Posts Tagged ‘Russia’
Poker Pro Dale Philip (Daleroxxu) Begins Tour of Cards
It is the dream of every poker player: travel the world, visit exotic locations, and play live and online. It is a dream that one of poker’s most notable bloggers and players, Dale “Daleroxxu” Philip, will begin in just a few short weeks.
Philip, a member of Team PokerStars Online, put his name on the map by winning the 2006 World Blogger Championship of Online Poker. Since that time, he has become a master of sit and gos and has been able to make a living off that very difficult discipline of poker. His desire to move away from the computer, however, has led him into an endeavor called the Tour of Cards, which will be sponsored in part by PokerStars.
The Tour of Cards will see Philip travel the world in 2011, visiting 52 different countries, one each week of the year. While he travels, he will try his hand at live poker and also maintain a grueling online playing schedule. Philip will also be blogging about the trip on a dedicated Tour of Cards website, allowing the poker world to monitor his status.
Poker News Daily caught up with Philip as he was making the final preparations for his trip, which begins just before the New Year.
Poker News Daily: For those who aren’t familiar with you, tell us about yourself.
Dale Philip: I grew up in a council estate – what Americans would call the “housing projects” – in a small town in Scotland. It wasn’t particularly nice and my parents were poor and sometimes unemployed, so we only ever went on one overseas vacation when I was a kid.
I moved to Glasgow, Scotland’s largest city, to work, but quit my job to play poker full-time in 2008 and just stayed there. I didn’t know a lot of people in the city and had an infinite amount of free time to grind poker, so that’s what I did when I could pry myself from the XBox 360!
I’ve always been a sit and go player and crushed them on every site I’ve played them on for a consistent profit. But because this was such a profitable, almost guaranteed, income for me, I never played MTTs or ring games seriously; I just stuck to printing money playing sit and gs. But sit and gos are drying up a lot now that everyone knows how to play them, so I’m starting to play some Pot Limit Omaha online and live MTTs. This has actually made poker fun and interesting for me again when it was starting to become somewhat of a dull grind.
PND: Was that the idea behind the Tour of Cards or was there something else that drove you to do it?
Dale Philip: One day, I was thinking to myself how lucky I am to have a career that allows me the flexibility to do whatever I want, whenever I want to do it. Then, I realized how little I take advantage of that freedom. I spend most of my time sitting at a computer in the same boring room in the same old city playing online poker. I thought to myself that I could just as easily be sitting on a laptop in some exotic location doing my job, so what the hell am I still doing here?
I started to research different countries that I might like to relocate to, at least for a year, and the more I learned about other places, the more I wanted to visit all of them. Then, this epic idea came into my head: I’ll visit 52 countries in 52 weeks, play a ton of online and live poker, do a lot of cool stuff, blog the whole adventure, and call it the Tour of Cards.
PND: What sponsorships have you set up to be able to partake in this adventure?
Dale Philip: I recently signed with PokerStars. My sponsorship with PokerStars was announced after I had announced my Tour of Cards project; however, PokerStars had approached me before I had even thought up this project. When I told them about my plans, they loved the idea and gave me a very attractive offer based on that. It’s truly awesome to have the support of the world’s largest and best online poker site; they really understand what I want to achieve.
PND: What are your goals for the Tour of Cards?
Dale Philip: I have so many goals for Tour of Cards. I want to promote poker and the poker lifestyle to people across the world. I want to see and experience a bunch of awesome stuff, meet interesting people, make new friends (and girlfriends), and learn about different cultures. But, of course, my main goal for the project is just to have a bunch of fun because if it’s not fun, it’s not worth doing.
PND: What are the logistics of planning a trip such as the Tour of Cards?
Dale Philip: Although this whole thing is a logistical nightmare and it’s been taking up a lot of my time lately, I’m getting a lot of enjoyment out of planning and making this project happen. I’ve been trying my best to plan the order of countries I visit in a way such that the next country I go to is very close to and has a direct flight from the country I’m leaving in order to make journeys short and inexpensive. However, there are certain poker festivals I want to attend such as the Aussie Millions, PokerStars Macau Cup, and PokerStars EPT Snowfest, so making sure I get to them has made the planning much more complicated.
I’m happy to say that all of my flights for the first three months have been planned, booked, and paid for. The next thing that I have to do is organize accommodations in each location. That’s perhaps tougher than organizing flights because I have to research each location to figure out where the best place to stay is. I really don’t want to be spending a week in a hotel that sucks or is in a terrible location. It’s also usually cheaper to book hotel rooms at the last minute using an online bidding site such as Priceline. That is the opposite of flights, which are cheaper the earlier you book them.
PND: The first three months of your schedule have you in the Asian Rim. Tell us about what you’re expecting there?
Dale Philip: I’m especially looking forward to visiting the Asian countries on my tour, not just because I find Asian chicks extremely hot, but also because their culture is so much different than ours in the Western world. It’s a part of the world, being so far away, that I’ve never visited, so I can’t wait to get there, check it out, and eat their delicious food. Playing live poker in Asia should make for a fun and interesting experience, as poker is really starting to boom there now, especially in Macau. I’m expecting the games to be very lively and fun.
PND: What difficulties could you encounter during the Tour of Cards?
Dale Philip: A guaranteed way to get yourself held up at any country’s immigration border is to tell them that you are a professional poker player, so I’m generally creative with the truth when they ask, “What do you do back home?” It just makes life a lot easier. In general, it’s easy to travel to other countries for U.K. nationals. The only country on my list so far that U.K. nationals can’t enter visa-free or with visa-on-arrival is Vietnam; it has to be arranged in advance of traveling there.
Not all countries will have legal brick-and-mortar casinos or poker rooms, so I’m never going to be able to play a live poker game in all 52 countries. Thankfully, with a laptop and a PokerStars account, I’m always within instant reach of a game wherever I am. I just have to hope that the internet connection of most countries will be fast and stable enough, and I don’t think that’s too much to ask for in 2011, is it?
There is also the fact that, in certain countries, governments have total control over their citizens’ internet access and block all online poker sites. Most of these countries, where online gambling is illegal, are blocking poker sites because the morons in power don’t know the difference between poker – a game of skill – and gambling. But, if PokerStars has no problem with me playing from a specific country and I am able to access the site, directly or otherwise, then I will play. It is likely that I will use a reliable VPN service to bypass restrictions where necessary so I can play poker when I can’t access the site directly.
PND: What hardships outside of poker might you run into during your yearlong journey?
Dale Philip: Language could certainly be a huge obstacle in some countries, as English is the only language that I speak, and I speak it with a Scottish accent. The closest I come to knowing another language is a tiny bit of Russian due to having a couple of Russian girlfriends in the past, but that’s not going to get me far in somewhere like Japan. I guess I will just have to get really good at acting out charades or get a translator app for my phone and just try to remind myself that although foreign languages make life difficult as a traveler, it’s also part of what makes the culture in these places so different.
In addition to having their own languages, countries also, annoyingly, have their own currencies. Changing physical cash at airports and banks would get quite time-consuming and expensive, as they always advertise “Commission Free” and then use their own rigged exchange rate that’s a mile away from the wholesale rate. But, I’ve already got my hands on a prepaid global currency MasterCard with a U.K. bank where I can load it up with Sterling and use it to purchase goods or withdraw from ATMs in any country without getting screwed over on the exchange rate. I’ve tried it out in the USA and Ireland so far and it’s been awesome. Another advantage is that if it gets stolen, it’s replaceable, not gone for good like a pile of money would be.
I reckon the chance that I can go on 52 plane journeys and have them not lose my baggage or cancel/delay my flights to the point of seriously disrupting my plans is quite low. I’ll just have to deal with that nonsense when it happens. I will also look at alternatives to flying between countries accessible by other means. For example, I had booked an ultra cheap one-hour flight from Malaysia to Singapore, but then someone told me that there is a five-hour train journey on a very comfortable modern train with a lot of jungle scenery, lots of little towns, kids waving at the train, etc., which is a really good way to see the country.
PND: How much of an estimated expenditure are you looking at? Will what you win along your journey help finance the trip?
Dale Philip: I’ll certainly want to make more money from poker in 2011 than I spend on this project, but I’m well equipped with comfortable poker and life bankrolls, so if I go on some outrageous downswing or can’t get enough hours of online play in due to poor internet connections, it won’t be a huge disaster.
I originally figured the flights and accommodation would cost around $100,000. I realize I could do it cheaper, but I just don’t stay in bad hotels. Then, there are the expenses of eating out or ordering room service for every single meal and going on tours or doing cool stuff that isn’t cheap.
I’m revising the costs downward a bit after having been offered to stay with some poker players I know from other countries. I’ll be staying with Joel Carr, who is a PokerStars Supernova, in his Thailand villa for a week in February. “Peru,” who people may know from the TwoPlusTwo forums, has offered to let me use his house in Peru as a base to travel to countries in South America.
I’ll also be doing about five weeks of my journey with U.K. poker pro Simon “Amatay” Jones, so we’ll split hotel room costs. In addition to saving money, it’s also great to be able to spend time with other interesting poker pros either in their homes or traveling around with them, which should make my experience and my blogs more interesting too.
The Tour of Cards should prove to be an interesting journey! Visit PokerStars to play with Philip and others.
Champs Skampa, Mattern, Bonavena Return to EPT Prague
EPT Prague drew an estimated total of 565 players over two starting days Monday and Tuesday in the Czech capital.
