Poker News

How Funds Seizures Affected Online Poker Players

It’s been about two months since the funds for many online poker players were frozen and payment checks bounced due to actions taken by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.  Players affected by bounced checks were refunded, typically with a bonus in the neighborhood of 10 to 20%.

Since those events took place, the industry has quickly recovered. Many players have turned to alternative means of cashing out from their favorite poker rooms, ranging from direct wire transfer to player-to-player transfers.  For many, the variables that dictate the action include the check size and whether they are a player from the United States.

One U.S. player spoke to Poker News Daily about the issue on the condition of anonymity. He plays regularly at Full Tilt Poker at the $1-$2 ring games.  He’s a full-time professional poker player that logs 60,000 to 70,000 hands per month for a decent win-rate.  Our subject regularly cashes out checks from his poker account every month in order to pay bills like his internet service, telephone, and rent.  Unfortunately, this monthly “salary” in the form of a mailed check bounced during the aforementioned events.  Full Tilt Poker moved quickly to refund the outstanding balance and offered a small bonus to make up for the inconvenience.

After the funds seizure became public, he was in a tough spot.  There was just enough to pay the bills without a new paycheck, but it would deplete the savings he had been keeping.  There was no guarantee of being paid via his regular check method, so after some time and research, he tried the premium bank wire method of withdrawal.  The player had to find out the specific informational code for his bank and provide that along with his bank account number to the online poker room.  After about a week, the bank transfer was initiated and cleared into his account the next day. Unfortunately, there were service fees for this type of transfer and his bank charged an extra $35 for completing the wire.  The good news was that our hero received his funds in a quick manner without much headache.

This story was one we heard over and over when researching the topic.  Many full-time players are now in fear that future printed checks won’t clear and are looking for a guaranteed way to bring in their funds.  For recreational players that only occasionally cash out, the news is good for printed checks.

A writer at Poker News Daily recently withdrew $990 from Absolute Poker, another site linked to the poker funds seizure.  The check was approved the next day and confirmed via e-mail. About a week later, the check was received in the mail for an amount $0.09 more than cashed out from a bank outside of the United States.  The bank issued the funds in United States Dollars and the check was deposited in person at a national bank.  It cleared within 24 hours and the funds were secure.

The reports of foreign bank checks being received indicates that the poker rooms’ payment processor have found a way around the U.S. Attorney’s Office by simply issuing checks from foreign accounts.  These bank accounts issue money in U.S. Dollars, so players are receiving the funds they expect.  The checks are clearing as well, so it appears that most of the poker rooms have adapted to the new legal climate.

The story of our full-time professional poker player and our own internal writer reflect the current climate of receiving funds in the online poker industry.  Full-time poker professionals are using a premium bank wire service, despite the extra fees, in order to receive funds in guaranteed fashion.  Recreational players are receiving paper checks once again, this time from foreign banks, with no issues reported.  It seems for the time being, all is restored to normal in the online poker world.

Full Tilt unveils new software, big bonus

The new look features two new lobby views.

Full Tilt says players can locate games quickly and easily with the interactive six-step Basic View and find their favorite games faster than ever using Favorites and Advanced Filters in the Standard View.

The redesign also includes a series of Full Tilt Poker Lobby Widgets aimed at improving player visibility on important statistics and promotions.

A new Tournament Deals feature allows players to cut deals with their opponents at the final table of any multi-table tournament or sit & go.

Coinciding with the launch of the new software Full Tilt is also giving players a rather sizeable bonus.

Dubbed the "Biggest Bonus Ever," Full Tilt is offering all players who have earned a Full Tilt Point before July 28, 2009 at least $100 in bonus money with no deposit required.

Players have until August 16 to accept the bonus.

Full Tilt Poker is represented by over 150 of the world's best professional poker players including Team Full Tilt's Chris Ferguson, Andy Bloch and Phil Ivey.

For more information about the site or to sign up and be eligible for PokerListings.com's exclusive weekly $3k cash freerolls, check out the review here.

ESPN confirms online poker show

The show, which is presented by PokerStars.net, will debut on Aug. 4 on ESPN.com. It will give poker fans a behind the scenes look at poker lifestyle.

Inside Deal will be hosted by ESPN the Magazine contributor Laura Lane, pro player and ESPN.com columnist Bernard Lee and ESPN.com poker editor Andrew Feldman.

The three month series will conclude with the completion of the World Series of Poker Main Event final table and along the way they will interview and analyze each member of the November Nine. Poker fans will also get to watch never-before seen hands and features from the WSOP broadcasts.

Throughout the series fans will have the opportunity to submit questions to their favorite professional poker players through email, Twitter and Facebook. Fans will also be given an exclusive chance to participate in a sweepstakes where one lucky winner will experience the November Nine in a unique way.

2003 WSOP Main Event winner Chris Moneymaker will be the first featured guest for the show. One of the most well-known figures in poker Moneymaker parlayed a $39 satellite win on PokerStars into a $10,000 Main Event seat and eventually the $2.5 million for first place. Many poker pundits speculate that Moneymaker was responsible for the poker boom and this has since been termed the "Moneymaker effect."

Other featured players for Inside Deal will include Daniel Negreanu and Joseph Hachem.

Linda Johnson on National Poker Week, Pentagon Visit

As part of National Poker Week, Tournament Directors Association Co-Founder and Poker News Daily Guest Columnist Linda Johnson lived the high life in Washington, DC. She received a guided tour of the Pentagon and took a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Arlington National Cemetery. Johnson relived her travels with Poker News Daily.

Poker News Daily: Tell us about your Pentagon visit this afternoon.

Johnson: The Pentagon was one of the highlights of my life. I got to have lunch with Brigadier General Sandy Dittig, who is one of the top-ranking females in the military. She invited us to go to the executive dining room at the Pentagon. It was incredible service and a great atmosphere. When we sat down, they had these big plates that said “U.S. Army” on them. It was very fancy and very nice.

After that, she took us on a tour through the halls of the Pentagon and pointed out several department heads and we got to visit some of their offices. Then, we went to the 9/11 memorial and she gave us a tour of Arlington Cemetery and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. They actually saluted her when they came out for the changing of the guard. We found out all of the protocols on who has to salute who. Since she’s so high-ranking, they have to salute her. Until she salutes back, they have to continue to salute. You can really mess with someone if you want.

PND: Refresh our memory as to how you met Dittig.

Johnson: We met Sandi last year at a fundraiser for the Paralyzed Veterans of America in Washington, DC. We also met Lt. Colonial Pete Derouin, who gave us a tour of the city at night because our plane left at 3:00am. We saw all of the monuments and it was another incredible evening. We invited them to play in the charity poker tournament this week. Sandi is really not a poker player, but she’s excited. Last night, we played in a private tournament in Washington, DC and they were impressed that we were professional poker players and we were impressed that they were in the military.

PND: Talk about what the pros are doing at the Poker Players Alliance (PPA) Fly-In as part of National Poker Week.

Johnson: The pros are at the Fly-In to aid support for the cause of the PPA. We have assignments to meet with some of our legislators and we are going to try to convince them to support HR 2267, which basically is going to regulate online poker. That’s our mission.

PND: Are you looking forward to meeting with Congressmen?

Johnson: I am so excited I can’t stand it. We have actually been role-playing all week. We’ve been practicing our talking points and we’re ready to go.

PND: You’ve probably been practicing with your longtime friend, Jan Fisher. Has she been the Congressman or the pro?

Johnson: She’s been both. My brother, who just learned to play poker a few years ago, is also with us and he’s really excited. He’s a layman who just plays poker part-time. Like we do, he finds it incredible that someone would try to take away our freedom to play online poker. I have friends in Canada who tease me that I’m from the “Land of the Free” and yet we can’t play online poker. That is appalling to me and it’s time to kick some butt on Capitol Hill and get this law overturned.

PND: Has the attendance at National Poker Week been what you thought it would be?

Johnson: I’m pleased to see so many people here. I have met a lot of them at various functions across the country. A lot of the State Directors are friends of mine. It is pretty much what I expected. There’s a lot of buzz and a lot of excitement. Everyone is ready to meet with staffers or Congressmen and let them know what’s on our mind.

Poker players set for reality TV appearance

Joe Cada - Poker Player Profile

Like many young aspiring poker pros, Joe Cada realized that college wasn’t for him. The Shelby Township, MI native took the leap toward becoming a professional poker player shortly after beginning classes at Macomb Community College. And while most dropouts find the transition difficult, Cada’s decision to leave school turned out to be the most lucrative of his young life: a short time later he became a member of the 2009 World Series of Poker November Nine.

On July 15, Joe Cada earned a spot at the final table of the WSOP Main Event, which will resume on November 7, as he outlasted a field of 6,494 players to guarantee himself a payday of at least $1,263,602. He’ll have his eyes set on the first-place prize of $8,546,435 and a gold bracelet when the tournament wraps up on November 10th.

Although he spends most of his time on the felts playing cash games, Cada took a stab at his first ever World Series of Poker in 2009 after turning 21 last year. He cashed twice before the Main Event, taking 64th in Event #13 ($2,500 No Limit Hold’em) for $6,681, and then 17th in Event #34 ($1,500 No Limit Hold’em) for $21,533. Once among the chip leaders of Event #34, Joe  Cada was eliminated by PokerStars Team Pro Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier when Grospellier hit a two-outer on the river against him.

He wouldn’t soon forget about what could have been. After finishing Day 1C of the Main Event as the overall chip leader, Cada told friend and fellow pro Justin “looshle” Pechie, “I’m finally getting my run-good after that ElkY hand.” He could go above and beyond what even the great Grospellier has accomplished by winning the Main Event in November.

