Poker News

Darvin Moon to Attend NFC Championship with Jimmy Buffet, Kenny Chesney

This weekend, the New Orleans Saints will host the Minnesota Vikings in the NFC Championship Game. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:40pm ET on Sunday and the game will air on Fox. Among those in attendance will be 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event runner-up Darvin Moon.

Moon will be seated in a luxury box in the Louisiana Superdome, home of the Saints, alongside several top-tier names. Headlining the list is singer Jimmy Buffet, whose bevy of hit singles include "Margaritaville," "Changes in Latitude, Changes in Attitude," "Cheeseburger in Paradise," and "It's Five O'Clock Somewhere," which he recorded with country superstar Alan Jackson. Buffet’s career has spanned 40 years and resulted in a bevy of chart-topping hits. He even has his own restaurant chain, Margaritaville, which has a location inside the Flamingo on the Las Vegas Strip.

Speaking of country music, Kenny Chesney will also be seated in the same suite as Moon, according to Saints officials. Chesney, from East Tennessee, has been cranking out hits since 1993. He struck it big in the late 1990s with "She's Got It All" and then released two more hit singles before the decade was through, "How Forever Feels" and "You Had Me from Hello.” In the 2000s, Chesney became a staple of the country music scene, pumping out memorable tunes like "Young," "The Good Stuff," "No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems,” and "Living in Fast Forward." His 2009 hit "Out Last Night" hit number one on the U.S. country charts.

Not all of Moon’s new pals hail from the world of music. Joining Moon, Buffet, and Chesney will be Avery Johnson, the head coach of the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks since 2004. Johnson, the NBA Coach of the Year in 2006, saw his team fall to the Miami Heat in that year’s NBA Finals. Johnson won a championship ring in 1999 as a member of the San Antonio Spurs. In fact, the Spurs retired his number in 2007 and the current Mavericks coach became a member of the San Antonio Sports Hall of Fame one year ago.

Wrapping up Moon’s star-studded company is Ronnie Lott. A standout from the University of Southern California (USC), Lott was drafted in 1981 and spent most of his career with the San Francisco 49ers. Lott is a four-time Super Bowl Champion and became a member of the illustrious Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio in 2000. He briefly joined the broadcast team of the “NFL on Fox” in the mid-1990s and currently resides in California. Lott is one of the top defensive players in NFL history and rounds out Moon’s cheering section during Sunday’s encounter.

The Saints received a first-round bye in the NFL playoffs and pummeled Kurt Warner and the defending NFC champion Arizona Cardinals last weekend by a final score of 45-14. Saints quarterback Drew Brees threw for 247 yards and three touchdowns as the team cruised to victory. Brees led the NFL in touchdowns during the 16-game regular season with 34, one more than Minnesota Vikings signal caller Brett Favre and Indianapolis Colts gunslinger Peyton Manning. Joe Buck and Troy Aikman will likely have the call for Fox from New Orleans.

The Saints’ opponent, the Minnesota Vikings, flattened the Dallas Cowboys last week and also received a first-round bye in the post-season. Favre, whose decision whether to retire or play has dominated off-season headlines for the last half-decade, threw for 4,202 yards and 33 touchdowns during the NFL regular season. He hasn’t tossed an interception since December 20th and has just nine turnovers all season. Favre is 40 years-old and played college ball at Southern Mississippi.

No in game or on air recognition of Moon is planned, according to Saints media relations staff.

NBA stars poker feud settled by guns

When most people think of firing a bullet in poker they are talking about the cards but a few NBA stars have taken the bullet firing to a whole other level.

NBA stars resort to guns to settle poker feud

Firing an extra bullet is an essential weapon in a poker player’s armoury. By firing a bullet we mean of course making a bluff on the turn or the river, not actually shooting a lead projectile. A couple of NBA players got the meanings a little confused, taking the ‘bullets’ maxim a little too literally.

Celebrity Apprentice 3 Cast List Released, No Poker Players

Former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich headlines an ensemble “Celebrity Apprentice” cast. The 14 names announced by NBC on Monday do not include any poker players, as first reported by Poker News Daily in October.

Three months ago, the cast was spotted filming the show’s opening credits in the Meat Packing District of New York City. Embattled politician Blagojevich is perhaps the most controversial name on the list. NBC officials tried to land the former Governor for its Costa Rica-based “I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here,” which aired in June, but legal woes kept him from competing. Instead, Blagojevich’s wife, Patti, appeared on the show. Blagojevich landed in hot water after allegedly trying to sell the Senate seat previously occupied by President Barack Obama.

Also on the new cast is comedian Carol Leifer, who will try to follow in the shoes of “Celebrity Apprentice” Season 2 winner Joan Rivers. The latter defeated UB.com poker pro Annie Duke in the finals last year. Leifer told the Associated Press, "I'm certainly not a household name. I'm not surprised that Joan Rivers won (last season), because, as a standup comic, you're a one-man band — it makes you very prepared for stressful situations to be able to react to a lot of pressure. Humor is a weapon anywhere and everywhere!" Leifer is 20 years younger than Rivers, but her television writing resume includes hits like “Seinfeld,” “The Larry Sanders Show,” and “Saturday Night Live.”

Poison hasn’t released an album since 2007, but that hasn’t stopped Bret Michaels from becoming a household name. The band’s lead singer will appear on the upcoming season of “Celebrity Apprentice” and currently can be found on the VH1 reality series “Rock of Love.” Joining him on the all-male team dubbed “Rocksolid” is Bill Goldberg, former World Heavyweight Champion of WWE and WCW. The former NFL player was last seen in a WWE ring six years ago during WrestleMania XX, when he squared off against Brock Lesnar. Goldberg told the Associated Press that he plans to keep his fiery edge in the boardroom with show host and real estate mogul Donald Trump: "I know I'm going to explode during this show at some point and say things I probably don't mean."

Another embattled celebrity to join the cast of the NBC reality show’s third cycle is Darryl Strawberry. The former New York Met, who dealt with child support non-payments, prostitution, probation violations, and drug use following his baseball career, is now 47 and will look to right the ship on “Celebrity Apprentice.” Competing opposite Strawberry will be “America’s Got Talent” judge Sharon Osbourne, whose fellow judge on the show, Piers Morgan, won the original installment of “Celebrity Apprentice” in 2008.

Last time out, Rivers defeated Duke amid a tidal wave of name-calling, including numerous references to Hitler. Rivers’ onslaught included such memorable lines as, “You’re a poker player. A poker player! That’s beyond white trash. Poker players are trash,” and, “You have a Nazi and a follower. I don’t work with scum.” Duke then fired back, telling “Celebrity Apprentice” cameras, “Joan is completely full of shit in everything she does. There’s a reason she got fired by the TV Guide Channel: She’s a bitch.”

For the most part, the poker world rallied behind one of their own and Duke raised a colossal $731,000 for Refugees International. However, Rivers, who was playing for God’s Love We Deliver, took down the title of “Celebrity Apprentice” and earned $526,000 for charity. Others who appeared on the show’s second installment with Rivers and Duke included Heisman Trophy winner Herschel Walker, country music star Clint Black, reality star Khloe Kardashian, and comedian Tom Green.

Here’s the complete cast list for the third season of “Celebrity Apprentice:”

Rocksolid: Rod Blagojevich, Darryl Strawberry. Curtis Stone, Sinbad, Bret Michaels, Bill Goldberg, Michael Johnson

Tenacity: Sharon Osbourne, Cyndi Lauper, Summer Sanders, Holly Robinson Peete, Maria Kanellis, Carol Leifer, Selita Ebanks

The new season of “Celebrity Apprentice” kicks off on March 14th on NBC.

Kelly Rowland to Appear at PokerStars Caribbean Adventure

When players who have attended the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure (PCA) in past years cite their favorite moments from the tournament series, at least one story tends to involve the opening night party hosted by the site.  This year, PokerStars is aiming to outdo itself by hosting not one, but two seaside shindigs.

As tradition dictates, the first fiesta will take place on Monday, January 4th, the night before the $10,000 buy-in Main Event gets underway.  The party will take place on the Royal Tower of the Atlantis Resort on Paradise Island at 7:00pm.  It is scheduled to last until 9:00pm and will feature free hors d’oeuvres and an open bar.  All players taking part in the Main Event are invited to attend and can bring one guest.  In past years, the party has included greetings from Team PokerStars Pro members as well as local entertainment.  Last year, party guests watched as a small parade of local dancers performed along with a band.

In addition to the open-invite party on the 4th, PokerStars will be hosting a second party on the 9th.  This invitation-only event will take place from 9:00pm to Midnight at Paradise Harbour.  Those in attendance will see R&B singer Kelly Rowland, formerly of Destiny’s Child, perform.  It will be one of Rowland’s only musical appearances in January, as her official website indicates her next performance date is not until the 23rd, when she will perform as part of the NRJ Music Awards in Cannes, France.