In 2009, Czech pro Jan Skampa got past a total of 583 players to win the €682,000 first prize on home soil.
He returned to defend his title Monday and was joined by fellow EPT Prague champions and Team PokerStars Pros Arnaud Mattern and Salvatore Bonavena.
Of the 191 players who started Monday, just 85 survived with American Elias Brussianos grabbing the overnight chip lead.
As of press time Tuesday, the second Day 1 flight was still ongoing with final prize pool and registration numbers yet to be released.
The €5,300 EPT Prague main event runs through Dec. 18 at the Hilton Prague Hotel.
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PokerStars.net European Poker Tour Prague Day 1a: Elias Brussianos Leads the First Flight Field
Russian Series Crowns Grand Final Champ
For legal reasons, the tour saw stops in the Ukraine, Latvia and Egypt rather than Russian this season, wrapping up with its Grand Final in Kiev this week.
The $2750+$250 event drew 295 players creating a $786,912 prize pool that paid 36 spots.
In the end, Russian Dmitriy Gromov outlasted the field to book the RPS Grand Final title and $201,362 first-place prize.
Alexey Zharko won Player of the Series honors while Konstantin Puchkov was named Player of the Year.
There is currently no word on plans for a third PokerStars RPS season.
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Dovzhenko Dominates Mediterranean Poker Cup
Dovzhenko beat Russian Gutkin Maksim heads-up in the $400k guaranteed event to collect a €104,700 first-place prize.
"This is the best tournament I've ever played," he said. "I'm glad I won for sure, but the organization all week has been fantastic and the hotel and surroundings are world class."
The $2,500 main event drew 153 players to Cyprus.
Next up for the Mediterranean Poker Cup organizers is the Red Sea Poker Cup at the Domina Coral Bay Hotel & Casino in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt Dec. 11-18.
The Red Sea Poker Cup will feature an €1,100 main event and €3,300 VIP event.
Here's how the Mediterranean Poker Cup final table finished up:
1 Aleksandr Dovzhenko €104,700
2 Gutkin Maksim €70,700
3 Peter Staudacher €46,400
4 Khalil Tawil €35,100
5 Dmitry Poberezhniy €26,400
6 Guy Gorelik €19,400
7 Kayhan Sardan €14,200
8 Mikhailo Mellin €10,600
9 Vladimir Kochelaevskiy €8,100
10 Jack Torbey €6,300
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PokerStars.net Russian Poker Series Grand Final Underway
PokerStars USA, Canadian Championships of Online Poker Begin Sunday
Continuing with its series of regional Championships of Online Poker (COOP) that began at the end of October, PokerStars is readying for the beginning of the United States and Canadian COOPs this Sunday.
Beginning November 21st and stretching through November 28th, players in Canada and the USA will be competing for bragging rights in their respective countries. PokerStars has 11 events scheduled for each series and each slate will test players in several different disciplines of poker.
The USA COOP starts off on Sunday with what should be one of the richer events on the schedule. A $55 Six-Handed No Limit Hold’em with Rebuys tournament will begin at 5:00pm ET and feature a guaranteed prize pool of $150,000. No Limit tournaments are a main fixture of the schedule, with buy-ins ranging from the $55 rebuy to the $530 Main Event, which has a guaranteed $1 million prize pool, but other poker fixtures such as Pot Limit Omaha Hi/Lo, HORSE, and Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo will also be featured.
The Canadian COOP will follow the same format as the USA COOP, albeit with smaller guaranteed prize pools. On Sunday, a $55 Six-Handed No Limit Hold’em with Rebuys tournament will start at 5:00pm ET, with a guaranteed prize pool of $25,000. The Canadian COOP will also play the same variations as the USA COOP, with the $530 Main Event on November 28th featuring a $200,000 prize pool.
Of special interest to Canadians playing in the event will be the opportunity to hit the virtual felt against the current World Series of Poker Main Event champion Jonathan Duhamel. This will give poker fans in the “Great White North” the opportunity to take on Duhamel and possibly lay claim to having beaten the reigning Main Event winner.
American players will be taking on everyone from the 50 states and Virgin Islands, while all of the provinces of Canada will take part in that country’s national championship.
The Russian COOP was the first series to be held. In total, 3,515 players took part in the 11-event schedule, easily passing the guaranteed prize pool in every event. For the $320 Main Event, “JustMyUnluck” claimed the title and a $21,358.47 first place prize.
Just after the RCOOP kicked off, the Nordic COOP began on November 4th. Over 2,500 players from such countries as Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, and Greenland stepped up to battle it out for their regional championships. In the $530 Main Event, players “Blimschen” and “TEIT91” agree to chop the prize pool and the latter emerged as the victor, earning $43,750 and giving “Blimschen” a $38,750 payday.
On the same day that the Nordic Championship started, the Baltics COOP began. 2,368 players came out from such countries as Estonia, Lithuania, and Latvia, with the $215 Main Event drawing out 131 players and cracking the $10,000 guaranteed prize pool. Vilnius’ “sekme” defeated Tallinn’s “m0nit” to take home the Baltics Main Event title and the $6,026 first place bounty.
Running concurrently with the USA and Canadian Championships are the Germanic Championships, Asia Pacific Championships, and the Mediterranean Championships. Following the completion of the current round of COOPs, keep an eye out for the following regional series:
United Kingdom and Ireland – December 5th to 12th
Central and Eastern Europe – December 9th to 19th
Latin America – December 5th to 12th
Belgium, Netherlands, and Luxembourg – December 9th to 19th
Spain, Portugal, and Andorra – February 13th to 20th
Full details on the completed, running, and upcoming championships can be found at Poker Stars.
Tags: buy-ins, Canada, canadian, Online Poker, poker player, pokerstars, Russia, spain, tournament, usa, WSOP
Sportingbet, Unibet Cancel Merger Talks
The online gaming world has been abuzz for the last few days over rumors that rivals Unibet and Sportingbet were in merger talks. However, both companies announced on Tuesday that negotiations have come to an end.
Word of the potential business deal cropped up on Sunday with a report in London’s Sunday Times. There were virtually no details reported, as neither company offered comment, but it was believed that there were still “lots of hoops to go through” and no formal announcement would be heard for several months.
On Monday, Sportingbet officials decided to break their silence, providing this intentionally vague statement: “The Company confirms that it has had and will continue to have discussions with different parties in relation to a variety of potential opportunities. There can be no certainty as to whether or not such discussions will result in any form of transaction. Any further announcement will be made if and when appropriate.”
Apparently, the “appropriate” time for a further announcement was the following day, as Sportingbet confirmed that it had been in discussions with Unibet and that those talks had concluded. “The Board of Sportingbet Plc notes continuing press speculation following an article which specifically referred to merger discussions with Unibet Group Plc, a company listed on the OMX Nordic Exchange Stockholm. Unibet informed the Company today that it has withdrawn from those talks.”
Shortly thereafter, Unibet released a similar statement, indicating, “Preliminary discussions with Sportingbet are no longer ongoing.”
A merger of the two companies would have been significant, as both are major players in the global sports betting market, although neither accepts customers from the United States. For the 2009 fiscal year, Sportingbet’s net gaming revenue totaled £207.5 million ($330.15 million), while Unibet’s gross winnings were £138.3 million ($220 million).
Sportingbet owns Paradise Poker, which used to be one of the top online poker rooms in the industry. It is now part of the International Poker Network, which ranks as the 11th largest network/room on the Net in terms of cash game traffic according to PokerScout.com. Unibet’s poker room is on the Microgaming Network, which ranks ninth.
Unibet’s stock price jumped on the initial news of the potential merger, rising SEK 7.00 to SEK 130.50, a 5.7% increase. At the time of writing, the news of the failed talks has only dropped the Swedish firm’s share price by SEK 2.00. Sportingbet’s stock price also rose on the initial news, increasing 2.98 pence, or 5.1%. The share price has since dropped about 1.5 pence, although the London Stock Exchange is still open.
In the meantime, it isn’t all bad news when it comes to business deals for Sportingbet. On Monday, the company announced a new joint venture with Russia’s second largest bookmaker, First International Bookmakers Company (FIBC). The deal will span five years, with the two companies offering a Russian online sports betting product called “Liga Stavok powered by Sportingbet.” Liga Stavok is the well-known brand under which FIBC already operates. There are 256 Liga Stavok licensed brick-and-mortar locations throughout Russia, covering 67 cities. Liga Stavok competes with 17 other licensed bookmakers in Russia, although it has a significant competitive advantage, as it is the exclusive betting partner of the Russian Football Premier League.
Said Sportingbet Chief Executive Andrew McIver of the joint venture, “I am confident that the combination of Sportingbet’s world class online sports betting product and expertise with Liga Stavok’s strong brand and exclusive betting partnerships will enable the joint venture to build a leading position in this exciting, fast-growing market. This partnership is a perfect fit with Sportingbet’s strategy to build geographical diversity through new markets, working with the highest quality partners where appropriate.”
APPT Crowns First Female Champ
Korean Young-shin Im took down the APPT Cebu main event for PHP 5,810,000 (approx. USD $132,500) after qualifying for the event through a $22 3x Turbo satellite on PokerStars.
The win marked Young-shin Im's fifth cash on the APPT in the last year and a half with her previous deepest run being a 15th-place finish in the 2009 APPT Macau main event.
Michael Fabiano from Australia finished runner-up after Young-shin Im's partner of ten years, Kim Gap Young, took third place.
