Poker News

Phil Bellante is “All In” With Poker Themed Song

"You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em." Thanks to Kenny Rogers and his hit song, "The Gambler," those words will forever be ingrained in the game of poker. The song is more than 30 years old, but its popularity has maintained throughout the years as a staple in the ever-expanding poker community.

Phil Bellante hopes his new poker-themed song will have the same impact on the new crowd of poker players. The musician, songwriter, and producer from Cleveland released a new album in 2009 and on it is the track "All In," a catchy tune that he's attempting to market as the new theme song of poker. He's already receiving rave reviews from the poker media. (The song can be heard at http://philbellante.com/)

Bellante has been busy promoting "All In" and Poker News Daily had a chance to speak with him about the song, his poker history, and his friendship with a well-known poker pro.

Poker News Daily: So Phil, can we assume that you're a poker player and fan?

Phil Bellante: Absolutely, a poker player and a huge fan!

Poker News Daily: How long have you been playing and what game(s) do you prefer?

Phil Bellante: I have been playing for at least 10 years and I would have to say that No Limit Texas Hold'em is my game of choice.

Poker News Daily: You recently did an interview with your friend and Full Tilt Pro Phil Gordon on ESPN Radio's "Poker Edge". How did you become close with Phil?

Phil Bellante: Phil is my good friend’s brother-in-law, so every year for the past several years, we all get together at their place for Thanksgiving and have a poker tournament. It’s a lot of fun, especially when Phil doesn’t win and somebody that hardly knows what they are doing wins the whole thing. Part of the mass appeal, I think, of the game is the ability for anyone to win at any time because of the luck factor and getting dealt the right hand.

Poker News Daily: Are there any other poker players you like or admire?

Phil Bellante: I admire people like Annie Duke, who has also heard the song and given it a nice review on my site. She is a forerunner for women poker players who are now becoming more involved in the game. That takes some fortitude and guts when it’s a male-dominated sport. I also think the old timers like Doyle Brunson are to be admired, as they started playing the game when very few people could make a living at it like they do today. I think now the appeal is more the big winnings for people rather than a true love for the game.

Poker News Daily: What was your influence for creating the song "All In" and what are your aspirations for it?

Phil Bellante: To be honest, it wasn’t planned, which is usually the underlying ingredient to a great song because it comes from something beyond the intellect and usually connects with people on a deeper level. I was sitting around watching a tournament one afternoon and just put myself in the mind of one of the players who went all-in with his hand and then managed to write the song in less than 10 minutes. I then produced the song with a Grammy Award winning engineer a few months later.

While writing the song, I just pictured myself at a tournament performing it. It would be great to be the entertainment for some of these upcoming poker tournaments and really see it catching fire. I have many people working around the clock in various capacities to get maximum exposure for this song. We are looking at movies, video games, TV programs, Poker Tournaments, etc. I guess you can say, I am going “All In” with this song.

Poker News Daily: Is this going to be "the" poker song for the next generation of poker players to latch onto?

Phil Bellante: “All In” has great potential due to the size of the poker market and its very catchy chorus. Andrew Feldman said during my recent ESPN Poker Radio show interview that the song had been stuck in his head all day. I just received the same comment from some of the top people in Nashville who are very interested in it and choose hit songs for the platinum country artists.

I really feel the song speaks to the poker community. It has that emotional and intense build leading up to a huge swelling chorus that kind of releases all the tension. Every player knows what that adrenaline rush feels like, so they can definitely relate. That is why I think it would be so perfect to sing at a poker tournament.

In the end, only time and the fans/players will be able to determine whether this is the case. The last generation had Kenny Rogers’s song’ “The Gambler,” so I wouldn’t mind him passing the torch to me for the next generation. I think I am holding a good hand with this song and so do a lot of the higher ups in the music world so time will tell.

The song can be downloaded at www.thepokersong.com

The iPad and its Potential With Online Poker

Although most online poker players use Windows PCs, there has been a growing swell of players using Apple Mac computers like MacBook Pros and iMacs.  The Mac-centric poker niche is growing, with four major sites having native software clients: PokerStars, Full Tilt Poker, UB.com, and Absolute Poker. The popular hand history tracking utility PokerTracker 3 came out recently with a Mac OS X beta edition of its software.  With the release of Apple’s tablet computer, the iPad, there has been plenty of speculation about the machine's future with online poker.

When thinking about the iPad and its potential for being used for online poker, we need to keep the following questions in mind:

• What are the hardware specs of the iPad?
• Is the interface going to be applicable to an online poker software program?
• Will the screen quality and resolution level make online poker practical?
• Does the iPad have enough bandwidth to have a lag-free online poker experience?
• Is the iPad OS something that a poker site can work with to create an App?
• Will the legal environment allow a poker site to release an App?

The iPad is a high-resolution 9.7-inch LED-backlit computer that weighs just 1.5 pounds.  It’s touted as being perfect for web browsing, watching movies, and viewing photos.  The unit works in either portrait or landscape mode, very similarly to an iPod Touch or iPhone.  The multi-touch screen on the iPad is based on the current iPhone technology, but has been totally re-engineered for the larger surface to be more precise and responsive.  The battery life is said to last up to 10 hours by using a special lithium-polymer technology.  The iPad uses an A4 chip that was custom designed by Apple engineers to be extremely powerful, but at the same time very power efficient.  Units will have an option for 16, 32, or 64 GB of internal flash storage.

All iPad units will have built-in WiFi with 802.11n, which is currently the fastest wireless protocol available.  In addition, there will be 3G models with data speeds up to 7.2 MB per second on the AT&T network for coverage anywhere without a WiFi network, but with a 3G signal.  Units are expected to start shipping at the end of March and the base version costs just $499.

The iPad interface is the multi-touch screen that has been made more precise and responsive to help counter the potential problems it would face with a much larger screen.  The resolution of the iPad’s 9.7-inch screen is 1024x768, which is a bit inferior to what most experts predicted it would be.

With all the glitz and glamor of the iPad now out in the open, as poker players, we’re wondering about its capabilities for online poker.  The unit, on the surface, seems like a great little online poker machine.  The touch screen appears to be perfect for interfacing with a poker table.  You could use the bet slider with the flick of a finger, fold or check by tapping the appropriate button, and even muck your cards by flicking them into the middle of the table.  Interface-wise, there’s no question that the touch-screen of the unit will work splendidly.

The next question for whether or not the iPad would be feasible for an online poker player is how a table would look on the screen.  There’s plenty of screen available for a single poker table to load up in the 1024x768 space.  In fact, it’s probably feasible to have four tables load up at the same time.  The graphics capabilities of the unit were rather impressive during Apple CEO Steve Jobs’ presentation with a few video games, so we know it can handle the minimal graphics required by many of the poker rooms.

Another question we have to answer is about the iPad bringing the necessary bandwidth to play one or even four tables at the same time.  Since most poker rooms only require a dial-up connection, which is surpassed in spades by both WiFi and 3G connections, there’s absolutely no concern about the unit not having enough bandwidth to handle the rigors of playing online poker.

The iPad uses a new operating system that works very similar to the iPhone OS, with more capabilities to take advantage of the unit’s more robust power.  Because the development kit is already available to software developers, there wouldn’t be much of a stumbling block to developing a solid iPad version of the software.

With the all of the questions answered fairly positively when asking the question whether or not the iPad will work with online poker, we’re down to our final one: Will the current legal environment allow it?  Since Apple is based in California and controls the App Store, the worldwide distribution of Apps for the iPad will be based on U.S. laws.  The legal environment in the United States is murky at best with online poker, with virtually no chance of Apple approving an App created by a major poker site for real money poker play.  With that being the case, it would seem foolish to expect a poker site to invest money and resources toward a project that would only meet failure.

The potential future of the iPad and real money online poker is bright.  The unit is perfect for those who want to sit on their couch, relax, and play a few hands of poker.  Maybe you’re stuck at the airport or who knows where and you want to log on and play a few hands.  The iPad certainly has the technological power to handle the task.  The only stumbling block is left up to the legal environment.  For now, we’ll probably just enjoy whatever random Texas Hold’em video games Apple approves in the iPad App Store to satisfy our poker craving.

Cake Poker buy TJ Cloutier’s WSOP bracelet

Recently we reported that TJ Cloutier’s bracelet won in the 2005 WSOP $5,000 NLHE event was up for sale on eBay. A pawn shop in Texas was selling the prize, stating they received it from TJ himself. Reports that he pawned it for craps money are unfounded but likely true.

Victory Poker Launches February 1st

One day prior to Super Bowl XLIV between the Indianapolis Colts and New Orleans Saints, officials from Victory Poker will celebrate the site’s launch at a party at the Hard Rock in Las Vegas. The online poker room will open for business on February 1st.

Victory Poker will make its home on the merged Everleaf/UPN network, which has yet to take on an official name. According to PokerScout.com, the newly created network will boast traffic similar to that of Betfair, which has a seven-day running average of 610 real money ring game players. A press release announcing the Trash Talk Championship of the World Straddle Tournament at the Hard Rock in Las Vegas on February 6th revealed that the Victory Poker launch party would occur at 10:00pm following the festivities.

UFC’s Randy Couture will be sporting a Victory Poker logo when he takes to the ring in UFC 109 against Mark Coleman. The bout emanates from the Mandalay Bay Events Center near the Hard Rock and will also feature Nate Marquardt facing off against Chael Sonnen and Matt Serra fighting Frank Trigg. The first brawl takes place at 4:45pm, while televised matches start at 7:00pm. Couture will don a dot-net logo for the new online poker room.

Antonio Esfandiari headlines the Victory Poker stable of pros. A World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet winner, Esfandiari has become widely known for his insatiable appetite for prop bets. He even co-starred with his close friend Phil Laak on the MOJO show “I Bet You,” which ran for two seasons on the cable station. Esfandiari has three WPT final tables to his credit and one title, which came in the Season 2 L.A. Poker Classic. At the tender age of 31, Esfandiari is one of the veterans of the game.

Jumping over from DoylesRoom to be a part of Victory Poker is Alec “traheho” Torelli. The Cake Poker Network site and Torelli severed ties two weeks ago. Torelli has made two WPT final tables, finishing fourth in both the Bellagio Cup V and Solvakia events. The former will air its finale at 11:00pm ET on Fox Sports Net this Sunday in a one-hour episode. Poker Hall of Fame member Mike Sexton and actor Vince Van Patten will once again provide commentary for Season 8 of the WPT.

Coming over from Full Tilt Poker are Paul Wasicka and Lee Markholt. The latter was removed in recent days as a Full Tilt Red Pro and finished fourth in the WSOP Circuit Championship in Tunica four years ago for $183,000. In addition, Markholt won the WPT Season 6 World Poker Challenge in Reno for $493,000 and owns $1.3 million in career earnings from the roving tournament series. Wasicka was the runner-up to Jamie Gold in the 2006 WSOP Main Event, earning a colossal $6.1 million.