This is not the first time that PokerStars has teamed up with a musical star from the world of hip-hop and R&B.  At the 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP), rap star and poker enthusiast Nelly performed at the Las Vegas PokerStars party.  In addition to being the musical guest for the site’s WSOP party, Nelly was also a mainstay at the Rio during the six-week tournament series, playing in a number of events and frequently taking part in the Amazon Room cash games.  He also took part in the European Poker Tour’s (EPT) Monte Carlo Grand Final.

Nelly is one of a number of celebrities expected to make an appearance at PCA.  As part of the tournament series, PokerStars is teaming up with amfAR, the Foundation for AIDS Research, to host a charity poker tournament as part of the PCA.  The event will feature a $5,250 buy-in and half of the prize pool will be given to amfAR to benefit global AIDS research.  Team PokerStars Sports pros Boris Becker, Mats Sundin, and Sebastian Chabal are all also expected to attend, according to a press release from PokerStars.

Rowland and Nelly are not the only musical acts with ties to PokerStars.  Team PokerStars pro Daniel Negreanu and the PokerStars logo were featured in Katy Perry’s “Waking Up In Vegas” video.  NBA star LeBron James also made an appearance in Drake’s “Forever” video and is prominently seen playing heads-up at the PokerStars virtual tables at the beginning of it.  Even R&B songstress Rihanna has ties with the online poker room, as she plays poker with PokerStars-branded chips in her new video for “Hard,” featuring Young Jeezy.

Rowland’s appearance at PCA is just the latest incident of a musical star taking up with PokerStars, but considering the recent influx of PokerStars appearances in music videos, it certainly does not appear to be the last.

Inside Gaming: The NBA Considers Sports Betting; Facebook Bans Online Gambling Ads

With poker at the center of our universe here at PokerNews, it's often easy to overlook everything else going on in the gaming industry. If you're as interested in all things gaming and casino as we are, you'll enjoy the fruits of our research by...

Two more take Pokerstars’

The show's debut, which saw a poker-playing-priest win $100,000 and U.S. Army National Guard sergeant walk away with $25,000, drew four million viewers, making it the most successful poker show in television history.

This week, Oluwasegun "Big Mike" Odumuyiwa, a 35-year-old music manager from Northville, Michigan, is hoping to get a chance at the $1 million grand prize.

Odumuyiwa, who played basketball and football at Eastern Illinois University says he will use the money to take care of his late brother's family.

Also taking his shot at the cash will be Brian Barboza, a 31-year-old wine and liquor salesman from Raynham, Massachusetts.

Barboza says he's hoping to win enough money to buy his way into the 2010 World Series of Poker Main Event.

But to get to the cash, both Barboza and Odumuyiwa will have to first beat one of the show's celebrity defenders, including Super Bowl Champion Jerome Bettis, four-time NBA Champion John Salley, UFC champion Tito Ortiz or Playboy Playmate of the Year Jayde Nicole.

Round two will then see them take on a Team PokerStars Pro, either WSOP Main Event Champion Chris Moneymaker, Barry Greenstein or Vanessa Rousso.

The contestants will have Daniel Negreanu's help the whole way, but then they will have to decide whether to take $25,000 and walk away or take on Negreanu heads-up for $100,000 and a chance at the $1 million grand prize.

The show will air on FOX Sunday, Nov. 22, immediately following the network's NFL coverage.

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Isildur1 moves to the top of the list

But the most remarkable thing about Isildur1's performance is that he showed up playing high-stakes for the first time just two months ago.

In that time, the player who most suspect is Viktor "Blom90" Blom has destroyed almost every player he's faced, including Tom "durrrr" Dwan and the previous profit leader, Patrik Antonius.

Yesterday's action on Full Tilt saw Isildur1 focus the majority of his time playing David Benyamine and Antonius at $300/$600 Pot-Limit Omaha. When Antonius and Benyamine had both had enough, Isildur1 moved on to new games having already made over $1.2 million on the night.

Benyamine didn't return, eating his $769k loss, while Antonius returned to the tables to face Isildur1 and Dwan. After grinding back almost $200k, he ended his night with a $579k loss.

Dwan managed to finally hold one over on Isildur1 making close to $350k on the $300/$600 PLO table, but lost back the majority of his profits later in the night playing heads-up $500/$1,000 PLO and $300/$600 No-Limit Hold'em against DjAdi and Isaac "luvtheWNBA" Haxton.

Dwan left the tables with a profit of only $62k.

Once again, Isildur1 came away from the tables as the night's biggest winner with an impressive $819k profit.

This latest session put the Swede's profits for the year at around $5.4 million, over $300k ahead of Antonius, who now sits second.

Below are the three largest pots of the night. You can find more hand replays by clicking through to PokerListings' MarketPulse section.

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WSOP Commissioner Pollack resigns

In an interview with Howard Stutz of the Las Vegas Review Journal, Pollack says he is leaving to "explore new business challenges" and that his "future is a blank canvas."

Pollack confirmed his departure via his Twitter account.

"Thank you for allowing me to be part of the WSOP these last few years," Pollack said. "I will always be a fan and a friend to the poker community."

Pollack, who took the reigns as WSOP Commissioner in 2005 after stints with NASCAR and the NBA, has helped usher in a number of significant changes to the famed series during his tenure.

Among the most prominent are the development of the series into a massive 57-event, seven-week long spectacle, the expansion of the WSOP franchise into Europe, the creation of the four-month break until the final-table play down and a new 12-year broadcasting agreement with ESPN.

"We appreciate Jeffrey's contributions over the past four years and wish him the best in the future," said Palansky.

"The World Series of Poker remains the market leader with this year's tournament exceeding all expectations, and we are well positioned for the future.  There is no intention at this time to replace the Commissioner role."

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Jeffrey Pollack Resigns from Harrah’s, WSOP

In breaking news from Las Vegas, World Series of Poker (WSOP) Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack has resigned from his post at the WSOP and Harrah’s, according to the Associated Press and his Twitter feed. Today, Friday, November 13th, is Pollack’s last day on the job.

Pollack told the news service on Friday, “It’s bittersweet, but I’m leaving with just great memories and a really nice sense of it being a great run. More than anything else, I’m just appreciative of the opportunity to have been part of the WSOP.” The WSOP entered its 40th year in 2009, with Michigan pro Joe Cada having been crowned its latest champion earlier this week. The youngster became the youngest WSOP Main Event winner ever at age 21 and defeated Maryland logger Darvin Moon heads-up. Cada will celebrate his 22nd birthday next week.

The Associated Press reported, “Series spokesman Seth Palansky said there were no immediate intentions to replace Pollack.” Back in May, Pollack teamed with former Party Gaming CEO Mitch Garber to lead Harrah’s Interactive Entertainment, the casino giant’s newly-formed online arm. Pollack was slated to be its President and Harrah’s CEO Gary Loveman commented in a press release announcing the launch, “As the world’s largest gaming company, Harrah’s is taking a proactive approach toward international and interactive expansion. It is important we position ourselves to explore new markets as well as new technologies with our best in class brands.”

Pollack was instrumental in growing the WSOP since 2005. The annual festivities from Las Vegas picked up shop and moved from Binion’s in the Downtown area to the Harrah’s-owned Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino off the Strip. 2005 saw Australian Joe Hachem take down the $10,000 buy-in Main Event to the tune of $7.5 million. A total of 5,619 players entered, a number that would swell to 8,773 in 2006, the year that Hollywood agent Jamie Gold claimed victory.

Pollack told the Associated Press that his next career move remains up in the air: “I really wanted to see this year through, see this series through. I’m leaving on an absolute high note.” No indication was given to media on-hand at the Rio last weekend that Pollack was departing, as the Commissioner seemed in high spirits. Pollack awarded Mike Sexton his Poker Hall of Fame trophy in a ceremony held during Saturday’s play in the Main Event that saw the field trimmed from nine players to two, Cada and Moon.

Under Pollack’s leadership, the WSOP brand hopped “The Pond” for WSOP Europe. The festivities began in 2007, with Annette “Annette_15” Obrestad becoming the youngest bracelet winner ever by taking down the Main Event, defeating fellow Betfair pro John “Kunkuwap” Tabatabai heads-up. The inaugural Main Event drew 362 entrants. In 2008, Full Tilt Poker pro John Juanda took down the title, defeating Russian poker players Stanislav Alekhin and Ivan Demidov. In 2009, Barry Shulman, father of WSOP November Nine member Jeff Shulman, claimed victory in the WSOP Europe feature tournament. A total of 57 events in Las Vegas and four more in Europe were held this year.

Palansky told Poker News Daily, “We appreciate Jeffrey’s contributions over the past four years and wish him the best in the future. The World Series of Poker remains the market leader with this year’s tournament exceeding all expectations and we are well positioned for the future. There is no intention at this time to replace the Commissioner role.”

Pollack also held positions with the NBA and NASCAR and is the half-brother of NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman. On his Twitter page, Pollack boasted on Friday, “Thank you for allowing me to be part of the #WSOP these last few years. I will always be a fan and friend to the poker community.”

