Poker News

Amir Vahedi Dies After Diabetes Complications

In a tragic story coming out of Las Vegas, World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet winner Amir Vahedi has passed away after complications arising from diabetes, according to fellow poker pro Mark Seif. He was 57 years-old.

In the early morning hours of January 10th, Seif, an Absolute Poker pro, posted on his blog, “I’ve just been told by close friends of Amir Vahedi that Vahedi passed away in Las Vegas on January 8, 2010, due to complications involving blood sugar levels.  Waiting for more details. Devastating news. Very very sad.” Vahedi finished seventh in the 2008 World Poker Tour (WPT) Championship at the Bellagio in Las Vegas, earning $237,000. His bracelet win came back in 2003, when Vahedi bested Cleve Haley in a $1,500 buy-in No Limit Hold’em event for $270,000 during the WSOP.

A wave of support streamed in via Twitter. UB.com pro Annie Duke commented on Sunday morning, “Still thinking about Amir. What a nice, sweet, funny soul. I keep picturing him with his cigar and his smile. 2 things he always had.” She further speculated that Vahedi passed away due to complications with diabetes. Fellow UB.com pro and 11-time WSOP bracelet winner Phil Hellmuth added, “Amir Vahedi Rest In Peace my old friend...Amir was one of the nicest, gentlest guys on tour, and everyone loved him...Very sad, diabetes...”

“Hollywood” Dave Stann weighed in on the death via Twitter as well, reminiscing about a poker tournament that played out in November: “Amir Vahedi rocked. Just saw him @ my bday HORSE tourney & have vid footage of him there, which now is so much more precious. RIP, friend.” Stann called for a charity tournament to take place during the upcoming L.A. Poker Classic in honor of Vahedi. The WPT Main Event at the California casino kicks off on February 26th and crowns a champion on March 4th.

On PocketFives.com, a thread entitled “RIP Amir Vahedi” was flooded with posters paying homage to the WSOP bracelet winner. Site Mod “Dissident” weighed in, “always though Amir was a class act. RIP.” Fellow online poker player “ill flu” recalled pertinent words of advice that Vahedi once spoke: “He actually said, ‘In order to live, you must be willing to die…’ I actually remember that out of his mouth.”

Finally, longtime poker player “CalBandGreat” shared his memories of the affable Vahedi: “I have played with Amir dozens of times and he was always a class act and very friendly. He would play in a lot of midstakes MTT's at Hollywood Park, The Bike or Commerce and he would be one of the few people in the tourney who everyone recognized, so a lot of people went up to talk with him and he was nice to everyone. Very sad news.”

Vahedi was an Iranian transplant and served as a poker mentor to actor Ben Affleck. In a comment posted on the website of Bluff Magazine, “Cowboy” Kenna James fondly spoke of Vahedi’s spirit: “Amir lived life and made no excuses. He played the game hard and fast and put opponents on their heals. But always with a broad smile and a laugh that exposed his love of the game.”

Poker News Daily Guest Columnist Nolan Dalla gave his two cents on the life of Vahedi on Bluff’s website, explaining, “Amir was one of poker’s nicest players and most colorful personalities. His life story was right out of a novel, immigrating to this country from a repressed war-torn region, ultimately becoming one of the most beloved people in an entire industry.” Other Iranian-born members of the poker community include Shawn Sheikhan, Mansour Matloubi, and three-time bracelet winner Farzad Bonyadi.

Poker News Daily would like to extend our condolences to the entire Vahedi family.

CNBC Investigates Illegal Gambling, Online Poker

A one-hour CNBC program entitled “The Big Business of Illegal Gambling” aired on Wednesday night, featuring discussion of “illegal” land- and internet-based operations. “The Call” anchor Melissa Francis hosted.

The show began with Francis telling viewers, “The same computer used to connect with work or friends can be used to wager outside the law.” In 2005, when the Chicago White Sox won baseball’s World Series, a man simply named “Vegas Runner” bet $4,000 on 50:1 odds that the team would take down the sport’s most coveted title. He told CNBC cameras, “It’s a gray line. Sports betting is the one topic no one wants to talk about, but everybody does it.”

R.J. Bell, founder of PreGame.com, told CNBC that just 1% of wagering on sports comes from Las Vegas, meaning that the other 99% is purportedly illegal. Meanwhile, a man known solely as “Paul,” whose face was not shown on camera, runs his own online sports betting website in Nevada as part of a conglomerate based in Costa Rica. He revealed that he makes between $80,000 and $100,000 per year and that collecting on bets is the most difficult part of the job.

CNBC’s attention then turned to the Chicago Mob, including Nick Sarillo, whose van was blown up because of illegal gambling, but he survived. Francis narrated, “Illegal gambling is the Mob’s number one moneymaker, the grease that keeps the wheels turning.” Meanwhile, Scott Damiani, the Executive Director of the Outreach Foundation, relayed his tale of excessive gambling, eventually losing his house and business. Upon owing members of a football league $50,000 at the end of 1994, Damiani attempted to drive his car off of a bridge, but hit a guardrail and was unsuccessful.

Attention then turned to Jay Cohen, the first American prosecuted for running an online bookmaking operation under the Wire Act of 1961. From his home in Antigua, Cohen told CNBC cameras, “We didn’t feel we were doing anything illegal. We were not hiding from anyone. We were using our real names and operating in plain daylight.” The site in question, World Sports Exchange, booked more than $200 million in wagers at its peak and received favorable press in publications like the Wall Street Journal and Washington Post.

In 1998, the U.S. Attorney’s Office indicted Cohen, who faced up to five years in prison. Cohen voluntarily traveled to the United States to fight his case, claiming that the Wire Act did not apply to the internet. However, a jury disagreed and he found himself behind bars for 21 months.

Upon passage of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) in 2006, Antigua lodged a complaint with the World Trade Organization (WTO) alleging unfair gaming practices by the United States. The tiny island nation was successful, but the U.S. ignored the decision. Cohen remarked, “The last administration was so intellectually dishonest about all of this that even when Antigua won, they put out press releases claiming victory.”

Attention then turned to the cheating scandals at the online poker sites Ultimate Bet and Absolute Poker. Todd “Dan Druff” Witteles, who appeared on the CBS news program “60 Minutes” in November of 2008, discussed his encounter with “Graycat” on Absolute Poker: “This was someone who seemed that he had no clue what he was doing. He was playing all the wrong strategy to be able to win.” Then, David Paredes battled “NioNio” on the virtual felts of Ultimate Bet, telling CNBC, “This player was playing a wide variety of hands. It’s so hard to play profitably playing so many hands.”

CNBC claimed that UB.com was “operating in violation of U.S. law” and then the COO of the site’s parent company, Paul Leggett, explained who Russ Hamilton was. Hamilton declined to talk to CNBC despite being fingered as the main person responsible for the multi-million dollar cheating scandal on Ultimate Bet. The now-infamous RawVegas.tv footage of Hamilton leaving a Las Vegas golf course also aired. To date, no one has been prosecuted in either cheating incident.

Finally, two Congressmen took to the airwaves, Jim McDermott (D-WA) and Bob Goodlatte (R-VA). McDermott candidly explained, “Usually, when we talk about putting a tax on people, we get all kinds of [pushback]. They’re saying, ‘Legalize it, please, and tax it.’” Goodlatte, one of the brains behind the UIGEA, evaluated the law: “It certainly hasn’t eliminated all internet gambling by any means, but surveys that I’ve seen indicate that fewer than half as many online gambling operators are offering their services in the U.S. than before this law was passed.”

Recognized in the credits were a variety of industry veterans, including World Series of Poker Media Director Nolan Dalla, Poker Players Alliance Executive Director John Pappas, Sue Schneider, and iGamingNews.com.

Darvin Moon, Joe Cada Mobbed By WSOP Media

In a scene reminiscent of a Super Bowl post-game press conference, about 30 media members hit the Masquerade Stage at the Rio on Monday afternoon to interview 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event final table survivors Darvin Moon and Joe Cada.

The rumor flying around the Rio this morning was that PokerStars had signed Moon, securing the rights to both players in tonight’s finale. However, WSOP Director of Communications Seth Palansky told Poker News Daily that no new logos could be introduced once the final table began, even for charitable organizations. Its broadcast on ESPN will air all in one night, making additional logos potentially seem out of place. Moon told us that he had not received any logo offers since play concluded early Sunday morning.

One of the hot topics discussed during the proceedings was Moon’s lack of a logo deal. When asked if anyone had put pressure on the Maryland logger to sign a deal, Moon responded, “There was no pressure because I wasn’t signing.” He added, “They weren’t aggressive. They wanted to get me to sign a deal and I wasn’t interested. It would be bad for them and bad for me both if I would sign because I wouldn’t do what they wanted me to one day and we’d have trouble.”

On his future, Moon told the assembled panel of media, “I’m going to play some tournaments elsewhere win or lose, but I’m going to do them on my terms when I want to be there and do my thing.” WSOP Media Director Nolan Dalla took to the stage and introduced Cada and Moon before the interview process began. On the pomp and circumstance of the affair, Moon told reporters, “I’m not used to this. I’m uncomfortable as hell and that’s the way it is.” Less than five feet away was a pile of $8.5 million in $50,000 bundles.

Across the stage, Cada was surrounded by a larger group of media for much of the 30 minute process. Cada, who has the chance to become the youngest WSOP Main Event winner ever, commented, “I’m pretty aggressive. I’m a heads-up player, so I’m used to playing a lot of hands.” On potentially becoming the youngest champion ever, he admitted, “Being the youngest is a bonus, but the money and the bracelet are the most important things.” Both finalists seemed down to Earth and a crowd of Cada supporters gathered around the stage on the Rio casino floor.

Cada will turn 22 in November, meaning Peter Eastgate’s reign as the $10,000 buy-in event’s youngest champion ever may be short-lived. Cada recalled how he rallied his father to support his blossoming poker career: “He understood. He’s a good logical thinker and I broke it down to him. I had a lot of success and had made a lot of money before deciding to play professionally.” Cada was pent up in his room for much of Sunday relaxing with friends and family, while Moon told Poker News Daily that he suffered a losing session of Texas Hold’em Bonus at the Rio on Monday morning.

Moon has been playing poker for two years and told ESPN cameras that 6,300 of the 6,494 runners in the Main Event were superior in skill level. Moon is headed back to the Oakland, Maryland Elks Lodge for a 70 player, $30 buy-in event on Friday night, just a few days removed from the finale at the Penn and Teller Theater at the Rio. Moon dined at the Sports Grill next to the Rio’s sports book for lunch on Monday, while Cada, his agent, and his girlfriend were 100 feet away at the Great American Grill.

The action resumes at 10:00pm PT at the Rio and will air on ESPN 24 hours later. Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for the latest from Las Vegas.

2009 WSOP Main Event Final Table Heads-Up Play Begins at 10:00pm PT Monday

On Monday night at 10:00pm PT, heads-up play in the 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event will commence between Joe Cada and Darvin Moon. The former holds better than a 2:1 chip lead.

Even without heads-up play, the 2009 final table is already the longest in WSOP history at 14 hours and 55 minutes. By the time the dinner break rolled around six hours into play on Saturday, seven out of the original nine players remained in the hunt for the $8.5 million first place payday. The previous record for WSOP Main Event final table length was 14 hours and 30 minutes, which took place in 2005. The record for the longest WSOP final table ever belongs to the 19 hour 2008 WSOP Europe Main Event won by John Juanda.

A total of 276 hands were played on Saturday, two more than the entirety of last year’s final table. The action resumes at 10:00pm PT on Monday night in an effort to air the festivities on ESPN as close to real-time as possible. Cliff “JohnnyBax” Josephy, who has been railing Cada throughout the final table, told Poker News Daily, “When I saw Joe prior to the final table, he looked like it was any other day. He had a smile on his face and looked just like the kid I met in June. He’s fearless.”

Josephy revealed that Cada had fallen asleep by 10:00pm PT on Sunday after spending the day relaxing in his suite at the Rio in Las Vegas watching movies with friends. He has not been answering his phone, but remains upbeat and is looking forward to the event’s conclusion on Monday night. On the play of Moon, Josephy commented, “He looked very tired and it was confirmed by the way he played.” Josephy added that Cada had been playing sit and gos online all week to prepare for the Main Event final table, where he rallied despite being a 25:1 chip underdog at one point.

