBOC) tournaments and satellites. The charity poker tournament is dubbed “Play for Haiti” and can be found in the UB.com lobby. The site happily accepts players from the United States.

Also hosting a charity event on Wednesday night is DoylesRoom, which resides on the USA-facing Cake Poker Network. DoylesRoom is running the “Haiti Relief Celebrity Bounty,” taking the place of its regularly scheduled Bounty tournament. Those in the field will include site namesake Doyle Brunson, “The Wrestler” actor Mickey Rourke, Brunson 10 member Zachary “CrazyZachary” Clark, and “The Mad Genius of Poker” Mike Caro. The tournament kicks off at 9:30pm ET and DoylesRoom is matching all bounty money won and donating the total to relief efforts. In addition, DoylesRoom will ship any first-time player’s $27.50 buy-in to charity.

Ongame Network site Betsafe is offering a $5 tournament called “Help Haiti” on Wednesday at 20:45 CET. Unlimited rebuys will be permitted during the first hour and Betsafe will donate the funds to charity. A press release distributed by the site explains, “Betsafe will match the fee generated and we guarantee to give a minimum of $1,000. There is no maximum of the amount that we will match, so make sure to register for the tournament and help the victims of Haiti!” To sweeten the pot, Betsafe officials have added three $200 Grand Series of Poker (GSOP) event tickets to the prize pool, or $600 total. Other online poker rooms on the mammoth Ongame Network include Hollywood Poker, PokerLoco, and RedKings.

Finally, the Microgaming Network, which has recently tried to curb datamining by not allowing observed hand histories to be stored on a player’s computer, is holding a €10 + €10 buy-in tournament on Friday, January 22nd. The €10 juice will be donated to the Haitian Health Foundation and players can sign up for the event by visiting any Microgaming Network site like Betway, GNUF, Ladbrokes, Nordic Bet, PokerTime, and Unibet. The event issues its virtual “Shuffle up and deal” command at 6:30pm GMT. A press release distributed by Microgaming notes, “Over 92 percent of funds collected by Haitian Health Foundation go directly towards services for the poor, so players can be assured that donations generated from the tournament will be used to maximum benefit.” Neither the Microgaming nor Ongame Networks accept players from the United States.

These tournaments have complimented efforts at other major online poker sites like Full Tilt, PokerStars, and Cake Poker, each of which has reached into its database of players to give to the cause. Play in the Haiti relief tournaments taking place this week across some of the world’s largest sites.

Chris Moorman (moorman1) Wins PocketFives.com Yearly PLB Title

DoylesRoom sponsored pro Chris "moorman1" Moorman stormed through the competition in 2009, capturing the Yearly PocketFives.com Leaderboard (PLB) title. In addition, he claimed the Monthly PLB for December, his second of 2009.

Moorman’s claim to fame during the year came in August, when the British online poker pro chopped a Full Tilt Online Poker Series (FTOPS) $322 No Limit Hold’em with Rebuys event for $204,000. His second largest cash to date on the virtual felts came in April, as Moorman made the final table of a PokerStars Spring Championship of Online Poker (SCOOP) event for $113,000. In February, Moorman was in the winner’s circle of the PokerStars $100 Rebuy for a cool $88,000.

Moorman was a beacon of consistency throughout 2009. In the first Online Poker Rankings update on PocketFives.com, which occurred on January 7th, Moorman sat at number two worldwide. Three weeks later, the youngster overtook Alex “AJKHoosier1” Kamberis for the Rankings’ top spot, a position that he held until February 25th. On that date, Steve “gboro780” Gross, CardPlayer’s Online Player of the Year winner for 2009, ascended to the top of the PocketFives.com Rankings, pushing Moorman back to second worldwide.

Gross had a stranglehold on the top spot in the Rankings until August 12th, when Shaun “shaundeeb” Deeb overtook him. Deeb, of course, announced in mid-November that he was retiring from tournaments due to burnout. On September 23rd, Moorman was back on top in the same month that he officially became a member of the Brunson 10, the group of online poker players handpicked by Doyle Brunson to represent DoylesRoom. Moorman held the top spot in September for a week until the 30th, when Gross once again led the way.

On November 25th, Dan “djk123” Kelly stole the top spot from Gross just in time for the Thanksgiving holiday in the United States. Moorman then ascended to the head of the class on December 30th, with the next Rankings update to be released on Wednesday, January 6th. The Rankings encompass tournaments with at least 100 entrants and prize pools of $1,000 or more. Each event must have a buy-in of at least $1 and only scheduled tournaments are tracked. Only non-satellite tournaments with real money buy-ins are counted across some of the world’s largest online poker sites like Absolute Poker, Betfair, Bodog, Cake Poker, Carbon Poker, Full Tilt, PartyPoker, PokerStars, Titan Poker, and UB.com.

On the PocketFives.com Yearly PLB for 2009, Moorman logged 20,850 points, comfortably edging out Kelly, who netted 18,606. Moorman’s largest score was 716 points, whereas Kelly’s single greatest PLB tally was double that. Gross took third on the Yearly PLB for 2009. Here were the final results:

1. Chris “moorman1” Moorman – 20,850.97
2. Dan “djk123” Kelly – 18,606.93
3. Steve “gboro780” Gross – 18,472.42
4. Shaun “shaundeeb” Deeb – 18,061.15
5. Tony “D1rtyR1v3r” Nardi – 17,616.29
6. Kevin “ImaLuckSac” MacPhee – 17,514.48
7. David “Doc Sands” Sands – 17,354.60
8. Jeremy “daisyxoxo” Fitzpatrick – 17,167.12
9. Felipe “improved” Montenegro – 17,134.04
10. Ben “NeverScaredB” Wilinofsky – 16,323.68

Moorman finished fourth on both CardPlayer’s and Bluff’s Online Player of the Year leaderboards for 2009. He joined the Brunson 10 in September, becoming the fourth member of a talented group of players that already included Amit “amak316” Makhija, Zachary “CrazyZachary” Clark, and Alec “traheho” Torelli. In November during final table play of the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event, the Brunson 10 welcomed “2 Months, $2 Million” cast member Dani “ansky” Stern to its ranks. Stern was the youngest personality to appear on the G4 online poker reality show.

