Poker News

Phil Bellante is “All In” With Poker Themed Song

"You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em." Thanks to Kenny Rogers and his hit song, "The Gambler," those words will forever be ingrained in the game of poker. The song is more than 30 years old, but its popularity has maintained throughout the years as a staple in the ever-expanding poker community.

Phil Bellante hopes his new poker-themed song will have the same impact on the new crowd of poker players. The musician, songwriter, and producer from Cleveland released a new album in 2009 and on it is the track "All In," a catchy tune that he's attempting to market as the new theme song of poker. He's already receiving rave reviews from the poker media. (The song can be heard at http://philbellante.com/)

Bellante has been busy promoting "All In" and Poker News Daily had a chance to speak with him about the song, his poker history, and his friendship with a well-known poker pro.

Poker News Daily: So Phil, can we assume that you're a poker player and fan?

Phil Bellante: Absolutely, a poker player and a huge fan!

Poker News Daily: How long have you been playing and what game(s) do you prefer?

Phil Bellante: I have been playing for at least 10 years and I would have to say that No Limit Texas Hold'em is my game of choice.

Poker News Daily: You recently did an interview with your friend and Full Tilt Pro Phil Gordon on ESPN Radio's "Poker Edge". How did you become close with Phil?

Phil Bellante: Phil is my good friend’s brother-in-law, so every year for the past several years, we all get together at their place for Thanksgiving and have a poker tournament. It’s a lot of fun, especially when Phil doesn’t win and somebody that hardly knows what they are doing wins the whole thing. Part of the mass appeal, I think, of the game is the ability for anyone to win at any time because of the luck factor and getting dealt the right hand.

Poker News Daily: Are there any other poker players you like or admire?

Phil Bellante: I admire people like Annie Duke, who has also heard the song and given it a nice review on my site. She is a forerunner for women poker players who are now becoming more involved in the game. That takes some fortitude and guts when it’s a male-dominated sport. I also think the old timers like Doyle Brunson are to be admired, as they started playing the game when very few people could make a living at it like they do today. I think now the appeal is more the big winnings for people rather than a true love for the game.

Poker News Daily: What was your influence for creating the song "All In" and what are your aspirations for it?

Phil Bellante: To be honest, it wasn’t planned, which is usually the underlying ingredient to a great song because it comes from something beyond the intellect and usually connects with people on a deeper level. I was sitting around watching a tournament one afternoon and just put myself in the mind of one of the players who went all-in with his hand and then managed to write the song in less than 10 minutes. I then produced the song with a Grammy Award winning engineer a few months later.

While writing the song, I just pictured myself at a tournament performing it. It would be great to be the entertainment for some of these upcoming poker tournaments and really see it catching fire. I have many people working around the clock in various capacities to get maximum exposure for this song. We are looking at movies, video games, TV programs, Poker Tournaments, etc. I guess you can say, I am going “All In” with this song.

Poker News Daily: Is this going to be "the" poker song for the next generation of poker players to latch onto?

Phil Bellante: “All In” has great potential due to the size of the poker market and its very catchy chorus. Andrew Feldman said during my recent ESPN Poker Radio show interview that the song had been stuck in his head all day. I just received the same comment from some of the top people in Nashville who are very interested in it and choose hit songs for the platinum country artists.

I really feel the song speaks to the poker community. It has that emotional and intense build leading up to a huge swelling chorus that kind of releases all the tension. Every player knows what that adrenaline rush feels like, so they can definitely relate. That is why I think it would be so perfect to sing at a poker tournament.

In the end, only time and the fans/players will be able to determine whether this is the case. The last generation had Kenny Rogers’s song’ “The Gambler,” so I wouldn’t mind him passing the torch to me for the next generation. I think I am holding a good hand with this song and so do a lot of the higher ups in the music world so time will tell.

The song can be downloaded at www.thepokersong.com

PartyGaming Co-Founder Anurag Dikshit Severs Ties With Stock Sale

Ending a relationship that dates back to the beginning of the online poker industry, Party Gaming co-founder Anurag Dikshit has divested himself of any ownership in the company with the sale of his remaining stock on Tuesday.

According to the London Stock Exchange and the British newspaper The Telegraph, Dikshit owned slightly more than 38.8 million shares of Party Gaming PLC, which is traded in London under the symbol PRTY. Because of his ownership of the stock, Dikshit held voting rights that would have continued to hold a significant influence on the company’s track. With the sale, however, Dikshit has fully divested himself of any connection with the company he helped start back in the late 1990s.

The 38.8 million shares of Party Gaming stock held by Dikshit amount to £114 million and helped to drive the price of Party Gaming PLC up during trading on Tuesday and Wednesday. Opening at 277.10p at the start of trading Wednesday, Party Gaming PLC trended up 14.2p over the course of the day, finishing at 292p.

It is estimated that Dikshit has cashed out stock in the company that eclipses £700m in value. Through his involvement with Party Gaming, Dikshit has also become one of India’s wealthiest citizens. With the sale of his remaining ownership in the company complete, Dikshit is expected to return to the many philanthropic trusts that he oversees, including those that fund medical and educational interests in India.

Since the creation of Party Gaming in the late 1990s, Dikshit had been a formative figure in the company. Along with husband and wife Russ DeLeon and Ruth Parasol as well as Vikrant Bhargava, Dikshit – who was the creator of the Party Gaming software that the company uses – drove the company to reach the pinnacle of the online poker industry with PartyPoker. By 2005, when the foursome took Party Gaming public on the London Stock Exchange, PartyPoker had even become a force in the live poker world with a sponsorship deal at the World Series of Poker (WSOP).

2006 proved to be a pivotal point for the company, however. With the passage of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) by the American government, Party Gaming was forced to prohibit American players from participating on PartyPoker (as a publicly traded entity, it could not violate the laws of another country and remain on the LSE). Since that time, Party Gaming has been passed in the online poker industry by two rooms that still accept American players, PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker, and battles for the third spot consistently with another non-U.S. facing entity, the iPoker Network.

Dikshit has been the only founder of Party Gaming to ever face American authorities as far as their gaming actions are concerned. After the passage of the UIGEA, The Telegraph reports that Dikshit was “increasingly worried about the ramifications of the company’s operations being declared illegal in America” and stepped down as the director of Party Gaming. This led to his admission of guilt in December 2008 in a U. S. court to violating laws regarding online gaming. Still facing the possibility of two years in jail for his guilty plea, Dikshit has paid $300 million in fines and, according to Justice Department officials, has been assisting them in their ongoing investigations. Whether Dikshit will face any jail time when the case is reviewed in December 2010 is still unknown.

The sale of Dikshit’s remaining stake in PartyGaming comes at a time when the company is looking at several merger options, according to The Telegraph. The outlet states that PartyGaming is “continuing to hold discussions with a number of companies in the gaming sector regarding potential consolidation opportunities” and speculates that industry competitor bwin is a possible merger partner.

Poker in Twitter: Deauville, Football, Kat von D and Victoria Coren’s duck.

Poker News Daily scours the Twitter feeds of hundreds of poker players to bring you the funniest, most interesting, weirdest Tweets of the last few days. This weekend saw many players tweeting about the tournaments they were in, which included the UBOC, the LAPC and the EPT Deauville. Other popular topics this week were football (the poker world seems to support the Saints almost unanimously) and other sports, as well as new houses, tattoos by Kat von D, and a river card made to measure for Eric Mizrachi.
The online cards were good for some and cruel to others: while Dave “Hollywood_Dave” Stann challenged players to face him at Ultimate Bet: “Rockin UBOC on UB right now...come join so I can felt you, too ”, Liv Boeree was not having such a great day: “finished 42nd in UBOC 8 for $6300. Set of 33s get it all in on turn... he rivers 9 for higher set. Laptop across the room time.” Eric Mizrachi could have shared some of his luck with her, as he boasted a screenshot from a spectacular river card in Poker Stars:  “Deliver the nice river, Ty @pokerstars_com http://twitpic.com/zmlrd”

Tournament manager supreme Matt Savage kept the world informed of the progress of the LAPC, starting with a comment on his famously grueling schedules: “We have completed days 1A/1B or .5 of the 51 events at this years @LAPokerClassic! Not sure what I was thinking when I made this schedule?” Apparently Mr. Savage is superstitious, since he made Dave Stann back off from certain comments that might bring the tournament ill luck: “@Hollywood_Dave please do NOT mention LAPC = Going Well and Obama Presidency = F'ing Up Country in same tweet! You may jinx us here in LA.” No jinx was apparent to Rob Perelman, who tweeted in delight: “Heads up pot. Final board A4444. Check check. Then 2nd guy tries to muck. This is why I love the @LAPokerClassic!” Some of poker’s hottest ladies were in attendance after trotting the globe in The Amazing Race last year; Tiffany Michelle posted a picture of her view from the table: “http://twitpic.com/z4bfu - Playin the 1st LAPC event, nice view - this girl follows me everywhere ”

The poker world followed the NFC very closely last weekend, and the general feeling seemed to favor the Saints, although Doyle Brunson voiced his admiration for the Vikings’ legendary quarterback: “Brett Favre has balls the size of basketballs.” Favre was the man of the day, with praise and heckles piled on him via Twitter. Gene Bromberg tried to be fair: “I gleefully join in on Favrebashing, but that should've been a flag. Low, late hit, gotta call that”, Justin “BoostedJ” Smith blamed it on the team: “@shannonelizab The vikings aren't even giving Favre a chance to win”, and Joe Sebok cheered and booed: “yes, saints! boo favre & vikings. city of new orleans deserves this... ” Shannon Elizabeth, who tweeted throughout the game, was a happy fan when the fat lady sang: “Congrats Saints! GREAT GAME!!”