Considering their relationship, precautions were taken to prevent collusion at the final table.
The APPT Cebu main event drew 236 players to the Shangri-La Mactan Resort in the Filipino Island paradise.
A total of 23 players also entered the PHP 200,000 High Roller event in Cebu. Russian Anton Pozdnyakov booked the win and PHP 1,605,000 (approx. USD $36,500) score there.
Here's how the APPT Cebu main event final finished up:
1 Young-shin Im PHP 5,810,000
2 Michael Fabiano PHP 3,660,000
3 Kim Gap Young PHP 2,045,000
4 Mikael Rosen PHP 1,560,000
5 Daren Yoon PHP 1,290,000
6 Basilios Diakokomninos PHP 1,025,000
7 Jukka Juvonen PHP 805,000
8 Richard En PHP 645,000
9 Raymond Lapitan PHP 485,480
Here's how the APPT Cebu High Roller final table finished:
1 Anton Pozdnyakov PHP 1,605,000
2 Jarred Graham PHP 963,000
3 Kut Fu Chow PHP 642,000
4 Melvin Matibag PHP 481,000
5 Justin Tazelaar PHP 320,920
Visit www.pokerlistings.com
UB.com, Global Poker League Join Forces
Recently, it was announced that UB.com will join forces with the Global Poker League (GPL). The GPL and UB.com have established the “three C’s” of poker – camaraderie, competition, and cash. Through special GPL tables on UB.com, the organizations are looking to build on these premises with a range of sit and gos. The cost for these varies from $1 to $11 and feature six-handed, nine-handed, and 18-handed sit and gos.
Players can sign up for one or both of the GPL Singles Masters or GPL Team Masters and earn points for playing on special UB.com GPL tables. These points will be important over the span of the six-month competition.
When a player enters one of the special sit and gos at the GPL tables, they will not only be earning leaderboard points for themselves. but UB will also donate $0.10 of their rake to the end-of-season Masters Prize Pool, so the more players involved, the higher the prize pool will grow.
The six-month season is divided into three periods of 50 days, with prizes to be won at the end of each in both league categories. At the completion of every 50-day period, the top ten points-earners on the singles and teams ladders can receive some killer UB merchandise.
The top 50% of points-earners for each period make it to the playoffs at the end of the six-month season where they will compete for a sizeable prize pool in the Masters tournament. UB will award the top three in the Single Masters and each member of the winning team in the Team Masters a $3,000 ticket to a 2011 World Series of Poker (WSOP) side event. In addition, 70% of the cash built over the previous six months in the Masters Prize Pool will be allocated to the Players Masters and 30% will go to the Team Masters.
Although the program was set to begin today, there has already been a great deal of interest. There are 43 teams that have been created prior to the November 15th start of the GPL from such nations as Afghanistan, Spain, Germany, Canada, Russia, and the United States. Although only nine teams have been fully completed, it’s expected that all teams will be filled as competition continues.
Almost 9,200 players have signed up for the Singles competition. The GPL breaks down the numbers by gender (men heavily outnumber women), age (over one-third of the players are 21 to 29), and country. These numbers also should only grow as the competition heats up.
Another key feature of the GPL is a special forum for players. This forum allows GPL participants to talk smack against other players or teams, discuss the competition on the leaderboards, or just talk about poker. The forums are available in five different languages: English, German, Russian, Spanish, and Croatian.
Visit UB.com for more details.
Poker News in Brief: Nov. 8-14
Almost everything else in the poker world seemed less important than a 23-year-old from Boucherville, Quebec collecting $8.9 million and becoming the first Canadian to win poker's World Championship.
But there were a few stories we couldn't just let slip through the cracks. Instead, we've compiled them below in our Weekly Poker News in Brief feature.
This week, UB signs Maria Ho, the NAPT kicks off in L.A., London Calling crowns a winner and a whole lot more.
NAPT L.A.
A total of 701 players from more than 20 different countries entered the PokerStars North American Poker Tour's Los Angeles main event over two starting days this weekend, including some of the game's biggest names.
The healthy turnout created a $3.2 million prize pool with $725,000 reserved for first.
Dane Kim Frederiksen finished Day 1b with the overall chip lead heading into Day 3 at the Bicycle Casino Sunday.
NAPT L.A. runs through Nov. 17.
UB Signs Ho
The last woman stading at the 2007 WSOP Main Event has inked a sponsorship deal with UB.
Maria Ho famously finished 38th of 6,358 players in 2007, but her success did not end there. She now has nine WSOP cashes and three WPT cashes, including a 10th place finish at the Bellagio Cup this past July.
Off the felt Ho recently appeared as a contestant on the Emmy Award The Amazing Race with fellow Team UB Pro Tiffany Michelle.
"I am honored to be joining the ranks of top UB pros such as Phil Hellmuth and Annie Duke," she said. "With the new direction and vision I know UB has for their future, this is an extremely exciting time to become a part of such an amazing team."
FPS Lyon
The Lyon leg of the PokerStars France Poker Series drew 320 players to the capital of French gastronomy Saturday.
Names like Arnaud Mattern, Thomas Bichon, EPT London winner David Vamplew and 2009 EPT San Remo champ Constant Rijkenberg helped create a €342,144 prize pool with €88,444 and a ticket to the FPS finals in Paris set aside for the winner.
Anthony Chaneto grabbed the overnight chip lead with just 71 players surviving to Day 2.
Wing Wins London Calling
Simon "tigerwing" Wing defeated Gem Husnu to take down the £300 London Calling main event this week.
The 32-year-old from Middlesex outlasted PKR's own WSOP bracelet winner Scott Shelley and well known UK poker pros Neil Channing, James Akenhead, Barney Boatman and Joe Beevers to book the win.
"The London Calling poker festival has been a great success and we are over the moon with Simon's win," said Marketing Manager Erika Schwartz Poole. "It couldn't have happened to a nicer guy."
The London Calling poker festival ran for 28 days at the Fox Poker Club in association with PKR and included 57 tournaments.
PKR Live V
PKR Live V kicked off Friday at London's Tower Bridge.
150 qualifiers and their guests from from 21 different countries are participating in the festival at the Fox Poker Club in the heart of London's Soho.
New Team PKR Pro and WSOPE bracelet winner Scott Shelley will make his PKR Live debut this weekend vying for part of a $75,000 estimated prize pool and sought after Main Event trophy.
Mediterranean Poker Cup
The five-star Hotel Merit Girne, Crystal Cove, Cyprus will host the Mediterranean Poker Cup week-long poker festival Nov. 22-28.
The festival features a $2,500 main event with a $400,000 guaranteed prize pool beginning Nov. 26.
"This is amazing place – the best resort I've ever seen for a poker tournament," said Artur Voskanjan of organizer Poker Club Management.
"It has 24-hour food in the tournament area, gym, spa, and is right by the beach. We'll have Russian models, fantastic entertainment, a rich spread of poker games and, above all, are not expecting many pros so it's a great opportunity to play for a guaranteed prize pool in the main event against a beatable field."
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Tags: 2009, Annie Duke, bellagio, canadian, Phil Hellmuth, pokerstars, Russia, Tiffany Michelle, tournament, woman, WSOP
888Poker Sending Lucky Players to Glamorous RPT Kiev - Sats from only $22!
Tags: Russia
Poker News in Brief: Oct. 25-31
We're only human, so it's no surprise a few stories fell through the cracks.
Fortunately, we've compiled them below in our weekly Poker News in Brief feature.
This week PokerStars signs a really great Dane, Brotha D wins again, 888 signs on as the RPT's sponsor and more.
PokerStars Signs Jorgensen
Dane Theo Jorgensen has joined Team PokerStars Pro.
After earning $1.1 million in tournaments in 2010, Jorgensen will begin his role as brand ambassador by hosting the opening event of the Nordic Championship of Online Poker Nov. 4.
"I’m delighted to be joining the world's largest poker site," Jorgensen said. "PokerStars has always hosted the best poker events in the world and sponsors only the most talented players, so I am very excited to be a part of this.”
Jorgensen's more than $2 million in career live tournament earnings includes a win at the WPT Grand Prix de Paris in May 2010, WSOP Bracelet wins on both sides of the Atlantic and two PokerStars EPT final table appearances.
Brotha D Wins Second Title
The Godfather of New Zealand hip hop won his second major poker title this week.
Danny "Brotha D" Leaoasavaii followed up his APPT Auckland main event win with a victory at the PokerStars ANZPT Darwin main event.
Leaoasavaii outlasted the 100-player field to claim the AUD$57,000 first prize.
Team PokerStars Pro Tony Hachem bubbled the final table, but still eartned enough points top secure the ANZPT Player of the Year trophy - his second in as many years.
Season 3 on the ANZPT kicks off in Adelaide Feb 2-6.
888 Sponsors Russian Tour
888poker has signed on as sponsor for The Russian Poker Tour's final tournament of 2010.
The $500,000 Guaranteed RPT Grand Final in Kiev, Ukraine will take place Nov. 9-18.
The $2500 buy-in event is expected to draw a large field with 888poker now the exclusive online satellite partner.
Satellites began running on 888 Oct. 24.
WPT Amneville Starts Tuesday
The €3200+€300 WPT Amneville main event beginds Tuesday in France.
PartyPoker is sending 10 online qualifiers who will be entitled to an extra $1 million payout if one wins.
The winner would earn an extra $500,000, with the other nine online qualifiers sharing the other $500,000 no matter where they finish.
