Prahlad Friedman Joins Team UB.com

Following last week’s overhaul at Team UB.com that saw Annie Duke and Phil Hellmuth depart on the same day, the USA-friendly CEREUS Network site has picked up its newest pro. On Thursday, site officials announced that Prahlad Friedman had joined Team UB.com.

Friedman seemingly hinted at joining an online poker site back in November. The 32 year old California native Tweeted, “I said I would never sign with a poker site. Should I ever reconsider? What y’all think? I would have to get over the fact that I’m ‘selling out.’ I’m the only player in the world that hasn’t wanted a deal that I know of.” UB.com promoted Friedman as “one of the world’s greatest cash game players, online and off, with millions in winnings earned since 1999.”

Friedman’s first major live cash came eight years ago in the Main Event of the Five Diamond World Poker Classic at the Bellagio, where he booked $101,000 for his runner-up finish to Full Tilt Poker’s Erick Lindgren. One year later, he notched his first (and so far only) World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet in a $1,500 Pot Limit Hold’em tournament and banked $109,000 in the process.

In 2005, Friedman played second fiddle to Chris Ferguson in the WSOP Circuit Championship at Harrah’s Rincon to earn another $363,000. One year later, this author remembers being at the Rio in Las Vegas and following Friedman through the WSOP Main Event. There, he turned in a 20th place finish for nearly a half-million dollars and fell just short of the coveted Main Event bracelet.

He’d make amends in August 2009, when Friedman took down the Legends of Poker, a stop on the World Poker Tour (WPT). His victory in the California poker tournament was worth a colossal $1 million and saw Friedman outlast a final table that included November Niner Kevin Schaffel, Todd Terry, Toto Leonidas, and Sam Stein.

Friedman was a victim of the superuser scandal that rocked UB.com and drew the ire of PokerStars pro Daniel Negreanu for signing with the site that had wronged him. “Kid Poker” responded to a variety of Tweets last weekend, among them one sent to fellow poker player Alex Outhred that read, “Like you, I’ve known him for years, which makes it all the more shocking. I’ve defended Prahlad on many occasions. Can’t here.”

Negreanu added to Outhred, “UB will always have to offer more than face value [for a sponsorship] because given a choice that’s close, no one would choose UB. Or shouldn’t… UB has to offer more money obv. He used to say it wasn’t about the money. I don’t believe that anymore… He used to speak out against all corporations, claiming he stood for something. Then, the money was right and his tune changed… I get it happens. I’m disappointed it did happen. I’ve always liked Prahlad and still do despite his decision. Just shocking.”

Nevertheless, Friedman will join UB.com just in time for the sixth UB.com Online Championship, or UBOC, which gets underway on January 16th. The 29-event series will stretch all the way until January 30th, when a $1,050 buy-in Main Event will kick off. The $1 million guaranteed feature tournament will deal No Limit Hold’em and be played as a Monster Stack.

Running alongside the sixth UBOC schedule is a MiniUBOC series, which features the same 29 tournaments, but with buy-ins that are generally one-tenth as large. The MiniUBOC slate ends with a $55 buy-in Monster Stack Championship Event that comes with a $50,000 guaranteed purse.

Following the departures of Hellmuth and Duke, UB.com’s stock of pros now includes Friedman, Joe Sebok, Eric “basebaldy” Baldwin, Brandon Cantu, Tiffany Michelle, and Maria Ho. The site happily accepts players from the United States and joins Absolute Poker on the CEREUS Network.

Play with Prahlad Friedman today only by visiting UB.com.

Daniel Negreanu Speaks Out on Rumored Prahlad Friedman UB.com Signing

Late last week, poker pros Annie Duke and Phil Hellmuth parted ways with UB.com, a USA-friendly site on the CEREUS Network. Word quickly spread that Prahlad Friedman would be signing with UB.com as a replacement in the coming days, sparked in part by his name appearing on Duke’s old biography page.

Over the weekend, PokerStars pro Daniel Negreanu bantered on Twitter about Friedman’s rumored signing. Negreanu congratulated Hellmuth for leaving UB.com last week and then fired off a series of Tweets blasting Friedman’s decision. His first thoughts were, “So disappointed in @prahladfriedman signing with the devil who stole millions from him. He was so ‘anti-sellout’ and then he did the unthinkable… They must have paid him a lot to join the dark side and endorse the exact same people who ruined him. So sad and so mind-boggling… The current owners of AP/UB are spending Prahlad’s money. They must be mocking him at this point. Cheat the dude and watch him endorse us!”

