Poker News

ESPN March Poker Player Rankings Released

Tuesday, ESPN.com released the March version of "The Nuts," its ranking of the top ten poker players in the world.  The list does not simply rank the best living players, but rather aims to determine who is currently playing the best poker.  All variations of poker are considered – live and online, tournaments and cash games.  Poker News Daily's own Dan Cypra is one of the members of the voting panel, along with ESPN.com writers Gary Wise, Andrew Feldman, and Poker News Daily Guest Columnist Bernard Lee, Bluff Magazine's Editor-In-Chief Lance Bradley and Senior Writer Jessica Welman, PokerNews Editor-In-Chief Matthew Parvis, and tournament reporter Don Peters, and PokerRoad's Court Harrington.

This is the fourth month for "The Nuts" and for the fourth month, the seemingly peerless Phil Ivey sits atop the rankings.  He did not have any significant live poker tournament success in February, but his cash game prowess is still second to none.  While the rankings are a measure of who is the best "right now," the panel's focus is not so narrow as to limit evaluation to just a single month.  Ivey gets credit for his outstanding results in the months leading up to the most recent vote.

Jason Mercier, one of the best players that the general poker public may have never heard of, moved up one spot to number two.  In February, the Floridian made the quarterfinals of the National Heads-Up Poker Championship and placed third in the WPT L.A. Poker Classic's High-Roller event.  When he found out that he had climbed to the second spot, Mercier was excited, telling ESPN.com, "It's pretty cool [to be No. 2]. I think that I've reached as high as I can go. I don't think I have any chance of beating out Ivey."

The biggest riser among last month's top ten was Tom "durrrr" Dwan, who was number eight in February and is now number three.  Dwan doesn't have any notches in his tournament belt recently, but he has been destroying the online cash games, as he usually does.  He made $2.7 million in the month leading up to the current vote, much of it off Patrik Antonius in the Durrrr Challenge.

Speaking of Antonius, his poor cash results resulted in him dropping in the rankings from second to fifth.

New to "The Nuts" this month are Cole South and Scott Seiver.  South has been tearing up cash games to the tune of $2.5 million in profit this year, while Seiver won the L.A. Poker Classic High-Roller event and placed fourth in the North American Poker Tour (NAPT) Venetian High-Roller Bounty Shootout.

Dropping from the rankings were Bertrand "Elky" Grospellier and Jeffrey Lisandro, who were ninth and tenth, respectively, in February.

ESPN.com "The Nuts" Poker Player Rankings – March 2010

1. Phil Ivey
2. Jason Mercier
3. Tom "durrrr" Dwan
4. Daniel Negreanu
5. Patrik Antonius
6. Yevgeniy "Jovial Gent" Timoshenko
7. Daniel Alaei
8. Eric "basebaldy" Baldwin
9. Cole South
10. Scott Seiver

Strange side bets on High Stakes Poker

Face the Ace Lawsuit Dismissed in Nevada’s Eighth District Court

On Monday, Poker News Daily learned that the Eighth District Court in Nevada dismissed a lawsuit filed by Brandon McSmith, who claimed ownership of the idea for the NBC poker game show “Face the Ace.”

McSmith can now file an appeal or seek the intervention of a federal court. McSmith told Poker News Daily that while he was disappointed in the decision, he’s optimistic an appeal will be successful: “Judge Michelle Leavitt dismissed the case on the basis that I didn't state a claim. Leavitt has her fair share of appeals that have gone against her.”

McSmith purportedly created a show dubbed the “All Star Poker Challenge” in which five pros would take on contestants in a series of heads-up matches similar to the structure of “Face the Ace.” Each match was worth $2,000 in prize money and players who fought through all five pros would take home a trip to the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event. On “Face the Ace,” the top prize was $1 million and only three matches were held.

On why Leavitt may have dismissed his case, McSmith told Poker News Daily, “She didn't want to listen to any of the evidence before her. Under Nevada procedures, you state a claim that's plausible. I'm trying not to be negative, but it looked like it was stacked against me. I will either appeal it or file in federal court. It gives the FBI a little more time to investigate.”

The FBI became involved in the copyright infringement case late last week, when McSmith successfully contacted Arlo Devlin-Brown of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York. Devlin-Brown was one of the primary forces behind a $30 million online poker funds seizure last July that affected more than 24,000 players. It’s speculated that Devlin-Brown’s interest in the case may stem from the involvement of Full Tilt Poker, which sponsored “Face the Ace” and lent its pros to the program. 2009 WSOP Main Event November Niner Phil Ivey was the series’ very first pro challenger.

Poker PROductions brought “Face the Ace” to life. The production company also creates new episodes of GSN’s “High Stakes Poker” and NBC’s “Poker After Dark” and is headed by Mori Eskandani. On a timeline for his next move, McSmith forecasted, “I have my people working on it right now. It’ll be less than three weeks. We’re pulling everything together. I won't sit back and wait, but I want to make sure to cross my T’s and dot my I’s first. I'm not too worried about going to federal court. The big decision is if I want to get [Judge Leavitt's] decision overturned.”

McSmith sent a package to an FBI Special Agent containing hard copies of e-mails and other correspondence related to his claims to “Face the Ace.” The agent actually asked him why he didn’t file his copyright infringement case in federal court in the first place, an avenue that McSmith may now take. The plaintiff is a security worker at a casino in Las Vegas by trade.

“Face the Ace” debuted with a paltry 0.4 rating and a 2 share, equating to nearly 1.6 million viewers. It squared off against “America’s Most Wanted” on FOX, the Rachel McAdams movie “Red Eye” on ABC, and a re-run of “Numb3rs” on CBS, falling short in the ratings against all three programs. The series, which featured host Steve Schirripa of “The Sopranos” fame, has not yet been renewed for a second season. McSmith noted that despite the relative failure of the show, its worldwide syndication and being its creator make a lawsuit worthwhile.

Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for the latest developments in the “Face the Ace” lawsuit.

High Stakes Poker: $1 Million Vegetarian Prop Bet Agreed To

Large pots were few and far between on Sunday night’s episode of the GSN series “High Stakes Poker.” Instead, a vegetarian prop bet between Full Tilt Poker pros Phil Ivey and Tom “durrrr” Dwan took center stage.

After being discussed non-stop for a half-hour of the 60-minute program, the vegetarian prop bet was finally agreed upon. Ultimately, Ivey would become a vegetarian for one year for $1 million. In a sit-down interview with “High Stakes Poker” hostess Kara Scott, Ivey told viewers, “I was thinking about doing it for a while, so this is an added incentive.” Dwan was confident that he’d win the bet, but nonetheless expressed a degree of doubt: “He’s got a lot of will power and he might go out and prove me wrong.” Any creature that moves is off limits for Ivey.

Back on the felts, Ivey proved why he’s one of the top names in the game by raising to $3,000 pre-flop with 7-2 and receiving four callers. The flop came 4-9-A with two hearts and Ivey put in a $12,000 continuation bet. Italian poker stud Dario Minieri, who held 10-8 of hearts, came along to see another ace hit the turn. Ivey bet out $30,000 and Minieri folded. “High Stakes Poker” host Gabe Kaplan commented, “Most players would turn over the 7-2 there, but not Phil Ivey.”

Then, Team PokerStars Pro front man Daniel Negreanu raised to $3,000 with 9-6 of hearts and Eli Elezra came along with 9-8 of diamonds. The flop came 10-5-7, giving both players straight draws, and Negreanu bet $5,500. Elezra pushed the action to $13,000 and Negreanu came along to see a king on the turn. Elezra checked and Negreanu accidentally exposed his nine while reaching for a stack of $100 bills. He promptly checked and an eight hit on the river, filling his straight. Negreanu bet $20,000 and Elezra tanked before folding. Negreanu told the table, “That was the weirdest hand I’ve ever played.”

Minieri was overly active throughout the episode and set the tone after Gus Hansen made it $3,500 pre-flop with A-8. Minieri, sensing weakness, made it $11,500 with A-9. Then, fireworks went of, as Hansen re-raised to $35,500 and Minieri shoved all-in for $213,000. Hansen quickly mucked, leaving Kaplan to remark, “That’s either a good read or a moment of insanity.” Negreanu would later try to force an all-in from Minieri when “Kid Poker” held pocket aces, but the Italian instead folded.

In one of the larger pots of the episode, which aired at 8:00pm ET on Sunday on GSN, Ivey raised to $3,000 with pocket eights, Negreanu called with A-7 of spades, and Dwan called with Q-J. The flop came A-J-4, and Ivey checked his pocket pair. Negreanu led out for $8,000 with top pair, while Dwan made the call with middle pair. Ivey got out of the way and a queen hit the turn to improve Dwan to two pair. Negreanu fired out a bet of $18,000 and Dwan called. The duo both checked a river five, shipping the $63,800 pot to Dwan.

In the final hand of the hour, Elezra raised to $3,000 with 9-7, Negreanu called with Q-9, and Dwan called with K-Q. The flop fell K-8-10 and Elezra put in a $7,200 continuation bet with an open-ended straight draw. Dwan came along with top pair to bring a jack on the turn, filling Eleza’s straight. However, with three spades now on the board, the action went check-check. The river was a six and Dwan bet $8,400. Elezra raised to $28,400 and Dwan released his hand.

Next time, four “High Stakes Poker” players get felted and an epic hand brews between Dwan and Ivey. New episodes of “High Stakes Poker” air on Sunday nights at 8:00pm ET on GSN.