Joe Cada will enter the final table fifth in chips with 13,215,000. He made a big move on Day 8, doubling his stack despite having his pocket aces cracked by the pocket tens of Jamie Robbins after all of the chips went in preflop. That 3.5 million chip pot would have given Joe more ammunition to fire at his tablemates, but it certainly didn’t prevent him from attacking any more. Joe Cada was the most active player at his table and even played back at Phil Ivey several times as the final table approached.

One thing is certain: Joe Cada will forever be a part of poker history after he takes his seat on November 7, 2009 as part of the November Nine.

Poker Petition Breaks 300,000 Signatures

The petition put forth by the Poker Players Alliance (PPA) as part of National Poker Week currently stands at 300,428 signatures. The measure broke through the 300,000 threshold overnight.

Players have turned out in droves to sign the poker petition. The process takes less than 30 seconds and involves a person entering in their first name, last name, e-mail address, street address, city, state, zip code, and a special authentication code. Its text begins, “I am a voter and a fellow poker player asking for your support of my right to play games of skill like poker on the internet.” On July 22nd, the petition will be presented to President Barack Obama, who is in St. Louis this evening to throw out the first pitch of the Major League Baseball All-Star Game at Busch Stadium.

The language of the petition notes that regulation of online poker was the top technology topic in the Citizens’ Briefing Book, which asked Americans what issues they wanted to see addressed by the new Obama Administration. The entry, which appeared on Change.gov, was entitled “Boost America’s Economy with Legal Online Poker” and received support from around the industry. Specifically, the petition asks President Obama to “1) exempt poker from the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) and 2) license and regulate internet poker in the U.S. 3) Respect the rights of law-abiding Americans who love to play this great game of skill.”

The petition is one of several components of National Poker Week, which takes place from July 19th through 25th. Thirty of the PPA’s State Directors and a handful of poker pros will travel to Washington, DC to meet with Congressmen and push for the legalization of online poker. Congressman Barney Frank (D-MA), Chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, has introduced two measures that State Directors and poker pros will push. HR 2267 establishes a full framework for the licensing and regulation of internet gambling in the United States. HR 2266 delays industry compliance with the UIGEA by one year until December 1st, 2010. The measures sit at 42 and 25 co-sponsors, respectively, after being introduced on May 6th.

Congresswoman Shelley Berkley (D-NV), PPA Chairman Alfonse D’Amato, and PPA Executive Director John Pappas unveiled National Poker Week at a press conference on June 22nd during the 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP). The PPA will welcome poker pros Howard Lederer, Andy Bloch, “Celebrity Apprentice” runner-up Annie Duke, Jan Fisher, Linda Johnson, and 2008 WSOP November Nine member Dennis Phillips to the Capitol Hill next week for the festivities.

On Tuesday night, the PPA will host a charity poker tournament. The event will be held at the Hyatt Regency Capitol Hill and begins with a reception at 6:00pm. The tournament kicks off at 7:00pm, with funds raised being donated to the USO of Metropolitan Washington. According to an invitation sent out by the PPA, which is fronting the costs of the event, players can win “travel packages, poker tutorials by pros, and other great prizes.” Members of the U.S. Armed Services will play alongside some of the industry’s top poker players.

The PPA has also set up MyPokerStory.com, a site that allows players to submit videos outlining why poker is critical to their lives. Professional poker players including World Poker Tour (WPT) Host Mike Sexton, “Cowboy” Kenna James, and Lederer have all submitted videos to the cause. Sexton’s submission reveals, “I have been playing poker since I was 13 years-old… I’m a die-hard poker guy and I hope you like to play as well.”

Poker News Daily will be camped out in Washington, DC during National Poker Week, so stay tuned for a full recap of events.

Linda Johnson Heads to Washington for National Poker Week

The Poker Players Alliance (PPA) held a press conference at the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino during the 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) to announce several of its latest projects including National Poker Week, a national poker petition, and a new website called mypokerstory.com. I hope you will check out some of these projects.

Please log into pokerpetition.com and sign the online poker petition that will be presented to President Barack Obama during National Poker Week, asking his support to exempt the game from the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) and for its legalization and regulation. To date, almost 300,000 people have signed and we are hoping to have 200,000 more signatures in the next 10 days. You should also log onto mypokerstory.com and listen to average Americans talk about their love of poker and how much it fulfills their lives.

Midway through the press conference, Greg Raymer and I were called up to make a short speech to the media and attendees since we are members of the PPA Board of Directors. I didn’t know in advance that I would be asked to speak and although I like to be prepared and rehearsed, I had to adlib about how appalling it is that in this great country, we do not have the same rights that people in other countries do regarding playing online poker.

I spoke about an elderly friend of mine who is going through very tough chemotherapy whose enjoyment in life right now comes from playing online poker. I spoke about the fact that there are many handicapped and disabled citizens who can’t travel to card rooms, but can have fun playing poker in their own homes.

I spoke about the need to get involved by contacting our Congressional representatives and letting them know that we don’t need them to legislate what we do in our free time with our own money. I also committed to going to Washington, DC during the July 19th to 25th National Poker Week to meet with members of Congress and ask them to help protect my right to play poker online.

I’m looking forward to returning to Washington, DC. It’s been a year since I was there to attend a charity event to benefit the Paralyzed Veterans of America. While I was there, I met and befriended two very high-ranking military personnel who gave me a nighttime tour of our Capitol. This time, they have invited me to the Pentagon for lunch and a behind-the-scenes tour. We will also be going to the 9/11 Memorial and to Arlington National Cemetery.

There’s a lot of lobbying that needs to be done for our cause as part of National Poker Week. From July 20th to 22nd, professional poker players including Annie Duke, Greg Raymer, Howard Lederer, Dennis Phillips, Jan Fisher, and Andy Bloch will be joining more than 30 PPA State Directors to meet with members of the House of Representatives to ask them to co-sponsor HR 2267, introduced by Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank. We’ll also be meeting with Senators and asking them to support online poker legislation. We’ll be on a panel to educate Congressional staffers on the need for regulation and licensing of online poker. We’ll be helping to host a charity poker tournament to benefit the USO and the Malone House at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, where the pros and State Directors will play alongside members of Congress and at least 35 wounded servicemen and women. The PPA is underwriting the whole tournament so that 100% of the proceeds will go to the charity.

All poker players are invited to visit the PPA website and send a letter to their member of Congress during National Poker Week asking for their support of licensing and regulation. Also, please go to MyPokerStory.com and record your own poker video. Let’s all get involved to protect this game we love!

Players Reach the Money on Day 4 of the WSOP Main Event

Day 4 of the 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event came to an early close Saturday evening, as it took just three levels to eliminate 382 players and break the money bubble. The top 648 players received a minimum of $21,365 and, after some fast play, the tournament staff halted the event with 407 runners left in the field.

The money bubble broke after nearly two hours of hand-for-hand play and Kia Hamadami, a 26-year old financial analyst from Los Angeles, was the odd man out. Hamadami was all-in for his last 500 chips with on the final hand and couldn’t improve against an opponent’s . Hamadami wasn’t left completely empty-handed, however, as he received an entry into next year’s WSOP Main Event paid for by sponsor Jack Link’s Beef Jerky.

“I started the day with 280,000 in chips. I had some really tough hands,” Hamadami said after his elimination. “We went like six hands during hand-for-hand and I thought I could make it through, but it didn’t happen. That’s how it goes.

Ultimate Bet pro Phil Hellmuth was among the players eliminated after the bubble broke. Hellmuth’s pocket aces were cracked when a player made a straight on the river, forcing him out of the tournament in 436th place. It was his second consecutive cash in the Main Event after taking 45th last year. Others eliminated on Day 4 included Greg “FBT” Mueller, Hevad Khan, Jesper Hougaard, Justin “ZeeJustin” Bonomo, Paul Wasicka, Alexander Kostritsyn, and Chris “Jesus” Ferguson.

Matt “mcmatto” Affleck emerged as the chip leader at the end of the night, bagging up more than 1.8 million after being seated at a table with Mike Sexton and entertainer Lou Diamond Phillips for much of the day. Affleck, a professional poker player from Seattle, bested Phillips in several pots, but the comedian managed to advance to Day 5 with 607,000 chips, well above the tournament average. Sexton was sent home during the last level when his Ace-King was outdrawn by another player’s Ace-Queen. Sexton finished in 420th place, giving him his seventh career cash in the WSOP Main Event.

Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier was the chip leader going into Day 4 and built his stack up as high as 1.8 million before losing a good portion of it before the end of the day; he’ll return for Day 5 with 1.25 million. Meanwhile, Phil Ivey continues to wreak havoc on this year’s WSOP, as the seven-time bracelet winner will take his seat with 1.28 million on Sunday. Ivey was at the ESPN featured table for all of Day 4.

Others advancing to Day 5 were Joe Hachem, Dennis Phillips, Theo Tran, Joe Sebok, Kenny Tran, David Benyamine, Kara Scott, Vitaly Lunkin, J.C.  Tran, Antonio Esfandiari, and defending champion Peter Eastgate, who ended Day 4 with 397,000 in chips.

Here’s a look at the top 25 stacks going into Day 5, which gets underway at Noon Pacific Time on Sunday:

1. Matt Affleck - 1,819,000
2. Ludovic Lacay - 1,608,000
3. Tom Lutz - 1,600,000
4. James Akenhead - 1,572,000
5. Charlie Elias - 1,540,000
6. Miika Puumalainen - 1,492,000
7. Jordan Morgan - 1,489,000
8. Bernhard Perner - 1,426,000
9. Blair Hinkle - 1,399,000
10. Benjamin Jensen - 1,394,000
11. Billy Kopp - 1,385,000
12. Eracles Panayiotou - 1,299,000
13. Chuck Clark - 1,295,000
14. Abraham Mourshaki - 1,294,000
15. Phil Ivey - 1,276,000
16. Bertrand Grospelier - 1,253,000
17. Kevin Schaffel - 1,206,000
18. Keith Lehr - 1,190,000
19. Ben Lamb - 1,183,000
20. Patterson Tyler - 1,168,000
21. Rifat Palevic - 1,152,000
22. Joe Ward - 1,129,000
23. Nick Maimone - 1,104,000
24. Kasper Cordes - 1,095,000
25. Manuel Labandeira - 1,087,000

Marc Rizzo, Team Lacey Jones Winners of WSOP Media Event

On a rare day off at the 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP), the annual Media Charity Event took place on Thursday afternoon using the Dream Team Poker format.