Among those responding to Negreanu was bracelet winner Jon Friedberg, who inquired, “Is that official? I thought just speculation. Smart biz move for @UB if it’s true, despite any opinions about him or them… And again if true, then they obv convinced him that they’re not shady anymore. He’s a very bright guy. Anxious to see if true.” Negreanu retorted, “Sure, totally cheat and destroy a guy and then offer him a deal. That company is no less shady today and they cannot prove otherwise?” “Kid Poker” added, “It’s true and you are all being lied to if you think the infrastructure of the company has been miraculously cleaned up.”

In other responses to inbound Tweets, Negreanu replied, “I also like Prahlad a lot, just disappointed he would do something this stupid after years of saying he’d never sign with a site.” Negreanu countered other nay-sayers by continuing to rip the Blanca Games site: “Imagine a world where crooks weren’t held accountable and continue to rob people with no recourse? The world should know… I’m all about 2nd chances in the right circumstances; this isn’t one. They are no more transparent today than in the past.”

Negreanu’s series of Tweets sparked the ire of two-time bracelet winner Matt Keikoan, who fired, “I can see people like @RealKidPoker, sitting behind his $4 mil a year PokerStars contract, w/ his nose up in the air, judging other people.” Negreanu countered, “I spoke out against UB when I was broke, always will. Prahlad is the one who said he’d never sign with a site and then chose UB… I was dead broke and turned down a deal with them. I don’t hate Prahlad, I’m disappointed he made what I think is a bad move.”

Keikoan asserted on Sunday, “And what, PokerStars is some great moral company, out for the good of all mankind? Gimme a break.”

One of Negreanu’s followers asked the PokerStars front man what would happen if his home online poker site experienced a scandal similar to the one that unfolded on UB.com. Negreanu claimed he’d be exiting stage right: “If anything like that were to happen (it won’t) my morals would have me resign immediately.” PokerStars recently found itself in hot water over a scandal involving Chinese players in its Double or Nothing games.

A possible signing by Friedman would signal a changing of the guard of sorts at UB.com, whose roster of sponsored pros would become remarkably younger. It currently includes players like Maria Ho, Tiffany Michelle, and Joe Sebok.

Poker Players Ring in the New Year

Over the past few days, poker’s most prolific Tweeters have been actively preparing for the New Year. Whether they were traveling or reflecting on the year that passed, it provided a great deal of entertainment.

The New Year’s celebrations got off to a start as early as Wednesday, with model and poker player Christina Lindley Tweeting, “Beginning an absurdly fun Vegas week w some troublemakers right… now.” As New Year’s Eve came, Lindley sent out a Twitpic of a shiny silver mini and Tweeted, “Picking up the NYE dress from the tailor.” Also journeying to Las Vegas was PokerStars “Big Game” hostess Amanda Leatherman, who fired off, “Goodbye North Carolina! It’s time to go to Vegas and forget about all the things I did here.”

Other poker players had not quite decided what to do to celebrate the New Year. DoylesRoom Brunson 10 member Amit Makhija admitted to his followers, “Last minute before New Year’s and I’ve been slacking on making plans. Anyone less lazy than me have New Year’s plans that Tara & I can crash?” For their part, both Antonio Esfandiari (“Gearing up for my annual NY Eve party. It’s going to b a madhouse.”) and Alec Torelli (“Off to Atlanta for New Year’s.”) seemed a little better prepared to usher in 2011.

Daniel Negreanu, Jennifer Harman, and Marco Traniello were celebrating New Year’s with each other. After Traniello Tweeted at the others, “r u guys ready to party ?,” Negreanu responded, “the house is full and we all got spray tans, so yeah, we are ready.” Fresh off of his departure from UB.com, Phil Hellmuth’s plans for New Year’s Eve included, “sit(ting) in Jerry Buss’ box for Lakers game, then we hit Drai’s!”

The last few days of 2010 also led to some experimentation by “High Stakes Poker” hostess and PartyPoker pro Kara Scott. She Tweeted, “Bleurgh. Spent much of tonight trying to perfect a rum/coconut drink for tomorrow and am now completely sick of it. Margaritas for everyone!” Tiffany Michelle will be celebrating New Year’s Eve in Hawaii, but took time to chirp, “Counting my blessings today. Some people are stuck in snow storms, rain, & freezing weather while I’m surfing in the warm waters of Hawaii.”