Poker Predictions for 2010 by Mike Sexton

2009 was an amazing poker year.  The first thing that jumps out at me is the continuing trend of young guys doing so well in live events.  The two biggest events of the year were won by 21 year-olds.  Yevgeniy Timoshenko captured the World Poker Tour (WPT) World Championship and Joe Cada won the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event.  They were the youngest players to ever win those events.  By now, you must recognize that internet poker has developed a tremendous crux of terrific poker players and they continue to prove themselves in the biggest live events in the world.

I carried the torch for the old guys in 2009, the highlight being my induction into the Poker Hall of Fame on November 7th.  The Poker Hall of Fame is the one area in poker that old guys have a big edge.

I am happy to point out that two well-known, experienced, high-stakes players had the best WSOP in 2009.  Three bracelets and the best all-around player award went to Jeff Lisandro and poker superstar Phil Ivey won two bracelets and made the final table of the Main Event.  You have to salute both those guys.

A real buzz was created in 2009 by the nosebleed high-stakes games online.  It's difficult to follow the swings these guys take, which amounted to millions of dollars per week.   These guys have moxy (a polite way of saying “balls”) that is hard to believe.

It's always exciting to think about what's ahead for the poker world.  Here are some things I believe will happen in 2010:

1. The young guys will continue to dominate the big events in poker.  I say that because the big events take at least four or five days to play and I believe the younger guys can handle those long, tough, consecutive sessions better than the older guys.  Generally speaking, when stamina plays a role in something, young guys fare better.

2. The direction of online poker will finally come out of the "gray area."  I believe that legislation will finally come forth in some fashion, so we'll know whether or not online poker will become regulated.  If it's not on the federal level, I believe you'll see individual states, starting with California, attempt to legislate and regulate online poker.

3. More countries around the world will individually regulate online poker like Italy and France are doing.  For those who may not know, those countries are legalizing online poker, but you can only play against players from your own country.  This is the model I believe that individual U.S. states will follow.

4. The WPT will expand its brand worldwide with more live tournaments in more countries around the world.  Party Gaming purchased the WPT, which bodes well for poker players around the world.  Players can qualify online for these events at PartyPoker.com and, hopefully, other sites as well.

5. The enforcement of Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) will come to an end.

6. Here's a good thing:  Far more money will be raised through poker charity events than has been in the past.  PokerGives.org is designating September "Poker Charity Month," where numerous live casinos as well as online sites will hold charity events for PokerGives.org.  In my mind, benefiting worthwhile charities is a big plus for the entire poker industry and players, management, and casinos should all do more to support charity events.

7. Two players will win two bracelets at the 2010 WSOP and no one will win three.  I don't know who they will be, but I know who I'd bet on to do it.

8. I'm afraid that the trend will continue for women on the WPT.  They won't win a $10,000 buy-in or higher event in 2010.  There just aren't enough aggressive women in poker to favor them winning a WPT event.  Incidentally, I hope I'm wrong about this prediction.  Go ladies!

9. Two people will be inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in 2010.  The top candidates are Erik Seidel, Barry Greenstein, Phil Ivey, Daniel Negreanu, and Tom McEvoy.  Who do you like?

10. Championship poker events will continue to thrive and television will continue to play a major role in bringing more players into the poker world.

Best of luck to everyone in 2010!

NBC Heads-Up Poker Championship: Phil Ivey, Doyle Brunson and Phil Hellmuth Among 32 Advancing to Day 2

Doyle Brunson Advances to Round 2 of National Heads-Up Poker Championship

Round 2 of the National Heads-Up Poker Championship plays out today from Caesars Palace in Las Vegas and will see the field trimmed from 32 to 16. Among those players still in contention is Doyle Brunson.

There was a question as to whether Brunson would even be able to play in the unique heads-up tournament after undergoing extensive dental surgery shortly after the Super Bowl last month. However, the DoylesRoom front man did more than just show up to the event in his backyard, he advanced to the second round. After an upset by GoDaddy Girl Vanessa Rousso in the opening round in 2009, Brunson defeated Brock “t soprano” Parker to advance in 2010.

In the pairing’s final hand. Parker was all-in with a wired pair of eights and Brunson showed A-Q of diamonds, setting up a race situation. The queen came as the window card and Brunson never looked back. Now, he’ll play actor and Ante Up for Africa co-founder Don Cheadle in the round of 32. Cheadle bested J.P. Kelly in the first round. Kelly won bracelets on both sides of the Atlantic last year after taking down a $1,500 Pot Limit Hold’em event in Las Vegas and a £1,000 No Limit Hold’em event in London.

In a clash of the titans in the first round, Full Tilt Poker’s Howard Lederer faced off against UB.com troublemaker Phil Hellmuth. Like the match-up between Parker and Brunson, this one came down to a race. Lederer moved all-in pre-flop with pocket tens and Hellmuth made the call with A-K of hearts. The flop came K-5-2, giving Hellmuth top pair, top kicker and a running 9-K sealed Lederer’s exit. This was Lederer’s fourth straight first round elimination in the National Heads-Up Poker Championship.

Next up for Hellmuth is another industry giant, Annette “Annette_15” Obrestad. The winner of the 2007 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Europe Main Event, Obrestad outlasted former baseball great Orel Hershiser in first round action on Friday. The 2010 cycle of the National Heads-Up Poker Championship is Obrestad’s first appearance on the program, which will air on NBC. Obrestad Twittered on her next foe: “Won my match. Guess who im playing tomorrow.... Thats right... @philhellmuth. Sigh lol.”

Also advancing to the second round is 2009 WSOP Main Event runner-up Darvin Moon. Coverage found on PokerNews noted that the table featuring Moon and Caesars qualifier Bill Huntress was “the quietest table on set.” Huntress was all-in after a flop of Q-4-A with three clubs and showed J-8 of spades for what ESPN poker announcer Norman Chad would dub “nuclear squadoosh.” Moon showed K-10, including the ten of clubs, for straight and flush draws. He also, rather amazingly, held the best hand. The turn and river fell a nine and seven, respectively, ending any hopes of the qualifier making it through to the next round. Moon’s second round opponent is Poker News Daily Guest Columnist Annie Duke.

All but one qualifier of the seven who entered was eliminated in first round play, as Stephen Quinn upset Ted Forrest yesterday. Here are the second round match-ups for the 2010 National Heads-Up Poker Championship:

Clubs Bracket
Chris Moneymaker vs Leo Wolpert
David Williams vs Erik Seidel
Erick Lindgren vs Peter Eastgate
Stephen Quinn vs Jamie Gold

Spades Bracket
Phil Ivey vs Scotty Nguyen
Joe Hachem vs Gabe Kaplan
Jason Mercier vs Pieter de Korver
Phil Gordon vs Phil Laak

Hearts Bracket
Allen Cunningham vs Eli Elezra
Chris Ferguson vs Dennis Phillips
Doyle Brunson vs Don Cheadle
Phil Hellmuth vs Annette “Annette_15” Obrestad

Diamonds Bracket
Barry Greenstein vs Sammy Farha
Jennifer Harman vs Jerry Yang
Darvin Moon vs Annie Duke
Paul Wasicka vs Gus Hansen

The action resumes inside Caesars Palace in Las Vegas at 1:00pm PT and will play down to a field of 16. The winner of the 2010 National Heads-Up Poker Championship will be determined on Sunday. Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for the latest.

2010 National Heads-Up Poker Championship Bracket Set

The field of 64 is set in the National Heads-Up Poker Championship, which will air on NBC. One of the highlights of the opening round is a titanic showdown between PokerStars pros Jason Mercier and Daniel Negreanu, who have both been on a hot streak.

Mercier and Negreanu made the final table of the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Europe Main Event last year. Mercier finished fourth in the £10,000 buy-in poker tournament, while Negreanu fell heads-up to CardPlayer Magazine owner Barry Shulman after entering as the short stack. Mercier and Negreanu collected £267,000 and £495,000 for their efforts, respectively. Both are bracelet winners and members of Team PokerStars Pro.

Mercier enters the National Heads-Up Poker Championship, which is emanating from Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, on a high note. Last week, the Florida native took third in the L.A. Poker Classic’s High-Roller event for $141,000. In December, Mercier won a $5,000 HORSE event during the Doyle Brunson Five Diamond World Poker Classic for $100,000. Negreanu made waves during the recent PartyPoker Premier League, finishing fourth at the final table. Heading into Thursday’s draw party, Negreanu Tweeted his desired first round opponent: “Headed down to Pure for the NBC HU draw party and I'm hoping to NOT draw one of the 7 qualifiers or a woman. Record going into #6 is 7-5.”

Meanwhile, two titans of the online poker industry will tangle, as 13 bracelets will meet when Full Tilt Poker front man Howard Lederer takes on UB.com bad boy Phil Hellmuth. Lederer was fourth on Bluff Magazine’s recent Power 20 list, while Hellmuth leads the all-time bracelet count with 11. Both have crafty nicknames, as “The Professor” will take on “The Poker Brat” in a high-stakes first round encounter.

In an all-female first round showdown, Full Tilt Poker’s Jennifer Harman is paired up with actress Jennifer Tilly. A total of seven women will make their way to Caesars Palace in Las Vegas today for first round action. Joining Harman and Tilly to add estrogen to the field are Annie Duke, Annette Dworski, Annette “Annette_15” Obrestad, Vanessa Rousso, and Kara Scott. Six women took to the field in 2009, including Rousso, who finished as the runner-up to Huck Seed.