Also appearing in the Victory Poker pro lineup is Chinese Poker sensation Danny Wong. Owning the moniker “Chinese Poker Wizard,” Wong learned to play the game’s variation at age five. Despite his success in Chinese Poker, he’s also excelled in No Limit Texas Hold’em, making three WPT final tables. Joining Wong will be online poker pro Brian “tsarrast” Rast.

Those who watched the 2009 WSOP Main Event on ESPN will recall the deep run of the “Flying” Bilzerian brothers. Dan Bilzerian, who finished 180th, will become part of the Victory Poker cast. In his final hand of the $10,000 buy-in feature tournament, Bilzerian committed his stack with A-6, but could not best Jonathan “driverseati” Tamayo’s pocket tens. His brother, Adam Bilzerian, renounced his U.S. citizenship and is now a passport holder of St. Kitts and Nevis.

Other Victory Poker pros include Andrew "good2cu" Robl, Keith Gipson, David “The Maven” Chicotsky, Sander Lylloff., and 2007 Playboy Playmate of the Year Sara Underwood. The site is scheduled to launch on February 1st and will accept players from the United States.

The Trash Talk Championship is a $1,000 buy-in charity poker tournament benefiting the Sharon Osbourne Colon Cancer Program and Cedars-Sinai.

Poker in Twitter: Deauville, Football, Kat von D and Victoria Coren’s duck.

Poker News Daily scours the Twitter feeds of hundreds of poker players to bring you the funniest, most interesting, weirdest Tweets of the last few days. This weekend saw many players tweeting about the tournaments they were in, which included the UBOC, the LAPC and the EPT Deauville. Other popular topics this week were football (the poker world seems to support the Saints almost unanimously) and other sports, as well as new houses, tattoos by Kat von D, and a river card made to measure for Eric Mizrachi.
The online cards were good for some and cruel to others: while Dave “Hollywood_Dave” Stann challenged players to face him at Ultimate Bet: “Rockin UBOC on UB right now...come join so I can felt you, too ”, Liv Boeree was not having such a great day: “finished 42nd in UBOC 8 for $6300. Set of 33s get it all in on turn... he rivers 9 for higher set. Laptop across the room time.” Eric Mizrachi could have shared some of his luck with her, as he boasted a screenshot from a spectacular river card in Poker Stars:  “Deliver the nice river, Ty @pokerstars_com http://twitpic.com/zmlrd”

Tournament manager supreme Matt Savage kept the world informed of the progress of the LAPC, starting with a comment on his famously grueling schedules: “We have completed days 1A/1B or .5 of the 51 events at this years @LAPokerClassic! Not sure what I was thinking when I made this schedule?” Apparently Mr. Savage is superstitious, since he made Dave Stann back off from certain comments that might bring the tournament ill luck: “@Hollywood_Dave please do NOT mention LAPC = Going Well and Obama Presidency = F'ing Up Country in same tweet! You may jinx us here in LA.” No jinx was apparent to Rob Perelman, who tweeted in delight: “Heads up pot. Final board A4444. Check check. Then 2nd guy tries to muck. This is why I love the @LAPokerClassic!” Some of poker’s hottest ladies were in attendance after trotting the globe in The Amazing Race last year; Tiffany Michelle posted a picture of her view from the table: “http://twitpic.com/z4bfu - Playin the 1st LAPC event, nice view - this girl follows me everywhere ”

The poker world followed the NFC very closely last weekend, and the general feeling seemed to favor the Saints, although Doyle Brunson voiced his admiration for the Vikings’ legendary quarterback: “Brett Favre has balls the size of basketballs.” Favre was the man of the day, with praise and heckles piled on him via Twitter. Gene Bromberg tried to be fair: “I gleefully join in on Favrebashing, but that should've been a flag. Low, late hit, gotta call that”, Justin “BoostedJ” Smith blamed it on the team: “@shannonelizab The vikings aren't even giving Favre a chance to win”, and Joe Sebok cheered and booed: “yes, saints! boo favre & vikings. city of new orleans deserves this... ” Shannon Elizabeth, who tweeted throughout the game, was a happy fan when the fat lady sang: “Congrats Saints! GREAT GAME!!”

The EPT Deauville had two excellent commentators in Vicky Coren and Isabelle Mercier, both of whom tweeted frequently with updates on their own performance and those of friends and team members. Coren had never been able to survive Deauville’s Day 1, and was hoping this year would be it: “It's Day 1 of the Deauville EPT. I've played this three times before and never survived Day One. Let's see if I can break my duck” (“Breaking one’s duck” is a British expression, originally from cricket, that means doing something for the first time.) Coren tried hard, and kept updating on her status to add to the suspense: “We started with 30k in chips. I went down to 4k, now up to 20k, tiptoeing between the outdraws. Two more levels and the duck gets it...” The duck, however, remains unbroken, as she got busted out in Day 1 once more. Fellow Brit Matthew Grant commiserated with some historic consolation: “@VictoriaCoren Nevermind, the only victory that matters near Deauville happened in 1944 ” Coren marveled at Mercier’s youthful looks when they sat together: “Ex Team Pro Isabelle Mercier is on my table, looking incredible. She just doesn't age, that woman. Is it a French thing?” It may have been Mercier’s joy at playing in Deauville, which she tweeted happily about: “Deauville Deauville! Always loved this French little piece of paradise... Especially when it's GAME DAY !!!! ... http://bit.ly/5V41EV” Mercier’s joie de vivre did not last very long, however, as she tweeted from her Facebook account: “Busted out few hours ago holding pocket 10's against poker Jacks and pocket Aces!!! Turned blue and slowly getting... http://bit.ly/4sN0Rb”

Celebrity tattoo artist Kat von D, from the TV show LA Ink, has been leaving her mark on the poker world. First she tattooed Tiffany Michelle, who shared a photo of her tattoo: “Pics of my tatt that Kat did on her show are on my website www.tiffanymichelle.com under the 'Film, TV, Shows' Gallery ” and more recently on Pearl Aday, as tweeted by heavy metal poker star Scott Ian: “Kat Von D shooting Pearl right now.” If he does not shape up to his crazy prop bet, Joe Sebok could be next.

Sebok got some unflattering tweets regarding his stunning new LA home – @DougLeePoker remarked acidly: “@JoeSebok Wow, sick place! and all you had to do was align yourself with a company that has stolen millions from their customers. Well Done!” Sebok’s affiliation with Ultimate Bet is evidently not well accepted by the poker world.

There were many random tweets on off topics that seemed too interesting to pass by, so here is a brief overview of the weird and wonderful tweets of this weekend. There is the cheerful but always cryptic Marcel Luske: “Just an other day,,, more news ,, more twitters , more closely 2 Our goalls & destiny,so enjoin the day & feel great & help others . {;”, a very happy tweet from Eric Mizrachi: “Got some GREAT NEWS today, my friend Myrielle "Meeyu" Pierre survived the earthquake. C U tomm Meeyu! http://twitpic.com/y267b”, some naughtiness from Gavin Griffin: “We just backed into someone's driver's side door and left an 8 square inch dent. Gave em 100 bucks. Win”, and a recognition of friendship from Daniel Negreanu: “I just counted. The number of good friends of mine that are unabashed media whores: zero! All my friends are so normal”, while Doyle Brunson experienced new things: “Got back from a recording session. I'm just a West Texas hillbilly, all that chit amazes me.”

The Tweet of the day is a tie between Jeff Madsen and Howard Lederer. Madsen quipped: “Tiger woods supposedly in Mississippi for sex Rehab. I'll b in Biloxi soon, maybe I need to check myself in?”, while Lederer pointed out: “Went to see Nadal tonight at Aussie Open and saw the best homemade fan sign ever at the match. It read "Go Nad." LOL”
If you are as addicted to Twitter as we are, be sure to follow us @PokerNewsDaily so you can stay up to date on all the breaking news in the poker world and be a part of some PND Twitter exclusives in the coming weeks.

The Other Hachem: Life In Joe’s Shadow

Yet thanks to a huge year on the PokerStars Australia New Zealand Poker Tour, where he cashed in four of five events on the way to winning Player of the Year honors, Hachem's brother Tony seems to have found a way out from under it.

“People would say I was just Joe’s brother, that I can’t play,” Tony said. “But now I’ve made a number of final tables and cashes. In my mind, poker is all about consistency and I think I’ve proved I have that.

“People say that it’s tough playing in Joe’s shadow, but I try to be positive about it and use it to my advantage. I was given an opportunity, I took it by the horns and I’m running with it.”

There’s always been a lot more to Tony Hachem than just being the brother of the 2005 World Series of Poker Main Event champion.

He cashed in the 2007 WSOP Main Event, made a final table at the Venetian Deep Stack Extravaganza in Las Vegas that same year and found a career best score of NZ$54,000 when he finished runner-up at the 2008 New Zealand Poker Championship.

Plus, PokerStars has always seen him as a marketable character with great networking skills, a socialite with celebrities Down Under and a popular figure amongst the ever growing community of poker players in the region.

As a result, Tony was sponsored by PokerStars for a number of tournaments, a move that immediately garnered its fair share of criticism regardless of Tony's track record.

“People have said to me, ‘What does it take to be a PokerStars pro? Can I just change my name to Hachem,’” explained Joe.  

“I’ve heard it all before and a lot worse,” added Tony. “It’s like, ‘You are Joe’s brother, so you got a sponsorship,’ but that’s not how it is.

“All I can say is when people are given opportunities, they either let them pass or they make the most of them and I made sure I made the most of this one.”

Wearing the PokerStars patch, Tony made 15^th at ANZPT Adelaide for AUD$5,870, 17^th at ANZPT Sydney for AUD$8,874, 16^th at the ANZPT’s 2009 Melbourne Texas Hold'em Championship for AUD$5,450, and 18^th ANZPT Queenstown for NZ$3,015.

As a result, 43-year-old Joe couldn’t be more proud of his 36-year-old little brother.

“He was just consistent and honestly pretty unfortunate not to have a major score,” Joe said. “The thing is, I’m really happy he did something in his own right. He deserves it.”

Tony’s name is rarely written, by the mainstream or poker press, without mention of Joe.

But the ever-humble younger Hachem grew up idolizing his big brother and says he doesn’t mind.

“Honestly, being Joe’s brother isn’t a bad thing,” he said. “He’s always going to be my brother.

“The game of poker is growing around the world and Joe is a big part of that, here and abroad. I guess people are just going to have to get used to the idea that Joe’s got a younger brother who loves the game, loves interacting with the people and can play a little too.”

While he had the sponsorship before, the spoils of winning the ANZPT Player of the Year title includes a cheque for AUD$60,000 and a spot on the Team PokerStars Australia roster.

What that means is Tony will be playing in the second season of the ANZPT kicking off in Adelaide next month, several stops on the upcoming fourth season of the PokerStars Asia Pacific Poker Tour and the 2010 Aussie Millions, where he has already made 11^th in a prelim for AUD$9,144 and started play on the final day one flight of the main event Tuesday, just a few tables over from Joe.