Set for Nov. 2-6, the Seven Casino d’Amneville in north-east France will play host to the event.
Amneville is only 90 minutes from Paris by train.
Those already confirmed to play include Bertrand "Elky" Grospellier, Arnaud Mattern, Bruno Fitoussi, Nicolas Levi, Ludovic Lacay, and Isabelle Mercier.
Lederer: Raise Poker HOF Age to 40
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Russian Poker Tour to be Sponsored by 888poker
Tags: Russia
Russian Spy Anna Chapman To Release Poker Themed iPhone App
For those that don’t have enough to do with their iPhones, alleged Russian spy Anna Chapman is coming out with an application that will allow you to play poker against her.
In an article on DNAIndia.com and also reported by ABC, Chapman is said to be releasing a special iPhone app called Poker With Anna Chapman. The application, which will be listed for $1.99, will allow players to take on the “Russian Bond girl” in a single hand of poker, either Texas Hold’em or Five Card Draw. There are prizes offered if the player is able to vanquish the virtual Chapman in the hand.
For those who win, Chapman is offering special access to several aspects of her life. The victors will earn access to a special photo gallery of the redheaded Russian, which are reported to be similar to those she took for a spread in the Russian version of Maxim. The winners will also become Facebook friends of Chapman, where she will keep her followers up-to-date on her activities, and get access to a special online blog. The advertisements for the iPhone app state that Chapman will let people know “her secrets and private life details firsthand” and get “a glance at her social life with parties, shopping, and more.”
ABC News quotes Angela Waters, the marketing manager for Zeda, Inc. (the company offering the app) as saying, “The app appeared because Anna is a huge fan of Apple products. She has been using an iPhone and Mac for quite a while and has recently got an iPad too.” The company quietly did the photo shoot for the app since Chapman is not allowed to make any money regarding her alleged activities in the United States that resulted in her guilty plea.
Chapman began her 15 minutes of fame by being arrested earlier this year in the United States as a part of an alleged Russian spy ring. The 10-member group of Russians pled guilty to conspiracy to act as an agent of a foreign government without notifying the U.S. Attorney General and were deported back to Russia in an exchange for U.S. and allied operatives. While the other members of the group that was arrested have shied away from the spotlight since their deportation, Chapman has aggressively marketed herself to expand her notoriety and, perhaps most importantly, her bank account.
After being awarded a special medal for espionage services to the Russian cause, Chapman appeared in another photo spread for the Russian men’s magazine “Heat,” been followed by the Russian version of paparazzi as she hits the club scene, was on hand for the launch of a Russian space program rocket in Kazakhstan, and accepted an advisory position with a Moscow-based bank. The latest photo spread in the Russian Maxim and the iPhone poker application are just the latest moves by Chapman to strike while the iron is hot.
According to the Christian Science Monitor’s Fred Weir, Chapman has “made a mockery of the old KGB dictate that retired spies should fade away into anonymity, leaving nothing but a glorious public myth behind.” When it comes to the world of poker, however, Chapman is proving quite skillful at marketing her brand.
Chapman is said to be a skillful poker player, according to DNAIndia.com, so perhaps the move into the poker app world isn’t out of the ordinary. Chapman’s iPhone app joins other offerings from Apple including Annie Duke’s Poker Tutor, the World Series of Poker’s Hold’em Legends, and the World Poker Tour’s Texas Hold’em in a highly competitive field.
PokerStars Unveils Online Regional Championships
RCOOP will be held in 13 different regions, each with its own 11-tournament series and while its usually English only on PokerStars, RCOOP players will be permitted to chat in their native tongues during the events.
Team PokerStars Pros are expected to compete regionally with local bragging rights and a ton of cash on the line.
Each region has a guaranteed prize pool and its own main event, with more than $7 million in total being awarded across all regions.
The 13 regions include Russia, Nordic countries, Baltic countries, USA, Canada, Germany, Asia-Pacific, UK & Ireland, Mediterranean countries, Central and Eastern Europe, Latin America, Iberian countries, and Benelux countries.
Russia will kick things off beginning Oct. 31 and while most of the regions will run events in November some are set for December and bleed into next year.
More info and the full schedule for each region can be found on the PokerStars RCOOP web page.
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PokerStars Launches Regional Championships of Online Poker
If you need another reason to play on PokerStars, check out the site’s 13 Regional Championships of Online Poker, or RCOOPs. Announced this week, 13 RCOOP series will run on the world’s largest online poker site and offer up over $7 million in total guaranteed prize money. The site already hosts its annual Spring Championship of Online Poker (SCOOP) and World Championship of Online Poker (WCOOP).
RCOOP tournaments will play out in October, November, December, and February on PokerStars. The Russian Open Championship of Online Poker will see 11 events occur between October 31st and November 7th with a guarantee of $200,000. If you’re an online poker player in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, the Russian Federation, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, or Uzbekistan, this tournament series is for you.
Running from November 4th to 14th is the Nordic Championship of Online Poker. Eleven events comprise this series, which is open to PokerStars players in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, the Aland Islands, the Faroe Islands, and Greenland, and at least $700,000 will be up for grabs. Running concurrently will be the Baltics Championship of Online Poker, which also offers 11 events and includes $43,000 in guaranteed prize money. The Baltics series is open to PokerStars members living in Estonia, Lithuania, and Latvia.
For players in the United States, the USA Championship of Online Poker will pan out between November 21st and 28th. The U.S. RCOOP has the largest guaranteed prize pool at $3.3 million and offers 11 events. Only players in the United States and Virgin Islands are eligible to enter and the series concludes with a $530 buy-in Main Event that will have at least $1 million on the line.
Also running from November 21st to 28th is the Canadian Championship of Online Poker, whose 11 events will offer up $580,000 in guaranteed prize money. For players in Austria, Switzerland, Germany, and Liechtenstein, the PokerStars Germanics Championship of Online Poker will pony up a guarantee of €828,000.
A host of players will be able to partake in the Asia Pacific Championship of Online Poker, which takes place from November 21st to 28th. In the region, $100,000 will be up for grabs for players from three-dozen countries. On the other side of the world, PokerStars players from Cyprus, Greece, Israel, Turkey, Lebanon, and Malta can play in the Mediterranean Championship of Online Poker, which runs from November 18th to 28th.
The U.K. and Ireland Championship of Online Poker, which also welcomes members from the Isle of Man, will run from December 5th to 12th and dish out more than $500,000. Starting one day later is the Central and Eastern European Championship of Online Poker, whose 11 events will award at least $150,000.
Latin American players aren’t left out in the cold as part of the PokerStars RCOOP promotion. The Latin American Championship of Online Poker will be held from December 5th to 12th and $160,000 in guaranteed cash will be up for grabs. Rounding out the RCOOP schedule are the Iberian Championship of Online Poker and Benelux Championship of Online Poker. The former will take place from February 13th to 20th and offer up €113,000. The Benelux series’ dates haven’t been announced, but its tournaments will be open to PokerStars patrons in Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands and distribute €235,500.
If you’re in the United States or Virgin Islands, here’s the schedule for the USA Championship of Online Poker, the largest RCOOP to be held:
Event #1: November 21st at 17:00 ET
$55 No Limit Hold’em Six-Max with Rebuys
$150,000 Guaranteed
Event #2: November 21st at 20:00 ET
$215 Pot Limit Omaha High/Low
$100,000 Guaranteed
Event #3: November 22nd at 21:30 ET
$215 No Limit Hold’em 2X Turbo
$200,000 Guaranteed
Event #4: November 23rd at 21:30 ET
$320 No Limit Hold’em
$750,000 Guaranteed
Event #5: November 24th at 21:30 ET
$215 No Limit Hold’em Heads-Up
$100,000 Guaranteed
Event #6: November 26th at 17:00 ET
$320 HORSE
$150,000 Guaranteed
Event #7: November 26th at 20:00 ET
$320 No Limit Hold’em Six-Max
$300,000 Guaranteed
Event #8: November 27th at 17:00 ET
$215 Seven Card Stud High/Low
$75,000 Guaranteed
Event #9: November 27th at 20:00 ET
$215 No Limit Hold’em Cubed
$300,000 Guaranteed
Event #10: November 28th at 17:00 ET
$320 Pot Limit Omaha Cubed
$150,000 Guaranteed
Event #11: November 28th at 20:00 ET
$530 USACOOP Main Event
$1,000,000 Guaranteed
No tournaments will be held on November 25th, which is the Thanksgiving holiday in the United States. Visit PokerStars for more details on the 13 RCOOP series.
Russian spy Anna Chapman and the poker connection
Tags: Russia
Poker News in Brief: Oct. 4-10, 2010
Add in a ton of high-stakes action online and several live events beginning across Europe and the United States and it was another busy week in the PokerListings news room.
A few stories may have fallen through the cracks as a result, but we've sorted them below in our weekly Poker News in Brief feature.
This week PokerStars signs a Russian pro, a WSOPE bracelet winner joins Team PKR, the FTOPS XVIII schedule is released, an NFL legend is hosting a charity event and even more.
PokerStars Signs Lykov
PokerStars inked 2009 EPT Kyiv champ Maxim Lykov to a Team Pro contract this week.
The Russian pro is in the top ten on Russia's all-time money winners list with just under $1 million in career tournament earnings and has a WSOP final table on his resume.