Those in the hunt for the title range between 21 (Obrestad) and 76 years-old (Doyle Brunson). The tournament hits television airwaves on NBC beginning on April 18th and will run for six consecutive Sundays. The ultimate survivor of the single elimination heads-up tournament pockets $500,000, while its runner-up takes home a cool $250,000. Here’s a look at the first round match-ups in the 2010 National Heads-Up Poker Championship:

Clubs Bracket – Top Half
Patrik Antonius vs Chris Moneymaker
Leo Wolpert vs Eric “basebaldy” Baldwin
David Williams vs Joe Cada
Erik Seidel vs Huck Seed

Clubs Bracket – Bottom Half
Dan Ramirez vs Erick Lindgren
Peter Eastgate vs Bertrand “Elky” Grospellier
Stephen Quinn vs Ted Forrest
Dario Minieri vs Jamie Gold

Spades Bracket – Top Half
Gavin Smith vs Phil Ivey
Richard Edwards vs Scotty Nguyen
Shawn “westtexasman” Rice vs Joe Hachem
Gabe Kaplan vs Johnny Chan

Spades Bracket – Bottom Half
Daniel Negreanu vs Jason Mercier
Pieter de Korver vs Mike Sexton
Phil Gordon vs Tom “durrrr” Dwan
Phil Laak vs John Juanda

Hearts Bracket – Top Half
Jesper Hougaard vs Allen Cunningham
Eli Elezra vs Greg “FBT” Mueller
Annette Dworski vs Chris Ferguson
Kara Scott vs Dennis Phillips

Hearts Bracket – Bottom Half
Brock “t soprano” Parker vs Doyle Brunson
J.P. Kelly vs Don Cheadle
Howard Lederer vs Phil Hellmuth
Annette “Annette_15” Obrestad vs Orel Hershiser

Diamonds Bracket – Top Half
Barry Greenstein vs Vanessa Rousso
Sammy Farha vs Antonio Esfandiari
Jennifer Harman vs Jennifer Tilly
Jerry Yang vs Mike Matusow

Diamonds Bracket – Bottom Half
Darvin Moon vs Bill Huntress
Andy Bloch vs Annie Duke
Andrew Wilson vs Paul Wasicka
Gus Hansen vs Greg Raymer

Rice and Huntress both qualified for the National Heads-Up Poker Championship at the host casino, while Dworski, Edwards, Quinn, Ramirez, and Wilson all won online satellites. The tournament’s first round will play out today, while the second round will take place on Saturday. The quarterfinals, semifinals, and championship match will all pan out on Sunday. Here are today's start times:

Clubs Bracket - 1:30pm PT
Diamonds Bracket - 4:00pm PT
Spades Bracket - 7:00pm PT
Hearts Bracket - 9:30pm PT

Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for the latest from Caesars Palace.

Isildur1 Loses $190k in Marathon Session

After getting beat down by Brian Hastings and the Full Tilt crew, he seems to have a new approach to poker in 2010.

Isildur1, who is rumored to be Swede Victor Blom, has been grinding his way back into the big games by playing marathon heads-up battles across multiple tables.

Yesterday Isildur1 played 9,963 hands, which is 6,084 more than Phil Ivey has played over the entire year.

Isildur1's day started with a 2,690 hand heads-up session of $100/$200 No-Limit Hold'em against URnotINdanger2. By the end of this 2.5 hour battle Isildur1 was stuck for $95k.

Up next came 596 hands of $200/$400 Cap Pot-Limit Omaha versus David Benefield and Daniel "FakeSky" Alaei, where Isildur1 made $165k, before moving to a heads-up table to continue the game with just Benefield.

Benefield and Isildur1 played 971 hands of Cap PLO with Isildur1 up $167,861. The two rivals then moved their game to a regular $200/$400 PLO table where they stayed for another 3,106 hands.

By the end of the massive session Benefield had ground back $94,240.

Despite having played over 7,000 hands so far, Isildur1 wasn't anywhere near finished. Unknown online player skjervoy beat Isildur1 for $77k over 982 hands of $100/$200 PLO.

In a final surge of activity Isildur1 won $19,000 over 644 hands of Cap PLO and lost $275k against Alexander "PostflopAction" Kostritsyn in 973 hands of $200/$400 PLO.

At this point Isildur1 finally called it, ending the day down $190,369.

Below you'll find three of Isildur1's biggest hands of the day, or head to MarketPulse for more.

NBC Releases 2010 Heads-Up Bracket

The two PokerStars pros have both been hot over the last 12 months with millions of dollars in combined tournament earnings.

Some of the other marquee first round matches include Phil Hellmuth vs. Howard Lederer, Peter Eastgate vs. Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier, Brock Parker vs. Doyle Brunson and Phil Ivey vs. Gavin Smith.

In total there will be 32 heads-up matches played in the first round.

NBC once again separated the players into four brackets – Hearts, Clubs, Spades and Diamonds – with the winner of each bracket booking a seat in the semifinals.

The tournament begins today at 1 p.m. PT. Be sure to check out our live updates of the event.

Here is the complete line-up for the first round of the 2010 NBC National Heads-Up Championship:

Clubs:

Patrik Antonius vs. Chris Moneymaker
Leo Wolpert vs. Eric Baldwin
David Williams vs. Joe Cada
Erik Seidel vs. Huck Seed
Dan Ramirez vs. Erick Lindgren
Peter Eastgate vs. Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier
Stephen Quinn vs. Ted Forrest
Dario Minieri vs. Jamie Gold

Spades:

Gavin Smith vs. Phil Ivey
Richard Edwards vs. Scotty Nguyen
Shawn Rice vs. Joe Hachem
Gabe Kaplan vs. Johnny Chan
Daniel Negreanu vs. Jason Mercier
Pieter de Korver vs. Mike Sexton
Phil Gordon vs. Tom Dwan
Phil Laak vs. John Juanda

Hearts:

Jesper Hougaard vs. Allen Cunningham
Eli Elezra vs. Greg Mueller
Annette Dworski vs. Craig Ferguson
Kara Scott vs. Dennis Phillips
Doyle Brunson vs. Brock Parker
JP Kelly vs. Don Cheadle
Howard Lederer vs. Phil Hellmuth
Annette Obrestad vs. Orel Hershiser

Diamonds:

Barry Greenstein vs. Vanessa Rousso
Sam Farha vs. Antonio Esfandiari
Jennifer Harman vs. Jennifer Tilly
Jerry Yang vs. Mike Matusow
Darvin Moon vs. Bill Huntress
Andy Bloch vs. Annie Duke
Andrew Wilson vs. Paul Wasicka
Gus Hansen vs. Greg Raymer

WSOP May Hold All Star Game

In a Tweet posted on Wednesday by officials from the World Series of Poker (WSOP), it was revealed that a special All Star Game may be in the works. Its format and players involved are currently unclear.

A Tweet from the WSOP cryptically questioned, “Which 20 WSOP Bracelet-Holders would you like to see compete in an All-Star game? Stay tuned... #WSOP.” Last year, the WSOP held its first ever Champions Invitational, which featured 20 former Main Event winners vying in a made-for-television tournament for a vintage car. 1983 WSOP Main Event winner Tom McEvoy, a PokerStars sponsored pro, ultimately came out on top and drove home in a classic 1970 Corvette.

The tournament aired on ESPN, which owns the exclusive rights to the annual Las Vegas spectacle. Others who participated in the grand event included WSOP Main Event champs Amarillo Slim, Berry Johnston, Jim Bechtel, Huck Seed, Scotty Nguyen, Carlos Mortensen, Chris Moneymaker, Greg Raymer, Joe Hachem, Jamie Gold, and Jerry Yang.

When prompted for comment by Poker News Daily, Harrah’s officials were equally vague, saying about the Tweet, “It was cryptic for a reason. I’m intrigued, are you?” In December, Harrah’s released the 2010 WSOP schedule, which kicks off with the annual $500 Casino Employees No Limit Hold’em event on May 28th. On the same day, a brand new $50,000 buy-in Player’s Championship will begin. The event will be televised by ESPN and take on an eight-game format: Limit Hold’em, Omaha High-Low Split Eight or Better, Seven Card Razz, Seven Card Stud, Seven Card Stud High-Low Split Eight or Better, No Limit Hold’em, Pot Limit Omaha, and 2-7 Triple Draw Lowball.

Although no word has been handed down, it appears that 20 players, according to a fan vote, will compete for a grand prize during the 2010 WSOP. Given the internet vote, many posters on TwoPlusTwo questioned the makeup of the field. TwoPlusTwo member “Kevmath” explained, “If they allow voting on the internet, I'm sure someone not as deserving could sneak their way into the field.”

For example, Tom “durrrr” Dwan, born in 1986, was nominated by the general public through an online vote to become a nominee for the Poker Hall of Fame Class of 2009. A nominating committee was quick to squash his bid, charging that Dwan had not yet stood the test of time, one of the criteria required for entry. Instead, names tossed out by TwoPlusTwo members as possible participants in a WSOP All Star Game include 11-time bracelet winner Phil Hellmuth and popular female pro Jennifer Tilly.

Others called for several side events during the All Star Game, similar to the Slam Dunk Contest and Three-Point Shootout held during basketball’s All Star Weekend. “TheCanoe” explained some possible diversions: “Chip Stacking with Carlos Mortensen, Beer drinking with Scotty, [and] Scooter races with Doyle.”

One poster even tossed out an idea whereby players could rebuy according to the number of bracelets they own, meaning that Hellmuth could buy back in 11 times. Players who would be well off under this setup include Doyle Brunson (10 bracelets), Johnny Chan (10 bracelets), Erik Seidel (eight bracelets), Phil Ivey (seven bracelets), and Billy Baxter (seven bracelets).