Jeffrey Pollack resigns from WSOP position

World Series of Poker commissioner Jeffrey Pollack has announced his resignation from the post. The former NASCAR and NBA director gave no reason for his decision, prompting speculation around the poker world.

Berman and Lakes Entertainment to Invest in Ohio Casinos

Tueday’s state election in Ohio brought good news for Lakes Entertainment and its Chairman Lyle Berman. A ballot initiative to bring casinos to four major Ohio cities passed by a 53% margin on Tuesday and Berman and Lakes Entertainment stand to profit from all four of the newly approved Ohio casino projects.

The casino initiative, known as Issue 3 on this year’s Ohio ballot, was a polarizing issue within the Midwestern state, with those opposing the initiative suggesting that it stands to benefit casinos, but not the people of Ohio. Those in favor of the bill pointed to the presence of casinos in the neighboring state of Indiana and suggested that Ohio is missing out on a viable revenue source during this economic recession.

In the end, casino supporters won out and new casinos are scheduled to be built in Cincinnati, Toledo, Cleveland, and Columbus. The two groups behind the new gaming establishments are Penn Ventures and Rock Gambling Ventures, but Lakes Entertainment has a stake in all four of the properties as well. Berman and Lakes tried to spearhead a failed effort to bring gaming to Ohio in 2008 and recently cut a deal with both Rock Gambling and Penn shortly before Election Day to ensure they would be involved in this latest attempt. The deal stipulates that Lakes will fund 10% of the cost of the ballot initiative and, in turn, will have the option to own a 10% share in each of the new casinos.

According to a report from the Associated Press (AP), Lakes filed the deal with the Securities and Exchanges Commission (SEC) on October 29th, just days before the November 4th election. The AP also reported that campaign finance documents of Issue 3 show that the campaign cost $35 million. The SEC filing indicated that Lakes already made an initial payment of $1.9 million to Penn Ventures and $2.4 million to Rock Gambling. Penn will oversee the construction and operation of the Columbus and Toledo casinos, while Rock will handle the Cincinnati and Cleveland sites.

Bob Tenenbaum of the Ohio Jobs and Growth Committee spoke with the AP about Berman’s involvement in the campaign. “At the time this was raised as a campaign issue, which was Oct. 6, Berman had no role in any of this,” he explained. “He never became involved in the campaign, but he did reach out to both Penn National and Rock Ohio Ventures in the last week of the campaign and asked if he could become involved.”

The union between Berman and Penn is an unexpected one considering the two were bitter rivals during the previous campaign to bring gambling to a single destination in Clinton County. The campaign turned so ugly that Berman and Lakes filed a defamation lawsuit against Penn, which counter-sued for defamation, libel, and slander. The AP reported that both suits have since been dropped, but that does not mean Berman and Lakes will have extensive involvement in the day-to-day operations of the new casinos.

A spokesperson for Rock, the business development company of Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert told the AP that Lakes would be playing a purely financial role in the casino projects. Berman and Lakes are not new to gaming in the Midwest and South. They currently own and operate several properties, including the Vicksburg Casino in Mississippi, the Four Winds Casino outside of Chicago, and the Cimarron and Ioway City Casinos in Oklahoma.

Todd Terry Leads WPT Foxwoods World Poker Finals After Day 1

A total of 353 players entered the World Poker Tour’s (WPT) Foxwoods World Poker Finals, a drop of 14% from the 412 who took to the felts last year. At the end of Day 1, Todd Terry leads the way.

Terry made the final table of August’s WPT Legends of Poker, banking $231,000 for his third place performance. Terry holds 165,000 chips in the New England casino entering Day 2 play on Friday, when 206 survivors will resume at Noon ET. Late action on Thursday featured Mohsin “chicagocards1” Charania doubling up at the expense of Gavin Griffin. Charania was all-in pre-flop holding A-Q, dominating the 6-8 of Griffin. The Team PokerStars Pro front man flopped top pair on a board of 8-3-2, but Charania hit a queen on the turn to move in front for good. Charania finished in the money three times during the WPT’s seventh season.

Among those who stood atop the leaderboard when play concluded at Foxwoods was Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi, who gained a chunk of his chips when an opponent ran pocket kings into Mizrachi’s aces. Mizrachi owns a stack of 125,900 entering Day 2, good for sixth overall. He is in search of his third WPT title after taking down the L.A. Poker Classic during Season 3 and the Borgata Poker Classic during Season 4. Despite his early success, he has not cashed in a WPT tournament since March of 2008.

Holding the 11th largest chip stack after one day of play is Jonathan Jaffe, the runner-up in the World Poker Finals last year. Jaffe owns a mountain of 116,000 chips and is one of 18 players to cross the six-figure mark. Jaffe earned $670,000 for his second place showing in 2008, as he fell to Jonathan “FieryJustice” Little heads-up at the feature table. Also making last year’s six-handed finale were David “The Dragon” Pham, Charles Marchese, Jack Schanbacher, and Mike “The Mouth” Matusow.

Here are the chip counts after one day of play in the $10,000 buy-in WPT tournament:

1. Todd Terry – 165,700
2. Danny Shiff – 159,525
3. Adam Lippert – 159,000
4. Jack Schanbacher – 148,775
5. Soheil Shamseddin – 126,000
6. Michael Mizrachi – 125,900
7. Chris Moore – 123,700
8. Danny Illingworth – 121,600
8. Alan Sasser – 121,600
10. John Barucci – 119,950

Other players still in the hunt for the $910,000 first place prize include:

Matt “mattg1983” Graham – 99,175
Billy “Patrolman35” Kopp – 94,575
Christian “charder” Harder – 91,575
Poorya Nazari – 89,400
Jason Mercier – 84,750
Steve Sung – 76,275
Nick Schulman – 76,000
Eric “basebaldy” Baldwin – 75,100
Nenad Medic – 69,150
Prahlad Friedman – 67,450
Cornel Cimpan – 65,450
John “World” Hennigan – 61,250
Matt Hawrilenko – 51,250
“Cowboy” Kenna James – 49,425
Chad “lilholdem954” Batista – 47,000
Kathy Liebert – 46,025
Gavin Smith – 42,375
Liv Boeree – 40,550
Steve Brecher – 35,675
Isaac “westmenloAA” Baron – 34,475
Victor Ramdin – 32,750
Amnon Filippi – 31,675
Adam “Roothlus” Levy – 31,200
Tommy Vedes – 30,450
Gavin Griffin – 21,125

When play ended on Thursday, the action was in Level 8 and blinds were 400-800 with a 100 chip ante.

One of the toughest draws on Friday is at Table 22, where World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet winner and Team PokerStars Pro member Jason Mercier will join fellow online poker pros Adam “Roothlus” Levy and Isaac “westmenloAA” Baron. Also at Table 22 will be Tommy Vedes, who is fresh off winning the WPT’s Festa al Lago event in October, and John “World” Hennigan, a two-time WSOP bracelet winner.

The WPT Foxwoods World Poker Finals crowns a champion next Tuesday, November 10th. Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for the latest WPT coverage.

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.

Tommy Vedes Wins WPT Festa al Lago

The World Poker Tour’s (WPT) $15,000 buy-in Festa al Lago wrapped up on Monday with Tommy Vedes mounting a furious comeback heads-up against Jason “StatusUp” Lavallee. Vedes earned $1.2 million from the Bellagio poker tournament.

Vedes entered the 115th hand of final table play down nearly 4:1 in chips and committed his remaining stack with A-10. Lavallee made the call with A-J and had him dominated. However, the flop came 10-high and Vedes never looked back, doubling up to nearly even with his opponent. Lavallee won the next two hands to widen the gap before Vedes doubled up once again, this time with pocket fives against pocket fours. When the smoke cleared, Vedes was a 6:1 chip leader.

Six hands after doubling up for the first time, Vedes took down the WPT Festa al Lago title. Lavallee shoved with 8-6 of hearts and Vedes called, turning over K-Q of diamonds. Lavallee held live cards, but watched as the board ran out A-9-5-Q-Q. Vedes picked up $1.2 million and a $25,000 seat to the end-of-season WPT Championship, which is also held at the Bellagio. All was not lost for Lavallee, who nabbed a $795,000 consolation prize.

Shawn Cunix was eliminated from the Festa al Lago in sixth place and was the first person sent packing from the final table. Cunix suffered a similar fate as Lavallee in his final hand, pushing with 8-6 and getting a call from Craig Crivello, who had A-Q, including the ace of diamonds. Cunix spiked a six on a K-10-6 (all diamonds) flop to take the lead and the turn was a three of hearts. Needing to stave off an ace, queen, jack, or diamond on the river, Cunix watched as a diamond hit, giving Crivello a flush. Cunix earned $168,000 for his sixth place showing.