WSOP bracelet winner Justin Scott and 2008 Main Event Final Table Bubble Boy Dean Hamrick are two of the fans who are making their way to Sin City to watch the finale unfold on Monday. Cada had a rowdy cheering section throughout the day and will likely have the backing of the majority of the fans in attendance when heads-up play begins. Cada could become the youngest WSOP Main Event winner ever by 340 days over Peter Eastgate, who was 22 years, 10 months, and 28 days.

Released by WSOP officials on Sunday afternoon were quotes from Phil Ivey, a Full Tilt Poker pro who ducked the media after being sent home in seventh from the 2009 WSOP Main Event final table. Moon three-outed Ivey on the seven-time WSOP bracelet winner’s final hand. Ivey told WSOP Media Director Nolan Dalla upon leaving the Rio, “It was tough because I was handicapped by my chip count. So, I was kind of waiting for something good to happen. I mean, I bluffed a couple of hands. But there was nothing really I could do. The last hand, obviously, was a little unlucky.”

In the meantime, the poker community has begun to weigh in, with many pulling for Cada. World Poker Tour (WPT) Bellagio Cup III Champion Kevin “BeL0WaB0Ve” Saul told Poker News Daily, “I’d be playing small pots with Darvin if possible, but I don’t think it will be. He is probably going to have to play a big pot with a marginal image.” Christian “charder” Harder, fresh off a 17th place showing at the WPT Foxwoods World Poker Finals, also picked Cada. He reasoned, “He’s got the run good, the chip lead, and he’s much better, in my opinion.”

Here’s how the chip counts look headed into Monday night’s finale:

Joe Cada – 135,950,000
Darvin Moon – 58,850,000

The 2009 WSOP Main Event final table will air on ESPN on Tuesday beginning at 9:00pm ET.

WSOP Main Event: Darvin Moon Three-Outs Phil Ivey, Steve Begleiter

In a rather bizarre scene at the final table of the 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event final table, Darvin Moon sent crowd favorites Phil Ivey and Steve Begleiter packing, three-outing both.

In the first hand back from a break that ended around Midnight PT, Ivey shoved all-in pre-flop with A-K and Moon made the call with A-Q. Ivey, who had become aggressive in the moments leading up to the day’s dinner break, watched as the door card came a queen, sending Moon out in front in the hand for good. Ivey ate an apple throughout his final hand, with at least half of the fans in attendance chanting “Iv-ey, Iv-ey” in unison.

The turn came a three, leading Ivey to take another bite of his apple, and the Full Tilt Poker pro was sent into the Las Vegas night after the river was a five. He received a standing ovation for his 12 hours’ worth of work and $1.4 million in earnings.

As has been customary, eliminated players greet the media in the orchestra level lobby in front of a red Jack Link’s Beef Jerky WSOP backdrop. Prior to Ivey’s elimination, Kevin Schaffel and James Akenhead both made their way to the waiting media, answering a barrage of questions. Ivey, however, did not show up. Instead, Harrah’s Communications Director Seth Palansky explained that WSOP Media Director Nolan Dalla had managed to procure several quotes, which would be distributed at the end of the night, and that Ivey would not come out.

Full Tilt Poker blogger Michael Craig told Poker News Daily, “As impressed as everybody is with Phil Ivey, his play today exceeded expectations. He was phenomenal, he played like a champion, and only busted because he got very unlucky.” A Full Tilt Poker representative explained why Ivey did not want to be interviewed following his ousting: “If you just lost that million, would you?”

Shortly thereafter, Begleiter was sent packing after Moon once again hit a three-outer. This time, Begleiter was all-in pre-flop with pocket queens against Moon’s A-Q. The board blanked out until the river, when an ace hit, sending Begleiter home in sixth place. In a span of about 30 minutes, Moon had three-outed two Full Tilt Poker pros.

Unlike Ivey, Begleiter came to speak to the media and explained, “I’m a little numb obviously. I would have liked to win that pot. I got my money in really good and I was one card away from being right back in the thick of it. I played some hands well tonight. I played some hands poorly tonight. I really thought that [last] hand was mine, but it just wasn’t meant to be.”

Begleiter spoke on Moon’s recent pair of eliminations, which were reminiscent of his play down the stretch in July’s Main Event play: “Darvin’s a good player. There are no bad players out there. He’s figured out how to hold onto most of his chips and he’s got mine now. He’s going to be a factor. It’s going to be really interesting.”

Begleiter took home $1.6 million for his efforts. Here’s how the final table stacks up headed into five-handed play:

1. Darvin Moon – 63,925,000
2. Eric Buchman – 53,250,000
3. Antoine Saout – 51,725,000
4. Jeff Shulman – 15,525,000
5. Joe Cada – 10,350,000

According to ESPN officials, Moon was spotted playing Texas Hold’em Bonus at the Rio during the dinner break, winning about $1,000. Begleiter and Moon played the game early this morning prior to the resumption of the Main Event. Moon now sits alone on the left side of the table, while Buchman, Saout, Shulman, and Cada are seated next to each other to the dealer’s right.

Although the balcony is empty at the Penn and Teller Theater, the orchestra section remains full headed into the 1:00am hour.

2009 WSOP Main Event Final Table Set to Kick Off

It’s 11:08am at the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. The gates to the spacious Penn and Teller Theater open, admitting a throng of screaming fans. The Rio is bustling, as the nine remaining World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event participants play down to two.

Among the first in the lobby were Steve Begleiter and Jeff Shulman, the latter escorted through the melee by WSOP Media Director Nolan Dalla. Meanwhile, supporters of Michigan poker player Joe Cada have donned neon yellow shirts and hats, which will surely create a memorable scene for fans and media in the audience alike. Cada’s agent told Poker News Daily that 150 friends and family are expected, while Eric Buchman will see 100 troops rally around him this afternoon.

Rock memorabilia lines the hallway of the Rio from its casino to the theater and, among those chatting with fans is ESPN announcer Lon McEachern, who will flank Norman Chad on an elevated platform set up to the right of the stage. Media inside are seated on couches with tables usually reserved for VIP guests of Penn and Teller and other acts inside the auditorium and two massive television screens relay the action from the green felt. ESPN “Inside Deal” hosts Bernard Lee and Laura Lane are also perusing the crowd, the latter taking a bundle of pictures on her iPhone.

The Poker Players Alliance’s (PPA) Bryan Spadaro is armed with patches for the one million member strong lobbying organization, soliciting each player to wear one during the broadcast, which will officially air on Tuesday night on ESPN. Cada, Kevin Schaffel, and Buchman are confirmed to be wearing them, while James Akenhead, a Brit, also walked away from Spadaro with one in his hand. The PPA is holding a function at 2:00pm down the hallway to spread goodwill about Congressman Barney Frank’s (D-MA) internet gambling legislation.

Upon arrival, Cada had online poker star Cliff “JohnnyBax” Josephy in tow, as ESPN cameras roved the hallway catching any memorable moments, including a group shot of Cada’s supporters. We headed to the front of the general admittance line, which stretches from the Penn and Teller Theater towards the Amazon Room, where Jack Watkins from Bozeman, Montana was the first to be found. He arrived at 6:00am and was quickly approached by Antoine Saout supporters, who offered him guaranteed tickets for the start of play in exchange for wearing shirts and hats touting the French poker player. Watkins and company happily obliged.

In the yellow wristband line, which was for friends and family, was David Prochik, who hails from Orlando, Florida. One of the fans supporting Cada, Prochik told Poker News Daily, “He’s a good online player. He’s good friends with my friend, Brad, and I hope he wins.” Across the hallway, Ylon Schwartz is seated at the Rio’s Starbucks in a scene reminiscent of his experience in 2008 as a member of the November Nine.

Poker pro David Singer will be rooting on Phil Ivey this afternoon. On his show of support, Singer explained, “I’ve been friends with him for a long time and he’s a good guy. I’d like to see him win; he deserves it.” Ivey holds the seventh largest chip stack entering play today and despite being on the short stack, Singer was confident: “If anyone will know what to do in that situation, Ivey will know what to do. He’s the best player at the table and I have a lot of faith in him.” If Ivey failed to emerge victorious on Monday night when play concludes, Singer commented that he’d pull for Jeff Shulman.

Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for the latest from the 2009 WSOP Main Event final table.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Records fall on massive cross-pond poker weekend

In North America, the first event of the 2009-2010 World Series of Poker Circuit season smashed attendance records.

A total of 1,412 players entered the $345 buy-in No-Limit Hold'em event at the Horseshoe Casino in Hammond, Indiana, just 20 minutes from downtown Chicago.

"Chicagoland has become one of the WSOP Circuit's most popular destinations for poker players," said WSOP media director Nolan Dalla. "Attendance eclipsed last year's near-record for the same event, which was 1,187 entries."

23-year-old poker pro Josh Shmerl, from Wauconda, Illinois just outside of Chicago, took the title and $79,107 first-place prize in Hammond.

The previous all-time record for attendance at a WSOP Circuit event was 1,345 players at the Tunica Grand Resort and Casino in Mississippi in January 2006.

Meanwhile, across the pond in Ireland, the 2009 Boylepoker International Poker Open set the record for the largest tournament field ever assembled outside of the United States.

The $250 buy-in No-limit Hold'em event drew 1,440 players from more than 18 countries creating prize pool of $350,000, including $27,000 added by the sponsor.

The previous non-U.S. attendance record was set at the 2009 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure in the Bahamas at 1,347.

Several big names from the ((UK poker scene)) were in attendance at the Regency Airport Hotel in Dublin, including Neil Channing, Padraig Parkinson, Andy Black, Marty Smyth, Surinder Sunar, Fintan Gavin, Simon Trumper and the voice of European poker, Jesse May.

German Markus Sippe took the title and $62,250 first-place prize.

"This year's International Poker Open was another great success, breaking last year's record by a further 140 players," said Boylepoker's Paul Spillane. "The event is proving more and more popular every year, among all levels of players.

"The IPO has become an unmissable event on any poker lover's calendar, and we are already excited about the next one."

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Mike Matusow Calls Caesars Cup a Farce in Phil Hellmuth TwitVid

One of the most popular players in the game today, 11-time bracelet winner Phil Hellmuth, has given those who couldn’t make their way to the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Europe festivities the opportunity to tour the Casino at the Empire in Leicester Square in London and get personal with other poker pros through his Twitter account.

Hellmuth, who submits his tweets through the Twitter tag “Phil Hellmuth,” recently posted a four-minute twitvid that offers a look inside what has become one of London’s must-visit places for poker players. In the video, the “Poker Brat” serves as the travel guide for the viewer and, by the end, records two polarizing figures in the world of poker.

The video starts from his viewpoint in Leicester Square in London. Filmed before his triumphant entrance as Nero during the WSOP Europe Main Event, he points out that Leicester Square is the home of many historical statues, artists, and “stuff like that,” before strolling through the Square to the entrance of the Casino at the Empire. Strangely enough, and accurately pointed out by Hellmuth, the casino does not look out of place in a city that has been in existence for quite some time.

It takes approximately two minutes to get to the true meat of Hellmuth’s twitvid. As he strolls through the casino and reaches the poker arena of the Casino at the Empire, Hellmuth finds WSOP Media Director Nolan Dalla sitting with Men “The Master” Nguyen and Mike “The Mouth” Matusow. At this point, the twitvid takes off, as the duo espouse on some issues that are on their minds.

Hellmuth welcomes Nguyen to London, as “The Master” exhaustedly states that he just arrived in the U.K. after an 11-hour flight. The extremely jet-lagged poker veteran, who is one of the nominees for election into the Poker Hall of Fame, is hailed by Hellmuth as the “Vietnamese Godfather of Poker” and Hellmuth himself states that Nguyen will probably earn election into the Hall “within the next two to three years, if not this year.”

The conversation then turns to the always-entertaining Matusow, who definitely had some issues on his mind. Hellmuth notes that Matusow is upset that Team Americas captain Daniel Negreanu did not choose him for a spot on the Caesars Cup squad. “I’m not upset,” Matusow contends. “I can’t get upset over a f*****g farce.” Matusow continues on his rant when he notes, “When a 20 year-old is the captain of the European team and a 21 year-old Canadian is captain of an American team, why should I be upset?” Matusow is, in reality, good friends with Negreanu, who is actually 35.