TwoPlusTwo posters also clamored for the women of poker to join the All-Star fray like GoDaddy Girl Vanessa Rousso, UB.com pro Liv Boeree, and Tilly, who has long been associated with Unabomber Poker namesake Phil Laak. Other possibilities include Annie Duke, Linda Johnson, Kara Scott, Tiffany Michelle, Isabelle Mercier, and Maria Ho.

Not everyone was optimistic about the end product. TwoPlusTwo poster “ptartaglio” explained the mindset of some in the online poker community: “These types of tournaments are always horrible. They never have the better players, only the recognized players, and they always turn them into crapshoots. The Tournament of Champions that Mike Sexton won wasn't too bad for TV, but other than that they [are] horrible.” The first Tournament of Champions was held in 2004 and featured Duke earning the winner-take-all $2 million prize. Sexton won the event in 2006.

We’ll keep you posted on the latest WSOP news on Poker News Daily. Who would you like to see in a Poker All Star Game? Leave us a comment here and let us know.

Poker as an Olympic Sport

The International Federation of Poker will be accepted into the International Mind Sports Association in April.  This means that poker will join a list of games including Chess, Bridge, and Go as an official game of skill, according to Bluff Magazine Europe.  The International Olympic Committee (IOC) recognizes the International Mind Sports Association (IMSA), meaning poker will be considered an official game of skill for the Olympics

This development may not mean that we’ll be seeing poker in the Olympics in the near future, but it is certainly a first step in the right direction.  Acceptance into the IMSA and recognition from the IOC gives poker another strong argument in court.  The nature of online gambling might be in question, but courts have been pretty lenient in allowing games of skill.  Will this IOC distinction assist in the efforts to legalize online poker in the United States?

“I am encouraged that the IOC has recognized what we poker players have always known. Poker is an honorable game of skill,” commented Rich Muny, a board member for the Poker Players Alliance (PPA). “Many states have already legally codified recognition of the fact that competitions based on skill are different from wagering on dice or other events based on chance. I believe this decision will encourage more states to recognize this distinction legally.”

Anthony Holden, author of such poker books as “Big Deal” and “Bigger Deal: A Year Inside the Poker Boom,” is the current head of the International Federation of Poker.  He told Bluff Europe, “Poker is not like other casino games.  It’s a social game where people are playing against each other, not the house, and a game where skill plays a bigger role than luck.  There are 120 to 150 million poker players in the world and we deserve this recognition.”

Poker is the only card game to be accepted by the IMSA besides Bridge. This organization is a non-profit association and has over 400 national entities and close to 100 million players within its jurisdiction.  As listed on the IMSA website, current headquarters are located in Lausanne, Switzerland and Paris, France.

The IMSA held its first “IMSA Cup” competition back in 2008 in Russia.  The final day of that event was dedicated to friendly matches between masters of mind games and honorary guests of the competition, mainly diplomats.

Given that mind games are recognized as games of skill by the IOC, could poker ever make it into the Olympics?  While that remains to be seen, many poker sites including PokerStars have competitions like the World Cup of Poker, which matches players from various countries against each other.

Team PokerStars USA includes players such as Chris Moneymaker, Vanessa Rousso, Greg Raymer, Joe Cada, Barry Greenstein, Chad Brown, Gavin Griffin, Dennis Phillips, Tom McEvoy, Hevad Khan, Victor Ramdin, and Jason Mercier.  Popular online player Randy “nanonoko” Lew also hails from the United States.  Full Tilt Pros hailing from the United States include Howard Lederer, Phil Ivey, Chris Ferguson, Mike Matusow, and Allen Cunningham.  Full Tilt Poker also boasts a well known online prodigy of its own in Tom “durrrr” Dwan.

While we know the United States would field a dream team of poker players, there are plenty of other countries that would challenge for the gold medal.  Canada, which just hosted the Winter Olympics in Vancouver, would have Daniel Negreanu along with players like Darus Suharto and Wade Ackerman leading the charge.  The United Kingdom would have players like Vicky Coren, David “Devilfish” Ulliott, Roland De Wolfe, and James Akenhead at the helm.  Australia would have Joe and Tony Hachem, Grant Levy, Eric Assadourian, as well as Billy “The Croc” Argyros representing their homeland.

The IOC has outlined that a game or sport must be practiced by men in at least 75 countries and on four continents and by women in at least 40 countries and on three continents in order to be recognized.  Although we can all agree that poker is not a traditional sport that requires physical skill and toughness like pole vaulting and Greco-Roman wrestling, there might be a place for games of skill at the Olympics.   Is it really out of the question to think of a “total package” decathlon that would combine physical and mental sports?

Think about a physical and mental event where participants would have to do their best in running, swimming, jumping, throwing, and then competing in mental games such as chess, poker, and bridge.  It’s not too far-fetched to pitch that idea to an Olympic committee or get it aired on the likes of ESPN2 with a celebrity cast.

While we dream of Raymer competing against former Navy SEAL Dan Blizerian in a swimming race before heading to a poker tournament, having poker accepted as an official game of skill by the IMSA and the IOC is already a huge step in the right direction for the industry.

LAPC Final Table Set

As well known players like two-time World Series of Poker Main Event champion Johnny Chan, Celebrity Apprentice star Annie Duke, three-time WPT final table participant Steve Sung and 2001 Main Event champ and two-time WPT title winner Carlos Mortensen all fell throughout 14 hours of poker Tuesday, a final six all making their televised table debut emerged.

The final table will begin Thursday at 4 p.m. PT inside the Commerce Casino in East Los Angeles with Hungarian Andras Koroknai holding the chip lead.

Although he has just one small live cash from the Austrian Classics in 2008, Koroknai will bring with him a rather boisterous group of Hungarian supporters from the L.A. area.

Fountain Valley, California resident Raymond Dolan currently sits second in chips and while two small cashes including a 12th place finish at a prelim in this series is all Dolan can count on for experience, he is the brother of Tim Phan, who made the final table at WPT Legends in 2005.

Coming in third in chips is Canadian Tri Huynh looking to add to his $30k in career earnings that includes a final table appearance at an L.A. Poker Classic prelim in 2007.

Armenian American Gevork (George) Kasabyan has half a million in career earnings from a boatload of small tournaments in the L.A. area and will come into the final fourth in chips.

Canadian Jean-Claude Moussa brings three WSOP cashes worth almost $60k and the experience of playing regularly online as high as $50/$100 to the table while currently fifth in chips.

And finally, the short stack is L.A.'s own Michael Kamran, happy to be through to his first final six after making seventh at WPT Bay 101 last year.

A $1.7 million first-place prize and the chance to join an illustrious group of LAPC champs including Phil Ivey, Antonio Esfandiari, and Gus Hansen hangs in the balance.

For comprehensive coverage, tune in to PokerListings' Live Updates and News.

Have a flutter on the NBC Heads-up Championship

Jason Mercier Joins High Stakes Poker Cast

The third episode of Season 6 of GSN’s “High Stakes Poker” aired on Sunday night at 8:00pm ET. Team PokerStars Pro member Jason Mercier joined the set and Daniel Negreanu pushed all-in, but ultimately chopped the pot.

Two players had gone broke in the first two episodes, as UB.com pro Phil Hellmuth and Andreas Hoivold each dropped $200,000. The latter’s seat remained empty as Sunday night’s “High Stakes Poker” kicked off, but Mercier soon joined the fray. “High Stakes Poker” announcer Gabe Kaplan commented on Mercier’s appearance: “He looks more like a swimmer to me than a poker player.”

While Mercier was busy stacking his pile of $100 bills, he picked up pocket twos and raised to $5,500. Tom “durrrr” Dwan came over the top to $19,200 with A-3 and Mercier folded. Curiosity began to build as to what Mercier had, with Eli Elezra laying 3:1 odds that the newcomer held a better hand than Dwan. Victory Poker pro Antonio Esfandiari and others at the table took Elezra up on his bet, with Mercier later admitting that he had pocket deuces, setting up what would have been a coin flip.

2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event November Nine member Phil Ivey tangled with Danish poker superstar Gus Hansen, who raised to $5,600 pre-flop with A-K. Ivey made the call with pocket eights and the flop came 5-J-J. Ivey check-called a $6,800 bet from Hansen to bring another five on the turn. Ivey once again check-called a bet from the Dane, this time $13,200, and a seven hit on the river. The action went check-check and Ivey scooped the $54,000 pot. He entered the episode up more than $250,000.

In the episode’s second largest pot, Hansen raised to $4,200 pre-flop with 6-4 of spades, Dwan made the call with A-6 of clubs, and Elezra came along with K-8 of hearts. With each player holding suited cards, the flop came K-9-3, giving Elezra top pair. He checked the action to Hansen, who bet $9,900. Dwan got out of the way and Elezra called to bring another three on the turn. Elezra check-called a bet of $25,500 and an ace hit on the river. Elezra once again checked the best hand, Hansen fired out a third bullet to the tune of $62,200, and Elezra insta-called.

The pot totaled $209,800 and after it panned out, Hansen sat down with “High Stakes Poker” floor reporter Kara Scott to relive the hand. On the failed triple barrel bluff, he explained, “I stuck to my plan, which from the beginning was okay, but in the end with the cards on the board was horrible.” Hansen left the table after the hand was over and did not return for the duration of the episode.

