PokerStars.net Big Game: Loose Cannon Wins Big While Hellmuth Hits the Rail

David Fishman, the PokerStars.net's The Big Game Week 10 loose cannon, takes on the like of Phil Hellmuth, Phil Laak, and Joe Cada.

Antonio Esfandiari Leads WPT Five Diamond World Poker Classic After Day 2

With two days of play in the books at the World Poker Tour’s (WPT) Five Diamond World Poker Classic, Antonio Esfandiari leads the way with a stack of 485,600. He’s the only player left standing to cross the 400,000-chip plateau.

The final field numbered 438, meaning that attendance grew by 33% year-over-year. However, this year’s installment sported a $10,000 buy-in – down from $15,000 – resulting in a smaller prize pool. In 2009, $4.7 million prize pool was up for grabs and Daniel Alaei captured a top prize of $1.4 million. This year’s champion will pocket a considerably smaller $870,000, although 100 players will finish in the money instead of last year’s 27.

Former WPT champ Allen “AawwNutz” Carter hit the rail on Saturday courtesy of Andrew “luckychewy” Lichtenberger. Carter ran pocket tens into pocket aces on his final hand, which boosted Lichtenberger’s chip stack to 185,000. Lichtenberger ended the day by bagging up 170,600 in chips, good for the 32nd spot on the leaderboard. His company at Table 56 on Sunday will include Doyle Brunson, Jon “PearlJammer” Turner, Bryn Kenney, Peter Jetten, and Marco Traniello. Good luck.

Also departing on Saturday was RPM Poker pro Brent “Astrolux85” Roberts. Rather than write out the details of Roberts’ final hand, I’ll let his Twitter feed do the talking: “Out 55<88. Shoved 20 bb in the hj and Phil Hellmuth folded AQ in the cutoff. Basebaldy called from the sb and Phil berated me after I lost.” Hellmuth recorded a pair of top seven finishes during Season 9 of the WPT.

Online poker icon Cliff “JohnnyBax” Josephy, once the top-ranked player in the PocketFives.com Rankings, hit the skids on Saturday at the hands of Phil Ivey. Josephy 3bet all-in pre-flop in an apparent squeeze play and received calls from Ivey and Albert Kim. Ivey led out on a flop of K-6-3, Kim folded, and Ivey tabled A-K for top pair, top kicker. Josephy showed A-J for ace-high and no help came on the turn or river. Ivey, who held a top 10 stack after Day 1, continued his strong showing yesterday and now owns the eighth spot in the standings with 308,100.

The top 10 on the leaderboard at the Five Diamond World Poker Classic is littered with multiple bracelet winners and former WPT champs:

1. Antonio Esfandiari – 485,600
2. Daniel Fuhs – 397,500
3. Faraz “The-Toilet” Jaka – 364,400
4. Doug Lee – 355,000
5. Vanessa Rousso – 334,100
6. Sorel “Imper1um” Mizzi – 332,400
7. Keith Gipson – 325,100
8. Phil Ivey – 308,100
9. Doyle Brunson – 295,400
10. Nick “agriffrod” Mitchell – 290,100

Other top pros remaining that hold chip stacks in the top 50 include:

18. Jon “apestyles” Van Fleet – 246,200
22. Hafiz Khan – 213,700
28. McLean Karr – 181,200
32. Andrew “luckychewy” Lichtenberger – 170,600
33. John Juanda – 167,900
34. Eric “basebaldy” Baldwin – 167,000
38. David “Bakes” Baker – 159,600
41. Dan Shak – 156,800
46. David Singer – 139,400
50. Jon “PearlJammer” Turner – 132,200

Complicating matters today will be the Las Vegas Marathon, which kicks off at Noon PT and will close Las Vegas Boulevard. Players heading to the Bellagio, which is located on the Strip, should leave plenty of time to arrive in time for the “Shuffle up and deal” command. Day 3 of the WPT Five Diamond also begins at Noon.

Dusty Schmidt Releases “Don’t Listen to Phil Hellmuth”

Just in time for the holiday season is a brand new book from Drag the Bar instructor Dusty Schmidt called “Don’t Listen to Phil Hellmuth: Correcting the 50 Worst Pieces of Poker Advice You’ve Ever Heard.” The book, the first for Schmidt since “Treat Your Poker Like a Business,” will be available in e-book format on December 6th at DustySchmidt.net.

Poker News Daily: Can you give us the background to your new book?

Dusty Schmidt: It started at the WSOP this year. I was talking with friend and we were going over all of these ideas. He has been a live player for years and is infatuated with the online game and the way we arrive at our decisions. I started thinking about all of these things you hear people say on TV and got an idea to do a book based on correcting misconceptions. We start each chapter with a misconception and move on to things loosely related to that. As we were going though the misconceptions we had, we realized that Phil Hellmuth dominated the list.

PND: How is the book structured?

Dusty Schmidt: It’s divided into three parts. The first part has the 50 misconceptions. We start off every chapter with the misconception and go through those. The second part is taking 25 really interesting hands I’ve played online and going through my thought process. We know that’s been a popular way to learn, so we incorporated that into the book as well. The final part of the book is a quiz.

PND: How can interested readers get a copy?

Dusty Schmidt: It’s only available on DustySchmidt.net right now. We’re releasing it as an e-book; the hard copy is at the printer right now and will be out in three weeks.

PND: Give us one of your most memorable misconceptions from the book.

Dusty Schmidt: One main misconception that sticks out is “Bring your big guns to the big war.” This is a Phil Hellmuth quote, but a large percentage of poker players believe that you want to save your big hands for when you win a big pot. I think an online poker player might approach it as, “Are the plays I’m making profitable?” If a player feels strongly that an opponent can’t call a bet on the flop, call a raise on the turn, and call an all-in on the river, then I’m all for playing a humungous pot without a good hand. That chapter also has good situations to run big bluffs – what types of cards, what types of opponents, and other possibilities.

One of the misconceptions we talk about was my own advice. I’ve always said in my videos, “Punish the limpers,” but I have not found that play to be too successful anymore. So, one of the chapters is on punishing the limpers. Some of these weren’t misconceptions 15 years ago, or even two years ago, but they’ve evolved over time. People are still hanging on to that old advice. We’re not opposed to picking on anyone, even ourselves.

PND: What kind of feedback do you expect to receive once the book is fully released?

Dusty Schmidt: I think it’ll be mixed. The title itself is probably going to turn people on or off. The focus is going to be so much on the title that at the end of the day when people have a chance to read it, we hope they’ll think the content is positive. With the last book, we got excellent feedback and I put as much or more effort into this one.

PND: From suing the USGA to calling out Hellmuth in a book, you tend to go against the grain. Talk a little bit about your persona.

Dusty Schmidt: I think that’s part of who I am. I’m a rebel spirit in a lot of ways. I like to examine accepted norms and look into them more to find the truth.

PND: Finally, what was the most notable poker story of 2010, in your opinion?

Dusty Schmidt: One of the most shocking things to me was all of the guys playing in the Ladies Event at the WSOP. That was pretty incredible. That one blew my mind and made me scratch my head.

UB.com and Absolute Poker Introduce Security Token

Players at the USA-friendly CEREUS Network sites UB.com and Absolute Poker will now be able to make it a lot more difficult for their accounts to be compromised by using security tokens. The security measure was introduced this week and can be purchased in the UB Points Store.