While many were resting up to continue the fight in the Main Event, which resumes this afternoon, the media took their traditional day to demonstrate their skills (or lack thereof) on the same tables they have covered for the last seven weeks. A total of 165 players came together in three-man squads, making for a 55 team battleground. At stake was a contribution to charity from not only the victorious player, but also the winning team in the points-based competition.

There was plenty of fun to be had, but there was also a competitive gene that drove many to strive for their best. After the points were added up, Team Lacey Jones, led by the namesake professional poker player, captured the Dream Team Poker title over the Chonch Chowders and Team Mutt. Tao of Poker came in with a fourth place finish in the 55 team field, with ESPN.com rounding out the Top Five.

As expected, many of the top teams had individual players who made the final table and earned a contribution for their favorite charity. Julio Rodriguez (Chonch Chowders, tenth place), Lana Maier (Team Lacey Jones, fourth place) and Pauly McGuire (Tao of Poker, third place) all drove deep in the media event, but it eventually came down to Marc Rizzo from “Overfed & Underwashed” and Amanda Rosenfeld from “Luckbox Inc.” In the end, it was Rizzo who captured the individual title.

For the first time in this year’s Main Event, the entire field will be seated inside the Amazon Room for Day 3 on Friday. After the carnage of Day 2B, where over half of the field was eliminated from contention, only 2,044 lucky souls come together to battle it out for the riches of the largest poker tournament in the world. Overall, 648 people will walk off with at least the minimum payout of $21,365 and the next World Champion will take the prestigious Main Event Bracelet and $8,546,435.

Leading the 2,044 player field is Amir Lehavot, who will start the day with 610,500 in chips. Day One leader Troy Weber is solidly in the Top 10 with 453,200, with notable professional player Mikael Thuritz of Sweden holding down sixth place with 395,400.

2009 double bracelet winner Phil Ivey currently is sitting in the Top 20 and is the top American professional in the field. Defending champion Peter Eastgate, who willed his way through a difficult Day Two and still has a chance to defend his title, will join other former Main Event Champions Phil Hellmuth, Joe Hachem, Greg Raymer, and Chris “Jesus” Ferguson in their pursuit of a second World Championship.

Action begins in the Amazon Room at the Rio this afternoon and there will not be another break until the final table is determined on July 15th. After that, the remaining players will once again enter into the delayed final table scenario and become the second version of poker’s “November Nine,” set to play the final table out from November 7th to 10th.

Poker Superstars Walk the Red Carpet at WSOP Ante Up for Africa

The 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Ante Up for Africa tournament was chalk full of poker’s top names, including Phil Hellmuth, Andy Bloch, and Howard Lederer. Poker News Daily was on the scene as the game’s elite made their way into the charity poker tournament.

Eleven-Time WSOP Bracelet Holder Phil Hellmuth

On the cast of celebrities in attendance:
“I love it. The bigger the better. It’s such a great event. Look at all of the media here. To have all of this media tuned onto charity and poker is fabulous. I’ve emceed almost every Ante Up for Africa, whether it’s been in Europe or here in Las Vegas. It’s great to raise $1 million in one night.”

Ultimate Bet Star Player Tiffany Michelle

On the tournament as a break from the WSOP grind:
“As a professional poker player, it’s exciting to sit down and play with celebrities. There are bragging rights to say, ‘I knocked Montel Williams out.’ It’s a lot of fun. As professional poker players, we get so sucked into bad beats and being stuck in casinos all day. To remember that there’s another world beyond ours means a lot.”

On the marriage between charity and poker:
“There are a lot of people who have skills. They can go overseas and work with the Red Cross. Sitting in Las Vegas or Los Angeles, if you don’t feel like you have nursing skills or political skills, you can donate money. It’s something that we throw around like crazy. We’ll spend a few thousand dollars on a table at a club or we could be potentially winning millions of dollars. I love that the WSOP is behind this event, but also Annie [Duke] and Don [Cheadle]. It’s probably one of the most fun charity events I’ve ever played in.”

Team PokerStars Pro Member Humberto Brenes

On turning out for Ante Up for Africa:
“I feel good and today is more relaxed. I’ve played for the last 30 days here in tournaments with thousands of people.”

Former MIT Blackjack Team Member Andy Bloch

On being among Hollywood’s elite:
“This event was great a couple of years ago when Annie [Duke] got the idea. She was able to bring in A-list celebrities and lots of money to the event. Every year, it seems to grow and get better. This year, with the television coverage they’re going to have of the event, I’m really looking forward to not just raising money, but also raising a lot of awareness.”

2009 WSOP Dual Bracelet Winner Greg “FBT” Mueller

On whether the Ante Up for Africa event is a good break from the WSOP:
“It’s fun. It’s a lot of crazy and exciting people. Ante Up for Africa is a great cause and I’m always happy to donate to good causes, especially when things are going well.”

Full Tilt Poker Pro Jennifer Harman

On the Ante Up for Africa atmosphere:
“It is a wild event. It’s nice to see people come out and support this cause. It shows that poker is a way of giving and we all really love that part of it.”

On her fundraiser for the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals:
“That went really well and we raised about $150,000. The most important thing is raising awareness and we did that. I did another charity event for the National Kidney Foundation in Reno and it had the largest turnout ever for a poker tournament in Reno history. I’m proud to be part of the giving and to help people in this world.”

Professional Poker Player Barry Greenstein

On being surrounded by celebrities:
“It’s pretty interesting. It shows you how much poker is a part of everyday life. These people play poker around the kitchen table like the rest of us. They’re happy to come out and make fools of themselves for a good cause.”

On celebrities’ games:
“Some are better than others. I’m not really intimidated by anyone’s game, professional or amateur. I’m certainly not thinking, ‘That guy is coming from Hollywood and he’s really going to show me some moves.’”

Professional Poker Player Robert Williamson III

On lending his name to the Ante Up for Africa tournament:
“With the WSOP being such an international tournament, it’s only right that we champion such a great cause. It’s shining a spotlight on an international catastrophe that needs more exposure and attention. It’s a fantastic event to be involved with. I look forward to many more years of supporting it.”

On whether he’d raise Mike Tyson’s blind if they were seated at the same table:
“He may be a champion boxer, but I’m one of the champions on the green felt. He’s going to have to call me down because I’ll be moving on him. I know he’s an aggressor too, so it should be an interesting match.”

2005 WSOP Main Event Champion Joe Hachem

On how important his attendance is:
“I think being at this sort of charity event with the amount of publicity it’s getting is fantastic.”

Bracelet Winner Howard Lederer

On the WSOP Main Event’s longstanding appeal:
“It’s the original event. It’s the most important poker tournament of the year. It’s the tournament everyone thinks about. It’s just a poker tournament, but the history, anticipation, and money make it something way beyond that. Everyone who sits down in the Main Event is connecting in some way with everyone who has ever played and that’s electrifying.”

ESPN Announcer Norman Chad

On sitting next to Allen Cunningham in a WSOP Stud tournament:
“When I play in a tournament and sit next to someone like Allen Cunningham, it’s a thrill. You know that they’re the best in the world. I would never yell out, ‘It’s Allen Cunningham’ because he’s such a quiet and classy guy.”

On ESPN covering the Ante Up for Africa event:
“It’s tremendous. It can do a lot of good for this cause. To have this for two hours on ESPN - we know we’re going to be able to raise so much more money than we would have otherwise.”

On his pick to win the Ante Up for Africa event:
“Even though he doesn’t speak to me, I’m going to say Phil Ivey. He’s the best poker player in the world. I expect him to win the Main Event every year and I expect him to win this.”

On his future:
“You never know. Things change, but this has been like an angel dropping out of the sky for me. It’s great work and it’s fun work. I’d love to do it as long as I can.”

Full Tilt FTOPS XIII Schedule

FTOPS XIII (Full Tilt Online Poker Series) is coming soon!

The action starts on Wednesday August 5th and continues until the Main Event on the 18th, there are 26 events, all hosted by a professional poker player. There is a guaranteed prize pool of $16m+ and super cool Full Tilt merchandise to be won.

New for this Series is Ante Up for Africa, you can play poker for a good cause in the charity tournament where all fees are being donated direct to the charity dedicated to easing the crisis in Darfur. Buy in direct for $120 or satellite in from just $1 or 50FTP’s. Nice one Full Tilt Poker!

Satellites are running NOW for FTOPS XIII, go into the lobby click Tournaments and then FTOPS to see the satellites on offer at the moment.

The Satellite Challenge is running again, try and win as many entries as you can and Full Tilt will credit you with the cost of the buy in for every double entry you win. Win more entries than any one else and you will be win the price of two buy ins, second place gets one extra credit.

The Bouncebackabilty Freeroll is back again, exclusively for those players who finished on the bubble, this freeroll is on Saturday August 22nd at 8.00pm UK time (3pm New York). The generous prize is a seat at the Main Event of FTOPS XIV.

On the final table, in any of the events, every player will be given a cool FTOPS jacket. The victors of each event also get a FTOPS jersey and an exclusive gold avatar to be used whilst playing online at Full Tilt Poker.