The EPT Deauville had two excellent commentators in Vicky Coren and Isabelle Mercier, both of whom tweeted frequently with updates on their own performance and those of friends and team members. Coren had never been able to survive Deauville’s Day 1, and was hoping this year would be it: “It's Day 1 of the Deauville EPT. I've played this three times before and never survived Day One. Let's see if I can break my duck” (“Breaking one’s duck” is a British expression, originally from cricket, that means doing something for the first time.) Coren tried hard, and kept updating on her status to add to the suspense: “We started with 30k in chips. I went down to 4k, now up to 20k, tiptoeing between the outdraws. Two more levels and the duck gets it...” The duck, however, remains unbroken, as she got busted out in Day 1 once more. Fellow Brit Matthew Grant commiserated with some historic consolation: “@VictoriaCoren Nevermind, the only victory that matters near Deauville happened in 1944 ” Coren marveled at Mercier’s youthful looks when they sat together: “Ex Team Pro Isabelle Mercier is on my table, looking incredible. She just doesn't age, that woman. Is it a French thing?” It may have been Mercier’s joy at playing in Deauville, which she tweeted happily about: “Deauville Deauville! Always loved this French little piece of paradise... Especially when it's GAME DAY !!!! ... http://bit.ly/5V41EV” Mercier’s joie de vivre did not last very long, however, as she tweeted from her Facebook account: “Busted out few hours ago holding pocket 10's against poker Jacks and pocket Aces!!! Turned blue and slowly getting... http://bit.ly/4sN0Rb”

Celebrity tattoo artist Kat von D, from the TV show LA Ink, has been leaving her mark on the poker world. First she tattooed Tiffany Michelle, who shared a photo of her tattoo: “Pics of my tatt that Kat did on her show are on my website www.tiffanymichelle.com under the 'Film, TV, Shows' Gallery ” and more recently on Pearl Aday, as tweeted by heavy metal poker star Scott Ian: “Kat Von D shooting Pearl right now.” If he does not shape up to his crazy prop bet, Joe Sebok could be next.

Sebok got some unflattering tweets regarding his stunning new LA home – @DougLeePoker remarked acidly: “@JoeSebok Wow, sick place! and all you had to do was align yourself with a company that has stolen millions from their customers. Well Done!” Sebok’s affiliation with Ultimate Bet is evidently not well accepted by the poker world.

There were many random tweets on off topics that seemed too interesting to pass by, so here is a brief overview of the weird and wonderful tweets of this weekend. There is the cheerful but always cryptic Marcel Luske: “Just an other day,,, more news ,, more twitters , more closely 2 Our goalls & destiny,so enjoin the day & feel great & help others . {;”, a very happy tweet from Eric Mizrachi: “Got some GREAT NEWS today, my friend Myrielle "Meeyu" Pierre survived the earthquake. C U tomm Meeyu! http://twitpic.com/y267b”, some naughtiness from Gavin Griffin: “We just backed into someone's driver's side door and left an 8 square inch dent. Gave em 100 bucks. Win”, and a recognition of friendship from Daniel Negreanu: “I just counted. The number of good friends of mine that are unabashed media whores: zero! All my friends are so normal”, while Doyle Brunson experienced new things: “Got back from a recording session. I'm just a West Texas hillbilly, all that chit amazes me.”

The Tweet of the day is a tie between Jeff Madsen and Howard Lederer. Madsen quipped: “Tiger woods supposedly in Mississippi for sex Rehab. I'll b in Biloxi soon, maybe I need to check myself in?”, while Lederer pointed out: “Went to see Nadal tonight at Aussie Open and saw the best homemade fan sign ever at the match. It read "Go Nad." LOL”
If you are as addicted to Twitter as we are, be sure to follow us @PokerNewsDaily so you can stay up to date on all the breaking news in the poker world and be a part of some PND Twitter exclusives in the coming weeks.

Daniel Negreanu Comments on Phil Ivey Taking All-Time Money Lead

Over the weekend, Phil Ivey placed second to Dan Shak in the $100,000 Challenge at the 2010 Aussie Millions Poker Championship at the Crown Casino in Melbourne, Australia.  For his efforts, Ivey won $553,776 ($600,000 AUD), vaulting him into the top position on the all-time live tournament money list.  His total of $12,813,990 is now $381,623 ahead of Daniel Negreanu's $12,432,367.

For his part, Negreanu has been far from a sore "loser."  In fact, Negreanu expressed his admiration for Ivey in his poker journal on his website, FullContactPoker.com:

"It's my belief that Phil Ivey is the best poker player in the world, and that includes every format," wrote Negreanu.  "I've played live with him, and cash, Hold'em, Stud, Omaha, whatever, and he is just the most consistently good player at everything - include [sic] online based on what his results look like. I don't think anyone has won more money online, live play, or tournament poker, than Ivey. Pretty strong."

Fortunately, Negreanu does not feel like this turn of events diminishes his place in the poker world, nor should he.  Like any good competitor, Negreanu is using Ivey's success as an impetus to achieve even more in his career.

"It's actually kind of fun for me," Negreanu blogged after Day 1 of the 2010 WPT Southern Poker Championship at the Beau Rivage in Biloxi, Mississippi.  "I'm glad he did so well because it motivates me to try and pass him again. I was up about $200,000 so I think I'll need to finish 2nd or 1st to regain the lead. Should be a fun year from that perspective."

"Kid Poker" also commented on Ivey's mindset, saying, "Another misconception about Ivey is that he 'Doesn't really care.' He does. He definitely cares, because he is a competitor. It's not all about the money for him, otherwise he wouldn't bother. I think he's got something to prove in 2010. Not to the poker world, everyone with half a brain knows that Ivey is the best. I think he has something to prove to himself. 2010 could be a monster year for him."

In the last half year, Phil Ivey has won nearly $2,000,000 on the live tournament circuit, allowing him to overtake such players as Phil Hellmuth, Jamie Gold, Joe Hachem, and Scotty Nguyen on the all-time money list (based on current money standings), in addition to Negreanu.  While his Aussie Millions take was sizable, Ivey's rise on the leader board was aided primarily by his seventh place finish in the 2009 World Series of Poker Main Event, where he won $1,404,014.  He also won two bracelets during the 2009 WSOP, bringing his lifetime total to seven.

If it is any consolation for Negreanu, he remains ahead of Ivey on the inflation-adjusted money list (thanks to thehendonmob.com for this information), $13,816,957 to $13,305,078.  He is still second on that list, though, to Hellmuth, whose inflation-adjusted total is $13,876,255.

Brandon McSmith Claims Rights to Face the Ace

Recently, Poker News Daily reader Brandon McSmith wrote in claiming that Poker PROductions, which brought the NBC poker game show “Face the Ace” to life, took his idea for the series without permission. We sat down with Smith to get his side of the story in the lawsuit, which is currently pending in Nevada.

Poker News Daily: Thanks for writing in. Tell us about your claim against Poker PROductions.

Brandon McSmith: I created a show called the “All Star Poker Challenge.” I pitched it to Poker PROductions, specifically to Mori Eskandani. Mori said to send it over to him and he’d take a look. Subsequently, he rejected the concept, saying that a contestant risking everything to play on was a flawed concept.

PND: How did you find out about “Face the Ace” airing on NBC?

Brandon McSmith: While online, I read about “Face the Ace” and thought it was my show. I saw that Poker PROductions created it, so I contacted them and they responded with their general counsel stating that first and foremost, I contacted the wrong people. They said NBC brought the show to them. We contacted NBC, who said they were in discussions with Poker PROductions and Full Tilt Poker and Full Tilt came up with the concept. This is all documented in letters and e-mails.

Right now, I have a suit pending in the Eighth District Court in Nevada. I have paralegals drawing papers for me. I’m confident that the judge and jury will see that they lied three different times.

PND: How did NBC and Poker PROductions respond when you contacted them?

Brandon McSmith: I have Poker PROductions saying that NBC brought it to them. NBC said Full Tilt brought it to them, but I didn’t name Full Tilt in the lawsuit. Full Tilt tried to act like Big Brother and come in and protect Poker PROductions. They haven’t done anything in court, so I left them out of it. If they assert a claim to it, I’d be happy to ask the judge to amend the complaint to include Full Tilt.

PND: Were there any differences between the “All Star Poker Challenge” and “Face the Ace”?

Brandon McSmith: The prize structure was different. They also had one less door and two fewer matches. I had five doors and five matches, with $2,000 per match. On the fifth match, you’d win $10,000 plus a World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event entry. Everything else was the same.

PND: How did you come up with your poker game show idea?

Brandon McSmith: I’m just an Average Joe who plays poker around Las Vegas. One day after playing in Tuscany, a small poker room, I was coming home and thought there was nothing out there like this. I’d love to play in the WSOP Main Event, but can’t afford the $10,000 buy-in. Everything on television is pros versus pros. Out of that, I sat down for an hour or so to hammer out the concept. I pitched it to several people and everyone was nice and loved the concept. Out of all the people I pitched it to, Mori was the only one who stole it.

PND: What damages are you seeking?

Brandon McSmith: I’m seeking fair compensation. Whatever the courts decide, I’m fine with. I think they’ll get hit on punitive damages. The compensatory part is what the show is worth. Once the judge and jury realize that two powerhouses stole the idea, they’re going to inflict a hefty punitive damage award to it.

PND: Did you have a dollar value in mind?