UB.com’s Joe Sebok was elated to bring the added layer of security to life for players on his home online poker site. Sebok commented in a press release distributed by CEREUS officials this week, “We are committed to doing everything possible to safeguard our network and players and we want to provide every option to boost their personal security, particularly those who keep sick amounts of cash in their accounts day-to-day. The security token will provide the most up-to-date security solution to ensure that every player’s personal information and bankroll are always protected.”

If you’ve never heard of a security token, it’s a small device that generates a numeric code. When you log into your UB.com or Absolute Poker account, you’ll need your user name and password along with the code generated by the security token. If you don’t have all three pieces of information, then you won’t be able to sign in. The code randomly generates and will be different from login to login. Just press the button located on the device, which is synched with UB.com’s servers, to see what the code is.

Therefore, if your user name and password are compromised, a would-be hacker won’t be able to log into UB.com or Absolute Poker without the code generated by the security token. CEREUS officials have dubbed it a “two-factor authentication process: the password plus the unique security code generated by the ‘one-button’ device.”

The security token is available for 6,500 points in the UB Points Store and a separate link is given for players from Canada to purchase one. Text found on UB.com explains the importance of coughing up the necessary points for a security token: “Because the code is only displayed on your security token and nowhere else, your account will remain safe in the event that your username and password fall into the wrong hands.”

Once you receive your security token in the mail, you’ll need to log into UB.com to activate it. Just click on the “Cashier,” “Account Information,” and then “Security” and you’ll be on your way. If you incorrectly enter your security token code three times, then you’ll be locked out of your account. To be reinstated, contact UB security via e-mail at security@ub.com.

Players on the CEREUS Network can also elect to use a SecureID pin number, a five-digit code that must be entered at login in order to access the virtual felts. The SecureID Pin was introduced to UB.com in the middle of 2009 and can be used in tandem with the security token. To access the SecureID Pin, visit the “Security” menu within the UB.com software.

Other online poker sites also offer security tokens to protect their players. Full Tilt Poker offers branded and un-branded security keys for 5,000 points in the store that generate a unique six-digit code every 30 seconds. The site also boasts a mobile version of its security key that can be utilized on a cell phone. The price of PokerStars’ RSA security token varies based on a player’s status in the VIP program.

UB.com and Absolute Poker happily accept players from the United States. The former’s team of sponsored pros includes Sebok, Poker News Daily Guest Columnist Annie Duke, and 11-time World Series of Poker bracelet winner Phil Hellmuth.

Phil Laak Boasts Pink Mohawk, Sling on PokerStars Big Game

Despite the high-stakes action and non-stop chatter, the appearance of Phil Laak stole the show this week on the PokerStars-sponsored “Big Game.” The series airs nightly on FOX and features a “Loose Cannon” online qualifier squaring off against a table full of sharks. PokerStars stakes each “Loose Cannon” with $100,000 and qualifiers keep any earnings from the felts after 150 hands. Chris Rose and Joe Stapleton serve as hosts, with Amanda Leatherman conducting interviews from the floor of the “Big Game” suite in Los Angeles.

Laak was fresh off his ATV accident when the show was filmed and was in the midst of having his arm confined to a sling for six weeks. He also sported a pink mohawk and was mainly forced to use one arm to look at his hole cards and place bets. Despite his various ailments, Laak was his usual garrulous self.

The $200/$400 game is Pot Limit pre-flop and No Limit thereafter and features a $100 ante paid entirely by the player on the button. Thirty-five year old cancer survivor David Fishman is this week’s “Loose Cannon” and made his presence felt early, firing three barrels against PokerStars pro David Williams on the third hand of Monday’s kickoff episode. He ultimately pushed out a bet of $10,000 on the river with a busted straight draw and forced Williams to lay down a pocket pair to win a pot of $21,000.

In the largest pot of the episode, UB.com pro Phil Hellmuth check-called a bet of $20,000 from entrepreneur Bill Perkins with pocket tens on a board of 3-J-5-6 with two clubs. Perkins held K-2 of clubs for a flush draw, but whiffed when a red deuce came on the river. Both players checked and Hellmuth raked in a pot worth $76,000. Perkins was quickly down $49,000 on his “Big Game” debut.

Also debuting this week on the “Big Game” was a segment dubbed “Couch Cannon.” In it, all players’ hole cards were concealed except the “Loose Cannon’s.” In the “Couch Cannon” hand, Laak ultimately raised on the flop with air and Fishman, holding top pair, second kicker, shut it down to scoop a $40,000 pot for the win.

After 4betting before the flop to $25,200 with A-K, Perkins laid down pocket fives and Hellmuth was quickly up $51,000 on the night. Perkins, however, clawed back towards even after drawing out on the river in a hand against Williams. Perkins check-called a bet of $4,600 from Williams with 4-3 on a board of 9-2-7-4 for a pair of fours. Williams held 9-6 for top pair and the river came another four, giving Perkins trips. Williams bet $11,400, Perkins min-raised to $22,800, and Williams called, giving the $61,000 pot to the businessman and amateur poker player.

2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event champion Joe Cada is also part of this week’s cast, but was extremely quiet during the opening episode. Late in the night, Cada boasted an Aggression Factor of 0.0, the least active player at the table, while Perkins was the most active player at 9.0.

By the end of the night, Hellmuth was up $54,000, Fishman was up $30,000, Cada was up $1,000, Perkins was down $22,000, Williams had lost $28,000, and Laak was down $34,000. Every player started with a stack of $100,000. New episodes of the “Big Game” air late night every day this week on Fox in most markets. Check your local listings for details.

New book from Leatherass

DragTheBar.com coach Dusty Schmidt has released details of his forthcoming new book, the provocatively titled Don’t Listen To Phil Hellmuth: Correcting The 50 Worst Pieces Of Poker Advice You’ve Ever Heard .

Phil Hellmuth to Host Charity Poker Tournament Benefiting HospiceCare

Eleven-time World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet winner Phil Hellmuth will be lending his star power to benefit HospiceCare, Inc. when he hosts the Phil Hellmuth Hold’em with HospiceCare charity poker tournament in December.

The tournament will take place in Hellmuth’s hometown of Madison, Wisconsin in the penthouse of the Arbor Gate complex on December 18th from 3:00pm to Midnight. Hellmuth will be playing in the tournament and prizes will be raffled off during the evening to benefit HospiceCare, Inc. These include a seat in the 2011 WSOP Main Event and a two-year lease on a 2011 Honda Accord LX.

For those who want to participate in the festivities, there are several ticket options available. The $500 ticket will allow the buyer to enjoy the day fully, participate in the poker tournament, and have special access to a VIP room where Hellmuth and other celebrities will be mingling. A $300 ticket includes food, drinks, and a seat in the tournament.

Finally, a $100 ticket will allow people to get into the event, albeit not play in the tournament. All of the proceeds will benefit patients and families served by HospiceCare Inc., a nonprofit hospice caring for more than 630 patients a day in Wisconsin.

Over 500 players are expected for the tournament, with many of the competitors coming from all around the Midwest. If the players in the tournament are skilled enough to make the final table, there will be an additional treat waiting for them. The members of the final table of the tournament will have the privilege of having Hellmuth as one of their opponents and will face the arduous task of trying to take down the former World Champion.