Enjoy FTOPS XIII, here is the schedule:-

If you’re not already a loyal player at Full Tilt Poker then get signed up now and join in the top promotions that Full Tilt excel in bringing their players. Remember to use our Full Tilt Bonus Code FTPGOLD for a sign up bonus up to $600 plus entry into exclusive weekly freerolls - see our Full Tilt Referral Code page for more details.

Good luck at the tables!

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Mike Tyson, Matt Damon Speak on WSOP Ante Up for Africa Red Carpet

Poker News Daily had a front row view for the 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Ante Up for Africa red carpet. Featuring a veritable “who’s who” of Hollywood’s elite, the $5,000 buy-in charity poker tournament raised well over $300,000 for refugees of the crisis in Darfur. Here’s what Hollywood had to say.

NBA Legend Kenny Smith

On Charles Barkley’s poker game: “It’s just like his golf game. Last year, he was the third or fourth person to get eliminated right off the bat in this event, so he was terrible. I think he’s a little restless and aggressive, which leads to early exits or big wins.”

On whether he has a last longer bet with Charles Barkley: “I’ve got to get that going. He’s too reckless. A two and a three and he’s all-in. I’m not going to be that silly. I think I’ll beat him.”

On his poker background: “I don’t play a lot, but I have fun with it more than anything else. When I come to Las Vegas, I’ll play blackjack before I play poker, but my parents used to play poker growing up. They’d have little poker parties, so I got to play at the adult table.”

“Best Week Ever” Host Doug Benson

On whether he’s having the best week ever: “I am. It hasn’t been a great week for celebrities in general, but getting to come to this event is exciting.”

On other celebrities in attendance: “I’ve only seen people here on the red carpet, so I don’t know who else is inside, but my friend Sarah Silverman is here as is my new friend Mike Tyson… I didn’t say a word to him. I’m too terrified. There are also a lot of great poker players. I’ve seen Mike Matusow and Phil Hellmuth so far. I’d love to knock either of them out. It’d be hilarious.”

Former Heavyweight Champion Mike Tyson

On his prospects: “I don’t know if I’m going to do well, but I’m here for a good cause. I’m here to help raise a lot of money and awareness.”

Comedian Sarah Silverman

On participating in the Ante Up for Africa charity tournament: “It’s really important to raise money and awareness. People need to be aware and understand that this is a genocide. People hear about the Holocaust in school and say that it could never happen. We’re letting it happen now. Someone has to do something and, to be honest, I have no idea what, but it has to end. There are people living in the scariest nightmare you could ever imagine. We have the power to be the best country and help. If this were happening in England or France, it would be taken care of.

“Rounders” Actor Matt Damon

On being recognized from “Rounders”: “It depends on what city I’m in. If I’m here in Las Vegas, it’s mostly ‘Rounders.’ If someone says, ‘I loved you in’ and it’s a guy between the ages of 18 and 40, I can guarantee you he’ll say ‘Rounders.’”

On raising money for Ante Up for Africa: “They’ve raised over $2 million so far and we know where the money is going. The ENOUGH Project is fantastic. There’s a lot of transparency there, so we know where the money goes. It’s a terrific cause to give to and hopefully it’s making a difference.”

Rapper Nelly

On facing professional poker players: “I don’t want to think too hard. If I get in a hand with a pro or a bracelet winner, I’m not going to think about it. If I think about it, I’m going to make the wrong move, so I’m just going to play. Their mind control at this game is far more superior to mine.”

My How Things Have Changed at the WSOP

I walked into the Amazon Room at the Rio Hotel and Casino at 11:59am to play in the $1,500 buy-in Omaha/8 event at the 40th Annual World Series of Poker (WSOP). I’ve participated in 28 out of the 40 years that the WSOP has been in existence, and, as usual, I was filled with excitement at the prospect of winning another gold bracelet.

As play began, I found myself thinking about how much the WSOP has changed since the first time I played in 1980. The first thing that came to mind was how easy the registration process is now. I dropped by the Rio the day before the event to register and was thrilled to be in and out with my tournament receipt in hand in less than 10 minutes. There is a room dedicated for registration with clerks standing by to sign up players using an efficient computerized system. The days of writing and recording everyone’s name by hand like they did in 1980 are gone.

Next, I was happy to see the tournament start on time. Despite the fact that there was a record-setting 918 entrants (I didn’t know that many people even played Omaha/8) and it took a few minutes for speeches, Tournament Director Jack Effel still managed to declare “Shuffle Up and Deal!” at 12:06pm. In the old days, I remember many times asking at 1:00pm or later, “So what time does the Noon tournament begin?”

Other huge differences between the 1980 WSOP and the 2009 WSOP are the starting chip stacks and the structures. This year, all events start with triple chips, meaning, for example, that players get $4,500 in chips for a $1,500 buy-in. I can remember putting up $400 in my first event and getting $400 in chips to start. Today’s structures are extremely player-friendly. Each jump in blind levels is minimal. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many limits!

The number and type of events are obviously different this year than back in 1980. There were 13 events in 1980, including three Seven Card Stud events, a Limit Ace-to-Five Draw event, a Limit Draw High event, and a Mixed Doubles event (male and female team). There were no Omaha, Triple Draw, or Mixed games. This year, there are 57 bracelet events. I know the schedule is printed in a tiny font, but I don’t think I saw any Draw events on the 2009 menu.

There were 62 entrants in the first WSOP I ever entered. This year, Event #4 was capped at 6,000 and it sold out! Where does all of the money come from?

The prize payout structure is quite different today than it was in 1980. In the event I referred to above, I came in fifth out of 62 entrants. Back then, they only paid the top three spots, but I still quit my good job and moved to Las Vegas to become a professional poker player two weeks after the event. In the Main Event in 1980, they paid the top five finishers in the 73 person field. By the way, there was no such thing as the “November Nine” back then.

One item that was actually better in 1980 than it is today is the food. Despite the tremendous improvement in the 2009 WSOP food selections, there still is no comparison to the free, lavish player buffets spread during the WSOP many years ago. Those buffets were legendary; the shrimp were the biggest I’d ever seen, there were lots of exotic meat choices, and the desserts were plentiful and sinful! Of course, they only had to feed a few hundred people back then compared to a few thousand in these times. Don’t take this as a slam on the Rio, though; it still does a good job of feeding the players.

In addition to all of the restaurants at the Rio, they’ve set up temporary food stations that sell snack items, salads, Mexican food, Chinese food, a variety of sandwiches, hot dogs and hamburgers, sushi, fruit, pizza, and a few food groups I am probably forgetting.

The 2009 WSOP has the biggest satellite room I’ve ever seen. There was no such thing as a satellite when I started playing. You had to pony up all the money if you wanted to enter a tournament. Satellites started in 1983 and, today, more than half of the Main Event entrants win their buy-ins through satellites.

The biggest improvement to date is the 2009 no-abuse policy. Not only is it different from the 1980 policy, but it also is different from the 2008 policy. Tournament officials made several announcements that a players’ behavior code is going to be strictly enforced this year. Any violation given is going to be recorded in a logbook and penalties will escalate with repeat infractions. Kudos to WSOP Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack and Tournament Director Jack Effel for leading the charge to make our playing environment friendlier.

Yes, the WSOP has come a long way since 1980. For the frosting on the cake, they have a bracelet award ceremony every day during which the winner(s) from the prior day’s event(s) is brought to center stage and presented with the bracelet. The national anthem of the winner’s homeland is played during the ceremony. It actually brought tears of pride to my eyes to see how far the WSOP has come since I began playing 28 years ago. There is an incredible amount of media on-hand and everything is first class.

A full year of planning and preparation went into making the 2009 WSOP look easy. The systems are terrific, the staff is knowledgeable and friendly, the structures are great, and the experience is incredible. My hat is off to the WSOP. I’m looking forward to playing in many events this year. Now, if I could just figure out a way to win one.

Stars ante up for Africa again at 2009 WSOP

Lots of big names flew into town for the event, which is in its third year on the WSOP schedule.

Actor Don Cheadle and Annie Duke are officially hosting and it appears the 2009 Ante Up For Africa is the biggest one yet.

"When we first conceived of the charity, we were thinking we'd just do a little event and raise like 20 or 30 thousand dollars," said Duke. "But (WSOP Commissioner) Jeffrey Pollack had a vision for this event that we didn't have and he made us part of the World Series of Poker.

"It's an amazing platform where not only are poker players involved here, at one place at one time, but media is also focused on poker this time of year right before the Main Event. It's so exciting to see everyone come out."

138 players from the worlds of poker, entertainment and sports descended on the Amazon Room for the $5k event, won by John Hennigan in 2008.

Hennigan was back in the field to try to defend his title, along with celebrities including Ben Affleck, Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith and Mike Tyson.

"I don't really think I'm going to do well but it's for a good cause," said Tyson. "It's nice to be able to participate, play poker and raise awareness."

Plenty of poker pros also came out for the event, including Phil Hellmuth, Howard Lederer, Jennifer Harman, Mike Matusow, Mike Caro, Andy Bloch, Chris "Jesus" Ferguson, and Tiffany Michelle.

"Everybody who's an amateur poker player thinks it's exciting to play with professional poker players, but as a professional poker player it's exciting to sit down and play with celebrities," Michelle said.

With the $5k buy in, the tournament netted a prize pool of $670,680, with a first-place prize of $177,730.

However, Hennigan donated his entire winner's share to charity last year and it's expected that today's winner will do the same.

Other celebrities in the field included Sarah Silverman, Jennifer Tilly, Brad Garrett, Nelly and a poker icon ever since his role in Rounders, Matt Damon.

"More people that come up to me on the street, if they say 'I love you in....', and it's a guy between the age of 18 and 40, I can guarantee you he's going to say Rounders."

With such an eclectic field, there's no telling who might come away with the title.

"All these bracelet winners, all these final table winners," said Nelly. "I don't think I'm going to think about it, because if I think about it I'm going to make the wrong moves.

