Poker News

Top Ten Poker Events of the Decade: Part 1

As 2009 prepares to fade into the pages of history, it will also close the doors on a decade that has been like no other for the sport of poker.

When the Third Millennium began a short ten years ago, poker could arguably be said to be on life support. A poker room in a casino was hard to find, there was only one prominent tournament schedule on the poker professional’s calendar, and the game had no place in the media. Poker was reviled as a pursuit of degenerate gamblers; those considered to be the best at the game had very little attention paid to them.

A decade later, the situation has completely reversed itself. Even the smallest casino, wherever it may be in the world, has a poker room. Bookstores have dedicated sections to house their wares of poker books and poker programming airs daily on television. Instead of just one tournament schedule, there are several offerings that require players to choose which one to participate in. Finally, poker pros are respected as adventuresome mavericks whose abilities, education, and intelligence are critical to their success.

With this in mind, Poker News Daily decided to look back at the last decade in an attempt to figure out what were the catalysts for such a return to prominence and what nearly derailed it.

10. Poker Rooms Make a Comeback

At the start of the 21st century, casinos across the United States didn’t consider poker to be a moneymaker for their operations. With that in mind, poker rooms were closed and slot machines began to invade their territory.

By the end of the decade, poker rooms, which had been near extinction only ten years earlier, obtained a greater prominence than they ever had in a casino. The live poker room should continue to be a staple of the casino world in the future.

9. Ultimate Bet and Absolute Poker Superuser Scandals

The ugly head of corruption and scandal arose when two of the most popular online poker rooms in the industry, Ultimate Bet and Absolute Poker, succumbed to “superuser” cheating rings. These cheating scandals allowed players to see their opponents’ hole cards, making it impossible to lose a hand. These rings - the Ultimate Bet group, which was allegedly led by former World Champion Russ Hamilton, and the Absolute Poker team allegedly led by former employees Scott Tom and A. J. Green - took millions of dollars off of unsuspecting players and gave ammunition to anti-poker zealots in the war against the game.

After outrage from the online poker community, both organizations made financial amends to those affected, but didn’t prosecute anyone for the operation of either scam. Today, the two sites are part of the same network and have seemingly recovered some of their former respect (including the recent certification from eCOGRA, the online gaming watchdog). Still, the scandal could have had a devastating effect on the online game and it has cast doubt as to the legitimacy of online poker, much like the Mississippi riverboat games of centuries ago almost stopped poker from becoming what it is today.

8. Amateurs Dominate WSOP Main Event

Throughout its early history, poker, and in particular the World Series of Poker (WSOP), it was the bastion of professional rounders willing to live life on the edge, to take thousands of dollars out of their own pockets and risk that they were the greatest poker player in the world. With the advent of satellites and online poker, where a player could get into a tournament for a significantly smaller fee, amateur poker players began to take a shot at the upper echelons of the game.

Since 2002, an amateur or previously unknown player has won the $10,000 Main Event at the WSOP and been crowned World Champion. Some, such as Jerry Yang and Jamie Gold, have stayed on the peripheral of the poker world and have arguably not done much since their victories. Others, such as Greg Raymer, Joe Hachem, and Chris Moneymaker, have continued to be at the forefront of the game, advocating in political circles for the regulation of online poker as respected professionals in their own right. Whether they have experience or not, amateurs have become a part of the WSOP.

7. New Blood Infuses the Game

All forms of business need an infusion of new customers to continue to drive their endeavors. Poker is no different. For some time, older players, mostly men, populated the game and the required influx of “new blood” was seemingly missing. Through the development of online poker, new players, both male and female, have made their marks.

In what was perhaps the most stunning tournament win of the decade, Annette “Annette_15” Obrestad’s victory at the inaugural WSOP Europe Main Event made her the youngest player to win a major championship and demonstrated that the youth movement in poker had arrived. In the last two WSOP Main Events, Phil Hellmuth’s longstanding record as the youngest ever champion has been eclipsed twice. As we look at the next decade, young players will continue to make their names in an arena that previously had been dominated by the “Old Guard” of the game.

6. Twice is Nice – Dan Harrington, Mike Matusow, and Jeff Shulman

With the growth of the WSOP Main Event, the odds of a player repeating as champion, as Johnny Chan did in 1987 and 1988, are nearly infinitesimal. The feat of making two final tables is nearly as difficult, but three men - Dan Harrington, Mike Matusow, and Jeff Shulman - managed to pull off the feat. While none won the tournament, the ability to make two final tables during the decade, against such sizeable fields, is definitely a significant achievement.

Harrington’s feat is arguably the best of the three players. Battling through, at the time, the two largest WSOP Main Event fields ever, the 1995 champion nearly captured his second title in consecutive years (2003 and 2004). Matusow announced his presence on the game with his first final table in 2001 and marked his resurrection as a poker player by returning in 2005. Shulman finished seventh in 2000 and came back in 2009 with a fifth place finish.

Poker Community Comments on Tiger Woods Infidelity

Much like the rest of the world, the poker community can’t help but comment on professional golfer Tiger Woods’ recent personal problems.  The world is buzzing about Woods’ car accident and various personal problems, including allegations of infidelity with at least a dozen different women.  While Woods has been busy issuing public apologies to his wife, Elin Nordegren, as well as his family, the poker community has been passing the time by poking fun at his unfortunate circumstances.

Ten-time World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet winner Doyle Brunson has been leading the online conversation about Woods with round-the-clock jokes about the golfer on his Twitter feed (@TexDolly).  Brunson took a break from his now infamous string of dumb blonde jokes to post a series of Tiger Woods-related barbs.  “Ping just made Elin an endorsement contract for a set of drivers to be named Elin Woods… ‘Clubs you can beat Tiger with.’” Brunson, an accomplished golfer in his own right, even got into the festive holiday spirit with his most recent Tiger-related post: “Santa said, ‘Ho, Ho, Ho’…Tiger said, ‘Where, Where, Where.’”

Full Tilt Poker pro Erik Seidel also got in on the fun via his own Twitter account (@Erik_Seidel).  The accomplished poker pro, who is renowned for having one of the funniest poker-related Twitter accounts on the web, has posted a couple of Tiger Woods Tweets of his own.  “Breaking News,” Seidel deadpanned on December 5th, “Las Vegas Review Journal reports rumors of a VIP hostess from Vegas who has not slept with Tiger Woods.”    Other people who couldn’t resist getting in a jab or two include Howard Lederer, Alex Outhred, and “Poker2Nite” co-host Scott Huff.

The online poker crowd got in on the fun as well.  When asked to comment on the Tiger Woods scandal, Adam “akat11” Katz couldn’t help but crack a joke.  “With a name like Tiger Woods, how could he not have a chick in every state and be well-endowed,” he joked with Poker News Daily.

Poker Savvy instructor Justin “jurollo” Rollo finds the Tiger jokes entertaining, but also expressed a little remorse over making fun of a man’s personal life.  “I'm conflicted on the Tiger issue,” Rollo explained to Poker News Daily.  “Part of me thinks he deserves the media blitz for what he did to his family, considering that he makes about 90% of his income from hawking products to the public. The other part of me feels bad for him and his family because they have to go through a terrible situation in front of cameras.”

Whether or not the media spotlight will let up on Woods any time soon is still up for debate, although it appears that the cable news networks’ obsession with the golf pro is not going to let up any time soon.  Perhaps the more interesting bet will be how long Brunson will keep up with the Tiger jokes before reverting back to the dumb blonde ribs that have become a trademark for him these days.

Barack Obama Poker Article Appears on Cover of National Journal

Since the inception of the game, poker has often been invoked as a metaphor for other parts of life.  Similarities have been drawn between poker and business, poker and relationships and, most recently, poker and politics.  The latest article to draw comparisons between government and gaming was recently published as the cover story of the National Journal.  The feature piece examines President Barack Obama’s tenure in office and draws comparisons between his political decisions and his poker game.

National Journal is a 40-year old weekly publication that covers the U.S. national political scene and emerging trends in policy.  The magazine is primarily read by the Washington political sect who, thanks to author Will Englund, now have some new insight on how President Obama’s style of poker play may be influencing his policy decisions.

Englund’s feature-length piece begins with his view on how poker imitates life.  In his words, “If there is a single game that comes closest to recapitulating modern existence – that both mimics and informs the logic of a cluttered, challenging, bewilderingly complicated, less-than-all-knowing, partially comprehensible human society – it is poker.”  As Englund notes, Obama is not just a metaphorical poker player, he is also an avid fan.  Fellow politicians and card sharks have referred to his playing style as cautious, patient and, oddly enough, conservative.  In other words, our President is a bit of a nit.

The article offers insight from both poker author James McManus, whose books include “Positively Fifth Street” and the recently released “Cowboys Full: The Story of Poker,” as well as Harvard Law School Professor Charles Nesson.  Nesson is also the founder of the Global Poker Strategic Thinking Society, a Harvard student group designed to promote how poker’s strategic thinking that may be applicable to other avenues of life.

In the National Journal piece, both Nesson and McManus described Obama’s style of play as traditional and Englund cites the game of Stud, in which players have ostensibly more control over each street of play, as the type of game in which the President would excel.  His work on public health insurance is used as an example of President Obama’s conservative and cautious style as well as his ability to keep his holdings close to his chest and not let the opposition know exactly what he is planning.

The analysis of Obama as a poker player also includes a discussion of botched bets and misplayed hands and offers some predictions about the type of strategic decision-making the President has in store for the future: “Look for Obama to stick with Stud, where memory and insight and experience and calculation rule the table.”

On the whole, the article praises the game of poker as a way to sharpen critical thinking skills.  Nesson speaks to the game’s practical application in politics, business, and day-to-day interactions.  The piece also traces the long and storied presence of poker in American politics.  Former President Richard Nixon was known to have funded his early political campaigns with poker winnings and several game theorists have served as political consultants over the course of U.S. history.  More recently Obama and several other politicians have openly admitted their fondness for the game.  Another example of a politician and poker enthusiast is former Senator Alfonse D’Amato, who now serves as the Chairman of the Poker Players Alliance (PPA).

The article is currently on the Journal’s official website, but it is only available to subscribers of the magazine.