DoylesRoom happily accepts customers from the United States as a member of the Cake Poker Network. Other site pros include Todd Brunson, Hoyt Corkins, and “The Mad Genius of Poker” Mike Caro.

DoylesRoom Redesigns Online Casino

Ten-time World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet winner Doyle Brunson continues to prove to the poker world that age is not slowing him down at all.  In addition to offering his thoughts on this year’s November Nine to major media outlets like the Associated Press, Brunson is finding time to log hours in Bobby’s Room at the Bellagio, share blonde jokes on Twitter, and launch a revamped version of the online gaming destination DoylesCasino.com.

A press release from DoylesCasino announced the launch of the newly-redesigned website on November 3rd and outlined some of its major changes over the past few months.  Earlier this year, the online casino switched software providers, adopting the Realtime Gaming platform, which DoylesCasino believes will “offer players a faster, more realistic casino experience.”

The revamped casino lobby features large icons touting the key promotions of the day and tickers logging the more than $5 million in progressive jackpot prizes up for grabs.  The site offers a range of casino games, including roulette, craps, video poker, and slot machines.  DoylesCasino, like its partner site DoylesRoom, currently accepts USA customers.

In addition to staying busy with his DoylesCasino venture, Brunson is also logging several hours on the felts.  Brunson, Mike Caro, and the latest addition to the Brunson 10, Chris “moorman1″ Moorman, have all been spending time at the DoylesRoom cash game tables searching for the next member of the Brunson 10.  Moorman, Alec “traheho” Torelli, Amit “amak316″ Makhija, and Zachary “CrazyZachary” Clark are the first four members of the select group, but Brunson is still searching for six more guys and two ladies to join his squad of young online superstars.

According to his personal blog, Brunson and several other high-stakes pros have also been keeping the action going at Bobby’s Room in the Bellagio.  With the vast majority of poker’s high rollers congregating in Las Vegas to watch the November Nine festivities and tape the latest season of “High Stakes Poker,” it seems likely that there will be more big Bellagio action in the coming weeks.

While most of the poker community is rooting for Phil Ivey to take down this year’s Main Event, Brunson opted to put money on chip leader and professed amateur Darvin Moon.  Brunson explained in his blog that Daniel Negreanu offered him a must-win bet in which Negreanu would take Ivey and Brunson could have Moon.  Brunson explained that the decision to bet against Ivey was nothing personal in his latest blog entry: “I had to take Moon who has 5 times the chips of Ivey. It is a must-win bet so probably we won’t have action. Sorry Phil, I won’t be rooting for you now. Business is business.”  What Brunson means by a must-win bet is that in order for him to win, Moon must take down the coveted Main Event bracelet and vice versa for Negreanu and Ivey.

Brunson will be one of the several spectators on hand for the final table of the Main Event, which resumes play on Saturday, November 7th.  The poker legend will even take part in the event, announcing the “Shuffle Up and Deal” command to kick off the festivities.

If you hadn’t noticed, that is quite a busy schedule for a 76-year old.  Brunson does not appear to be slowing down any time soon and will be spending the coming weeks promoting his official biography, “The Godfather of Poker,” which comes out on November 11th.

Doyle Brunson Autobiography “Godfather of Poker” Debuts November 11th

On November 11th, “The Godfather of Poker” will hit bookstores and online retailers. The autobiography of “Texas Dolly” himself, Doyle Brunson, includes 372 pages of indelible tales and never-before-seen images of poker’s marquee ambassador. Poker News Daily reviews an advanced copy.

The publication officially runs $26.95 in the United States and $34.99 in Canada. It opens with a bang, literally, as Brunson recalls a fateful day, April 19th, 1998. He began, “When a man points a gun at your head, you’ve got to take stock of things quickly.” The day after winning his eighth World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet, Brunson returned home to his gated Las Vegas community only to be robbed by two men at gunpoint on his doorstep. The attackers flung Brunson inside his house, where he yelled, “I’m having a heart attack!”

The alarm went off, causing its company to call in order to ensure that all was normal. He explained, “I mumbled some false numbers because I knew the alarm was probably my best chance, if not my only chance, to summon help.” His wife Louise was also at home and came downstairs into the fray, telling the security company under duress, “This is Mrs. Brunson, everything is all right.” The end of “Book 1” leaves readers in suspense, with Brunson admitting, “I knew Louise and I could die at any moment.”

Brunson’s father was a poker player, making the game the family pastime. However, his elder never spoke of it to his family. Brunson explained, “Dad had played poker for years and years and helped support us with his winnings, but never talked about it.” Brunson’s college, Hardin-Simmons University, also frowned upon his extracurricular activity: “Hardin-Simmons disapproved of my poker playing, and I eventually wound up in front of the disciplinary board five times for gambling.”

Brunson was destined for the NBA’s Minneapolis Lakers before a freak accident derailed the dream. Consequently, he entered the world of poker, then a backroom game with ties to organized crime and Wild West. Brunson recalls countless transgressions, including, “Another night I saw a man get stabbed in a bar [and] one day I saw what looked like an ‘OK Corral’ shootout on Exchange Avenue. All the shooters were behind cars and firing away, and I saw two of them gunned down. Both died, and both were friends of mine.”

In 1958, Brunson became exposed to Hold’em. He noted, “Hold’em was a fun poker variation, and it moved faster than most games. That’s why it eventually became so popular. I know I enjoyed it right away.” The same year, when he was just 25 years-old, he lost his father, brother, grandmother, and two aunts. He lamented, “It was a tragic merry-go-round that year, going back and forth to Longworth and all the family funerals.” When family members would ask young Brunson what his profession was, his answer was working for Convair, an aircraft manufacturer in Dallas.