The duo then continue their discussion when Hellmuth brings up the fact that Matusow had taken part in the Full Tilt Million Dollar Cash Game, a 24-hour ring game that was taped for television broadcast in Europe. Hellmuth says that Matusow walked away from the table - which included “November Nine” member Phil Ivey, former WSOP Player of the Year Allen Cunningham, former Main Event Champion Chris Ferguson, online legend Tom “durrrr” Dwan, Scandinavian superstar Patrik Antonius, and English poker star Andrew Feldman - with a $105,000 profit.

“It was without a doubt the toughest lineup I have ever played,” Matusow admitted. “I definitely brought my A+ game, not only because of the difficult table, but because no one would talk to me!” Hellmuth then reveals that he had been called on several occasions during the taping to provide a foil for Matusow, drawing laughter from all at the table.

Hellmuth has continued to post tweets during the run of the WSOP Europe. He can be found on Twitter under the moniker Phil Hellmuth.

Mike Matusow Calls Caesars Cup a Farce in Phil Hellmuth TwitVid

One of the most popular players in the game today, 11-time bracelet winner Phil Hellmuth, has given those who couldn’t make their way to the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Europe festivities the opportunity to tour the Casino at the Empire in Leicester Square in London and get personal with other poker pros through his Twitter account.

Hellmuth, who submits his tweets through the Twitter tag “Phil Hellmuth,” recently posted a four-minute twitvid that offers a look inside what has become one of London’s must-visit places for poker players. In the video, the “Poker Brat” serves as the travel guide for the viewer and, by the end, records two polarizing figures in the world of poker.

The video starts from his viewpoint in Leicester Square in London. Filmed before his triumphant entrance as Nero during the WSOP Europe Main Event, he points out that Leicester Square is the home of many historical statues, artists, and “stuff like that,” before strolling through the Square to the entrance of the Casino at the Empire. Strangely enough, and accurately pointed out by Hellmuth, the casino does not look out of place in a city that has been in existence for quite some time.

It takes approximately two minutes to get to the true meat of Hellmuth’s twitvid. As he strolls through the casino and reaches the poker arena of the Casino at the Empire, Hellmuth finds WSOP Media Director Nolan Dalla sitting with Men “The Master” Nguyen and Mike “The Mouth” Matusow. At this point, the twitvid takes off, as the duo espouse on some issues that are on their minds.

Hellmuth welcomes Nguyen to London, as “The Master” exhaustedly states that he just arrived in the U.K. after an 11-hour flight. The extremely jet-lagged poker veteran, who is one of the nominees for election into the Poker Hall of Fame, is hailed by Hellmuth as the “Vietnamese Godfather of Poker” and Hellmuth himself states that Nguyen will probably earn election into the Hall “within the next two to three years, if not this year.”

The conversation then turns to the always-entertaining Matusow, who definitely had some issues on his mind. Hellmuth notes that Matusow is upset that Team Americas captain Daniel Negreanu did not choose him for a spot on the Caesars Cup squad. “I’m not upset,” Matusow contends. “I can’t get upset over a f*****g farce.” Matusow continues on his rant when he notes, “When a 20 year-old is the captain of the European team and a 21 year-old Canadian is captain of an American team, why should I be upset?” Matusow is, in reality, good friends with Negreanu, who is actually 35.

The duo then continue their discussion when Hellmuth brings up the fact that Matusow had taken part in the Full Tilt Million Dollar Cash Game, a 24-hour ring game that was taped for television broadcast in Europe. Hellmuth says that Matusow walked away from the table - which included “November Nine” member Phil Ivey, former WSOP Player of the Year Allen Cunningham, former Main Event Champion Chris Ferguson, online legend Tom “durrrr” Dwan, Scandinavian superstar Patrik Antonius, and English poker star Andrew Feldman - with a $105,000 profit.

“It was without a doubt the toughest lineup I have ever played,” Matusow admitted. “I definitely brought my A+ game, not only because of the difficult table, but because no one would talk to me!” Hellmuth then reveals that he had been called on several occasions during the taping to provide a foil for Matusow, drawing laughter from all at the table.

Hellmuth has continued to post tweets during the run of the WSOP Europe. He can be found on Twitter under the moniker Phil Hellmuth.

Mike Matusow Calls Caesars Cup a Farce in Phil Hellmuth TwitVid

One of the most popular players in the game today, 11-time bracelet winner Phil Hellmuth, has given those who couldn’t make their way to the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Europe festivities the opportunity to tour the Casino at the Empire in Leicester Square in London and get personal with other poker pros through his Twitter account.

Hellmuth, who submits his tweets through the Twitter tag “Phil Hellmuth,” recently posted a four-minute twitvid that offers a look inside what has become one of London’s must-visit places for poker players. In the video, the “Poker Brat” serves as the travel guide for the viewer and, by the end, records two polarizing figures in the world of poker.

The video starts from his viewpoint in Leicester Square in London. Filmed before his triumphant entrance as Nero during the WSOP Europe Main Event, he points out that Leicester Square is the home of many historical statues, artists, and “stuff like that,” before strolling through the Square to the entrance of the Casino at the Empire. Strangely enough, and accurately pointed out by Hellmuth, the casino does not look out of place in a city that has been in existence for quite some time.

It takes approximately two minutes to get to the true meat of Hellmuth’s twitvid. As he strolls through the casino and reaches the poker arena of the Casino at the Empire, Hellmuth finds WSOP Media Director Nolan Dalla sitting with Men “The Master” Nguyen and Mike “The Mouth” Matusow. At this point, the twitvid takes off, as the duo espouse on some issues that are on their minds.

Hellmuth welcomes Nguyen to London, as “The Master” exhaustedly states that he just arrived in the U.K. after an 11-hour flight. The extremely jet-lagged poker veteran, who is one of the nominees for election into the Poker Hall of Fame, is hailed by Hellmuth as the “Vietnamese Godfather of Poker” and Hellmuth himself states that Nguyen will probably earn election into the Hall “within the next two to three years, if not this year.”

The conversation then turns to the always-entertaining Matusow, who definitely had some issues on his mind. Hellmuth notes that Matusow is upset that Team Americas captain Daniel Negreanu did not choose him for a spot on the Caesars Cup squad. “I’m not upset,” Matusow contends. “I can’t get upset over a f*****g farce.” Matusow continues on his rant when he notes, “When a 20 year-old is the captain of the European team and a 21 year-old Canadian is captain of an American team, why should I be upset?” Matusow is, in reality, good friends with Negreanu, who is actually 35.

The duo then continue their discussion when Hellmuth brings up the fact that Matusow had taken part in the Full Tilt Million Dollar Cash Game, a 24-hour ring game that was taped for television broadcast in Europe. Hellmuth says that Matusow walked away from the table - which included “November Nine” member Phil Ivey, former WSOP Player of the Year Allen Cunningham, former Main Event Champion Chris Ferguson, online legend Tom “durrrr” Dwan, Scandinavian superstar Patrik Antonius, and English poker star Andrew Feldman - with a $105,000 profit.

“It was without a doubt the toughest lineup I have ever played,” Matusow admitted. “I definitely brought my A+ game, not only because of the difficult table, but because no one would talk to me!” Hellmuth then reveals that he had been called on several occasions during the taping to provide a foil for Matusow, drawing laughter from all at the table.

Hellmuth has continued to post tweets during the run of the WSOP Europe. He can be found on Twitter under the moniker Phil Hellmuth.

Mike Matusow Calls Caesars Cup a Farce in Phil Hellmuth TwitVid

One of the most popular players in the game today, 11-time bracelet winner Phil Hellmuth, has given those who couldn’t make their way to the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Europe festivities the opportunity to tour the Casino at the Empire in Leicester Square in London and get personal with other poker pros through his Twitter account.

Hellmuth, who submits his tweets through the Twitter tag “Phil Hellmuth,” recently posted a four-minute twitvid that offers a look inside what has become one of London’s must-visit places for poker players. In the video, the “Poker Brat” serves as the travel guide for the viewer and, by the end, records two polarizing figures in the world of poker.

The video starts from his viewpoint in Leicester Square in London. Filmed before his triumphant entrance as Nero during the WSOP Europe Main Event, he points out that Leicester Square is the home of many historical statues, artists, and “stuff like that,” before strolling through the Square to the entrance of the Casino at the Empire. Strangely enough, and accurately pointed out by Hellmuth, the casino does not look out of place in a city that has been in existence for quite some time.

It takes approximately two minutes to get to the true meat of Hellmuth’s twitvid. As he strolls through the casino and reaches the poker arena of the Casino at the Empire, Hellmuth finds WSOP Media Director Nolan Dalla sitting with Men “The Master” Nguyen and Mike “The Mouth” Matusow. At this point, the twitvid takes off, as the duo espouse on some issues that are on their minds.

Hellmuth welcomes Nguyen to London, as “The Master” exhaustedly states that he just arrived in the U.K. after an 11-hour flight. The extremely jet-lagged poker veteran, who is one of the nominees for election into the Poker Hall of Fame, is hailed by Hellmuth as the “Vietnamese Godfather of Poker” and Hellmuth himself states that Nguyen will probably earn election into the Hall “within the next two to three years, if not this year.”

The conversation then turns to the always-entertaining Matusow, who definitely had some issues on his mind. Hellmuth notes that Matusow is upset that Team Americas captain Daniel Negreanu did not choose him for a spot on the Caesars Cup squad. “I’m not upset,” Matusow contends. “I can’t get upset over a f*****g farce.” Matusow continues on his rant when he notes, “When a 20 year-old is the captain of the European team and a 21 year-old Canadian is captain of an American team, why should I be upset?” Matusow is, in reality, good friends with Negreanu, who is actually 35.

The duo then continue their discussion when Hellmuth brings up the fact that Matusow had taken part in the Full Tilt Million Dollar Cash Game, a 24-hour ring game that was taped for television broadcast in Europe. Hellmuth says that Matusow walked away from the table - which included “November Nine” member Phil Ivey, former WSOP Player of the Year Allen Cunningham, former Main Event Champion Chris Ferguson, online legend Tom “durrrr” Dwan, Scandinavian superstar Patrik Antonius, and English poker star Andrew Feldman - with a $105,000 profit.

“It was without a doubt the toughest lineup I have ever played,” Matusow admitted. “I definitely brought my A+ game, not only because of the difficult table, but because no one would talk to me!” Hellmuth then reveals that he had been called on several occasions during the taping to provide a foil for Matusow, drawing laughter from all at the table.

Hellmuth has continued to post tweets during the run of the WSOP Europe. He can be found on Twitter under the moniker Phil Hellmuth.

Showing Emotion in Poker by Nolan Dalla

If the opposite of a bad beat is a good beat, then the player sitting at Table 67/Seat 2 during a typical night at this year’s World Series of Poker (WSOP) was most certainly the benefactor of a miraculous catch – in other words, a good beat.  Most players remember their bad beats, but we usually forget the synchronized miracles that are dealt just as impartially.  Every player who gets crushed by a bad beat has a smiling correlated counterpart with fading memories of gifts from the poker gods.

The smiling man positioned at Table 67/Seat 2 would likely have remained unnoticed amid a roomful of hundreds of tournament players, except for one thing: his reaction.  The instant the player caught his miracle card, he bolted out of his seat, did a few fist pumps in the air, and shouted to no one in particular “Yes!”  He may have even shouted “Yes!” a few times.

No one needed to see the cards or view the board or replay the hand to understand exactly what had happened.  One player got lucky and caught the perfect card.  The other player took a bad beat and began to exit.  It’s a common occurrence at all poker tournaments – whether the buy-in is $20 or $10,000.

As the winning player was stacking the sizable pot, a floor man approached.  He issued a warning, citing the so-called “excessive celebration rule.”  The player expressed surprise at being reprimanded, but accepted the warning without protest.  In his defense, the floor man acted responsibly, enforcing a rule designed to encourage good sportsmanship and deter annoying distractions.

So, what’s the problem?

Looking back at this year’s WSOP, which included 57 gold bracelet events, for the first time ever, I can’t recall a single case of a player who grossly overstepped the bounds of proper behavior.  Perhaps an infraction happened at some point, but I never saw any such incident - and I was there at the Rio without exception for 49 consecutive days.  There were no Hevad Khan sideshows, no Mike Matusow tirades, and no Phil Hellmuth outbursts (as long as ceaseless whining doesn’t count).  Many players and fans probably think this is a good thing.  Sorry, but I think it’s a very bad thing.