IPO Set To Draw Big Names
Despite its rather small €180+€20 buy-in, names like Irish Open and GUKPT winner Neil Channing, WSOP main event finalist Andy Black, WSOP main event finalist and UKIPT winner Padraig Parkinson, poker TV legend Jesse May, Irish Open and WSOP bracelet winner Marty Smyth and WPT and WSOP finalist John O'Shea are all set to play in the Boylepoker International Poker Open Oct. 15-17 at the Regency Hotel in Dublin, Ireland.
Day 1B of the event is already listed as a 600-player sell out and the event is expected to create a €200,000 prize pool.
Last year the IPO attracted a record-breaking field of 1,440 players and was won by German Markus Sippe.
FTOPS XVIII Schedule Released
The schedule for the eighteenth Full Tilt Online Poker Series has been released including more than $19 million guaranteed over 34 events.
FTOPS XVIII begins Nov. 10 with a $200+$16 No-Limit Hold'em event with an $800,000 guarantee and culminates with the $3 million Guaranteed $600+$40 Main Event Nov. 21.
For more information, check out the FTOPS Gateway page.
WSOPE bracelet Winner Joins Team PKR Pro
Scott Shelley, the PKR employee that won the £1k event at the 2010 WSOPE last month, is now a member of Team PKR Pro.
The 24-year-old North Londoner is the first member of Team PKR Pro to win a World Series of Poker bracelet.
"The last two weeks have been life changing and joining Team PKR Pro has been the icing on the cake," he said.
Shelley will make his debut at the upcoming PKR London Calling festival and will then join other PKR Team Pro members at PKR Live V in November.
To celebrate the signing, PKR will hold a Scott Shelley themed week beginning Oct. 18 offering players the chance to win a PKR Live, London Calling and $500 Heads-Up tournament buy-ins.
PokerStars Granted Estonian License
After being granted an activity license in Estonia this past August, PokerStars has now become one of the first online poker sites to also receive an operational license.
PokerStars.ee now complies fully with Estonian law.
"There are thousands of good poker players in Estonia and I am very glad that the license enables them to continue competing at the largest poker site with players all over the world," said PokerStars Nordic & Baltic Director of Marketing Michael Holmberg.
Swede wins IPF
The 2010 Ladbrokes Irish Poker Festival saw some 632 players compete for a €75,000 top prize in Killarney, Ireland last week.
But in the end, it was London based Swede Lars Torngren who outlasted them all to take the title.
Ladbrokes' pro and WSOP Main Event finalist Jon Kalmer was the early favorite and chip leader going into the final table but could do no better than fourth.
The tournament ended with a rare three way all-in.
"I have been playing poker for about 8 years and this is my first big tournament win so I am absolutely delighted," said Torngren. "I am already looking forward to next year's Ladbrokes poker festival."
NFL Legend to Host Charity Event
New York Giant legend Carl Banks is hosting a Celebrity Golf and Poker Tournament to raise funds for autism Oct. 12.
Among those expected to attend are Anthony Anderson, Michael Strahan, Maury Povich, Geraldo Rivera, Ed Lover, John Starks, Darryl Strawberry, Harry Carson, Zeke Mowatt, Alan Houston, Herb Williams, Ron Harper and several members of the current New York Giants.
Hackensack University Medical Center’s Institute of Child Development will be the beneficiary of the event, set to be held at the Alpine Country Club in Demarest, New Jersey.
Bodog Inks MLS Ad Deal
Bodog has signed an advertising deal with Major League Soccer's LA Galaxy.
Bodog.net will now be seen advertising on all the LED field boards, corner section banners, stadium scoreboards and in-stadium TVs as a result.
"Both the LA Galaxy and Bodog brands are recognized around the globe, making this partnership not only mutually beneficial, but a perfect synergy between brands across the United States and beyond," said Bodog PR director Ed Pownall.
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Tags: 2009, 2010, bodog, buy-ins, charity, no-limit, Online Poker, poker player, pokerstars, Russia, tournament, usa, WSOP
Maxim Lykov Joins Team PokerStars Pro
Russian poker player Maxim Lykov is the newest member of Team PokerStars Pro. Officials from the world’s largest online poker site announced Lykov’s membership on Friday, noting that it took just two deposits of $40 for the Russian to become a global poker superstar.
Lykov got his start in poker five years ago as an engineering student in Moscow. Text found on the PokerStars Blog recreates his journey from there: “It was only a year later that his two $40 deposits had become a big bankroll, one that is now – even by a conservative estimation – huge. He is listed as one of the highest-earning Russian live tourney players of all-time.”
Lykov has manhandled the live poker scene in Russia and around the world. In 2009, he recorded his first major brick-and-mortar poker score after winning the Red Sea Poker Cup in Egypt for nearly $70,000. One month later and halfway around the world, Lykov finished third in a $5,000 No Limit Hold’em Shootout during the 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) in Las Vegas for $145,000. Peter “Belabasci” Traply ultimately took down that bracelet in a final table that also featured Andrew “luckychewy” Lichtenberger, David “The Dragon” Pham, Full Tilt Poker pro Phil Ivey, and Peter “Nordberg” Feldman.
In August 2009, Lykov continued his breakout year by winning the PokerStars European Poker Tour (EPT) Main Event in Kiev for $468,000. Lykov defeated a field of nearly 300 players en route to his first EPT title. According to the Hendon Mob database, Lykov has recorded one six-figure score since then, taking down a $1,000 No Limit Hold’em preliminary event during January’s PokerStars Caribbean Adventure in the Bahamas for $100,000.
Lykov’s most recent major in the money finish came in September, when he won a short-handed event during the Partouche Poker Tour’s stop in Cannes for $51,000, defeating online poker pro David “Davidp18” Peters heads-up. You can catch Lykov on PokerStars playing under the handle “Maxim Lykov.”
Team PokerStars Pro consists of a number of former WSOP Main Event champions, including Tom McEvoy (1983), Chris Moneymaker (2003), Greg Raymer (2004), Joe Hachem (2005), and Joe Cada (2009). PokerStars formerly boasted 2008 champ Peter Eastgate on its Pro team, but the youngster ultimately sought a temporary reprieve from the game and he no longer appears on its roster.
Lykov’s signing comes on the heels of PokerStars inking a deal with Liv Boeree, who parted ways with the CEREUS Network site UB.com just before this year’s WSOP Main Event. Also signing on in recent months were 2010 World Poker Tour (WPT) Championship winner David Williams and PokerStars North American Poker Tour (NAPT) Mohegan Sun Main Event champ Vanessa Selbst. Williams was formerly a sponsored pro of Bodog, while Selbst attended law school at Yale.
Other PokerStars pros include Daniel Negreanu, Jason Mercier, Johnny Lodden, Lee Nelson, and Dario Minieri. The world’s largest online poker site features Pro team members from around the world, including Austria, Costa Rica, Mexico, and the Ukraine. Lykov joins the Russian contingent, which also includes 2008 WSOP Main Event runner-up Ivan Demidov, bracelet winner Alexander Kravchenko, and Vadim Markushevski.
Visit PokerStars for more details. The site accepts players from Russia, the United States, and around the world.
Tags: 2008, 2009, 2010, bodog, Daniel Negreanu, european, Online Poker, Phil Ivey, poker player, pokerstars, Russia, vegas, WSOP
PokerStars UKIPT Season 2 Schedule Announced
Nine cities will play hosts to tournaments as part of Season 2 of the PokerStars U.K. and Ireland Poker Tour, more commonly called the UKIPT. The first cycle of the tour is wrapping up now in London in conjunction with the European Poker Tour’s (EPT) stop in the British capital.
Newly minted PokerStars pro Liv Boeree, who parted ways with UB.com before the start of the 2010 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event in Las Vegas, will play a major role promoting and participating in the second season of the UKIPT when it gets underway in December. Boeree commented in a press release distributed by PokerStars on Friday, “I can’t wait to play the UKIPT this year as a Team PokerStars Pro. The first stop in Galway is sure to have a stellar field and a huge prize pool, so it would be great to kick off the season with a win there!”
The €1,000 + 100 UKIPT Galway poker tournament begins on December 2nd and will crown a champion three days later. The prize pool is guaranteed to be €250,000 and the field is capped at 400 entrants. If a trip to Galway sounds like a fun way to spend a weekend, then head to the Radisson Hotel in the Irish city and take your spot.
Two new venues will be featured as part of Season 2. The first is actually the fourth stop on the UKIPT, Cork, Ireland. The host casino has not yet been determined for UKIPT Cork, which will take place from May 19th to 22nd of next year. The tournament is slated to have a buy-in of €500 + 60 along with a €100,000 guaranteed prize pool. If you’re unfamiliar with Cork, it’s the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island’s third most populous city.
One month following UKIPT Cork, the tournament series will come to Newcastle for the first time. The Aspers Casino will play host to the event, which comes with a price tag of £500 + 50. UKIPT Newcastle will take place from June 16th to 20th and is capped at 400 runners.