In 1962, Brunson was told that he was on the verge of death due to melanoma. He recalled, “Melanoma cancer had spread through my body like wildfire… They said it was too widespread to even consider further surgery.” The cancer had emanated from a mole that Brunson had removed one year prior and he learned that “there was no chance I would live to see our baby born.” Brunson underwent a 15-hour “radical head and neck surgery” and, soon after, the cancer had miraculously disappeared. However, Brunson was warned that the disease could strike at any moment in the future.

Ten years later, Brunson entered the festivities at the 1972 WSOP. However, with media and television cameras roving the event, Brunson questioned whether winning would be the optimal strategy: “I was afraid of the publicity that winning this event would bring, and the terrible shame it would bring to my family.” Many interviews with Brunson in the present day reveal how surprised “Texas Dolly” is that poker has become a legitimate sport and profession; from reading “The Godfather of Poker,” you can easily grasp why.

Jimmy “The Greek” Snyder coined the term “Texas Dolly” when Brunson refused to allow him to use his last name. Instead, he was referred to as “Texas Doyle,” which later became “Texas Dolly.” The new nickname appeared in an Associated Press article and the rest is history. Besides the two-word nickname, Brunson is also immortalized in the starting hand 10-2. He candidly admitted, “I didn’t particularly like the ten-deuce being immortalized in my name because it isn’t a quality hand.”

“The Godfather of Poker” includes a foreword by Mike Cochran and its cover features endorsements from Bluff Magazine, Nolan Dalla, Mike Sexton, Mike Caro, and Allyn Jaffrey Shulman. Look for “The Godfather of Poker” on November 11th.

DoylesRoom Seeking New Members for Brunson 10

The USA-friendly online poker site DoylesRoom, fronted by 10-time World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet winner Doyle Brunson, is expanding its stable of pros. The so-called “Brunson 10” currently consists of only four members.

In order to become a part of the illustrious Brunson 10, online poker players must hold an account at DoylesRoom and hit the felts in the site’s daily $5/$10 and $10/$20 cash games that take place at 7:00pm ET. Brunson and other site pros are regulars in these games and an e-mail sent to DoylesRoom players explained, “We recommend joining and chatting with them at the tables.” The online poker room is hoping to add players with “personality, integrity, and potential” and plans to fill the fifth Brunson 10 slot around the beginning of November in time for the WSOP Main Event final table.

A formal way to apply for the Brunson 10 will be unleashed in the coming weeks. The e-mail foreshadowed, “This system will eventually allow the best players to get to the top, at which point we will arrange personal interviews with Doyle and the team.” Interested players can e-mail Brunson10@doylesroom.com. A representative from the online poker site told Poker News Daily, “We are looking for live and online success in both cash games and tournaments, but personality is key too. Doyle Brunson has the final word.”

Amit “amak316” Makhija is one of the four current Brunson 10 members. The top-tier online and live poker pro is best known for finishing as the runner-up to John “The Razor” Phan in the finale of the World Poker Tour’s (WPT) Legends of Poker in 2008. His reward was a healthy $563,000 boost to his bankroll and a bevy of television time on Fox Sports Net. In that year’s WSOP, Makhija finished fifth in the $10,000 buy-in World Championship of Pot Limit Hold’em and earned $198,000 in a tournament that aired on ESPN. In addition, he landed in third place in a €5,000 buy-in preliminary event held during the European Poker Tour’s (EPT) Monte Carlo Grand Final for €85,000.

Also part of the Brunson 10 is Chris “moorman1” Moorman, who signed on with DoylesRoom just before the start of the WSOP Europe festivities in London. Moorman is a former number one player in the prestigious PocketFives.com Online Poker Rankings and is an eight-time Triple Crown winner on the site. He chopped an event during August’s Full Tilt Online Poker Series (FTOPS) for $204,000 and made the final table of the high-stakes PokerStars Spring Championship of Online Poker (SCOOP) Main Event for $113,000. He’s arguably the most respected high-stakes online grinder in the industry and adds a considerable amount of prestige to the Brunson 10.

Alec “traheho” Torelli has nearly $2 million in career earnings. His bankroll was boosted to a large degree by virtue of finishing as the runner-up to Kenny Tran in the $10,000 buy-in World Championship of Heads-Up No Limit Hold’em during the 2008 WSOP for $336,000. Later that year, Torelli was up to his winning ways again, this time banking $120,000 for taking down a $5,000 buy-in No Limit Hold’em event during the Festa al Lago. Five months ago, Torelli earned a colossal $329,000 for grabbing sixth in the $40,000 buy-in No Limit Hold’em event commemorating the 40th running of the WSOP.

Rounding out the Brunson 10 is Zachary “CrazyZachary” Clark. In August of 2007, he won the FTOPS Main Event for $395,000 and, in April of this year, chopped a SCOOP tournament for $390,000. Clark took third in last August’s WPT Legends of Poker, joining Makhija at the final table and earning $281,000.

DoylesRoom is a member of the USA-friendly Cake Poker Network and holds a weekly $50,000 Bounty Tournament. Members of the Brunson 10, along with Todd Brunson, Doyle Brunson, Mike Caro, and Hoyt Corkins, serve as the bounties in the high-stakes contest.

DoylesRoom Offers WPT Five Diamond Seats from $0.22

On December 13th, the World Poker Tour (WPT) will head to the Bellagio in Las Vegas for the annual Doyle Brunson Five Diamond World Poker Classic. Among those in attendance will be members of DoylesRoom

Last year, World Series of Poker (WSOP) November Nine member David “Chino” Rheem outlasted the field at the Five Diamond event and earned $1.5 million. Heads-up, he defeated poker pro Justin Young in a final table that also included Evan McNiff, Steve Sung, Amnon Filippi, and “The Alabama Cowboy” Hoyt Corkins. A total of 497 players turned out, creating a $7.2 million prize pool. In 2007, 626 players competed in a tournament won by Eugene Katchalov.