Several sponsors have lined up to join Hellmuth at his charity tournament, including UB.com. Others companies that will be a part of the tournament’s festivities include Adams Outdoor Advertising, Bonfyre American Grille, Clear Channel Radio, Coors Light, McDonalds, Miller Lite, and Zimbrick Honda, which is putting up the Accord.

Despite his reputation in the game as the “Poker Brat,” Hellmuth is one of the most ardent supporters of using poker for charitable means. In the past, Hellmuth has been a supporter of several causes and used his poker celebrity status to bring attention to various organizations.

A cause that has been very important to Hellmuth is the law enforcement community. He has hosted several tournaments in Las Vegas that have benefited the TASER Foundation, an organization that helps the families of law enforcement officers who have lost their lives in the line of duty. Hellmuth has also been involved in charitable events for such organizations as Habitat for Humanity, Doctors Without Borders, and Heifer International, a charity dedicated to relieving global hunger and poverty.

BLOG – What would Hellmuth do?

Phil Hellmuth is no longer wearing Ultimate Bet sponsorship gear. Now this could all be resolved and we might see him sporting their logo at future events but for now Hellmuth has been seen in just his PH hat and Aria patches as opposed to the UB.com gear and double-decker bus. What, he doesn’t always drive around in that thing?? I bloody would.

Phil Hellmuth to host charity poker tournament for HospiceCare

Say what you will about Poker Brat Phil Hellmuth but he does his bit for charity. On December 18 Hellmuth will be hosting a full-day charity poker event in order to raise money for HospiceCare Inc. in his hometown of Madison, Wisconsin.

Poker After Dark Season 7 Premieres January 3rd

Poker PROductions announced this week that its popular poker television program “Poker After Dark” has concluded the taping of its seventh season.  Filmed at the Aria Resort and Casino at CityCenter in Las Vegas, the season premiere will air the week of January 3rd on NBC.

Season 7 will tie for the second longest season in the show’s history, spanning 13 weeks.  The fifth season, filmed in 2009, was the longest at 16 weeks, or 96 episodes.  The upcoming season will build on the popularity of cash games, all but phasing out the original six-handed sit and go competitions upon which “Poker After Dark” was built.

That said, the first week of the new season will feature a $100,000 buy-in sit and go dubbed “Big Heat.”  Competing for the winner-take-all prize pool will be popular high-stakes action seekers Tom “durrrr” Dwan, Phil “OMGClayAiken” Galfond, John Juanda, Erick Lindgren, Phil Ivey, and Huck Seed.

The other two sit and gos will feature the traditional $20,000 buy-in and a richer $50,000 buy-in.  The $20,000 version will be called “Wish List,” with amateur Mike Dappen taking on Mike Matusow, Phil Hellmuth, Jennifer Harman, Erica Schoenberg, and Chris Ferguson.  Dappen won the opportunity to play for the $300,000 first prize by winning the Howard and Suzie Lederer Charity Poker Tournament, which raised money for the Boys and Girls Clubs.

The $50,000 tournament, named “Idol,” will see Doyle Brunson go up against five young pros: Eric “basebaldy” Baldwin, Annette “Annette_15” Obrestad, Andrew “LuckyChewy” Lichtenberger, Melanie “Callisto 5″ Weisner, and Dwan.

The rest of the competitions will be cash games, each of which will span two weeks.  Two will have a minimum buy-in of $100,000.  The first of these will include Brandon Adams, Matusow, Ferguson, Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi, Jean-Robert Bellande, Peter Jetten, and Hellmuth.  Hellmuth will return for the second $100,000 cash game, along with Antonio Esfandiari, Obrestad, Andy Bloch, Seed, and Justin “Boosted J” Smith.

A $150,000 buy-in cash game will see Eli Elezra, David “Viffer” Peat, Phil Laak, Greg “FBT” Mueller, Olivier Busquet, and Lederer all try to take each other’s money, while Ivey, Dwan, Patrik Antonius, Peat, Elezra, and David Oppenheim will sit down for another cash game with at least $200,000 at stake per person.

While all of the above cash games will be No Limit Hold’em, there will be one $100,000 cash game that will feature Pot Limit Omaha as the game of choice.  Sitting down at this table will be Ivey, Galfond, Adams, Antonius, Dwan, Brian Hastings, and Jared “harrington25″ Bleznick.

With 10 of the 13 weeks consisting of cash games, Season 7 will be far and away the most cash game heavy of all of the “Poker After Dark” cycles.  It was not until Season 4 in 2008 that cash games were part of the lineup.  The show was exclusively six-handed sit and gos for its first three seasons, serving as a complement to GSN’s “High Stakes Poker,” another Poker PROductions program that consisted of only cash games.

In Season 4, which was only seven weeks long, the first and seventh weeks were cash games, while the third was a special four-player “Heads-Up Challenge.”  Of the 16 weeks of Season 5, seven were cash games.  Six more weeks were cash games in the 13-week Season 6.

Poker PROductions also revealed this week that it has extended its deal with NBC Universal to produce “Poker After Dark” through 2014.  Aria will continue to serve as the host casino for the show’s filming through at least 2013.

Hellmuth to Hold Charity Event to Benefit HospiceCare

Phil Hellmuth is set to host a charity poker tournament in his hometown of Madison, Wisconsin to benefit HospiceCare Inc.

Phil Hellmuth and UB.com Parting Ways?

Rumors circulating around the poker world have 11-time bracelet winner Phil Hellmuth potentially parting ways with UB.com. Hellmuth has been spotted at recent live events, including the televised PokerStars North American Poker Tour (NAPT) Los Angeles Bounty Shootout, void of UB.com logos.

Hellmuth wore Aria and WSOP Academy patches at the NAPT Bounty Shootout, which was filmed in front of ESPN2 cameras. The absence of UB.com patches caught the eye of many in the community, including a wealth of posters on TwoPlusTwo. As to where Hellmuth could end up, one TwoPlusTwo member remarked, “I really cannot see him with Full Tilt because he doesn’t really fit their image, but I can see him on the Cake Network or PokerStars (although if Daniel Negreanu keeps criticizing him, this might be a problem).”

UB.com officials told Poker News Daily that Hellmuth remains a sponsored pro of the USA-friendly online poker site. His likeness still adorns the skinned background of Poker News Daily and Hellmuth is still listed as a member of Team UB on the CEREUS Network’s website.

On his affiliation with Aria, Hellmuth commented in a blog written on August 10th that he met Bill McBeath, President of Aria, and the two hit it off. “While we had a few drinks, we negotiated a deal whereby I would wear an Aria logo on the side of my hat for a year whenever I could,” Hellmuth wrote. “My wife is happy because the Aria is a ‘Green Hotel’ and it has amazing technology.” Hellmuth wore a black Aria hat during the NAPT Bounty Shootout.

Longtime tournament reporter B.J. Nemeth added that Hellmuth was spotted without UB.com logos during a recent taping of “Poker After Dark,” which airs on NBC. In a blog of his own, Nemeth speculated on where Hellmuth could head to if he parts ways with UB.com: “Neither of the two big sites in the U.S. (PokerStars and Full Tilt) really seem like a great match for Hellmuth. Sure, he’d be an asset, but he doesn’t really match up with their current marketing, and Hellmuth, as we know, always likes to be featured front and center – something that wouldn’t happen at either Stars or Tilt.”