“There are some things in poker that I want to achieve this year,” added Tony. “I really want to win a tournament or at least maintain the consistency I had last year and I think the Aussie Millions will be a good start.”

To follow the progress of the Hachem brothers, and the entire 2010 Aussie Millions main event, tune in to PokerListings’ Live Updates through January 30.

Visit PokerListings.com

Amazing Race 16 Cast Does Not Feature Poker Players

The cast for the 16th cycle of the Emmy Award winning CBS reality series “Amazing Race” does not include any poker players. In its last season, the show featured Maria Ho and UB.com pro Tiffany Michelle.

Ho and Michelle represented the last women standing in the 2007 and 2008 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Events, respectively. The duo finished sixth in the around-the-world competition after their journey abruptly ended in the Netherlands, where a series of intense physical challenges proved to be too much for Ho and Michelle. A high striker, a common carnival game, proved fatal on one-half of the leg’s Detour, while windy conditions made a unique game of golf using wooden shoes unbearable on the other half.

A total of 11 teams will set out on the “Amazing Race” course for Season 16. Headlining the group are two “Big Brother” cast members from Season 11, Jordan Lloyd and Jeff Schroeder. The couple is “newly dating” according to CBS and will mark the latest pair to join “Amazing Race” after appearing on another CBS reality franchise. Schroeder is 31 years-old and from Norridge, Illinois, while Lloyd is nine years younger and hails from Charlotte, North Carolina. Lloyd lists her lifetime goals as, “to be a dental hygienist, and to get married and have kids.”

Also appearing on the 16th running of “Amazing Race” is Caitlin Upton, who will travel to the four corners of the Earth with her boyfriend, Brent Home. Upton was Miss Teen South Carolina USA 2007 and famously uttered the following response to a question about people being unable to locate the United States on a map: "I personally believe that U.S. Americans are unable to do so because some people out there in our nation don't have maps and I believe that our education like such as South Africa and the Iraq, everywhere like such as, and, I believe that they should, our education over here in the U.S. should help the U.S. or should help South Africa and should help the Iraq and the Asian countries, so we will be able to build up our future, for our children."

Upton’s phrases “the Iraq,” “U.S. Americans.” and “like such as” have become staples of modern lingo, although the beauty queen is now three years removed from her escapade. In a video posted on CBS.com, Upton commented, “I’m stubborn and I hate losing, probably more than he does, and I have a very short fuse, so if somebody gets in my way, there’s going to be some trouble and I’m going to need somebody there to calm me down.” The couple may soon be engaged; both are models.

Cleveland Indians third base coach Steve Smith, 57 years of age, will run the “Amazing Race” with his daughter, Allie Smith, who is 23 and works in marketing. Smith was a coach on the Philadelphia Phillies baseball team that won it all in 2008 and also worked with the Florida Marlins and Texas Rangers. The elder Smith lists his biggest challenge as “not getting lost because we tend to get lost in our own neighborhood.” “Amazing Race” requires a keen sense of direction, as racers travel to countries where English is not the primary language, so road signs and other markers can often be confusing.

Rumored locations that teams will travel to this season include Bariloche, Argentina; Puerto Varas, Chile; and Singapore. The rumored departure city is Los Angeles. The show premieres on Sunday, February 14th at 8:00pm ET on CBS, the same time slot as it held last season.

Dating couple Meghan and Cheyne took down the 15th installment of “Amazing Race,” whose finish line was ironically in Las Vegas. Besides Ho and Michelle, notable cast members vying for the $1 million top prize last time out included Harlem Globetrotters Flight Time and Big Easy and Miss America 2004 Ericka Dunlap, who ran the race with her husband, Brian.

Doyle Brunson Draws Criticism for Barack Obama Tweet

It has been widely documented that longtime poker pro Doyle Brunson is quite the Twitter aficionado.  While Brunson, better known to his Tweeps as @TexDolly, typically utilizes his Twitter feed for updates on DoylesRoom, chatting with his celebrity friends, updating the world on his prop and sports betting, and providing the world with a seemingly endless stream of blonde jokes, a recent post about politics landed him in hot water.

On January 20th, Brunson decided to comment about President Barack Obama on his Twitter account with the following: “The Democrats say ‘give Obama time.’ Us Repubicans [sic] agree, 25 to life seems appropriate!”  The typo in that post was not the only thing that Brunson followers took offense to.  The ten-time World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet winner received a barrage of Tweets in response to the post.  A number of users re-Tweeted Brunson’s statement, while a large contingent chastised the poker pro for his comment.  Here is just a sampling of some of the less-than-positive responses Brunson received:

@JoTinsley: “@TexDolly what has Obama done that is criminal? Bush did warrantless wiretaps. Why isn't he in prison?”

@pattydukesny: “@TexDolly Really? Be a Republican but don't be an idiot.”

@pokerfire26: “@TexDolly It took years to destroy the economy and ruin healthcare do you honestly believe it can be fixed in one year”

More than one person suggested that Brunson’s distaste for the current administration stemmed from racially motivated feelings towards the President.  Brunson was quick to snap back at his critics, Tweeting the following statement just a few hours later: “Just because I don't like the way things are going with Obama's 1st year has nothing to do with the color of his skin. Stop the racist BS!”  He also blocked a couple of his critics from viewing his feed.

However, when one poster, @dfmaicher, informed Brunson that he would no longer be playing on DoylesRoom as a result of the statement.  “Texas Dolly” was apologetic towards the man, replying, “Sorry about that, I hope you reconsider leaving Doylesroom. But if you don't we still have 2,247,000 players left. Don't leave!!”  Since then, @dfmaicher has continued to probe Brunson for a more in-depth explanation of why he is not an Obama fan, but Brunson failed to respond.

One of the people to comment on the hot button Tweet was none other than Full Tilt Red Pro and 2006 WSOP Player of the Year Jeff Madsen.  Madsen respectfully disagreed with the living poker legend via his own Twitter feed, @JeffMadsenObv.  “I respect u doyle but it seems that ur politics aren't very informed are they. Don't listen to television,” wrote Madsen.  Brunson kept the disagreement relatively cordial when he responded to the young pro with this insight: “@JeffMadsenobv..Yep, when I was 23 years old, I thought everybody should get a handout too. Now, I know better, let em get out and work.”

The tiny Twitter spat between the two pros ended on a happy note when Madsen responded with a joke, a smile, and a correction: “@TexDolly hey hey hey! I'm 24!! ”  Madsen later responded to another Tweet Brunson directed towards a mutual friend, which is yet another indication that the two are more than able to agree to disagree.  That may not be the case for some of Brunson’s followers, but hopefully they can take a lesson from the two card players about how to keep their Twitter feuds civil and pleasant.

As for Brunson, he appears to have laid off the political Tweets for a while, although one of his latest blonde jokes had a Presidential theme to it: “Q..Name the most influential 1st Lady in American history...(hint...she was married to John Kennedy)...Blonde answer..Mrs Kennedy.”

T. J. Cloutier’s Championship Bracelets Up For Sale On eBay

Awards in the poker world can range from plaques to large trophies to even the head of an alligator (the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Circuit’s Bayou Poker Classic trophy is the stuffed head of such an animal). One of the most cherished mementos of victory in poker is, of course, the WSOP bracelet that is awarded to each winner of an event in Las Vegas. For one of the most prized trophies in poker to appear for sale is almost unheard of.

This apparently is occurring at this moment and the former owner of the bracelet is none other than longtime poker veteran T.J. Cloutier. For sale on eBay, the popular online auction site, is a WSOP Bracelet won by Cloutier. The information on the site states that the bracelet is the last one that was won by the Texas road gambler in 2005. Information from the WSOP site shows that Cloutier won the last of his six bracelets in 2005 in the $5000 No Limit Hold’em event, where he defeated a final table that included Todd Brunson, John “World” Hennigan and the late John Bonetti to capture the championship.

On sale by the Plano Pawn Shop (which is approximately ten miles from T.J.’s hometown of Richardson, Texas), the auction on eBay has about two days left in the bidding. Asking for a minimum bid of $2999, the 2005 WSOP bracelet has yet to garner any interest from potential buyers. Perhaps anyone interested in the bracelet is wary of its authenticity (the Plano Pawn Shop has stated that the bracelet will come with a certificate of authenticity to prove it is real), but eBay sales are also notorious for not getting any action until the sale is almost over.

According to other details included in the sale information for the WSOP bracelet, the Plano Pawn Shop also has another championship bracelet from Cloutier. This has been confirmed by Poker News Daily as the bracelet from Cloutier’s last major poker championship, the 2007 Scotty Nguyen Poker Challenge IV, and the Plano Pawn Shop’s minimum bid for that bracelet is $2,499. Both of the items are not only for sale on eBay but are also being offered in the Plano Pawn Shop and can be viewed by appointment only.

The actual cash value of a WSOP bracelet is surprisingly easy to determine. From information provided by the Plano Pawn Shop about the Cloutier bracelet, Poker News Daily has determined an approximate value for such an item. With its 96 grams (3.38 ounces) of 14 karat gold (which is 58% gold, with 24K being solid gold) and 0.25 carats in diamonds, the cash value of the 2005 bracelet is roughly $2,350. The inherent value in a WSOP bracelet, of which only about 500 have been awarded, is priceless.

As far as what Cloutier may have received for the WSOP bracelet, an examination of the pawnshop industry would be necessary. When a pawnshop buys a piece of merchandise, it usually will pay anywhere from 30% to 50% of the actual value of an item to ensure that they get a significant return on their investment. With the Plano Pawn Shop putting a price tag of $2,999 on Cloutier’s 2005 WSOP bracelet, it can be logically assumed that the poker pro sold the bracelet for somewhere between $1,000 and $1,500.

The sale of the bracelet has the forums burning with questions about the bracelet and Cloutier’s current financial status. On TwoPlusTwo, players are assuming that Cloutier has gone broke and needs the finances to continue playing poker (at this time, Cloutier has no sponsorship deal) or, some posters imply, to take to the craps tables. Many, however, are lamenting that Cloutier would part with one of his six WSOP bracelets. Poster “Dan_Vincent” writes in his post, “That's sad. You know he didn't get anything close to $2K for this.”

Others, perhaps cruelly, are making jokes about the issue. Citing one of the currently popular reality television shows, poster “Tom Bayes” says, “TJ should have gone on 'Pawn Stars.' Then Corey and Chumlee could have drooled on the bracelet, Rick could call up one of his numerous 'buddies' to give an 'expert' appraisal and then lowball the hell out of TJ, and then the 'Old Man' could tell us how 'real' poker was played 'back in the day.'”

For whatever reason, Cloutier felt as though these two bracelets were items that he could live without. With slightly more than 48 hours left in the two auctions, it remains to be seen how many bids Cloutier’s bracelets will get or if they will even be sold through the eBay auctions at all.