Poker Psychology: The Complete Circle

The game of poker is warfare of an unusual type. You battle it out with chips and cards instead of armaments and physical strength, using conflicting information to make the best decisions possible. Some players come to the felt with a major part of their arsenal muted; they lack the psychological support to allow them to attack poker properly.

While many people talk about the mathematics, strategy, knowledge of opponents, and heart that it takes to play poker competently, most do not acknowledge that you need to have the psychological abilities to be at the maximum of your abilities. One of those psychological factors is having what I call “The Complete Circle.”

The Complete Circle is made up of three components: support from family, support from knowledgeable poker friends, and non-poker interests. If you have only one or two parts of this circle, you are not reaching your full potential.

The first part, support from family, is perhaps the most critical part of building The Complete Circle. For some in the poker world, they face ridicule and sometimes outright dislike from family members regarding their pursuit into the world of poker. It can be parents, a spouse, or any significant other who, if they do not agree with what you are doing, can cause you to have apprehension at the tables.

For example, look at many of the popular Asian players in the game today. In the Asian culture, gambling is looked at as the bottom of the barrel when it comes to society and can have an effect on the particular person’s game. You can read the stories of many of these Asian players that admit that they lied to their parents about their poker pursuits. It wasn’t until they rectified this situation and received the blessing of their parents that they were able to fully extend their skills at the tables.

When it comes to spouses or significant others, that can be even trickier. A partner, through repeated arguments about the money and time involved in the game, can induce a player to not be at their best. You probably have seen this in action at the felt… a player moves from the table to take a cell phone call, has their significant other badger them about when they will be home or a bill that could be paid with the chips sitting on the table, comes back, and they return on significant tilt.

It is critical to poker success to have your significant other firmly behind you in your chosen hobby or occupation. Why do you think most poker players have significant others that are involved in some way, either recreationally or professionally, with the game? It is not only a situation of “birds of a feather,” but it is also has basis in a firm understanding and support.

The second part of The Complete Circle, support from knowledgeable poker friends, is good for the growth of your game. Instead of ruminating about particular issues such as bad beats, the play of particular hands, or alternative strategies in the recesses of your own mind, having several poker playing compatriots to bounce these questions off of can expand not only your knowledge of the game, but also give you a fresh insight. These friends can come from a multitude of areas. Poker forums, for example, allow players to build a network of confidants.

The final part of The Complete Circle is non-poker interests. Do you truly believe that a radio DJ, after playing music for several hours a day, goes home and does the same? Do you think a mechanic, after grinding over vehicles for a living, goes home and works on his car? The ability to step away from what is a focal point of your life is important to keeping a fulfilling life.

While it is important to have a passion for the game of poker, it is also important to have outside interests that can release your mind from that pursuit. The change of pace is critical to recharging the batteries and perhaps even re-feeding that passion that is important to success. Having anything be a 24/7 pursuit not only leads to burnout, but it also stunts the ability to make adjustments to your mindset and skills to become better.

By having The Complete Circle filled, you will have made a substantive stride towards success at the tables. It will clear your mind, allowing you to focus on the tasks at hand, and will relieve outside pressures that can distract you from your pursuit at the tables. It is a segment of the psychology of poker that you can change to improve your game immediately.

Inside Gaming: Former NFL Pro Arrested; Casinos Off the Reservation

British Columbia Poker Championship Winner Sophon Sek Arrested

Less than a day after winning this year’s British Columbia Poker Championship and earning the first place prize of $364,364, 30 year-old Sophon Sek was arrested on charges of manslaughter and breaking and entering.  As a result, his prize money is being held at the casino at the request of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and there is a chance it will be confiscated from Sek altogether.

Sek is the sixth person arrested in connection with the Surrey Six murder case.  In October of 2007, six people were shot in the head and killed in the Surrey area high rise apartment building Balmoral Towers.  The murders are believed to be an act of gang violence, as four of the six victims were known to be part of the British Columbia drug trade.  The men suspected in the murders are members of the Red Scorpions, one of the largest and most influential gangs in British Columbia.  The Surrey Six slayings are considered to be one of the worst instances of gang violence in modern British Columbian history.

The Vancouver Sun newspaper reported that Sek is believed to be an associate of the Red Scorpions as well.  Statements from Corporal Dale Carr of the police force gave little insight on why Sek was arrested and faced lesser charges than the other five men previously detained in the killings, but the Sun reported that Sek is not believed to be one of the murderers. According to the paper, the RCMP believe that it was Sek who let the perpetrators into the high rise, though it is still unclear whether or not he was aware of their intentions.

Howard Blank, Vice President of the Great Canadian Gaming Corporation, reported that the RCMP requested Sek’s winnings from the $2,700 (CDN) buy-in event.  Sek outlasted a field of 679 players including poker pros Gavin Smith, “Yukon” Brad Booth, Mike “SirWatts” Watson, Tiffany Michelle, Maria Ho, Greg “FBT” Mueller, and Scott “BigRiskky” Clements, who made the final table, finishing in seventh place.

Sek was set to return to River Rock Casino in Vancouver, the site of the event, to pick up his winnings Monday, but his arrest prevented him from doing so.  He is currently being held in custody until his trial date on November 30th.  His lawyer, Alan Ip, spoke to the British Columbia Globe and Mail about the seizure of Sek’s winnings.  According to Ip, unless the money was taken as evidence in the case, it was unjustly seized.  Carr told the Sun he was not aware of the RCMP’s request for the casino to hold the funds and could not provide an explanation as to why the money would be seized in relation to the case.  Ip also emphasized how saddened his client was at the prospect of losing his tournament earnings, as he planned to pursue his love for poker and play in other events in the future.

One of the five other suspects in the case, Dennis Karbonavec, has already pled guilty and was sentenced to life in prison.  Following his admission of guilt, three others were arrested in relation to the case in April of 2008 and have been in pretrial custody ever since.  The charges against the men include first and second degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and various firearms-related charges.

This is not the first time Sek has had a run in with the police.  He was previously charged with possession of an unlicensed firearm in July of 2008.

Frenchman Fabrice Soulier Signs with Everest Poker

Everest Poker, an independent online poker site, is continuing to build its influence in France by signing Fabrice Soulier. 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event third place finisher and fellow French player Antoine Saout is also a sponsored pro of the site.

A press release distributed by Everest Poker claimed that the move to sign Soulier was made in order to reinforce “its presence in the country in a continued effort to develop poker in France ahead of the opening of the market.” Soulier has a wealth of live poker cashes dating back to before Chris Moneymaker bested Sammy Farha in the 2003 WSOP Main Event. In 2001, he won the Grand Prix de Paris for over $50,000 and, the next year, finished as the runner-up in a $500 buy-in tournament during the Jack Binion World Poker Open in Tunica for $41,000.

In 2006, Soulier made his presence felt on television, taking fifth in the World Poker Tour’s (WPT) Bay 101 Shooting Star tournament for $240,000, an event ultimately won by Nam Le. Soulier won a €1,000 buy-in event as part of the Deauville Poker Festival in late 2007 and went on to win the Marrakech Poker Open’s Main Event for $135,000 two years later. During the recently-held 2009 WSOP, he took 49th in the Main Event for nearly $140,000 and recorded six other cashes.

A press release distributed by Everest Poker explained Soulier’s influence within France: “He is a regular at key French poker rendezvous throughout the year and has participated in a number of television shows and projects which have helped improve and develop the perception of the game in France and mold the poker scene into the mature and leading market that it is today.”

According to PokerScout.com, Everest Poker is the sixth largest site or network worldwide with a seven-day running average of 2,350 real money ring game players. During its peak hours, which occur in the evening throughout Europe, over 5,000 competitors can be found battling it out on Everest Poker’s virtual felts. At the time of writing, which is early afternoon in London, a total of 2,912 cash game players are logged in. Everest Poker does not accept players from the United States and its traffic is similar with that found on the CEREUS Network, which includes the newly-branded UB.com and Absolute Poker. It is the official on-felt sponsor of the WSOP.

A French news outlet in Las Vegas during the conclusion of the 2009 WSOP Main Event told Poker News Daily that Saout winning the $10,000 buy-in tournament would likely result in a poker renaissance in the European nation. Every hand won by the Frenchman led the site to blog with earnest. However, Saout ultimately finished third after his pocket queens could not withstand champion Joe Cada’s pocket deuces when the flop fell 7-2-9. Saout came out on the short end of a race shortly thereafter with pocket eights against Cada’s A-K when a king hit on the river. The two unfortunate hands ended Saout’s run at the Main Event title, but he earned $3.5 million for his efforts.

According to an update provided last Sunday on PokerScout.com, Everest Poker has seen its traffic slide 3% year over year. Contrastingly, traffic on Full Tilt Poker and the Entraction Network has grown by 110% and 65%, respectively.

WSOP Main Event Runner-Up Darvin Moon to be Featured During Patriots/Saints Game

On Monday night, Week 12 of the National Football League (NFL) will conclude with the 7-3 New England Patriots visiting Louisiana to take on the undefeated New Orleans Saints. Featured during the game will be 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event runner-up Darvin Moon.

Kickoff is scheduled for 8:30pm ET and the contest will air on cable station ESPN in the United States. It was believed that Moon would be present for the on-field coin toss, when teams choose whether to kick or receive and which goal to defend. However, the rumor ultimately proved to be false. Instead, Moon will be present in the Saints locker room during pre-game festivities and will be recognized on both ESPN as well as the Superdome’s massive screen. The stadium holds 70,000 rabid fans and is completely sold out for the primetime contest.

The game marks one of two Monday night tilts for the Saints this season. The club defeated the division rival Atlanta Falcons earlier this month 35-27 in front of a national viewing audience. Greg Bensel, Saints Vice President of Communications for the NFL team, told Poker News Daily, “Darvin is a guy that we have followed while he made his miraculous run in the Main Event. He first came to our attention as the lone guy in the tournament that refused money so he could keep his Saints hat on. He is a typical Saints fan – passionate and in love with his team – and we are proud to call him a friend of our team and a true Saints fan.”