Brandon McSmith: I don’t have a number right now because I don’t know what the show has done. I also don’t know what the agreement is. What is a flop in the United States could be a hit in Europe and I don’t know the scope of their plans. I’m just a regular guy who pitched the show. The “Created By” credit is worth something to me since there would be something I created on television. I have several other concepts and it’d be easier to approach people or be represented by an agent.

We were supposed to go to court on January 4th, but court was shut down that day due to a security incident. Now, we’re waiting for the court to reschedule us.

Tiffany Michelle Comments on New Amazing Race Cast

The pairings for the 16th cycle of the Emmy Award winning reality series “Amazing Race” were released last week and, this time around, no poker players will make the journey. Competing last season was UB.com pro Tiffany Michelle, who hit the “Amazing Race” circuit with Maria Ho. Michelle sat down with Poker News Daily to preview the new season, which kicks off on February 14th on CBS.

Poker News Daily: This cycle’s cast list includes former housemates on CBS’ “Big Brother,” Miss Teen South Carolina 2007, and a Major League Baseball third base coach. Who’s your horse?

Tiffany Michelle: It’s interesting to see that there are three all-female teams this season. Last year, it was a really young, competitive bunch. The producers have to keep it to where everyone’s strengths, weaknesses, and abilities are on par with the others in that season. We thought it was weird that there wasn’t an old couple or a mom and daughter last year. This year, they opened it up again.

I’ve been watching the initial meet the cast videos and I think the cowboys (Jet and Cord) will be a fan favorite. The ones that stood out to me were the detectives (Louie and Michael). That’s an interesting type of person to put on the show.

PND: Were you surprised to see that no poker players will journey out for this season of “Amazing Race”?

Tiffany Michelle: Doing enough in the entertainment business, I have some insight into how casting works. You can’t exhaust one group of people. You want to keep it new and fresh every year and that’s why we were brought on last year. Each season, they’ll reach out to grab people from all walks of life. As hot of a topic as poker is, each of the poker players who have been on reality shows were there for a reason. I don’t think you’ll see a huge influx of poker players on reality shows.

PND: What about poker players gives them a leg up on the competition in a series like “Amazing Race”?

Tiffany Michelle: Your outlook on life, games, and competition is different than the everyday person’s. Poker encompasses psychology, mathematics, aggression, and observation. Poker is very similar to chess in that it requires a lot of mental stamina and gamesmanship. Poker players are used to approaching games from a different point of view.

PND: There has been a trend on the show to include racers who have already appeared in front of television cameras and in the public eye. Does that give anyone an edge?

Tiffany Michelle: After Phil [Keoghan] says go, you are not even aware of the cameras or audio guys. Within the first day, you’re oblivious to having a camera crew. They’re good at not getting in your way too.

PND: This installment’s cast is rumored to travel to places like Chile, Argentina, Singapore, and Seychelles. If you had the chance to run the “Amazing Race” again, where would you go?

Tiffany Michelle: Warm places like Australia, the Caribbean, and some lovely tropical destinations. This season, it’ll be a little bit colder and you won’t hit a lot of hot spots. A lot of our season’s cast wanted to go to Africa because it’d be an incredible experience. That was one place that I thought would be awesome. From a technical standpoint, it’s hard to pull that off, though. We went to Vietnam, which they said for years they had tried to do.

PND: How’d you fare at the L.A. Poker Classic?

Tiffany Michelle: I only played one event. Maria and I both played and it was nice to be back in the saddle. Now, I am off to Panama and I’ll be back at the Commerce Casino after that. I’m trying to decide between doing the North American Poker Tour (NAPT) or L.A. Poker Classic Main Events. In two weeks, I’m going to Las Vegas to do a show with the Harlem Globetrotters. We’re going to suit up and play against them. I’m pretty sporty, but basketball is my worst sport.

PND: We read on Twitter that you were reviewing movies for the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards. What’s your involvement with them?

Tiffany Michelle: I’m a member of SAG, which is the union for acting, entertainment, film, and television. Every year, whereas the Emmys and Oscars are voting on by academies, actors vote on the SAG Awards. During awards season, they send you movies to watch and you vote. I always get a slew of current nominees.

I thought “Inglorious Basterds” was incredibly phenomenal. I thought it was an amazing movie. “Up in the Air” was cool too. I’m a girl, so of course I loved “It’s Complicated.” For television shows, I love “Glee” and Kevin McHale is a friend of mine.

PND: How have you been faring in the ongoing Ultimate Bet Online Championship (UBOC)?

Tiffany Michelle: Sunday was the $2,500 buy-in $1 million guaranteed. I played it even though I don’t play short-handed poker. I can play six-handed, but I know there are a lot of specific strategies with regards to starting hands.

Doyle Brunson Draws Criticism for Barack Obama Tweet

It has been widely documented that longtime poker pro Doyle Brunson is quite the Twitter aficionado.  While Brunson, better known to his Tweeps as @TexDolly, typically utilizes his Twitter feed for updates on DoylesRoom, chatting with his celebrity friends, updating the world on his prop and sports betting, and providing the world with a seemingly endless stream of blonde jokes, a recent post about politics landed him in hot water.

On January 20th, Brunson decided to comment about President Barack Obama on his Twitter account with the following: “The Democrats say ‘give Obama time.’ Us Repubicans [sic] agree, 25 to life seems appropriate!”  The typo in that post was not the only thing that Brunson followers took offense to.  The ten-time World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet winner received a barrage of Tweets in response to the post.  A number of users re-Tweeted Brunson’s statement, while a large contingent chastised the poker pro for his comment.  Here is just a sampling of some of the less-than-positive responses Brunson received:

@JoTinsley: “@TexDolly what has Obama done that is criminal? Bush did warrantless wiretaps. Why isn't he in prison?”

@pattydukesny: “@TexDolly Really? Be a Republican but don't be an idiot.”

@pokerfire26: “@TexDolly It took years to destroy the economy and ruin healthcare do you honestly believe it can be fixed in one year”

More than one person suggested that Brunson’s distaste for the current administration stemmed from racially motivated feelings towards the President.  Brunson was quick to snap back at his critics, Tweeting the following statement just a few hours later: “Just because I don't like the way things are going with Obama's 1st year has nothing to do with the color of his skin. Stop the racist BS!”  He also blocked a couple of his critics from viewing his feed.

However, when one poster, @dfmaicher, informed Brunson that he would no longer be playing on DoylesRoom as a result of the statement.  “Texas Dolly” was apologetic towards the man, replying, “Sorry about that, I hope you reconsider leaving Doylesroom. But if you don't we still have 2,247,000 players left. Don't leave!!”  Since then, @dfmaicher has continued to probe Brunson for a more in-depth explanation of why he is not an Obama fan, but Brunson failed to respond.

One of the people to comment on the hot button Tweet was none other than Full Tilt Red Pro and 2006 WSOP Player of the Year Jeff Madsen.  Madsen respectfully disagreed with the living poker legend via his own Twitter feed, @JeffMadsenObv.  “I respect u doyle but it seems that ur politics aren't very informed are they. Don't listen to television,” wrote Madsen.  Brunson kept the disagreement relatively cordial when he responded to the young pro with this insight: “@JeffMadsenobv..Yep, when I was 23 years old, I thought everybody should get a handout too. Now, I know better, let em get out and work.”

The tiny Twitter spat between the two pros ended on a happy note when Madsen responded with a joke, a smile, and a correction: “@TexDolly hey hey hey! I'm 24!! ”  Madsen later responded to another Tweet Brunson directed towards a mutual friend, which is yet another indication that the two are more than able to agree to disagree.  That may not be the case for some of Brunson’s followers, but hopefully they can take a lesson from the two card players about how to keep their Twitter feuds civil and pleasant.

As for Brunson, he appears to have laid off the political Tweets for a while, although one of his latest blonde jokes had a Presidential theme to it: “Q..Name the most influential 1st Lady in American history...(hint...she was married to John Kennedy)...Blonde answer..Mrs Kennedy.”

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.

Jeff Garza Spits On Bryn Kenney at PokerStars Caribbean Adventure

Harrison Gimbel was crowned the champion of the 2010 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure (PCA) Main Event in the Bahamas more than a week ago, but the event is still stirring up chatter due to an incident involving two of the game's high-stakes online players that occurred during a $5,000 side tournament. According to sources that were close by, Jeff "ActionJeff" Garza spat on Bryn Kenney while Kenney was still playing in the tournament at the luxurious Atlantis resort.

News of the skirmish first broke in a thread on popular online forum PocketFives.com. Jordan "scarface_79" Smith began the topic, posting, "How is there not a thread on this?" Several others then stepped in and described what they saw and heard relating to the conflict.

"I was sitting at the next table over I think," said Jon “xxjondxx" Delong, who placed 22nd in a $1,500 event at the PCA. "Wasn't too exciting, just heard the dealer yell security and saying that someone spit in someone's face and saw someone who I guess was [Action Jeff] walking out of the room."

Shawn "jordankickz" Busse was also in the Bahamas while the conflict took place. "I didn't really see what provoked this nor did anybody else that I talked to," Busse said, "but Jeff just walked up to him and spit in his face then they started shoving each other before Jeff just quickly walked away once security was called."

The incident was merely speculation until Garza posted his side of the story on PocketFives.com and TwoPlusTwo.com.

"Bryn and I have personal issues unrelated to him multi-accounting dealing with large amounts of money," Garza said. "I was just ready to drop it and take the hit for making the mistake of dealing with a scumbag. My hate was reignited real strong when I kept hearing about him talking behind my back."