Poker in Twitter: Biloxi, Aussie Millions and the MA Senate Race

Now that the poker community has returned from the Bahamas and are no longer racking up expensive roaming charges on their cell phones, they have been posting on the social networking website Twitter with a newfound dedication.  In the past couple of days, players have been dropping Tweets about the Massachusetts Senate race, Biloxi and Australia prelims, their latest big scores and, of course, current events ranging from politics to television.  With so many Tweets and so little time, we know you might be feeling a little twitterpated, so Poker News Daily has taken the time to cull the best Tweets from the past few days for your reading pleasure:

The PokerStars Caribbean Adventure (PCA) may be over and done with, but the poker community never rests.  Players have already arrived at both the Beau Rivage in Biloxi, Mississippi and the Crown Casino in Melbourne Australia for the Southern Poker Championship and Aussie Millions, respectively.  Some of the players who headed South for the winter and some action at the tables are Team PokerStars Pro Jason Mercier, Brent “Astrolux85” Roberts, Full Tilt’s Gavin Smith and Allen “The Chainsaw” Kessler.

According to Mercier’s Twitter feed (@JasonMercier), his hot streak has continued into 2010, as he already made not one, but two final tables so far in Biloxi.  Mercier filled in his followers on his progress on the 19th, writing, “Beau Rivage event 24 final table 5th place finish.” He followed up his impressive showing in the $500 Pot Limit Omaha with rebuys event with another final table run in the $1,000 No Limit Hold’em event.  When Mercier last posted late Wednesday afternoon, he was poised to book his first win of 2010: “Goin to heads up. I have 1.3 vs guys 900k 68k for first!!!”

Another player who notched their first victory of the year is Annette “Annette_15” Obrestad. The Norwegian online poker sensation headed down under following the PCA and was rewarded with a win in the Aussie Millions Pot Limit Omaha event.  Obrestad posted her tournament progress throughout the event on her Twitter feed (@Annette_15) and let everyone know the event was over with a simple, “yayyyyy i won!!!!” Jon "pokertrip" Friedberg had an idea about one way Obrestad could spend her tournament winnings: “are u playing in the 100k...assuming they r running if this yr? Glgl.” Friedberg is referring to the High Rollers event at the Aussie Millions, which boasts an entry fee of AUD $100,000.

While many players had poker on the brain, a number of pros had their attention fixed on the Massachusetts Senate race.  The election determined which Senator would fill the seat previously occupied by the late Ted Kennedy and many poker players expressed frustration and disappointment over the contest’s results.  The always outspoken Alex Outhred (@alexpokerguy) was quick to post his thoughts on Republican Senator Scott Brown’s victory: “Congrats to Dems for putting in a complete scrub. Well done. Idiots. Congrats to Repub's for beating a complete scrub. Well done. Idiots.”

Annie Duke (@RealAnnieDuke), on the other hand, took the win with a grain of salt and could not resist injecting some humor into her Twitter post reacting to the news: “Upon learning that Mass elected a republican senator I glanced out my window and saw 4 scary looking characters riding in on 4 horses.”

A number of members of the poker community seemed more concerned with another battle taking place, namely for control of “The Tonight Show.” Poker Twitterers seem to be loyal members of Team Conan and several of them have Tweeted about how much they enjoy the redheaded funnyman’s treatment of what is a very awkward, uncomfortable and sensitive situation.  World Poker Tour’s (WPT) Live Updates Hostess Amanda Leatherman made it very clear whose side she is on in a post on her @mandaLeatherman Twitter account Wednesday evening: “Conan is f***king amazing. #teamconan.”

Finally, we will leave you on a positive note with a Tweet that just might be the most random thing we’ve seen the past few days.  Online poker player Shannon Shorr previously tweeted that he was skipping out on the PCA in order to support his alma mater, the University of Alabama, and its football team.  Shorr was one of the thousands of people in attendance at the BCS National Championship game at the Rose Bowl during which the Alabama Crimson Tide bested the University of Texas Longhorns to win the title.  While that may give you some inkling as to how loyal a fan Shorr may be, his most recent Tweet on his @shannonshorr feed revealed his dedication as a fan is on a whole different level: “Impulse bought an Alabama Snuggie from CVS Pharmacy.”

If you are as addicted to Twitter as we are, be sure to follow us @PokerNewsDaily so you can stay up to date on all the breaking news in the poker world and be a part of some PND Twitter exclusives in the coming weeks.

2010 WSOP Rules Permit Twittering at the Table

The official rules for the 2010 World Series of Poker (WSOP) were handed down this week, with tournament organizers adopting a cell phone rule that permits text messaging and Twittering at the table.

All cell phones must be turned off during play. However, as the WSOP regulations note, “Players not involved in a hand (cards in muck) shall be permitted to text/email at the table, but shall not be permitted to text/email any other player at the table.” Twittering of chip counts and memorable hands were staples of the 2009 WSOP, when the social media outlet exploded in popularity. Even poker legends like 10-time bracelet winner Doyle Brunson have become engulfed in Twitter, with “Texas Dolly” now able to spit out additional blonde jokes while seated at the table of any 2010 WSOP event.

Any players who wish to talk on their cell phones must be at least one table length away from their seats while gabbing. Meanwhile, the WSOP logo policy in 2010 will remain the same as it was in 2009. No logo will be permitted that promotes drugs, handguns, lotteries, obscene material, pornography, libel, or “advertises any online gaming site that conducts business with U.S. residents.” Nearly every logo shown on ESPN television cameras in 2009 featured the dot-net version of the site’s URL. Meanwhile, Everest Poker, which had sponsored pro Antoine Saout at the final table of the 2009 Main Event, served as the on-felt sponsor of the tournament series. Everest Poker does not accept players from the United States.

Posters on TwoPlusTwo were quick to critique the 2010 WSOP rules, which incorporated revisions made by the Tournament Directors Association. One point of contention concerned late registration. The rule reads, “Any player registering for an event after all initial tables allocated for that tournament have been filled will begin play at the start of the subsequent level.” In the WSOP Main Event, for example, that could mean a player sitting out as long as two hours, the length of one blind level.

Fans of UB.com poker bad boy Phil Hellmuth may see the 11-time bracelet winner show up on time in 2010 thanks to a rule that governs “no shows,” players who fail to show up by the start of the third level of play. The rule mandates, “These players will have their chips removed from play and will not be eligible to participate in that event. The buy-ins for ‘no shows’ will be removed from the prize pool and placed on safekeeping in that player’s name at the main WSOP registration cage after the second level of play.”

Some posters on TwoPlusTwo questioned whether the “no show” clause meant that if a player saw they had a tough table draw, they could simply un-register by not showing up. Member “pineapple888” explained the dilemma: “It seems like you can register, wander by your table an hour into the event, and if there are too many pros/tough players for your liking, or there aren't enough chips on the table, or whatever (no hot chicks at the table or railbirding), just wander away and claim your refund later without penalty.”

The action gets underway in the 2010 WSOP with the annual $500 buy-in Casino Employees No Limit Hold’em event on May 28th. Also to be held on that date is the brand new $50,000 buy-in Player’s Championship, an Eight-Game mix of Limit Hold'em, Omaha High-Low Split Eight or Better, Seven Card Razz, Seven Card Stud, Seven Card Stud High-Low Split Eight or Better, No Limit Hold'em, Pot Limit Omaha, and 2-7 Triple Draw Lowball. It takes the place of the $50,000 HORSE Championship, which drew a meager 95 players in 2009 after having 148 in 2008.

Also new on the docket in 2010 is a $25,000 buy-in No Limit Hold’em Six-Handed event that starts on June 30th. Many in the industry have questioned WSOP officials introducing a richer No Limit Hold’em tournament than the Main Event, whose buy-in is only $10,000. Nevertheless, the $25,000 Six-Handed contest is sure to attract some of the top names in the worlds of live and online poker.

Check out the official 2010 WSOP rules.

Ilari “Ziigmund” Sahamies playing in the Helsinki Freezeout 2010

Helsinki Freezeout 2010 started on 8th of January and concludes on the 16th. Five different tournaments ranging from lower buy-in tournaments to the 2850€ + 150€ Texas No Limit Main Event. HSN crew has spotted some famous Finnish players in the tournament.

Ziigmund “facebooking” during the dinner break

Ziigmund’s games haven’t gone that good. He had a good chip stack in the Limit Hold’em/PL Omaha Half/Half event, but Ilari seemed to have somekind of flu and eventually managed to spew most of his stack with bluffs.

Also Juha Helppi has played most of the events so far, but just like Ziigmund, his games haven’t gone too good. They have both managed to get nice chip stacks, but in the end they’ve lost all the chips with bad beats or in some thin bluffs.

Juha Helppi at the Grand Casino Helsinki

There’s some international color present as at least the Swedish duo Johan Storåkers and Peter “Nalle” Hedlund are here and also the Russian Konstantin Tolokno has been spotted on sight.

We’ll bring you more updates about the tournaments during the week.

Helsinki Freezeout 2010 Official Site

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Ilari “Ziigmund” Sahamies playing in the Helsinki Freezeout 2010

Ryan D’Angelo, Tyler Reiman Lead PCA Entering Final Table

Eight players remain in the 2010 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure (PCA). Online poker pros Ryan “g0lfa” D’Angelo and Tyler “puffinmypurp” Reiman lead the eight-handed final table by a comfortable margin.

For Reiman, a massive pot against European Poker Tour (EPT) founder John Duthie gave him the ammunition to nip at D’Angelo’s heels entering Monday’s final table. Duthie was all-in pre-flop holding pocket aces, the best starting hand in Texas Hold’em, and held a 4:1 advantage over Reiman’s pocket queens. The flop, however, contained a queen and propelled Reiman into the lead in the hand for good. Duthie was out two hands later, finishing in 12th place for $130,000. Reiman owned a stack of 9.35 million entering the final table, trailing only D’Angelo’s 10.09 million.

D’Angelo comes to the 2010 PCA Main Event with top-tier credentials. He was one of only two dual winners during the 2009 PokerStars World Championship of Online Poker (WCOOP), taking down a $320 buy-in Eight-Game event and a $320 buy-in Mixed tournament. The only other player to accomplish the feat in the September tournament series was Team PokerStars Pro member and former PCA winner Bertrand “Elky” Grospellier, who took down two No Limit Hold’em events.

In third place on the 2010 PCA Main Event leaderboard is Barry Shulman, who is fresh off a victory in the 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Europe Main Event for £801,000. He defeated PokerStars sponsored pro Daniel Negreanu in the finale of that tournament, which also saw Jason Mercier, Praz Bansi, and WSOP Main Event November Nine members Antoine Saout and James Akenhead reach the final table. Shulman owns a stack of 6.81 million entering Monday’s play.

Benjamin “xthesteinx” Zamani sent longtime PCA Main Event chip leader Wayne Bentley packing on Sunday. The 23 year-old called Zamani’s all-in on a flop of 3-8-2, showing pocket deuces for a flopped set. In a scene reminiscent of Joe Cada in the 2009 WSOP Main Event, Bentley turned over pocket jacks and watched in agony as the board ran out 6-7. Bentley, a Brit, took home an even $100,000 consolation prize for his 16th place showing.