The details of Hellmuth’s contract with UB.com aren’t known, but it’s believed to be a five-year deal that was negotiated in 2009. However, regardless of what Hellmuth’s contract situation may be, Nemeth believes that his future could lie with WSOP.com: “I’ve contended before that one of the first sites likely to pass the Commerce Department’s regulation board would be WSOP.com. Harrah’s has done everything ‘right’ in terms of respecting the UIGEA, and as a corporation, they already have legal and regulated casinos scattered around the United States.”

A for-profit WSOP.com online poker site currently makes its home on the 888 Network and does not accept players from the United States. However, if online poker were to be legalized in the USA, then it could seemingly be a short turnaround to open the site to American-based players. Nemeth explains, “With all its history and TV exposure, the WSOP has been pre-sold to the American gambling public. But what the site would need is a face, and a spokesperson. And all-time WSOP bracelet winner Phil Hellmuth would fit that role perfectly.”

Many posters on TwoPlusTwo argued that Full Tilt could be a proper fit as well. One poster summed up the primary arguments for Hellmuth joining the world’s second largest online poker site: “Makes the most sense for Tilt to sign him IMO. They already have the best stable of cash players. They are way behind on tournament players though. Getting Phil is a big step in the right direction from a PR standpoint. Hellmuth is probably the most televised tournament player. FTOPS Main Events would always be hosted by Hellmuth from that point on.”

Hellmuth wore UB.com logos during the 2010 WSOP and in a recent cycle of the PokerStars-sponsored “Big Game,” which airs on FOX.

World Poker Tour Signs Extension with Bicycle Casino

This week, the World Poker Tour (WPT) and the Bicycle Casino announced a five-year extension to their longstanding contract. The deal will see the Legends of Poker tournament attached to the WPT brand through 2015.

“The Bicycle Casino has been an enthusiastic and devoted venue partner and the WPT is proud to continue its association with the incredibly popular Legends of Poker event and the team behind it,” said WPT President Adam Pliska. “The Bicycle Casino is a charter member of the WPT and this extension will allow us to build on a tradition of collaboration and best-in-class poker started in 2002.”

The Legends of Poker takes place at the Bicycle Casino in Bell Gardens, California each year and has been won by big names like Doyle Brunson, Dan Harrington, Prahlad Friedman, and John “The Razor” Phan. Most recently, Andy Frankenberger took down the $5,000 buy-in Main Event for $750,000. Frankenberger beat Kyle Wilson heads-up for the title and is the current leader in the WPT Player of the Year standings going into WPT Marrakech. The Legends of Poker, along with most WPT events, will air on the Fox Sports Network in early 2011.

This year’s Legends of Poker drew 426 players, a 66% attendance increase over the previous year’s total of 279. It should be noted, however, that the 2010 version had a $5,000 buy-in, while $10,000 per seat was charged in previous years. As a result, the tournament’s prize pool dropped from $2.63 million to $2.15 million. Friedman, the 2009 champion, earned more than $1 million for his victory.

Despite the drop in buy-in, the biggest names in the game still made the trek to Los Angeles this year. Among those who took part in the 2010 Legends of Poker were Daniel Negreanu, Barry Greenstein, Allen Cunningham, Phil Hellmuth, Jeff Madsen, Joe Sebok, and Kathy Liebert, who was playing in her 100th WPT event.

The WPT and the Bicycle Casino were very pleased with the overall result. “It is very evident that the WPT made significant enhancements across the board this year and has plans to continue to do so in the future,” said Bicycle Casino Director of Marketing Kelly O’Hara. “We believe these changes are resonating with our players and with us. We’ve had nine great seasons together and look forward to at least five more. I believe together we’ll continue to offer players a better experience during every year of this deal.”

The announcement of the contract extension came at a very interesting time for the Bicycle Casino, as it played host to the PokerStars North American Poker Tour (NAPT) Los Angeles Main Event earlier this week. However, due to a television exclusivity clause between The Bike and the WPT, the ESPN-televised final table was moved to Compton, California at the Crystal Casino.

As Poker News Daily reported on Tuesday, PokerStars officials sent out an e-mail that read, “Please be advised that the final table of the NAPT Los Angeles Main Event has been relocated to the Crystal Casino and Hotel. The final table is being filmed for broadcast on ESPN2. The cards will be in the air at 2:00pm PT.”

Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for the latest World Poker Tour headlines.

Baldwin Books NAPT Bounty Win

The Team UB pro outlasted eight other finalists in what was a marathon final table to collect the winner-take-all $134,280 prize.

Baldwin, a former college baseball player who won a WSOP bracelet in 2009 and finished runner-up in the WPT Championship en route to CardPlayer Player of the Year honors, now has better than $3.3 million in career earnings.

The Bounty Shootout format saw 81 players seperated into nine tables of nine with a $1,000 bounty on each player and the survivors earning $20k and a seat at the final table.

All the action was recorded for broadcast on ESPN2.

Names like Daniel Negreanu, Chris Moneymaker, Barry Greenstein, Liv Boeree, Bertrand "ElkY" Grospellier, actor Jason Alexander, Phil Hellmuth, Michael Mizrachi and Annette Obrestad all took part.

While Baldwin won, Justin Young collected the most bounties earning him a free seat in the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure Bounty Shootout event in the Bahamas this January.

Here's how the final nine finished:

1 Eric Baldwin $134,280 + $20,000 + $3,000 in bounties

2 Justin Young $20,000 + $6,000 in bounties

3 David Williams $20,000 + $4,000 in bounties

4 Mohsin Charania $20,000 + $5,000 in bounties

5 Tom Marchese $20,000 + $4,000 in bounties

6 Clint Coffee $20,000 + $3,000 in bounties

7 Pat Pezzin $20,000 + $2,000 in bounties

8 Michael Mizrachi $20,000 + $4,000 in bounties

9 Kevin MacPhee $20,000 + $3,000 in bounties

Visit www.pokerlistings.com

Liv Boeree Video Interview

Liv Boeree one of the hot names in the world of poker right now. She’s worked in the industry as an interviewer and at the same time gained respect as a live tournament player.

In this interview, Boeree talks about her perspective of winning the EPT San Remo event and how that has fueled her desire to win more poker tournaments. For her efforts in San Remo, Beoree won €1,250,000 and became the third woman to win an EPT title. She also discusses her passion for rock music and how she expresses that through her fashion sense and mentions Pantera as one of her favorite bands of all time.

Boeree originally came into poker by being a guest contestant on a reality TV show back in 2005. She was coached by Phil Hellmuth and impressed so much that she took up the game seriously. In 2006 she worked for various internet and television shows covering poker and covered the World Series of Poker Europe. She is originally from Kent, England.

She was sponsored previously by UB.com but recently inked a deal to move over to PokerStars. He other successes in poker, outside of the EPT win, was a seventh place finish at the Welsh Poker Championship and a win at a Caesars Palace (Las Vegas, NV) tournament that gave her a $19,000 prize package to the 2007 WPT Five Diamond Poker Classic at the Bellagio. She also was on the Gala UK Poker Tour Season One as a featured player. In 2008 she won the Ladbrokes European Ladies Championship title for $30,000. She has cashed twice at WSOP events, first in the 2008 Event 38 field, which was a $2,000 Pot Limit Hold’em tournament. In that event she finished in 49th place for $4,074. Her other cash at the World Series of Poker was the same year in Event 41 at the $1,500 Mixed Limit Hold’em tournament where she finished 64th for $2,793.