"I walked away after busting the $5K and Bryn was in my path," he continued. "He made eye contact with me as I was walking away, I gave him a [expletive] you and he smirks at me. I walked up to him and said something along the lines of 'don't look at me you thieving piece of [expletive]' and nudge him with my shoulder. At this point security gets called. He said something along the lines of, 'if I wasn't playing poker, give me one good reason...'

"So I gave him that good reason. And let's be clear here: No, it didn't miss, and yeah, it was right in his face, and it was a lot because I'd been putting down some water at the table."

Kenney was under fire following the 2009 PokerStars World Championship of Online Poker (WCOOP) Main Event after suspicions arose about Kenney multi-accounting under the name "Udon Wannit," who took second place in the tournament for $1,286,400.00. Kenney later confirmed that the account belonged to his brother, who was normally a low-stakes tournament player, which sparked debate among high-stakes regulars.

Garza's issues with Kenney date to a backing arrangement that they had in which Kenney ended the deal and owed Garza money. The two exchanged words in the thread on TwoPlusTwo, with Kenney backing up both the spitting incident and the money he owed to Garza.

"The only thing I did wrong was when he was in like $60K makeup I was losing a lot during the series and the $12K or whatever I owed him I couldn't give him right then since I was getting killed. Nothing else I have ever done to him was even close to in the wrong," Kenney wrote.

Garza concluded his take on the subject with the following post on PocketFives: "Bryn's my enemy and I have no respect for [him] and wanted to show it. I shoulda just knocked his ass out, but he refuses to fight and attacking someone when they turn their back is a bitch move."

Poker in Twitter: PCA Bahamas, Haiti Relief, and the Brunson NFL Jinx

Twitter has revolutionized social networking, and the poker world was not immune to its 140-character charms. Poker News Daily has been following poker’s hot young stars such as Maria Ho and Jennifer "Jennicide" Leigh along with more established players including Annie Duke and Andy Bloch, and even some of poker’s greatest legends – septuagenarian Doyle Brunson tweets on a daily basis,– to offer our readership an overview of what the most popular poker players are up to on Twitter.

These have been the most interesting Tweets since last Friday, encompassing players’ parting impressions from the Bahamas, their last goodbyes to the late Amir Vahedi, the drives to raise funds for Haiti relief and some NFL quandaries.

The end of the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure (PCA) involved many players complaining about the Bahamas prices, while others complained about the weather and a few even complained about customs on the way out. Vicky Coren had a late departure, and she tried to make the most of it: “Mmm, sunshine and cocktails. And who needs a book when you can listen to the on-hold music at Nassau Airport for only $200 a minute?" Fellow Brit Liv Boeree shared a sunny beach picture: “http://twitpic.com/yk7dh - photo from Bahamas... on the one good day of the whole trip.”

Vahedi was present in many poker player’s minds and Twitters as his funeral took place last Friday. Tournament director supreme Matt Savage summed everyone’s feelings in a poignant Tweet: “Spent the short fight to Burbank thinking about Amir and how his BIG personality will be missed! Hoping to say a few words today.”

The NFL kept a number of players glued to the television, especially those who had money on the line like Phil Hellmuth: “I liked Colts & Saints, but didn't bet, then Vikings (what poker player gets up that early?), finally bet $500 on Jets money line 3.15 to 1”. DoylesRoom Brunson 10 member Amit "amak316" Makhija had a hard time choosing his allegiances: “Done working out, goin to grind Sundays and watch football! Do I root for the jets (love underdogs) or chargers (love awesomeness)?” Alex Outhred enjoyed a last laugh: “#fondmemories of the Cowboy fan last night who scoffed at my purpotion that the Vikes had 'a chance' today”.  And Brunson bemoaned his wife jinxing his favorite team: “it happened again. my wife walks in the room....BOOM, touchdown for the team i'm betting aganist... geeeez”

The humanitarian disaster in Haiti brought up many initiatives to raise awareness and funds. Shannon Elizabeth made a heartfelt appeal to remind all of the tragedy: “Good morning guys-we made it to the end of the week, but not everyone was so lucky-take a moment 2 remember those who didn't....” Adam “Roothlus” Levy voiced a more ambiguous opinion: “It's remarkable how the average American is facing financial hard times but yet, there's an outpouring of donations to #Haiti. Just awesome!” Andy Bloch donated time and money and played a lot of poker to aid the cause: “Just registered for the last 11 Aid for Haiti tournaments on FTP... may need a lot of caffeine. Sending autographed DVDs as extra bounty.”

Some players used Twitter for its original purpose of keeping friends and family informed of what they were up to. Beth Shak commented on her recent move: “Haha my decorator said no large men in my bedroom in NY..I wntd a king bed!!thnk gd my bf is small”, while Ho complained of health issues: “Dear Immune System, Why do you insist on taking days off without notifying me first? Please come back soon. *cough* Thanks.” Justin “BoostedJ” Smith revisited an old hobby: “Going to the gun range..something I haven't done in a long time and is so much fun,” and Leigh introduced her new love: “I'm SO in love.... Here's her picture! http://tinyurl.com/ygk7jpm =)” Liz Lieu enjoyed stirring up some suspense with the cryptic remark “I've just said "I WILL" ”

Some Tweets remain unclassifiable and they are arguably the most fun of all. Anthrax's Scott Ian talked about music: “Song of the day: Pussy don't fail me now. Any one know who that is?” Kevin Smith talked about religion (and several other unpublishable topics): “I never cram my religion down anybody's throat, so I ask you don't cram atheism down mine. My life's so blessed I GOTTA believe in God.” Meanwhile, Duke's boyfriend, Joe Reitman, complained about his phone service: “Dear AT&T...if u are going to have huge billboards in a stadium my iPhone should get a signal in said stadium” "Poker2Nite" host Scott Huff takes the prize for the most random Tweet of this edition, with: “This morning NASA found cocaine near the space shuttle Discovery. Come on, guys, space isn't high enough?”

Visit Poker News Daily every Monday and Thursday for an overview of the best Tweets in the poker world.

Poker Players Get Ready to Storm Melbourne for the Aussie Millions

David Carruthers Gets 33 Months Jail Time in BetOnSports Case

In April, former BetOnSports CEO David Carruthers pled guilty to racketeering charges stemming from his operation of the popular online sports book. He faced up to 33 months in prison and a maximum sentence was handed down on Friday.

U.S. District Court Judge Carol E. Jackson sentenced Carruthers on Friday after he was indicted by a grand jury four years ago, according to an article that appeared in Business Week authored by Bloomberg. In court late last week, Carruthers expressed remorse for his actions: “I understand now that the business was operating outside the laws of the United States. I realize I made the biggest mistake of my life. I am sorry for the actions of BetOnSports and the trouble it caused.” The company purportedly raked in over $1 billion in 2004 alone, with Bloomberg noting that a whopping 98% of wagers came from customers in the United States.

Carruthers had been under house arrest in St. Louis since 2006, but found time to get out and stretch his legs as part of the St. Louis Marathon. BetOnSports had been traded in London on the city’s stock exchange and Bloomberg added that Judge Jackson fined BetOnSports $28.2 million. However, the firm owes creditors in the United Kingdom and would likely not be able to make good on the $28.2 million penalty. Attorney Jeffrey Demerath told the financial news outlet, “We won’t be able to pay the $28 million. We have an obligation under the laws of the United Kingdom to pay the creditors first.”

A bevy of guilty pleas were entered in the BetOnSports case. In August, the company’s founder, Gary Kaplan, pled guilty to violating RICO in a Missouri courtroom. Kaplan received more than four years behind bars for his role in the company as well as a $43 million fine, according to the AFP news service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Holtshouser commented in a press release distributed by the U.S. Department of Justice, “The prosecution and conviction of Carruthers is significant to the government's efforts at enforcement of U.S. laws against offshore Internet and telephone sports wagering businesses, because Carruthers was both a foreign national and a top executive of BetOnSports.” Kaplan was arrested in 2007.

In June, Neil Scott Kaplan, Lori Kaplan-Multz, and Penelope Tucker all entered guilty pleas in front of Judge Jackson in the BetOnSports case. Each agreed to hand over money in Swiss bank accounts, but would not face any jail time. Scott Kaplan and Kaplan-Multz also received time in a halfway house. An article that appeared in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch explained why the trio received significantly lighter sentences than Kaplan and Carruthers: “Assistant U.S. Attorney Steve Holtshouser said the sentences reflect the minimal roles that Neil Kaplan and Kaplan-Multz played, their lack of decision-making power there, and their willingness to surrender their BetOnSports money.”

The USA-facing online poker site Bodog, founded by Calvin Ayre, continues to accept wagers on sporting events. The site is in the midst of the National Football League (NFL) playoffs, which kicked off over the weekend. Carruthers assumed the head role at BetOnSports in 2004 after joining the company in 2000. Both the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) participated in the investigation of the former CEO. Besides Holtshouser, Steven Muchnick and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Birmingham led the case on behalf of the United States Government.

On Capitol Hill, the Poker Players Alliance (PPA) is carrying the flag for explicitly legal online poker in the United States. Financial services industry compliance with the regulations of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) was delayed six months to June 1st. The delay came after a November decision by U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke. Congressman Barney Frank (D-MA) is championing the cause on the Hill with HR 2267, which establishes a full licensing and regulatory framework for internet gambling outfits to solicit U.S. customers. The measure is up to 63 co-sponsors on both sides of the aisle, but would not permit online sports betting.

Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for the latest from the BetOnSports case.