The New Year brings those pesky resolutions along with it and poker players were no different in putting their thoughts for 2011 on Twitter. “This year I wish @philnolimits places 2nd to me in WSOP Main Event,” Rafe Furst jabbed at his buddy Phil Gordon. Allen Bari took the New Year as a chance to change his table demeanor, Tweeting on Friday, “This time tomorrow I will be a really nice and respectful guy at the poker table, I will smile and not berate at the table.” This prompted World Poker Tour Tour Director Matt Savage to fire back, “@allenbari it is January 1st not April 1st. You know that right?”

Adam “Roothlus” Levy vowed through Twitter, “My 2011 resolution is to get more Main Event coverage by doing far worse.” Meanwhile, Lex “RaSZi” Veldhuis was not feeling well as the New Year approached, Tweeting, “Is this really the day to get sick? Woke up sneezing and I feel cold and weak. Hope it’s gonna be better during the day.”

Some poker players were also glad to see the previous year fade to the past. “Oh, 2010, you crafty little bitch,” UB.com’s Joe Sebok Tweeted. “You’re good, I’ll give you that. Quite good. Only 14 more hours of you though and then poof, gone.” Full Tilt’s Justin “Boosted J” Smith also took time to look at the year gone by: “I want everyone to think about all the great things that happened to them in 2010… even if it was a rough year… small laughs to big things.”

Perhaps the venerable Kevin “Kevmath” Mathers summed up everyone’s thoughts for the New Year: “This year had its share of good and bad times. Hoping 2011 will have more of those good times for myself and everyone else!”

With 2011 off to a roaring start, Poker News Daily would like to take the time to wish all of our readers a happy and prosperous New Year.

Prahlad Friedman Joining Team UB.com?

It’s been a chaotic week for the CEREUS Network online poker room UB.com. Thursday saw the departure of its two highest profile pros, 2010 National Heads-Up Poker Championship winner Annie Duke and 11-time bracelet winner Phil Hellmuth. According to UB.com pro Joe Sebok, however, a new pro will be announced next week, and all signs point to Prahlad Friedman joining the team.

Sebok posted on his blog on Thursday, “While it’s true that two of our members have moved on, don’t think that we aren’t restocking the talent. We’ll be announcing our newest Team UB member next week and I am crazily pumped about it.” Possible free agents in the poker market include CardPlayer Player of the Year Tom Marchese, Faraz “The-Toilet” Jaka, and Friedman.

Sebok added that Team UB.com will have a brand new look in 2011: “UB has, and will continue to have, a whole new look and feel for our team and our newest signing exemplifies that, so stay tuned for that announcement next week. Going to be a bit of a doozy.” The team appears to be of a younger breed right now and includes players like Sebok, Tiffany Michelle, Maria Ho, Eric “basebaldy” Baldwin, and Adam “Roothlus” Levy.

Speaking of Friedman, Bluff Magazine was among those who sourced two Tweets from Friedman in late November that questioned whether he would ever ink a deal with an online poker site. Friedman pondered, “I said I would never sign with a poker site. Should I ever reconsider? What y’all think? I would have to get over the fact that I’m ‘selling out.’ I’m the only poker player in the world that hasn’t wanted a deal that I know of.” Friedman, 32, has a World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet and a World Poker Tour (WPT) title under his belt.

In a screen shot posted on TwoPlusTwo, posters who typed in the URL of Duke’s biography on UB.com were met with text for “Prahlad Friedman,” leaving many to believe that the youngster will be the newest sponsored pro. When we visited the same web page on Friday morning, our browser instead forwarded to the default Team UB.com landing page. Poker News Daily has learned that the announcement of the room’s newest pro could take place as soon as Monday.

The Russ Hamilton-led cheating scandal on Ultimate Bet affected Friedman, among others. As such, his signing, according to one TwoPlusTwo poster, could signal the end of an era: “I think, for many of us, UB is forever tainted. However, in the world of PR, signing Prahlad would be a very, very good move as a sign of different times ahead.”

Other members of the online poker community took the opposite line. One TwoPlusTwo regular questioned, “Why would Prahlad accept this offer from UB? I mean, the company that stole money from you and now you are accepting their sponsorship deal. I just can’t understand!” Whether Friedman will actually become the next sponsored pro of the CEREUS Network poker site remains to be seen.