In the early morning hours of November 10th, Moon fell to Michigan pro Joe Cada heads-up in the finale of the $10,000 buy-in tournament. In the process, Cada became the youngest WSOP Main Event champion ever at the tender age of 21, eclipsing Peter Eastgate’s standing record, set in 2008, by one year. Moon banked $5.2 million in the process and outlasted all but one player in the field of 6,494. He elected not to sign any logo deals for the final table or throughout the tournament, instead wearing a Saints hat and a Wheeling Island Hotel Casino shirt. Moon purportedly requested a one-off logo deal for $350,000, but could not reach an agreement with any company.

Moon will be seated in Bensel’s box during the game. The Maryland logger has been discussing the event with the media for some time now and also claimed that the Saints granted him season tickets. The Saints have been a juggernaut on offense this year, reminiscent of Moon’s run down the stretch in the Main Event. The club has scored 30 points in all but three games this season and bested the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last week by 31 points. Quarterback Drew Brees, a Purdue product, is sixth in the NFL in passing yards with 2,746 and first in touchdowns with 22. He was the first quarterback taken in many fantasy football leagues this season coming off a career best 34 touchdown performance in 2008; he’s on pace for 35 this year.

Monday Night Football airs on ESPN, the same station that owns the broadcast rights to the WSOP. The longtime football staple formerly aired on ABC before making the move to its sister station, ESPN; Disney owns both. ESPN formerly carried Sunday Night Football, which now makes its home on NBC.

We look forward to seeing Moon on Monday night. Are you ready for some football?

Poland Limits Gambling, Poker to Brick and Mortar Casinos

Poland’s Senate approved a measure limiting gambling to casinos, stunting access to poker and other games outside of a structured establishment. The bill cleared the Senate by a 48 to 3 margin, with 30 lawmakers not voting.

The Krakow Post noted that the new crackdown on gambling outside of licensed casinos may also spell trouble for internet gambling and online poker: “The legislation also affects Internet gambling, which will no longer be allowed under Polish law. However, the enforcement of this aspect of the bill will inevitably prove much more difficult than even the removal of thousands of slot machines.” Around 50,000 slot machines, which can be found in places like bars and restaurants around the country, will be removed as a result of the new law.

Polish President Lech Kaczynski must still apply his John Hancock to the piece of legislation in order for it to become official. The Post quoted Poland’s Prime Minister as saying that he expects Kaczynski to sign by the end of the month. In addition to ridding the European country of 50,000 slot machines and potentially slowing the growth of internet gambling, the bill passed by Polish lawmakers also sets a legal gambling age of 18.

The Agence France Presse, or AFP news service, shed some light into this month’s vote: “The decision by parliament comes nearly a month and a half after [Prime Minister] Tusk was forced to sack several key ministers and political allies over allegations of influence peddling within his cabinet regarding the gambling legislation.” World Bulletin explained what a portion of the funds raised will be used for: “Tusk has said the restrictions will prevent young people from becoming addicted to gambling. The government will funnel tax revenues raised under the bill into foundations promoting physical education and culture.”

No general election is scheduled in Poland until 2011 and the scandal in question involved casino owners. The new bill also increases the tax rate on casinos, helping raise additional money for Poland’s government. On the TwoPlusTwo forums, a translated article that originally appeared on Bankier.pl revealed that the tax rate on tournament poker would also increase as part of the new measure, although this component was not reported by the AFP or World Bulletin. TwoPlusTwo poster “novahunterpa” commented, “Looks like every country is either trying to ban online poker and gambling or restrict it to state monopolies.”

One month ago, Poland saw the invasion of the PokerStars-sponsored European Poker Tour (EPT), which made its annual stop in Warsaw. The 25,000 PLN buy-in event was held at the Casinos Poland Hyatt Regency and French businessman Christophe Benzimra emerged victorious from the 203 player field. The online poker site claimed that EPT Warsaw was one of the largest poker tournaments ever held in Poland. No indication has been given as to whether the new law will affect the EPT’s Season 7 Warsaw stop.

Among those keeping a watchful eye on the situation in the European country was Interactive Media Entertainment and Gaming Association (iMEGA) Chairman Joe Brennan, who told Poker News Daily, “The genie is out of the bottle when it comes to online gambling. Whether it’s restricting it for consumer protection or guaranteeing the franchise for Poland’s brick and mortar casinos, the fact is that the Polish people have already voted with their feet, their wallets, and their computers by seeking out online gambling. Poland is going to have a hard time putting the genie back in the bottle, as would any country.”

Notable poker personalities hailing from Poland include Poker Hall of Fame member Henry Orenstein, a WSOP bracelet winner who also invented the hole card camera. Orenstein was born in Hrubieszów and currently lives in the United States. Michael Gracz was born in Warsaw and, like Orenstein, now calls the USA home.

PokerStars Million Dollar Challenge: Brian Barboza Wins $100,000

The PokerStars.net Million Dollar Challenge returned on Sunday to Fox following NFL coverage and saw Brian Barboza take down a celebrity, a poker pro, and show front man Daniel Negreanu en route to a $100,000 payday and a trip to the 2010 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure.

Before Barboza, Oluwasegun “Big Mike” Odumuyiwa, a former defensive end from Northville, Michigan, took to the stage and squared off against Super Bowl champion Jerome Bettis, who won a ring as a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers. In the first round, blinds began at 400-800 and each player began with 20,000 chips. Negreanu could give players advice as needed, but was unable to see anyone’s hole cards. Odumuyiwa had one time out to use at any point to seek advice.

In a key moment, Odumuyiwa called pre-flop with J-3 of spades and Bettis raised to 10,000 with pocket nines. Odumuyiwa used his time out, with Negreanu telling him to fold J-3 and come out firing in future hands. Odumuyiwa obliged and then promptly pushed on the next hand with just 6-3 before the flop. Bettis looked down at A-5, called, and the board ran out 9-8-9-K-7. Bettis took home $5,000 for charity and that was all she wrote for Odumuyiwa, who departed empty-handed.

The next contestant to take to the stage was Barboza, a 31 year-old salesman from Massachusetts. He faced former Playboy Playmate of the Year Jayde Nicole in the first round. Only three hands from the match were shown and, in the final pot, Barboza raised all-in with K-7 of clubs pre-flop and Nicole called for her stack with A-8 of hearts. The flop came 9-6-10 and the turn came a jack. Barboza needed a king, queen, or eight to hit on the river and, sure enough, a queen fell, giving the challenger a king-high straight and a $5,000 trip to the 2010 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure.

For his next trick, Barboza took on Team PokerStars Pro member Vanessa Rousso. In the second round, Negreanu could see Barboza’s hole cards and communicate with the amateur via headset. Rousso, in turn, could invoke the Dome of Silence twice, cutting off all communication between Negreanu and Barboza. To ensure a fast-paced match, each player started with 20,000 in chips and blinds began at 1,000-2,000. In the key hand of the battle, Rousso called pre-flop with A-6 and Barboza picked up Q-2. Negreanu told him to push in order to pick up the blinds and he obliged. Rousso snap-called, but the queen of spades hit on the flop. Negreanu actually called for the card to come and Barboza took a 34,000-6,000 edge in chips.

In the final hand between Rousso and Barboza, the former was all-in and dominated with 8-5 against J-8. The board ran out 6-J-9-3-K, giving Barboza $25,000. He was then faced with a decision to take the money or risk it all for a chance at $100,000. He selected the latter option and faced Negreanu heads-up.

Barboza nearly doubled Negreanu up with A-4 against A-J, but the board ran out 2-3-3-2-7, giving both players deuces and threes with an ace for a chopped pot. In the final hand, Negreanu called with 8-2 of clubs pre-flop and Barboza knocked the table with J-2. The first three cards came 8-3-J, giving Negreanu middle pair and Barboza top pair. Barboza bet 4,000, Negreanu shoved, and Barboza called, having the PokerStars pro covered. The turn and river fell a four and a king, respectively, giving Barboza $100,000 and a shot at $1 million.

The $100,000 winners will play in the show’s final episode next month for a chance to play Negreanu heads-up for $1 million.

Spencer Bachus, Jon Kyl Issue Letter to Timothy Geithner, Ben Bernanke

Recently, two high-powered, longtime opponents of internet gambling issued a letter to Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke and U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner calling for the compliance date of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) regulations (December 1st) to be enforced.

The date is now 10 days away and approaching rapidly. Last month, the Poker Players Alliance (PPA) teamed up with the National Thoroughbred Racing Association and American Greyhound Track Operators Association to issue a letter to the same two government officials. Following the letter by the PPA was one authored by 19 Congressmen belonging to the House Financial Services Committee, of which Barney Frank (D-MA) is the Chair.

Congressman Spencer Bachus (R-AL) and Senator Jon Kyl (R-AZ) explained in their own letter, “We strongly oppose this request and believe there is no justification for delaying the compliance deadline of the UIGEA regulations.”

The letter, dated earlier this month, outlines the passage of the UIGEA and the approval of its regulations, which went into effect on January 19th as so-called “midnight rules” by the outgoing Bush administration. The Republican duo notes, “If the Final Rule represented an ‘unreasonable burden on regulators and the financial services industry,’ as certain other Members have claimed, then the Treasury Department and the Federal Reserve could have reconsidered the regulations.” The letter adds that the Truth in Lending Act, whose regulations were issued in August, accommodated the UIGEA.

All told, Kyl and Bachus, staunch opponents of internet gambling, give their stance on the letter writing campaign by the PPA and Financial Services Committee members: “This is a blatant attempt to circumvent the democratic process by influencing the Treasury Department and the Federal Reserve to take action that cannot possibly be enacted by Congress.” On Capitol Hill, the United States legislative body is in the midst of a debate about massive health care expansion.

Two bills, both introduced by Frank, have the potential to change the landscape of the internet gambling industry in the United States as December approaches. The first, HR 2267, establishes a full licensing and regulatory framework for the online gaming outfits in the United States. The measure received its 63rd co-sponsor last week after its introduction in May. The second piece of legislation, HR 2266, delays mandatory compliance with UIGEA regulations by one year to December 1st, 2010. HR 2266 is up to 53 co-sponsors on both sides of the aisle. The House Financial Services Committee has scheduled neither HR 2266 nor HR 2267 for markup.