Amir Vahedi Dies

Amir Vahedi was born in Tehran, Iran. Vahedi was a former Iranian soldier and he served during the Iran-Iraq conflict before becoming a war refugee and moving to the United States.

News of Vahedi’s death spread after his close friend Mark Seif posted following post on his twitter:

“I’ve just been told by close friends of Amir Vahedi, that Vahedi passed away in Las Vegas on January 8, 2010, due to complications involving blood sugar levels. Waiting for for more details. Devastating news. Very very sad.”

Many remembers Vahedi for his oversized cigars and matching personality. Vahedi was named no limit Texas hold ‘em player of the year in 2001 and was second to Men Nguyen for Card Player Magazine’s 2003 player of the year.

Year 2003 was his best year in poker resultwise, when he made to the final table of the main event of the World Series of Poker, finishing sixth and also won his first and only bracelet.

Vahedi won over $3.3 million in his poker career in live tournaments. His biggest cash, $446,292, came from winning $1,455 Limit Hold’em tournament in 2005 edition of the L.A. Poker Classic.

Vahedi also tutored of the actor Ben Affleck, after he was bitten by a poker bug.

Sources: pokerlistings

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Amir Vahedi Dies

Estonia Legalizes Online Gaming

Estonia, a small European country bordering with Russia, has recently legalized online gaming as a way to increase its tax income. The decision seems to have been aided by the success of the Baltic Poker Festival hosted by PokerStars.

For now, Estonian citizens will only be allowed to play on Estonian-based platforms such as Playtech's collaboration with the Olympic Casino Group, before opening up to international operators in 2011. This leaves the Playtech group in a very favorable position at the moment as the main provider of legal online gaming in the land. Playtech's Executive Manager, Mor Weizer, commented on this development: "We are truly glad of this opportunity to start our partnership with Olympic as the leading casino entertainment provider in Central and Eastern Europe."

Estonia is one of the smallest European Union (E.U.) countries, with only 1.33 million citizens. It borders north and west with the Gulf of Finland and Baltic Sea, respectively, as well as Latvia on the south and the Russian Federation on the east. Because of its bridging position between Europe and Russia, Estonia was invaded by the Soviet Union and Germany before regaining independence in 1991. At this point, Estonia started an aggressive and effective reform and growth program, which saw it become one of world's fastest-growing economies for several years. It joined the EU in May 2004 and was hoping to adopt the Euro as its currency by 2013. This is where online gambling comes in.

Estonia seemed a shoo-in for the Euro currency until the 2008-2009 economic crisis, which left it with the second most damaged economy of the EU, down by about 36%. A country must meet strict criteria to join the Eurozone and Estonia is taking pains to bounce back from the depression in time to join. The Estonian government hopes that taxing gaming operators will help revive its economy with the added income and influx of new jobs.

According to the Estonian Free Press, large international online gaming operators are currently showering Estonia with attention in the form of large advertising campaigns about upcoming services and there are rumors about millionaire investments planned for the country, which is seen as a gateway to the whole Baltic region's market.

Although online gambling remains a sore topic in the European Commission, where nations such as Germany and France block all online gaming in order to favor their state monopoly operators, more and more countries are opening up to its legalization and taxation. Estonia joins the likes of Belgium, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland and Sweden in creating legislation that allows online gambling, ensures it is taxed appropriately, and ensures its citizens are safeguarded against negative side effects like fraud, money laundering and underage gambling.

Evelyn Ng Interview with Poker News Daily

Poker News Daily: Describe how you got started in poker.

Ng: I took a job as a dealer in an underground poker club in Toronto. That's how I learned to play. I didn't really start playing until a year later. I wanted to do some research and read some books to get experience before I started investing my money.

PND: How do you continue to improve your game despite being in it for so long?

Ng: I take some time off in between tournaments, so I have that time in between to contemplate how I've been playing and the mistakes that I can fix. By the time the next tournament comes around, I'm amped up and ready to play.

PND: What area of your game have you been focusing on improving?

Ng: Some of the mistakes that I've made in the past include calling off too many times, so I'm trying to make a laydown every once in a while. I play so much Limit Hold'em that I think I'm used to paying people off all of the time.

PND: How did you become involved with Bodog and what makes the site so appealing to you?

Ng: I was really lucky. I had a sponsorship with another company. When my contract was coming up for renewal, I wasn't sure that it was the right fit. I decided to leave PokerStars and Bodog came up with an offer. I was thrilled about it. David Williams, who is my best friend, is with Bodog and I couldn't be happier. The company is very hip and they have a very youthful mentality. They do so much besides poker. They have a sports book and a music company.

PND: What advice do you have for new poker players just getting started?

Ng: Read as much as you can. Information is always good. It can't hurt to pick up a book. Also, stay within your means.

PND: What's it like being a top female player in a male-dominated sport?

Ng: I think it's definitely an advantage to be a female in the poker world. Sometimes, guys don't give us credit and it's good for a woman to be able to take advantage of that.

PND: Whose game do you respect the most and why?

Ng: Daniel Negreanu has been a huge influence on my poker game. He's been my friend and mentor. Throughout my poker career, he has really helped me. In the beginning, he wouldn't necessarily teach me strategy, but he taught me the lessons that I needed in order to become a professional poker player and have that professional attitude.

PND: Can you tell us about Daniel Negreanu's demeanor away from the poker table? Does he have the same animated personality?

Ng: Daniel is always entertaining. He makes jokes and does impressions. He's a great guy.

Ilari Sahamies writes about 2009: “Little more sense and I could’ve won 7 million”

Ilari “Ziigmund” Sahamies writes about his New Year’s partying at Tahko, Finland. Even though the party was a success, he lost his third tattoo bet.

Patrik Antonius and Ilari Sahamies were big winners in 2009 on Full Tilt Poker

Sahamies continues to tell that all the games in 2009 went very well, except when he lost 2,2 million dollars to Isildur1 and a bit less to some other players in December.

“I dont wanna say my all statements from every sites and cashgames last year but from Fulltilt I won 3,3 million…I should be fine with that but im not.Little bit more sense and I was winning like 7″, Sahamies writes in his latest blog entry.

Sahamies sets some goals for 2010 as well: he promises not to play when he is tired or in tilt.

The next time Ziigmund will play live is in Finland, in Helsinki Freezeout which starts this Friday.

Source: Ilari’s blog

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Ilari Sahamies writes about 2009: “Little more sense and I could’ve won 7 million”

UB.com, Absolute Poker Offering Super Bowl Tickets

Absolute Poker and UB.com, both of which reside on the CEREUS Poker Network, will award three $12,000 packages to the NFL’s flagship event.

Each package includes a pair of tickets to the game, $2,000 cash for travel expenses, four nights’ accommodation at Bold New Eden Roc, dinner for two at a highly-rated Miami restaurant, limousine transport to and from Dolphin Stadium and exclusive VIP access and table service at a top Miami nightclub.

There will be three qualifying “Touchdown” main events, each one carrying a $215 buy-in, taking place on Jan. 6, Jan. 13 and Jan. 20 at 9:30 ET.

Both rooms will also run lower buy-in satellites for the main events, which start at just $3.

Visit UB.com’s website or Absolute Poker’s website to learn more about the football promotion.

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.

Dominating Fantasy Football Week 17 with Online Poker Skills

Week 17 of the National Football League (NFL) will feature a hodgepodge of players competing for their spot on rosters in 2010. Players like Curtis Painter and Arian Foster will become household fantasy names on Sunday. How can you use your poker skills to navigate the murky waters?

Live and online poker players are top-notch when it comes to researching their competition. Ask any player in tournaments like the National Heads-Up Poker Championship and they’ll tell you that they research their foes prior to every match. Although Full Tilt Poker recently punished Brian Townsend for compiling hands Swedish poker pro Isildur1, the practice, even though it may be against the Terms and Conditions of many sites, is still somewhat commonplace.

Think about how much information exists on players. Online, sites like PokerTableRatings.com and HighStakesDB.com offer a significant amount of information on a player, including major hands played, notorious opponents, and career earnings. Behold the power of the internet, as more information than you can possibly stomach is at your fingertips. To survive Week 17 of the NFL in a one-week league or in the traditional fantasy playoffs, a bevy of research is needed.

Poker News Daily has partnered with Fantazzle.com, which specializes in one-week fantasy sports games, to bring our readers a free Week 17 contest with a $20 prize. If you win this “freeroll” and make a deposit of $50 using PayPal or a major credit card, you’ll take home five times the value of your prize. Fantazzle.com founder Ryan Parr told Poker News Daily, “Week 17 is all about strategy and skill. At a high level, any poker player thinks they have a chance of winning money. You know football, you think you know fantasy football, and you come on Fantazzle.com to win money because you’re more intelligent than the guy sitting next to you. Some days may be a little rough and some days you won’t get a feel for the guys you’re playing against.”

Fantazzle.com offers football, baseball, racing, golf, hockey, and basketball. The latter two sports are just getting into full swing, so even as the football season winds down, there’s still plenty of fantasy action to be had. Baseball is the second most popular fantasy sport behind football and its season kicks off in April.

If you think Week 17 in the NFL is a breeze to navigate, think again. In Week 16, the Indianapolis Colts, gunning for an undefeated season, pulled their starters in the third quarter and, as a result, were thumped 29-15 by the New York Jets and handed their first loss of the season. Fantasy managers who had their seasons riding on players like Peyton Manning, Reggie Wayne, and Dallas Clark instead watched Donald Brown and Joseph Addai scamper for touchdowns and Painter throw a pick-six. Clark had four grabs for 57 yards, while Wayne had a paltry three catches for 33 yards.