Poker pro Jeff Madsen hit the rails in 19th place, pocketing $87,500 from the $10,000 buy-in poker tournament. Norwegian poker player Aage Ravn called Madsen’s all-in with pocket fours and Madsen flipped up A-J for an old fashioned race. The board ran out K-7-9-5-9 and that was all she wrote for the poker rapper.

Who will join D’Angelo, Reiman, Ravn, and Shulman at the eight-handed final table of the 2010 PCA, a stop on the EPT and Latin American Poker Tour (LAPT)? Here’s a look at the leaderboard:

1. Ryan D'Angelo – 10,090,000
2. Tyler Reiman – 9,350,000
3. Barry Shulman – 6,805,000
4. Harrison Gimbel – 6,000,000
5. Thomas Koral – 5,370,000
6. Benjamin Zamani – 3,700,000
7. Zachary Goldberg – 2,340,000
8. Aage Floenes Ravn – 1,690,000

Ravn is the only non-American at the final table. A total of 57 countries were represented among the 1,529 players who entered the 2010 PCA Main Event. About half of those players were from the United States. Now, seven out of eight finalists, or a hefty 88%, hail from the North American nation. Similarly, Shulman, who is 63 years-old, is the only member of the final table older than 26. Gimbel is the baby of the group at 19, while Reiman and Goldberg weigh in at the tender age of 21.

Regardless of a player’s age, life-changing money is on the line when play kicks off this afternoon from the Atlantis Resort and Casino on Paradise Island in the Bahamas. Each player remaining is guaranteed to earn at least $201,000:

1st Place: $2,200,000
2nd Place: $1,750,000
3rd Place: $1,350,000
4th Place: $1,000,000
5th Place: $700,000
6th Place: $450,000
7th Place: $300,000
8th Place: $201,300

The final table kicks off at Noon ET from Atlantis and will continue until a champion is crowned. Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for the latest PCA coverage.

Amir Vahedi Dies

Amir Vahedi was born in Tehran, Iran. Vahedi was a former Iranian soldier and he served during the Iran-Iraq conflict before becoming a war refugee and moving to the United States.

News of Vahedi’s death spread after his close friend Mark Seif posted following post on his twitter:

“I’ve just been told by close friends of Amir Vahedi, that Vahedi passed away in Las Vegas on January 8, 2010, due to complications involving blood sugar levels. Waiting for for more details. Devastating news. Very very sad.”

Many remembers Vahedi for his oversized cigars and matching personality. Vahedi was named no limit Texas hold ‘em player of the year in 2001 and was second to Men Nguyen for Card Player Magazine’s 2003 player of the year.

Year 2003 was his best year in poker resultwise, when he made to the final table of the main event of the World Series of Poker, finishing sixth and also won his first and only bracelet.

Vahedi won over $3.3 million in his poker career in live tournaments. His biggest cash, $446,292, came from winning $1,455 Limit Hold’em tournament in 2005 edition of the L.A. Poker Classic.

Vahedi also tutored of the actor Ben Affleck, after he was bitten by a poker bug.

Sources: pokerlistings

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Amir Vahedi Dies

Amir Vahedi Dies

Born in Tehran, Iran, Vahedi was a former Iranian soldier who moved to the United States as a political refugee.

After owning several businesses in the U.S., Vahedi took on poker as a full-time profession, rising to prominence in 2003 when he won his first and only World Series of Poker bracelet and finished sixth in the Main Event.

Vahedi’s career tournament earnings totaled more than $3.3 million and he once famously tutored actor Ben Affleck when Affleck caught the poker bug.

He was named No-Limit Texas Hold'em Player of the Year in 2001 and had nine No-Limit final table appearances in 2003 alone.

However, the Sherman Oaks, California resident was perhaps most famous for constantly chomping on an unlit cigar at the poker table.

Visit PokerListings.com

Microgaming Changes its Rake Policies to Attract Fish

The popular Microgaming Network is trying to motivate players to throw more chips on the felt with a change to its rake calculation policies, which will now follow the “weighted contribution” method instead of the previous “contributed” method. In a contributed rake, all players in a hand are allocated an equal share of the rake regardless of how much they actually spent in the hand, so the player who only paid the small blind would accrue as many rake points as the one who went all-in. This is, of course, very attractive to tight players, who accumulate rake points without a great investment.

The weighted method is arguably fairer, as described in Microgaming’s press release: “The new Weighted Contribution method is similar to the contributed method, except that the rake is allocated proportionally based on the amount contributed to the raked pot, enabling a fairer rake distribution.” This means that a more aggressive player will get a larger share of the rake points than a tighter one, making promotions easier to obtain to players who invest more.

Ladbrokes Poker, a member of the Microgaming network, announced the change to its players with the following communication:

Ladbrokes Poker will be changing the rake calculation method to “weighted – contributed rake”. This method is 100% accurate as only active players are allotted rake contribution. Individual contributions are determined in direct proportion to the amount of money players have contributed to the pot. Please note there is no increase in the total rake taken per hand. This is merely a change in how rake is allocated to individual players. The more you contribute to the pot the more player points you will earn.

In order to bring you more players, Ladbrokes Poker will be opening even more levels to the Microgaming network. Open network levels will now include No Limit Texas Hold’em Euro tables at 0.02/0.04, 0.10/0.20, 0.50/1.00 and 2.00/4.00.

The new levels announced by Ladbrokes illustrate the bottom line behind this change in rake calculation, which is to make the fish come out and play. Microgaming Poker Channel Lead Andrew Clucas explained: “The introduction of the new Weighted Contribution will reward operators with a greater proportion of looser, fishy type players, encouraging them to target these players proactively.” Grinders and shark are bad news for a poker network, since they discourage new players and leave very little money behind them, while loose and aggressive players inject more money into the poker networks, which is a good thing for the players, the rooms and the network.

The other consideration that motivated this decision is the desire to discourage tight players who are only after easy rakeback. As individual rooms offer more and more rakeback to entice new customers, the rooms’ and the networks’ coffers suffer from slimmer and slimmer profit margins due to smart players who make the most of the system. Clucas commented in this respect: “It is believed this initiative will encourage the right sort of contributing players into the Network whilst discouraging the grinding type of behaviours which can be so negative to the health of the Network.”

Other large networks, including Bodog and Boss Media, have taken similar measures to encourage looser play, while taking even more severe measures to restrain rakeback practices among their operators.

FTOPS XV Schedule Announced

Kicking off on February 10th on Full Tilt Poker is the 15th Full Tilt Online Poker Series (FTOPS). The quarterly tournament series is the first of 2010 and features 27 events with more than $17 million in guaranteed prize money.

Continuing the tradition, the Main Event of FTOPS XV will be a $535 buy-in No Limit Hold’em tournament featuring at least $2.5 million up for grabs. The event takes place on Sunday, February 21st at 18:00 ET. During the Main Event of FTOPS XIV, 5,471 poker hopefuls took to the felts of the world’s second largest online poker site, with “zhivago2” emerging victorious for $418,000 after a three-way chop. Also involved were “ItsTime2Win” (second place for $316,000) and poker pro Adam Junglen, who cashed for $290,000 and officially took third.

A Full Tilt pro hosts each of the 27 FTOPS XV events and the kickoff tournament takes place on February 10th. The $216 buy-in contest boasts at least $1 million up for grabs and is sure to draw a crowd. Knockouts, shootouts, cashouts, six-max, and heads-up events will be held across a variety of poker disciplines including Texas Hold’em, Omaha, HORSE, Seven-Game, Stud, and Razz. As if that weren’t enough, the MiniFTOPS XV schedule will pan out from March 10th to 21st after a one-month break.

Here is the schedule for the 15th FTOPS. All times are Eastern:

Event #1: Wednesday, February 10th at 21:00 ET
$200 + $16 No Limit Hold'em
$1,000,000 Guaranteed

Event #2: Thursday, February 11th at 14:00 ET
$240 + $16 Pot Limit Omaha Eight or Better Knockout
$250,000 Guaranteed

Event #3: Thursday, February 11th at 21:00 ET
$500 + $35 No Limit Hold'em 3x Shootout
$350,000 Guaranteed

Event #4: Friday, February 12th at 14:00 ET
$200 + $16 No Limit Hold'em Cubed
$600,000 Guaranteed

Event #5: Friday, February 12th at 21:00 ET
$200 + $16 Limit Hold'em Six-Max
$150,000 Guaranteed

Event #6: Saturday, February 13th at 14:00 ET
$500 + $35 Pot Limit Omaha Six-Max
$350,000 Guaranteed

Event #7: Saturday, February 13th at 16:00 ET
$100 + $9 No Limit Hold'em with Rebuys
$600,000 Guaranteed

Event #8: Sunday, February 14th at 14:00 ET
$120 + $9 No Limit Hold'em Knockout
$800,000 Guaranteed

Event #9: Sunday, February 14th at 16:00 ET
$500 + $35 No Limit Hold'em Heads-Up
$400,000 Guaranteed

Event #10: Sunday, February 14th at 18:00 ET
$300 + $22 No Limit Hold'em
$1,500,000 Guaranteed

Event #11: Monday, February 15th at 14:00 ET
$200 + $16 Omaha High-Low Split Eight or Better
$200,000 Guaranteed

Event #12: Monday, February 15th at 21:00 ET
$1,000 + $60 No Limit Hold’em
$1,500,000 Guaranteed

Event #13: Tuesday, February 16th at 14:00 ET
$300 + $22 No Limit Hold'em 4x Shootout Six-Max
$300,000 Guaranteed

Event #14: Tuesday, February 16th at 21:00 ET
$500 + $35 HORSE
$300,000 Guaranteed

Event #15: Tuesday, February 16th at 21:00 ET
$200 + $16 No Limit Hold'em Turbo
$600,000 Guaranteed

Event #16: Wednesday, February 17th at 14:00 ET
$200 + $16 Seven-Game
$150,000 Guaranteed

Event #17: Wednesday, February 17th at 21:00 ET
$300 + $22 No Limit Hold'em Six-Max with Rebuys
$1,000,000 Guaranteed

Event #18: Thursday, February 18th at 14:00 ET
$200 + $16 No Limit Hold'em Cashout
$150,000 Guaranteed

Event #19: Thursday, February 18th at 21:00 ET
$200 + $16 Stud
$100,000 Guaranteed

Event #20: Friday, February 19th at 14:00 ET
$200 + $16 No Limit Hold'em Six-Max
$500,000 Guaranteed

Event #21: Friday, February 19th at 21:00 ET
$300 + $22 Razz
$150,000 Guaranteed

Event #22: Saturday, February 20th at 14:00 ET
$2,500 + $120 No Limit Hold'em Ante From Start Two-Day Six-Max
$2,000,000 Guaranteed

Event #23: Saturday, February 20th at 16:00 ET
$100 + $9 Pot Limit Omaha with Rebuys
$400,000 Guaranteed

Event #24: Saturday, February 20th at 21:00 ET
$500 + $20 No Limit Hold'em Super Turbo Six-Max
$250,000 Guaranteed

Event #25: Sunday, February 21st at 14:00 ET
$240 + $16 No Limit Hold'em Knockout Six-Max
$800,000 Guaranteed

Event #26: Sunday, February 21st at 16:00 ET
$200 + $16 Pot Limit Omaha Heads-Up
$150,000 Guaranteed

FTOPS XV Main Event: Sunday, February 21st at 18:00 ET
$500 + $35 No Limit Hold'em
$2,500,000 Guaranteed

Full Tilt Poker happily accepts customers from the United States and trails only PokerStars in terms of traffic.