Then, it was Negreanu’s turn to take center stage. After being active throughout much of the hour-long show, he raised to $3,000 pre-flop with 9-7 of diamonds and Dwan made it $11,200 after picking up pocket queens. Ivey came along with pocket eights and Negreanu called. The flop came 4-9-J, giving Negreanu middle pair, and Dwan made an $18,200 continuation bet with his overpair. Ivey folded and Negreanu moved all-in for $88,400. Dwan quickly called and the pair agreed to run the board twice.

The first board filled out 2-J, giving Dwan half of the pot. On the second board, an ace hit the turn, but Negreanu spiked a five-outer on the river when a nine fell. The $212,200 pot, the largest of the night, was chopped as a result.

Two vignettes appeared during Sunday’s installment. “30 Seconds with Kara Scott” focused on the competitors’ most memorable winning sessions. Meanwhile, the PokerStars-sponsored “Did You Know” discussed the five-month marathon poker session between Johnny Moss and Nick “The Greek” Dandolos. Both were charter inductees into the Poker Hall of Fame.

Next week on “High Stakes Poker,” Dario Minieri gets aggressive and Negreanu stumps Elezra. The cash game franchise airs at 8:00pm ET on Sunday nights on GSN.

Isildur1 takes $120k from Tom “durrrr” Dwan

Isildur1 and Dwan have one of the most epic rivalries in online poker history. After coming out of nowhere, the unknown Swede took Full Tilt by storm late last year, his sights fixed squarely on Dwan.

In just three days of heads-up action, Isildur1 took Dwan for over $5.2 million.

Dwan could only sit and watch as Isildur1 went on to lose all of his money to the other players in the nosebleed games, most notably Brian Hastings, Phil Ivey and Patrik Antonius.

It's safe to assume Dwan has been eagerly waiting for his chance to get even with the Swede, but with Isildur1 keeping to slightly lower stakes, and rarely sitting behind a massive stack, he has been unable to do it so far.

Dwan's night started with a 2,011 hand match of $200/$400 Pot-Limit Omaha against Cole South. Unperturbed by South's exceptional results over the last two months, Dwan managed to end up $299k.

After losing $31k playing a $200/$400 Cap PLO game, Dwan next sat with Gus Hansen, Di "Urindanger" Dang and skjervoy at $200/$400 PLO, where he proceeded to lose $70k, the majority to Hansen.

After the other players at the table had their fill, Isildur1 took his seat, making $59,684 in just 24 hands before agreeing to move to heads-up $100/$200 No-Limit Hold'em.

After 980 hands of Hold'em, Isildur1 had doubled his profit adding another $59,054. Isildur1 went on to play $100/$200 and $200/$400 PLO heads up with Phil "OMGClayAiken" Galfond, losing $18k before throwing in the towel.

In total, Isildur1 finished the day up $48,655, while Dwan managed to keep his losses to only $5,343.

Meanwhile, Ilari "Ziigmund" Sahamies and Brian Hastings squared off at $300/$600 PLO. Thanks to winning a $291k pot, Hastings took the Finnish pro for over $256k.

After Ziigmund left, he was replaced by another Finn, Patrik Antonius.

Hastings went on to make another $56k from Antonius before calling it a day, up $312,119.

Below are three of the largest pots from last night and this morning. To see more hands, head to MarketPulse.

NBC Heads-Up Field Released

Familiar faces like Phil Ivey, Daniel Negreanu, Doyle Brunson, Phil Hellmuth and Chris "Jesus" Ferguson will be back to compete in the bracket-style head-to-head format for $1.5 million in combined prize money Mar. 5-7.

Plus, several newcomers including PokerListings Blogger and Team PokerStars Pro Jason Mercier, 2009 World Series of Poker champion Joe Cada, 2009 WSOP Main Event runner-up Darvin Moon, and High Stakes Poker host Kara Scott will be in the field of 64 trying to take down last year's champ Huck Seed.

"The lineup of competitors for this year's event is the best yet," said Jon Miller, executive vice president of NBC Sports.

"Continually bringing together the best of the best to compete in this unique format has made the National Heads-Up Poker Championship one of the most anticipated poker events of the year."

The event will be taped for broadcast on NBC over six consecutive Sundays in April and May.

The first round opponents for the brackets will be chosen at random during the GoDaddy.com Draw Party held at PURE Nightclub at Caesars Palace Mar. 4.

Below is a list of the entire 64-player field less seven spaces for online qualifiers.

Patrick Antonius               Eric Baldwin               Andy Bloch               Doyle Brunson
Joe Cada                         Johnny Chan              Don Cheadle            Allen Cunningham
Pieter De-Korver              Annie Duke                Tom Dwan               Peter Eastgate
Eli Elezra                         Antonio Esfandiari       Sam Farha               Chris Ferguson
Ted Forrest                      Jamie Gold                 Phil Gordon              Barry Greenstein
Bertrand Grospellier         Joe Hachem                Gus Hansen             Jennifer Harman
Phil Hellmuth                    Orel Hershiser            Jesper Hougaard       Phil Ivey
John Juanda                     Gabe Kaplan              J.P. Kelly                  Phil Laak
Howard Lederer                Erick Lindgren            Mike Matusow           Jason Mercier
Dario Minieri                     Chris Moneymaker     Darvin Moon             Greg Mueller
Daniel Negreanu               Scotty Nguyen           Annette Obrestad      Brock Parker
Dennis Phillips                  Greg Raymer             Vanessa Rousso        Kara Scott
Huck Seed                        Erik Seidel                 Mike Sexton             Gavin Smith
Jennifer Tilly                     Paul Wasicka             David Williams          Leo Wolpert
Jerry Yang

High Stakes Poker, Season 6, Episode 2: A High Stakes Funeral

William Thorson didn’t want to play in High Stakes Poker

Swedish William Thorson, who has cashed over 2,3 million dollars from live tournaments, got an invite to play in High Stakes Poker but he refused the honor.

Thorson told about the invitation during the PokerStars.tv live broadcast of the EPT Copenhagen final table.

He thinks he is not good enough cash game player in NL Hold’em so that he could sit at the same table with Phil Ivey, Patrik Antonius or Tom Dwan.

But he is intrigued to play Omaha against the top pros. But who is the best Omaha player? Thorson says that the best PLO player is Ilari Sahamies.

Source: PokerStars.tv

You just read Poker News from HighStakesNews.com

William Thorson didn’t want to play in High Stakes Poker

Andreas Hoivold Goes Broke on High Stakes Poker

Two episodes of “High Stakes Poker” Season 6 have aired and two players have already dropped $200,000. Last week, UB.com pro Phil Hellmuth went busto on the popular GSN cash game show. This week, that distinction belonged to Ladbrokes pro Andreas Hoivold.

As Sunday night’s episode of “High Stakes Poker” began, 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event November Nine member Phil Ivey was up $300,000, while Hoivold was down $90,000. Ivey picked up right where he left off, being selectively aggressive. With a board reading J-4-A-4-9 with two spades, Ivey bet $25,000 with just K-2 and Tom “durrrr” Dwan folded Q-10 of spades for busted flush and straight draws. Then, Dwan raised to $3,300 pre-flop with K-J and Ivey pumped it to $15,000 with just 5-2. The action folded around and “High Stakes Poker” announcer Gabe Kaplan noted, “Phil Ivey right now is in the zone.”

Dwan held pocket kings and raised to $3,200 pre-flop, while Hoivold made the call with pocket fours. The action was checked down to the river, with the board filling out A-9-5-K-Q. Dwan led out for $5,700 with a set and Hoivold called, telling “High Stakes Poker” sideline reporter Kara Scott that he called in order to extract information about Dwan’s hand. Kaplan called $5,700 a hefty price to pay for information.

In a hand that showed the power of Ivey’s presence, the Full Tilt Poker pro raised to $3,000 pre-flop with Q-8. Daniel Negreanu called with A-4, including the ace of clubs, and Dwan came along with J-10. The flop came 2-4-J with two clubs. Ivey led out for $17,000 and both opponents called to see the nine of clubs fall on the turn, putting three of the suit on the board. Ivey bet $23,000, Negreanu called with the nut flush draw, and Dwan got out of the way, bringing the ace of hearts on the river. Ivey checked and Negreanu checked right behind despite holding aces-up, bringing the following comment from Kaplan: “That’s the Phil Ivey effect. He did not want Ivey to come over the top and raise it. He wouldn’t know what to do.”

Eli Elezra, who has appeared on all six seasons of GSN’s “High Stakes Poker,” joined the table to fill Hellmuth’s spot, telling Scott, “I don’t care if it’s a tough lineup or an easy lineup. I like to play.” He quickly tangled with PokerStars pro Dario Minieri, who held pocket eights and raised it up to $3,000. Elezra called with Q-10 and the flop came Q-7-7. Minieri made a $4,500 continuation bet and Elezra called. The turn was a five, prompting an $11,500 bet from Minieri. Elezra once again called to bring an eight on the river, giving Minieri a boat. The Italian checked, trying to set a trap for Elezra, but the wily poker veteran wisely checked behind.

With the board reading 3-10-6-Q with two hearts, Danish poker superstar Gus Hansen led out with 6-3 for $11,100 and Dwan called with Q-4. Hoivold, holding A-Q for top pair, made his move and raised to $50,000. Hansen, holding bottom two pair, pushed all-in, Dwan folded, and Hoivold called with his chip stack on the line. The duo agreed to run it twice, with the winner of each river scooping half of the pot. The first river was a nine, giving Hansen 50% of the $190,000 pot. The second river was an eight and Hoivold was busto.