Hellmuth launches eBook series

Phil Hellmuth is never short of a word or two at the poker table and he's decided to put some of his most profound thoughts down in virtual print in a new selection of eBooks.

Spotted: Phil Hellmuth, sans UB patch – what gives?

Victory Poker CEO and WSOPE final tabler Dan Fleyshman had the poker world a little abuzz on Twitter with the revelation that Phil Hellmuth has not been seen with his Ultimate Bet sponsorship patches for a while. According to the Victory boss, Hellmuth has appeared at charity events and Poker After Dark without the sponsorship logos.

Maria Ho Signs with UB.com

Maria Ho, the last woman standing in the 2007 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event, has joined UB.com. The 27 year-old becomes the newest face of the CEREUS Network site, which recently saw the departures of Billy “Patrolman25” Kopp, Matt “mattg1983” Graham, and Michael Binger.

Ho was elated to be joining Team UB, whose roster of pros includes 11-time WSOP bracelet winner Phil Hellmuth and reigning National Heads-Up Poker Championship victor Annie Duke. She told Poker News Daily, “To be a part of Team UB, which boasts a well-respected roster of pros that have achieved so much and stood the test of time in the game such as Phil Hellmuth and Annie Duke, as well as newer pros to the scene that have incredible success and talent such as Eric Baldwin and Adam Levy, is something I am proud of.”

The site has undergone a wealth of changes ever since the Russ Hamilton-led cheating scandal rocked it several years ago. Now, Ultimate Bet has been re-branded as UB.com and currently resides on a new URL. Ho explained, “I am excited about the new vision and direction of UB, especially with the guidance and input of Joe Sebok, who has his finger on the pulse of the poker community at all times.” Sebok has served as the main liaison with players in the aftermath of the scandal while the process of reimbursing patrons and combing through hand histories has occurred.

Ho also told Poker News Daily that she brings unique talents to the table: “I believe that I can bring a fresh and unique dynamic to the team by reaching out to an untapped demographic by writing strategy articles and posting videos in both English and my native language of Mandarin Chinese. I also feel as though my experiences primarily as a live high-stakes cash game player will bring a different perspective to a lesser known part of the poker world that interests people.” Ho originally hails from Taiwan and moved to Los Angeles with her family at age four. She is renown for her Limit poker skills.

Ho gained mainstream exposure through the CBS reality series “Amazing Race” during its 15th cycle. She paired with fellow UB pro and close friend Tiffany Michelle on the series and finished in sixth place. In the team’s final leg, Michelle and Ho were unable to conquer a carnival high striker in the Netherlands and comprised the last all-female team remaining. On her friendship with Michelle, Ho told Poker News Daily, “I get to be on a team with one of my closest friends in poker and life, Tiffany Michelle, which is just another reason among many why I am excited about joining Team UB.”

In addition to the Emmy Award-winning “Amazing Race,” Ho has appeared on television shows like “American Idol” and “Anderson Cooper 360.” Appropriately, she holds a degree from the University of California, San Diego in Communications.

Ho’s first live event as a sponsored pro of UB.com was at this weekend’s PokerStars North American Poker Tour (NAPT) Los Angeles stop. Ho played on Day 1B on Saturday and, as of late Saturday night, was nursing one of the short stacks in the room at 9,500. Ho’s table draw certainly hasn’t helped her case, as her company on Saturday included Faraz “The-Toilet” Jaka, Isaac “westmenloAA” Baron, and Nacho Barbero.

Besides her deep run in the WSOP Main Event three years ago, Ho’s poker resume includes a tenth place finish in the World Poker Tour (WPT) Bellagio Cup in July and five in the money finishes in WSOP events over the last two years.

UB.com, along with its fellow CEREUS Network site Absolute Poker, happily accept players from the United States.

Poker News in Brief: Nov. 8-14

Almost everything else in the poker world seemed less important than a 23-year-old from Boucherville, Quebec collecting $8.9 million and becoming the first Canadian to win poker's World Championship.

But there were a few stories we couldn't just let slip through the cracks. Instead, we've compiled them below in our Weekly Poker News in Brief feature.

This week, UB signs Maria Ho, the NAPT kicks off in L.A., London Calling crowns a winner and a whole lot more.

NAPT L.A.

A total of 701 players from more than 20 different countries entered the PokerStars North American Poker Tour's Los Angeles main event over two starting days this weekend, including some of the game's biggest names.

The healthy turnout created a $3.2 million prize pool with $725,000 reserved for first.

Dane Kim Frederiksen finished Day 1b with the overall chip lead heading into Day 3 at the Bicycle Casino Sunday.

NAPT L.A. runs through Nov. 17.

UB Signs Ho

The last woman stading at the 2007 WSOP Main Event has inked a sponsorship deal with UB.

Maria Ho famously finished 38th of 6,358 players in 2007, but her success did not end there. She now has nine WSOP cashes and three WPT cashes, including a 10th place finish at the Bellagio Cup this past July.

Off the felt Ho recently appeared as a contestant on the Emmy Award The Amazing Race with fellow Team UB Pro Tiffany Michelle.

"I am honored to be joining the ranks of top UB pros such as Phil Hellmuth and Annie Duke," she said. "With the new direction and vision I know UB has for their future, this is an extremely exciting time to become a part of such an amazing team."

FPS Lyon

The Lyon leg of the PokerStars France Poker Series drew 320 players to the capital of French gastronomy Saturday.

Names like Arnaud Mattern, Thomas Bichon, EPT London winner David Vamplew and 2009 EPT San Remo champ Constant Rijkenberg helped create a €342,144 prize pool with €88,444 and a ticket to the FPS finals in Paris set aside for the winner.

Anthony Chaneto grabbed the overnight chip lead with just 71 players surviving to Day 2.

Wing Wins London Calling

Simon "tigerwing" Wing defeated Gem Husnu to take down the £300 London Calling main event this week.

The 32-year-old from Middlesex outlasted PKR's own WSOP bracelet winner Scott Shelley and well known UK poker pros Neil Channing, James Akenhead, Barney Boatman and Joe Beevers to book the win.

"The London Calling poker festival has been a great success and we are over the moon with Simon's win," said Marketing Manager Erika Schwartz Poole. "It couldn't have happened to a nicer guy."

The London Calling poker festival ran for 28 days at the Fox Poker Club in association with PKR and included 57 tournaments.

PKR Live V

PKR Live V kicked off Friday at London's Tower Bridge.

150 qualifiers and their guests from from 21 different countries are participating in the festival at the Fox Poker Club in the heart of London's Soho.

New Team PKR Pro and WSOPE bracelet winner Scott Shelley will make his PKR Live debut this weekend vying for part of a $75,000 estimated prize pool and sought after Main Event trophy.

Mediterranean Poker Cup

The five-star Hotel Merit Girne, Crystal Cove, Cyprus will host the Mediterranean Poker Cup week-long poker festival Nov. 22-28.

The festival features a $2,500 main event with a $400,000 guaranteed prize pool beginning Nov. 26.

"This is amazing place – the best resort I've ever seen for a poker tournament," said Artur Voskanjan of organizer Poker Club Management.

"It has 24-hour food in the tournament area, gym, spa, and is right by the beach. We'll have Russian models, fantastic entertainment, a rich spread of poker games and, above all, are not expecting many pros so it's a great opportunity to play for a guaranteed prize pool in the main event against a beatable field."