The letter from the two lawmakers concludes, “Simply delaying the compliance date serves no interest except that of the internet gambling enterprises that have long evaded American gambling laws and will continue to do so until effective enforcement is in place.” Kyl is a third term Senator from Arizona and the current Senate Minority Whip. His counterpart in the Western state is also a Republican, former Presidential candidate John McCain. Bachus was elected to the House of Representatives in 1992 and is the Ranking Member of the Financial Services Committee, which includes 30 Republicans and 42 Democrats.

Neither Geithner nor Bernanke has responded to any of the three letters as of the time of writing. John Pappas, Executive Director of the PPA, told Poker News Daily that a January markup of HR 2267 is a possibility, although no timetable has been set in stone. Blocking of legal online gambling transactions led the two horse racing organizations to become involved. Similarly, in North Dakota and New Hampshire, major credit card companies denied legal online lottery purchases due to “overblocking.”

The effect that the December 1st deadline will have on the industry is not yet known. Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for the latest poker legislation headlines.

Overheard at High Stakes Poker Season 6 Taping

Last week, the sixth season of GSN’s cash game franchise “High Stakes Poker” was filmed at the Golden Nugget in Downtown Las Vegas. Some of the game’s best turned out for the three days of taping and sat down with Poker News Daily to discuss their thoughts headed into the suite.

Barry Greenstein will once again raise money for charity during Season 6 of “High Stakes Poker,” which will feature tournament hostess Kara Scott conducting interviews from the floor and Gabe Kaplan flying solo in the booth sans A.J. Benza. Greenstein is set to utter the most feared three words in all of poker sometime during the sixth season, “bing, bang blaow,” for charity. He told Poker News Daily, “One of the problems with it is that it’s like trash talking. Normally, it’s not classy to beat someone in a big pot and then talk trash. Each of the last couple of years, with the ‘Math is idiotic,’ I beat Tom Dwan and drew out. With the ‘lol donkaments,’ I told Erick Lindgren ahead of time that I was going to do it.” For uttering popular phrases throughout the years, Greenstein has truly earned his nickname as the “Robin Hood of Poker.”

Besides “High Stakes Poker,” Daniel Negreanu has taken to the television airwaves for the “PokerStars.net Million Dollar Challenge,” which returns this Sunday following NFL football on Fox. Negreanu discussed how the show has been received so far: “We couldn’t be happier. It came in off ‘Face the Ace,’ which got bad ratings. ‘Million Dollar Challenge’ was one of the highest rated shows and did amazingly well. The time slot is perfect following football and the production quality is so much better. Everything has a game show feel.”

On the mind of “High Stakes Poker” newcomer Dennis Phillips was the win by fellow Team PokerStars Pro member Joe Cada in the 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event. Phillips finished third in the $10,000 buy-in feature tournament last year to the tune of $4.5 million; Cada’s win this year was worth $8.5 million. Phillips explained, “He was 21 and just won $8.5 million. He has a good head, talks well with the media, and wants to promote poker. We just need to make sure it goes the right way and he and I will be talking off and on.” PokerStars has produced several recent WSOP Main Event champions, including Chris Moneymaker (2003), Greg Raymer (2004), Joe Hachem (2005), Peter Eastgate (2008), and Cada (2009).

Phil Laak, who was an alternate for the sixth season of “High Stakes Poker” and wound up filming, told Poker News Daily about his experience at the 2009 WSOP Main Event final table, which unfolded at the Rio: “It was the second time in 10 years that I went to see it. I had never been in the Penn and Teller Theater in my life and I haven’t seen the show either.” Laak and Antonio Esfandiari instigated a number of prop bets during Season 5 of “High Stakes Poker,” one-off events that producer Mori Eskandani has apparently frowned upon during the show’s most recent installment.

Besides Phillips, another newcomer to the GSN poker series this time around is Lex “RaSZi” Veldhuis, who final tabled the $40,000 buy-in tournament commemorating the 40th running of the WSOP in 2009. Veldhuis told Poker News Daily how he stacks up against the talented competition: “I’ve played with these guys before, so I’m comfortable with them and I’m comfortable with my game. I just hope I can win some money because the show is a small sample. There’s going to be really high variance and I won’t have a lot of hands. It’s gambling, so in that respect, I think it’s higher stakes.”

Season 6 of “High Stakes Poker” will begin airing on Sunday, February 14th on GSN.

Two more take Pokerstars’

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Live Durrrr Million Dollar Challenge Kicks Off in London

Tuesday marks the beginning of the live version of the Tom “durrrr” Dwan Million Dollar Challenge, which is unfolding in London. The festivities will see Dwan battle Ilari “Ziigmund” Sahamies, Sammy “Any Two” George, and Marcelo “luckexpress” Marigliano.

The match’s format is simplistic. Dwan will take on each opponent across 500 hands of No Limit Hold’em or Pot Limit Omaha. The series has a buy-in of $500,000 and neither player is permitted to leave the table until they are broke or the requisite number of hands has been played. The price of poker is $500/$1,000.

Eddie Hearn, who is organizing the gala on behalf of Matchroom Sport, commented in a press release distributed on Monday, “The stage is set for Tom to make history in London this week. The opponents are ready. Tom Dwan is the biggest draw in poker and to have a TV show in his name at such a young age shows the commercial power of the man. Poker is changing and we are delighted to be at its cutting edge.”

Tuesday’s action will see Dwan tangle with George in No Limit Hold’em. Dwan will then return on Wednesday to face Marigliano, also in No Limit Hold’em. The final match of the week occurs on Thursday, with Sahamies electing to play Dwan in Pot Limit Omaha. The action runs from 2:00pm to 2:00am daily at the Les Ambassadeurs Club in Mayfair. The gala will be filmed for television and can be seen on Sky Sports next year in the U.K. It is sponsored by Full Tilt Poker, which recently signed Dwan to its stable of sponsored pros.

On the prospects of facing one of the most hyper-aggressive players in the game today, Sahamies told Matchroom Sport, “I am always excited to play my good friend Tom. He is one of the best Hold’em and Pot Limit Omaha players in the world and when I heard about the challenge, I couldn‘t wait to sign up. With the gambling, the side-bets, the partying, and the drinking in London, this is going to be a whole lot of fun.” Dwan issued a challenge to Swedish online poker player Isildur1 to take on the American in London, but, as of the time of writing, Isildur1 has not yet obliged.

The live Durrrr Challenge was originally scheduled for two months ago following the 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Europe schedule in London. However, Dwan reached the semi-finals of the Poker Million, creating a scheduling conflict. Las Vegas was then brought up as a possible site for the competition before Hearn and company settled on mid-November in London. Dwan finished seventh in Heat 3 of the PartyPoker World Open last month and took ninth in the NBC National Heads-Up Poker Championship in March for an even $25,000.

Last week, Dwan was in Downtown Las Vegas filming the sixth season of the GSN poker franchise “High Stakes Poker” at the Golden Nugget. The series, which will air in February, was also slated to feature George, who wound up not participating. Those facing off on the sixth cycle of the popular cash game program include Patrik Antonius, David Benyamine, Doyle Brunson, Eli Elezra, Antonio Esfandiari, Barry Greenstein, Phil Hellmuth, Andreas Hoivold, Phil Ivey, Phil Laak, Mike Matusow, Daniel Negreanu, Dennis Phillips, and Lex Veldhuis.

The online version of the Durrrr Challenge between Dwan and Patrik Antonius has come to a screeching halt as a result of Dwan’s hectic schedule. After 27,185 hands, Dwan leads by $779,000. If the youngster is up by at least $1 at the conclusion of 50,000, Antonius will owe $500,000. If Antonius is up by at least $1, Dwan will pay $1.5 million. In either case, the victor keeps the spoils of the 50,000 hands.

Kentucky Cabinet Secretary Discusses Internet Gambling Battle

One month ago, the Kentucky Supreme Court heard arguments in a case that pits the state’s Justice and Public Safety Cabinet against the owners of 141 internet gambling domain names, including those belonging to industry titans like PokerStars and Fill Tilt Poker.

Heading the Cabinet is J. Michael Brown, who was present during oral arguments in the Frankfort courtroom and brought the legal action against the domain names in question one year ago. Brown told Poker News Daily that nothing discussed during the October 22nd hearing caught him off-guard. He added, “In discussing some of the procedural background, members of the court touched on some of the underlying issues, everything from whether a domain name is a device and how a device is defined to what measures the Commonwealth can employ to defend itself against unregulated internet gambling.”

Representing the internet gambling sites were a consortium of lawyers, including those from the Interactive Media Entertainment and Gaming Association (iMEGA), the Interactive Gaming Council (IGC), and several of the targeted sites. Despite the large presence of trade organizations during the proceedings, Brown and company questioned why no domain owners had come forth to defend themselves. The Secretary told Poker News Daily, “Who were the stakeholders on the other side? There didn’t seem to be anyone standing up saying that they represent these innocent owners. Their arguments were all over the map, from the First Amendment to likening it to a criminal proceeding. I was pleased that the court spent time looking at the underlying issues.”

Many in the industry have cautioned that the outcome of the Kentucky internet gambling case may set a precedent worldwide. More light could be shed on where domain names are located and who has rights to seize or regulate them as a result of the seven-member Kentucky Supreme Court’s decision. On the global implications of the Commonwealth’s actions, Brown frankly stated, “I’m only focusing on Kentucky. Our interest is in the unregulated gambling that we believe has been going on. I don’t know that our Supreme Court is ready to look at it as a worldwide precedent because a lot of the underlying facts haven’t been completely developed.”

Influencing the Commonwealth is the presence of a booming horse racing industry in Kentucky, headlined every May by the running of the Kentucky Derby. The spectacle, which unfolds from Churchill Downs in Louisville, generates a considerable amount of revenue for the State, bringing in high rollers, celebrities, politicians, and horse racing fans from around the globe.

The 141 internet gambling domain names are owned by companies located in places like Costa Rica, Gibraltar, Canada, and Isle of Man. Brown explained, “You have people who own and operate domain names. In order to regulate them, you have to go to the registrars because the actual owners are all offshore.” Registrars include giants like GoDaddy.com, which features Team PokerStars Pro member Vanessa Rousso as one if its spokesmen.

When the Kentucky Supreme Court will hand down a decision in the case is not yet known. Joe Brennan, Chairman of iMEGA, told Poker News Daily that he would set an over/under of March, 2010. Rich Muny, Kentucky State Director for the Poker Players Alliance (PPA), contrastingly, expected a decision to be rendered by Christmas.