Steps for entry into the Doyle Brunson Five Diamond World Poker Classic begin at $0.22. Both standard and turbo tournaments are available at that price tag and entry into the turbo format can be obtained by placing first or second in a Gold Chip event. A total of 10 steps are on the docket for players to qualify for the WPT tournament. The final event is a $3,750 buy-in contest that awards a $17,000 prize package to its winner. Second place will take home another Step 10 entry, while third place will earn $250.

DoylesRoom members can buy in at any step they’d like. Step 1 weighs in at $0.22. Step 2 comes with a $0.68 buy-in, Step 3 has a $2 price tag, Step 4 has a $5.85 buy-in, Step 5 has a $17 price tag, Step 6 will set players back $49, Step 7 costs $145, Step 8 will run you $438, and Step 9 requires an outlay of $1,289.50. If successful, players will be treated in style in Sin City. Text found on the DoylesRoom website notes, “You won’t be just another player in Doyle Brunson’s tournament. You’ll be the player who experienced a full weekend of legendary Las Vegas indulgence with Doyle Brunson the weekend before the first hand was dealt.”

Players who make their way to Las Vegas after parlaying $0.22 into a WPT Doyle Brunson Five Diamond World Poker Classic seat will also take home a Vegas Experience package, which includes first class airfare, hotel accommodations, VIP club access, tickets to a hot show, and even a chance to meet “Texas Dolly” himself. Players will receive $1,000 to use towards travel and accommodations and also be given a private coaching session with Brunson, a 10-time bracelet winner.

The promotion runs until December 4th on DoylesRoom, which happily accepts players from the United States. The site makes its home on the Cake Poker Network, which, according to PokerScout.com, is the tenth most popular worldwide with a seven-day running average of 1,780 real money ring game players. During its peak hours, which occur in the evening across North America, 2,400 cash game players can be found battling it out. The Cake Poker Network is the fourth largest worldwide that accepts customers from the United States.

Weekly on Wednesdays at 9:30pm ET, DoylesRoom hosts its signature $50,000 Guaranteed Bounty tournament featuring Brunson, the “Mad Genius of Poker” Mike Caro, and a bevy of celebrities and guest pros. DoylesRoom is fresh off adding online poker pro Chris “moorman1” Moorman to its Brunson 10, a group of pros that also includes Amit “amak316” Makhija, Alec “traheho” Torelli, and Zachary “CrazyZachary” Clark. Moorman recently reached the apex of the PocketFives.com Online Poker Rankings and is one of the most respected players in the game today.

Qualify your way to Las Vegas for the WPT Five Diamond World Poker Classic on DoylesRoom.

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.

Online Poker — Play For Free at DoylesRoom

Every Wednesday at 9:30 p.m. EST, Doyle’s Room offers its customers the chance to play and beat Doyle Brunson, Todd Brunson and the “Mad Genius” himself, Mike Caro. The best …

Doyle’s Room Looking for Fresh Poker Faces

Doyle Brunson’s leading online poker room, called – obviously – Doyle's Room, is looking for fresh blood at the site, which has until now been represented by the “old school”: Doyle himself, Todd Brunson, Mike Caro and Hoyt Corkins to name but a few.

Brett Favre Signing Delays WSOP Main Event Coverage on ESPN

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

‘The Brunson 10’ Hopes to Take DoylesRoom to New Heights

Welcome to all new DoylesRoom — home of the legend and the next generation. For the past five years, Doyle Brunson’s site has embraced its reputation as the home of the old-time gamblers, sporting a cowboy look and the faces of Doyle and Todd Brunson, Mike Caro, and Hoyt Corkins. Now, with a clean new site

Tom McEvoy Trumps WSOP Champions Invitational Field on ESPN

Tuesday night saw the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Champions Invitational play out on ESPN. A rather subdued final table competed for a vintage 1970 Corvette and the title of “Champion of Champions.”

The taking of the now-storied photo of 20 former WSOP Main Event champions kicked off the ESPN telecast on Tuesday and the final table began with an unconventional 10 players taking to the felts. Up for grabs was a red 1970 Corvette Stingray that formerly appeared in the Imperial Palace car collection. The WSOP Champions Invitational winner would also take home the Binion Cup, an oversized trophy with the inscription, “The Champion of Champions. The 40th Annual World Series of Poker ‘Champions Invitational’ Winner in Honor of Poker’s First Family.” The cup also bore the date that the final table played out, June 1st, 2009.

1989 Main Event Champion Phil Hellmuth came armed to the final table with a stack of 1,125, or just 1% of the chips in play. In fact, he held just three chips, which promptly went into the middle with 10-5 of spades against Carlos Mortensen’s pocket twos. The flop came 4-Q-J with no spades, but an ace on the turn gave Hellmuth a gutshot straight draw. Needing a 10, 5, or 3 to fall on the river to double up, Hellmuth watched as an 8 hit. Hellmuth holds the record for the most number of WSOP bracelets won with 11.

2008 Main Event Champion Peter Eastgate’s exit in ninth place meant that the two youngest winners of the $10,000 buy-in feature tournament had been eliminated. Eastgate’s 8-7 ran into “Action” Dan Harrington’s pocket aces and an open-ended straight draw on the flop failed to materialize. A bevy of poker authors remained in the final eight players, including Tom McEvoy (“Championship Hold’em”), Doyle Brunson (“Super System” Volumes I and II), and Harrington (“Harrington on Hold’em”).

Eastgate’s departure set up the first Jack Link’s Beef Jerky Wild Card Hand. The cards of one player are not revealed, leaving the viewing audience and ESPN announcers Lon McEachern and Norman Chad to guess what they may hold. Harrington raised to 1,800 with A-Q of diamonds and Mortensen made the call after his cards were obscured by the logo for the popular beef jerky brand. The flop came 3-3-8 and the action went check-check. A four fell on the turn and the action again went check-check. The river was a nine. Mortensen bet out 2,500 and Harrington called. Mortensen sheepishly turned over 6-7 of clubs for what Chad called “squadoosh.”