"Their mind control at this point is much superior to mine."

NBC and Full Tilt Poker gear up to film “Face the Ace”

NBC and Full Tilt announced their joint effort to produce Face the Ace, a new concept for a poker show where players who qualify online get to play heads-up against three Full Tilt pros for a $1,000,000 prize.

This is how NBC described the show’s concept:

If selected to be a participant on the show, the contestant will have to choose between four smoked-glass doors, behind which are four top professional poker players, or the “Aces.”  Once one is chosen, the contestant will play that pro in a heads-up No-Limit Texas Hold’em match.  Should the contestant defeat the pro, they will have the opportunity to take the money they have won and leave or risk it all and choose another door and battle a different pro for a significantly larger sum of money.

Some of the poker pros rumored to stand at some point or another behind the doors are Gus Hansen and Phil Ivey (both of whom feature prominently in the show’s advertising,) Chris “Jesus” Ferguson, Jennifer Harman, Erick Lindgren, Phil Gordon, Erik Seidel, Allen Cunningham, Andy Bloch, John Juanda, Mike Matusow, Patrik Antonius and Howard Lederer. The show will be hosted by Steve Schirripa, star of the popular series “The Sopranos.”

The best part of the Face the Ace promotion is that it’s completely free: the classification tournaments are all freerolls, which will progress as follows:

• Face the Ace – Round 1 Freerolls are available around the clock; the winner of each Round 1 Freeroll earns an entry to a Face the Ace – Round 2 Freeroll
• The winner of each Round 2 Freeroll advances to a Face the Ace – Final Qualifier tournament
• The next Face the Ace – Final Qualifier tournament takes place at 9:15 p.m. ET on Monday, July 6; the top ten finishers in each Final Qualifier win a free prize package, which includes a trip to Las Vegas and an audition for Face the Ace.

All winners will be flown to Vegas with one guest, and lodged at the iconic Golden Nugget for 5 days and 4 nights, where they will get $500 spending money and their chance to audition for NBC’s new poker show.

Filming is expected to start next week, and Face the Ace will premiere on NBC on Saturday, August 1st at 9:00 pm ET. Seven one-hour episodes of Face the Ace are currently booked, and they will show from the prime-time August 1st debut through January 2nd, 2010.

There is still time to catch a seat in the Face the Ace satellites and show Phil Ivey and Gus Hansen who’s boss. For more information visit www.face-the-ace.com

Carsten Joh Wins WSOP Event #52; $50,000 HORSE Reaches Final Table

Professional poker player Carsten Joh gave Germany its first World Series of Poker champion since Sebastian Ruthenberg’s 2008 win, when he won the $1,500 No-Limit Hold’em Event (#51) Monday evening. Joh outlasted a field of 2,781 to earn his first gold bracelet and $664,426.

Much like many of the previous $1,500 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em tournaments at the 2009 WSOP, this final table included no former WSOP gold bracelet winners. Joh claimed his first when he defeated Canadian Andrew Chen for the title.

An accomplished backgammon player, Joh competed in international backgammon tournaments and played in various clubs for many years. One of Joh’s friends from the backgammon tournaments was Danish poker player Gus Hansen. With Monday’s victory he now has one more WSOP bracelet than the prominent poker superstar.

“The bracelet means a lot because you have it for the rest of your life”, Joh said afterward. “Whatever you’ve got later on, you can always say you won a bracelet. Even if you stop playing poker – you just have it. If you come second, you really have nothing. You have the money. But nobody talks about that. It is just like that in sports. Everyone remembers the winner.”

At 45 years of age, Joh was the oldest player at the final table. Six of the nine players were age 27 and younger, and the youngest was 21-year-old Chen. Joh sent him home as the runner-up when Chen moved his remaining chips into the middle with after Joh raised from the button. Joh quickly called and flipped over pocket sixes. The flop didn’t give much hope to Chen but the on the turn gave him a flush draw. Joh then ended things when the fell on the river, giving him a set to eliminate Chen in 2nd place for $412,426.

On winning the tournament as the oldest player, Joh said: “Normally, the older players like me do not win the bracelet. You see every final table with six, seven, or eight players in their 20s. It is more difficult for an older player to win it. I have a lot of respect for the older players because you have to play ten levels and you might be here 13 or 14 hours each day.”

Here are the final results from Event #51:

1. Carsten Joh - $664,426
2. Andrew Chen - $412,632
3. David Walasinksi - $272,405
4. Steven Levy - $192,650
5. Owen Crowe - $145,199
6. Thibaut Durand - $115,817
7. Georgios Kapalas - $97,634
8. Jason Helder - $86,702
9. Nathan Page - $80,894

The $50,000 HORSE event reached its final table Monday evening as the aforementioned Gus Hansen was sent home in 9th place. A short-stacked Hansen was eliminated in the Omaha-8 round when he got his last 30,000 chips in on the flop against Chau Giang:

Flop:

Hansen:
Giang:

Hansen was drawing to a three to make a full house but the river was a blank and he left the Rio with $123,895. The remaining eight players, which make up a tremendous final table, will return at 2:00 p.m. Vegas time Tuesday and play until a champion is crowned. The winner will receive the Chip Reese Memorial Trophy and $ 1,276,802. The seating arrangement will look like this:

Seat 1: Ville Wahlbeck - 645,000
Seat 2: Erik “Erik123” Sagstrom - 3,675,000
Seat 3: John Hanson - 1,700,000
Seat 4: Huck Seed - 1,380,000
Seat 5: Vitaly Lunkin - 2,490,000
Seat 6: David Bach - 2,345,000
Seat 7: Erik Seidel - 965,000
Seat 8: Chau Giang - 1,075,000

Meanwhile, two more events will award bracelet Tuesday, making for a busy day of poker. The $3,000 Triple Chance No Limit Hold’em event is still loaded with talent as Jason “TheMasterJ33” DeWitt takes the chip lead into the final day. Other notables among the 16 players still in contention include An “The Boss” Tran, Max Greenwood, and online stars Jason “Jcarver” Somerville and Eric “Rizen” Lynch. Play will resume at 1:00 p.m. and finish when a winner is handed a gold bracelet and $506,800.

The other event coming to a close is the $1,500 Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo event. Brian Swinford has the lead with 14 players returning at 2:00 p.m. but PokerStars Team Pro Chad Brown is close behind. Others vying for the title are Allie Prescott and famed poker tournament director Matt Savage. The champion will earn $159,390 for his three days of work.

Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for updates on all of today’s events at the World Series of Poker.

Poker Petition Nearly at 200,000 Signatures

The petition organized by the Poker Players Alliance (PPA) calling for the legalization of the great American pastime is at nearly 200,000 signatures. Overnight on Sunday, an additional 6,000 players lent their names.

The poker petition has been the talk of the town in Las Vegas, where players from the United States and around the world have turned out in droves for the 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP), which is emanating from the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino. At Sunday night’s Cake Poker gathering at the Palms, Poker Room Manager Lee Jones told Poker News Daily that his site was one of several urging players to sign the PPA’s petition: “We’re very happy to be a part of this. We’re offering weekly $3,500 freerolls and are excited to see that the petition is doing so well.”

On PokerStars, the world’s largest online poker site, weekly freerolls began on June 27th and run through July 25th. The petition is scheduled to be delivered to U.S. President Barack Obama on July 22nd, the conclusion of the PPA’s National Poker Week. Signing the petition qualifies a person to take part in a $3,500 freeroll on one of several major online poker sites, including Cake Poker and PokerStars. On the latter site, freerolls are capped at 20,000 players each and run at 2:30pm ET every Saturday. The four-figure prize pool events have helped fuel the growth of the petition.

The petition asks for the following: “Please: 1) exempt poker from the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) and 2) license and regulate internet poker in the US. 3) Respect the rights of law-abiding Americans who love to play this great game of skill.” It also cites the Citizens’ Briefing Book, which was hosted by Change.gov and asked American citizens to identify their top national concerns. When the smoke cleared, the legalization of online poker emerged as the top technology issue after a coordinated effort by the PPA.

As of midday on Monday, 194,795 poker players and other concerned citizens have virtually signed the petition. A person’s first name, last name, e-mail address, mailing address, city, state, and zip code are required. In addition, petitioners are asked to input a special authentication code that consists of a five-digit number. Jones told Poker News Daily that Cake Poker receives a list of new petitioners each week and cross-checks them against account information in order to determine who is eligible to participate in the special $3,500 freerolls.

Last week, 2004 WSOP Main Event Champion Greg Raymer, who made the final table of the $40,000 buy-in No Limit Hold’em tournament commemorating the 40th running of the WSOP this year, authored an e-mail to PokerStars members urging their involvement. It begins, “President Obama – Poker is Not a Crime. I am a voter and a fellow poker player asking for your support of my right to play games of skill like poker on the Internet.”

The first ever National Poker Week runs from July 19th to 25th and includes a fly-in of the PPA’s 30 State Directors to meet with lawmakers. In addition to its own regional heads, the PPA is also bringing in professional poker players Howard Lederer, Andy Bloch, Annie Duke, Jan Fisher, Linda Johnson, and 2008 WSOP November Nine member Dennis Phillips. For more information, visit the PPA’s official website of National Poker Week.

PartyPoker Enters Sponsored Players Wars, Signs Three Top Pros

After staying out of the battle for sponsoring players for the entirety of their existence, PartyPoker has entered into the fray by signing three players to begin a team of sponsored players. These players come from their online ranks and have shown outstanding skills on the online poker site and in international competition.

For several years, PartyPoker featured only one sponsored pro on its rolls: PartyPoker ambassador and World Poker Tour commentator Mike Sexton. Recently, however, Party decided to extend sponsorships to players based on performance at its online poker room. PartyPoker looks at their VIPs, player loyalty to the site and historic links to PartyPoker in determining the criteria for addition to what they are calling a “grassroots” team. The three additions made this week not only are outstanding players in their own right but also represent the international aspect of poker.