WSOP Hold’em Legends Game Released for iPhone

World Series of Poker (WSOP) Hold’em Legends is now available for Apple iPhone and iPod Touch.  Although these applications have been available on other mobile platforms, this is the first time that the poker video game has appeared on Apple products.  It’s the perfect game for addicts on the go who need to get in their Hold’em fix.  The game features 25 different events across seven venues, including cash and tournament play.

One of the great things about this program is that there is a multiplayer function.  This allows you to play against other live opponents when you have an internet connection.  There’s also a peer-to-peer option to play friends heads-up via Bluetooth.

The game is centered on a career mode, where you start out with a modest $100 bankroll.  Every venue that you can go to includes an introductory video.  Players can go to these venues, five of which are actual real-life Harrah’s properties, and participate in cash games or tournaments.  When you start the game, you can go into the “Player” section and set your user name and avatar.  There is also a section to see what achievements you have unlocked as well as accumulated game play stats.

The first thing you can do is go to the “local pub” and play in the one-table sit and go or $1-$2 cash game.  As you win and your bankroll grows, you can buy into bigger and better events at more prestigious casinos that include the Rio Las Vegas, the Casino at the Empire in London, and Caesars Palace.

With most of the glory found in the “Legend Career” section of the game, you’ll probably want to play in the $20 local single-table tournament.  Once you’ve raised your bankroll up to about $400, you can comfortably sit in the $1-$2 cash game.  Players who don’t have a lot of experience will easily get through to this point in the game, assuming you don’t run into any bad beats or coolers.  Once you’ve established yourself in the game and built up a modest bankroll, it will be time to venture out to some exotic casinos.

The first step of the game past the pub is Harrah’s New Orleans, which features four events like all other venues in the game.  The tournaments in New Orleans include a $30 sit and go, $30 turbo sit and go, $30 winner-take-all sit and go, and a $50 two-table shootout event.  Past that venue is the Harrah’s Atlantic City, which sports a $150 sit and go, $150 turbo sit and go, $150 winner-take-all sit and go, and WSOP Event #1, a $250 two-table tournament.

You’ll cut your teeth playing cards in those locations and once you’ve ready, you can move up to the big time at Caesars Palace.  These events include $750 versions of the three tournaments you regularly play along with WSOP Event #2, which has a $1,000 buy-in.  The next venue is Sharks Bay, where all events cost $3,000 to participate.  If you’ve done enough, you’ll unlock the “VIP Game,” which costs $5,000.  All events at the next stop, the Casino at the Empire, are $15,000, with Circuit Event #3 being a slightly higher $25,000 two-table tournament.  If you’ve made it through all of those events, you will finally get a chance to play at the Rio and any of its $100,000 tournaments.  The final event is the $250,000 WSOP Main Event, a two-table tournament.

The controls work via the touch screen in a very intuitive fashion.  If you want to shove your chips in, just slide your chips into the middle.  If you want to muck your cards, just flick the cards into the muck and the game knows you’ve folded.  If you do not care to watch the entire hand or action of a round play out, you can just tap on the screen and the game will auto-fast forward.  The AI of the game gets stronger as you go forward, but novice players won’t be challenged much.

In terms of poker satisfaction, the game is leaps and bounds ahead of what Apple offered with its Texas Hold’em game.  The fact that when this game is one sale, like it was during its release for $2.99, this game is a must-buy for all poker fans armed with an iPod Touch or iPhone.  Even at the regular price, it’s still a deal for poker players to have some fun and play some cards.

Justin Bonomo (ZeeJustin) No Longer a Bodog Poker Pro

Two months after Jean-Robert Bellande lost his status as a sponsored pro of the online poker room Bodog, Justin “ZeeJustin” Bonomo also appears to be out. Bonomo is no longer listed as a member of Team Bodog on the poker room’s website.

David Williams and Evelyn Ng are the lone survivors of Team Bodog, whose numbers have been cut in half since mid-November. Bonomo owns more than $1.2 million in career earnings from World Series of Poker (WSOP) and Circuit Events and brought Bodog a considerable amount of exposure after final tabling the $40,000 buy-in No Limit Hold’em tournament commemorating the 40th running of the WSOP in 2008. Bonomo claimed fifth place for $413,000 in the event, which aired on ESPN. One month prior, he captured his first Circuit gold ring by winning the Caesars Palace Championship tournament for $227,000, defeating Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi heads-up.

Bonomo appeared on the UB.com-sposored poker news show “Poker2Nite” last week, breaking down a hand from a $5,000 Mixed Hold’em event during the 2008 WSOP. In the segment, dubbed “In the Tank,” Bonomo wore no Bodog logo and, as taped rolled from the event two years ago, the Bodog logo on Bonomo’s white shirt was blurred out. In the end, Bonomo finished as the runner-up to Full Tilt Poker pro Erick Lindgren and banked $230,000.

Bonomo is still listed on Bodog’s website in a Heads-Up TLB Records console. In addition, Bonomo’s Twitter page continues to boast a Bodog logo. Now, Williams and Ng will serve as the face of the USA-friendly online poker room, sports book, and casino. According to the traffic ranking outlet PokerScout.com, Bodog is the 15th largest site or network worldwide with a seven-day running average of 840 real money ring game players. During its peak hours, nearly 1,500 cash game enthusiasts call the site home. Bodog is the fifth largest site to accept players from the United States, trailing PokerStars, Full Tilt Poker, the CEREUS Network, and the Cake Poker Network.

During November’s running of the Bodog Poker Open, three sponsored online pros took to the field in the Main Event. They included Smith “nevertilt22” Collins, Jonathan UFPokerStar Westra, and Ari Engel, who ultimately took third in the 257-player tournament for $16,000. A total of 2,646 players showed up for the 11 events that comprised the Bodog Poker Open’s Championship and Contender series, creating a total prize pool of $368,000. The online poker site added another $65,000 to the kitty.

Bonomo’s image was removed from Bodog’s website during the day on Saturday. Williams appeared during a high-stakes home game as part of the G4 online poker reality show “2 Months, $2 Million,” which starred Dani Stern, Jay Rosenkrantz, Emil Patel, and Brian Roberts. Williams lost $50,000 during the game, which took place at the Las Vegas home of the “2 Months, $2 Million” cast and also featured Team PokerStars Pro member Bertrand “Elky” Grospellier and David “Viffer” Peat.

In November, Bellande lost his status as a Bodog pro. Last February, Bellande renewed his sponsorship agreement with the online poker room. However, it was not picked up once it expired, as a Bodog Poker Room Manager told Poker News Daily in November, "Jean-Robert Bellande’s deal with Bodog Poker expired at the end of October and the decision was made not to renew the deal. It has been an absolute pleasure having Jean-Robert as one of Bodog.com’s Poker pros and we wish him all the best."

Ads running on Bodog’s poker website promote betting on the Fiesta Bowl, which pits Texas Christian University (TCU) against Boise State. At the time of writing, TCU sits as an eight point favorite. Wagering is also open on the Orange Bowl, GMAC Bowl, and Thursday’s BCS Championship game.

South Carolina Attorney General Appeals Poker Skill Game Ruling

The fight for five poker players in South Carolina is far from over. According to the Associated Press, the state’s Attorney General will appeal the October ruling that Texas Hold’em, the world’s premier poker genre, is a skill game.

It’s a familiar debate as the poker industry enters 2010. Is Texas Hold’em a game of skill or is it ultimately determined by chance? South Carolina Attorney General Henry McMaster filed an appeal with the state’s Supreme Court, the Associated Press explained on Thursday: “McMaster's appeal says he doesn't think whether there is skill or just chance involved has anything to do with lawmakers' attempt to ban gambling. The attorney general skipped the Court of Appeals and filed with the state Supreme Court, saying the question deals with the constitution's wording on gambling.”

Five poker players were charged in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina back in 2006. According to the favorable ruling by Judge Markley Dennis in October, the buy-ins for a weekly home game in the South Carolina town varied between $5 and $20. The small blind was $0.25 and the big blind was $0.50, with pots ranging between $5 and $10. Fifty cents was taken from several pots in order to provide food and drink for players, but the “house” did not profit from the game.

The game got ugly on April 12th, 2006, when police officers raided it and began arresting participants on the grounds that they were playing in a “house used as a place of gambling.” The defendants, under the guidance of the Poker Players Alliance (PPA), argued that poker is a game of skill, not chance, and therefore did not constitute illegal gambling. The trial court heard the case in February, which featured World Poker Tour (WPT) host Mike Sexton recap hands played on the roving tournament series to demonstrate poker’s skill component.

Dr. Robert Hannum was also brought in to testify last February. The October ruling explains, “Dr. Hannum also testified that a statistical analysis of professional poker players demonstrated that past performance was a reliable indicator of future success, establishing that the skill of the player was the predominant factor in determining wins and losses.” The lower court ruled that poker was a game of skill. However, because South Carolina’s laws were vague on whether that mattered, the five defendants were found guilty.

An appeal was filed, setting up October’s ruling. Judge Dennis candidly explained, “This Court agrees with Appellants that the South Carolina Supreme Court, if faced with the question, would adopt the dominant factor test for the purpose of defining gambling.” He added, “It should also be noted that the South Carolina Attorney General has consistently applied the dominant factor test when providing opinions about whether certain activities are legal.”

Judge Dennis harped on the overwhelmingly broad nature of South Carolina’s gambling statute, which could be construed to mean that nearly any game played with cards or dice is illegal. Judge Dennis specifically called out Bunco, Go Fish, and Solitaire as possible infractions of state law, saying, “Simply put, [the law], as written, has the potential to make criminals of virtually every man, woman, and child in the state of South Carolina.” Twenty of the original defendants pled guilty to gambling charges, while five fought against the state.

According to the Charleston Post and Courier newspaper, the filing by the Attorney General was 57 pages long and McMaster is a Republican candidate for Governor. The Courier revealed, “No timetable has been set on when the case will be heard, and more rounds of legal filings are expected. The legislature is expected to take up a bill legalizing social card games next year.”

Doyle Brunson: “Talk is cheap because the supply exceeds the demand.”

The one and only poker legend, Doyle “Texas Dolly” Brunson, writes about his huge losing streak and everyday life in his latest blog entry.

“Texas Dolly” writes about how he broke his own poker rule when hitting a bad run. If you have 4-5 losing session in a row, you should take a break from poker, “But, the games look good and I couldn’t stop, and I’ve paid the price by losing seven out of the last eight plays. I won’t get close to another poker table until 2010,” Doyle says.