Visit www.pokerlistings.com

Brian Hastings to Appear on Poker After Dark PLO Cash Game

CardRunners instructor Brian Hastings announced on his blog late last week that he will be making his first televised poker appearance on NBC’s “Poker After Dark.” Hastings said that he will join fellow Full Tilt Red Pros Phil Ivey and Tom Dwan as well as high-stakes regular Phil “OMGClayAiken” Galfond in a $300/$600 Pot Limit Omaha game with a minimum buy-in of $100,000. Hastings wrote the blog while en route to Las Vegas for the taping of the show.

“The reason I am flying to Vegas is that I am going to be on ‘Poker After Dark,’” an elated Hastings wrote. “This will be my first televised poker appearance and I am very excited. Lana (CardRunners Marketing Director) worked very hard to get me on the show and called me Friday afternoon to let me know about it. It totally caught me off-guard, especially since I have a big assignment due Tuesday for my architecture class, but I quickly decided that I was in, got an extension on the assignment, and now here I am flying cross-country.”

Patrik Antonius, Sam Farha, Brandon Adams, and Jared “harrington25″ Bleznick could also be playing in the game according to Hastings, making for what should be an exciting week of televised poker. Hastings, just 22, hasn’t yet made a name for himself on the live circuit, but the Cornell University student is renowned for winning the most money in a single day in online poker history. In December of last year, Hastings stepped up to the plate to face Swedish phenom “Isildur1” at the $500/$1,000 Pot Limit Omaha heads-up tables on Full Tilt Poker. Five hours later, Hastings had taken around $4 million from the Swede and gained instant fame within the poker community.

Now, Hastings gets his shot at another big game, this time a six-max format under the bright lights of “Poker After Dark.” “We will be taping tomorrow (Monday) and although unfortunately I will not be able to disclose results before the show airs, I will fill you in with the details that I can provide when I know them,” Hastings said. “I do know that the episodes will air sometime in 2011, although I’m not sure when yet.”

This will mark the first set of episodes in the history of the show that offer a game other than No Limit Hold’em. Pot Limit Omaha has increased in popularity online in recent years, much of that due to the intense action at the nosebleed stakes among players like Hastings, Dwan, Galfond, Bleznick, Daniel “jungleman12” Cates, and the rest of the high-limit players on Full Tilt Poker. All of the aforementioned pros are among the biggest Pot Limit Omaha winners on the site since the results started being tracked by HighStakesDB.

Season 7 of “Poker After Dark” is being filmed at Aria after spending the first six seasons at the South Point Casino and the Golden Nugget. Season 6 began airing in January and featured poker pros like Howard Lederer, Phil Hellmuth, Mike Matusow, Annette Obrestad, Antonio Esfandiari, Annie Duke, Eli Elezra, Erick Lindgren, Antonius, David “Viffer” Peat, Chris Ferguson, Jennifer Harman, and Dwan. The show airs nightly at 2:05am ET.

Dan Harrington, Erik Seidel Inducted into Poker Hall of Fame

On Monday night just before the start of heads-up play in the 2010 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event, former Main Event champ Dan Harrington and eight-time bracelet winner Erik Seidel were inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame. The two members of the Class of 2010 received a commemorative trophy and spoke for about five minutes apiece to the sold out house at the Penn and Teller Theater. The entire event took about a half hour.

WSOP Vice President Ty Stewart started the festivities by calling attention to the attendance of players like Doyle Brunson and Phil Hellmuth. Stewart also revealed that a “Chip Reese Rule,” which would set an age requirement for entry, may take shape in 2011. Nolan Dalla gave the introductory comments for Harrington, whose “Harrington on Hold’em” series can be found on the bookshelves of top players and amateurs alike around the world; it’s been translated into 17 different languages.

After reviewing Harrington’s accomplishments, Dalla, the WSOP’s Media Director, told the crowd, “This would be a remarkable poker resume for any player over an entire lifetime, but when you consider that Dan Harrington participates in only a few events, his accomplishment is truly staggering.”

Harrington added that the Mayfair Club played an integral role in his development as a poker player. In fact, Seidel is also a product of the New York institution. Harrington recalled his involvement with the Mayfair: “I did not find it; it found me… This club consisted of great game players. They were world champions in backgammon, bridge, and chess. However, they were just dying to learn how to play No Limit Hold’em. I had paid my dues at the World Series of Poker, so I had an edge on them.”

Stewart then introduced Brunson, who lauded Seidel’s presence on the felt: “The thing I’ve admired most about Erik is his demeanor at the table. I think he reminds me of Chip Reese and that’s the biggest accomplishment I can give anyone.” Seidel has eight WSOP bracelets, $10 million in tournament earnings, 142 live tournament cashes, and 19 first place finishes. He’s a true class act.

Seidel, donning a patch for his home site of Full Tilt Poker, told the crowd, “There have been so many people who have influenced me throughout the years, but the one who stands out is Howard Lederer. No one has had more of an impact on me throughout the years.” Lederer and his wife were on stage along with the likes of Jack Binion, Greg Raymer, Dennis Phillips, and Gavin Smith. By the way, it’s Seidel’s birthday weekend and his two daughters flew cross-country in support of their father.

Then, 2010 WSOP Player of the Year Frank Kassela gave the “Shuffle up and deal” command around 8:30pm local time. Kassela congratulated Seidel and Harrington on their Poker Hall of Fame membership and said the most exciting four words in poker. Keep it tuned to Poker News Daily for the latest.

Binger, Graham and Kopp in UB.com split

Matt “mattg1983” Graham, Michael Binger and Billy “Patrolman35” Kopp have parted ways with UB.com and the CEREUS network and are no longer on the site’s list of sponsored pros. Graham, who with two WSOP bracelets was their biggest catch besides Phil Hellmuth, was working on “a month-to-month” basis and decided to take a break from poker at the end of his one-year contract.

Mark “P0ker H0? Kroon Interview

Mark Kroon, known online as P0ker H0, talks about the WSOP and gives some insider tips for first timers that plan to make their way to the event next year. If you ever have dreamed of playing in the World Series of Poker Main Event but have never made the trip out, Kroon gives his veteran insight into the Series and what the pros do to get themselves for the world’s biggest poker tournament.

Kroon, a sponsored pro at UB.com, has over $800,000 in online tournament earnings according to PocketFives.com’s database (note: Other databases state over $1 million). Back in April of 2010, Kroon had a huge month with two huge cashes, starting with the $1,000 buy-in $150,000 guarantee on UB.com where he finished in 2nd place for $68,850. That tournament was a very nice follow up to the $100 buy-in $75,000 guarantee on UB.com that he won for $21,762.

Away from the tables, Mark Kroon is an avid softball player and bowler and is well known for his passion for golf. His personality is very friendly and he’s often seen talking with many of the tournament regulars he’s gotten to know during his many years as a professional tournament poker player.

Kroon is originally from Madison, Wisconsin and played ice hockey as a defenseman for the University of Wisconsin Badgers. He is also a long time friend of poker icon Phil Hellmuth as the two grew up in the same state and played poker in the same bar for a number of years. Now 44, Kroon spends most of his time either playing poker or with one of the sports he’s taken up in recent years.

Mark “P0ker H0″ Kroon has a reputation as an extremely aggressive opponent at the tables and has been called a maniac by more than one opponent. However, Kroon often states that he simply applies pressure when he senses weakness. Given his impressive resume, it’s hard to disagree.