Earlier this week, PartyPoker tabbed English poker professional Ian Frazer to join Sexton on the PartyPoker team. Frazer is a building contractor from London who has compiled a strong list of success on the felt. Nicknamed “The Raiser”, Ian has captured three major European titles at the 2005 888.com Pacific Poker Open, the 2006 PartyPoker European Open and the 2006 Goalpoker.com Champions League of Poker. In total, he has amassed over $1.3 million in tournament earnings and has money finishes in the three major tours (the WSOP, the WPT and the EPT) that are in existence.

Yesterday, PartyPoker announced the addition of two more members to Team PartyPoker. Brazil’s Felipe Ramos – who had a final table appearance at this year’s World Series of Poker – and France’s Remy Biechel have accepted the sponsorship that PartyPoker has offered and will represent the company in tournaments around the world. Both Ramos and Biechel are PartyPoker players whose poker accomplishments merit their newfound sponsorship deals.

Ramos is an aggressive young professional poker player from Sao Paulo, Brazil and is a popular and influential figure on the Latin American poker circuit. A top VIP at PartyPoker.com, he started playing professionally in January 2008 and has earned over $700,000 since that time. Last week he finished in sixth place in the $5,000 PLO (Event 35) at the World Series of Poker. Along with this finish, Ramos has been a Brazilian Series of Poker champion and contributes strategy advice to many poker magazines. He plays at PartyPoker under the names ‘mojave14’ and ‘FelipeMojave’ and, in addition to playing in live events for PartyPoker, will also be writing his own blog for the site and help nurture fellow players with tutorials.

Biechel is a very popular poker player on the French circuit and a Palladium Lounge member at PartyPoker. He currently has over $840,000 in lifetime live tournament winnings and has cashed significantly in two big international side events. He won the €5000 side event at this year’s EPT Monte Carlo, taking home €280,000, and secured second place in a side event at the 2008 WPT Festa Al Lago for $163,000. Along with playing, Biechel is also coaching French World Cup winning ex-footballer Frank Lebeouf, who will represent PartyPoker in next week’s WSOP charity event “Ante Up For Africa.”

With the addition of Ramos and Biechel, Team PartyPoker now stands at four players and more will be added in the future, according to PartyPoker executives. A PartyPoker spokesman stated, “We’re delighted to welcome Felipe and Remy to the team. Like Ian Frazer, they both have history as loyal customers and have increased their play since the re-launch of the new software and VIP programs.”

JC Tran Interview with Poker News Daily

Professional poker player and California native J.C. Tran is renowned for his success in the industry.  The Asian Poker Tour (APT) sponsored player just added a new title to his long list of accomplishments, which already include a World Poker Tour (WPT) event win, a World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet, and nearly $8 million in tournament winnings. Recently, Tran won his second career bracelet in the $2,500 buy-in Pot Limit Omaha Event. The win brings him an additional $235,685 and more bragging rights in his tight circle of accomplished friends that includes Amnon Filippi, Theo Tran, Steve Sung, and Nam Le.

We caught up with Tran shortly after his bracelet ceremony and he gave us some insight on his final table and how his Omaha game compares to his Hold’em game.

Poker News Daily: Congratulations on your second bracelet.  You had a really tough final table to beat in order to win.  Did you have a player or two in mind that you were especially worried about?

Tran: You know what?  They were all tough.  The thing about it is that they were all really solid. There wasn’t a guy who would hand me chips, you know?  And in tournaments, you need those guys who just hand you half of their stack or their whole stack and there were just none of them there; they were all solid.  I just happened to catch hands and my timing was right.  I was able to win a lot of dead pots.

I have a lot of respect for [runner-up] Jeff Kimber.  He was the one guy I didn’t want to play heads-up.  When I got down to heads-up, I caught a bunch of hands early and took his confidence away, I guess.  He was a little bit confused and didn’t seem to know what to do because every time he called me, I had a hand.  It’s tough to play against someone who just keeps getting hands.  If it were the other way around, I would be in a daze too.  I definitely caught more hands than the rest of the guys.

PND: Do you think your Omaha game compares to your Hold’em game in terms of the way that you play?

Tran: No.  I still have a lot to learn about Omaha.  I think I’m getting good at it, but I am far from being great.  I am going to keep playing and learning.

PND: You’re known for being part of a big group of friends who are all doing really well at the WSOP right now.  For example, Steve Sung won a bracelet and you railed your friend Daniel Alaei at the $10,000 buy-in Limit Hold’em Championship table.  How much time do you think you’ll spend cheering people on from the rail?

Tran: Hopefully every other night!

PND: Congratulations again and good luck to you and your friends during the rest of the 2009 WSOP.

Mike Sexton Reviews the 2009 World Series of Poker

It’s once again time for the World Series of Poker (WSOP) – the 40th edition.  For poker players, the WSOP is the ultimate in “thrill of victory and the agony of defeat.”  It’s where dreams come true and also where dreams are shattered.  Many of us dote about the bracelets, the history, and the tradition that set the WSOP apart from other tournaments, but the beauty is that most players really can win life-changing money.

This year’s kickoff event was a $40,000 buy-in No Limit Hold’em tournament commemorating the 40th annual WSOP.  Personally, I think it’s a dumb idea to ever have a bigger buy-in for a No Limit Hold’em tournament than the Main Event, so I wasn’t for it.  I didn’t play in it because I missed the first week of the WSOP this year.  I took a vacation with my wife Karen and son Ty (nine months old) to Yellowstone National Park – and it was great!  It was a vacation for our second anniversary and Ty is the first child for either of us.  It’s official - my priorities have changed from poker to parenting!

I do love the WSOP, though.  I’m guessing I will play in 10 to 12 events this year.  It may be their 40th, but it’s my 25th WSOP, my Silver Anniversary.  One thing’s for sure: I will never forget my first-ever WSOP.  It was 1984.  I lived in North Carolina back then and had been a professional poker player for about six years.  I always wanted to go the WSOP and play against the best.  I never went, though, because I was an avid Little League coach back then (which, incidentally, was the greatest joy of my life).  We started practicing in April and our season started in May – the same time as the WSOP in those days – and, therefore, I couldn’t go.

In 1984, I finally decided to take a week off from Little League and go to my first WSOP.  Back then, they only had one tournament every other day.  That meant in a week’s time, you could only play in three events.  So, I entered three events, made two final tables, and was hooked for life on the WSOP.  Because of my success in that first WSOP, I decided to move to Las Vegas a few months later and I’ve lived there ever since.  I’ve often wondered where I’d be today if I hadn’t cashed in any of those three tournaments.

Here’s the bad part: 25 years later, I still remember how I was knocked out of those tournaments at my first WSOP – and it still hurts!  Why can’t I just let it go?  Because it’s my Silver Anniversary WSOP, I’ll relive the pain and tell you what happened (If you don’t like bad beat stories, skip the next couple of paragraphs).

With five players left in the Pot Limit Omaha tournament, I was average in chips and the leader was Tom McEvoy, who happened to be the reigning World Champion of Poker at the time.  Noted author David Sklansky was also still there as well as a high-stakes Pot Limit Omaha player named Bill Bennett, the eventual winner.

McEvoy was playing extremely aggressive, too much so for Pot Limit Omaha, in my opinion. Even though he was the World Champion at No Limit Hold’em, I wasn’t convinced he played Pot Limit Omaha that well.  Tom was raising nearly every pot and once again raised the max pre-flop.  I was on the button and picked up a nice hand, A-K-Q-8 (A-Q of diamonds, K-8 of Clubs).  I called, as did the big blind.  The flop was Q-8-3 with two hearts and one club.  The big blind checked and McEvoy led out and bet the pot.  I was contemplating raising and going for it all right there.  McEvoy must have sensed it because he blurted out, “If you raise it, I’m going to put you all-in.”  After that statement, I decided to go with this hand for sure.  So I then said, “Well, I guess you’re going to put me all-in then, because I’m raising it!”  I raised, the big blind folded, and true to his word, McEvoy set me all-in.  I can still remember how much my heart was pounding when I called him.

I was shocked and thrilled when he turned up his hand.  He had a 3-4-5-8 and no heart draw!  Yippee!!  I had the top two pair and he had the bottom two pair.  Then it happened - a seven came on the turn and a six on the river.  Wham!  Bam!  He made a straight and won the pot.  Instead of me being the chip leader, I was out.  I won’t forget that hand as long as I live.  That bracelet could/should have been mine!

Even with all the pain, I love the WSOP.  I like that, for the first time ever at the WSOP, there are no rebuys in any tournaments.  I’ve always campaigned for that because I think everyone should have an equal chance to win a bracelet. Rebuy tournaments are not equal to everyone; they favor the deep pockets.

Sadly, I must say that I can’t believe the $50,000 HORSE tournament is not being televised this year.  In my opinion, this is a poor decision and not good for poker.  And even though they’re doing it again, I still think it’s a bad idea to put the Main Event final table four months down the road. Whether or not I like the final table in November, however, you can be sure of this: If I’m breathing, I’ll be playing in the Main Event.  Needless to say, it would be a dream come true to get to that final table.  If it happens, I hope to meet you there!

“Miami” John Cernuto Collapses During WSOP Razz Tournament

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Traply wins first WSOP bracelet for Hungary

"I feel amazing," said Traply. "This is one of my poker dreams and it came true."

The victory came after a steady stream of disappointments for the former Communications major.

Traply told PokerListings.com he had weathered a string of defeats before finally scoring Tuesday's big win.

"I played every single No Limit Hold'em event except the $40k and I didn't manage one single cash," he said.

"I ran really, really bad but I guess I can't complain now."