Enough with the suspense! It’s time to unveil the Season 2 schedule for the PokerStars-backed UKIPT:
UKIPT Galway
Radisson Hotel
€1,000 + 100 buy-in
December 2nd to 5th, 2010
€250,000 Guaranteed
UKIPT Nottingham
Dusk Till Dawn
£500 + 60 buy-in
February 11th to 14th, 2011
£200,000 Guaranteed
UKIPT Manchester
G Casino
£500 + 50 buy-in
March 10th to 14th, 2011
£200,000 Guaranteed
UKIPT Cork
Venue TBD
€500 + 60 buy-in
May 19th to 22nd, 2011
€100,000 Guaranteed
UKIPT Newcastle
Aspers Casino
£500 + 50 buy-in
June 16th to 20th, 2011
£100,000 Guaranteed
UKIPT Brighton
Rendezvous Casino
£500 + 50 buy-in
July 14th to 18th, 2011
£100,000 Guaranteed
UKIPT Edinburgh
The Corn Exchange
£500 + 50 buy-in
August 11th to 15th, 2011
£200,000 Guaranteed
UKIPT Dublin
Venue TBD
€500 + 60 buy-in
September 8th to 11th, 2011
€250,000 Guaranteed
UKIPT/EPT London
Metropole
Dates, Buy-In, and Guarantee TBD
In addition to the UKIPT and EPT, PokerStars also puts on events as part of the Asia Pacific Poker Tour (APPT), Russian Poker Tour (RPT), Australia New Zealand Poker Tour (ANZPT), and Latin American Poker Tour (LAPT), among others. Visit PokerStars for full details and to qualify for UKIPT Season 2 events.
EPT London Breaks British Poker Attendance Records
The largest live poker tournament ever held on British soil is taking place in London. The European Poker Tour’s (EPT) London Main Event clocked in at 848 players earlier today and a prize pool of over £4 million is up for grabs. Text found on the PokerStars Blog accurately assesses, “That will be a large wedge of cheese for the winner.”
Among those hitting the rails today on Day 1B were Dario Minieri and original November Niner Dennis Phillips, who ran pocket kings into pocket aces on his final hand. Phillips won’t be fleeing London anytime soon, however. PokerStars expects its sponsored pro to play in the £20,000 High Roller Event, which he cashed in last year for three times his buy-in.
Viktor Blom, the man many believe to be “Isildur1,” is in action today. However, his stack of 19,000 was abandoned midway through the day, leaving some to wonder if the mystery Swede will be returning to the tables anytime soon. Blom is fresh off a 16th place finish in the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Europe Main Event for £33,000.
Also motoring through Day 1B is PokerStars pro Jason Mercier, who Tweeted, “Have 33k at first break. EPT London Main Event. Table seems pretty soft, we shall see what develops.” Mercier might not be in the best condition health-wise, however, as six hours prior to updating his Twitter followers about his chip count, Mercier posted, “Guess I’m just bound to get no sleep this trip. Still feeling sick and getting worse.”
American Soheb Porbandarwala ended Day 1A as the chip leader at 218,600 on Wednesday. The PokerStars online qualifier was the only player to cross the 200,000-chip mark and is well ahead of Konstantin Bucherl’s second place tally of 187,900. Others in the top 25 after Day 1A included former WSOP Europe Main Event champion Barry Shulman, Sweden’s William Thorson, and PokerStars sponsored pro Alex Kravchenko. Yesterday’s attendance was 339, an increase of 10% year over year.
Among those ousted on Day 1A was poker Triple Crown winner Roland de Wolfe, who doubled up through Shulman with pocket tens against pocket nines before meeting his demise. In de Wolfe’s final hand, his A-J could not out-race an opponent’s pocket tens when the board came five cards nine or lower. The U.K. poker pro took fourth in the WSOP Europe Main Event just days ago for £278,000.
Young guns David “Davidp18” Peters and DoylesRoom Brunson 10 member Chris “moorman1” Moorman were also both casualties of Wednesday’s play in London. Here were the top 10 in chips after Day 1A in the EPT London Main Event. Indicative of the EPT’s global reach, eight countries are represented in the top 10:
1. Soheb Porbandarwala (USA) – 218,600
2. Konstantin Bucherl (Germany) – 187,900
3. Thomas Bichon (France) – 185,000
4. John O’Shea (Ireland) – 184,400
5. Joep van den Bijgaart (Netherlands) – 167,600
6. Dominique Franchi (France) – 152,800
7. Adrian Bussman (Sweden) – 152,700
8. Craig Stevens (UK) – 149,300
9. Steven Levy (USA) – 145,400
10. Daniel Da Silva Pacheco (Portugal) – 144,900
Other notable names that survived the day, along with their chip counts, include:
Barry Shulman (USA) – 129,200
William Thorson (Sweden) – 125,600
Alex Kravchenko (Russia) – 111,000
Tom Marchese (USA) – 110,200
Greg Raymer (USA) – 105,200
McLean Karr (USA) – 90,700
Kevin “ImaLuckSac” MacPhee (USA) – 88,900
John Juanda (USA) – 71,400
Ivan Demidov (Russia) – 65,000
Teddy Sheringham (UK) – 56,400
Jim “Mr_BigQueso” Collopy (USA) – 56,000
Jason “PBJaxx” Senti (USA) – 51,000
Scott Fischman (USA) – 32,700
Nick Binger (USA) – 30,700
Barry Greenstein (USA) – 15,800
Vanessa Rousso (USA) – 14,300
The £5,000 buy-in tournament will crown a champion on October 4th. Also playing out in recent days in London was the EPT’s £5,000 Heads-Up Event, which attracted a sold out field of 64 players. When the smoke cleared, Full Tilt Poker pro Annette Obrestad claimed victory for £120,000. Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for the latest updates from EPT London.
Tags: Barry Greenstein, european, poker player, pokerstars, Russia, tournament, usa, viktor blom, WSOP
Tyson Marks (POTTERPOKER) Wins PokerStars WCOOP Main Event
Tyson “POTTERPOKER” Marks is poker’s newest multi-millionaire after winning the PokerStars World Championship of Online Poker (WCOOP) Main Event early Tuesday morning. The $2,278,097 payday was the largest in the history of online poker, surpassing 2009 WCOOP Main Event winner Yevgeniy “Jovial Gent” Timoshenko ($1,715,200).
The $5,200 buy-in event with a $10 million guarantee got underway on Sunday with 2,443 players, 271 of which advanced to Day 2 on Monday. Dozens of poker’s biggest names were still in the hunt, including 2010 WCOOP Player of the Series James “Andy McLEOD” Obst, Sorel “zangbezan24″ Mizzi, Jason “Taknapotin” Somerville, William “Altrum Altus” Reynolds, and PokerStars Team Pros Jason Mercier and Chad Brown. But after nearly 12 hours of play, Marks had dismantled a final table filled with talented players to earn his first WCOOP bracelet and a seat in poker history.
Marks entered the final table with a sizable chip lead and took complete control after the eliminations of carryhero (9th), Grayson “gray31” Ramage (8th), “ROMDOM” (7th), and Darren “darrenelias” Elias (6th). With more than half of the chips in play, Marks won a pre-flop confrontation against Jack “jackellwood” Ellwood that all but stamped him as the next WCOOP champion. Marks put in a five-bet shove and was snap-called by Ellwood, whose 
was in great shape against the 
of Marks. However, Marks spiked a straight on the 
board, ending Ellwood’s day in fifth place for $509,976.25.
From there, Marks used ruthless aggression to chip away at his remaining opponents. “Dazzy2004″ was the next to exit after calling his short stack all-in with 
and losing to the 
of “Russian_nuts.” The remaining three players were all millionaires, with third place receiving close to $1,020,000, but there was no mention of the word “chop” as Marks was intending to win the tournament outright.
While Marks was involved in nearly every hand, he managed to get out of the way when “Russian_nuts” and “joeysweetp” played for a pot worth 6.5 million chips. With the blinds at 100,000/200,000 and a 25,000 ante, “Russian_nuts” moved all-in for 3,147,898 on the button with 
and “joeysweetp” called from the big blind with 
. The board ran out 
, sending “Russian_nuts” out in third place.
Despite his virtual double-up going into heads-up play, the tournament ended too soon for “joeysweetp.” Outchipped by a 5-1 margin, “joeysweetp” raised to 440,000 on the button and Marks called. After a flop of 
, Marks led out for 480,250 and “joeysweetp” called. The fell on the turn and Marks fired a bet of 1,025,005. “joeysweetp” moved all-in for 7,194,378 and Marks called instantly, revealing 
for the nut flush. “joeysweetp” showed 
and was drawing dead; the 
on the river changed nothing and clinched the title for Marks.
An elated Marks briefly posted his thoughts on Pocketfives.com shortly after his big victory: “Thanks everyone for the sweat!!! Wow how unbelievable is this… I’m truly speechless for now.”
Marks, who resides in Missoula, Montana, now has more than $3.6 million in online earnings to go along with $159,618 on the live tournament circuit. In 2009, we won a pair of World Poker Tour prelims at the L.A. Poker Classic for a combined $77,500, but his WCOOP championship is by far the largest win of his career.
Here are the final results from the 2010 WCOOP Main Event:
1. Tyson “POTTERPOKER” Marks – $2,278,097
2. joeysweetp – $1,404,725
3. Russian_nuts – $1,019,952
4. dazzy2004 – $696,255
5. Jack “jackellwood” Ellwood – $509,976
6. Darren “darrenelias” Elias – $396,987
7. ROMDOM – $280,945
8. Grayson “gray31” Ramage – $183,225
9. carryhero – $112,988
Notable finishes: Bryn “BrynKenney” Kenney (17th), Joao “joaobarb” Barbosa (20th), Jason “JP OSU” Potter (21st), Alexey “LuckyGump” Makarov (22nd), Mike “Timex” McDonald (30th).
WCOOP Main Event: Jason Potter wins the first prize of over 2 million dollars
WCOOP is finally over after the Main Event has been concluded. It took quite a many hours to finish the Main Event and after the dust had settled, there could be only one standing. This year it was Jason Potter.