The Nightly Turbo: Hellmuth Raises Money for the Kids, Blanca Games Responds to Cheating Allegations, and More

The Nightly Turbo is bringing you the day's top poker news stories including Phil Hellmuth raising money for the kids, Blanca Games' response to the newest UB cheating scandal, and more.

High Stakes Poker Season 7 Announced, Will Tape November 18th

In breaking news from Las Vegas, the seventh season of “High Stakes Poker” will tape from November 18th to 20th, as GSN has given the green light for the newest installment of the cash game poker franchise. The location, time, air date on GSN, and players involved have not yet been announced, but poker fans can rest easy tonight knowing that “High Stakes Poker” has been renewed for another cycle.

On the fleet of poker pros that could assemble for the show, a representative from GSN told Poker News Daily on Friday that the network expects to have “another great cast of world-class players this year.” Five players have appeared on each season of “High Stakes Poker” to date: DoylesRoom front man Doyle Brunson, Eli Elezra, Victory Poker’s Antonio Esfandiari, PokerStars front man Barry Greenstein, and “Million Dollar Challenge” icon Daniel Negreanu.

Season 6 brought major changes to “High Stakes Poker.” Longtime co-host A.J. Benza was axed in favor of PartyPoker pro Kara Scott, who conducted interviews from the floor of the “High Stakes Poker” suite at the Golden Nugget in Downtown Las Vegas. The new season began airing on Valentine’s Day this year and featured players like Dennis Phillips and Lex Veldhuis making their “High Stakes Poker” debuts. The sixth cycle also hosted the usual suspects from the world of high-stakes cash games like Phil Ivey, Tom “durrrr” Dwan, and Patrik Antonius.

The premiere of “High Stakes Poker” Season 6 was quite buzz worthy, as UB.com pro and 11-time World Series of Poker bracelet winner Phil Hellmuth went broke after dropping $200,000 in the blink of an eye. Hellmuth quickly shipped $50,000 to Ivey before committing his remaining stack on a board of 6-4-7-K with two hearts holding J-5 of hearts for an open-ended straight draw and a flush draw. Ivey held K-9 of hearts for top pair and a better flush draw and declined to run the river more than once. The final card filled the eight-time bracelet winner’s king-high flush and, just like that, Hellmuth was broke.

Prop bets were also discouraged last season. Prior to taping Season 6 of “High Stakes Poker,” Esfandiari, the ringleader of prop betting on the show, told Poker News Daily that he had been asked to curb his pastime: “The prop bets where people would guess cards, for example, they’ve been trying to get rid of that. [Executive Producer Mori Eskandani] is trying to steer towards less betting at all. The bottom line is that he doesn’t want viewers at home to be bogged down with players prop betting in addition to poker.”

The PokerStars-powered “Big Game” has recently filled the void between seasons of “High Stakes Poker.” The “Big Game” airs late nights on FOX and features a variety of pros battling with an online qualifier dubbed the “Loose Cannon.” The “Big Game” has a $500,000 maximum buy-in and has featured a variety of pros including Negreanu, Justin Bonomo, David “Viffer” Peat, David Williams, and 2005 Main Event champ Joe Hachem. It’s played in a ring game format with $100/$200 blinds.

Actor turned poker pro Gabe Kaplan serves as the primary face of “High Stakes Poker.” Stay tuned for the latest on this breaking story right here on Poker News Daily.

---

---

Poker Hall of Fame Welcomes Dan Harrington and Erik Seidel

The Poker Hall of Fame Class of 2010 was announced on Tuesday morning. 1995 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event champion Dan Harrington and eight-time bracelet winner Erik Seidel will be enshrined during a ceremony on November 8th at the Rio in Las Vegas.

Harrington received four of this author’s ten Poker Hall of Fame votes. His back-to-back runs in the 2003 and 2004 Main Events coupled with his victory in 1995 and indelible marks on poker literature earned him one of the two Poker Hall of Fame spots up for grabs. All told, Harrington has reached the final table of the Main Event four times and followed up his victory in 1995 with a 17th place finish one year later.

Seidel may best be remembered for his runner-up finish to Johnny Chan in the 1988 WSOP Main Event, his first cash in a WSOP contest. The tournament was depicted in the cult classic “Rounders” and earned Seidel $280,000. Since then, Seidel has won bracelets in Limit Hold’em, Limit Omaha High-Low, No Limit Deuce to Seven Lowball, No Limit Hold’em, and Pot Limit Omaha. He finished eighth in last year’s $50,000 HORSE Championship and has over $4 million in career WSOP earnings.

Seidel was elated to become part of the prestigious Poker Hall of Fame, telling WSOP officials in a press release distributed on Tuesday, “I’m very honored to be elected to the Poker Hall of Fame this year and it’s an extra bonus for me to be going in with Dan Harrington. We have played together and have been great friends for my entire poker career. Both of us refined our games at the Mayfair Club in New York. I have such a high regard for the many members of the Poker Hall of Fame that I have played with over the years and it’s a real privilege to be able to join them.”

The induction ceremony is scheduled for 8:00pm PT on November 8th inside the Penn and Teller Theater. Following it, the 2010 WSOP Main Event will play down to a winner. Others considered for the Poker Hall of Fame, but not enshrined this year, were Chris Ferguson, Barry Greenstein, Jennifer Harman, Phil Ivey, Linda Johnson, Tom McEvoy, Daniel Negreanu, and Scotty Nguyen. This author cast votes for both Johnson and McEvoy as well.

In a recent Guest Column on Poker News Daily, UB.com pro Annie Duke, who bested Seidel in the finals of this year’s National Heads-Up Poker Championship, made a case for her close friend’s enshrinement: “The guy behaves with such grace in a sport where grace is really needed. He’s always so graceful and so sportsmanlike. He’s deeply thoughtful, deeply intelligent, and has massive integrity. This guy should be held up as the standard for what we should be doing. I feel strongly that he should be honored.”

The 16 living members of the Poker Hall of Fame and a 17-man media panel each cast 10 votes to determine this year’s class. Only those receiving a majority vote were eligible and up to two players could be inducted this year. In 2009, World Poker Tour (WPT) host Mike Sexton was the Hall’s lone addition.

Seven players, including Johnny Moss, were inducted as part of the Poker Hall of Fame’s first class in 1979. Since then, the cast has grown to include the likes of Doyle Brunson, Amarillo Slim, Johnny Chan, Lyle Berman, Stu Ungar, Jack Binion, Phil Hellmuth, and Chip Reese. The latter is the youngest player in the Poker Hall of Fame, enshrined at age 40. This year marks the first time since 2007 that more than one person will be inducted.

---

---

Seidel, Harrington Picked for HOF

Seidel and Harrington are the only two players that will be inducted in 2010 and were picked from an elite group of players that included Chris Ferguson, Daniel Negreanu, Jennifer Harman-Traniello, Phil Ivey, Linda Johnson, Tom McEvoy and Scotty Nguyen.

“I’m very honored to be elected to the Poker Hall of Fame this year and it's an extra bonus for me to be going in with Dan Harrington,” said Seidel. 

“We have played together and have been great friends for my entire poker career.  Both of us refined our games at the Mayfair Club in New York.  I have such a high regard for the many members of the Poker Hall of Fame that I have played with over the years and it's a real privilege to be able to join them.”