The 141 internet gambling domain names were seized in September of 2008 on the grounds that they were illegal “gambling devices,” a term that traditionally refers to tangible objects like slot machines and roulette wheels that you’d find in an underground casino. Judge Thomas Wingate upheld the Commonwealth’s actions one month later before the industry sought the intervention of the Kentucky Court of Appeals. The judicial body ruled against the State by a two-to-one margin in January, setting up October’s showdown in the Kentucky Supreme Court.

Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for the latest from the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

Joe Cada Wins 2009 WSOP

On hand number 88 of a topsy-turvy heads up match, Joe Cada won a race with a pair of nines to defeat Darvin Moon’s Qd Jd. The board ran out 8c 2c 7s Kh 7c giving Cada two pair, nines and sevens. In preflop action, Cada was on the button and he raised to 3 million with 600k/1.2m blinds and 200k antes. Moon reraised to 8 million and Cada thought briefly before raising all-in. Moon quickly called off about 70 million chips to put his tournament at risk. If Cada had lost the pot, he would have been crippled. With his victory, Cada pockets a cool $8.55 million dollars while Moon takes home the runner-up spot and $5.18 million.

While Cada started with a 2-to-1 chip advantage at the start of heads up play, he quickly ran into trouble as Moon played a hyper-aggressive style that was, largely, effective against Cada’s style of play. Here is a recap of the big hands that took place before the final hand.

With stacks around even, Moon had the button and raised to 3 million which was called by Cada in the big blind. The flop came down Jc 4h 2d. Cada checked and Moon bet 4 million. Cada called to make the pot around 14 million total. The turn was a Qh and Cada checked to Moon who bet 6 million. Cada opted to check raise to 16.75 million and Moon called — putting the pot at nearly 50 million chips. The river was the 5c and Cada, who had checked the flop and turn, lead out with 35 million chips. Moon contemplated the bet for a few minutes before deciding to lay down his hand on the final board of Jc 4h 2d Qh 5c. This put Cada up 120 million to 72 million.

Moon grinded Cada back down with a few more decent size pots to get back near even. Soon after, Cada snapped off a Moon bluff on a busted flush draw by calling a river raise with Js Th on a Td Ah 3h 6c 4s board in which Moon had Jh 5h. After that pot, Moon started, once again, to grind chips away from Cada a few million at a time. Moon was consistently betting a large percentage of the pot on flops and Cada usually backed down. After about 20 hands of aggressive play from Darvin, he managed to get back to even chips at around 95 million each. The players went on a 25 minute break almost dead even in chips.

Shortly after the break, Moon went on a mini-run with two medium sized pots to get up to 122 million to Cada’s 73 million. To this point in the tournament, this was Moon’s all-time chip high and the momentum in the match appeared to be swinging his way.

In the next crucial pot, Joe Cada had the button and made a standard preflop raise to 3 million chips. Moon called and the flop came down 3h 5d Ac. As he’d been doing much of the night, Moon bet 5 million chips out of position into a pot that was about 6.5 million. Cada had largely been folding to these bets but this hand he opted to raise to 13 million total leaving 8 million for Moon to call. Moon cut out enough chips to put in a raise to 25 million but Cada quickly folded. This pot was good enough to put Moon into a commanding chip lead with around 145 million to around 50 million.

After a number of uneventful pots, Cada four-bet shoved preflop after a standard 3 million opening raise and a standard 8 million reraise from Moon. Moon decided to fold to Cada’s all-in raise which brought Cada back a bit to a 2-1 chip disadvantage. Not much later, Cada went all-in yet again but the outcome was quite different for both players. Cada opened to 3 million on the button and Moon called to see a flop of Tc 5d 9h. The flop was checked and the turn came Td. Cada took a 3 million chip stab at the 6.5 million chip pot and, shocking the crowd, Moon quickly went all-in in a large overbet of the pot forcing Cada to make a tough decision for his tournament. After going in the tank for a few minutes, Cada called with Jh 9d for second pair. Moon flipped over 7s 8s for an up and down straight draw with one card to come. Needing a 6 or a J for a straight and the right to be called World Series of Poker champion, Moon missed the river when a 3h came off the deck. This gave the chip lead back to Cada as he faded the seven outer.

With the stacks at 108 million to Cada and 86 million to Moon, the players played a few more medium sized pots before the fateful final coinflip that awarded the Main Event title to Joe Cada. With his victory, Cada becomes the youngest main event winner ever at the tender age of 21. In the coming days and weeks, we’ll be back with more information, interviews and analysis of the 2009 World Series of Poker.

Stout heads final 10 at World Poker Finals

The PokerListings' blogger and esteemed online pro amassed 2.1 million chips on Day 4 of the WPT World Poker Finals in Foxwoods yesterday.

With 10 players remaining, Stout now not only has a good shot of reaching the final table of six players today but winning it all tomorrow.

The competition will be fierce, however, as respected pros Adam "Roothlus" Levy, Lee Markholt, Kenna James, Eric Froehlich, Cornel Andrew Cimpan, Soheil Shamseddin and consummate WPT casher Steve Brecher are all still in the running.

The lesser-known Curt Kohlberg and Tom Dobrilovic round out the last 10 players.

Despite a schedule that conflicts with the 2009 WSOP Main Event, the World Poker Finals still managed to draw 353 players, creating a prize pool of $3.3 million and $910,000 designated for first place.

Todd Terry, Christian Harder, Michael "The Grinder" Mizrachi, Victor Ramdin, Liv Boeree, Brock Parker, Billy Kopp and Chad Batista were just some of the big-name pros that bought into the $10,000 event.

Fellow PokerListings' blogger Jason Mercier finished in 21st place for $26,571.

Stout has been on somewhat of a heater as of late. The Lock Poker pro went deep at the 2009 WPT Festa al Lago before eventually busting out in 13th for $39,760.

The World Poker Finals resume at 12 p.m. ET today. Keep checking Stout's blog on PokerListings for the inside scoop on the event as he posts frequently.

Here are the end of Day 4 chip counts:

1. Matt Stout - 2,101,000
2. Cornel Andrew Cimpan - 1,554,000
3. Soheil Shamseddin - 1,233,000
4. Kenna James - 1,217,000
5. Curt Kohlberg - 1,127,000
6. Adam "Roothlus" Levy - 892,000
7. Eric Froehlich - 714,000
8. Steve Brecher - 660,000
9. Tom Dobrilovic - 565,000
10. Lee Markholt - 480,000

Tom Dwan is the newest member of Team Full Tilt

There has been some speculation about Tom Dwan and Full Tilt Poker. Well, now it’s official, Tom Dwan is the latest addition to Full Tilt Poker’s Pro Poker Team.

Full Tilt Poker announced about their newest Team Full Tilt member. FTP’s announcement was praising Dwan quite highly:

“Dwan, best known by his online player handle “durrrr”, is one of the most influential and successful players in online poker history. Known for his prolific play in high-stakes games at Full Tilt Poker, he has proven himself to be an unstoppable force any time he sits down at a table.”

Dwan has won $1.1 million from live tournaments, these include 3 WSOP cashes and one WPT final table.

Dwan became the youngest member of the Team Full Tilt. Other members are: Phil Ivey, Chris Ferguson, Howard Lederer, John Juanda, Jennifer Harman, Phil Gordon, Erick Lindgren, Erik Seidel, Andy Bloch, Mike Matusow, Gus Hansen, Allen Cunningham and Patrik Antonius.

You can visit Dwan’s team page here.

Source: PR Newswire

You just read Poker News from HighStakesNews.com

Tom Dwan is the newest member of Team Full Tilt

durrrr signs with Team Full Tilt

The site is calling the 23-year-old  New Jersey native and former Boston University English major "one of the most influential and successful players in online poker history," and there's really no doubt about it.

While he's down around $1.8 million playing in online's biggest games this year, Dwan took over $5.4 million off the virtual tables in 2008.

Plus, there is whatever he's been raking in at the biggest live cash games around the world, $1.1 million in live tournament earnings, and some of the biggest pots and largest winning sessions in televised poker history to consider.

After dominating the last season of GSN's High Stakes Poker, this past September he raked in a $1.1 pot at million at Full Tilt Poker's Million Dollar Cash Game in London - the largest ever.

Since much of Dwan's online work has been done on Full Tilt's tables and his $1.5 million durrrr Challenge has been one of the biggest railbird draws in online history, he is an obvious choice for the team.

But while the site has a large stable of Red Pros sponsored to play on the site, Team Full Tilt is a group largely made up of the game's most elite players, including Phil Ivey, Chris Ferguson, Howard Lederer, John Juanda, Jennifer Harman, Phil Gordon, Erick Lindgren, Erik Seidel, Andy Bloch, Mike Matusow, Gus Hansen, Allen Cunningham and Patrik Antonius.

"Team Full Tilt doesn't take adding a team member lightly," said Lederer. "But, Tom Dwan has proven, through skill and dynamic play, that he will be a force to be reckoned with for many years to come.

"We are proud to count Tom as one of our own."

While he will continue to prowl Full Tilt's highest stakes games, Dwan will also be lending his knowledge to the Full Tilt Poker Academy and blogging for the site.

Dwan is now Team Full Tilt's youngest member.

Joe Cada Prepares for 2009 WSOP Main Event Heads-Up Play

On Monday night at 10:00pm PT, Darvin Moon and Joe Cada will take to the felts of the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event final table for a heads-up duel. Poker News Daily caught up with PokerRoad’s Joe Stapleton, who has been coaching Cada on his media presence, to learn how the youngster is preparing for his big day.

Poker News Daily: Tell us what Joe Cada has been doing today and how he’s been preparing for Monday’s heads-up play in the 2009 WSOP Main Event.

Stapleton: Joe is being pulled in a lot of different directions today. Play ended at 6:00 in the morning. There was press that had to happen right afterward. I walked Joe to his room at 7:00 in the morning. He didn’t party or anything and went directly to his room. He apparently has not slept. I don’t know if it’s nerves or excitement or what, but he has been up all night. He’s started to get tired now.