Watching the action in the WSOP Champions Invitational were several notable poker pros. “The Mad Genius of Poker” Mike Caro looked on as Brunson called all-in on a draw. Chad quipped, “He’s priced in, but he’s calling off all of his chips on a draw. I don’t remember that being mentioned in ‘Super System’ 1 or 2.” Brunson’s draw never hit and he was ousted from the televised table. McEvoy celebrated his elimination of Brunson with poker pro Kathy Liebert, who railed him throughout the finale.

The first installment of ESPN’s “40th Annual Memories” vignette was a tribute to Stu Ungar featuring comments by Joe Hachem, Howard Lederer, and Steve Zolotow. Ungar died in 1998 after winning 10 of 32 $5,000 buy-in events he had entered. Then, Berry Johnston, who won the 1986 Main Event, busted in seventh place. The 73 year-old has cashed in every WSOP since 1982, when he took third in the Main Event for $104,000.

“The Nuts” once again featured 40th Annual WSOP Trivia. Lederer, Jennifer Harman, and Bodog pro David Williams participated this week, answering questions from three categories: “2008,” “Poker Feats,” and “Is Poker a Sport?” In the end, Harman advanced to the next round, joining Adam Schoenfeld, who won last week. Huck Seed’s exit in sixth place and Mortensen’s departure in fifth rounded out the first of two one-hour episodes on Tuesday night.

The “40th Annual Memories” in the second installment of the WSOP on ESPN, which aired at 9:00pm ET, focused on Harrington’s back-to-back Main Event final tables in 2003 and 2004 after winning the feature tournament in 1995. Harrington took third in the former for $650,000 and finished fourth in 2004 for $1.5 million. A quiet Harrington remained in contention in the Champions Invitational.

The second Wild Card Hand featured McEvoy raising to 3,000 with unknown cards. 2002 Main Event Champion Robert Varkonyi called from the big blind with A-5 of clubs. The flop came 10-4-A. Varkonyi bet out 5,000 and McEvoy called immediately to see a queen fall on the turn. Varkonyi checked, McEvoy bet 12,000, and Varkonyi folded. Chad commented, “I originally thought Tom had pocket eights. Now, I think he had pocket fours and flopped a set.” Instead, McEvoy held A-6 offsuit.

I can’t recall very many three-handed final tables as silent as the one that took to the felts on Tuesday night. The survivors represented Main Event champions from the last three decades: Varkonyi (2002), Harrington (1995), and McEvoy (1983). McEvoy’s K-Q of diamonds finally sent Harrington to the rails in third and, in the final hand of the WSOP Champions Invitational, McEvoy turned a 10-high straight to take down the title. He told Chad following his monumental win, “I hadn’t won much lately and I think I was losing some respect from my peers… I was just determined that I was going to win it and I did.”

Tune into ESPN next Tuesday night at 8:00pm ET for the $5,000 buy-in Ante Up for Africa charity poker tournament.

Alec Torelli (traheho) Signs with Doyle’s Room

In coverage of the World Poker Tour (WPT) Bellagio Cup V, it was revealed that Alec “traheho” Torelli has signed with Doyle’s Room, a USA-friendly site on the Cake Poker Network. Torelli holds the sixth largest chip stack entering Day 4 at the Bellagio.

In an interview with WPT Live Updates Hostess Amanda Leatherman, Torelli recapped the process that went into signing with Doyle’s Room: “My agent knew the guy who is the Marketing Director, Will. He’s a really cool guy. We went to lunch together and talked about the prospects of it and things went really well. They looked at me for a little while and it all worked out… I’m really excited. I like him, the crew, Doyle, and everyone.” In May, Torelli took sixth in the $40,000 buy-in No Limit Hold’em tournament commemorating the 40th running of the World Series of Poker (WSOP). He banked $329,000 for his efforts in the event, which was ultimately won by Vitaly Lunkin. The tournament will air as part of ESPN’s coverage of the 2009 WSOP.

Now, Torelli is making waves at the WPT Bellagio Cup V. He has been at or near the top of the chip counts for virtually the entire $15,000 buy-in tournament. Heading into Day 4 on Friday, Torelli holds a stack of 703,000, good for sixth place overall. The entire field is looking up at online poker star Faraz “The-Toilet” Jaka, who holds 20% of the chips in play after three days, or 3.2 million. Torelli commented that a deep run in the Bellagio Cup V would come at the right time: “I got deep in the $40K and will hopefully get deep in this as well to make a run right when I sign.”

Torelli may be a part of the weekly Bounty tournament on Doyle’s Room. The $27 buy-in contest features $500 celebrity and pro bounties and over $25,000 in prizes are up for grabs. The site’s namesake and his family also compete in the Beat the Brunsons $100,000 Bounty Challenge, in which the site notes that you can “take on the first family of poker in the tournament where everyone’s a bounty for only $10+1.” Both tournaments, which are run weekly, are currently on hiatus for the 2009 WSOP.

Torelli finished as the runner-up to Kenny Tran in the $10,000 buy-in World Championship of Heads-Up No Limit Hold’em during the 2008 WSOP. The second place effort earned him $336,000. All told, he has well over $716,000 to his name from WSOP tournaments. In October, Torelli won a $5,000 buy-in preliminary event held during the Festa al Lago for $120,000. He defeated Jonathan “FieryJustice” Little heads-up in a final table that also featured Scott “BigRiskky” Clements, Ultimate Bet Star Player Michael Binger, Amnon Filippi, and Toto Leonidas. In 2006, Torelli took eighth place in the Ultimate Bet Aruba Poker Classic for $39,000.

According to PokerScout.com, which keeps tabs on online poker room traffic, the Cake Poker Network is the 10th largest worldwide with a seven day running average of 1,480 real money ring game players. Besides Doyle’s Room and the Network’s namesake, other sites in the Cake Poker family include Lock Poker, Players Only, Poker Host, and Red Star Poker. Doyle’s Room jumped to the Cake Poker Network from Microgaming earlier this year and now proudly accepts players from the United States.