Meanwhile, the Chicago Bears versus Minnesota Vikings game turned out to be the shootout of the week, as the Bears won 36-30 in overtime. Minnesota had given up more than 30 points just once all season. Chicago quarterback and Vanderbilt University graduate Jay Cutler threw for four touchdowns for just his second multi-touchdown performance since Week 9. Vikings running back Adrian Peterson, who leads all tailbacks in fumbles with six, coughed the ball up in overtime to set up the game-winning score. If you think you know what’s going to happen on the field, think again.

Put those researching skills to the test. Who will dominate Week 17 in the NFL? Will the Colts, Green Bay Packers, and Arizona Cardinals rest their starters? Poker players should head to Fantazzle.com and give it a shot.

Mike Kosowski Wins $1 Million on PokerStars Million Dollar Challenge

Sunday marked the season finale of the “PokerStars.net Million Dollar Challenge,” which played out following NFL on FOX coverage. Mike Kosowski, a 9/11 first responder, banked $1 million after defeating show front man Daniel Negreanu heads-up.

Kosowski, who appeared on the fourth “Million Dollar Challenge” episode, battled Father Andrew Trapp, Iraq war veteran Denny Luna, and liquor salesman Brian Barboza in the Challenge of Champions. Trapp and Barboza both earned $100,000 on their preliminary episodes after defeating a PokerStars-sponsored celebrity and professional poker player. Kosowski won a single-table satellite after the contestants on his episode all lost in the first round to claim his seat in the Challenge of Champions.

Luna was the first player sent packing in the four-man tournament, which saw Negreanu serve in the role of dealer. Luna shoved with A-6 for 4,800 after starting with 20,000 and Kosowski made the call with pocket fives. The flop came 3-9-J and Kosowski was 78% to take down the pot and the turn came a five, leaving Luna drawing dead after Kosowski made his set. Kosowski, who hit the deck hard throughout the festivities, held half of the chips in play following the hand.

Barboza was the next to go. He raised to 4,000 pre-flop with A-8 of clubs and Kosowski, holding pocket eights, made it 8,000. Barboza shoved and Kosowski made the call to see the flop come A-5-3. Barboza had flopped a bullet to take a 95% lead in the hand and another five on the turn left Kosowski drawing to the case eight. Sure enough, the one-outer hit on the river, leaving Negreanu to exclaim, “I can’t believe I just did that.” Kosowski held a 4:1 chip lead entering heads-up play against Trapp.

In the final hand of the Challenge of Champions, Trapp called pre-flop with 6-7 and Kosowski checked his option with 9-5. The flop came 9-8-4 and Trapp made an elaborate “Little Engine that Could” reference. Despite the intimidation, Kosowski put Trapp all-in and the Catholic priest called with his open-ended straight draw. Trapp needed a five, seven, or 10 to hit on the river after a seven struck the turn, but an ace instead peeled off. Kosowski scooped $100,000 for winning the Challenge of Champions and received the opportunity to play Negreanu heads-up for $1 million.

Negreanu played for the Lili Claire Foundation, which would receive $100,000 from PokerStars if the sponsored pro emerged victorious. Holding Q-6, Negreanu raised to 2,000 pre-flop and Kosowski called with 5-7 of spades. The flop came Q-8-7, all diamonds, and Kosowski bet 2,000. Negreanu called with top pair and the turn came another seven. Kosowski fired out a bet of 5,00 after hitting trips and Negreanu once again just called. The river was a jack and Kosowski bet 5,000. Negreanu called and dropped a 28,000-chip pot.

Negreanu called pre-flop with K-2 and Kosowski checked with 6-5. The flop came 6-8-8, giving Kosowski eights-up, and he led out for 2,000. Negreanu came along to see a six on the turn. Kosowski open-shoved for 51,000 with a boat and Negreanu folded, despite saying, “I think you’re bluffing.” The hand propelled Kosowski to a 3:1 chip advantage.

On the final hand of the “PokerStars.net Million Dollar Challenge,” Negreanu pushed all-in with 4-K. Kosowski once again held 5-7 and called, saying, “Why not?” The flop came 6-9-K, giving Negreanu top pair and Kosowski a gutshot to an eight. One of four remaining eights hit on the river, giving Kosowski a dramatic four-outer with $1 million on the line. He told the assembled audience, “I had my miracles.”

The “PokerStars.net Million Dollar Challenge” has been renewed for Season 2, although its debut date has not been announced by the world’s largest online poker site. Check out our Mike Kosowski interview, conducted by Poker News Daily’s Dan Cypra.

GigaMedia Announces Quarterly Reports, Details on Everest Poker Sale

Fresh off the announcement of its partial sale of Everest Poker earlier this month, GigaMedia announced its second and third quarter 2009 financial results. In addition, the company provided insight into the sale.

During a recent investors’ conference call, many of the major players in GigaMedia were present to offer information on the company's second and third quarter financial results. Most of the thoughts of those gathered were focused on the sale of 60% of Everest Poker, the popular online poker room that is currently the on-felt sponsor of the World Series of Poker (WSOP). Arthur Wang, Chief Executive Officer of GigaMedia, stated he was there to present the overview of “where the company is and where it is going,” but first stepped up to offer reasons for the sale of Everest Poker.

“About one year ago, we began a strategic review of this business unit, an evaluation of where the market was moving and where we were positioned in relation to such movements,” Wang stated. “We determined that, despite our rapid growth and position as the fourth largest poker site in the world, a strategic move was necessary.”

Wang then ticked off a list of reasons for the divesture of a majority ownership of Everest Poker to Mangas Gaming. He cited current trends in the regulation of online gaming in Europe, where individual nations are setting up their own regulatory rules, which Wang stated is “limiting player pools to single country players and requiring heavy in-country investments in infrastructure and personnel.” This type of regulation, Wang noted, challenges the ability of a company such as GigaMedia to run an operation that encompasses the entirety of Europe.

Wang next said that the necessity to have an all-purpose operation - to not just offer online poker, but also the full range of products such as a casino, sports book, and other gaming outlets - was another reason behind the sale. Mangas Gaming, through its majority ownership, will be able to provide those operations. Finally, Wang stated that the continued presence of “poker competitors operating illegally in the United States” and the hundreds of millions they earn continued to hamper those companies that operate exclusively in Europe.

With the discussion of the partial sale of Everest Poker to Mangas Gaming complete, the presentation of the second and third quarter 2009 fiscal reports was made. Quincy Tang, Chief Financial Officer of GigaMedia Limited, presented a report that showed a drop in performance over the second and third quarters of 2009.

The consolidated results of both quarters was “worse than expected,” according to Tang. “Second and third quarter revenues were $37.7 million and $37.2 million, respectively; second quarter net income of $128 thousand and third quarter net loss of $2.4 million,” he said. Some of the reasons for the decline were attributed to the continued global economic downturn and its effects on player spending and the competitive nature of the industry, including the challenges faced from those companies that accept American action.

The partial sale of Everest Poker to Mangas Gaming will give GigaMedia an influx of $100 million early in 2010. After the deal was announced, GigaMedia stock rose to $4.24 on the NASDAQ exchange, where it can be found under the acronym “GIGM.” At the close of business for the Christmas holiday, GigaMediastock was trading at just $3.18, near the bottom of its 52-week range.

Annie Duke Launches MyMixedNuts.com

Poker players looking for a last-minute present this Christmas season can check out MyMixedNuts.com, a custom, mail order trail mix company brought to life by Poker News Daily Guest Columnist and “Celebrity Apprentice” runner-up Annie Duke.

MyMixedNuts.com allows customers – poker players and non-poker players alike – to choose from a wide variety of fresh ingredients to create the ultimate bag of trail mix. Ingredients available in the “Seeds and Nuts” section of the site’s store include almonds, cashews, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, peanuts, soy nuts, sunflower seeds, pistachios, pumpkin seeds, walnuts, and pecans. In the “Dry Goods” department, poker players craving foodstuffs like apples, apricots, bananas, blueberries, cherries, coconut, cranberries, dates, figs, ginger, goji berries, mango, orange peel, papaya, pineapple, and raisins will go home happy.

When Poker News Daily visited the site, we went straight to the “Goodies” section, where we could add “healthy” items like chocolate covered fruit, chocolate chips, malt balls, jelly beans, licorice, pretzels, M&Ms, Reese’s Pieces, and sesame seeds. Each trail mix ingredient varies in price and is measured by the ounce, ranging primarily between about $0.50 and $1.50. An easy-to-use front-end interface allows trail mix aficionados to create their ultimate concoction from the comfort of their couches.

A variety of pre-made mixes can be purchased for those who do not wish to create their own. “Annie’s Mix,” which includes raw cashews, raisins, semi-sweet chocolate chips, and banana chips, runs $12.99 for a 14-ounce bag, with $1 of every purchase going to Ante Up for Africa, a charity she founded along with actor Don Cheadle and Norman Epstein. Gummy fans can purchase a pre-made mix called “Gummy Delicious,” which contains sunny bears, dark chocolate chips, sour cherries, roasted and salted almonds, raw macadamia nuts, and golden raisins. This tasty treat will set you back $14.99. Sunny bears, by the way, are vegetarian and organic versions of the traditional junk food item.

Duke told Poker News Daily that when she used to purchase trail mix from the grocery store, she’d pick through it, tossing out components that did not sit well with her and leading to the idea to launch MyMixedNuts.com. Duke teamed up with “Apprentice” producer Ryan Simpkins and boyfriend Joe Reitman, with Simpkins’ mother handling the day-to-day operations of the site. Text found on MyMixedNuts.com explains, “You would understand that his mom must be supremely qualified to handle nutcases, so Annie and Joe were sold on the idea. Susan would handle each order with care and love.”