New episodes of GSN’s “High Stakes Poker” air on Sunday nights at 8:00pm ET. Next week, 2009 Bluff Magazine Player of the Year Jason Mercier enters the fray, while Negreanu and Dwan build a massive pot when one goes all-in.

Ziigmund Bests CardRunners for $1 Million

Sahamies and Hastings squared off at noon on Saturday, playing 453 hands of $300/$600 Pot-Limit Omaha.

As is typically the case with Sahamies, the session was flush with action, seeing multiple pots worth over $200k.

The largest pot of the match, at $426,198, went to Sahamies after he turned two pair to beat Hastings' aces.

The session came to a close with Sahamies up $565k.

Up next for the Finn was 506 hands of $200/$400 Cap-PLO where he took down another $129,768. It wasn't until he sat with the unknown Italian player luckexpress10 did Sahamies have his first loss on the weekend.

After just 64 hands of $200/$400 No-Limit Hold'em he dumped exactly $192k to luckexpress10, then continued his run-bad losing another $120,000 in just 13 hands of $300/$600 PLO.

After a small $24k win at the Cap-PLO tables, Sahamies sat with another CardRunners pro heads-up, this time taking on the white-hot Cole South.

Sahamies played 606 hands of heads-up $300/$600 PLO against South, making over $773k in the process.

In addition to losing $773k to Sahamies, South dropped an additional $126k heads-up with Tom "durrrr" Dwan. Thanks to a couple of $100k winning sessions earlier in the weekend South kept his total losses down to $646,255.

Despite starting the year as a Full Tilt pro, Dwan has yet to find his stride for 2010, putting himself down another $110,230 this past weekend.

Meanwhile, after South left his seats across from Sahamies, Phil Ivey sat down to play just 42 hands (his only weekend session), earning $87k.

In the end, however, Sahamies still finished the weekend up $1,091,202.

Below are three of the weekend's largest pots. To see more hands replayed head to MarketPulse.

Full Tilt Poker Pros Can Play in Any Competitor’s Open Event

According to a source close to Full Tilt Poker, the site’s pros are able to play in any competitor’s open event. The squad’s ability to enter this weekend’s PokerStars North American Poker Tour (NAPT) Main Event appeared to be in doubt.

Whether members of Team Full Tilt or the site’s Red Pros will turn out for the $5,000 buy-in NAPT feature tournament remains to be seen. However, contrary to an article that appeared on ESPN.com, pros of Full Tilt are apparently more than welcome to buy into PokerStars-sponsored events. A source close to the world’s second largest online poker site told Poker News Daily, “Any Full Tilt pro, Red or member of Team Full Tilt, can play in any competitor's open event.”

Currently, Full Tilt sponsored pro Roberto Romanello is second in chips at the PokerStars European Poker Tour (EPT) Copenhagen event with 39 players remaining. Players like Phil Ivey and Andy Bloch, both members of Team Full Tilt, competed in last year’s World Series of Poker (WSOP) Europe Main Event, which is title sponsored by Betfair. In 2008, Full Tilt Poker pro John Juanda took down the prestigious tournament for £868,000.

Full Tilt Poker pros turned out in droves to the 2010 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure Main Event in the Bahamas last month. Full Tilt’s Peter “Nordberg” Feldman took 35th in the $10,000 buy-in Main Event, while Eric “E-Fro” Froehlich finished in 41st. Full Tilt sponsored pro and reigning National Heads-Up Poker Championship winner Huck Seed landed in the 49th spot on the leaderboard and Ivey also cracked the top 100.

An article posted by ESPN columnist Gary Wise earlier this week asserted, “Now we're hearing word that you won't be seeing Red Pros at the North American Poker Tour stop at the Venetian this weekend.” Wise explained the dangerous precedent that could be set by Full Tilt instructing its pros not to compete in the NAPT: “By pulling their pros from the NAPT, FTP is playing a dangerous game with the one industry entity that can outspend them… Once FTP has poked the bear, does the bear really have a reason to not start poking back?”

Also in question is whether Full Tilt Poker pros will play in the $25,000 NAPT High Roller Bounty Shootout, which will receive three hours of coverage on ESPN2 beginning on April 16th. Meanwhile, Full Tilt Poker pro David Benyamine took down the PartyPoker Premier League IV title last night, defeating Luke “Full_Flush” Schwartz, and Full Tilt pro Roland de Wolfe also competed. Players from PartyPoker, PokerStars, and UB.com all appeared in the Premier League, which airs throughout Europe and is organized by Matchroom Sport.

Complicating the puzzle even further is the running of the World Poker Tour (WPT) Celebrity Invitational on Saturday and Sunday, which will compete head-to-head with the NAPT Main Event in nearby Las Vegas. According to WPT officials, Full Tilt pros Howard Lederer, Bloch, David “The Dragon” Pham, Erik Seidel, Allen Cunningham, and Bill Edler are all confirmed to play in the invite-only event, meaning that they likely won’t be making an appearance at the NAPT feature tournament.

Full Tilt received quite a bit of heat for only using its pros on the poker game show “Face the Ace,” which struggled mightily in the ratings. Meanwhile, the Full Tilt backed “Poker After Dark,” which airs on NBC, features a bevy of pros from other brands. Full Tilt also sponsors the WPT on Fox Sports Net.

Team Full Tilt member Mike Matusow was in Los Angeles shooting commercials for the online poker site and attending a Lakers game, according to his Twitter account. Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for the latest NAPT coverage.

Tom Dwan Drops $991k

It seems that every time Dwan climbs his way back into the black for 2010, he follows up with an epic losing session.

After grinding his way back up to a $134k profit, Dwan's latest loss puts him down over $850k for the year.

Dwan lost his largest pot of the day to Ilari "Ziigmund" Sahamies who shipped the $275,806 pot after turning a full house.

Despite being involved in all 12 of the largest pots of the day, Sahamies finished the session up just $230k.

Cole South, who has been having a nearly perfect year online, made another $765,522, bringing his total profit on the year up to around $3.8 million.

For a full interview with South head to Due South: Cole on Fire in 2010.

Also spotted at the tables yesterday was the Great Dane, Gus Hansen. Hansen earned $116k before returning to the $300/$600 PLO tables this morning to play Phil Ivey and Di "Urindanger" Dang. It proved to be a mistake as Hansen was stuck for over $150k by the end of the session.

Phil Ivey, whose appearances on Full Tilt have been somewhat scarce this year, made a small profit of $14k.

The strangest online news of the day happens to be centered around the world's most talked about player, the unknown Isildur1.

After his massive loss Wednesday night, Isildur1 returned to the tables yesterday, losing just over $16k at $200/$400 Cap-PLO. Isildur1 then logged off for twelve hours before returning to play $0.25/$0.50 PLO, both 6-max and heads-up.

In total Isildur1 lost $15.50 this morning.

You can find replays for some of the most important hands from last night and this morning below. To see more, head to MarketPulse.

Due South: Cole on Fire in 2010

But the 22-year-old CardRunners instructor and Georgetown economics major says his recent success is due to a lot more than just running good.

"I've certainly had a lot of luck on my side, and am very fortunate to have had such a strong start to the year," he said. "I have put in a lot of hard work away from the tables and it is certainly nice to see it paying off."

South's first foray into the highest stakes games on Full Tilt could hardly be deemed successful. He dropped close to $1 million in 2008.

But 2009 was a different story altogether as he developed into one of the most consistent players in the nosebleeds, posting a $2 million profit by the end of the year.

Now with a blazing hot start to 2010, South credits the work he's done away from the virtual felt as much as the work he's done on it.

"There are some opponents at the highest stakes that are such good card players they can play any game at any time and be a favorite," he said. "I have a ton of respect for that approach, but I find that hard work away from the tables is a big factor in my results.

"Before and after every session, I am always looking at the big hands I've recently been involved in to see what I could have done differently."

Picking the right games to play in has also been a factor.

"Game selection is an important skill for any poker player," South explained. "If you are only playing in games with players that are better than you, you are bound to eventually go broke. That said, it is difficult to improve as a poker player if you are only playing lesser opponents. At some point you will undoubtedly begin playing down to your competition and stop progressing your game."

With only a handful of the best poker players in the world playing in the big games online, South has had no choice but to get better.

"In the biggest games, the player pool is so small and the stakes are so high that any weak players would be quickly sent broke," he said.

"Every opponent at these levels is extremely tough, and there aren't any players that can be viewed as easy money. Guys like Tom Dwan, Patrik Antonius, and Phil Ivey are at the top for a reason; they are insanely good poker players.

Respect due.

 

"I respect their games immensely, but at the same time I have played each one of them in long heads-up matches and have emerged a much stronger player because of it."

South started playing poker in a home game with some buddies during his freshman year of college.

He found losing the week's beer money a frustrating experience, so he checked out a few poker books from the library and began to improve his game.

As his results improved, he turned to online poker, busting a few $50 deposits playing well above his bankroll.

Eventually he learned a little about bankroll management and took a real shot, ran up a $200 deposit playing low-stakes Limit Hold'em and "with a lot of study, and a fair amount of luck at the right times," he hasn't looked back since.

But despite all the time he's spent playing, studying and analyzing the game, South believes his time spent away from poker altogether has been just as valuable.

"I really enjoy playing poker, but at the end of the day it's just a card game," he said. "I am happiest when I am leading a balanced life with a variety of interests."

South says playing poker at the highest stakes is a great challenge, but without other goals to temper it with, it can become all consuming.

"Right now I'm training for a marathon and the feeling of a great run after a poker session is very rewarding," he said.