Now, when the year 2009 is nearing its end, Doyle recalls the past, “As the year winds down, I can’t help reflecting on the past. The thing that bothers me the most is the foolish things I did when I was young and the fact I can’t go back and do them again. Life isn’t fair, but it’s still good, and when it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile. :)”

Source: Card Player

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Doyle Brunson: “Talk is cheap because the supply exceeds the demand.”

2009 Online Poker Year in Review

In 2009, the online poker world continued to provide excitement, drama, and controversy for the denizens that participated in the game. 2009 saw a great deal of changes in the number of rooms offered as the competition for customers became fierce. In addition, cash games - a long neglected area of online poker - became the featured event for online poker, outdistancing the industry’s multi-table tournaments.

At the beginning of 2009, online wunderkind Tom “durrrr” Dwan issued the Million Dollar Challenge to the online world. Dwan stated that he would take on anyone in a heads-up battle that would last 50,000 hands. Playing a minimum of four tables at $200/$400 Pot Limit Omaha or No Limit Texas Hold’em, the challenge was for Dwan’s opponent to come out on top after the required number of hands. If Dwan were ahead by $1 or more, his opponent must fork over $500,000. If Dwan's opponent were ahead by $1 or more, “durrrr” would cough up $1.5 million.

While the only player excluded from the Durrrr Challenge was Phil “OMGClayAiken” Galfond, there were plenty of players willing to take on Dwan. Phil Ivey and David Benyamine threw their hats into the ring, but it was another poker superstar, Patrik Antonius, who drew the honor of being the first to step up. Taking place on the virtual tables at Full Tilt Poker, the Durrrr Challenge set off early in 2009.

The play in the online event has been hit-and-miss throughout the calendar year, but each session has been crowded with railbirds watching the battle and online sites like DurrrrChallenge.com have been offering commentary on the proceedings. Due to their hectic live play schedules and the mid-year World Series of Poker (WSOP), there have only been 29,764 hands played between Antonius and Dwan as 2009 comes to a close. After Antonius started out with a lead, Dwan mounted a huge comeback. As the year comes to a close, “durrrr” has been able to amass a nearly $1 million lead over Antonius.

The other online poker headline that has captured the community’s attention is the phenomenon that is “Isildur1.” The Scandinavian came from nowhere to take on the biggest guns in the game at nosebleed stakes on Full Tilt Poker. Demonstrating great skill at the tables, the most confounding thing for online poker aficionados was the identity of the mystery Swede. While there has been conjecture by many, “Isildur1” has been able to keep his identity secret.

At the tables, “Isildur1” has played some of the biggest names in the game. He was able to take a few million dollars out of Dwan’s pockets before running into Antonius at the table. Antonius was able to take back much of what was lost by Dwan and, as the year closed, poker professional Brian Hastings depleted the remainder of “Isildur1’s” bankroll.

The defeat at the hands of Hastings has caused a tidal wave of debate in the online world, however. Hastings admitted to using datamined hands from other players to study “Isildur1’s” tendencies, resulting in a 30-day Red Pro suspension for fellow CardRunners instructor Brian Townsend. “Isildur1” is considering filing a complaint to regain the money lost in the session against Hastings. Even if the complaint is turned down, “Isildur1” has said that he will be back and 2010 should be a very interesting year in high-stakes cash games if he does.

Many may have thought that the enactment of the Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act (UIGEA), which had been slated to begin in December, would have caused people to leave the game. Online poker, however, refused to fall prey and continued on stronger than ever. With the delay of enforcement of the UIGEA until mid-2010 and the possibility of other legislation that would amend it, online poker continues to draw new blood into its ranks. According to PokerScout.com, the industry is growing at an annual rate of 30%.

Finally, the closure and consolidation of non-U.S. facing online poker rooms was a major story throughout 2009. Sites like Eurolinx and BetOnBet closed under mysterious circumstances that are still being investigated by police and Pitbull Poker closed its doors after an alleged superuser scandal. DoylesRoom, headed by the legendary Doyle Brunson, joined the Cake Poker Network, as did Third Bullet Poker.

This type of consolidation should continue through 2010 as the online poker world streamlines itself to maximize its earnings and create stronger competition against such online behemoths as PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker.

The Nightly Turbo: UB’s Newest Team Pro, Another Poker Robbery in Texas, and More

In tonight's Nightly Turbo line-up, we tell you who UB recently signed as their newest Team Pro, about another poker robbery in Texas, and more. In Case You Missed It

2009 WSOP Year in Review

When the late gaming legend Benny Binion brought the World Series of Poker (WSOP) on the world, little did he know what it would become. What began 40 years ago as a gathering of Texas road gamblers in a quaint Las Vegas hotel has grown to become a behemoth that now spans an entire calendar year. By 2009, the WSOP was no longer a week-long reunion, but rather a year-long caravan that traverses the United States and ventures across the Atlantic to play in England.

While many may still think the WSOP begins in June, it truly takes place year-round with the WSOP Circuit. Now in its fifth year, the WSOP Circuit was created to combat the drawing power and success of the World Poker Tour (WPT) and, for the most part, has been successful. In 2009, many Circuit events took place that brought special moments.

The WSOP Circuit could be considered the minor leagues of poker, offering previously unknown players a chance to make their name in the game. In addition, such professional players as Gavin Smith, Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi, Men “The Master” Nguyen, Matt “All In At 420” Stout, and Alex Bolotin made final tables during the run of the 2009 WSOP Circuit schedule prior to the start of the Las Vegas WSOP in May. Justin “ZeeJustin” Bonomo and Los Angeles poker veteran Jean “Prince” Gaspard took home WSOP Circuit championships, but perhaps the person who can say he “pwns” the Circuit is Dwyte Pilgrim.

Pilgrim began an unprecedented run by capturing the title at Harrah’s Rincon in San Diego in April and rolled off four consecutive cashes in WSOP Circuit Championship Events, something that no other player had ever done. With this performance, the Brooklyn, New York poker player established himself as one of the up and coming stars of poker.

Days after Gaspard’s triumph at the New Orleans WSOP Circuit Championship Event, the 40th Anniversary WSOP kicked off in Las Vegas at the Rio. With a new sponsor in Jack Links Beef Jerky, the 57 bracelet events drew combatants from around the world, with over 120 nations represented. While it wasn’t known when the cards first flew in late May, the 40th WSOP would go down as arguably one of the best of all time.

For the first time ever at the WSOP, a No Limit Texas Hold’em event was held that exceeded the traditional $10,000 Championship Event. The $40,000 Anniversary Special drew some of the top names in the game. Former World Champion Greg Raymer drove deep into the event before falling in third place. Eventual champion Vitaly Lunkin bested Isaac Haxton to take down the once in a lifetime championship.

In such a combative field over the multitude of events, there were an astounding four multiple bracelet winners during the 2009 WSOP. Full Tilt Poker could claim two in Phil Ivey and Greg “FBT” Mueller and Brock Parker announced his arrival on the poker world with his two bracelet victories. Making history, though, was poker veteran Jeffrey Lisandro; his three bracelet wins in different Stud disciplines were enough to enable him to capture the 2009 WSOP Player of the Year award.

The $10,000 Main Event drew a substantial field of 6,494, which would have been larger except for a Day 1D fiasco that prevented an estimated additional 500 players from participating. After two weeks of play, the poker world was once again set for the November Nine, with amateur poker player Darvin Moon leading a pack of players that included Ivey and fellow poker notable Jeff Shulman.

The £10,000 WSOP Europe Main Event drew 334 players and saw two members of the 2009 “November Nine,” Antoine Saout and James Akenhead, make the final table. Eventual champion Barry Shulman, the father of Jeff, defeated crowd favorite Daniel Negreanu via a stunning, rivered two-outer on the next to last hand of the tournament.

After the furor of WSOP Europe calmed down, the November Nine came back to the felt on November 7th to determine the next World Champion. Moon held his own at the final table, as Ivey was dismissed in seventh and Shulman departed in fifth. Saout made a stirring run at the title, starting as the short stack, but battling through adversity to finish third. The true story of the November Nine, though, was Joe Cada.

Cada rode a roller coaster through the final table, his chip stack surging up and down throughout the 14-hour battle. At one point, his stack was at 2.5 million, but he began a comeback for the ages.

With a tremendous chip lead, the youthful Cada, who was weaned on online play, seemed to be the odds-on favorite to take out Moon, who eschewed sponsorship from online poker rooms. It took a rousing two and a half hours of play, with the chip lead shifting back and forth, before Cada emerged as the champion. With the victory, Cada eclipsed the record for youngest WSOP Main Event champion ever, set in 2008 by Peter Eastgate.

The most stunning development of the year in the WSOP occurred after the completion of the November Nine. Longtime WSOP Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack announced on November 13th that he would step down as the leader of the penultimate event in poker after a four-year run. During his time as Commissioner, Pollack increased the visibility of the WSOP, brought huge sponsorships to the tournament, and introduced the November Nine concept to the Main Event. While there were some low points in his tenure as commissioner, Pollack helped to enrich the history of the WSOP and left his mark on the venerable institution. As of December, there has been no move to replace Pollack in the position of WSOP Commissioner.

As the calendar turns to 2010, the WSOP continues to roll along. Even now, people are already in preparation for the event, much as it has been for the past 40 years and will continue to be for decades to come.

Jennifer Tilly hosting charity tournament

Jennifer Tilly will host the 2nd Annual All In for CP Celebrity No-Limit Texas Hold’em Poker Tournament next Saturday, Dec. 12.

“All in for CP” was organized first time last year and the event raised $44.000 for the cause. This year they aim to get even more money for One Step Closer Foundation. 50% of the funds they raise will go directly to the Foundation.

“All in for CP” will gather up people from TV and Movie business, but also some poker professionals and other celebrities.

Jamie Gold, Barry Greenstein, Todd Brunson, Phil Laak, Clonie Gowen and Men “The Master” Nguyen have already confirmed their attendance.

Other celebrities playing in the tournament are the last year’s winner and The Simpsons creator Sam Simon, actor Ken Davitian, Shannon Elizabeth, Anthrax guitarist Scott Ian, Shawn “Napster” Fanning and some Playboy playmates.

The tournament is held in Las Vegas, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. Buy-in will be $500 and re-buy $200. There’s going to be a celebrity afterparty as well, which will be sponsored by the Poker Players Alliance (PPA).

Source: Pokerlistings, AllInforCP

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Jennifer Tilly hosting charity tournament

Tilly Hosting Charity Tournament for CP

The 2nd Annual All In for CP Celebrity No-Limit Texas Hold’em Poker Tournament is set for Saturday, Dec. 12 at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino.

The buy-in is $550 with $200 Re-Buys and a host of celebrities from all walks of life are already planning to attend.

Actors Dean Cain, Ken Davitian, Shannon Elizabeth, and Glenn Morshower have all confirmed, along with TV personality Montel Williams, and last year's champion, Simpsons creator Sam Simon, who donated his winnings to the One Step Closer Foundation.