Friedman has been involved in two incidents at the annual WSOP that have both played out on ESPN. In 2006, “Ante-gate” erupted between Friedman and Jeffrey Lisandro over a possible missed ante by the latter. Friedman asked Lisandro whether he put out his ante, which led to a war of words. In 2010, Friedman clearly said, “Call,” after tablemate Ted Bort called the clock on him. However, Rio floor staff ruled the hand dead and Bort tabled two pair. Friedman quickly mucked what he claimed to be a weaker two pair, leading to a swarm of controversy.

Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for the latest.

Phil Hellmuth Leaves UB.com in Major Shakeup

It’s been a busy day for all of us in the online poker community. Just hours after Annie Duke announced her exit from UB.com to pursue non-poker business interests, site icon Phil Hellmuth departed as well. A statement posted on UB.com reveals that the two sides “mutually parted ways.”

Hellmuth was recently seen on ESPN’s coverage of the PokerStars North American Poker Tour’s (NAPT) Los Angeles Bounty Shootout wearing patches for the Aria Casino in Las Vegas and the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Academy. Curiously absent were any logos for his home poker site, UB.com. Hellmuth also appeared on NBC’s “Poker After Dark” devoid of UB.com logos, leading many to believe that he was on the outs with the USA-friendly CEREUS Network room.

Duke left UB.com earlier today in order to extend her foothold in the business world. She commented in a statement posted on UB.com, “I have nothing but positive things to say about UB and my experiences with the brand, management, and the incredible people who work hard daily to deliver a terrific online poker experience.” Duke and Hellmuth had been with UB.com since 2001, the year the online poker site was launched as Ultimate Bet and two years before the modern poker boom.

Duke told Poker News Daily that she does not plan to sign with a competing online poker site; whether Hellmuth feels the same way is not yet known. Duke’s brother, Howard Lederer, is one of the main faces of Full Tilt Poker, which also accepts action from the United States. Hellmuth, who is widely regarded as one of the top tournament players on the planet, could also head to a site like PokerStars or Victory Poker.

Hellmuth owns the record for the number of WSOP bracelets won at 11 and number of WSOP cashes at 79. Along the way, he’s racked up $6.2 million in WSOP earnings alone and is a rumored contestant on the 2011 installment of the ABC reality series “Dancing with the Stars.” He’s one of the top marketable faces in the poker industry and has coined several memorable phrases including “I can dodge bullets, baby” and “Idiot from Northern Europe.”

Hellmuth won the 1989 WSOP Main Event at age 24 and, for the next 20 years, held the record as the youngest champ ever of the $10,000 buy-in poker tournament. Before anyone knew who Chris Moneymaker was, Hellmuth had already amassed seven bracelets; in fact, he racked up three pieces of hardware in 1993 alone.

In 2009, November Niner Jeff Shulman asked Hellmuth to help him with his short-handed game in preparation for the Main Event final table. As a result, Shulman took fifth place for $1.9 million.

Today’s two high-profile departures leave UB.com stocked with a pro roster that includes PokerRoad’s Joe Sebok, bracelet winner Eric “basebaldy” Baldwin, and Tiffany Michelle and Maria Ho, the Last Women Standing in the 2008 and 2007 WSOP Main Events, respectively. Also remaining on the Team UB roster are Bryan “badbeatninja” Devonshire, Brandon Cantu, Adam “Roothlus” Levy, and Anthrax’s Scott Ian, among others. The group appears to have become noticeably younger sans Hellmuth and Duke.

Prior to announcing his exit from UB.com, Hellmuth Tweeted the prices of several sports tickets he was monitoring: “New Years Eve L.A. Lakers/Sixers tix, Row 5, center court trading for $460 apiece. Tix for once a year Rose Bowl on 40 yard line, 44 rows up: $350 apiece!”

Earlier this week, Lee Jones announced his resignation from Cake Poker as its Card Room Manager, citing “strategic decisions with which I’m not comfortable” made by Cake management. Cake Poker Tournament Director Serge “andanthar” Ravitch followed suit in what is traditionally a slow week for poker news.

Poker News Daily has heard rumblings that UB.com may add another pro to its roster early next week. Who that could be remains to be seen, but rumors seem to indicate that it’s Prahlad Friedman. Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for the latest on this developing story.