"Traveling is one of my passions, and I have been fortunate enough to visit over thirty countries on every continent but Antarctica in the past few years. Every place I've visited has had a ton to offer, and I'm always hungry to further explore the world."

Ultimately, South believes pursuing his passions outside of poker has helped lead to success inside the game.

"When I'm happy outside of poker, I find that my results at the tables reflect it," he explained. "Life is all about the people you surround yourself with, and I'm very lucky to have a wonderfully supportive girlfriend and fun-loving dog to come home to no matter how my day at the tables went."

After a three-year hiatus from school, South came back to Georgetown last fall and is currently wrapping up his junior year.

While he finds the subject of economics fascinating, describing it as, "a never-ending poker game with a lot more variables," he doesn't necessarily see himself pursuing a traditional 9-5 job in the field.

An instructor with CardRunners for three past years, South said he enjoys being in a position to help others find better results at the tables.

He also found some success at the World Series of Poker this past summer, booking his first live tournament cash when he made 162nd at the 2009 WSOP Main Event.

But in the end, where he'd most rather be, is taking a shot in the nosebleeds.

"I had a great time playing live tournaments last summer, and I plan on playing several WSOP events this year," he said. "Going far in a tournament is a very rewarding feeling entirely different from winning big in a ring game.

"Ultimately though, I'm a cash game player at heart. I love the flexibility, constant action, and big gamble that only a cash table can offer."

NBC Heads-Up Headed Back to Caesars

The 6th annual National Heads-Up Poker Championship presented by GoDaddy.com will go off March 4-7 with 64 of the world's best poker players in squaring off and $1.5 million in prize money on the line.

Scheduled to play are familiar faces like Chris Ferguson, Phil Hellmuth, Phil Ivey, Daniel Negreanu and last year's Heads-Up finalists Vanessa Rousso and Huck Seed.

"It takes a lot of skill and mental toughness to get through a field of such exceptional players," said Seed, who won it last year and is the only player in the history of the event to cash in all five years. "I look forward to defending my title and trying to win it again."   

New faces in this year's line-up will include 2009 World Series of Poker Main Event champion Joe Cada.

As always the tournament will be taped for broadcast on NBC over six consecutive Sundays in April and May.

"We're excited to bring this annual tradition back to Caesars Palace," said Jon Miller, executive vice president of NBC Sports. "The National Heads-Up Poker Championship's compelling poker action has become a must-see for the casual and hardcore poker fan alike."

Model and television personality Leeann Tweeden will host with Craig Hummer and Ali Nejad providing commentary.

The single-elimination bracket-style tournament, with a best of three final, features a $500,000 first-place prize.

First round opponents will be chosen randomly during the tournament's Draw Party at Caesars' PURE Nightclub Thursday, March 4 with the matches beginning at 12 p.m. PT the next day.

Isildur1 Battles Justin Bonomo (ZeeJustin) on Full Tilt Poker

Railbirds rejoice! The mysterious high-stakes wunderkind known as Isildur1 is back at the tables on Full Tilt Poker having rebuilt his bankroll during the month of February. Starting as low as $5/$10, the Swede has gradually worked his way up as high as $300/$600, playing anyone who will take a shot at him.

Isildur1, who notably spent the latter part of 2009 playing nosebleed games against Phil Ivey, Patrik Antonius, Tom "durrrr" Dwan, and several other of the world's best players, went on some legendary million-dollar swings before losing more than $3 million in a session to Full Tilt Poker pro Brian Hastings. The match depleted Isildur1's bankroll on the site. After Hastings admitted to sharing hand histories with friends in order to take Isildur1 down, the Swede vowed that he wouldn't return until the incident was addressed.

On Monday evening, Isildur1 played a rousing $200/$400 No Limit Hold'em match against Justin "ZeeJustin" Bonomo, who has been spending a lot of time at the cash tables of Full Tilt of late. Isildur1 and Bonomo played nearly 2,000 hands, with Isildur1 taking more than $550,000 from the Las Vegas pro.

Poker News Daily caught most of the action between the two No Limit Hold’em specialists. Here are a few of the key hands from the match:

Hand #1

Button: Isildur1 ($93,797)
Big Blind: ZeeJustin ($40,000)

Isildur1 raises to $1,200
ZeeJustin raises to $4,200
Isildur1 calls

Flop: Jh-8h-4h
ZeeJustin bets $4,000
Isildur1 raises to $89,597 (all-in)
ZeeJustin calls

Isildur1 shows Qh-8s (pair of eights, Queen-high flush draw)
ZeeJustin shows Ah-2c (Ace-high flush draw)

Turn: 5d
River: 6s

Isildur1 wins $80,000 with a pair of Eights

Analysis: This hand took place early in the match and set the stage for what was a frustrating evening for Bonomo. Isildur1 raises every button; therefore 3betting with an Ace here is standard, especially knowing that the Swede will play in position with almost any two cards. The flop hits both players. Bonomo leads out and is faced with a decision for his stack after Isildur1 quickly moves all-in. Knowing that he's up against an active opponent who could be moving in with a weaker flush draw, Bonomo calls and discovers that he's a 3:2 underdog. The board bricks out and Bonomo reloads.

Hand #2

Button: Isildur1 ($136,889.50)
Big Blind: ZeeJustin ($53,297.50)

Isildur1 raises to $1,200
ZeeJustin calls

Flop: Js-8c-6s
ZeeJustin checks
Isildur1 bets $2,000
ZeeJustin raises to $6,800
Isildur1 raises to $14,600
ZeeJustin raises to $52,097.50 (all-in)
Isildur1 calls

ZeeJustin shows 6c-6d (a set of Sixes)
Isildur1 shows 8s-6h (two pair, Eights and Sixes)

Turn: 7c
River: 8h

Isildur1 wins $106,595 with a full house, Eights full of Sixes

Analysis: Just a brutal river for Bonomo. You can't fault Isildur1 for getting his money in with bottom two, as he's beating most of Bonomo's shoving range, but Bonomo, an 86% favorite on the flop, can't hang on and loses a $100,000 pot.

Hand #3

Button: Isildur1 ($129,587.50)
Big Blind: ZeeJustin ($59,996.50)

Isildur1 raises to $1,200
ZeeJustin calls

Flop: Ks-8c-6h
ZeeJustin checks
Isildur1 bets $2,000
ZeeJustin calls

Turn: 4c
ZeeJustin checks
Isildur1 bets $5,600
ZeeJustin calls

River: 8s
ZeeJustin bets $13,500
Isildur1 raises to $120,787.50 (all-in)
ZeeJustin calls

Isildur1 shows Qs-7s (a pair of Eights)
ZeeJustin shows Qd-8d (trip Eights)
ZeeJustin wins $119,993

Analysis: This had to feel good for Bonomo. He spent a good portion of the match check-calling against the aggressive Swede, patiently waiting for a spot to pick him off, and finally got his chance. However, Bonomo's heart likely stopped when Isildur1 shoved on the river. Isildur1 bet on every street and is representing a monster hand, such as a full house or maybe even a turned straight. Knowing that Isildur1 is capable of a huge river bluff, it's a pretty straightforward call for Bonomo.

Hand #4

Button: ZeeJustin ($45,999)
Big Blind: Isildur1 ($203,783)

ZeeJustin raises to $1,200
Isildur1 calls

Flop: Qd-10h-3h
Isildur1 checks
ZeeJustin checks

Turn: 7h
Isildur1 bets $2,000
ZeeJustin raises to $6,600
Isildur1 raises to $23,800
ZeeJustin raises to $44,999 (all-in)
Isildur1 calls

ZeeJustin shows 10d-7c (two pair, Tens and Sevens)
Isildur1 shows Ah-Jd (Ace-high flush draw, gutshot straight draw)

River: Ks

Isildur1 wins $91,998 with a straight to the Ace

Analysis: This was a fun hand to witness. After little action before and on the flop, fireworks ensued on the turn. Bonomo didn't make a lot of big hands during the session, so two pair probably looked like gold in this spot. Meanwhile, Isildur1 knew he has a bundle of outs to make the nuts on the river. Sure enough, the Swede made Broadway and Bonomo quit shortly thereafter.

2010 National Heads-Up Poker Championship Features Joe Cada, Phil Ivey

2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event champion Joe Cada and seventh place finisher Phil Ivey will headline the 2010 NBC National Heads-Up Poker Championship field. Play gets underway on March 5th at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.

After weeks of speculation as to which players would comprise the field of 64 in the 2010 National Heads-Up Poker Championship, tournament officials tossed out seven confirmed participants on Tuesday. Cada became the youngest WSOP Main Event winner ever last year at the tender age of 21, defeating logger Darvin Moon heads-up. A self-proclaimed heads-up specialist, Cada will have his work cut out for him in the talented field at Caesars.

Cada took 11th in the $25,000 No Limit Hold’em High Roller event during the 2010 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure (PCA), banking $51,000. His win in Las Vegas in November was worth $8.5 million and he instantaneously hit the television circuit, appearing on programs like the “Late Show with David Letterman” and ESPN’s “SportsCenter.”

Ivey returned to the GSN franchise “Poker After Dark” for Season 6, which began airing on Sunday night on the cable station. In the recent Aussie Millions $100,000 Challenge in Melbourne, Ivey’s spectacular results continued, as he finished as its runner-up for $553,000. By virtue of finishing second to Dan Shak, Ivey became poker’s all-time tournament money leader at $12.8 million. He is a sponsored pro of Full Tilt Poker.