Before I explain, I should make it perfectly clear that I despise quiet poker games.  Nothing bores me more than a game where there is absolutely no table talk.  We seem to be forgetting that poker is a game played by people with feelings and emotions, not robots - although sometimes it’s hard to tell the difference with so many ears wired up to iPods, eyes concealed by menacing sunglasses, and faces sheltered by hats and hoods that only serve to bunker a player emotionally from what’s supposed to be a social game.

Call me odd, but I like it when people talk at the poker table and show themselves as they really are.  I like it when people get mad.  I like it when people cheer for themselves.  It might be bad form to curse, but that should be permitted (as long as an opposing player or staff member is not abused).  I fail to understand why occasional outbursts or expletives are considered unacceptable in poker tournaments when all other sports encourage the expression of human emotion.  Last time I checked, anyone who enters a poker room is an adult and participates voluntarily.  If a player pays his entry fee, it’s his or her right to behave like a gentleman or act like a jackass.  And if anyone gets upset at seeing a player pump his fist in the air and celebrate a little, then I have some blunt advice: grow some thicker skin.  Deal with it.  I frankly don’t care to witness 7,000 perfectly-behaved members of a church choir playing in a major poker tournament.  I want to see 7,000 unique individuals – the quiet, the loud, the angry, the boisterous, the flashy, the thinkers, and even some jerks.  What’s wrong with that?

One of the worst bits of poker advice ever written was the absurdly toxic suggestion that players should always stay quiet at the table.  What absolute rubbish.  Of course, when you’re not involved in a hand and a big pot is at stake, that moment should be respected with silence.  But to sit silent and emotionless for hours at a time is not only senseless, but it’s also counterproductive.  I find that it’s much easier to learn something about your opponents - not to mention have a much better time at the poker table - when there is table talk and people are communicating.

The “excessive celebration rule” was ostensibly adapted in order to dissuade players from turning events like the WSOP into a platform for antics more suitable for circus animals.  Undoubtedly, some players have acted like idiots in recent years, but one unforeseen consequence of having television cameras to record everything for posterity is that many players are now clamming up.  Some players don’t want to say anything stupid or appear foolish on television.  I’ve witnessed countless players who are usually colorful personalities at the table suddenly get stage fright and say absolutely nothing when sitting at a feature table.  There are notable exceptions, of course: Daniel Negreanu, Scotty Nguyen, and Phil Hellmuth immediately come to mind.  Imposing penalties on human emotion, even stifling stupidity, is a bad tournament rule no matter where it’s implemented.

By contrast, one doesn’t see restrictions on player behavior on “High Stakes Poker,” even though the magnitude of decisions is often worth six-figures.  That program is among the best on television because viewers get to see some of the world’s top players in a mostly unfiltered format, complete with their raw emotions exposed – the good, the bad, and the ugly.  Take emotion out of poker and you rip the heart and soul out of the game.

One of my favorite writers and best friends is English journalist Tony Holden.  He once famously wrote, “Whether he likes it or not, a man’s character is stripped bare at the poker table.”

Holden was absolutely correct.  I now fear that draconian measures like f-bomb rules and excessive celebration restrictions are becoming the pseudo-utopian utensils that are stripping humanity out the game.  We are now stripped bare, not by our own successes and failures, but by rules – however well-intentioned - which aim to suppress that which is most genuine and beneficial to poker as a spectator sport.  It’s our personalities, which sadly have become stripped bare.

Nolan Dalla can be contacted at nolandalla@aol.com.

State of the Felt — Poker Media Director Nolan Dalla

In State of the Felt Card Player will periodically bring you insights and opinions from some of the most influential …

Mike Sexton on Turning Players Away From the WSOP Main Event

For the first time in the history of the World Series of Poker (WSOP), players were turned away from entering the Main Event.  It was unfortunate for those players, the WSOP, and the people at Harrah’s.  Here’s what happened.

Four starting days (1A, 1B, 1C, and 1D) from July 3rd to 6th were provided for players to enter the WSOP championship event.  Players could choose their starting day and registration to enter was opened in March.  The first three days, the number of entries was lower than expected (1,100, 800, and 1,700), but on Day 4 (1D), it was a sellout.  Every seat of the 295 tables was sold hours before registration for the event was supposed to be closed.  And all of the players (500 or so) who tried to sign up afterwards were told the event was a sellout and, unfortunately, they couldn’t play.

Naturally, players who were shut out were upset.  I happened to be down the hallway in the “Mike Sexton Suite” (a room available for the PartyPoker qualifiers) when the ruckus in the hallway was taking place.  Although I had played on Day 1A (and got through with average chips), I wandered down there to check things out.  As I got close to the registration area, numerous players suddenly came running up to me and said, “Mike, they’ve shut us out of the Main Event.  They won’t listen to us.  You’ve got to do something!”  I told them that I’m not affiliated with Harrah’s or the WSOP - I’m just a player, but that I did feel their pain and sincerely wished there was a way they could play.  A larger group now surrounded me pleading for me to try and help them.

“Captain” Tom Franklin was one of the players shut out on Day 1D and said he would be a spokesperson for the group as well.  They agreed.  We both told the group (which was now growing rapidly) that the only possible way anything might get accomplished was by taking a calm, reasonable approach to solve the problem.  If players were going to holler or create a mob scene, everyone understood that was not going to do anything but bring on security to escort everyone off the property.  And to everyone’s credit, calm was restored.  We discussed some possibilities as to what we felt the WSOP might do to accommodate those players who were shut out.  There were three options: play ten-handed (all tables were currently nine-handed), take alternates, or create a Day 1E and figure out how that could logistically take place.

We were told that Jack Eiffel (the WSOP’s Tournament Director) was going to come out and address the players.  A short while later, Jack sent word out that he was not coming out, but that Tom and I could come in and see him.  Everyone was pretty happy that the staff was at least willing to discuss things with us.

Tom and I were escorted into the area where the feature TV table was located and we started talking with Jack.  He told us all options were considered early that morning, but to maintain the integrity of the event, they had decided not to go to ten-handed tables and that they were sorry, but registration was closed.  After a short while with Jack, his phone rang and he told us to go with him to meet Jeffrey Pollack (WSOP Commissioner) about this.  We then went out to the back hallway and met with Pollack and at least four other “suits” from the Rio (all Vice Presidents and above).  Nolan Dalla was there as well.  And all of them were distressed and upset that they had to turn away players.

We presented our case: players had never been shut out of the Main Event, no one (including the WSOP staff) had thought they couldn’t register Monday morning for Day 1D, people had flown in from around the world to play and now couldn’t, and we had several options that could accommodate players.  They said they had explored all of the options and to preserve the integrity of the event, they decided to close registration after all seats had been sold.  And their reasons were logical.

They felt it wouldn’t be fair to those who pre-registered in advance for Day 1D to play ten-handed, as the players who entered the first three days played nine-handed.  They hadn’t taken any alternates for any event the entire month (and seven events were sold out) and couldn’t do it now because there wouldn’t be seats available for players on Day 2B.  The only possibility then was to create a Day 1E, which would start later that night (say 6:00pm), play four levels (like players did on Days 1A and 1B), and allow the players that got through to join Day 2A.  This was the only option they felt was a possible solution.  Their biggest concern was that because they had sent players home in the morning telling them it was a sellout, they thought it would create a bigger black eye for them to re-open registration and create a Day 1E (to start later that night).  This was perhaps the most serious issue for them.  They appreciated our input and, to his credit, Pollack said he would be out in a short while to address the players with their decision.

And as you know by now, Pollack came out and addressed the players and Harrah’s decision was to stand pat with their original choice: the event was a sellout and registration was closed.

Both parties have to absorb some blame.  If it was at all possible for them, players should have registered sooner.  But I do think the WSOP staff should have recognized the possibility of a Day 1D sellout, especially since it was 4th of July weekend.  They should have been saying for a week or so prior to the Main Event, “We are only taking 2,800 players on Day 1D, so if you don’t want to get shut out, you should register as soon as possible.”  This would have solved much of the problem.  They should have also recognized that many players would want to spend the 4th of July weekend with their families and would choose Day 1D to play.  And finally, they should have known that starting players with 30,000 in chips would mean more would get through on Days 1A, 1B, 1C, and 1D - thus creating larger fields for Days 2A and 2B.  And just to be safe, why not create an “Open Day” after Days 1A, 1B, 1C, and 1D where you can create a Day 1E just in case you have an overflow of players.

Players must realize that Harrah’s and the WSOP did not want to shut anyone out.  I was with them and I know they didn’t want to shut players out of their championship event.  Had they re-opened registration, they would have surpassed last year’s attendance and added another $4 million to $5 million to the prize pool.  Why wouldn’t they want that?  Why would they want players who dream all year about playing in the WSOP championship event to go home with a bad taste in their mouth?  Their problems were logistical and they simply wanted to protect the integrity of the event.  One thing’s for sure: in the long run, this might be a good thing for the WSOP.  I guarantee you they will never have problems with late registration again - ever!

“Miami” John Cernuto Collapses During WSOP Razz Tournament

After collapsing at the table during the Day Two play at the $2500 Razz tournament at the World Series of Poker and being wheeled away on a stretcher, professional poker player “Miami” John Cernuto is reported to be in stable condition and undergoing tests at a Las Vegas hospital.

Cernuto’s collapse went unnoticed for some time before it was recognized that he was unconscious. Around 6PM (Pacific Time), players around the felt assumed that Cernuto was sleeping during play; it wasn’t until one of his competitors nudged him and he collapsed on the table that it was known there was a problem.

Play was immediately stopped in the tournament while paramedics were called to assist Cernuto. After approximately a half hour, paramedics wheeled the now-conscious “Miami” John from the tournament arena to a round of applause from the Brasilia Room players and audience. Much like a valiant gladiator, Cernuto acknowledged the crowd with a wave and was on his cell phone, presumably to contact family members. While most in the tournament figured that Cernuto had suffered a heart attack, Cernuto contacted World Series of Poker Media Director Nolan Dalla at 9PM to update everyone on his condition. Initial testing at the hospital revealed that Cernuto was suffering from internal bleeding and he was to be held at least overnight for further testing.

Indicative of many poker players, one of Cernuto’s first questions for Dalla was comically what happened in the play of the hand. He is reported to have said that he looked at his hand, saw three small cards and entered into the action before he lost consciousness. While his desire to know if he won the hand is admirable, the point was moot; tournament directors killed the hand and there was no outcome.

A former air traffic controller, Cernuto has been a stalwart at the World Series for the past twenty years. He has been able to earn three WSOP bracelets in his career in three different disciplines, Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo (1996), No Limit Hold’em (1997) and Limit Omaha (2002). He has also made a final table on the World Poker Tour and has numerous cashes in other events around the world. With two cashes at this year’s WSOP in the $10K World Championship Mixed Event (won by Ville Wahlbeck and the $1500 Seven Card Stud event (won by Jeffrey Lisandro), Cernuto has 47 WSOP cashes and earned more than $4.6 million in tournament earnings.

Strangely enough, this isn’t the first time that this type of situation has presented itself at the World Series. In 2007, poker pro Paul “Eskimo” Clark collapsed in not one but two events, including this Razz tournament. Clark suffered a stroke during play in the tournament and, rather than seeking medical assistance, continued on to finish in fourth place in the tournament that was won by German professional Katja Thater.

After the scare by Cernuto on Tuesday night, play will continue today in the tournament. Jeffrey Lisandro, who has already captured two bracelets this year, is looking for a third as he is the chip leader in the tournament. Lisandro is followed by Steve Diano, Vegas pro Don Zewin and Kenna James and the champion of the event will be determined tonight. Poker News Daily will have a report on all the action from the Razz final table and wishes a quick return to the tables for “Miami” John Cernuto.

Ankenman wins WSOP $2.5k Mixed

With Mathematics of Poker co-author Chen watching from the sidelines, Ankenman defeated Sergey Altbregin in heads-up play to win the World Series of Poker's $2,500 Mixed Event.

"This is my third big cash at a WSOP and I'm happy to win a bracelet," Ankenman said.