Anthrax guitarist Scott Ian, Napster creator Shawn Fanning and WWE diva Alicia Webb will also be there, joining Playboy Playmates Stacy Fusion, Jennifer Leigh, and Brande Roderick, who plans on bringing her husband and former Denver Broncos linebacker Glenn Cadrez.

Poker players returning for this year's tournament include 2006 WSOP Main Event champion Jamie Gold, Barry Greenstein, Pam and Todd Brunson, Phil Laak, Clonie Gowen, and Men 'the Master' Nguyen.

The tournament is the brainchild of Jacob Zalewski, who suffers from Cerebral Palsy.

"We hope to see a future where Cerebral Palsy is a thing of the past," says Zalewski. "We know we are getting one step closer to that vision everyday."

The event kicks off at the Hard Rock at 2 p.m. PT and will include a celebrity after-party sponsored by the Poker Player Alliance.

Founded in 2007, The One Step Closer Foundation is a non-profit, charitable organization whose main goal is to ease the lives of those who suffer from Cerebral Palsy.

The organization also aims to financially assist researchers looking for medical advancements in treating and diagnosing Cerebral Palsy.

Last year the tournament raised $44,000 for the cause.

For tickets and information, call 281-740-8604 or check out the event’s website.

Visit PokerListings.com

Jonny Hewston avoids prison over unpaid court fines

Cannock based poker pro Jonny ‘Texas’ Hewston has narrowly avoided a spell at Her Majesty’s pleasure due to the timely intervention of his wife. The former World Open runner up was facing the prospect of a three-month spell behind bars due unpaid motoring fines totalling £2,772. He left Cannock Magistrates court a free man though after his wife produced the cash on the spot to pay the fine.

ECOOP V Kicks Off, thanasis1982 Event #1 Champion

The fifth European Championship of Online Poker (ECOOP) has gotten off to an excellent start on Monday, with “thanasis1982” becoming its first tournament winner.

In its fifth year, the ECOOP has become the top tournament schedule on the iPoker Network, which is comprised of such rooms as Titan Poker, Celeb Poker, and Paddy Power Poker. This year’s tournament series, which started on Monday and lasts until December 6th, runs the gamut in a test of poker skills and boasts guaranteed prize pools that are sure to draw sizeable fields. If the remainder of the schedule goes as Event #1 did, ECOOP V should be one of the top online tournament schedules of 2009.

Event #1 was a $215 No Limit Hold’em tournament that attracted 1,241 players from across the European continent, Canada, and other hot poker spots outside of the United States. While it didn’t crack the $250,000 guarantee, 150 players were guaranteed to walk away with at least $275 for their efforts. Starting with 3,000 chips and 20-minute levels, however, it would also be an endurance test for those who took to the virtual felt.

After the elimination of “VeniVidiVici78” in 11th place, the final table players were guaranteed a payday of $3,500. As the time worked into the wee hours of Tuesday morning, the players slowly dropped away until only “analika” and “thanasis1982” remained to battle for the championship. The final cards came when the tournament clock clicked to 9 hours and 17 minutes of play, when “thanasis1982” was able to vanquish “analika” to take the $52,500 first place prize. While disappointed that there wasn’t an ECOOP championship to go with the money, “analika” walked away with a consolation prize of $27,500.

This year’s schedule will be a total test of a player’s skills, as it features challenging events in many disciplines of poker. Texas Hold’em and Omaha dominate the schedule, but there are also tournaments in Stud, Omaha Hi/Lo, and rebuy formats on the schedule. The remainder of the 13-day schedule and the guaranteed money for each tournament lines up as follows:

November 24th: Seven Card Stud
$250+$18 buy-in
$50,000 guaranteed

November 25th: No Limit Hold’em Turbo
$100+$9 buy-in
$200,000 guaranteed

November 26th: No Limit Hold’em
$750+$50 buy-in
$350,000 guaranteed

November 27th: Pot Limit Omaha Hi/Lo
$100+$9 buy-in
$100,000 guaranteed

November 28th: Pot Limit Omaha Six-Max
$1,000+$60 buy-in
$150,000 guaranteed

November 29th: No Limit Hold’em
$500+$35 buy-in
$500,000 guaranteed

November 30th: No Limit Hold’em
$2,500+$100 buy-in
$500,000 guaranteed

December 1st: Pot Limit Omaha R&A
$100+$9 buy-in
$150,000 guaranteed

December 2nd: No Limit Hold’em Six-Max
$300+$20 buy-in
$300,000 guaranteed

December 3rd: Limit Hold’em Six-Max
$200+$15 buy-in
$100,000 guaranteed

December 4th: No Limit Hold’em R&A
$100+$9 buy-in
$300,000 guaranteed

December 5th: Pot Limit Omaha
$400+$30 buy-in
$100,000 guaranteed

December 6th: ECOOP V Main Event
$1,500+$80 buy-in
$1.5 million guaranteed

All totaled, over the 14 tournaments that the ECOOP V features, there are guaranteed prize pools that total over $4.5 million.

Gap Concept: Always Watch Out for the 3Bet

If you have played any serious poker in your lifetime, then you have seen the following situation occur at the tables. A player either limps in or raises the pot in early position with a small pocket pair and gets re-popped by another player. As others muck, suddenly a third person joins the battle with a re-raise of their own. The first person calls (or moves all-in), the second person makes their decision, and the third person turns up pocket kings or aces. After the carnage is done, the inexperienced player who was just crushed usually says, “How was I supposed to know he had a big hand?” He should have known what the situation was easily because you always must watch out for the 3bet.

Whether you are playing Limit or No Limit Texas Hold’em, the player willing to take the chance with a 3bet usually has an extremely strong hand because of a philosophy known as the Gap Concept. This theory, originally espoused by noted poker author David Sklansky, opines that a player has to have a stronger hand to make a call or re-raise after there has been action in front of them. In other words, if there has been a raise and a re-raise in front of my action with A-J, I can pretty much count that my cards aren’t going to be good.

A perfect example of this principle in action occurred this summer during the World Series of Poker Main Event. Down to two tables, a player raised with pocket eights and brought a re-raise out of November Niner Steven Begleiter, who held pocket kings. The next three hands after him – pocket jacks, A-K, and pocket tens – took their time to analyze the situation and, one by one, found the muck. Begleiter would go on to win the hand.

What the three players did after Begleiter was take into account the Gap Concept. Because Begleiter was three betting the pot, signaling a big hand, the jacks, Big Slick, and tens knew that they were at the minimum facing pocket queens. In fact, one of the players who folded his hand, 2009 WSOP Main Event Champion Joe Cada (who held the A-K), would not have been around to play for the title had he played his hand.

Even in the current age of aggressive online play, the Gap Concept still has value. If in late position a player holds a mid-pair and sees a raise and a re-raise in front of him, there has to be credit given to the 3bet most of all. In Limit, a player may be able to call the bet and at the minimum see a flop. If the player misses, the hand can easily be mucked. In No Limit, however, the player who calls or re-raises the 3bet could very well be massively behind and/or out of the tournament when they run into a larger pair or A-K.

Even putting the Gap Concept into practice, there are times when a player is short stacked and has to take a shot. In most situations, such as in the early or middle segments of a tournament, a shrewd player will take the time to break down the playing style of the opponent and the situation to determine the price they are getting to make the correct decision.

Exercising the Gap Concept theory may be elementary to many longtime players, but newcomers to the game still make the error in not giving credence to the 3bet. For a player to come over the top of a raise with a re-raise signifies a strong hand that will have most holdings crushed. Therefore, players must be attentive to their opponents’ style at the table.

Greg Sessler Wins Ladies Championship at Lake Tahoe WSOP Circuit Stop

The latter part of the 2009 calendar year has seen at least two Ladies events won by males during major tournament series. During September’s Borgata Poker Open, Abraham Korotki emerged victorious in a $300 buy-in Ladies No Limit Hold’em event. This weekend, Greg Sessler took down the Ladies Championship during the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Circuit stop at Harvey’s Lake Tahoe.

According to a press release distributed by WSOP officials on Sunday, the Circuit’s Lake Tahoe stop has seen more females take down tournaments (six) than any other venue. Over the weekend, the Nevada city saw a male earn the “W” in a Ladies event. How could this happen, you ask? Tournament officials explained, “The WSOP isn’t a political organization and can’t be expected to get involved in debates about sexism, discrimination, or other polarizing issues which may be applicable to poker tournaments.” If males wish to enter a ladies tournament, it is technically within their right to do so. Sessler is a 22 year-old student at the University of California at Davis.

A total of four men entered the Lake Tahoe Ladies Championship, which boasted a $340 buy-in, and Sessler’s victory was worth $9,900. Ninety-six players turned out in total and Sessler told tournament staff that he entered because he had a day off and wanted to play some cards. The one-day event saw the assembled field erupt into a chorus of clapping when each male was eliminated. Sessler explained after the fact, “I came here because I only had one day and I really like the structures and the payout. This was the only tournament I could play.”

Sessler defeated Mimi Kalem heads-up after Kalem shoved at an inopportune time with Q-6, as Sessler peeked down at pocket queens. Kalem hit a six on the flop for a glimmer of hope, but the board bricked out and gave Sessler the upset victory over the mostly female field. Kalem earned $5,300 for her runner-up showing, about $1,600 more than Corinn “Princess” Ignatieff received for third. Here were the final paydays from the Harvey’s Lake Tahoe WSOP Circuit Ladies Championship:

1. Greg Sessler (Danville, California) – $9,932
2. Mimi Kalem (Cameron Park, California) – $5,308
3. Corinn Ignatieff (Templeton, California) – $3,715
4. Candy Alexander (Cameron Park, California) – $2,626
5. Linda Peverini (Clovis, California) – $2,100
6. Tera Brown (Austin, Texas) – $1,592
7. Persia Bonella (Castro Valley, California) – $1,229
8. Rebecca Burnside (San Francisco, California) – $894
9. Rose Erhart (Ione, California) – $629

Expanding on the tournament series’ stance towards male entrants in female events, the same WSOP press release remarked, “While the WSOP… offers quasi-exclusive tournaments designed to increase female participation in the game, officials generally do not turn away those who want to play in the event based solely on gender.”

The $5,150 buy-in Lake Tahoe WSOP Circuit Main Event kicks off on November 15th and will crown a winner two days later. Over $1.3 million in prize money has been awarded in the series’ 17 events held so far, with more than 2,600 entries recorded. Last November, Ultimate Bet sponsored pro Michael Binger tasted victory in the Lake Tahoe Championship event, earning $181,000 after outlasting Ty Stewart heads-up. A total of 132 players showed up.

Two months ago, Korotki defeated breast cancer patient Nicole Rowe heads-up at the Borgata. Rowe, who could have used the extra cash for mounting medical bills, fell short of the $20,000 first place payday and 269 players entered. In response, Korotki stated that he would donate a portion of his winnings to a charity involving breast cancer.