Jason Burt hit the exit in fifth place, banking $208,000. Burt shoved pre-flop with A-J, but ran into Freddy Deeb’s A-Q. Burt flopped a straight draw, but could never catch up. Deeb ultimately hit the rail in fourth place on the 62nd hand of final table play. He shoved pre-flop with A-4 and Vedes made the call with pocket sixes. The board came 8-7-2-10-Q and Deeb was eliminated in fourth place. He was seeking his record-tying third WPT title and would have become only the second player to accomplish the feat, joining Gus Hansen.

Crivello hit the skids in third place after pushing with K-J pre-flop and getting a call from Lavallee, who held pocket tens. The two were off to the races and the board bricked out for Crivello, eliminating him from contention. Vedes held a slight chip lead entering heads-up play against Lavallee, which lasted for over 50 hands. Here’s how the final table shook out at the 2009 running of the WPT Festa al Lago:

1st Place: Tommy Vedes – $1,218,225
2nd Place: Jason Lavallee – $795,150
3rd Place: Craig Crivello – $477,090
4th Place: Freddy Deeb – $278,300
5th Place: Jason Burt – $208,725
6th Place: Shawn Cunix – $168,970

WPT tournament officials will now head to Foxwoods for the annual World Poker Finals. The $10,000 buy-in tournament kicks off on November 5th and concludes five days later. Last year, Jonathan “FieryJustice” Little took down the title in Connecticut for $1.1 million, defeating Jonathan Jaffe heads-up. The tournament will compete head-to-head with the conclusion of the 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event in Las Vegas.

The “Battle of the Jonathans” in 2008 at Foxwoods featured a final table that also included Charles Marchese, David “The Dragon” Pham, Jack Schanbacher, and Mike Matusow. A total of 412 entrants took to the felts last year in one of the largest casinos in the world, creating a prize pool of nearly $4 million. The top 50 players made the money.

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

Celebrity Apprentice 3 Cast May Not Feature Poker Players

In 2010, the third installment of the NBC reality franchise “Celebrity Apprentice” will hit television airwaves. The show, which featured comedian Joan Rivers best poker pro Annie Duke in the finale last time out, will likely not include a poker player this time around.

Ever since Duke finished as the runner-up to Rivers in May, the poker community has been abuzz that one of its own may appear in the third edition of the popular series. However, according to Huliq.com and the New York Post, the ensemble cast, which will likely once again pit men against women, does not appear to include a poker player. No official cast list has been released by NBC. The show is hosted by real estate mogul Donald Trump and raises money for charity.

Last season, Duke played for Refugees International, an organization that she worked closely with as part of her own charity, Ante Up for Africa. In the process, the poker community was instrumental in raising $730,000 for the charity. Poker players who made cameos throughout the season included Ultimate Bet front man Phil Hellmuth, Andy Bloch, Howard Lederer, 2009 Poker Hall of Fame nominee Erik Seidel, and Perry Friedman.

Embattled politician Rod Blagojevich headlines the “Celebrity Apprentice” cast in Season 3. His wife, Patty Blagojevich, appeared on NBC’s “I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here” when Rod was unable to attend due to ongoing legal action. Blagojevich is the former Governor of Illinois and was impeached in January for, among other misgivings, allegedly trying to sell the Senate seat vacated by current U.S. President Barack Obama.

Joining Blagojevich on the men’s team will be another controversial celebrity, former baseball great Darryl Strawberry, a member of the New York Mets, Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco Giants, and New York Yankees. Strawberry exited the league in 1999 and was the National League Rookie of the Year 16 years earlier. Chef Curtis Stone will join the “Celebrity Apprentice” cast, as will popular comedian Sinbad, whose credits include “A Different World” and “The Sinbad Show.” He has also appeared in movies such as “First Kid” and “Jingle All the Way.”

Former professional wrestler Bill Goldberg, who stormed onto World Championship Wrestling (WCW) scene with an undefeated streak in the late 1990s, will be a part of the new “Celebrity Apprentice” cast. Rounding out the men’s team is “Rock of Love” star Bret Michaels, who is also known for his work with the band Poison.

The women’s team features “America’s Got Talent” judge Sharon Osborne, whose fellow judge on the show, Piers Morgan, was the winner of Season 1 of “Celebrity Apprentice.” “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” and “Time After Time” signer Cyndi Lauper will join the squad. Olympic gold medalist Summer Sanders, who took down hardware in swimming in 1992, will also make her way to New York City to film “Celebrity Apprentice.” There, actress Holly Robinson Peete, wife of former NFL great Rodney Peete, will join her.

World Wrestling Entertainment’s (WWE) Maria Kanellis will also be a part of “Celebrity Apprentice,” as will comedian Carol Leifer, who has written scripts for hits like “Seinfeld” and “The Larry Sanders Show.” Finally, Selita Ebanks, a model, will round out the new cast.

The names of more cast members may be released, but for the meantime, it appears that the poker community will not be a part of the upcoming season of “Celebrity Apprentice.” Over on CBS, Tiffany Michelle and Maria Ho, the last women standing in the 2008 and 2007 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Events, respectively, are competing as part of the Emmy Award winning reality series “Amazing Race.” The show airs at 8:00pm ET on Sundays and viewers will see the poker playing duo race around Dubai, United Arab Emirates on this week’s edition.

The Post reported that the “Celebrity Apprentice” cast was seen recording the opening credits in the Meatpacking District of New York City and that the show would begin airing in March.

Doyle Brunson Blasts Face the Ace, Million Dollar Challenge

In a recent blog entry that appeared on DoylesRoom.com, site namesake Doyle Brunson blasted two poker franchises to hit television airwaves in recent months: NBC’s “Face the Ace” and FOX’s “PokerStars.net Million Dollar Challenge.”

As talk show host Jim Rome would say, any time a person begins a sentence with “No disrespect intended,” someone is going to be disrespected. On the two poker game shows, which air on network television stations on weekend afternoons, Brunson commented, “No disrespect intended, but these poker shows are awful. Full Tilt’s ‘Face the Ace’ and Poker Stars ‘Million Dollar Challenge’ are so bad, it’s embarrassing. There is no skill involved in either show and I can’t imagine getting an audience that will watch the shows.” Both series saw online qualifiers take to the felts to play heads-up against heralded poker pros.

“Face the Ace” began airing on August 1st and originally claimed the 9:00pm ET hour on Saturday night. It aired for two episodes in prime time before a planned decision to move the poker franchise to afternoons on the weekend day. The first episode of the Steve Schrippa-hosted show featured Don Topel taking home $200,000, but it mustered just a 0.4 rating with a 2 share, which meant that only 1.59 million viewers had tuned in. Its competition included “America’s Most Wanted” and the movie “Red Eye,” which aired on ABC.

One week later on August 8th, Topel lost the $1 million match to Full Tilt Poker pro Gavin Smith and walked away with nothing. The news was equally grim for NBC, which saw the second installment of “Face the Ace” generate a 0.3 rating with a 1 share, the equivalent of 1.46 million viewers age 18 to 49. “Face the Ace” airs once per month on the network, with future one-hour episodes scheduled to be shown on October 31st, November 14th, December 12th, and January 2nd. NBC also broadcasts the National Heads-Up Poker Championship as well as “Poker After Dark,” which airs Monday to Saturday at 2:05am ET.

The “PokerStars.net Million Dollar Challenge” premiered last Sunday following NFL on FOX coverage, or around 4:30pm ET in most markets. Daniel Negreanu serves as the face of the franchise, helping contestants battle PokerStars-sponsored sports figures and pros in the first two rounds. Then, Negreanu transitions from friend to foe, taking contestants on heads-up in the third round with $100,000 on the line. All $100,000 winners advance to the Table of Champions, whose victor faces Negreanu for $1 million. Last week, Father Andrew Trapp earned $100,000 after defeating former NBA star John Salley and professional poker player Vanessa Rousso.

“Million Dollar Challenge” returns this Sunday following the NFL on FOX. Then, like “Face the Ace,” it will air once per month, with November 22nd, December 13th, and December 27th serving as its remaining dates. “Face the Ace” and “Million Dollar Challenge” exclusively feature Full Tilt and PokerStars pros, respectively.

Brunson also commented on the recent departure of A.J. Benza from GSN’s “High Stakes Poker.” On the televised ring game series, Brunson explained in his blog, “As I travel around, the High Stakes [Poker] cash games are the ones all the fans talk about and I agree with them that they are by far the most interesting. Speaking of that, I read where A.J. Benza is being replaced on GSN’s High Stakes Poker show. That’s too bad, I like A.J.’s subtle sense of humor. Vanessa Rousso is named as his likely replacement. I’m pro-Vanessa so I think she will fit in nicely with the old comic Gabe Kaplan.” Rousso told Poker News Daily that she is not the next host of “High Stakes Poker.” To clear the air, GSN is scheduled to make an announcement by the end of the week.

Doyle Brunson Inducted into Hardin-Simmons University Athletic Hall of Fame

Legendary poker player Doyle Brunson will be feted yet again on Friday night, but not for any of his performances over his 50-plus year career in the game of poker.