Free shipping is available for orders that surpass $40 and the site accepts PayPal, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express. It became a reality in recent days and will seek to make its mark on the made-to-order food world. Poker players looking for a memorable Christmas gift, New Years’ treat, or Valentine’s Day present can even get their loved ones a Mix of the Month Club subscription or a copy of the latest Land of Fruit and Nuts newsletter.

Duke is a sponsored pro of UB.com, joining top-tier names like 11-time World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet winner Phil Hellmuth, “Poker2Nite” host Joe Sebok, and 2009 CardPlayer Player of the Year winner Eric “basebaldy” Baldwin, who joined the site on Tuesday. UB.com happily accepts players from the United States and makes its home on the CEREUS Network along with its sister site, Absolute Poker.

Duke finished as the runner-up on “Celebrity Apprentice” to comedian Joan Rivers, who compared the poker pro to Hitler on several occasions. Nevertheless, Duke helped raise well over $700,000 for Refugees International and will now put her business acumen to good use with MyMixedNuts.com.

Happy Holidays from all of us at Poker News Daily.

PokerStars Million Dollar Challenge Winner Mike Kosowski Recaps Win

On the December 27th episode of the FOX poker game show “PokerStars.net Million Dollar Challenge,” Mike Kosowski, a first responder on September 11th, 2001, defeats Daniel Negreanu heads-up to earn $1 million. He sat down with Poker News Daily to recap his run.

Poker News Daily: Tell us how you earned a spot on the “PokerStars.net Million Dollar Challenge.”

Mike Kosowski: I think my dog, Joe DiMaggio, was one of the reasons I made it so far. When I won the 16,000-person online tournament, they tell you to make a video. I had an idea to use my dog. My son taped it and we put the dogs on the poker table with us. I said, “Sometimes, we can’t find enough people for a game.” The game happens to be Bella, my son’s dog, winning with a royal flush.

PokerStars liked it so much that they called me back. They re-interviewed me and told me I’d be an alternate. I flew to California hoping that I’d get on and, sure enough, I got picked as the first alternate. I lost and thought it was all over with, but they needed a fourth person for a sit and go to face Daniel Negreanu and I beat that field of three. I did well and got my shot against Negreanu, who is probably one of the best pros in the game today.

PND: How’d you convince your wife to let you film on your wedding anniversary?

Mike Kosowski: We were going out to put a down payment on a space for our 25th wedding anniversary when I got the e-mail saying that I was picked. She asked what I wanted to do and she knew it was my dream. She said when we get back, we’ll have the party, and that’s what happened. When you think about the odds, I have to consider myself to be one of the luckiest guys in the world. I survived 9/11 and the odds of me getting out of there that day were tremendous. Then, I won the show.

PND: Do you have any plans for the money?

Kosowski: The dog will get new bowls and bigger bones for Christmas. We’re talking to a financial planner right now. I was on a fixed income being retired before this. I’ll put away some for my son’s college and my daughter’s wedding. We’re also donating to two charities, the Families of Freedom Scholarship Fund and City Harvest.

PND: How did you get started in poker?

Mike Kosowki: I read “Super System” 1 and 2 and started getting serious around 2005. That’s when I showed my wife. I was watching the World Series of Poker and playing online. I walked upstairs and changed the channel on the television. My wife watched for about a half-hour and said that Daniel Negreanu was pretty good. I said I’d be playing against him one day and will beat him. Seven to ten days later, I had a dream about it. She thought I was losing it.

PND: You seemed to get run over by Joanna Krupa in your first match of the “PokerStars.net Million Dollar Challenge.” Did you take away anything from it that helped you succeed down the stretch?

Mike Kosowski: I was very nervous. Daniel was my coach and I lost. What happened was that I out-bet myself out of the game. I was backing out of a lot of hands and, even when I had a decent hand right before the end with A-7, she re-raised me and I folded. I got stuck with 6-9 and had to call. I was that low on chips and she beat me.

After that, the nervousness was over with. I thought the tournament was over for me anyway. We did the sit and go for a spot at the final table in another location and I knew I wouldn’t lose if I sat back and played my game. The sit and go went well for me. I had trip tens and trip aces to knock people out. Everything worked well in the first sit and go. In the second sit and go, which was for the shot to play Daniel, I was nervous again. I told myself that if I don’t stay aggressive, then I’m a loser. I caught some great cards to start and when I was chip leader, it was easy to make a few calls.

PND: How often do you play poker? Will you play more as a result of this win?

Mike Kosowki: I play $1 and $2 games with a few buddies of mine once a week and I haven’t been to Atlantic City in about six months. I chopped a tournament down there three years ago and go about three times a year. I’m not much of a big gambler, but I like to play online. I don’t think that’ll change much now.

The great news was that after I won, PokerStars offered me the chance to go to the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure for the Main Event. I’ll be bringing the whole family and get a shot at that tournament. I never thought in my life I’d be in a $10,000 tournament. My dad always told me never to bet anything more than what is in your pocket. I’m grateful to the people at PokerStars for letting me go.

The Season 1 finale of “PokerStars.net Million Dollar Challenge” airs on Sunday, December 27th following NFL coverage on FOX.

Allen Kessler Wins 2009 Bayou Poker Challenge Championship

Allen “Chainsaw” Kessler emerged as the champion of the Main Event of the Bayou Poker Challenge at Harrah’s New Orleans. A total of 80 players turned out for the $3,120 buy-in tournament and Kessler earned $71,000 after a four-way chop.

In addition to the prize money, Kessler took home a $10,000 seat into the 2010 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event in Las Vegas and $1,000 to use for travel expenses. In November of 2008, Kessler made the final table of the WSOP Circuit Championship at Harvey’s Lake Tahoe for $31,00. He claimed his first gold ring one year prior after defeating a field of 522 players in a $500 buy-in No Limit Hold’em event for $73,000. Kessler has shined on the World Poker Tour (WPT), where he’s made two final tables, including a third place showing in the Season 4 WPT Invitational for $20,000. In Season 5, he finished sixth at Foxwoods for $136,000.

Kessler entered the final table in New Orleans at the Bayou Poker Challenge as a 2:1 chip leader over his next closest competitor and never looked back. Taking ninth place in the Crescent City was Phil Hall, a 61 year-old software engineer. Hall hit the rails less than a half-hour into final table play after coming out on the losing end of a race with pocket fives against A-K when a king hit, but earned $8,300.

The next to go was Will “The Monkey” Souther, a pro from nearby Biloxi, Mississippi. In his final hand, Souther pushed all-in with pocket jacks, but ran into pocket kings. The better hand held and Souther was sent packing, $9,400 richer for his wear. Taking seventh place was Ben “The Destroyer” Mintz, who entered the final table as the third largest stack. He ultimately ran Q-J into pocket queens, earning $11,000.

Justin “Lockdowntex” Allen made history by finishing in sixth place at Harrah’s New Orleans. Allen took down last year’s Bayou Poker Challenge Championship to the tune of $158,000 and, when combined with a final table appearance at a WSOP Circuit Event Championship held in May at Harrah’s New Orleans, has made three straight Main Event feature tables at the casino. His sixth place finish this year was worth $13,000.

Fifth place in the 2009 Bayou Poker Challenge Championship went to Michael “Car Wash” Schneider. He was the field’s shortest stack entering the final table, but rebounded to earn $16,000. Four-handed, an undisclosed deal was forged. Officially taking fourth was Jim McBride, who earned $19,000. Third place belonged to Moutray McLaren, a poker pro from South Carolina. The official third place payout was $28,000.

Second place after the deal went to Ed Corrado, a retired player from Florida. He banked $44,000, falling short of only Kessler. The tournament’s ultimate champion told Bayou Poker Challenge officials following his win, “I really like supporting these events. These are great structures. It’s one of the best tournament structures I’ve seen for this buy-in amount.” Kessler then purportedly headed to the high-limit gaming area of Harrah’s New Orleans to celebrate.

Going on concurrently with the Bayou Poker Challenge Championship, and perhaps taking away from some of its luster, was an NFL game between the undefeated New Orleans Saints and the Dallas Cowboys. The Cowboys upended the Saints to snap the team’s perfect season on Saturday night in one of the biggest upsets of the 2009 NFL schedule. On Sunday, the city played host to the New Orleans Bowl between Southern Mississippi and Middle Tennessee State, with the latter winning the 42-32 shootout. Both games were played inside the Louisiana Superdome.

Harrah’s New Orleans serves as the final stop of the 2009-2010 WSOP Circuit schedule. The festivities begin at the urban casino on May 7th.

Daniel Alaei Wins at Bellagio, Captures First WPT Title

Alaei (pictured), a winner of two WSOP bracelets, added a WPT title to his resume after beating a strong final table at Bellagio, including former WPT winners Scotty Nguyen and Shawn Buchanan. At one point of the final Alaei was the short stack with only 8 big blinds, but managed to fight his way back to the heads-up against Josh Arieh and eventually to the victory.

First player of the final table was Steve O’Dwyer, who pushed his 19 big blind stack all in from the small blind with A-6 suited against Nguyen. Scotty quickly called with a pair of jacks in his hand and the flop of J-7-6 almost sealed the the fate of O’Dwyer. Ace on the turn gave him some more outs, but a four on the river meant that O’Dwyer was out in 6th Place winning $202,362.