Also headlining the National Heads-Up Poker Championship field is Huck Seed, who owns the top overall record in the annual event at 18-4. Last year, Seed defeated Vanessa Rousso to take down the title and is the only player to have cashed in every running of the heads-up event. In 2009, Seed also defeated Jonathan “FieryJustice” Little, Gus Hansen, Glen Corny, David Oppenheim, and Sammy Farha en route to victory.

In 2005, Seed fell to UB.com front man Phil Hellmuth in the round of 16 before reaching the Final Four one year later. In 2007, Team PokerStars Pro member Humberto Brenes trumped Seed in the round of 16. In 2008, Seed fell to Full Tilt Poker pro Andy Bloch in the semi-finals. Seed is one of the top names in all of poker and a force to be reckoned with in a heads-up format. The poker pro commented in a press statement, “It takes a lot of skill and mental toughness to get through a field of such exceptional players, but I look forward to defending my title and trying to win it again.”

Jon Miller, Executive Vice President of NBC Sports, commented in a press release distributed by network officials on Tuesday, "We’re excited to bring this annual tradition back to Caesars Palace. The National Heads-Up Poker Championship’s compelling poker action has become a must-see for the casual and hardcore poker fan alike.” Hellmuth, who won it all in 2005, will return to the felts this year. He made waves last year by facing off against World Poker Tour (WPT) host Mike Sexton in the first round and Tom “durrrr” Dwan in the third round.

Daniel Negreanu, Rousso, and Chris Ferguson will also return to the National Heads-Up Poker Championship stage. The festivities kick off on March 5th and conclude on the 7th. “Poker After Dark” hostess Leeann Tweeden will once again serve as a sideline reporter during the tournament, while Craig Hummer and Ali Nejad will provide commentary.

On March 4th, the combatants will assemble at the Pure Nightclub at Caesars Palace for a special draw party. The web hosting service GoDaddy sponsors the tournament, which will air on NBC according to the following schedule:

April 18th: Noon to 1:00pm ET
April 25th: Noon to 2:00pm ET
May 2nd: Noon to 2:00pm ET
May 9th: Noon to 2:00pm ET
May 16th: Noon to 2:00pm ET
May 23rd: Noon to 3:00pm ET

Erick Lindgren Interview with Poker News Daily

Poker News Daily: You won your first bracelet during the 2008 World Series of Poker (WSOP), getting that proverbial monkey off your back. Is that the biggest poker accomplishment of your career?

Lindgren: It has to be. It was definitely a big deal. It was something that I really wanted and was looking forward to, so accomplishing it felt really good.

PND: Do your fellow poker players view you differently now that you've captured a WSOP bracelet?

Lindgren: Maybe the general public does. Within the poker world, people understand that it's just a tournament and longevity proves what kind of player you are. That's winning day in and day out and I think I've done that for a long time.

PND: Describe how you got started in poker.

Lindgren: I fell into it. I tried to play basketball in college and, due to work ethic, lack of skill, or whatever it was, it just didn't work out for me. I stumbled into a poker room.

PND: You won two tournaments during Season II of the World Poker Tour (WPT). What gave you an edge over your competition?

Lindgren: I was playing a different game than most people were. I was ready for the No Limit Hold'em outbreak to happen. I was playing cash games and I think it was due to my overall experience playing No Limit as well as Limit. I was just very prepared to play these tournaments, whereas a lot of the pros were strictly cash game Limit players and they had to learn the game of No Limit.

PND: Describe how the landscape of poker changed following those two WPT victories.

Lindgren: The players have become younger and more talented. There is so much more knowledge about the game now. People work so much harder at their games now than ever before. Overall, the people are just much more talented.

PND: What's the most challenging part of poker for you today?

Lindgren: The hardest part for me is keeping up with these young guys in terms of the new moves they're making and trying to find counter-moves to the strategies they are employing.

PND: What advice do you have for newcomers just getting started in poker?

Lindgren: My advice is to take it easy and have fun. A lot of people ask me, "How do I know if I should turn pro?" I say that you don't. There's no need to turn pro. This isn't like the NBA Draft; you don't have to declare yourself to be a poker pro. Just play in your own time and have fun.

PND: How important is it to have a support group around you of high-profile poker players?

Lindgren: You have to have a group of friends to talk about hands. You get not only your experiences at the tables, but you also get theirs. That's huge.

PND: Talk about your four rounds of under-100 golf in one day prop bet. What motivated you to win one of the most memorable prop bets of all time?

Lindgren: I was angry at myself the day before. I had busted out of the $50,000 buy-in HORSE tournament and I thought that I played poorly. I wanted to torture myself the next day. I was out to dinner with Gavin Smith and said that I could walk four rounds of golf and the bet just kind of happened from there. I had some other guys bet against me and off I went.

PND: You represent Full Tilt Poker. Tell us why we should play on that site.

Lindgren: Having all of the pros there is a good base. You get to see that all of these guys support the site and endorse the site, so you can feel safe playing there. There's a wide range of games; some of the highest limits are being played there along with games of every level.

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

Lindgren: When focused, Phil Ivey. He brings more to the table. It's very hard to lie to Phil Ivey. If you're lying to him or bluffing, he's going to figure it out. Don't try to bluff Phil Ivey.

Phil Hellmuth Goes Broke on High Stakes Poker Season 6 Premiere

Those without a valentine on Sunday were treated to the debut of “High Stakes Poker” Season 6 on GSN, which featured UB.com pro Phil Hellmuth drop $200,000 in a matter of minutes. Kara Scott and Gabe Kaplan hosted.

Kaplan, who has previously appeared alongside A.J. Benza, will fly solo this season, while Scott will bring the action to life from the floor of the “High Stakes Poker” suite. Six of the eight players began with $200,000, while Phil Ivey and Tom “durrrr” Dwan bought in for $500,000. After dropping a pot early to Norwegian poker player Andreas Hoivold, Hellmuth limped pre-flop with A-Q of clubs, Ivey called with 10-6, and Hoivold came along with J-8 from the big blind. The flop came 3-K-4, missing everyone, and Ivey bet $2,000. Hellmuth called to see an eight on the turn. Ivey once again bet, this time $6,000, and Hellmuth got out of the way.

On the next hand, Hellmuth held A-J and raised to $4,000 pre-flop. Ivey, holding pocket queens, made it $15,000. Hellmuth pushed the action to $40,000 and Ivey shoved all-in, having Hellmuth covered. The UB.com pro deliberated, explaining, “I’m thinking about making a thin call.” Hellmuth ultimately folded and Dwan told Ivey that he’d pay $2,000 if Ivey flipped over a pair of jacks or better. However, Ivey declined and Hellmuth was quickly down $50,000.

After seven-way action to a flop of 7-6-5 with two spades, Dwan bet $3,800 with 7-4, Antonio Esfandiari called with A-Q of spades, and Hellmuth called with K-2 of spades. Then, disaster struck for Hellmuth, as the eight of spades peeled off on the turn, giving him the second nut flush. Esfandiari bet out $11,100 with the ace-high flush and Hellmuth called to see a 10 on the river. Esfandiari bet $32,000 and Hellmuth elected just to call, shipping the $104,800 pot to Esfandiari. The duo discussed the hand with Scott and Hellmuth once again noted that Esfandiari has run him over in recent years.

Several hands later, four players saw a flop of 6-4-7 with two hearts. Ivey led out for $6,000 with K-9 of hearts and Hellmuth raised to $26,000 with J-5 of hearts. On Ivey’s plans, Kaplan explained to “High Stakes Poker” viewers, “There’s a good chance he’s going to put Phil Hellmuth all-in right now.” Ivey asked for a count, but just called, and the turn brought the king of diamonds. Ivey checked top pair and Hellmuth shoved for $82,300 into a pot around $60,000. Ivey called, leaving Hellmuth drawing to an eight or three on the river. Hellmuth asked Ivey if he wanted to run the board three times, but Ivey declined. The river was the 10 of hearts, which gave Ivey the better flush. Just like that, Hellmuth departed, out $200,000.

A segment called “30 Seconds with Kara Scott” asked Hellmuth’s opponents to describe him in 10 words or less. Another new segment was the PokerStars-sponsored “Did You Know,” which featured Daniel Negreanu discussing the origins of the Dead Man’s Hand. It turns out that the real Dead Man’s Hand is not aces and eights, but rather jacks full of tens.

Meanwhile, Ivey continued his demolition on the Season 6 debut of “High Stakes Poker,” as, on a flop of 5-4-J, Negreanu bet $25,000 with 9-6 and Ivey called with pocket fours for a set. The turn was a 10 and Negreanu check-folded to a bet of $60,000. Ivey was up $233,000 at the time, more than the show’s typical buy-in.

The final pot of the night on “High Stakes Poker” grew Ivey’s bankroll even further. Hoivold raised to $2,600 with pocket fives and Negreanu called with J-10. Ivey called with pocket sixes and the flop came 4-K-6. Ivey checked middle set, Hoivold bet $4,600, Negreanu called, and Ivey pumped it to $20,000. Hoivold reached for chips and fired out a bet of $56,000. Negreanu abandoned ship and Ivey asked for a count before pushing all-in. Hoivold folded, and, in just one episode, Ivey was up over $330,000.

Gus Hansen and Dario Minieri also appeared on the Season 6 kickoff episode. Next week, Eli Elezra joins the table and another player goes broke. New episodes of “High Stakes Poker” air at 8:00pm ET on Sunday nights on GSN.

Durrrr wins a staggering $750k at Cap PLO