The way that they have the schedule worked out is kind of brutal. There is no way to do it. Now, everyone is going to be off. If he sleeps now, it’s not like they’re playing in the morning. They’re playing at 10:00 tomorrow night. I think what Joe is really trying to do right now is get his head straight and get on some kind of schedule. 150 of his friends and family are here, so he’s getting a lot of phone calls and not answering any. He has a girlfriend here who is handling his things.

PND: Do you think that Joe Cada is handling the situation well, then?

Stapleton: Yesterday on his way out, for the questions that he answered, he was a complete class act. As someone who is trying to help him with media, I could not have been happier at the answers he was giving. He was humble and very polite and respectful. He was saying all of the right things. As far as what’s going on right now, it’s weird because I would like to tell him not to listen to anyone, except for me. I’ve been around poker for a while and would tell him to do every interview you possibly can and do nothing else. However, if I were a 21 year-old who was guaranteed to win at least $5 million tomorrow and possibly $8 million, that’s not what I would be doing.

PND: Is his girlfriend a good influence on him?

Stapleton: She seems to be genuinely concerned with his comfort. Also, she’s working with Joe’s agent to wrangle him. She is there in the room with him. If he chooses not to answer his phone, we can get to her. She’s been extremely helpful.

PND: Is this a make or break point for Joe Cada’s career?

Stapleton: I don’t think that there’s any way for this not to be the biggest event. It’s so obvious that it is. I think he’s going to be around for a long time either way somewhat by virtue of the fact that Darvin Moon, more than likely, is not going to have a huge presence. People will look to Joe to be the face of the 2009 WSOP. As far as his birthday, it will become a difficult record to break. Only things that are equally as big can happen to him.

PND: Talk about Cada’s lively fan base at the Rio yesterday.

Stapleton: They were the loudest and craziest fans and part of that is where they’re from. He’s from Detroit. People who are from New York or L.A. have that attitude that we’ve seen it all and done it all. That part of the country is still very enamored by the lifestyle and the money. They are unbelievably excited.

PND: It has to be a huge achievement for the city of Detroit too.

Stapleton: From what I understand, the local Detroit media is losing their minds right now. They’re flying out here. I believe some of the local news stations are ready to get him on.

Hand Dissection – Reed Hensel at the 2009 WSOP Main Event

Abusing the money bubble has become an effective tactic in tournament poker. It is generally accepted that players should turn up the aggression as the bubble approaches because, in most cases, players will tighten up to guarantee a cash reward.

No better example of this practice came than at the 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event. With the money bubble looming and a payday of $21,365 in sight, short stacks began folding premium pocket pairs face up as bigger stacks applied pressure. On multiple occasions, pocket kings hit the muck pre-flop and the standard “abc” poker went completely out the window.

If you’ve been following ESPN’s coverage of this year’s Main Event, then you might recall the final hand on the bubble between Kansas pro Reed Hensel and Kia Hamadani that later created some debate among poker fanatics. With 649 players remaining and the top 648 getting paid, Hamadani was all-in for his last chip when Hensel made a play at the pot with rags to drive out the other players at the table and win the side pot. Hensel’s hand ultimately trumped Hamadani’s to secure a payday for the remaining players in the field. Hensel took some time with Poker News Daily to discuss the hand.

Hand Recap:

Blinds 2,500/5,000, ante 500

One spot before the money, Hamadani is all-in pre-flop for his last blue 500 chip. Hamadani, in early position, doesn’t peek at his hole cards and the action folds around to Hensel in the hijack. Hensel raises to 17,000 with 9h-2c. Marty Zabib calls from the small blind and Mike Nye decides to tag along from the big blind.

On a flop of Qh-6h-Qd, Zabib and Nye check and Hensel fires out a continuation bet of 20,000. The two players fold and Hensel scoops the side pot worth 51,000. Now that he’s heads-up against the short stack, Hensel tables 9h-2c. A cheerful Hamadani becomes visibly crushed as he turns over 4c-3h. The Amazon Room erupts as Hensel’s nine-high is in front and, when the nine of diamonds lands on the turn, Hamadani is left drawing dead. Hensel scoops the main pot of 4,500 and Hamadani is ousted one spot out of the money.

Poker News Daily: First, describe a little bit how this table was playing on the money bubble. Were the players being passive for the most part? Was anyone opening a high percentage of pots?

Hensel: My table was incredibly passive on the bubble. One guy folded J-J face up from the big blind to my 2.5x opening raise. I was fortunate to land the best seat at the table as well. I was in Seat 6 or 7 and the only two people that really knew how to exploit the bubble were to my direct right. This meant that for seven out of nine hands every orbit, I had position on both of them. If both of them folded, I raised and took the blinds down. If one of them opened, I could bet them with any two cards and put them in a very tough spot. I bet their raises around 30% of the time. I would have done it more, but they were folding probably more than they should have, so I was happy with taking the blinds four times per orbit.

PND: Did Hamadani’s declining stack affect your bubble strategy?

Hensel: I don’t think this had much of an effect of what I was doing. He started the day with 200,000 in chips and then got down to 30,000, where he folded every hand until the bubble hand. I guess if he had maintained a stack, it could have influenced my play more because he seemed really aggressive, so I imagine he would have wanted a piece of the free blinds as well. Everyone else at the table knew that we were really close to the money and they could look at Hamadani’s stack and see that all they had to do was wait him out, hence they became more willing to fold to my raises.

PND: I’m assuming that since you opened the betting with 9-2 offsuit, you would make this play with any two cards. Talk about the value of raising pre-flop in such a critical situation.

Hensel: It’s really common knowledge that around the bubble is the best point in a poker tournament to apply pressure by raising and taking pots down uncontested. There isn’t a tournament where this is more apparent than the Main Event. I haven’t played too many $10,000 tournaments outside of two Main Events, but I can’t imagine that in some random WPT or EPT stop people are folding A-A and K-K too often just to double their money.

Like I said earlier, a guy showed me his J-J and folded to my pre-flop open even though I had been raising four or five times an orbit. Because of this and my dream situation at the table, I simply had to raise every hand when they folded to me. The blinds were 2,500-5,000 with a 500 ante. I would raise to 12,000 or 13,000 and win 12,000 chips.  I really don’t think I got called once out of 30 or so raises. I probably ran good and didn’t run into Q-Q, K-K, or A-A, so in reality, I probably should have gotten raised all-in once or twice. The point still stands that risking 12,000 to win 12,000 is incredibly profitable when it works somewhere around 85% of the time.

PND: Zabib and Nye decided to call and take a flop. With what range of hands would you expect them to defend their blinds in this spot?

Hensel: When both solid players folded to me, I knew I was raising before I looked at my cards and they just happened to be 9-2. I decided to make it 17,000 pre-flop instead of my standard 12,000 because I really wanted them to fold so I could win the 7,500 chips and maybe get more bubble hands in if Hamadani beat me. I thought this would make it seem like I had a premium hand. I figured both Zabib and Nye would fold, but it wasn’t too surprising that they flatted.

A standard thing to do in this situation is to check every hand down through the river to help the odds that one of our three hands beats the all-in hand. However, this is not the smartest thing to do, especially when a side pot is involved. At the time, I figured Zabib had a slightly above average hand, probably a middle pair or A-J suited. I figured Nye had any two cards, as he would have the amateurish attitude of checking it down.

PND: How often are you expecting them to fold after you made a continuation bet on the flop? Explain why this play is so profitable.

Hensel: On the specific flop of Q-Q-6, I thought they would fold just about everything. I bet small for two reasons. One, I thought it would represent a strong hand and could possibly get a hand like A-6 or 7-7 to fold. Second, if one of them had a hand that they wouldn’t fold like 6-6 or Q-X, then I save myself chips because I would have shut down had either of them check-called the flop. The side pot was 51,000 and I risked 20,000 to win it, which I do probably 80% of the time. At that point, I didn’t care about the 4,500 in the main pot. It turns out that I maybe even overestimated their calling range because Nye said he folded Ah-Kh, which was a nut flush draw. If he folds this, I could see him folding Q-2 to Q-J and possibly K-Q.  He just really wanted to cash.

PND: How much did “making the money” in the WSOP Main Event mean to you? Were you playing it the same way you’d play any tournament online?

Hensel: I played the entire tournament a lot tighter than I would online. People in this tournament give up too much with a deep stack, making it kind of silly to get into leveling wars with other good players. Making the money did matter to me, but I wouldn’t have been crushed if I had bubbled. I pretty much didn’t want to go out on some crazy bluff out of the money, but I wasn’t going to pass on a +EV spot just to make it in.

PND: I’ve had people try to convince me that you only made this play because the ESPN cameras were rolling. Is there any truth to that?

Hensel: None at all. As cliché as it sounds, I didn’t even notice them during the hand.

PND: You ultimately finished in 70th place in the Main Event, collecting $90,344. How would you grade your experience over the six days?

Hensel: I had a great time in this tournament. On each of the first three days, I lost half of my stack during the first level and then spent the rest of each day grinding it back. This was emotionally exhausting and I’m glad there were a lot of off days up front or I may not have made it. Overall, though, I give myself an A+ and hope to make the final 100 again in the next few years, as I think I learned a lot about end game strategy in live tournaments.

Tom Dwan Takes $780,000 Lead in Durrrr Challenge

In more than 2,000 hands played in the Tom “Durrrr” Dwan Million Dollar Challenge on October 27th and October 28th, Dwan earned $82,000, pushing his lead to nearly $780,000 overall after 27,185 hands.

Dwan raked in his earnings after besting rival Patrik Antonius’ 2s-As-Ah-9h with 10d-7h-Ad-Ac. Antonius was double-suited in the hand, giving him a slight edge pre-flop despite both players holding aces. Accordingly, Antonius raised to $1,200, Dwan made it $3,600, Antonius pushed the price of poker to $10,800, Dwan made it $32,400, Antonius bumped it to $97,200, and Dwan called all-in for his $94,000 stack. The board ran out 9s-5c-9c-6c-8h, giving Dwan the win in the hand with a ten-high straight. Normally, this hand would be chopped about 50% of the time. Nevertheless, Dwan scooped the $189,000 pot, setting him up for success during the session.