To win the tournament, Traply had to defeat a final table that included the likes of Danny Wong and EPT regular Nasr El Nasr.

El Nasr looked dominant early at the five-handed final table but would flame out in fifth place, with Wong going broke in fourth.

Maxim Lykov would bust in third, leaving Traply and Lichtenberger heads-up with the bracelet on the line.

Traply jumped out to a monster lead early in the heads-up match when his pocket sixes turned a set against Lichtenberger's A-Q after the latter had flopped an ace.

The hand gave Traply a monster chip lead, but Lichtenberger would double up three times to pull back within striking distance.

Ultimately, however, Traply would get his rival's chips in the middle holding A-K to Lichtenberger's A-J.

After a board of blanks, the young Hungarian had won the match.

"The players were really tough," said Traply. "The first table not so much, but my second was really tough and this one was also.

"Compared to an average WSOP tournament this was much tougher. It's not even comparable."

Traply banks $348,728 in prize money to complement the bracelet.  Lichtenberger earned $215,403 for his second-place finish.

And with the win, Traply assumes the role of poster boy for the burgeoning Hungarian poker revolution.

"In Hungary, poker is growing really fast," he said. "It's some kind of poker boom and I guess it will be bigger after my bracelet.

"There are a lot of good online players in Hungary. They're my friends and they were cheering here. I think there will be many more Hungarian successes coming in the future."

The new champ sees himself playing a key role in that success.

"I will be a national hero or something," he said.

Check out the PokerListings.com 2009 WSOP section for more coverage of Traply's victory.

Millions bet on WSOP side action

Enter the world of high stakes bets at the WSOP.

Every year the top name pros gamble more money than the entire prize pool of a standard $1,500 tournament on various bets throughout the series.

Perhaps the most well-known bet is the bracelet bet. This is one of the most straightforward bets.

Daniel Negreanu has a very well-publicized bracelet bet with Phil Ivey where every time one of them wins a WSOP event the other has to pay them $200,000.

Negreanu is already $400,000 in the hole, despite very nearly adding a bracelet of his own this summer.

Although bracelet bets are one of the most common, Team PokerStars Pro Barry Greenstein mentioned the wagers are always progressing.

"The bets have changed over time," Greenstein said. "The first couple years I started playing tournament poker we were all crossbooking various tournaments. My first bracelet that I won I had it crossbooked with Doyle Brunson so he had to pay me an extra 50% of first place. After that time we mostly did bracelet bets."

Because the wagers are so high between professional poker players they can sometimes dwarf the first place prize of a WSOP tournament.

In 2007 it was well publicized when Eli Elezra won his first bracelet he made an extra $250,000 thanks to a 10-1 bet with Greenstein. The first place prize for the event that Elezra won was just $198,984.

This year Phil Ivey has already two bracelets and poker gossip sources have Ivey winning anywhere from $2 million to $14 million thanks to extremely high stakes bets with other poker pros.

"Yeah I make a bracelet bet every now and then," said Ivey. "It's working out now but I've also lost a lot on them too. You win a bet, you lose a bet. That's my lifestyle."

Greenstein and fellow pros like Erick Lindgren, Jeffrey Lisandro and Negreanu have also introduced bets based on WSOP Player of the Year points.

"It just seemed to be a good overall player bet if you're thinking about what to bet on," said Greenstein. "Rarely do you win a bracelet so don't get much action if you just make a bracelet bet."

It was either POY points or overall cash-winnings, Greenstein expalined.

"The problem with doing cash is that whoever goes deep in the $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. or the $40,000 No-Limit Hold'em this year will have a huge edge because it's a much bigger prize pool. There's not much sweat in that."

Perhaps the most well-known example of this POY based-bet is one that Greenstein made.

"My biggest bet is with Jeffrey Lisandro against a team of Daniel Negreanu and Erick Lindgren," said Greenstein. "It's been close throughout the summer."

As of June 23, Negreanu and Lindgren had accrued 195 points while Team Greenstein/Lisandro were finally starting to pull away with 310 points, thanks in most part to the two WSOP bracelets won by Lisandro.

Tournament veteran Mike Sexton is convinced that it's these kinds of bets that keep the high-caliber pros out of the cash games and in WSOP events.

"Their incentive is the millions and millions in side bets," Sexton said. "That's what brings all the big names out here."

The incentive to win WSOP bracelets makes pros go to extreme lengths, including playing several tournaments at once and even holding on to just barely make the cash to accumulate more POY points if need be.

"I need the points, man!" said an excited Negreanu as he held on for a small cash in the $2,500 Pot-Limit Omaha/Hold'em event earlier this summer.

Between crossbooking, bracelet bets and POY bets, there's almost no limit to the methods poker pros can win or lose money at the WSOP.

It's really anybody's guess what angle poker pros will work into the next big bet, but one thing is clear - there will never be a dull moment at the WSOP.

Poker Players Alliance Announces National Poker Week

Mark your calendars now for the first ever National Poker Week, which kicks off on July 19th and runs through the 25th. The grassroots initiative is the brainchild of the Poker Players Alliance (PPA), the industry’s one million member strong lobbying force.

The PPA unveiled National Poker Week at a press conference on Monday inside the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino during the 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP). The gala featured Congresswoman Shelley Berkley (D-NV), whose Internet Gambling Study Bill was introduced during the 110th Congress, but failed to be marked up by the House Judiciary Committee. Also in attendance were PPA Chairman and former three-term Senator from New York Alfonse D’Amato, Poker News Daily Guest Columnist and Tournament Directors Association Co-Founder Linda Johnson, and 2004 WSOP Main Event Champion Greg Raymer. Following the press conference, Berkley issued the “Shuffle Up and Deal” command to start play in the Amazon Room.

PPA Executive Director John Pappas told Poker News Daily about Monday’s press conference announcing the initiative: “I thought it went very well. Shelley Berkley was magnificent with her command for the issue and stated why it’s important for poker players to get involved in a meaningful way. She explained that the poker community should rally around the initiatives that the PPA is putting forth in order to make sure that legislation like Barney Frank’s bill will get passed.” Frank has two measures in Congress: HR 2267 establishes a licensing and regulatory framework for the internet gambling industry in the United States. HR 2266 delays the regulations of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) from being implemented for one year to December 1st, 2010.

The PPA will fly in of over 30 of its State Directors to Washington, D.C. as part of National Poker Week. While in the nation’s capital, the State Directors will meet with their elected officials to pitch support for legislation like HR 2266 and HR 2267. In addition, the crew will deliver a petition to U.S. President Barack Obama calling for exemption of poker from the UIGEA. Over 10,000 concerned players have signed the virtual poker petition, which will be delivered on July 22nd. It opens with a simple statement regarding the rights of poker players: “I am a voter and a fellow poker player asking for your support of my right to play games of skill like poker on the Internet.” In order to sign the petition, a person’s first name, last name, e-mail address, and mailing address are required. As I wrote this paragraph, 20 players have lent their names.

Professional poker players slated to be part of the event include Howard Lederer, Andy Bloch, Poker News Daily Guest Columnist Annie Duke, Jan Fisher, Linda Johnson, and 2008 November Nine member Dennis Phillips. On July 21st, a charity poker tournament benefiting the United Service Organizations (USO) and the Malone House at Walter Reed Army Medical Center will take place. The PPA is fronting the costs for the event in order to ensure that all of the money raised goes directly to the beneficiary organizations. The prizes and buy-in for the tournament were not available at the time of writing.

A key element leading up to National Poker Week is the launch of MyPokerStory.com, which invites poker players from around the country to submit a video of why the game is important to them and why the U.S. Government should legalize the Great American Pastime. All videos will be entered into a drawing for a two night Las Vegas package complete with airfare for two people. A total of 16 amateur videos are currently posted, including a clip from Congressman Joe Barton (R-TX). In addition, World Poker Tour Host Mike Sexton, “Cowboy” Kenna James, and Lederer have all submitted recordings. Interested WSOP spectators and players can produce their own videos at the PPA’s booth outside the Amazon Room.

Media present at the 45 minute long event on Monday received a tutorial on the PPA’s new National Poker Week web tools. In addition, it was revealed that a variety of telephone and e-mail campaigns will take place.

PPA Initiates “National Poker Week”

The PPA tries to take a big leap in its mission to lobby the legalization of online poker.

National Poker Week will take place July 19-25 and PPA will send more than 30 State Directors and at least six professional poker players to meet the members of Congress in Washington D.C.

“Our members - the poker players of America - are our best advocates to protect the future of poker.” said PPA Chairman and former U.S. Senator Alfonse D’Amato.

The PPA will also send a petition to President Obama asking for his support to make poker exempt from the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA).

You can sign the petition online at www.pokerpetition.com.

Pros who are going to Washington D.C. include Howard Lederer, Andy Bloch, Annie Duke, Jan Fisher, Linda Johnson and Dennis Phillips.

“Protecting Americans’ right to play poker - whether online or around the poker table - is something everyone should support even if you don’t play,” Lederer said.

“Restricting what we can do online in the privacy of our own home is a slippery slope, which is why I am coming to Washington for National Poker Week - to tell my members of Congress to protect my rights.”

The PPA will also have a charity poker tournament on July 21, benefitting the USO and the Malone House at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

Wounded servicemen and women will be playing alongside poker pros, PPA’s State Directors, and members of Congress. All proceeds from the event go directly to the USO.

Source: Pokerlistings.com

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PPA Initiates “National Poker Week”

PPA introduces National Poker Week

PPA National Poker Week will take place July 19-25, and the grassroots organization is stepping up its efforts by going directly to Washington D.C. and talking to members of Congress.

The group will send more than 30 State Directors and at least six professional poker players to D.C. The PPA representatives will meet with members of congress and lobby for legalization and regulation of online poker.

"Our members - the poker players of America - are our best advocates to protect the future of poker," said PPA Chairman and former U.S. Senator Alfonse D'Amato said.