Brunson, a 1954 graduate of Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene, Texas with a Bachelor of Science degree, will be taking part in ceremonies during Homecoming Weekend at his alma mater that will include induction into the school’s Athletic Hall of Fame. The dinner will take place at 6:30pm local time on the campus of Hardin-Simmons and Brunson will be inducted along with former athletes Mickey Davis Brewer (basketball), Collin McCormick (football), and Morris South (football).

For those who don’t know a great deal about Brunson’s life before poker, he was a tremendous athlete in his younger years and made his impact known upon his arrival at the university in both basketball and track. Brunson was an immediate success in track and field, running the mile and finishing in third place in his first-ever shot at the 1951 Border Conference meet. While he ran track, Brunson also was a prized member of the school’s freshman basketball team.

As a sophomore, Brunson scored 151 points for the basketball team, placed second in the mile, and ran on the fourth place mile relay team at the Border Conference track meet. The following year, Brunson again placed second in the mile and excelled in basketball, helping Hardin-Simmons to win the Conference championship and enter the NCAA Division I basketball playoffs. Brunson scored 412 points over the entirety of his college basketball career and, at the time, was the only HSU athlete in any sport to be named the MVP of the Border Conference.

After such a stellar collegiate career, Brunson was deemed good enough that professional basketball’s top team began to look at him. The National Basketball Association (NBA) champion Minneapolis Lakers (now in Los Angeles), with George Mikan at center and Basketball Hall of Fame member Slater Martin at guard, were considering drafting Brunson. A freak accident, however, prevented him from achieving that goal.

While working in a warehouse, Brunson was unloading a shipment of sheetrock when it started to fall to the floor. Doyle tried to use his leg to stop the shift of the sheetrock, which weighed approximately one ton, and the resulting collapse of the load on his leg seriously injured his knee and broke his leg in two places, injuries which Brunson admits still affect him today. After recovering for two years, Brunson was healthy, but his dream of professional basketball was over. Soon after, Brunson began his trek into the world of poker.

The admittance into the Hardin-Simmons University Athletic Hall of Fame is entirely for Brunson’s performance on the collegiate level and do not reflect his influence on the poker world. As such, Brunson will accept the honor with his usual humble nature. In a recent blog post found on DoylesRoom.com, Brunson looked ahead to his induction ceremony: “After being turned down for 40 years I have mixed feelings, but all my old teammates will be there, so I’m going down and will be on my best behavior.”

All of us here at Poker News Daily would like to congratulate Brunson and the Brunson family on a long overdue honor.

Father Andrew Trapp Wins $100,000 on PokerStars Million Dollar Challenge

Sunday marked the debut of the FOX poker show “PokerStars Million Dollar Challenge,” a franchise similar to rival site Fill Tilt Poker’s “Face the Ace.” In the end, Father Andrew Trapp of Garden City, South Carolina earned $100,000 and a seat at the Table of Champions.

Hosted by Chris Rose, of “Best Damn Sports Show Period” fame, “Million Dollar Challenge” began with Trapp facing off against former NBA star John Salley. In the first round, Daniel Negreanu sat by the contestant’s side and was not able to see their hole cards, but could give his thoughts on the action as he saw fit. In addition, Trapp could use one time out to consult with Negreanu in a soundproof isolation booth. In the match’s key hand, Trapp held Q-6 of spades and raised to 4,000 pre-flop. Salley re-raised to 7,000 with A-10 and Trapp used his time out. Negreanu told his protégé to push all-in despite his lackluster hand and Trapp obliged. Salley made the call and the flop came 5-K-9 with one spade. However, running spades gave Trapp a flush and doubled him up.

In the deciding hand, Trapp raised to 8,000 pre-flop with A-6 and Salley called with Q-3. The flop came 10-A-8 and Salley led out for 8,000 with “squadoosh.” Trapp called behind to see the turn come another ace, leaving Salley drawing dead. Salley checked and Trapp bet enough to put the “I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here” third place finisher all-in. Salley called for his last 4,000 and Trapp earned a trip to the 2010 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure in January.

Next up for Trapp was National Heads-Up Poker Championship runner-up Vanessa Rousso. This time around, Negreanu headed to the isolation booth, where he could see Trapp’s hole cards and was able to impart advice through an earpiece Trapp wore. In one hand, Rousso called pre-flop with 4-8 and Trapp checked his option with 8-7. The flop came 5-6-7, giving Rousso a straight, and Trapp bet out 2,000 with top pair and a straight draw. Rousso raised to 4,000, with Negreanu coaching, “Stick it in now. The quicker you do it, the better.” Trapp pushed and Rousso called for her stack. The turn came a four, however, splitting the pot and staving off disaster for the challenger.

In the final hand against Rousso, Trapp called pre-flop with K-7 and Rousso moved all-in for 11,300. Negreanu advised him to go with his gut and Trapp made the call. The board ran out J-J-4-2-7 and Trapp earned $25,000. He was then met with a decision to take the money and run or face Negreanu for $100,000 and a seat at the Table of Champions, whose winner will face the Team PokerStars Pro front man for $1 million.

Trapp elected to play on and, in a key hand against Negreanu, called pre-flop holding J-6. Negreanu, armed with K-9, checked his option. The flop came Q-7-J, giving Trapp middle pair. Negreanu bet out 800 and Trapp raised to 1,600. Negreanu made the call to see the turn fall a 10, giving him a straight. The action went check-check to a three on the river. Negreanu pushed for 7,100 and Trapp made the call, doubling up Negreanu to nearly the starting stack of 20,000.

In the final hand between Trapp and Negreanu, the latter called pre-flop with 5-6 and Trapp checked with J-8. The flop came 8-4-2, giving Trapp top pair and Negreanu a double gutshot straight draw, and Negreanu bet 2,000. Trapp shoved for 19,000 and after much deliberation, Negreanu made the call, exclaiming “Oops” when he saw what he was up against. Needing a three or seven, Negreanu watched as the turn and river came a jack and a deuce, respectively, shipping the $100,000 match to Trapp.

Four more installments of “Million Dollar Challenge” are on tap, airing on Sundays after NFL on FOX action for one hour on October 18th, November 22nd, December 13th, and December 27th.

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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WSOP Coverage on ESPN Spotlights Hellmuth and Ivey

Last night’s episodes of the World Series of Poker (WSOP) on ESPN spotlighted the two most recognizable Phils in poker: Phil Hellmuth and November Nine member Phil Ivey. Hellmuth was seated at the feature table for the coverage of Day 2B while the secondary feature table boasted a strong line up of Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi and PokerStars Pros Dennis Phillips and Maria “Maridu” Mayrinck. Over the course of the two episodes the show included updates on cancer patient Kent Senter, actor Lou Diamond Phillips and NBA star Jordan Farmar amongst others, but perhaps the most interesting aspect of Tuesday’s show was the unorthodox play of Hellmuth. As co-host Norman Chad aptly put it, it was, “as if Phil’s body and soul has been occupied by some idiot from Northern Europe.”

The episode began by reminding the audience of Hellmuth’s epic entrance in full Roman regalia for Day 1 of play and Chad assured viewers that the 11-time bracelet winner would be full of surprises during Day 2.  Chad got the inside scoop from Hellmuth, who told the poker commentator he was, “going to be more active and not back down from big raises.” While ESPN chose not to air the verbal confrontation between Hellmuth and internet poker pro Todd “Dan Druff” Witteles regarding the Ultimate Bet cheating scandal, Chad did make mention of each player’s role in the scandal and subsequent investigation as part of his commentary.

Hellmuth stuck to his word during the first featured hand of the night when he called a raise from 22-year old Ben Sprengers holding 7c 8c and got it all-in against Sprenger’s two pair when the Jd-6c-5c flop brought him an open-ended straight flush draw. After Hellmuth hit his flush to double up, Sprengers, who would prove to be Hellmuth’s nemesis throughout the day, questioned the Ultimate Bet Pro’s play and Hellmuth responded by saying, “I didn’t come to lay down son. I came to play.”

A member of last year’s November Nine, Phillips, also came to play and did not take long to clash in a pot with his tablemate Mizrachi. It would be Mayrinck, not Mizrachi who would be featured in the most pots with Phillips, as Mizrachi hit the rail midway through Day 2B play. Phillips picked up pocket aces against the Brazilian pro twice and managed to get her to pay him off both times.

Phillips was not the only November Niner profiled. The show also featured a segment discussing year’s winner Peter Eastgate besting Hellmuth’s record of youngest Main Event Champion. Hellmuth won his Main Event title at age 23 while Eastgate was just 22-years old when he won the Main Event last year. The 2008 Player of the Year Erick Lindgren also made the coverage, as the cameras caught his pocket queens getting cracked by Craig Ivey’s pocket jacks to eliminate the Full Tilt Pro early on Day 2B.

Some of the other players featured last night included Robert Williamson III, Scotty Nguyen, Tom “durrrr” Dwan, Ville Wahlbeck, 2009 WSOP Player of the Year Jeffrey Lisandro, Hevad “Rain” Khan, Howard Lederer and Frankie Gay, who was playing in the Main Event to honor his late son who was a soldier killed in action overseas. While Gay did not survive to Day 3, he and his family felt the trip was an appropriate tribute to their beloved son.