"The first two I was second so that was bittersweet. It's just nice to get the prize."

The prizes in question are a WSOP bracelet and $241,637 in prize money, and they came at the expense of a final table that included such fearsome distinguished as Dario Alioto, Layne Flack and Jon Turner.

In the end, however, it was only Altbregin, a Russian pro with $200k in career earnings, who stood in his way.

"When I was heads-up I was pretty confident because I've played a lot of heads-up limit," Ankenman told PokerListings.

In the end, the tournament came down to a combination of experience and simple luck.

"It was a combination of me being confident and me making a lot of hands in a row," he said. "I was just sort of able to run my opponent over."

The former Washington Mutual employee told PokerListings he loved the mixed game format.

"I think it's a great tournament," he said. "I really like the mixed game format because it gives you an opportunity to show off your chops.

"The World Series of Poker is like the last bastion of mixed games. It's really nice to be able to come here and play a wide variety of games."

Elsewhere in the Amazon Room on Tuesday:

Event 41 - $5,000 No Limit Hold'em Shootout

22-year-old Peter Traply became the first Hungarian to win a WSOP bracelet, defeating Andrew Lichtenberger in heads-up play to claim the title and $348,728 in prize money.

Check out what Traply had to say about his victory here.

Event 43 - $1,000 Seniors No Limit Hold'em

Twenty-eight players remain in the $1k Seniors NLHE tournament, including chipleader Tom Thomas, whose 917,000 in chips puts him nearly 300k above second-place Charles Simon.

Among those to hit the rail in Tuesday's action were 2007 LAPC champ Eric Hershler, Barbara Enright and "Minneapolis" Jim Meehan.

Action will resume at 1 p.m. Wednesday for the play down to a champion.

Event 44 - $2,500 Razz

The $2,500 Razz event took a scary turn midway through the day when pro "Miami" John Cernuto collapsed at his table due to what the WSOP termed "an ongoing medical ailment."

Cernuto regained consciousness at the Rio but was taken to hospital for treatment and was in good spirits when he contacted the WSOP's Nolan Dalla later in the evening, asking Dalla whether he had won his last hand.

Thirteen players remain in contention in the event, including chipleader Jeffrey Lisandro, Nikolay Evdakov and short-stack Ville Wahlbeck.

Action resumes at 1 p.m. on Wednesday.

Event 45 - $10,000 Pot Limit Hold'em

A total of 275 players bought-in to the $10k PLHE tournament and by day's end only 85 remained in contention for the tournament's $633,328 top prize.

Among those to falter in Day 1 action were Peter Eastgate, Barry Greenstein and Jason Mercier, while Bertrand "ElkY" Grospellier and Nenad Medic headline a star-studded field of survivors.

Action resumes at 2 p.m. for Day 2.

Event 46 - $2,500 Omaha Hi-Lo

Four-hundred and twenty-five players bought-in for the $2.5k Omaha 8 event and 216 players remained when play was suspended for the evening.

Among those who still remain in contention are Mike Matusow, Annie Duke and Todd Brunson.

The players return to action at 2 p.m. on Wednesday.

Check out the PokerListings 2009 WSOP section for more live coverage from the World Series of Poker.

Visit PokerListings.com

2009 WSOP: Champions Invitational

In fact, if you're not part of that select group of 33 players with World Series of Poker Main Event bracelets, you'll be watching the Champions Invitational from the sidelines.

The Invitational, which kicks off May 31st, is a freeroll event open only to the 25 surviving Main Event champions. It's one of only four WSOP events to be broadcast on ESPN this summer.

There's no cash prize and there's no WSOP bracelet, but the winner will take home a commemorative trophy named in honor of the Series-founding Binion family as well as a restored 1970 Corvette.

"This is going to be one hell of a photo op," said WSOP media director Nolan Dalla. "I think the buzz from this event will perhaps be higher than anything else, save the Main Event."

Thirty-three players have won the Main Event over its 39-year run.

Eight of those winners - including three-time winners Johnny Moss and Stu Ungar - are deceased, and 1978 champ Bobby Baldwin has reportedly already indicated he won't play.

Among the rest of the champs, however, there is palpable excitement.

"Of course I'm playing!" 1989 champ Phil Hellmuth told PokerListings.com. "It's one of four ESPN events, and I love playing with my peers."

"I definitely intend to play," said 2004 winner Greg Raymer. "I love the concept and have suggested exactly an event like this to [WSOP commissioner] Jeffrey Pollack several times in the past."

Reigning champ Peter Eastgate, meanwhile, told PokerListings.com he thought he should be considered a favorite.

"I should be one of the strongest [players] as I have emerged from the second biggest field," he said.

"However, you can't disregard the champions like Doyle Brunson, Huck Seed and Phil Hellmuth, who have proven to stay on top ever since they won their championships."

By Eastgate's math, his primary competition should be 2006 champion Jamie Gold, who took a $12 million first prize for defeating the largest field in Main Event history - 8,773 runners.

In comparison, the young Dane's victory last November saw him defeat 6,843 other entrants to claim a $9,152,416 top prize.

Like most of the champions PokerListings talked to, Gold was excited about the prospect of facing off against his peers with little but pride on the line.

"There is a 40-year history of excitement and prestige surrounding the WSOP," he said. "This event will celebrate all of it and give us a once in a lifetime opportunity to compete with each other. We're going to have a great time."

Raymer agreed.

"I am very proud of my accomplishment in 2004," he said. "The group of champions is very select and it is an honor to compete with them in this event."

That said, though all of the former champions indicated their intention to play in the event, Hellmuth suggested his primary focus will be on the Series' bracelet events this summer.

"[The Champions Invitational] will be fun to play in, but there is no bracelet for first place," he said. "So I'll try my hardest, but I will be looking out of one eye for bracelet events while I'm playing it."

Dalla told PokerListings he thought the Champions Invitational would fill a void with the armchair poker fan.

"I think we can agree that the [WSOP events] in recent years have gotten to the point where all we are likely to see in most final tables is anonymous faces," he said. "That's not a bad thing.

"But the public wants to see the legends, too. And this is a great way to ensure that happens, at least once a year. Add Jack Binion's name plus a cool car for first place, and this should be a lot of fun."

The Invitational kicks off May 31st at noon Vegas time and will be broadcast on ESPN beginning August 4th.

Of course, you can catch all of the action live in the PokerListings.com World Series of Poker section as soon as play gets underway.

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40 years of the WSOP: The 90s

The 1990 World Series of Poker started with the same 14 preliminary events as there had been during the last few years, but it saw a record 194 players sign up for the Main Event.

Sadly, the event will be remembered as the time Stu Ungar lost his chip lead and a shot at a third bracelet when a drug overdose left him unable to play.

He was blinded off at the final table on the third day and finished in 9th place.

The winner of the 1990 Main Event, Mansour Matloubi, was the first non-American to win the championship.  He was propelled to victory by what the late Chip Reese characterized as, "without question the most incredible hand in the history of the World Series of Poker."

Late in the tournament, Matloubi had put himself at risk with pocket tens against Hans Lund's ace-nine, on a nine-high board.  The ace on the turn seemed to guarantee the bracelet to Lund, but Matloubi hit one of his two outs on the river.

During the broadcast of the final table, Jack Binion guaranteed that the top prize for the 1991 Main Event would be $1 million dollars.

One year later, Brad Daugherty bested 215 entrants to become the first WSOP million dollar winner at a final TV table that had only one player with prior final table experience.

The number of preliminary events increased again at the 1992 WSOP, but with only 201 players, the Main Event showed a slight decrease from the previous year.

Main Event winner Hamid Dastmalchi, born in Iran, took home the $1 million dollar top prize.  Preliminary event winners that year boasted a who's who, with Phil Hellmuth, Men Nguyen, Erik Seidel, Lyle Berman, Eskimo Clark, Hoyt Corkins, Tom McEvoy and Mickey Appleman each taking home a bracelet.

In 1993, eight of the 18 preliminary events were won by just three players, with Ted Forrest and Phil Hellmuth each winning three bracelets and Humberto Brenes winning two.

Jim Bechtel bested the 220 who entered the Main Event including the chip leader going into the final table John Bonetti, who Bechtel went after right from the first hand.

"Well, if you're going to win a tournament, you're going to have to get it from the guy who has the chips," Bechtel told PokerListings.

In their now-famous final confrontation, Bechtel had a pair of sixes.

"Shorthanded, a pretty strong hand," he said.

Both players checked a K-4-6 flop with two spades, but when the Jack of spades turned over, Bonetti pushed in for over $1 million in chips.

With barely a hesitation, Bechtel called, much to the delight of the microscopically short-stacked Glen Cozen.

"Bonetti was the type of player that if he had any type of decent hand he was willing to play a big pot," Bechtel said. "He didn't have to have the nuts to stick all his money in the pot."

Bechtel was right, Bonetti turned over A-K and went out third. Soon after, Bechtel was the champion.

Russ Hamilton, a name now sadly considered an anathema in the poker world, surpassed 268 players to win the 1994 Main Event.  He took home more than the $1 million dollars prize, receiving an additional $30,000 to represent his then-considerable weight in silver, commemorating the series' 25th Anniversary.

The only woman to make a Main Event final table was Barbara Enright, who placed fifth in 1995.

"Action" Dan Harington actually went on to win, beating a field of 273 after earlier winning the $2,500 NLHE event - earning bracelets in the only two events he entered that year.

The WSOP had a then-whopping 23 preliminary events, including two Chinese poker tournaments.

Huck Seed won the 1996 Main Event, but it was the 1997 event that was the most memorable of the decade.

Stu Ungar made a triumphant return to take his third Main Event title after outlasting a field of 312 at an outdoor final table in the sweltering Las Vegas heat.  Ungar, who died the next year, prophetically proclaimed, "There's no one who could ever beat me playing cards. The only one who could beat me was myself."

"When I was there in 1997 all anyone talked about was the comeback story," said Nolan Dalla, author of One of a Kind: The Rise and Fall of Stuey "The Kid" Ungar, The World's Greatest Poker Player. "No one talked about skill. It was about Stuey, the man and tortured soul."

Daniel Negreanu became the then-youngest bracelet winner at the 1998 WSOP and Scotty Nguyen won the Main Event.

On the final hand, with the board showing eights full of nines, Scotty bet enough to put his opponent, Kevin McBride, all in.

"You call this one and it's all over baby," Scotty memorably told him. McBride called, playing the board, and Scotty turned over jack-nine.  It was all over.

Almost 400 signed up for the 1999 Main Event and Noel Furlong won at a final table that included Huck Seed and Erik Seidel, among others.

Mike Matusow won his first bracelet as did another young player known as much for his temperament as for his play, Layne Flack.

"Every year it seemed it probably couldn't get any bigger," said Bechtel, who in addition to his 1993 win, was runner up in 1979, made two final tables in the 80's, and the H.O.R.S.E. final table in 2006.

"It was standing room only at Binions. At the time, every tournament seemed as big as it could ever get."

As we know now, the WSOP had not yet seen its true explosion.

By the end of the 1990's, the second place prize money for the Main Event was larger than the prize money earned by the first six champions combined, and twice as many entered the Main Event as at the start of the decade.

But that was nothing compared with what was about to happen to the WSOP.

Next article: 40 years of the WSOP: The new millenium

Related Articles:

• 40 years of the WSOP: The beginning
• 40 years of the WSOP: The 70s
• 40 years of the WSOP: The 80s

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40 Years of the WSOP: The 80s

The first World Series of Poker of the 1980s is most remembered for its Main Event winner, 26-year-old Stu Ungar.

Part poker genius, part enigma, Ungar would amaze and baffle throughout his lifetime and his first of two back-to-back Main Event wins ushered in the second decade of the WSOP.

There were 73 entrants that year, including players from outside of the U.S for the first time.

In the end, Ungar beat a final five that included Johnny Moss and runner-up Doyle Brunson to take down the $365,000 top prize.

"Stu Ungar's first WSOP victory in 1980 marked the beginning of a new era in poker," said Nolan Dalla, author of One of a Kind: The Rise and Fall of Stuey "The Kid" Ungar, The World's Greatest Poker Player.

"It arguably slammed the door shut on the good old days, symbolized best perhaps by Ungar actually defeating the representation of all that the WSOP was before, personified in Doyle Brunson.