"National Poker Week, with events in Washington, D.C., and across the country, is the PPA's way to make it clear to my former colleagues in the U.S. Congress that poker is important to voters and is here to stay."

The PPA will also send a petition to President Obama asking for his support to make poker exempt from the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA).

Supporters can sign the petition online at www.pokerpetition.com.

Throughout National Poker Week the PPA will organize telephone and email promotions aimed at making the voice of the poker player heard in the halls of Congress. Players can visit www.nationalpokerweek.com to find out how to help out.

Pros scheduled to go to Washington D.C. include Howard Lederer, Andy Bloch, Annie Duke, Jan Fisher, Linda Johnson and Dennis Phillips.

"Protecting Americans' right to play poker - whether online or around the poker table - is something everyone should support even if you don't play," Lederer said.

"Restricting what we can do online in the privacy of our own home is a slippery slope, which is why I am coming to Washington for National Poker Week - to tell my members of Congress to protect my rights."

The PPA will also host a charity poker tournament on July 21, benefitting the USO and the Malone House at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

Wounded servicemen and women will be playing alongside poker pros, PPA's State Directors, and members of Congress. All proceeds from the event go directly to the USO.

More chips, more pro bracelets at 2009 WSOP

As a result, amateur players have converged en masse on the WSOP in the last six years, making it tougher and tougher for the established pros to win bracelets.

This year, however, the professional poker player is making a comeback.

Phil Ivey has led the charge for the pros, winning a pair of bracelets in $2,500 Deuce to Seven Draw Lowball and $2,500 Omaha/Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo.

Jeff Lisandro, J.C. Tran and Greg Mueller have all won bracelets, while EPT circuit pro Ville Wahlbeck leads the Player of the Year standings, with Ivey close behind.

Some pros, like WPT pioneer Mike Sexton, attribute the resurgence of the pros to the larger starting stacks at many bracelet events this year.

"It's because they tripled our chip stacks. Absolutely," Sexton said minutes before sitting down for the $10k Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo World Championship event.

"They doubled the starting stacks last year and none of the pros really got through. This year you're really seeing what some of the pros can do with the triple stacks."

Ivey has commented that he's taking bracelet events more seriously in 2009, thanks to a renewed respect for poker history. With seven bracelets already in the bag, Ivey is starting to gain on Phil Hellmuth's record setting 11 bracelets.

Aside from the glory associated with winning bracelet events, some of the pros have plenty of other reasons to bring the "A" game to the WSOP.

"Their incentive is the millions and millions in side bets," Sexton said. "That's what brings all the big names out here."

One well-known bet standing at the 2009 WSOP involves Negreanu and Erick Lindgren taking on Lisandro and Barry Greenstein in a wager involving the Player of the Year standings.

Other pros such as Wahlbeck, John Brock Parker and James Van Alstyne might not be as well known as some of the more famous TV pros, but each is in the top five in the POY standings.

PokerListings.com blogger Jason Mercier is another pro who's having a big year in 2009, taking his first career bracelet in the $1,500 Pot Limit Omaha event.

Mercier isn't surprised that the pros are on the comeback trail this year.

"I think it's just kind of random," Mercier said. "I think with some of the bigger buy-in tournaments you have less amateurs in the field anyway. And a lot of these online kids have really done well."

On his way to the $10k Stud World Championship, Mercier contemplated Sexton's comment about the larger starting chip stacks and mostly agreed.

"That may be it," Mercier said. "Having that increase in chips does probably make it more favorable for the pros."

Second bracelet for Mexico highlights WSOP June 17

"I always had the dream to become a professional poker player but I never had the opportunity or the chance," Guillen told PokerListings.com moments after the win.

"I will keep trying to improve my game, to become a well-known player and to win more big events in the future."

Guillen's victory shines a spotlight on a country poised to pick up the game.

"In Mexico, poker isn't legal so the growth in our country has been very slow," explained Guillen. "We're trying to develop that with a group of players like my friends here."

"We're trying to create a boom in Mexico."

J.C. Alvarado, a member of Team PokerStars Pro, is one of Guillen's closest poker friends and someone the new bracelet winner has learned from since picking up tournament poker.

"Angel has a great future ahead of him," emphasized Alvarado. "He's going to continue crushing tournaments."

PokerStars.net NHL Charity Shootout

An addendum to the NHL Awards happening tomorrow at the Palms, this Charity event saw professional hockey players and Team PokerStars pros square off to earn money for the Ronald McDonald House of Las Vegas and the NHL Players Association's Goals & Dreams fund.

Philadelphia Flyers left winger Scott Hartnell defeated Vancouver Canucks captain Roberto Luongo heads-up to claim the victory.

Click through to hear more about the event from the players themselves.

Event 33 - $10,000 Limit Hold'em World Championship

Today marked Greg Mueller's sixth WSOP final table in the last four years but his first time in the winner's circle with a gold bracelet on his wrist.

The Full Tilt pro defeated a stacked final table including recent bracelet winner Danny Alaei, Chad Brown and Matt "Hoss TBF" Hawrilenko.

Click through to read the full story.

Event 34 - $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em

Adding more low buy-in No-Limit Hold'em events was part of the WSOP's plan to increase attendance this year, and so far it's been a big success.

Over 2,000 runners entered this event and when play was suspended tonight, two days into the event, just 21 of them remained.

Denmark's Jonas Klausen is leading the field going into the playdown to a champion but fellow Euro-rounders Roland de Wolfe, Praz Bansi and Bertrand Grospellier aren't far behind.

Action resumes at 2 p.m.

Event 35 - $5,000 Pot-Limit Omaha

Higher buy-in PLO events consistently draw pro-heavy fields and this one was no different.

Denmark's Jesper Hougaard held the chip lead for much of the day and managed to finish the night in the number one slot.

Canada's Sorel "Imper1um" Mizzi is just inches behind, followed by Cliff "JohnnyBax" Josephy, Jeff Lisandro and David "DevilFish" Ulliott.

PokerListings is providing comprehensive live coverage of this event as we continue the playdown to the final table, beginning at 2 p.m.

PokerStars Announces EPT Season 6 Schedule

Thirteen countries will host tournaments as part of the sixth season of the PokerStars-sponsored European Poker Tour (EPT). The festivities kick off on August 17th from Moscow, a brand new addition to the EPT schedule of events.

PokerStars unveiled a total of seven events on Monday. The number of countries visited increases to 13 during Season Six, including new stops in Portugal and Russia. John Duthie, Chief Executive of the world’s most popular online poker room, commented in a press release, “The new EPT season includes many events which have made the past five seasons such a triumph with record breaking fields and prize pools across Europe. We have set very high standards and we aim to improve on this still further in Season Six - with new additions to the schedule as well as a richer mix of games and buy-ins to cater to more players.”

The total prize pool of the Season Five EPT Monte Carlo Grand Final exceeded €9.3 million, which, according to PokerStars, was the largest European tournament prize pool ever. Pieter De Korver emerged as its champion, pocketing €2.3 million and besting a final table that also included professional poker player Dag Martin Mikkelsen. The 935 players who turned out to the storied Monaco casino comprised the largest field ever for the event, which serves as the finale of each EPT season. The Season Five PokerStars Caribbean Adventure, Monte Carlo Grand Final, San Remo, and Barcelona tournaments were “the four richest prize pools available in poker tournaments outside the United States” over the past year.

Here’s a look at the first six tournaments to be held as part of EPT Season Six. The remainder of the schedule has not yet been released:

EPT Moscow: August 18th to August 23rd
Buy-in: 200,000 + 12,000 RUB
Host Venue: Radisson SAS
Host Country: Russia

EPT Barcelona: September 4th to September 9th
Buy-in: €8,000 + €300
Host Venue: Casino Barcelona
Host Country: Spain

EPT London: October 1st to October 7th
Buy-in: ?5,000 + ?250
Host Venue: Hilton Metropole
Host Country: England

EPT Warsaw: October 20th to October 25th
Buy-in: 20,000 + 1,000 PLN
Host Venue: Hyatt Regency
Host Country: Poland

EPT Vilamoura: November 17th to November 22nd
Buy-in: €5,000 + €300
Host Venue: Casino Vilamoura
Host Country: Portugal

EPT Prague: December 1st to December 6th
Buy-in: €5,000 + €250
Host Venue: Hilton Prague
Host Country: Czech Republic

PokerStars Caribbean Adventure: January 4th to January 14th
Buy-in: $10,000 + $600
Host Venue: Atlantis Hotel and Casino
Host Country: Bahamas

Players will need to secure their spots before each tournament reaches its predetermined capacity. The Poland stop has the smallest cap at 400 players, while Moscow, Vilamoura, and Prague can each accommodate 600 runners. The EPT’s Barcelona stop has a capacity of 700 players and the London tournament reaches its maximum when 800 poker hopefuls sign up. The largest field will undoubtedly occur in the Bahamas, where the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure can accommodate 1,600 players. Last year, the EPT’s lone Western Hemisphere sojourn attracted 1,347 entrants and was won by Canadian poker player Poorya Nazari, who took home $3 million.

Satellites for the Moscow stop began today on PokerStars and start at $2.20. Packages up for grabs on the USA-friendly site include hotel, tournament entry, and spending money. The poker world will anxiously await the London festivities, which will once again feature High Roller and Omaha events. Last year, American Michael Martin won the EPT London Main Event, while newly minted World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet holder Jason Mercier took down the High Roller event for nearly $1 million, besting 2008 WSOP Europe Main Event Champion and Full Tilt Poker pro John Juanda heads-up. Others at the final table of the High Roller spectacle were Isaac Haxton, Scotty Nguyen, David Benyamine, Isabelle Mercier, and Mike “SirWatts” Watson.

Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for the latest EPT news and results.