The Main Event winner Jason Potter
The Main Event was divided into two days, so the heads up players accumulated quite decent hours behind them. The winner, Jason “POTTERPOKER” Potter entered the final table in a clear chiplead and there was no one who could unsettle his lead at any time.
The heads up was started in Potter’s 6-1 lead. Even though “joeysweept” managed to double up once, he finally lost his whole stack after an unsuccesful bluff and Potter won a staggering 2,2 million dollars first prize.
“Joeysweept” won $1,4 million and the third place finisher “Russian_nuts” won a bit over million dollars.
WCOOP Main Event 2010:
1. POTTERPOKER ($2,278,097.50)
2. joeysweetp ($1,404,725)
3. Russian_nuts ($1,019,952.50)
4. dazzy2004 ($696,255)
5. jackellwood ($509,976.25)
6. darrenelias ($396,987.50)
7. ROMDOM ($280,945)
8. gray31 ($183,225)
9. carryhero ($112,988.75)
Jason Potter is a familiar face from the live tournament rings since few years. His biggest merit is the victory from L.A. Poker Classic this February with a $200k first prize money.
Source: PokerStarsBlog, Hendonmob
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WCOOP Main Event: Jason Potter wins the first prize of over 2 million dollars
POTTERPOKER Wins Largest Prize in Online Poker History
Marks collected $2,278,097.50 after running away with the $5,200 buy-in PokerStars World Championship of Online Poker main event.
The two-day event started Monday with 2,443 creating a $12,215,000 prize pool, making it the richest tournament in online history.
A total of 271 pushed through to Tuesday already past the 306-player money bubble.
By the time they were down to the final table of nine, Marks had built a massive chip lead and never really looked back.
He completely dominated the final table and once they got three-handed, had 37 million in chips to joeysweetp's 4.94 million and Russian_nuts' 4.27 million.
joeysweetp busted Russian_nuts to get heads up, but facing a seemingly insurmountable deficit, he eventually shoved a straight draw into the turned nut flush to bow out second and hand the 2010 WCOOP main event title to Marks.
Marks, an online MTT regular, who plays under the names JUMP PUTT, SU1C1DEJACK, and MISSOUKAJOE on other online sites, already had over $1.3 million in career online tournament earnings.
He also has $159,618 in career live tournament earnings including a cash in the 2009 WSOP Main Event and two prelim wins at the 2009 L.A. Poker Classic.
The best finish by a well know pro was Bryn "BrynKenney" Kenney in 17th.
Jason "JP OSU" Potter finished 21st, Mike "Timex" McDonald 30th, Danny “THE__D__RY” Ryan 69th and Sorel "zangbezan24" Mizzi 72nd.
Here’s how the final table finished up:
1 POTTERPOKER $2,278,097.50
2 joeysweetp $1,404,725
3 Russian_nuts $1,019,952.50
4 dazzy2004 $696,255
5 jackellwood $509,976.25
6 darrenelias $396,987.50
7 ROMDOM $280,945
8 gray31 $183,225
9 carryhero $112,988.75
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Richard “CHUFTY” Ashby Wins WCOOP Event #54, Main Event Begins Sunday
Continuing what has been the best year of his poker career, British poker pro Richard “CHUFTY” Ashby is one of the latest winners during the run of the 2010 PokerStars World Championship of Online Poker (WCOOP) schedule.
Event #54, the $2,000 Six-Handed Pot Limit Omaha tournament, proved just how popular the discipline of Omaha is becoming. Set with a $800,000 guarantee (400 players), the tournament drew an outstanding 480 combatants, with many top online and live pros stepping up to the virtual felt. At stake was the $960,000 prize pool and, in particular, the first place awards of $185,760 and the coveted WCOOP bracelet.
As the two-day tournament played out, 60 runners took away a minimum payday of $3,840 for their efforts. For some of the top players, however, this wasn’t enough; Jon “PearlJammer” Turner left the event in 48th place ($4,800), 2003 World Series of Poker Main Event winner and Team PokerStars pro Chris “Money800” Moneymaker finished in 34th ($5,760), WSOP bracelet holder Steve “MrSmokey1” Bilirakis departed in 17th ($9,120), and online pro Kevin “BeL0WaB0Ve” Saul exited in 12th ($12,960).
Although he led much of the Day One action, Ashby came to the final table of the six-handed tournament on Friday in the third slot on the leaderboard. Taking hold of the top slot was “Shatkhi,” holding a stack of roughly 1.335 million; PokerStars Supernova “Gorrioncillo” was stacked with almost 711,000. Ashby would quickly go to work on the field during final table play, taking over the chip lead after taking a large pot off “Gorrioncillo” and crippling “< x|||||><“ moments later.
After only 45 minutes of play at the final table, heads-up action was determined. Former chip leader “Shatkhi” began to assert himself on the tables, eliminating three players in a row. He finished off “< x|||||><“ after his defeat at the hands of Ashby before taking out “Gorrioncillo” and “LukeFromB13” to determine heads-up play. When “Shatkhi” and Ashby came to their mano a mano fight, “Shatkhi” held the chip lead by a 2.2 million/1.3 million edge.
On several occasions, “Shatkhi” had Ashby on the ropes, but the 2010 WSOP bracelet winner would not fall in what he considers his specialty. “CHUFTY” won several hands to squeak into the lead, but “Shatkhi” continued to attempt to derail the Ashby Express. After getting very lucky by nailing a nut flush on the flop to draw even, Ashby seemed destined to win the title. He did so in the span of three hands, taking the final pot by hitting a set of aces on the flop, which “Shatkhi” could not defeat. The final table finished as such:
1st – Richard “CHUFTY” Ashby (United Kingdom) $185,760
2nd – Shatkhi (Russia) $137,760
3rd – LukeFromB13 (United States) $103,200
4th – Gorrioncillo (Spain) $71,040
5th – < x|||||>< (United States) $50,880
6th – shinbones (Canada) $32,640
The 2010 poker season has been a memorable one for Richard Ashby. Along with taking down his first WSOP bracelet, Ashby had two cashes in Las Vegas and a third place finish at the Aussie Millions $10,000 HORSE tournament. Roughly two weeks ago, the budding British poker star was also named the “Best All-Around Player” at the inaugural British Poker Awards.
As the WCOOP winds through its 62-event schedule, the battle on the leaderboard for the WCOOP “Player of the Series” has heated up. While Russia’s “Kroko-dill” is still atop the mountain at this point with 310 points, challengers have emerged that have an opportunity to take him down. Jamie “Xaston” Kaplan has moved into the second place slot with 265 points and both “Andy McLeod” and Norway’s “Donald” sit tied for third at 245 points. Turner rounds out the top five on the WCOOP leaderboard with 230 points.
Although the close of the 2010 WCOOP is near, there will still be plenty of action over the weekend. Two tournaments – a $530 Heads Up Pot Limit Omaha and a $2100 HORSE, both two day events – will start on Saturday, while Sunday marks the conclusion of the WCOOP. Two tournaments – a $215 No Limit Hold’em and a $10,300 Eight-Game High Roller – will join the Sunday action, but the focus of much of the online poker world will be on the WCOOP Main Event, a $5,200 buy-in tournament that has a $10 million guaranteed prize pool. As of Saturday morning, 564 players have been registered, including almost two dozen pros from the Team PokerStars stable.
Jason Mercier Outlasts Large Field In WCOOP Event #42 For $435K Bounty
Continuing to deliver in the live and online poker tournament worlds, Team PokerStars pro Jason Mercier outlasted a monster field in the World Championship of Online Poker (WCOOP) Event #42, $1,000 buy-in No Limit Hold’em, to win the title and its $435,000 payout.
The two-day tournament drew an outstanding crowd of 3,122 players, which cracked the $3 million guarantee that PokerStars put up. As the tournament wound down, Mercier cranked up his activity on Twitter to let people know that he was potentially on the road to victory. “MASSIVE CHIPLEADER NOW! 22 left Have over double avg chips with 4.55 million,” he Tweeted late Monday night to his followers.
As Event #42 reached the final table, Mercier – who is in London for the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Europe tournament schedule – continued to make inroads towards the championship. “Final table!,” he Tweeted upon making the final table. “5 of 9… stealthmunk just coolered dude AA vs AK… here we go!”
Chad Brown, also in London for the WSOPE, looked to challenge for the WCOOP bracelet, along with DoylesRoom Brunson 10 member Dani “ansky” Stern. Brown’s attempt to take down the title ended with his ninth place finish that he Tweeted about to his followers: “Busted 9th at the final table of the 1k WCOOP. Flopped top 2. player was drawing to 4 outs and hit. I would have been 2nd in chips. oh well.” Mercier continued his running commentary over Twitter in reporting the departure of Stern from the game: “anski gets cooled off to bust in 8th place… i’m hella short 7 of 7 here we go son!”
Although his massive chip lead had disappeared by the time the final seven were in action, Mercier continued to take the battle to his opponents. As the tournament approached the witching hour, he reported to his railbirds, “Grinding this short stack so hard!!!! 7 of 7 still… one guy with all the chips, 4 medium stacks, and one other shortie besides me.”
Approximately an hour after being on the short stack, Mercier was able to chirp to his Twitterpeeps, “HUGE DOUBLE UP! 3rd in chips,” which was quickly followed by his report of ascending to the chip lead: “o my bad HUGE DOUBLE UP AGAIN!!!! QQ beats AA CHIPLEADER!”