"The magnitude both actual and symbolic of this victory cannot be overstated. Ungar not only went on to revolutionize poker and strategy, he quickly became an icon for his eccentricities and unprecedented accomplishments."

1981 saw barely a ripple of an increase in Main Event entrants, as 75 ponied up the $10K buy-in.

This year is best remembered for Ungar's successful defense of his title, which was aired as an hour-long broadcast as one of CBS' sports specials.

"All one must do is look at the champions before and after Ungar," Dalla said. "The previous winners were mostly table-hardened, nerve-tested older men in cowboy hats from the American South.

"But Ungar, being young, from New York, Jewish, and unlike any of his contemporaries in the way he acted at the table, left an indelible impression on the game unlikely ever to be equaled."

The very next year was one for the books.  With over 100 entrants, the 1982 WSOP Main Event had its biggest top prize ever at $500,000 and an all-star final table including Brunson, Dewey Tomko, Jack Straus, Berry Johnston and Brian "Sailor" Roberts.

The legend of "a chip and a chair" was born that year when Straus came back from a single $500 chip to win it all.  Bill Baxter and David Sklansky each won two bracelets and Vera Richmond became the first woman to win a bracelet in an open-field event.

The biggest change for the WSOP came in 1983 with the introduction of the satellites, which is exactly how Main Event winner Tom McEvoy snagged his seat.

McEvoy told PokerListings he had tried to win a seat in one of the four $100 satellites held at the Bingo Palace earlier that year, just as eventual runner-up Rod Peate had.

He was unsuccessful and therefore signed up for a one-table $1,160 satellite at the Horseshoe, but not before some quick thinking.

When McEvoy saw that up-and-coming player Johnny Chan was signed up for the same satellite, he approached Chan.

"I don't want to play it if you're going to play it," he said to Chan. "So if you're going to take the seat, I'll wait until the next one."

Chan sat out and McEvoy beat out David Sklansky, James Doman and six others to win his seat to the big show.

"Winning the Main Event did not have the impact then, of course, that it does now, with so much money at stake," McEvoy said. "Then there was not much TV coverage to speak of. Winning wasn't nearly as dramatic as it is now."

1983 also saw the first bracelet won by an African-American as Carolyn Gardner took the Ladies 7-Card Stud event. Two new games were introduced, Match Play and Omaha, and the heads-up Main Event match between McEvoy and Peate set a record at seven hours.

CBS did not cover the Main Event in 1984, so future Hall-of-Famer Jack Keller's championship win, and the fact he had also won a bracelet in stud, did not get widespread attention.

Then in 1985, Bill Smith won the Main Event, but runner-up T.J. Cloutier is by far the more famous figure today.

Johnny Chan won his first bracelet that year and Johnny Moss, who went on to win his ninth and final bracelet three years later, made his last Main Event final table.

Twice runner-up Berry Johnston finally won the Main Event in 1986 and in 1987, ESPN took over coverage of the WSOP, introducing the viewing public to Johnny "The Orient Express" Chan for the first time.

A year later, a watershed moment in WSOP history occurred when ESPN aired Chan's final table showdown with Erik Seidel at the 1988 Main Event, bringing him back-to-back titles.

The scene was immortalized in the movie Rounders years later, becoming one of the main catalysts to poker's big boom with a whole new generation of players wanting to be Matt Damon and stare down Chan.

But even before Rounders came a win for the ages.

It was 1989 and a 24-year-old Wisconsin student named Phil Hellmuth became the youngest champion in WSOP history, derailing The Orient Express and closing out the 1980s.

Related Articles:

• 40 years of the WSOP: The 90s
• 40 years of the WSOP: The 70s
• 40 years of the WSOP: The beginning

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2009 WSOP: Is it recession-proof?

In February, WSOP commissioner Jeffrey Pollack told PokerListings.com he thought the economy and it's impact on the poker world would be the biggest news at this summer's series.

It's no secret that Las Vegas is reeling. Casino operators have seen their stock prices in freefall and the city's resorts have been forced to slash room rates and bump up incentives to continue attracting visitors.

To many experts, however, the casino industry's pains don't necessarily signal the same negative outlook at the poker tables.

"Poker is fundamentally different than the rest of the gaming industry," said Andrew M. Woods, Executive Director of the Global Poker Strategic Thinking Society (www.GPSTS.org) and a former teaching fellow of economics at Harvard College.

"It's a game of skill. You play against peers and not against the house, and that changes who participates and why.

"People don't go to play poker with their disposable income intending to hit a big score like they do with slots or other casino games. It's not a pie-in-the-sky thing where you'd throw $20 away. Most people play because they think they have positive [expected value]."

David Schwartz, director of the Center for Gaming Research at the University of Nevada Las Vegas, agrees.

"Since [poker] isn't a game of pure chance weighted in the house's favor, it's less of a discretionary income [form of] entertainment," he said. "Since if you are good, and who doesn't think they are good, you can gain a positive expectation. Some people might, in fact, be intensifying their poker play."

As for how the World Series itself will fare, the experts have mixed expectations.

WSOP Media Director and poker historian Nolan Dalla sounded optimistic.

"I don't want to sound like a cheerleader, but I think the WSOP is such a big draw for so many people that the impact of the economic crisis will be minimal, at least this year," he said.

Meanwhile, Washington-based attorney and former World Poker Association board member Ken Adams suggested the $10,000 Main Event, in particular, will continue to thrive.

"I do not expect the size of the field to decline in the Main Event, as the number of seats won on the internet is unlikely to decline any time soon," he said.

"In recent years as many as 75% of the seats in the Main Event have been filled with internet and satellite qualifiers. One consequence has been the increasing internationalization and youthfulness of the field, as the internet attracts young players from countries around the globe."

Woods agreed.

"The internet explosion has contributed a solid core of customers," he said. "These days, the level of poker education is so high that people don't see the WSOP as a lottery - it's more like the PGA."

Dalla, too, pointed to the increasing diversification of WSOP fields as a major reason why he thinks the Series will continue to prosper.

"Any single [demographic] of players that is affected by problems is often made up by other groups of people who increase in number," he said, pointing to Internationals and young players as two examples of increasing demographics.

"I think a lot of players who have grown up watching poker on television will turn 21 and will attend the WSOP for the first time," he said. "The youth-oriented demographics are favorable to the WSOP both long and short term."

Whether WSOP numbers decline or not in 2009, all four experts agreed that the overall health of the Series shouldn't be called into question.

"My gut instinct is that there will be a very small decline [in numbers], although it's not really my field of expertise," said Schwartz. "But I think Harrah's and Jeffrey Pollack have done a great job in building the brand and I think that their work will counteract any decline the WSOP might experience."

"Naturally, there will be declines and flat periods," said Dalla. "Nothing can grow at 50 percent a year like we did from 2003 to 2008. But given other forms of entertainment and recreation, especially gaming, the WSOP (and poker in general) appear to be doing quite well."

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Nolan Dalla on the Greatest Poker Player Alive

No one who can rise before dawn three hundred and sixty days a year fails to make his family rich.
-- Chinese Proverb

A few years from now when someone asks, “Who is the greatest living poker player?” the answer might be a surprise.

It won’t be Doyle Brunson.  Not Phil Hellmuth.  Not Barry Greenstein.  Not Allen Cunningham.  Not even Phil Ivey.  None of the proper names that would normally come up in any argument about the most skilled poker professional will be correct.

I predict that in just a few years – when the argument is based purely on poker knowledge and raw skill, or what some might call “natural talent” - the greatest poker player alive is very likely to be someone, somewhere out there now who is living in one of the 150 nations where online poker is played.  He’s putting in incalculable hours of poker playing, day and night, on his home computer.

While many talented players will continue to win money and fame, the most gifted player will be an obsessively focused young person who puts massive amounts of time into his craft.  He’ll likely do this to the detriment of other activities.  He won’t have many close personal relationships.  He won’t play sports.  He won’t be spending his teen years drinking or getting high.  He might even be called “anti-social” by those around him (or her, to be fair), but he will ultimately become the most gifted poker player alive.

Most of his table decisions will be made on autopilot and they will invariably be as correct as a card counter playing basic strategy in blackjack.  More complex decisions requiring deeper contemplation will always be crafted to extract the maximum expected value out of the situation.  He won’t always win, of course; no poker player does.  But his decisions will, without fail, always be astute.  He will, by his 20th birthday, have played thousands of hours of poker and hundreds of thousands of poker hands.  He will have made an immeasurable number of strategic decisions.  By age 25, he will have likely played more hands than Doyle Brunson, Johnny Moss, or Stu Ungar played during their entire lifetimes.

The point here is that nothing prepares one for success like repetition.

Consider the compelling argument made by author Malcolm Gladwell in his current best seller Outliers: The Story of Success.  Gladwell shows us how extraordinary accomplishment is usually the byproduct of thousands, if not tens of thousands, of hours of hard work, intense curiosity, and repetition.  Indeed, lots of repetition.  Yes, intelligence matters a lot in determining success.  So does luck.  But nothing can match the actual practice of spending incomparable hours perfecting a craft.

In his masterful book (what I consider to be a “must read” if you haven’t picked it up already), Gladwell examines the lives of many successful people, from Bill Gates to The Beatles, in order to prove that the most critical factor in determining success (or failure, by implication) is the commitment of time.  Of course, these lives of famous people have been scrutinized in hundreds of accounts.  But until Gladwell’s revealing book, I’m not sure that anyone truly understood the degree to which the most successful people in various fields focused on improving themselves and ultimately perfecting their trades.

Right this minute, there are hundreds of players who day in and day out are winning vast sums of money online.  They are destined to revolutionize not only how the game is played, but also how it evolves.  All of the torchbearers are playing online.  Their names are largely unknown to the public except by their cagey screen names at online poker sites and various ranking systems that can be found all over the Internet.

What do they do that’s so different from everyone else?  What secret knowledge do they possess which allows them to earn five or ten times the average annual salary of someone working a conventional job?  Two words: Time spent.  Incredibly, many of these players are in their 20s.  Some are even in their teens.  They live all around the world and they are hammering online poker games for millions of dollars in earnings.  These are dedicated craftsmen (and a few craftswomen) who are the real day-to-day winners in the game of poker.  They don’t make headlines.  They make millions in profits while many so-called superstars actually earn very little money by actually playing poker.

The recent “Durrr Poker Challenge” may very well represent the passing of a torch to a new generation.  A decade ago, it was Phil Ivey, Daniel Negreanu, Allen Cunningham, Layne Flack, and others who were labeled as the young guns of poker.  Now, those players are in their 30s.  Today, it’s players like Tom Dwan and countless other (mostly anonymous) online winners who are ready to kick their elders to the curb.  The notion that a 21-year-old poker player could seriously challenge the top names in the game would have been blasphemous if not unthinkable just ten years ago.  Now, it’s reality.  Even late legend Stu Ungar (the first real wunderkind) did not burst on the poker scene until he was in his mid-20s.  Even five years ago, many cash game pros welcomed online players into their games with great anticipation.  Times have certainly changed.  If the torch has not quite been passed, it has most certainly has been lit.  That flame in the distance is approaching fast and is going to end up burning a lot of unsuspecting people caught up in the past.

Indeed, the greatest poker player alive (right now) and the person perhaps destined to be the greatest poker player who ever lived is probably sitting somewhere in his basement right now, multi-tabling numerous games, hammering out profit, and most importantly, continuing to improve.  He will eventually leave everyone else behind.  The bar of excellence once established by the likes of Brunson, Ungar, Ivey, and the rest is about to be set a little higher for everyone, especially the generations to follow.

Nolan Dalla on the Greatest Poker Player Alive

No one who can rise before dawn three hundred and sixty days a year fails to make his family rich.
-- Chinese Proverb

A few years from now when someone asks, “Who is the greatest living poker player?” the answer might be a surprise.

It won’t be Doyle Brunson.  Not Phil Hellmuth.  Not Barry Greenstein.  Not Allen Cunningham.  Not even Phil Ivey.  None of the proper names that would normally come up in any argument about the most skilled poker professional will be correct.

I predict that in just a few years – when the argument is based purely on poker knowledge and raw skill, or what some might call “natural talent” - the greatest poker player alive is very likely to be someone, somewhere out there now who is living in one of the 150 nations where online poker is played.  He’s putting in incalculable hours of poker playing, day and night, on his home computer.