Senter, whose dying wish was to play in the WSOP Main Event, fared better than Gay did on the felt and survived to Day 3 despite doubling up Billy Gazes late in the day. Some of the other players to survive Day 2B included Hachem, Phillips, Mayrinck, JC Tran, Anthrax guitarist Scott Ian, Eastgate and Phil Ivey.

Ivey did more than just survive Day 2B. He ended the day as one of the big stacks in the room thanks in part to a huge hand in which he got it all-in preflop holding pocket kings to Jonas Molander’s A-K. The kings held to give Ivey the 223,700 chip pot and vault him to the top of the chip counts.

This week’s “The Nuts” segment featured a chess game between Chad and Lederer. Chad didn’t have much time to interview Lederer, as his opponent made quick worth of the TV personality on the chess board. The PokerStars’ Straight From the Pros segment highlighted a hand Khan played against Jon Kalmar in the 2007 Main Event and the Full Tilt Poker-sponsored piece Deal Me In had Jennifer Harman offering insight on a hand she played in a WSOP Circuit event against Jean-Robert Bellande.

Next week’s episodes will feature coverage of Day 3, the first day the entire field will converge on the Rio at the same time.

Doyle Brunson Interview with Poker News Daily

Poker News Daily: You have an autobiography coming out later this year. Can you talk about why you’re writing the book now and what readers can expect?

Brunson: The book is supposed to be out in November. It’s been in the works for four or five years and I’ve vetoed it twice because I didn’t want it out there. They pressured me around until I finally released it. It’s a story about my life and the things I’ve been through. It’s hard to talk about some things, but I’ve tried to get most of it in there.

PND: Can you give us a glimpse of some of the things that are difficult to talk about in the book?

Brunson: Just think about your own life. Is there anything in your own life that you wouldn’t want to put on public display? There are some personal things. At my age, I’m trying not to be any more famous than I already am.

PND: What would casual poker fans be surprised to learn about Doyle Brunson?

Brunson: I don’t know what the perception of me is. I’ve been married for 50 years and that’s pretty unusual in the poker world. I’ve tried to keep my personal life isolated from the gambling world. That’s the only way you can keep your family together, at least with my wife. She couldn’t handle that pressure, so I try not to talk about gambling around my house. My son has turned out to be a professional poker player, but I didn’t teach him anything; he taught himself in college. I never discuss gambling in my house simply because my wife is what you would call a “square.” She’s not accustomed to the ups and downs of the poker world.

PND: What’s the difference between poker in 2009 and when you won the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event in 1976 and 1977?

Brunson: The popularity of poker is much more now than it was. The fact people accept that you’re a poker player now is a big thing. In those days, you were a second-class citizen. They thought you were a gangster if you played poker for a living. I think the media has softened that a bit and the public can accept you now as a poker player.

PND: Talk about November Nine member Jeff Shulman’s comments that he would trash the WSOP Main Event bracelet if he won.

Brunson: That’s a little bit strong. I understand his concerns and I agree with most of them. The WSOP is a pretty big tradition. It’s the biggest event in the poker world. I think it’s a little bit strong to say that you’re going to throw the bracelet away. If he felt that way, he probably shouldn’t have entered. Jeff is a sensible young man and he’ll come off that statement a little bit. He thinks that Harrah’s has prostituted the poker world. I agree with him to some extent. I think there could be changes made.

All of us who came from the original WSOP at Binion’s have seen a big difference. At Binion’s, they bent over backwards for us and made the poker player come first. They paid all of our expenses, set up big buffets for us, and paid for our rooms just to come out and play. Naturally, Harrah’s doesn’t do that and I can see their point of view. It’s a big business. Harrah’s makes a lot of money off the WSOP. It’s a two-edged sword and you have to compromise on some things.

PND: You seemed to tighten up a bit on the most recent season of GSN’s “High Stakes Poker.” Was this a strategy coming in or just how the table played out?

Brunson: I get that a lot. The way others at the table play dictates the way you play. These young kids are so aggressive that it’s hard to be more aggressive than they are. That would just make a total crapshoot out of it. I have slowed my play down a little bit, but I’ve never lost on one of those shows. I’ve played 15 in a row and won every time. The object is to win. Some of the younger guys try to put on a show and demonstrate how smart they are instead of just trying to play poker. One of these days, I might just break loose and show them what aggression really is.

It’s so simple just to sit back and win that it’s hard not to do it. The reason I’ve been so successful is that other people try to build their image up. Instead of trying to play good poker, they try to make “flashy” plays.

PND: If you hadn’t become a professional poker player, where would you likely be right now?

Brunson: My life was heading towards playing in the NBA. That’s what I worked my whole life for. I was lucky enough to be a good athlete. I was an All-State basketball player. I was State Champion in the mile. In college, I was the Most Valuable Player in my conference. The NBA scouts had already come down and talked to my coach and I was going to be drafted the next year. I feel like I could have played in the NBA. Then, I would have probably gone back and been a teacher or a coach.

PND: Talk about the explosion of poker on television. Is it surprising to you?

Brunson: It is. It’s hard for me to accept the fact that people perceive poker players as celebrities. I don’t consider myself to be a celebrity. I’m not an entertainer; I’m a poker player. It seems like some of these “wannabees” spend more time trying to be entertainers and performers than they do playing poker. It doesn’t sit too well with me. I guess I’m a poker purist. I like poker for what it is: a great game. America is just finding out about it and I found out about it 50 years ago. I hate to see people who play poker do things besides playing poker to benefit themselves.

Big names chase Moon on Main Event Day 7

A total of 64 players unbagged their chips and took their seats on Day 7 of the prestigious poker tournament.

The relatively unknown Darvin Moon, of Oakland, MD, controls the chip lead with nearly 10 million chips but Ivey is close behind with 6.3 million.

At the start of the day plenty of well-known pros were still in the running with the aforementioned Esfandiari, Ludovic Lacay, Jeff Shulman, Fabrice Soulier, Tom Schneider, Dennis Phillips, Blair Rodman, Joe Sebok and Prahlad Friedman all looking to make the most lucrative final table of the year.

Day 7 is the second to last day of the 2009 WSOP summer schedule. Tomorrow players will return and play down to a final table of nine. Those nine players will go on an extensive break and then return in November to crown a true champion in poker's biggest event.

Last year Day 7 saw the field narrowed all the way from 79 to 27 but tournament organizers have not announced where they will try to end play today. Because they are starting with just 64 players it's possible they will play down to a number below 27.

Amongst the players to be eliminated on Day 7 last year were Phil Hellmuth, Mike Matusow and Kido Pham, essentially erasing any chance of a big name pro making the final table.

Be sure to follow PokerListings' live updates throughout the day as we chronicle the journey to the final table.

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Main Event Day 3 begins for Ivey, Tran, Benyamine

Play began at 12 p.m. in the Rio with five levels of play scheduled for the day.

There is a slim chance that the money bubble, which starts at 648 players remaining, will burst today but in all likelihood players will return tomorrow to make it into the coveted money spots.

Numerous pro poker players are still in the hunt with Kenny Tran, Bertrand Grospellier, Kevin Saul, Paul Wasicka, Dan Harrington, J.C. Alverado, Marc Karam, Joe Hachem, Noah Boeken, Nick Binger and Eugene Katchalov all looking to become the first pro to win the Main Event since Carlos Mortensen did in 2001.

Full Tilt Pro Phil Ivey might have the best chance to perform that feat as of Day 3 because he led his fellow pros with 346,000 chips.

Joining the pros will be a group of celebrity players including actors Jason Alexander, Lou Diamond Phillips, Patrick Bruel in addition to athletes like the NBA's Jordan Farmar and international cricket star Shane Warne.

The chip lead to start the day belongs to the relatively unknown Amir Lehavot who somehow amassed 610,000 on Day 2b thanks to a last minute monster pot.

There are several intriguing table matchups with Joe Hachem and Jeffrey Lisandro forced to face each other at the TV feature table while Finnish poker superstar Ville Wahlbeck will have to contend with Kenny Tran at the secondary feature table.

PokerListings.com will be live updating the event throughout the day with all the biggest hands, bustouts and breaking news. Check out the updates here.

Here are the top 10 chip leaders to start the day:

Amir Lehavot	610,500
Peter DeBaene	465,000
Troy Weber	453,000
Dan Bilzerian	439,000
Franklin Grigsby	424,000
Gabe Walls	417,000
Mikael Thuritz	395,000
Jason Brice	376,000
John Hammer	359,400
Phil Ivey	346,200

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Celebrities Thriving in 2009 WSOP Main Event

It’s not every day that the Average Joe can play a game of poker alongside “Seinfeld” actor Jason Alexander. However, for eight players on Day 3 of the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event, battling against George Costanza will be a reality.