Torelli will be in prestigious company on Doyle’s Room, where he’ll join personalities like Doyle, his son Todd Brunson, and the “Mad Genius of Poker” Mike Caro. Brunson owns 10 WSOP bracelets, good for the second most all-time to Phil Hellmuth’s 11. Brunson is arguably the most recognizable face in the industry and won the WSOP Main Event in 1976 and 1977. His most recent piece of hardware came by virtue of winning a $5,000 buy-in No Limit Hold’em Short-Handed event during the 2005 WSOP for $367,000, defeating Minh Ly heads-up.

Ivey, Dwan headline Hall of Fame nominee list

This year, for the first-time ever, the public was invited into the nomination process and asked to vote on WSOP.com for the player they believed most deserving of the honor.

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

The nominees are (in alphabetical order):

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

All of the above names remain eligible for future consideration.

Visit PokerListings.com

Nominees Announced for Poker Hall of Fame Class of 2009

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Stars ante up for Africa again at 2009 WSOP

Media outlets from all over the world jam packed the red carpet as the Rio Convention Center became the center of the universe for both the celebrity world and the poker world Thursday.

Lots of big names flew into town for the event, which is in its third year on the WSOP schedule.

Actor Don Cheadle and Annie Duke are officially hosting and it appears the 2009 Ante Up For Africa is the biggest one yet.

"When we first conceived of the charity, we were thinking we'd just do a little event and raise like 20 or 30 thousand dollars," said Duke. "But (WSOP Commissioner) Jeffrey Pollack had a vision for this event that we didn't have and he made us part of the World Series of Poker.

"It's an amazing platform where not only are poker players involved here, at one place at one time, but media is also focused on poker this time of year right before the Main Event. It's so exciting to see everyone come out."

138 players from the worlds of poker, entertainment and sports descended on the Amazon Room for the $5k event, won by John Hennigan in 2008.

Hennigan was back in the field to try to defend his title, along with celebrities including Ben Affleck, Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith and Mike Tyson.

"I don't really think I'm going to do well but it's for a good cause," said Tyson. "It's nice to be able to participate, play poker and raise awareness."

Plenty of poker pros also came out for the event, including Phil Hellmuth, Howard Lederer, Jennifer Harman, Mike Matusow, Mike Caro, Andy Bloch, Chris "Jesus" Ferguson, and Tiffany Michelle.

"Everybody who's an amateur poker player thinks it's exciting to play with professional poker players, but as a professional poker player it's exciting to sit down and play with celebrities," Michelle said.

With the $5k buy in, the tournament netted a prize pool of $670,680, with a first-place prize of $177,730.

However, Hennigan donated his entire winner's share to charity last year and it's expected that today's winner will do the same.

Other celebrities in the field included Sarah Silverman, Jennifer Tilly, Brad Garrett, Nelly and a poker icon ever since his role in Rounders, Matt Damon.

"More people that come up to me on the street, if they say 'I love you in....', and it's a guy between the age of 18 and 40, I can guarantee you he's going to say Rounders."

With such an eclectic field, there's no telling who might come away with the title.

"All these bracelet winners, all these final table winners," said Nelly. "I don't think I'm going to think about it, because if I think about it I'm going to make the wrong moves.

"Their mind control at this point is much superior to mine."

Visit PokerListings.com

Breaking: Brunson goes for record-tying WSOP win

A thick crowd gathered around the final table this afternoon with hopes of seeing Brunson match Phil Hellmuth's record-setting bracelet haul.

Brunson is one of the most well-respected players in the game, so it was no surprise that fellow pros Mike Matusow, Cyndy Violette and Mike Caro were all on hand to see the veteran poker player try to outlast his opponents at least one more time.

Caro mentioned it was a historic moment for poker if Brunson could pull it off.

"I think it will happen," said Caro. "If it doesn't happen tonight, it's still going to happen. It would be one of the greatest moments of my life if he was able to win this eleventh bracelet."

Caro didn't mince words when it came to describing what Brunson means to the poker world.

"He's put a face to poker," said Caro. "He's the ultimate icon. If you were to call anybody an ultimate icon in any profession it would be Doyle Brunson in poker."

Currently Phil Hellmuth leads the all-time WSOP bracelet winners with 11 while Brunson and Johnny Chan have been tied with 10 each since 2005. Brunson hasn't won a major tournament since 2005 although he has made several high-profile final tables including the $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. in 2006.

"He takes the good and bad beats and doesn't seem to react," said Caro. "He will just take it in stride if he loses here and move on to the next hand, as we all must, but I know he wants this one badly and I hope he gets it."

Check out PokerListings' live updates to follow Brunson's progress as he attempts to make history by grabbing yet another WSOP bracelet.

Edit: Brunson is out seventh but keep checking our updates to see who takes it down.

Visit PokerListings.com

Chan, Duthie headline Heads-Up Elite Eight

O'Dwyer was the last qualifier of the night in Round 5 of the $10k Heads-Up World Championship, and his patience paid off.

After an exhausting four-hour match, the Pennsylvanian finally put away Roberto Romanello to secure a berth in the tournament's Elite Eight.

Johnny Chan is still alive after advancing against Justin Smith, and the 10-time bracelet winner will take on Leo Wolpert in the quarterfinals. Wolpert took out Clavet Mathieu in another lengthy match.

European Poker Tour pioneer John Duthie also advanced after a marathon battle, outlasting Benjamin Sprenger in the second-to-last match of the night.

The EPT director expressed his enjoyment for the heads-up format, which has played out as a single-elimination tournament beginning with 256 players.

"You have to be able to make marginal calls and you have to be able to play quite aggressively," Duthie said.

"A lot of time you have to assume that if somebody is betting on the flop that they've missed, and you can float a flop with actually very little. There are various things you have to consider when you're playing."