Nguyen couldn’t keep up the pace though, as he was next player hitting the rail. After an under the gun raise by Josh Arieh, Scotty moved all in with 9-9 and Faraz Jaka repeated the move forcing Arieh to fold. Scotty was in a rough shape against a pair of kings Jaka had in his pocket. The board gave no help for “The Prince of Poker” and he was out in 5th place, pocketing $249,976 for his efforts.

A former WPT winner Shawn Buchanan couldn’t repeat the feat this time as he was ousted by future winner Alaei in 4th place. Buchanan moved all in with K-8, but was dominated by Alaei who had A-K in the pocket. Fourth place finish earned Buchanan respectable $333,302 in cash.

Three-handed play lasted only twelwe hands and the heads-up duo was set when Jaka moved all in with A-6 and Alaei woke up with K-K from the big blind. Alaei flopped a set and Jaka was out in 3rd place and $571,374 richer.

Josh Arieh started the heads-up play with a 2:1 chip lead, but Alaei turned the tide in just the second hand of the HU, when he won a coinflip with Q-Q against A-K. Alaei widened the cap between the two and almost had the victory in his hands when Arieh moved all in with A-7 against Alaei’s A-Q. Arieh luckboxed a seven on the turn and the pair was back in level.

But only three hands later Alaei got a revenge, when he flopped a top pair with T-8, on a T-5-2 board, against a pair of sevens. Arieh moved all in thinking his hand was good and the call from Alaei meant that Arieh was in a need of a miracle. Arieh couldn’t spike a seven on the turn or on the river though and Alaei was crowned the champion of the last WPT in 2009.

Here is the final payouts of the WPT Doyle Brunson Five Diamond World Poker Classic at Bellagio:

1. Daniel Alaei – $1,428,430
2. Josh Arieh – $952,290
3. Faraz Jaka – $571,374
4. Shawn Buchanan – $333,302
5. Scotty Nguyen – $249,976
6. Steve O’Dwyer - $202,362
7. Joe Cassidy – $154,747
8. Eric Hershler – $107,133
9. Curt Kohlberg – $76,183
10. Chad Batista – $57,137
11. John Juanda – $57,137
12. Lee Salem – $57,137
13. Mike Sowers – $47,615
14. Carter King – $47,615
15. Matt Waxman – $47,615
16. Joseph Elpayaa – $38,092
17. Brent Hanks - $38,092
18. Jamie Rosen - $38,092
19. Jeremy Brown - $28,569
20. Matt Stout - $28,569
21. Steven Landfish - $28,569
22. Farshad Fardad - $28,569
23. Antonio Esfandiari - $28,569
24. Joe Pulliam - $28,569
25. Steve Brecher - $28,569
26. Amit Makhija - $28,569
27. Michael McClain - $28,569

Source

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Daniel Alaei Wins at Bellagio, Captures First WPT Title

Mike Kosowski Wins PokerStars Million Dollar Challenge

Mike Kosowski, a first responder on September 11th, 2001, took down the “PokerStars.net Million Dollar Challenge” final table, defeating Daniel Negreanu heads-up and winning the $1 million grand prize.

The season finale does not air until this Sunday, December 27th, but the final results were leaked to the New York Post and confirmed independently by Poker News Daily. Kosowski, who is 53 years old, was trounced by model Joanna Krupa on the December 13th installment of the poker game show, ultimately falling with 6-9 against Q-J when he was running low on chips. Kosowski won a four-man single-table satellite to the finale after filming of the fourth show was completed.

A representative of the “PokerStars.net Million Dollar Challenge” told Poker News Daily via e-mail, “The biggest winner from every show got a seat. Since everyone on show four got knocked out in the first round, they played a consolation sit and go among the four contestants (two who made air, two who didn’t) to determine who would fill the final seat in the sit and go.” Kosowski emerged as the champion and went on to play against three other show winners for the opportunity to face Negreanu heads-up for $1 million.

According to the Post, Kosowski was an alternate to appear on the show in the first place and competed on his wedding anniversary. His wife was present at the taping, cheering the somewhat timid firefighter on. With his winnings, Kosowski told the Post that he would pay off his mortgage and donate a portion to an unnamed charity. Poker News Daily has arranged an interview with the game show’s winner on Monday afternoon, six days before the “PokerStars.net Million Dollar Challenge” Season 1 finale airs on FOX.

Season 2 of the show has already been green-lighted and any applications submitted after the Season 1 deadline will roll over to the new installment. Text found on PokerStars’ official website triumphantly declares, “Season 2 is on the cards! After the unprecedented success of our TV show, the powers that be have declared we will film a second season of the Million Dollar Challenge. Which means we’ll need more contestants - so more freerolls and more auditions. Stay tuned for further details.” The franchise went head-to-head with NBC’s “Face the Ace,” sponsored by Full Tilt Poker, a series that received lackluster reception and ratings.

The “PokerStars.net Million Dollar Challenge” premiered on October 11th, with Father Andrew Trapp taking home $100,000 and a chance to face the other show’s survivors for a shot heads-up against Negreanu. Trapp, a preacher from South Carolina, made waves as a religious figure competing on a poker game show. Celebrities like Super Bowl champion Jerome Bettis, Ultimate Fighting Championship’s Tito Ortiz, and former Playboy Playmate of the Year Jayde Nicole took to the stage to play contestants in the first round, with Negreanu seated alongside for advice and moral support.

If the challengers could make it past the PokerStars-sponsored celebrities, they’d face off against pros of the site in the second round. Those who appeared included GoDaddy Girl Vanessa Rousso, 2003 World Series of Poker Main Event winner Chris Moneymaker, and PokerRoad’s Barry Greenstein. Beat a pro and contestants moved on to face Negreanu heads-up for $100,000 and a seat at the Table of Champions, which will air on Sunday.

The “PokerStars.net Million Dollar Challenge” will air following NFL on FOX coverage on Sunday, which is football’s next-to-last week of the season. Viewers are advised to check their local listings for station and airtime information.

Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for an interview with Kosowski and a complete recap of the final episode of the season.

PokerNews Op-Ed: Top 10 Influential Books That Improved My Poker Game

Full Tilt Poker Bot Lawsuit Focuses on Attorney Background

While several litigations against Full Tilt Poker appear to be resolved or dead in the water, the online poker room is still not in the clear when it comes to a lawsuit accusing the site of unfairly seizing player funds, using bots on the site, and racketeering.

Poker News Daily first reported the story of Lary “pokergirl z” Kennedy in early October.  The gist of her rather complicated case is that Kennedy was accused of using a bot by another player on the site who was also a frequent poster in the TwoPlusTwo poker forum.  As a result of those accusations and Kennedy’s own admittance that she used another player’s account when her own screen name wasn’t eliciting enough action, the site seized the funds in her account, which amounted to just over $80,000.

After a long period of communication with Full Tilt, Kennedy decided that her best course of action was to file suit against not only the company, but also several individuals involved with Full Tilt, including Raymond Bitar, Howard Lederer, Andy Bloch, John Juanda, Chris Ferguson, Perry Friedman, and Patrik Antonius, just to name a few.  While the crux of the complaint centers on Kennedy’s alleged mistreatment by the site, it also levels numerous charges against two companies involved with Full Tilt, Vert Enterprises and Tiltware.  The charges in the suit include fraud, libel, slander, false advertising, and somewhat surprisingly, racketeering.

The invocation of the Racketeer-Influenced Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act stemmed from what Kennedy and co-plaintiff Greg Omotoy claimed were hundreds of illegal gambling transactions.  While most typically associate the RICO Act with mobsters and gangs, it is actually common when it comes to civil suits, as those affected by RICO are able to receive three times the amount of damages they would otherwise have gotten.

Nonetheless, the accusations, which include claims that Ferguson and Bloch created and implemented bots used on the Full Tilt site, has raised a few eyebrows regarding its legal merit.  Full Tilt, which is notorious for keeping mum in legal situations, spoke out against the suit, calling it “baseless” and “frivolous.”

Kennedy’s official website documenting the case shows no new information as of late and most of the attention following the announcement of the suit has been directed at her counsel, Cyrus Sanai.  The UCLA Law School graduate has been in the news before for another internet-related matter, a case involving California Judge Alex Kosinski.  In mid-2008, Sanai uncovered a number of lewd photographs on the sub-directory of a personal website belonging to Kosinski and filed a disciplinary complaint against the judge, who was in the midst of a high-profile pornography trial.  Some legal blogs like Overlawyered and Patterico have suggested that Sanai has a less-than-stellar reputation in some corners of the California legal community.

When Pokerati posted a story chronicling some of Sanai’s actions over the past couple of years, a commenter purporting to be Sanai posted rebuttals to the criticisms and directed the focus back to the case itself.  The comments stated that he tried repeatedly to resolve the matter with Full Tilt representatives and even sat down for a mediation session that failed to produce any results.  Within the comments, Sanai also expressed interest in learning more about other cases in which the site seized customer funds.

These sentiments are echoed on Kennedy’s personal site as well, which encourages anyone with a similar story to contact Sanai, who would consider taking on new clients on a contingency basis.

Sahamies believes that “Isildur1? will make a fast comeback

Ilari Sahamies writes about his games against “Isildur1″ in his latest blog entry.

Sahamies writes that he is up “million or two” against “Isildur1″ and feels bad about the last session with the Swede. Ilari tilted on that session and lost about 1,5 million dollars.

“I think he will be back soon there and I will play if he plays,” Sahamies writes.

Ilari has spent his time by decorating his new apartment and he is going join the new year’s eve party at Tahko. After Tahko he is going to fly to Bahamas.

You can read the whole entry here.

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Sahamies believes that “Isildur1″ will make a fast comeback