Alexander will be seated at Table B2 to open play on Friday for Day 3. Joining him will be poker pro Marc Karam, a member of Team Eurolinx who won a $500 buy-in HORSE tournament in 2007 during a WSOP Circuit stop at Harvey’s Tahoe. Karam has final tabled the World Poker Tour’s (WPT) North American Poker Championship twice, once during Season V and once during Season VII. All told, he has nearly $400,000 in lifetime WPT earnings and will duke it out against Alexander for poker immortality. “Seinfeld” ended its run in 1998 and Alexander has since become actively involved in poker.

Three members of the cast of NBC’s “I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here” entered the 2009 WSOP Main Event. In the end, only Lou Diamond Phillips remains to see Day 3. Phillips, who gained a considerable amount of fame after appearing in “La Bamba” and the “Young Guns” franchise, can be found at Table R132, Seat 4. Joining “LDP” will be Team Betfair pro Peter Jepsen, who sits with a stack of 119,500, well below Phillips’ tally of 192,300. Jepsen won the 2007 installment of the European Poker Tour’s (EPT) Warsaw stop. The other two cast members of “I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here” to enter the Main Event, Torrie Wilson and John Salley, were each eliminated on Day 1. Phillips won the second season of the hit NBC reality show.

L.A. Lakers Guard Jordan Farmar sits with a stack of 75,500 entering Day 3 on Friday. The Lakers won the NBA title this season after defeating the Orlando Magic in five games, giving Farmar a championship ring. Farmar averaged 6.4 points per game and 2.4 assists per game during the regular season in 65 appearances to go along with 39.1% field goal shooting. Farmar will be seated at Table R105 today and will be flanked by Allen Kessler. The runner-up in a $2,500 buy-in Omaha High-Low Eight or Better event to Todd Brunson in 2005, Kessler has well over $400,000 to his name from WSOP and Circuit events. He also owns two final table appearances in WPT tournaments, most notably a sixth place effort in the Season V Foxwoods Poker Classic for $136,000.

“The Simspons” Co-Creator Sam Simon, who briefly appeared on the most recent season of GSN’s “High Stakes Poker,” sits with one of the event’s short stacks at 47,500. Simon finished 20th in the $10,000 buy-in World Championship of Pot Limit Hold’em this year for $24,000. In 2007, ESPN cameras closely followed his deep run in the Main Event, which ended with Simon busting in 329th place. “The Simspons” has been on the air for 20 years and, in 2007, the franchise rolled out a feature-length movie.

Australian cricket star Shane Warne also remains in the hunt for the WSOP Main Event title. He owns a sizable stack of 173,700, but will have his hands full at a talented table that also features recent WPT Foxwoods Poker Classic winner Vadim Trincher. Another non-U.S. celebrity who will take to the felts on Friday is French actor and singer Patrick Bruel. He owns a stack of 64,500 and can be found at Table B16, Seat 8.

A total of 2,044 players remain in the 2009 WSOP Main Event. The world’s most prestigious poker tournament will play down to its final table on July 15th. Then, the action will be paused for four months, with the feature table resuming on November 7th. Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for the latest news, notes, and nuggets from the Rio.

L.A. Laker running deep in 2009 WSOP Main Event

Nonetheless, just weeks removed from winning an NBA championship with the Lakers, Farmar is finding success at the 2009 WSOP Main Event.

"I've never played online," he said. "I played one day before I came here. The day before I flew out to Vegas I went to the casino in L.A. and played just so I knew what was going on at the table."

"I got lucky early and now I'm starting to get the hang of it."

Farmar is faring pretty well, considering there aren't too many players in the field with the lack of experience he's working with.

The Lakers guard has been a popular player in the Amazon Room, drawing lots of attention from the ESPN camera crew and entertaining everyone in the vicinity.

"I don't know how to play!" said Farmar during a hand before the break, drawing laughs from everyone at the table.

Despite his naive table image, however, Farmar must know a little something about poker as it appears he's primed to survive into Day 3 of the Main Event.

"I know poker hands, I know what beats what, but I never sat down and played," Farmar said. "I didn't know what a small blind or a big blind was, none of that. I just learned."

Farmar has been a key part of the Lakers' resurgence on the basketball court in the last two years, and the popular point guard has been finding success ever since his days at UCLA, when he was considered one of the top college point guards in the nation.

With 160k in chips at the latest count, Farmar appears to be finding success at the poker tables as well.

While the Lakers do play cards on the road, Farmar has never been introduced to any form of poker until now.

"We play cards all the time," Farmar said. "Us on the Lakers don't play poker but a lot of teams do."

He's become a recognizable face everywhere thanks to his basketball profile, and Farmar has been asked for his time by spectators and press frequently throughout the day.

Despite all the attention, Farmar's been all smiles as his chip stack has grown.

"At first I was a little hesitant to make bets to call people, afraid to lose money," Farmar said.

"Once I started watching people play and getting the hang of it, how they bet, when they call people. Now I think I'm pretty good."

It's been a fantastic month for Farmar, who is now trying to follow up a basketball world championship with a deep run at the WSOP.

"I'm just lucky," Farmar said. "They invited me here to have a good time."

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Troy Weber Holds Commanding Chip Lead after Day 1D of WSOP Main Event

While Day 1D of the 2009 World Series of Poker Main Event might best be remembered for disarray, it was an industrial salesman from Indiana who swayed the attention of the poker world for at least a moment. Troy Weber, 38, finished the day as the commanding chip leader with 353,000 and was the only player to break the 200,000 chip mark through all four starting days.

Weber held the chip lead late in the evening and managed to add significantly to his advantage by winning a massive pot with just minutes remaining on the clock. The player seated directly to his left had built a stack of 150,000 and the two went to battle for the largest pot of the tournament to date. On a flop of J-8-3 with two hearts, the other player bet 7,000 and Weber check-called. Weber checked again when another eight hit the turn and his opponent bet 11,000. Weber raised to 30,000 and his opponent quickly moved all-in. Weber thought for several minutes before deciding to call. A large crowd gathered as the players revealed their hands:

Weber:
Opponent:

Weber’s trip eights were out in front and he earned the pot when the nine of diamonds landed on the river. Weber now holds one of the largest end of Day One stacks in WSOP history.

Reigning World Champion Peter Eastgate played on Day 1D and took center stage at the ESPN secondary table, where he stayed until the conclusion of play. Eastgate will take 44,725 chips into Day 2. Other former Main Event Champions to take to the felts on Day 1D were Bobby Baldwin and Robert Varkonyi, both of whom survived the day.

The man who took second to Eastgate in last year’s WSOP Main Event, Ivan Demidov, was eliminated. Joining him on the rail were his girlfriend and established poker pro Lika Gerasimova along with Dario Minieri, Huck Seed, Phil “OMGClayAiken” Galfond, Mark Seif, Jeff Madsen, Steve Sung, and Daniel Alaei.

Notable celebrities who played on Day 1D included Ray Romano (actor), Jordan Farmar (Los Angeles Lakers basketball player), Marlon Wayans (actor and comedian), John Salley (former NBA basketball star), Lou Diamond Phillips (winner of “I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here”), Joseph Kahn, and Sully Erna (musician). Farmar, Wayans, and Phillips survived the day.

The highest-ranked former WSOP gold bracelet winner from Day 1D is Josh Arieh, who hails from Atlanta, Georgia. Arieh, who took third in the 2004 WSOP Main Event for $2.5 million, bagged up 135,700 when play concluded. He doubled his 30,000 starting stack early in the day when he made the nut flush against an opponent’s second nut flush. From there, Arieh coasted to land among the chip leaders.

Here’s a look at how some other notable pros finished on Day 1D:

J.C. Tran – 139,975
Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier – 127,475
Kirk Morrison – 96,000
Phil Ivey – 84,025
David Benyamine 81,700
Kenny Tran – 65,600
Jen Harman – 61,125
Dave “Devilfish” Ulliott – 59,000
Lee Markholt – 57,350
Tom “durrrr” Dwan – 24,100
Erick Lindgren – 20,450

Players who survived Day 1D will return on July 8th at Noon and merge with the survivors of Day 1C. Tuesday’s Day 2A will combine those that advanced from Days 1A and 1B. Players will take their seats at Noon on Tuesday and play five two-hour levels. Those that make it through will return on July 10 for Day 3, which will combine all of the players in the Main Event for the first time.

Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for continuing coverage of the 2009 WSOP Main Event.

Hundreds left out of 2009 WSOP Main Event

Day 1D is the last first day in the field, meaning that players that haven't registered by today are left out of the Main Event this year.

After a drop off in the numbers from last year on Day 1A and 1B, Day 1C saw a resurgence, with nearly 1,700 entrants.

Day 1D has been an even bigger success, drawing right around 2,809 players at the latest count, bringing the total number of entrants for the 2009 Main Event to 6,494.

The problem? The flood of players has caused Day 1D to sell out, and hundreds of players were turned away today with the Amazon, Brasilia and Miranda rooms full, and even some tables moved out of the Rio Convention Center to the main casino.

The players that did manage to get into the field have created the busiest day yet at the WSOP. Every room is jam packed with tables, ESPN camera crews and spectators.