Duthie goes on to play Dustin "Neverwin" Woolf in Round 6, with Woolf advancing after defeating Mike Caro in the Sweet Sixteen.

O'Dwyer, meanwhile, advances to play Brian Pellegrino in Round 6, and is guaranteed a cash of at least $92,580.

"I feel great, obviously," O'Dwyer said. "This is my biggest cash ever."

"This is my first live heads-up tournament, but I've been playing big buy-in tournaments for a long time now. It's been a really long run to get to this point. I wish it was over sooner so I could have just gone to bed."

PL.com pro blogger Jason Mercier fell short in his quest for his second bracelet of the 2009 WSOP, losing to Nathan Doudney when his jacks fell to Doudney's queens in an early preflop all-in.

Doudney will play Jamin Stokes in the next round. Stokes advanced in yet another three-hour-plus match, this one involving him and Alec Torelli, who finished second in this event in 2008.

"Every single match I've played has been over three hours," Stokes said. "I see all these people and their matches are over in 10, 15 minutes, and I haven't been involved in one of those."

"Every single match I've been involved in I've been, at some point, down considerably in chips. They've all been tough and this was the toughest. [Alec] is a very, very good player."

The tournament resumes Monday at 2 p.m. and will continue a new champion is crowned, with the final round taking a best-of-three format.

The champion will earn $652,682 and the runner-up $386,636.

Here are tomorrow's quarterfinal brackets in full:

Dustin Woolf v. Leo Wolpert

Johnny Chan v. Jamin Stokes

Nathan Doudney v. Bryan Pellegrino

John Duthie v. Steve O'Dwyer

For more information, check out the PokerListings.com WSOP section.

Visit PokerListings.com

Vilandos and Ivey headline WSOP June 13

Vilandos outlasted a field of 2,506 players in Event 24, $1.500 No-Limit Hold'em, snatching the bracelet after taking out youngster Andy Seth heads-up.

The two players got all-in with very deep stacks early in the heads-up match, with Vilandos's A-5 besting Seth's A-J thanks to a gutshot wheel draw that got there.

"I played my best poker today," Vilandos said." I played very carefully and I knew how they played."

"The entire time I was watching how they play. I got lucky at the end of course."

Seth brings in $372,855 for second, while Vilandos goes home with the first-place prize of $607,256.

Event 25 - $2,500 Omaha/Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo Eight or Better

The name on everyone's lips today is Phil Ivey. He defeated a stacked final table in this event, earning his seventh career bracelet, his second of 2009. Click here for our full story.

Event 26 - $1,500 Limit Hold'em - Day 2

124 began the day but just 15 remained when play was suspended.

Al 'Sugar Bear' Barbieri is the chip leader going into Day 3, which begins at 2 p.m. Notable contenders include Rep Porter and Richard Brodie.

Event 27 -$5,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Lo Split Eight or Better

The final table is set in this event, and it is absolutely stacked.

Omaha expert Scott Clements is in the lead with Antony Lellouche, Roland De Wolfe, Alex Kravchenko, Brett Richey, Andy Black and John Racener all within striking distance.

Event 28 - $1,500 No Limit Hold'em

Another massive field turned out for this low buy-in event. After 13 hours of play the original 2,638 was pared down to just 327.

PokerListings fave Liv Boeree is still in it, albeit shortstacked with well under the average. Action begins at 2 p.m.

Event 29 - $10,000 World Championship Heads Up No Limit Hold'em

The $10k Heads-Up Championship never ceases to impress and this year is no different.

Alec Torelli, Antonio Esfandiari, Chris Ferguson, Cory Carroll, Dario Minieri, David Pham, Erik Seidel, Jason Mercier, Mike Caro, William Thorson and many other big names are through to Day 2.

Our live reporting team is covering this event from start to finish and you can follow all the action on our live updates page.

Visit PokerListings.com

DOYLISM OF THE DAY: “Common sense is genius dressed up in work clothes.”

The WSOP makes my schedule a living hell. I try to play as many tournaments as possible but with all the other stuff I have to do, I have to be pretty selective. I’m trying to do an update on SS/2, getting ready for the seminars with Mike Caro, …

Beat the Brunsons on Doyle’s Room Every Monday Night

A brand new tournament unveiled on the popular online poker site Doyle’s Room challenges players to Beat the Brunsons… literally. The tournament takes place every Monday night at 9:30pm ET and awards up to a $100,000 bounty for eliminating members of the Brunson clan. The high-stakes event comes with a buy-in of just $11.

Everyone knows the legendary Doyle Brunson, who plays under the screen name “Tex_Dolly” on his own online poker site. If you send Doyle packing from the Beat the Brunsons tournament, you’ll take home $1,000. Eliminate Todd Brunson, who appropriately plays as “Todd_Brunson,” and you’ll see your bankroll on Doyle’s Room balloon by $500. Knock out Pam “Queen_Kitty” Brunson and $250 will be coming your way. Doyle’s nephew, Ken (who goes by “Tex_Ken” on the virtual felts) has a $250 bounty on his head, as does Todd’s wife Anjela “Russian_Chick” Brunson. Beyond the five members of the Brunson family, you’ll also receive $5 for every person you knock out of the tournament.

A variety of unique cash rewards are up for grabs in the weekly spectacle. If a player can knock out every member of the Brunson family, they’ll take home a $100,000 jackpot. In addition, if a player knocks out Doyle with his signature hand, 10-2, they’ll receive $5,000 for their efforts. If two Brunsons go at it and one is eliminated, everyone seated at the table when the melee occurred will receive their $11 buy-in back. In addition, being ousted from the Beat the Brunsons tournament by Doyle himself results in the following prize, according to text found on the site: “Getting knocked out of a tournament by Doyle Brunson is nothing to be ashamed of; it's happened to the best of them. If Tex_Dolly takes you out, we'll send you a free copy of one of his best-selling books so you can sharpen your game and come back for another shot.”