While many talented players will continue to win money and fame, the most gifted player will be an obsessively focused young person who puts massive amounts of time into his craft.  He’ll likely do this to the detriment of other activities.  He won’t have many close personal relationships.  He won’t play sports.  He won’t be spending his teen years drinking or getting high.  He might even be called “anti-social” by those around him (or her, to be fair), but he will ultimately become the most gifted poker player alive.

Most of his table decisions will be made on autopilot and they will invariably be as correct as a card counter playing basic strategy in blackjack.  More complex decisions requiring deeper contemplation will always be crafted to extract the maximum expected value out of the situation.  He won’t always win, of course; no poker player does.  But his decisions will, without fail, always be astute.  He will, by his 20th birthday, have played thousands of hours of poker and hundreds of thousands of poker hands.  He will have made an immeasurable number of strategic decisions.  By age 25, he will have likely played more hands than Doyle Brunson, Johnny Moss, or Stu Ungar played during their entire lifetimes.

The point here is that nothing prepares one for success like repetition.

Consider the compelling argument made by author Malcolm Gladwell in his current best seller Outliers: The Story of Success.  Gladwell shows us how extraordinary accomplishment is usually the byproduct of thousands, if not tens of thousands, of hours of hard work, intense curiosity, and repetition.  Indeed, lots of repetition.  Yes, intelligence matters a lot in determining success.  So does luck.  But nothing can match the actual practice of spending incomparable hours perfecting a craft.

In his masterful book (what I consider to be a “must read” if you haven’t picked it up already), Gladwell examines the lives of many successful people, from Bill Gates to The Beatles, in order to prove that the most critical factor in determining success (or failure, by implication) is the commitment of time.  Of course, these lives of famous people have been scrutinized in hundreds of accounts.  But until Gladwell’s revealing book, I’m not sure that anyone truly understood the degree to which the most successful people in various fields focused on improving themselves and ultimately perfecting their trades.

Right this minute, there are hundreds of players who day in and day out are winning vast sums of money online.  They are destined to revolutionize not only how the game is played, but also how it evolves.  All of the torchbearers are playing online.  Their names are largely unknown to the public except by their cagey screen names at online poker sites and various ranking systems that can be found all over the Internet.

What do they do that’s so different from everyone else?  What secret knowledge do they possess which allows them to earn five or ten times the average annual salary of someone working a conventional job?  Two words: Time spent.  Incredibly, many of these players are in their 20s.  Some are even in their teens.  They live all around the world and they are hammering online poker games for millions of dollars in earnings.  These are dedicated craftsmen (and a few craftswomen) who are the real day-to-day winners in the game of poker.  They don’t make headlines.  They make millions in profits while many so-called superstars actually earn very little money by actually playing poker.

The recent “Durrr Poker Challenge” may very well represent the passing of a torch to a new generation.  A decade ago, it was Phil Ivey, Daniel Negreanu, Allen Cunningham, Layne Flack, and others who were labeled as the young guns of poker.  Now, those players are in their 30s.  Today, it’s players like Tom Dwan and countless other (mostly anonymous) online winners who are ready to kick their elders to the curb.  The notion that a 21-year-old poker player could seriously challenge the top names in the game would have been blasphemous if not unthinkable just ten years ago.  Now, it’s reality.  Even late legend Stu Ungar (the first real wunderkind) did not burst on the poker scene until he was in his mid-20s.  Even five years ago, many cash game pros welcomed online players into their games with great anticipation.  Times have certainly changed.  If the torch has not quite been passed, it has most certainly has been lit.  That flame in the distance is approaching fast and is going to end up burning a lot of unsuspecting people caught up in the past.

Indeed, the greatest poker player alive (right now) and the person perhaps destined to be the greatest poker player who ever lived is probably sitting somewhere in his basement right now, multi-tabling numerous games, hammering out profit, and most importantly, continuing to improve.  He will eventually leave everyone else behind.  The bar of excellence once established by the likes of Brunson, Ungar, Ivey, and the rest is about to be set a little higher for everyone, especially the generations to follow.

Legend lost: Slim breaks his silence Pt. 2

Part two focuses on the legal proceedings with regards to the indecency charges, Slim's strained relationships with his family and the poker community's reaction to the controversy. If you haven't read part one catch up here.

NOLAN DALLA: Let's talk about the legal case. You ended up pleading guilty to assault charges.

Editor's note: Despite Nolan and Slim referring to his plea as "guilty," Slim actually pled no contest.

AMARILLO SLIM: Yes, to get this over with. God damn, it's breaking up my family. It was the best thing to do. All I had to do was accept the charges and get probation. That wasn't anything.

There were no felonies. I could accept that. And the main reason was I didn't want to be in the courthouse as an enemy to my wife and family, and especially my grandbaby. I'm going to end up being the enemy, if we go to court. I can't stand for that.

NOLAN DALLA: But the bottom line remains that you pled guilty to assault charges. You stated in a court of law that you were guilty. Why would you ever plead guilty to something you did not do if you were truly an innocent man?

AMARILLO SLIM: When my lawyer told me there's an easy way to end all this, I asked him "How?" And he said to do a plea bargain. So, I said yeah - go ahead and do it.

So, he came out of court and said I got you probation and you pay a $4,000 fine. I was told it was just a misdemeanor for simple assault, whatever that means.

I asked him what he thought about the plea bargain, and he said - this will keep your family out of the courthouse and end it. See, I was trying to protect my family.

NOLAN DALLA: You decided to plead guilty to assault. Before that, did you fear a felony conviction and being sentenced to prison?

AMARILLO SLIM: No! The felony charges were already dismissed. I didn't even have a bond set. Don't you think that if I'd had felonies against me they would have arrested me and made me post bail?

NOLAN DALLA: Some have speculated as to the reasons for your guilty plea. They suggest it might be justifiable for a man in his late 70s, facing possible jail time, to accept any deal which would keep him out of a Texas prison.

AMARILLO SLIM: That's not it. I would not have had to fight the case in court much. It would have been very easy for me [to win]. But I didn't want my family dragged through a trial and being made my enemy in the court. I didn't want my 12-year-old granddaughter to have to take the stand.

NOLAN DALLA: You must have known the public would hear about this controversy and suspect you might be guilty of worse crimes. Weren't you afraid of the harm this might do to your reputation?

AMARILLO SLIM: No, I'm not even scared of a big old grizzly bear. I just did what was appropriate - or at least what I thought was appropriate.

NOLAN DALLA: Were you depressed?

AMARILLO SLIM: [Expletive] yes. Everything I loved was gone. It was taken away from me.

NOLAN DALLA: But now you say you have your family's support. At what point did they come back to you and want to move on?

AMARILLO SLIM: Yeah. They came to me when they realized they had it all wrong. I can't remember when exactly that was, but all of a sudden everybody was calling and visiting and everything.

We were all sitting in the same room, eating the same food, swimming in the same pool. Everybody did a complete 360.

NOLAN DALLA: I think you'd acknowledge that you have a reputation as a master manipulator and a hustler. You know how to get things done. You can fix things. In short, you are capable of just about anything. Did you buy these people off?

AMARILLO SLIM: No. People might think that, but they can think what they want. Just so they know I didn't molest a child or fondle a child or anything like that. I didn't.

NOLAN DALLA: Let's discuss the public's reaction to the controversy.

AMARILLO SLIM: The Associated Press found out about it but they didn't want to touch it. Why not, I don't know. Then, John L. Smith [a writer with the Las Vegas Review-Journal] wrote the most damaging article you ever saw in your life.

But I never talked to him and there is nothing factual in the entire thing. He said they now call me "Amarillo Slime." I haven't heard that. I might interview him with a baseball bat.

NOLAN DALLA: But Smith was basing his article, as are most writers, on court records and ...

AMARILLO SLIM: On the word of an assistant district attorney.

NOLAN DALLA: Yeah, but also the fact that you did plead guilty to three charges.

AMARILLO SLIM: I already told you how that was.

NOLAN DALLA: Yes, I can appreciate and even respect that. But you did plead guilty - yes?

AMARILLO SLIM: Yes, because I was advised to plead guilty. Because - we needed to end all that mess. It was also to assault, not to being a molester or doing something like that.

Then, everyone got a hold of it and the next thing I read was that I had pled guilty to whatever it was, being a child molester, and a pedophile. It just got worse and worse.

And it wasn't true. I can't even say the word pedophile. I resent it. I resent it with every bone in my body. I was 77 years old and all of a sudden I'm going to start molesting kids?

Huh? Not a lot of logic there, is it? There was a site [WickedChopsPoker] which called me a pedophile. I'm considering suing them if they don't publish a retraction because none of it is true.

Back when I could have sex, I don't have it anymore - I can't help that - I would have had it when I could. How come I waited until I was impotent to do something like this?

NOLAN DALLA: But can you see how a writer or journalist following this story might conclude that since you pled guilty in a court of law, then that opens you up to speculation about what really happened?

AMARILLO SLIM: I guess so. But saying I committed molestation? No. That's when I fight back. You want to know how many psychiatrists and child counselors I went and saw? Five. The D.A. set all these up while I was being investigated. To a person, every one of them said "There's nothing we can do for this man. He's no more a sex molester than I am."

NOLAN DALLA: If you could do this all over again, would you do things differently?

AMARILLO SLIM: I have tried to have an understanding with all of my family about what I was doing [during the court case]. Now, they know what I was doing. I know it, and they know it. I was trying to protect my family. Hell yes, I would do the same thing over again.

NOLAN DALLA: But when you walk into a poker room today, some of the people in that room who once respected you might think differently.

AMARILLO SLIM: Yes, and that bothered me. But I have never had anyone say anything negative to me. Whether I was playing, or not playing. I think there are a bunch of hypocrites in the poker world and a lot of them are obligated to me.

Not a one of them has showed up and stood beside me ... I don't hear from them anymore. Some of them could have said something and shown their support. But they didn't.

NOLAN DALLA: Care to name any names?

AMARILLO SLIM: They know who they are.

NOLAN DALLA: Did you get support from anyone in the poker community?

AMARILLO SLIM: No, I didn't seek any. But I sure should have had some. I will say that one person did speak up and say that what I was charged with couldn't have possibly happened.

He told everybody that we had traveled together for years and slept in the same room. He said it never could have happened what was said about me.

NOLAN DALLA: Was Doyle Brunson the player who spoke up?

AMARILLO SLIM: Yes.

NOLAN DALLA: No matter what, some people are still going to say, he's Amarillo Slim. He beat the rap. He beat the legal system. That's who he is, and he's guilty. What do you say to that?

AMARILLO SLIM: They don't know the truth. They are wrong to condemn someone without any substance whatsoever. There's not one single person who ever got up and testified I did something wrong.

The little girl never saw any counselors, because it never happened. The [felony] charges were dismissed against me. The grand jury never heard that I passed a lie detector test.

All of my family is on my side now, including my grandbaby. I don't know how I can make it more clear that all of this was wrong. And now, I am ready to do something about it and speak out.

Special thanks to Michael Hirschensohn for his efforts in setting up the interview.

Click through to read part one of this exclusive story.

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World Series of Poker Circuit Events

For those of you that are not close to Las Vegas and can’t afford the trip to Nevada and the minimum $1,500 buy-ins for the World Series of Poker tournament schedule, there’s good news for you. In 2005 Harrah’s unveiled a brand new series of events, the WSOP Circuit Events, and the schedule has grown to its largest in 2009. These events appear at many of the Indian or Harrah's casinos around the country including:

• Horseshoe Southern Indiana (completed)
• Horseshoe Hammond Indiana (completed)
• Harvey’s Lake Tahoe (completed)
• Harrah’s Atlantic City (completed)
• Harrah’s Tunica (completed)
• Horseshoe Council Bluffs (completed)
• Caesars Atlantic City (completed)
• Harrah’s Rincon San Diego (completed)
• Caesars Palace Las Vegas (April 11 – April 29)
• Harrah’s New Orleans (May 08 – May 20)

For many on the East Coast the Atlantic City events represent a fantastic opportunity to take down a WSOP event. The circuit event at Harrah’s Rincon in San Diego is one of the more popular circuit events due to San Diego’s large county population of 2+ million citizens, as well as drawing players from both Los Angeles and Orange Counties (another 11+ million people). Since San Diego is a popular tourist destination some of the biggest names will be out during the March 19th-29th event series.