Bertrand "ElkY" Grospellier was one of the lucky ones to make it into the field on the final day.

"I registered earlier so I didn't have any problem," Grosspellier said. "I do think it's a shame that they had to turn away players for the Main Event."

Day 1A drew 1,116 players, while Day 1B drew only 873 players. With two days in the books, the 2009 Main Event was on pace to have less than 4,000 entrants.

1,696 players bought in for Day 1C, however, and the huge turnout for Day 1D brings the total number of entries to 6,494.

The Main Event drew 6,844 last year and 6,358 players in 2007.

"I think it's pretty good, especially considering the downswing in the numbers for American tournaments," Grospellier said.

"There were very few players for Day 1B, so today is pretty good. I do think it's strange that they have such a difference in the number of players each day."

The massive Amazon Room is tough to navigate, and the atmosphere around the room is hectic and dramatic, particularly around the ESPN feature tables.

Rumor around the WSOP early in the day had it that Patrik Antonius was one of the players that was turned away after Day 1D sold out.

His arch-nemesis from the durrrr Challenge, Tom Dwan, did manage to make it into the field, making a rare real-world appearance with a late entrance into the Miranda room.

Other big names in the field on Day 1D include Erick Lindgren, Vanessa Rousso, Phil Ivey, Dutch Boyd, Kenny Tran, Michael Mizrachi, Jennifer Harman, Marco Traniello, and Cyndy Violette.

Ivey has commanded a lot of attention from the rail and from the ESPN camera crews, and the Full Tilt pro has spent his day away from the feature table and staying out of the limelight as much as possible.

The WSOP has stated that a sell out occurs when 2,800 players enter the field in one day. The final numbers have yet to be released at the time of this writing.

Other notables in the field Monday include 2008 Main Event champ Peter Eastgate, Humberto Brenes, Kathy Liebert, Shawn Sheikan, Mike Wattel, David Chiu and Huck Seed.

Plenty of celebrities were also spotted in the field, including Ray Romano, Marlon Wayans, Shannon Elizabeth and former NBA player John Salley.

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Mike Tyson, Matt Damon Speak on WSOP Ante Up for Africa Red Carpet

Poker News Daily had a front row view for the 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Ante Up for Africa red carpet. Featuring a veritable “who’s who” of Hollywood’s elite, the $5,000 buy-in charity poker tournament raised well over $300,000 for refugees of the crisis in Darfur. Here’s what Hollywood had to say.

NBA Legend Kenny Smith

On Charles Barkley’s poker game: “It’s just like his golf game. Last year, he was the third or fourth person to get eliminated right off the bat in this event, so he was terrible. I think he’s a little restless and aggressive, which leads to early exits or big wins.”

On whether he has a last longer bet with Charles Barkley: “I’ve got to get that going. He’s too reckless. A two and a three and he’s all-in. I’m not going to be that silly. I think I’ll beat him.”

On his poker background: “I don’t play a lot, but I have fun with it more than anything else. When I come to Las Vegas, I’ll play blackjack before I play poker, but my parents used to play poker growing up. They’d have little poker parties, so I got to play at the adult table.”

“Best Week Ever” Host Doug Benson

On whether he’s having the best week ever: “I am. It hasn’t been a great week for celebrities in general, but getting to come to this event is exciting.”

On other celebrities in attendance: “I’ve only seen people here on the red carpet, so I don’t know who else is inside, but my friend Sarah Silverman is here as is my new friend Mike Tyson… I didn’t say a word to him. I’m too terrified. There are also a lot of great poker players. I’ve seen Mike Matusow and Phil Hellmuth so far. I’d love to knock either of them out. It’d be hilarious.”

Former Heavyweight Champion Mike Tyson

On his prospects: “I don’t know if I’m going to do well, but I’m here for a good cause. I’m here to help raise a lot of money and awareness.”

Comedian Sarah Silverman

On participating in the Ante Up for Africa charity tournament: “It’s really important to raise money and awareness. People need to be aware and understand that this is a genocide. People hear about the Holocaust in school and say that it could never happen. We’re letting it happen now. Someone has to do something and, to be honest, I have no idea what, but it has to end. There are people living in the scariest nightmare you could ever imagine. We have the power to be the best country and help. If this were happening in England or France, it would be taken care of.

“Rounders” Actor Matt Damon

On being recognized from “Rounders”: “It depends on what city I’m in. If I’m here in Las Vegas, it’s mostly ‘Rounders.’ If someone says, ‘I loved you in’ and it’s a guy between the ages of 18 and 40, I can guarantee you he’ll say ‘Rounders.’”

On raising money for Ante Up for Africa: “They’ve raised over $2 million so far and we know where the money is going. The ENOUGH Project is fantastic. There’s a lot of transparency there, so we know where the money goes. It’s a terrific cause to give to and hopefully it’s making a difference.”

Rapper Nelly

On facing professional poker players: “I don’t want to think too hard. If I get in a hand with a pro or a bracelet winner, I’m not going to think about it. If I think about it, I’m going to make the wrong move, so I’m just going to play. Their mind control at this game is far more superior to mine.”

Alex Bolotin Wins WSOP Ante Up for Africa; Mike Tyson Enters

The 2009 installment of the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Ante Up for Africa charity tournament brought out Hollywood’s elite and poker’s biggest names. In the end, Alex “Diesel” Boloton emerged victorious, winning $176,000 and donating half of his earnings to the ENOUGH Project and International Rescue Committee.

A total of 137 players took to the felts inside the Amazon Room for the Ante Up for Africa event, one of four tournaments that will be televised as part of ESPN’s coverage of the 2009 WSOP. In 2007, the charity gala attracted 167 runners, while just 88 turned out last year. Prior to the festivities kicking off on Thursday, Ante Up for Africa Co-Founder and Poker News Daily Guest Columnist Annie Duke told reporters, “I knew how effective poker was as a fundraising tool. However, you can throw as much money at a problem as you want, but ESPN will help get awareness of things going on.” The Celebrity Apprentice runner-up added, “Poker players know how fortunate they are. We have a different view of money and what money is for. A lot of poker players are very socially responsible.”

A red carpet entrance preceded the festivities, with a bevy of stars lending their names to the $5,000 buy-in charity event. Among the first entrants down the red carpet was “Everybody Loves Raymond” star Brad Garrett, who told reporters that he’d want his tombstone to read, “I could smell it from here.” Following Garrett was former professional basketball star and current NBA on TNT analyst Charles Barkley, who explained that he was frustrated after poor performances in the Ante Up for Africa event over the past two years. He told People Magazine that the Cleveland Cavaliers acquiring Shaquille O’Neal was “a really good pickup.”

WSOP bracelet winner Jason Mercier, fresh off inking a sponsorship agreement with PokerStars, explained, “This feels really weird. I’m here with celebrities and stars of the poker world.” When asked what celebrity he ogled the most, Mercier responded, “Charles Barkley – I watched him play basketball since I was a little kid.” Mercier then joked, “Watch me take this down.” Others who followed Mercier down the red carpet included comedian Sarah Silverman, NBA on TNT analyst Kenny Smith, actor Dean Cain, “Seinfeld” star Jason Alexander, Ben Affleck, “Rounders” star Matt Damon, and rapper Nelly.

One of the surprise turnouts to the 2009 WSOP Ante Up for Africa charity poker tournament was legendary boxer Mike Tyson, who has recently gained a cult following as a result of his cameo in the box office blockbuster “The Hangover.” Tyson told Poker News Daily that he does not regularly play poker, but was looking forward to competing. A tiger did not accompany him down the red carpet. Media outlets in attendance included US Weekly, the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the L.A. Times, ABC Radio, the Hollywood Reporter, the Associated Press, and a variety of local television stations and Hollywood photo services.

Poker’s elite dominated the final standings, with Rafe Furst, Full Tilt Poker pro Erik Seidel, Chris “Jesus” Ferguson, Phil Gordon, Jennifer Harman, Steve Zolotow, and Ultimate Bet pro Matt “mattg1983” Graham all making the money. Other poker stars that turned out included 2008 WSOP Main Event Last Woman Standing Tiffany Michelle, Andy Bloch, Brandon Cantu, Justin “ZeeJustin” Bonomo, Greg “FBT” Mueller, Barry Greenstein, Greg Raymer, Robert Williamson III, Dennis Phillips, Ylon Schwartz, Peter Eastgate, and Victor Ramdin.

The tournament ran for 10 hours, about twice as long as WSOP officials had estimated prior to the event. At the end of the day, $362,000 was raised for charity. The top 10 finishers were as follows:

1. Alex Bolotin - $176,449
2. Adam Richardson - $109,194
3. Rafe Furst - $72,308
4. Erik Seidel - $51,601
5. Chris Ferguson - $38,550
6. Phil Gordon - $30,760
7. John Hennigan - $25,900
8. Matt Kay - $22,970
9. Jennifer Harman - $21,439
10. Phillip Tom - $15,713