Seidel, a giant in the poker world, both literally and figuratively, has won eight WSOP gold bracelets, one WPT title and accumulated over $10 million in tournament earnings. Only Phil Hellmuth, Doyle Brunson, Johnny Chan and Johnny Moss have won more bracelets.

A New Yorker, Seidel was originally a backgammon player who moved on to the stock market and finally found his way to professional poker.

Seidel was immortalized in the 1998 film Rounders, which showed a clip of his infamous final hand of the 1988 WSOP Main Event where he was trapped by Johnny Chan.

Meanwhile “Action Dan” Harrington, as he’s sometimes known, has two WSOP bracelets (one is for the 1995 WSOP Main Event), one WPT title over $6 million in tournament winnings.

Like Seidel, Harrington is a former Backgammon player who eventually discovered poker. Before becoming a poker player Harrington worked as a bankruptcy lawyer.

In addition to being a successful poker pro, Harrington works in real estate and the stock market.

Harrington is particularly well-known in the poker world for his incredible feat of making back-to-back WSOP Main Event final tables in 2003 and 2004. He is also highly regarded for penning one of the most influential poker strategy books – Harrington on Hold’em.

Both Seidel and Harrington will be inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in an official ceremony that will take place on Nov. 8 – the final day of the 2010 WSOP Main Event.

Visit PokerListings.com

Doyle Brunson: Who is the hottest poker babe?

Doyle Brunson writes really awesome Twitter messages, or “tweets” as they say. Just recently the poker’s greatest legend created a list of questions to his twitter followers and the results are now here.

Doyle asked three poker related questions: 1) Which poker player  would you like to have sex with, 2) Which poker player would you like to hang out with and 3) Poker payer you would like to kill?

Top three ladies to have sex with:

Number 1: Shannon Elizabeth

Number 2: Vanessa Rousso

Number 3: Jennifer Tilly

The editorial staff is just asking: hey guys, where’s Liv Boeree?

The men’s top 3 to have sex with were 1) Gus Hansen, 2) Patrik Antonius and 3) Phil Ivey. What seems a bit awkward is that Jen Tilly got some votes in the men’s category as well.

Doyle fans would like to hang out with Phil Laak and if the “Unabomber” isn’t around, Gavin Smith and/or Daniel Negreanu were the next favorable buddies.

The top 3 “kill list” was: 1) Phil Hellmuth, 2) Russ Hamilton and 3) PartyPoker’s Tony G.

Check out Doyle’s Twitter page for more.

You just read Poker News from HighStakesNews.com

Doyle Brunson: Who is the hottest poker babe?

WSOPE Bracelet Winner Scott Shelley, Poker Pro Toni Judet Signed To Sponsorships

Two top up and coming poker professionals, 2010 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Europe bracelet winner Scott Shelley and noted billiards/poker pro Toni Judet, have recently signed sponsorship deals with two of the top online poker sites in the industry.

The signing of Judet, who hails from Bucharest, Romania, to the Team PokerStars Pro roster might be a surprise to some, but it is a well deserved sponsorship. Judet, for years a billiards champion, picked up poker about five years ago. The move from one green felt to another has been quite profitable for the burgeoning poker pro.

According to the Hendon Mob database, Judet earned his first cash at the European Poker Tour’s (EPT) stop in Prague, Czech Republic in 2007, finishing in 53rd place for a €6,380 payday. Since that time, he won a side event during the EPT Grand Final schedule – for a windfall of €156,500 – in 2008 and, later that year, went on to finish 22nd in the WSOP Main Event for $257,334.

Judet has continued his tremendous success over the past two years. He captured the title in the Casinos Austria Poker Tour (CAPT) Bregenz Open in 2009. Most recently, he cashed at the EPT Deauville earlier this year and just missed the final table in a side event at EPT Snowfest. For his career, Judet has amassed a very respectable $761,277 in earnings. Judet becomes the first Romanian signed to the Team PokerStars Pro roster and he should continue to carry the banner for the site throughout EPT stops across the continent and around the world.

England’s Shelley is probably a more recognizable name than Judet and his achievements on the felt more than warrant his sponsorship through PKR. The newest member of Team PKR Pro, Shelley began his trip through the poker world by working with PKR through their customer service team. In 2009 – after winning a tournament for staff members of PKR – he made his first stab at the WSOP Europe in a £1,000 No Limit Hold’em event, where he didn’t cash, but made a run to 75th place.

His performance on the felt this year would prove to be his big breakout into the tournament poker scene. He stepped to the felt once again for the WSOPE’s £1,000 No Limit Hold’em tournament, which drew an outstanding field of 582 players that included top names such as Phil Hellmuth, Tom “durrrr” Dwan, and Phil Ivey. Shelley eventually reached heads-up play against defending champion J.P. Kelly and defeated him for the title, earning a nice £133, 857 bankroll boost and, perhaps more importantly, a bracelet.

Shelley was quite humbled by the attention his championship has earned him as well as the new sponsorship with PKR. “The last two weeks have been life changing and joining Team PKR Pro has been the icing on the cake,” Shelley commented during his sponsorship announcement. “It is a privilege and an honor to join the likes of the current team members and I can’t wait to start representing PKR at future events!”

Scott’s first tournament as a member of Team PKR Pro will be the London Calling poker festival, also sponsored by PKR, in November. “I’m looking forward to showing PKR and its community what I can do,” continued Shelley. “I aim for some more big wins, and, most importantly, increasing my bracelet collection.” Shelley joins other Team PKR Pro members Marc “Waswini” Bariller, Sofia “wellbet” Lövgren, and 2009 Asian Pacific Poker Tour (APPT) High Roller Champion Vladimir “Beyne” Geshkenbein in representing the site in tournaments around the world.

Joe Stapleton Interview – Part 2 of 2

Joe Stapleton, commentator for The PokerStars.net Big Game television show, joins us for the second of his two part interview. Stapleton’s rise to fame in the world of poker has inspired many to break into the industry and his work on the televised cash game poker show has drawn rave reviews from television critics and poker players alike.

One of the first topics discussed in this video is Stapleton’s old friend Amanda Leatherman who also works on the show as official hostess. Leatherman’s work has also drawn excellent reviews and her rapport with the top name pros is nearly second to none. Stapleton recalls how she broke into the industry as a green 21-year-old and how he has come to think of her like a younger sister. He stated that her best asset is how comfortable she makes players feel around her and how they open up, which makes for perfect television.

The next topic discussed with host Sean Gibson is about Stapleton’s popularity in the online poker world, thanks to his work with PokerRoad and great work on television. Stapleton says he has no real way of explaining it, but that he’s extremely lucky and very grateful for the love that he gets from the forum communities. Gibson then asked about what makes up the keys to success, which Stapleton went into detail specifically about preparation and how important that has been to his personal success.

Stapleton tells us that every possible way of a hand to be called has been done so by the dozens of poker television programs that have been on the air for the last few years. So, in that light, he tries to make things more interesting and go beyond simply referring to the “lowest common denominator” for the audience which helps him connect on a level that color commentators rarely are able to do.

Stapleton is the commentator of The PokerStars.net Big Game which features a cash game with professional poker players and “loose cannons” who are internet qualifiers. The show has featured name pros such as PokerStars pros such as Daniel Negeanu and Jason Mercier, in addition to players such as UB.com‘s own Phil Hellmuth.