Those unfamiliar with the events will find the buy-ins and structure of the events to be highly attractive towards better play rather than the “push ‘n’ pray” structure that a lot of local casinos invent for tournament players. Event types include the following:

• No Limit Hold’em
• Limit Hold’em
• 6 Handed No Limit Hold’em
• Pot Limit Hold’em
• Omaha Hi/Lo
• Stud Hi/Lo
• Pot Limit Omaha w/ Rebuys
• H.O.R.S.E.
• Ladies No Limit Hold’em
• No Limit Hold’em w/ Rebuys
• No Limit Hold’em Circuit Championship Event

The event buy-ins range from $125 all the way to the $5,150 Circuit Championship Event.  Most of the No Limit Hold’em tournaments have buy-ins for either $200+30 or $300+40 making them affordable to everyday poker players amid this economic climate. On top of this affordable buy-in price list, the tournament structure has drawn rave reviews from poker industry analysts and players alike.

“I couldn’t be happier with the tournament schedule and structures,” commented Southern California live game tournament player Melissa Peterkin. “I’m definitely making it out to Rincon for the circuit series and will probably try to schedule a trip to Vegas for the event at Caesars too.”

Specifically the tournament structure at the Rincon San Diego events look like they are set up to allow better play to win out over mathematically correct shoves to fight steep blinds:

• For events starting at noon, players are given $10,000 in starting chips. Blinds start at 25-50 and increase every 40 minutes.
• Blinds increase to: 25-50, 50-100, 100-200, 100-200 (25 ante), 150-300 (25 ante), 200-400 (50 ante), and so on through the tournament.
• Breaks are given after every 3 blind levels for 10 minutes, and the tournament director has the option of awarding a dinner break and his or her discretion.

The big event of the series is the Circuit Championship Event which usually draws out some of poker’s top and most recognizable professionals. This event is structured differently than the others:

• Buy-in is $5,000 + $150
• Players start with $20,000 in starting chips
• Each level will last 60 minutes
• Blind interval structure remains the same as other tournaments
• First day of play will end when down to 27 players remaining
• Second day of play will end when final table is determined
• Third day of play will end when winner is determined
• The first place finisher will receive a buy-in to the World Series of Poker Main Event and $1,000 in expense money in addition to the first place money.

Often casinos participating in the circuit events hold Mega Satellite tournaments to the Circuit Championship Event a day or two before the event takes place. Satellite times typically start at noon, 3pm, 8pm and 9pm and should be inquired about with the tournament director of the casino.

“Typically we do see some big names come to our Circuit Championship tournament. This year we’ve added some of the lower tiered tournaments to make sure poker players of all budgets can make it out for our event,” commented Harrah's spokesperson Nolan Dalla.

Legend lost: Amarillo Slim breaks his silence

Gambler, poker ambassador and living legend are the more endearing names. Less flattering terms include hustler, outlaw and cheat - mostly from his early "rounder" days.

But nothing is as ruinous as being branded a pedophile - an accusation which has contaminated the poker world's appreciation for Slim.

In March 2003, Thomas Austin Preston, Jr., a.k.a. "Amarillo Slim," was accused of child molestation. Thereafter, the poker legend endured an embarrassing legal ordeal, saw his family ripped apart and watched helplessly as a whirlwind media circus blew his reputation away like West Texas prairie dust.

In August 2003, a grand jury in Randall County, Texas indicted Slim on multiple counts of indecency with a child. The felony charges were later dropped, but Slim eventually agreed to plead "no contest" to misdemeanor assault charges to protect his family, he claims, and avoid the embarrassment of a public trial.

He was fined $4,000, given two years probation and ordered to undergo counseling.

Although Slim never served any jail time, he has been incarcerated from the things he craves most - respect and appreciation. While other less deserving poker players got rich and famous in recent years, Slim missed the poker boom entirely.

Many of his old friends ignored him. A planned Hollywood movie about Slim's life was dropped.

On Jan. 30, 2009 I went to a suite at the Bellagio in Las Vegas which had been arranged for our interview. The rules of the discussion were that there were no rules. Slim would have to answer every single question posed to him. Otherwise, I would not publish the transcript. Slim agreed to these terms.

The interview lasted three hours, with Slim's associate Michael Hirschensohn present.

What follows are excerpts from that interview. Some questions and answers which produced no significant information were removed from this series (due to space limitations).

There were also occasional interruptions which have been edited out of the transcript.

Part one of this two-part series focuses on what really happened according to Slim.

(Note: Readers are advised that some language and subject matter may be objectionable.)

NOLAN DALLA: You've been silent about these charges for nearly six years.

AMARILLO SLIM: That's right. I haven't said one word.

NOLAN DALLA: You haven't said one word publicly. You haven't been interviewed about any of this. So, why have you waited so long to tell your story, and why is now the time to come forward?

AMARILLO SLIM: Contrary to all these charges and things, I've always been a family man. And now after 80 years I'm going to be accused of being a predator of children? No chance.

NOLAN DALLA: Let's start with the first incident. What really happened?

AMARILLO SLIM: We were all out at my ranch. I was going to show the kids [my] horses. While we were out there in the field it started raining. We decided to get out of the rain. I had four of my grandbabies in the front cab of the truck - me and my four grandchildren. They were from ages 3 up to 13 years.

NOLAN DALLA: One of the children was your 12-year-old granddaughter, named Hannah?

AMARILLO SLIM: Yeah. When it started raining, we didn't want to get stuck in the mud being out so far away. I am not sure if you're familiar with a four-wheel drive, but with my diesel pickup, the gear shift is on the floorboard.

Well of course, I did not want to get stuck in the mud, by God, and have to walk 20 miles back into town. So because we were all jammed in there, the victim - I'll use the word victim which is far from the fact to refer to the person - she was sitting closest to me. Three of them were sitting on the seat and one was really in my lap.

We were in the cab of a one-ton pickup. I said, we've got to put this thing in four-wheel drive or we are going to be out here all day [and get stuck]. I reached down there like this to shift and put it in four-wheel drive. My grandbaby was there and she had one leg [near the gear shift]. I reached over and patted her on the leg and said, "I'll bet that feels good."

She said "Yeah," and giggled. We were all in there together. The sexual harassment that occurred, I can't imagine it. Never in my life have I touched the - I'll use the words - the genitals, the breasts, kissed her on the mouth, squeezed her breasts, petted her inappropriately, except just clowning with her.

I've never touched her wrongly in my life.

NOLAN DALLA: That was the first incident [in January 2003]. But there were alleged to be others [in March 2003]. In fact, there were alleged to be three separate incidents.

AMARILLO SLIM: Couldn't have been. No, there were only two. That first one - there was nothing to it. The second was when [my grandchildren] wanted to go swimming.

We have a big pool in the backyard ... Hannah came over and got in my lap. She had on a bathing suit. She said, "I'm going to go back and swim." I said, "Go on and get your butt in the pool."

NOLAN DALLA: Were other people around when your granddaughter was sitting in your lap?

AMARILLO SLIM: There was no one else around. I can just tell you what happened. But anyone else who said what happened would just be guessing because they were not around.

So anyway, after they were all swimming and playing in the pool the kids all left and went back to Fort Worth [where they live].

About three weeks went by. According to the Child Protective Services [report], they were all playing together and [the harassment] came up as a joking matter. Hannah was telling ... you know. I didn't know anything about it until ...

NOLAN DALLA: Wait just a minute. Let's fill in the gap between the time she was in your lap at the pool and when Child Protective Services first got involved. What led up to that point? What do you think happened?

AMARILLO SLIM: She was showing off for her little sisters and exaggerated what happened. That's all it could be, because nothing really happened.

Since this alleged incident that young lady has been in my lap 60 times. You think if I would have done anything to her she would have come back and got in my lap?

Forget all the ratting now, you think she would have come and got in my lap? No chance! My God, no chance! She's never been anywhere in her life she was safer.

NOLAN DALLA: What was your reaction when you first heard that someone had gone to the authorities?

AMARILLO SLIM: I don't know, I first heard about it from the authorities.

NOLAN DALLA: How were you contacted?

AMARILLO SLIM: By telephone. They called me. Child Protective Services said, "Mr. Preston, we've had a complaint - a sexual complaint against you with one of your granddaughters."

Of course, naturally I hit the ceiling. I said, "My God that can't possibly be." They said it had occurred two or three weeks ago. They asked me, "Do you have a lawyer?" I said, "I don't need one. I haven't done a damn thing, why would I need a lawyer?"

NOLAN DALLA: Let's talk about the legal troubles.

AMARILLO SLIM: Child Protective Services investigated the incidents. There was no evidence of abuse. [The investigation] was done by Child Protective Services in Fort Worth.

NOLAN DALLA: Why Fort Worth? I thought you live in Amarillo.

AMARILLO SLIM: They live in Fort Worth. The family, I mean. My son is married and they and their daughter all live in Tarrant County. So anyway, I thought it was all over.

But then the district attorney [James Farren] - a man that I have known for many years in Randall County [Amarillo] - called me down there to his office. He said, "We've got a complaint out of Fort Worth that something happened with you and one of your grandbabies." I said, "Good Lord James, they investigated this and dropped the charges."

So, we had an agreement that when [Farren] went before the grand jury, after he had made his summation, it would also be included that on my own volition I had taken a lie-detector test. And I passed it. But the grand jury never heard that part of it.

NOLAN DALLA: You insist the charges were dropped. But felony charges were indeed filed against you by the grand jury. Is that correct?

AMARILLO SLIM: Yes. But the grand jury never let me make an appearance. I never got to tell my story. It was a cut-and-dry situation.

NOLAN DALLA: You're certainly one of the most famous people in Amarillo. Are you saying that makes you a target?

AMARILLO SLIM: Maybe so. But I know, and the powers that be all know, and the good Lord knows that I didn't offend or molest any one of my grandbabies. I raised every one of them.

When it comes time for the school clothes, it's granddaddy who provides for them. When it's time to go on vacation, I take two car loads and we go all over the country together.

When it's time for them to go to the church camps, I don't let them miss a single one ... I sent them to everything there is. We are a close-knit bunch. How in the world could there be something wrong?

Every one of them have all been at my house on many weekends since then. It doesn't make any [expletive] sense.

NOLAN DALLA: Many people suspect you are guilty because your son, daughter-in-law and ex-wife reportedly believed the allegations were true, to the point where your family was split apart.

AMARILLO SLIM: Yes that was right at one time - but that's not true anymore. All of them have since written letters about these charges saying it was a big mistake and the sexual abuse never happened.

Editor's note: At this point in the interview, affidavits were shown which are signed and notarized.

Click through to continue with part two of this exclusive. Slim goes into details about why he entered into a plea bargain and the consequences that decision had on his life and his relationships with his family.

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Pilgrim lands 2009 WSOP Main Event seat

The 26-year-old former loans officer booked his ticket to Las Vegas with a win in the WSOP Circuit event at Harrah's Rincon Casino and Resort near San Diego Tuesday, earning him a seat in the 2009 WSOP Main Event and a $125,775 payday.

But the Rincon ring is just the latest success story for the Guyana-born Pilgrim.

He has quickly emerged as the hottest player on the WSOP Circuit this season after cashing five times at WSOPC Atlantic City this past December and booking an $83,955 win at a prelim there in early March.

"Now look out," Pilgrim said. "I'm shooting for the gold bracelet."

Pilgrim, who has only been playing live tournaments for a little more than a year, beat well-known Las Vegas-based pro Esther "E-Tay" Taylor heads-up to book the win in California, stopping her bid to become the first female WSOP Circuit main event winner in history.

Jennifer Harman finished second in the 2005 WSOPC event at the Rio in Las Vegas, and Kathy Liebert took third at Rincon in 2007.

WSOP Media Director Nolan Dalla claims Pilgrim is a burgeoning poker star, blessed with "personality, likability, and great poker talent," and has great expectations for him at the WSOP this summer.

"To know me is to love me," Pilgrim joked.

The WSOP Circuit will hit Caesars Palace in Las Vegas from April 11-29 and Harrah's New Orleans from May 8-20 before the 2009 WSOP starts at the Rio May 27.

 

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