Antonius would fire back, holding Ad-8d-Kc-7c double-suited against Dwan’s 10h-7h-6d-10d, also double-suited. Antonius raised to $1,200 pre-flop and Dwan made it $3,600. Antonius then pushed the action to $6,000 and Dwan called. The flop came 4d-Ah-6h and the two got it all-in, with Dwan risking his entire $90,000 stack. The board ran out Ks-2s, giving Dwan a lowly pair of tens and Antonius aces-up. The pot was worth $180,000 and Antonius repossessed some of his lost earnings.

In a separate hand, Dwan flopped three sevens holding 7d-8d-7s-6s after the first three community cards came 7c-2s-4h. Antonius had Jh-Ac-7h-10s, giving him a pair, and he called Dwan’s $83,000 all-in after the turn fell a jack, improving him to two pair. The river was a queen, shipping the $192,000 pot to Dwan with trip sevens. Antonius later redeemed himself after turning a set of nines with hole cards of 9h-Jh-9d-Qs. The board came 10c-7h-Js-9s-3s and Dwan could only muster 10h-Kd-Ad-Ks for a pair of kings.

The final session consisted of 470 hands and concluded around 1:00am ET on October 28th. Dwan earned $167,000 during the mini-session and $82,000 over the previous eight hours overall. He owns a lead of $779,000 in the high-stakes Million Dollar Challenge, which began earlier this year. Scheduling conflicts and a rigorous live tournament schedule have prolonged the conclusion of the event for quite some time. After Antonius, high-stakes pros David Benyamine and 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event November Nine member Phil Ivey are waiting in the wings for Dwan.

A total of 27,185 hands have been played out of the 50,000 required for completion of the challenge. If Dwan is up by at least $1 at its end, Antonius will owe him $500,000. Contrastingly, if Antonius is up by at least $1 at the end of the 50,000 hands, Dwan will turn over $1.5 million. In either case, the winner keeps the spoils of their play. The duo has been four-tabling $200/$400 Pot Limit Omaha on Full Tilt Poker, where Antonius is a sponsored pro.

October 27th featured the fifth largest pot over the course of the Durrrr Challenge at $293,000. Dwan scooped the behemoth and has laid claim to six of the seven largest pots during the 27,000 hand encounter. The largest pot in history occurred on June 19th and weighed in at $477,000. That day’s session, which occurred during the 2009 WSOP, featured the four largest Durrrr Challenge pots worth a combined $1.6 million; Dwan won all but one.

A live version of the Durrrr Challenge was scheduled to take place in London featuring Dwan battling against four players during the WSOP Europe festivities. Now, organizer Eddie Hearn told DurrrrChallenge.com that the stage may be moved to Las Vegas in early December. Rumors flew that Luke “Full_Flush” Schwartz would take on Dwan in the live event, but Sammy George has been the only competitor to sign on officially.

Sally Anne Boyer Sues WSOP Academy and Harrah’s

2007 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Women’s Champion Sally Anne Boyer has filed a lawsuit against Harrah’s Entertainment, the WSOP Academy, and other related companies for misuse of her image for advertising purposes.

According to a report in the Las Vegas Sun newspaper, Boyer filed the lawsuit on Monday against the casino giant and the poker training school alleging that her name and likeness have been used in advertising without her permission and that the WSOP Academy states she endorses the school. Also named in the lawsuit were Post Oak Productions of Toronto, Canada (managers of the WSOP Academy) and Post Oak owners Brandon Rosen and Jeff Goldenberg.

After winning the 2007 Women’s Championship during the WSOP, earning slightly over $260,000 and her first WSOP bracelet, Boyer appeared in ads for the WSOP Academy with the byline, “The quickest way to your WSOP bracelet,” and was billed as a graduate of the school. These ads, alleges Boyer’s attorneys Bowler, Dixon, and Twitchell, LLP, appeared in poker magazines, on the WSOP’s website, and in the Academy’s newsletters. The bone of contention between the companies is whether Boyer acquiesced to allow use of her name and image for such purposes and whether she completed the Academy’s classes.

The stakes could be high if Boyer’s attorneys can prove that her likeness was misused. The lawsuit is seeking restitution from the use of her visage and unspecified damages. The WSOP Academy, which has been in existence since early 2007, charges participants anywhere from $1,899 to $2,999, depending upon the intensity of the training, what type of instruction is being conducted, and the instructors involved.

According to sources inside of Harrah’s who requested anonymity due to policies on pending litigation, Boyer’s litigation team contacted the company earlier this year regarding these issues. As Harrah’s and the WSOP do not have any ownership of the Academy, the issue was forwarded onto Post Oak Productions.

As reported also in the Sun, an e-mail dated August 30th, 2007 is a discussion between Rosen and Boyer as to the advertising that would feature Boyer. In the e-mail, which was obtained by Poker News Daily, Boyer states that the ad “looks fine” and offers to send “better” pictures in her “poker… attire” for future advertising. According to sources, Boyer’s attorneys were unaware of this e-mail when the suit was filed and, as of press time, had not returned calls to Poker News Daily.

Poker professional Mark Seif, who is one of the instructors for the Academy, stated to Poker News Daily, “With respect to the recent Sally Anne Boyer filing, I think its best to refer you to a statement Jeff Goldenberg, the CEO of Post-Oak Productions, made yesterday regarding the case.” In that statement, Goldenberg was quoted as saying, “I would like to comment in detail, but our attorneys won’t let us. Suffice it to say we were absolutely shocked that this suit was filed. The suit is entirely baseless and we look forward to being entirely vindicated when all of the facts come out in court.”

Boyer’s lawsuit is reminiscent of the lawsuit filed by seven top poker professionals against the World Poker Tour (WPT) a few years ago. In 2006, the seven players – Andy Bloch, Annie Duke, Chris Ferguson, Phil Gordon, Joe Hachem, Howard Lederer, and Greg Raymer – alleged that the WPT’s standard release forms required for participation in its tournaments were a violation of the Sherman Antitrust Act.

The seven players argued that the forms were anti-competitive and conflicted with their contractual obligations to other companies and organizations. After a great deal of posturing, Hachem and Raymer dropped out of the lawsuit (with Hachem notably going on to win the 2006 WPT Five Diamond World Poker Classic) and the remaining five players eventually settled out of court in April of 2008.

Sahamies + Soberness = 1.000.000$ Profit

Just a few days ago we wrote how Ilari Sahamies crushed David Benyamine on Full Tilt Poker. Well, Ilari was so happy that he even made a new blog entry out of it.

Like we told, Ziigmund was able to crush Benyamine completely, Ilari won over $400k only from Benyamine. Later on he got into a PLO heads up match with Phil Ivey and got $200k out of him as well.

Now Ilari is bragging about his 1-million day in his blog. He tells that it was the first sober day in a long time. Normally he’s playing in hangover, so it was a bit of a chance for him. His spirit seems high, well, who wouldn’t be happy after winning a cool million?

Looking through Highstakesdb, Ilari is up $2.47 million on Full Tilt Poker only. Ziigmund seems to have a great year so far.

Source: Coinflip, Highstakesdb

You just read Poker News from HighStakesNews.com

Sahamies + Soberness = 1.000.000$ Profit

Tommy Vedes Interview with Poker News Daily

Taking down the World Poker Tour’s (WPT) Festa al Lago event was poker pro Tommy Vedes, who earned $1.2 million for his efforts. Vedes, who took 19th in the 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event and made the final table of a $1,500 buy-in Pot Limit Omaha High-Low contest, sat down with Poker News Daily to recap his recent run.

Poker News Daily: Talk about the roller coaster of a final table at the WPT Festa al Lago.

Vedes: It was so electrifying. It was unbelievable because I’m always on the other end of every beat. The king on the turn against Shawn Cunix was lightning and I doubled up. My head was spinning and that flipped my brain upside down, but it was worth it. Everyone went nuts when I hit a queen on the river against Freddy Deeb [for a two-outer to double up].

PND: Did you ever think that winning the tournament was out of reach given the momentum shifts at a talented final table?

Vedes: No. My body was numb. My friends were there and they knew I was going to win when I hit the king against Shawn. In the hand with A-10 against [Jason Lavallee’s] A-J, I knew I was going to win. Even though I had three outs, I thought the 10 was coming. I am still buzzing after going to bed at 6:00am and waking up at 9:00am.

PND: You’ve been on a tear lately, making a deep run in the WSOP Main Event before winning the WPT Festa al Lago. Is everything coming together?

Vedes: I never really played much of a daily grind of tournaments until after that Pot Limit Omaha event at the WSOP. It’s impossible to keep up this pace, though. There is so much variance in tournaments, but I can keep going deep if I avoid getting unlucky late. In the WPT final table, I had to get lucky a few times to get there. That’s not going to happen again, though.

PND: Talk about the extended registration period for the Festa al Lago Main Event. Did you give any thought to registering late?

Vedes: Lots of people registered late. I was thinking of waiting until Day 2, Level 2, but figured if I bought in during Level 3 on Day 1, I’d end up with a little larger chip stack than the average. I just couldn’t wait to play, so I had to buy in. The results for the people who bought in on Day 2 didn’t work out well, either.

PBD: Have you critiqued any of your plays on ESPN’s WSOP Main Event coverage so far? What has it been like watching yourself on television each week?

Vedes: It’s exciting. It’s the first time I’ve been on a deep run like that and I love watching it on ESPN. If I miss it, I go to YouTube and wait for someone to post it. I have people text me and tell me they saw me.

PND: How did you get started in poker?

Vedes: I’ve always been into different card games. My father and uncle are Greek and play cards. Every Saturday, I had a game at my dad’s house and picked it up there. I didn’t get serious until 10 years ago, when I used to go to private clubs in New York City. Once every month, we’d go to Atlantic City and gradually got into tournaments.

PND: Who or what has been the biggest influence on your game and why?

Vedes: Phil Ivey. He is my idol. He is my friend and we talked a little bit during the Main Event. I actually told him before the WSOP started that he was going to win three bracelets. He’s the ultimate grinder in poker. He uses skill and fearsome tactics to his advantage. In addition, growing up in New York City has helped my reading abilities. It makes it fearsome to be looking into my eyes to try to call me.