The tournament also features a traditional prize pool, so its winner will take home a sizable sum of money in addition to any bounties they receive. The champion also scores a $500 payday into their Doyle’s Casino account. The tournament kicks off at 9:30pm ET every Monday. Players start with 2,000 chips and blinds escalate every 15 minutes in the No Limit Hold’em tournament. If $11 isn’t within your bankroll, Doyle’s Room has you covered. Standard sit and go, speed, multi-table, and turbo satellites starting at $1.10 are available. $5.50 heads-up satellites are also an option, with the winner moving on to the Beat the Brunsons event on Monday nights.

April 27th marks the fourth time that the Beat the Brunsons tournament has been held. It compliments the highly popular Bounty event, which takes place every Thursday at 9:30pm ET. The Bounty comes with a price tag of $27.50 and boasts a rotating series of celebrities. Knock out one bounty and you’ll win $500. Send two bounties packing and you’ll score $5,000. Knock out all three bounties and you’ll find your Doyle’s Room bankroll grow by $25,000. All first-time Bounty players receive their buy-in back regardless of whether or not they cash. This week’s bounties include Doyle Brunson, Hoyt Corkins, and “The Mad Genius of Poker” Mike Caro. Recent celebrity guest bounties have included “The Wrestler” star Mickey Rourke, “The Sopranos” actress Jamie-Lynn Sigler, and “Entourage” personality Kevin Connolly.

Doyle’s Room makes its home on the Cake Poker Network, which accepts customers from the United States. Other sites on the Network include Lock Poker, Players Only, Poker Host, and Red Star Poker. According to traffic ranking site PokerScout.com, the Network is the tenth largest worldwide by cash game volume with a seven day running average of 1,580 players.

Bodog Unveils 2009 WSOP Prop Bets

If you've ever wanted to rail your favorite poker stars without having to be at the 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) in Las Vegas, head to Bodog. The online poker site and sports book recently opened up betting on the WSOP. The festivities at the Rio begin on May 27th.

Among the wagers available on Bodog is what poker pro will win the most money during the 2009 WSOP. The leader in the clubhouse is 11-time bracelet holder Phil Hellmuth, who is currently going off at 5:2. Other players that are available to bet on include Doyle Brunson (7:2), David Sklansky (12:1), Barry Greenstein (5:1), Mike Caro (12:1), Phil Gordon (10:1), T.J. Cloutier (6:1), and Team PokerStars Pro member Daniel Negreanu, who is fetching 3:1 odds.

The question of “Will Phil Hellmuth win his 12th bracelet at the 2009 WSOP occurring in Las Vegas beginning May 27th?” is paying +300 for Yes and -500 for No. Hellmuth made three final tables last year, taking third in the $1,500 buy-in HORSE event for $93,000. You can also bet on whether Brunson or Johnny Chan will score their 11th bracelets. The +300 figure means that a player must bet $100 to get back a total of $400. The -500 figure means that a player must bet $500 to get back a total of $600.

A special last longer wager is also available on the prestigious $50,000 buy-in HORSE Championship, which was infamously won last year by Scotty Nguyen. He has 5:1 odds in the bet, the favorite among the pros available. Others include Brunson (6:1), Hellmuth (7:1), Chan (7:1), Freddy Deeb (11:2), Phil Ivey (6:1), David Williams (11:2), Justin “ZeeJustin” Bonomo (11:2), and Negreanu (6:1). Deeb won the event in 2007 and the late Chip Reese took down the inaugural HORSE Championship in 2006. The trophy given to the winner of the event is named in his honor.

Another unique bet asks wagerers to select what pair will rack up the most winnings in the 2009 WSOP. Patrik Antonius and Kathy Liebert are the current favorites, going off at 4:1. Other pairings available include Doyle and Todd Brunson (6:1), the husband and wife team of Marco Traniello and Jennifer Harman (6:1), father and son Barry Greenstein and Joe Sebok (9:2), brother and sister Annie Duke and Howard Lederer (15:2), Bodog pros Evelyn Ng and Justin Bonomo (15:2), Phil Laak and Jennifer Tilly (6:1), mother and son David and Shirley Williams (6:1), engaged couple Chad Brown and Vanessa Rousso (10:1), and Tom “durrrr” Dwan and Tiffany Michelle (9:2).

Players can even bet on what game will be played when the final hand is dealt during the HORSE Championship. Hold'em, Razz, and Seven Card Stud are all paying 5:2, while Omaha High-Low and Seven Card Stud High-Low are both going off at 15:4.

Bettors will also be keeping their eyes on the female contingent in the Main Event, as a special women's-only last longer bet is available on Bodog. Jennifer Harman and Kathy Liebert are the current favorites; both are 5:1 to remain in contention in the Main Event the longest. Others include Duke (7:1), Tilly (10:1), Cyndy Violette (7:1), Isabelle Mercier (7:1), Clonie Gowen (7:1), Ng (7:1), Liz Lieu (7:1), Mimi Tran (7:1), Katja Thater (7:1), Rousso (7:1), and the last woman standing in the 2007 WSOP Main Event, Maria Ho (10:1).

One prop bet on Bodog centers wholly on Bodog pro Jean-Robert Bellande's finish in the Main Event. Bellande was a contestant on CBS' “Survivor: China,” one of the 18 seasons of the show that have aired. “No Money” is paying 1:20; finishing in the money, but no better than 10th place is paying 8:1; making the final table is paying 150:1; and winning the 2009 WSOP Main Event is fetching 1,000:1 odds. Bellande took 442nd in the Main Event last year.

The first wager listed in Bodog's poker section is, “Will Scotty Nguyen reach his stated promise that he will earn $4,000,000 or more in combined winnings at this year’s WSOP?” Yes is paying out +2,400. The bet stems from an interview Nguyen had with PokerListings that he would retire from poker if he does not amass $4 million in winnings at the 2009 WSOP. Whether he will follow through on his promise is anyone's guess.