With action at three players, discussion of a chop began. Mercier gave the details of the deal as the clock struck 3:00am in the United States, Tweeting, “Just did a 3 way deal… I take 375k guaranteed and get 15k more if I finish 2nd and 60k more if I get 1st… LETS GO!” Approximately an hour later, Mercier finished the grueling two-day event by announcing to his Twitter fans, “THATS HOW WE DO SON! Ship the WCOOP bracelet baby! #WCOOP 1k… took 435k for first!” The final table ended up as such:
1st – JasonMercier (United States) $435,862.07*
2nd – osten (United States) $317,435.13*
3rd – loooser17 (Israel) $367,500.80*
4th – DHUSTLER15 (United States) $179,515
5th – Justin “APerfectGent” Schwartz (United States) $135,807
6th – Team Wispy (United States) $104,587
7th – bastet2004 (Germany) $73,367
8th – Dani “supernova9” Stern (United States) $42,209
9th – ChadBrownPRO (United States) $26,537
* – reflects three-way chop
With his victory in Event #42, Mercier catapulted himself into the middle of the WCOOP Leaderboard race. The 180 points he earned for winning the tournament put him in fifth place, with Russia’s “Kroko-dill” (winner of Event #13, the $215 PLO) at the top with 260 points. Closely following the Russian is Norway’s “Donald” (winner of Event #34, the $320 Triple Draw Deuce To Seven Lowball) at 210.
To date, the 2010 WCOOP has built prize pools totaling almost $38 million and welcomed 111,049 players to the virtual felt. There are still 16 events remaining on the 62-tournament schedule, with the WCOOP Main Event scheduled to start on September 26th.
Antonius Takes $303k Beating
Malestra Pam, who is rumored to be a Russian Limit Hold’em specialist, played 1,423 hands of $2,000/$4,000 Limit Hold’em against Antonius.
Antonius never really seemed to find his legs against Malestra Pam and, despite winning the biggest pot of the session when he turned a set of deuces, ended up a massive loser.
September has been a rough month for Antonius who now finds himself $229k in the hole over the first two weeks of the month.
Meanwhile it’s been a far different experience for Malestra Pam who’s earned $490k, which makes him the most profitable player of the month.
Some of the other big winners of the evening included superbaldas who made $157k playing $300/$600 PLO against Ziigmund and the NUTHUNTER who earned $93k playing $200/$400 No-Limit Hold’em against tuff_fish.
Yesterday’s losers included Gus Hansen, who added to a miserable September by dropping $123k, Cole South (-$88k), Phil “OMGClayAiken” Galfond (-$86k) and harrington25 (-$42k).
Here’s a look at several of the biggest hands from last night. Be sure to check out our online poker stats section for more information.
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Antanas “Tony G” Guoga – Poker Player Profile
Antanas Guoga, best known in the poker world as Tony G, is one of the most recognizable players in the world of poker. Known for his outlandish behaviour at the table, combined with natural ability, Tony G is one of the most successful Australian players in the world.
Born in Lithuania, Tony moved to Australia at the age of 11, settling in Melbourne. By the age of 18, Tony was playing poker. He immediately created a reputation as being an aggressive player and loudly berating his opponents, one he still deserves today.
The most infamous hand played by Tony G and watched around the world was at the Intercontinental Poker Championship, where Tony went all in pre-flop with As2s again Ralph Perry’s KcJs. After the cards were dealt Tony won the pot eliminating Ralph Perry from the tournament and Tony immediately let fly with insults. “C’mon Russian get out, it’s time to go” and “You’re a professional player and I can do this to you, you’re a terrible player” were just some of the insults heard at the table. Whilst the other players at the table were watching and trying not to laugh too hard, Ralph Perry wasn’t overly amused, but took it like a professional.
Aside from being famous for outbursts like the one against Perry, Tony’s accomplishments cannot be overlooked.
Tony currently sits second for most money won by an Australian player with over $4 million in winnings. What’s interesting about his winnings is he has never won for more than $1 million in a single tournament. His biggest win was $552,539 in May 2009 where he came 3rd in a €25,000 European High Roller Championship. He has had multiple wins in all forms of poker disciplines, from No Limit Hold’em, Pot Limit Omaha and Seven Card Stud. His highest first place was a win at the £5,000 Main Event at European Poker Championship for £260,000 ($456,822).
Tony is also a WPT champion, winning Event #2 of the Bad Boys of Poker Championship, when he outflopped Mike Matusow with Td8d against Matusow’s KsKh.
His World Series of Poker resume has yet to have a bracelet, but he has had 16 cashes for a total of $657,962 with his best result being a 3rd place in the £5,000 Pot Limit Omaha event at the World Series of Poker Europe in 2007. On top of his 3rd place finish, he has had 3 more final tables.
These days, he plays the biggest events available on the poker circuit. He has also made appearances on the new PokerStars Big Game cash television show. He also recently won a gold bracelet for a win in an event at the Wynn Casino in Las Vegas, which earned him $270,000.
Tony G has a large fan base, with his followers keeping up to date at his personal blog www.tonygpoker.com.
World Team Poker Adds New Countries
In preparation for its forthcoming Championship Event, World Team Poker has added 19 countries to its lineup, including Canada, Pakistan, and Spain. World Team Poker will even receive face time on Fox Sports Net when its tournaments begin debuting in January on Sunday nights for 13 weeks.
Team Canada promises to be among the fiercest in the 30-team field. Shawn Buchanan, Kyle Wilson, Eric Cloutier, Owen “ocrowe” Crowe, Daniel Idema, and Terrence “Unassigned” Chan will comprise the group, which features two-time World Series of Poker (WSOP) Greg “FBT” Mueller as its captain. Buchanan finished as the runner-up to new DoylesRoom Brunson 10 member Dan “djk123” Kelly in the $25,000 No Limit Hold’em Six-Max event at the 2010 WSOP, banking $813,000.
Hasan Habib and Faraz “The-Toilet” Jaka will co-captain Team Pakistan. A press release distributed by World Team Poker delicately explains, “Pakistan, which is known more for its cricket than poker players, has formed a formidable team of excellent poker talent.” Jaka is the reigning World Poker Tour (WPT) Player of the Year after recording two final tables and four top 20 finishes last season. Also on Team Pakistan are Ayaz Mahmood, Ozzy Sheikh, Owais Ahmed, Mohsin “chicagocards1” Charania, and former Ultimate Bet Online Championship (UBOC) Main Event winner Hafiz Khan.
Carlos Mortensen, the WPT’s all-time money leader, will captain Team Spain. Mortensen was the only announced player for the Spanish World Team Poker contingent, but the former WSOP Main Event champ has four WPT final tables to his credit along with three titles. Mortensen has $5.7 million in career WPT earnings along with $2.4 million from the WSOP felts, where he’s a two-time bracelet winner.
Team Caribbean Islands is also taking form, with three players having signed up to be part of the fun. Jean-Robert Bellande, a former Bodog pro and “Survivor: China” castaway, will compete for the island nation team alongside Jean “Prince” Gaspard and Amnon Filippi. Among their competition will be Team Germany, which consists of Dan Heimiller, John Galbraith, Kathy Liebert, Jennifer “Jennicide” Leigh, and Cyndy Violette. Liebert is being inducted into the Women in Poker Hall of Fame this evening, while Violette is already a member.
Victory Poker pro Antonio Esfandiari will captain Team Iran. Backing him up is an eclectic group of players that includes Reza Golestani, Mojgan Stringham, Shawn “Sheiky” Sheikhan, and Soheil Shamseddin.
Team USA has largely already been determined, with Doyle Brunson, Phil Hellmuth, Mike Matusow, Allen Cunningham, Annie Duke, Jennifer Harman, Chris Ferguson, Howard Lederer, and Erik Seidel taking the floor for the North American nation. Three online poker sites – DoylesRoom, UB.com, and Full Tilt Poker – will be represented.
The 30-team Championship Event will likely occur next month from Las Vegas, although the dates, times, and a location have not yet been announced. The inaugural World Team Poker tournament took place at the Golden Nugget in Downtown Las Vegas earlier this year and was won by Team China, whose impressive roster of pros includes former WPT Championship winner David Chiu, 10-time bracelet winner Johnny Chan, Winfred Yu, former “Amazing Race” contestant Maria Ho, Chau Giang, Rich Zhu, and Derek Cheung.
Here are the new team captains along with the countries they represent as announced by World Team Poker on Friday:
Greg Mueller: Canada
Hasan Habib and Faraz “The-Toilet” Jaka: Pakistan
Jean-Robert Bellande: Caribbean Islands
Peter Costa: Cyprus
Max Stern: Costa Rica
Chris Bjorin: Sweden
Martin Pollak: Austria
Dan Heimiller: Germany
Bruno Fitoussi: France
Vivek “Psyduck” Rajkumar: India
Toto Leonidas: Philippines
Antonio Esfandiari: Iran
Kevin Song: Korea
Marco Traniello: Italy
Lenny Martin: Russia
Carlos Mortensen: Spain
Roberto Rominelli: Wales
Padraig Parkinson and Donnacha O’Dea: Ireland
Vladimir Shchemelev: Ukraine
Visit WorldTeamPoker.com for more details.
Tags: 2010, Annie Duke, bodog, Canada, Doyle Brunson, Jennifer Harman, Online Poker, Phil Hellmuth, poker player, Russia, spain, tournament, UBOC, usa, vegas, women, WSOP