Amazing Race: Tiffany Michelle, Maria Ho Finish Second at Atlantis Dubai

Poker players Tiffany Michelle and Maria Ho posted their highest finish to date in the CBS reality series “Amazing Race.” The duo arrived at the Pit Stop in second place at the Atlantis Hotel in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Dating couple Meghan and Cheyne set out on the leg in first place, leaving at 8:17am, well ahead of the other teams as a result of completing the Fast Forward last week. Their clue instructed them to grab a briefcase and travel to the Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club, where they had to search the marina’s boardwalk for their next clue. There, teams encountered the leg’s Roadblock, a task that only one person can perform. In it, racers had to row inflatable boats to a yacht anchored offshore and find a sheik, who would present them with a watch. Then, they had to return to the dock and unlock their briefcase by cracking its three-digit code. What teams had to discern for themselves was that the time frozen on the watch, 8:35, represented the three-digit code to their briefcase.

Michelle and Ho departed in sixth place out of seven teams remaining at 11:47am and did not appear on “Amazing Race” until 15 minutes into the episode. Ho told Michelle at the Roadblock, “It might be physical. You’re faster.” Tiffany powered out to the parked boat and back, telling “Amazing Race” cameras, “Every time I accomplish something all of the other guys did, it’s definitely very rewarding.” Ho and Michelle are the only all-female team this season and Michelle was the only woman to perform the Roadblock.

Michelle quickly figured out the code to the briefcase and lapped Flight Time and Big Easy, members of the Harlem Globetrotters, who struggled with the lock after leaving the Pit Stop in third place. The next clue prompted teams to head to the Abra water taxi station, where the leg’s Detour awaited. The Detour, which is a choice between two tasks, asked teams to complete Gold or Glass. In Gold, teams had to find a jewelry store and use a precision scale to weigh out $500,000 worth of the commodity. The exchange rate to use changed every minute, making the task complicated. In Glass, teams had to visit to a local spice market and assemble a dozen hookahs.

Ho and Michelle elected to put their thinking caps on to complete Gold, with the latter noting, “Maria and I know how handle money, so this should be good for us.” Brothers Sam and Dan, who had been in a loose alliance with the poker pros, also elected to do Gold and told “Amazing Race” cameras that they purchased a $2 calculator at Wal-Mart before leaving to film the show. Ho and Michelle borrowed the device and shouted out the correct weight in gold to put on the scale before the exchange rate changed. The quartet appeared to breeze through the task as a result of the teamwork, while racers performing Glass struggled with the intricacies of the hookahs.

The next clue instructed teams to head to the Atlantis water park, similar to its sister site in the Bahamas that plays host to the annual PokerStars Caribbean Adventure, and look for the Leap of Faith, a six-story speed slide that takes riders through a shark tank. At the bottom, teams were told to look for Dolphin Bay Beach, the Pit Stop for this leg of the race. Ho and Michelle quickly completed the plunge and checked in second, their highest finish so far. Sam and Dan arrived right behind them and upon seeing the siblings run down the beach in their swimsuits, Michelle commented, “Sam and Dan had a ‘Baywatch’ moment today. They were looking kind of cute in their matching red shorts.”

Meanwhile, at the top of the slide, Mika and Canaan raged war over Mika’s fear of heights. In the end, she could not bring herself to complete the task, walked down the steps to the bottom, and the Globetrotters checked in sixth. Mika and Canaan were eliminated and the former commented, “I feel like I let [Canaan] down.”

Next week, the six teams remaining in the hunt for the $1 million first place prize head to the Netherlands. “Amazing Race” airs at 8:00pm ET on Sundays on CBS.

Brian Townsend Wins Weekends’ Largest Pots

Celebrity Apprentice 3 Cast May Not Feature Poker Players

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

PokerStars Million Dollar Challenge: Denny Luna Walks Away with $25,000

The second episode of the PokerStars.net-sponsored “Million Dollar Challenge” hit television airwaves on Sunday following NFL on FOX coverage and featured Sergeant Denny Luna earning $25,000 before walking away.

2008 Playboy Playmate of the Year Jayde Nicole, who is a regular on the MTV reality series “The Hills,” was Luna’s celebrity adversary. Players started with a stack of 20,000 in chips and blinds of 400-800, ensuring face-paced action. Show front man Daniel Negreanu sat alongside Luna for his first match, but could not see any of the hole cards. In the first hand shown, Luna raised to 1,600 with K-3 pre-flop and Nicole came along with J-6 of clubs. The flop came K-J-5 and Nicole bet 3,000. Luna called to see a four on the turn. Nicole check-called a 3,000 chip bet from Luna and the river fell a seven. Nicole led out for 3,000 and Luna called, shipping the 21,200 chip pot to Luna with top pair.

In the match’s deciding hand, Luna called pre-flop with 8-7 and Nicole checked her option with K-5. The flop came 2-8-Q. Nicole pushed all-in on a big bluff and Luna picked it off with middle pair. The turn came a seven, leaving Nicole drawing dead and awarding Luna a $5,000 trip to the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure in January.

In the second round, Luna squared off against 2003 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event Champion Chris Moneymaker. This time, Negreanu was moved to an isolation booth, where the pro could see Luna’s hole cards and communicate with him through an earpiece. Moneymaker could use the “Dome of Silence” feature twice, locking out communication between Luna and Negreanu.

In a key hand, Luna called pre-flop with K-4 and Moneymaker checked with 6-2 of clubs. The flop came 8-J-A and Moneymaker checked. Luna checked behind after Negreanu advised betting half of the pot to see the turn come another ace. Moneymaker checked, Luna bet 1,900, and Moneymaker promptly hit the Dome of Silence button. Moneymaker then raised to 5,500 and Luna made the call with just king-high. The river was a jack and Moneymaker bluffed off another 5,500 chips. Luna insta-called to scoop the 23,600 chip pot.

After doubling Moneymaker up, Luna delivered the final blow to the former accountant from Tennessee. Luna coyly called pre-flop with pocket queens and Moneymaker checked his option with 8-3. The flop came 2-3-7 and Moneymaker quickly shoved all-in with middle pair. Luna called and a running J-5 sealed the amateur’s win in the hand for $25,000. When asked if he wanted to continue or walk away with $25,000 in tow, Luna elected to take the money in deference to his wife and children.

The next contestant to take to the stage on “Million Dollar Challenge” was Tracy Nguyen, a student from Irving, Texas. Her celebrity opponent was Super Bowl Champion Jerome “The Bus” Bettis, a former member of the Pittsburgh Steelers. In the match’s deciding hand, Bettis called pre-flop with pocket jacks and Nguyen checked her option with K-5. The flop came K-8-2 and Nguyen checked. Bettis bet 2,000, Nguyen pushed the action to 5,000, Bettis shoved all-in, and Nguyen made the call. The turn gave Nguyen another king and a jack failed to save Bettis on the river, giving Nguyen a PokerStars Caribbean Adventure trip.

Next up was Team PokerStars Pro member Barry Greenstein. In the $25,000 match, Nguyen called pre-flop with 9-5 and Greenstein rapped the table with 8-7. The flop came 9-5-6, giving Greenstein the nuts and Nguyen two pair. As expected, fireworks went off. Nguyen bet 1,000 and Greenstein called to see the turn come a three. Nguyen bet 3,000 and Greenstein locked out Negreanu, whom he noted normally favors playing small ball poker. Greenstein raised to 7,000 and Nguyen pushed. Greenstein happily called to put Nguyen at risk. A river deuce sealed her fate, but Nguyen walked away with a 2010 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure trip for her efforts.

Three Sundays remain for the “PokerStars.net Million Dollar Challenge.” The show will air following NFL on FOX coverage on November 22nd, December 13th, and December 27th.

Full Tilt Responds to Poker Bot Lawsuit

Online poker room Full Tilt Poker is known for keeping mum when it comes to its legal and business matters, but the company broke its silence to comment on a recent lawsuit by former customers Lary Kennedy and Greg Omotov.  Full Tilt issued a statement to the media regarding the case in which the company asserts that the plaintiffs’ accusations are false and there was just cause behind the closure of the two players’ accounts.

News of Kennedy and Omotov’s suit broke earlier this month when their lawyer, Cyrus Sanai, filed in a California court.  Within the claim, the two individuals allege that Full Tilt Poker unjustly confiscated their accounts following false accusations that they were using poker bots to play on the site’s cash game tables.  They then went on to suggest that Full Tilt used bots of its own and also leveled several other claims ranging from fraud to violations of the Racketeer-Influenced Corrupt Organization (RICO) Act.

Full Tilt addressed some, but not all, of Kennedy and Omotov’s accusations in a statement which refers to the suit as “baseless” and “frivolous.”  The statement, which was posted in full on Gambling911, went on to explain, “Both of these player accounts were appropriately terminated for multiple violations of the express terms and conditions governing fair and lawful play in the Full Tilt Poker online virtual cardroom, including their own admissions of using multiple accounts.”

Kennedy admitted to multi-accounting in a lengthy thread on the TwoPlusTwo online poker forum.  She said she sometimes used Omotov’s idle Full Tilt account to get action at the heads-up cash game tables after many regulars stopped playing with her when she was logged in on her personal account under her own username.

The statement from Full Tilt also addressed the claims that the site operates its own bots on the cash game tables: “Full Tilt Poker has never knowingly allowed ‘bots’ to play on its site… When fraud, collusion, and cheating of any kind is uncovered, Full Tilt Poker investigates extensively and then acts accordingly and appropriately, as was the case involving these claimants.”  Full Tilt not only affirmed its belief that the two players were cheating, but the company also suggested the two individuals will “be obliged to compensate the aggrieved defendants for any harm that may arise out of their false allegations and for the wrongful institution of these bad faith legal proceedings.”

While Full Tilt’s statement addressed the issue of bot use, the site did not comment on some of the suit’s claims about racketeering, unfair competition, and operating an illegal online casino in the state of California.  The statement also failed to confirm or deny any assertions about Howard Lederer, Raymond Bitar, and Chris Ferguson’s role within the company.  The lawsuit suggests that these three individuals serve as top executives for both Tiltware and Vert Enterprises.  These two companies are supposedly different entities run out of California and St. Kitts and Nevis, respectively, but the suit claims they are one in the same and controlled by Bitar, Lederer, and Ferguson.

The company has yet to issue a statement on its pending lawsuits involving former sponsored pro Clonie Gowen and former employee Jason “JDN” Newitt.