Annie Duke Leaves UB.com

In breaking news, former “Celebrity Apprentice” runner-up Annie Duke has parted ways with UB.com. A blog revealing that she had left the online poker site appeared around 1:30pm ET on Thursday. Duke had been with UB.com for nine years, including both the pre- and post-Chris Moneymaker era.

Duke told Poker News Daily, “After some thought, I made a decision to leave UB.com because I would like to explore other avenues of business and personal growth. I realized I needed to spend my time on other things.” Duke, the sister of Full Tilt Poker front man Howard Lederer, has over $1.1 million in career World Series of Poker (WSOP) earnings and scooped a bracelet in 2004 in a $2,000 Omaha High-Low Eight or Better tournament that featured Erik Seidel and Todd Brunson at the final table.

Also in 2004, Duke was the last person standing in the inaugural WSOP Tournament of Champions, an invite-only, winner-take-all tournament that featured 10 players. Duke banked $2 million for the win and received nearly instant poker fame. Her company at the Tournament of Champions table included Chip Reese, Main Event champ Greg Raymer, Doyle Brunson, Lederer, and former UB.com colleague Phil Hellmuth, who was the runner-up. This year, Duke bested Seidel in the National Heads-Up Poker Championship, which aired on NBC.

Duke wished the crew at UB.com nothing but the best going forward, telling Poker News Daily, “I wish them all the best and wish nothing but good things for the brand. I think that UB.com started some of my development as a businessperson. That was very much the most enjoyable part of it. I wanted to do more of that. I wanted to do much more of that than I had an opportunity to.” Among Duke’s other endeavors are MyMixedNuts.com – a custom trail mix outfit – and Ante Up for Africa, a charity that brings money and attention to the victims of the crisis in Darfur.

Duke explained to Poker News Daily that she does not plan to sign with another online poker site in the future.

Duke made a name for herself last year by competing in the hit NBC reality series “Celebrity Apprentice.” The Donald Trump-led show, which raises funds for various charities, saw Duke finish as the runner-up to comedian Joan Rivers, who at one point compared the former UB.com pro to a Nazi and called the poker playing community “trash.” Rivers and her daughter, Melissa, were both contestants on the series.

Duke was one of the main faces of UB.com, a site that now features players like former “Poker2Nite” host Joe Sebok and former “Amazing Race” contestants Tiffany Michelle and Maria Ho as its primary pros. Duke and Hellmuth had served as the central figures of UB.com since the site’s inception nine years ago, long before anyone knew the name Moneymaker.

According to PokerScout.com, which logs online poker room traffic, the CEREUS Network, which includes UB.com and Absolute Poker, is the seventh largest worldwide, with a seven-day running average of 2,100 real money ring game players. At its peak, around 3,000 cash game players call the Network home. CEREUS is the third largest family of sites to accept action from the United States, trailing only PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker in that department. The Network was created in 2008 after the player bases of UB.com and Absolute Poker were merged.

We’ll have more for you on this story as it develops right here on Poker News Daily.

Poker Pros Annie Duke, Joe Reitman Engaged

A prolific tweeter, the Team UB.com pro Annie Duke made the following announcement on her Twitter account on December 25th: “I said yes!”

In case her more than 25,000 followers were confused as to exactly what she was talking about, Duke posted a picture of herself showing off her new diamond engagement ring to the camera while sitting in her fiancé Joe Reitman‘s lap.

Shortly thereafter, the well wishes started streaming in from every corner of the Twitterverse.  Most were from fans, but several fellow poker pros sent their best as well.  Fellow Team UB.com member Tiffany Michelle Tweeted, “Huge congrats to @AnnieDuke and @JoeUgly on a Christmas engagement. Love it! It’s about freakin’ time!”

“Hollywood” Dave Stann, another UB.com pro, weighed in, making a statement with which most people would agree: “Best Xmas present ever!”

Other poker players Tweeting their regards included Eric Froehlich, Rafe Furst, Alex Outhred, Liv Boeree, Andy Bloch, and Prahlad Friedman, along with Team UB.com members Joe Sebok and Samantha Ryan.

One person who non-poker players might recognize was actor Kevin Pollak, who Tweeted, “Congrats to a very surprised @AnnieDuke on her engagement today to her very wise fella, @joeugly.” Pollak is in the midst of hosting FOX’s “Million Dollar Money Drop.”

For you gossip hounds, Duke has not divulged how Reitman proposed and no wedding date has been announced.

Duke and Reitman met in 2005 when a mutual friend in Los Angeles introduced them to each other.  The two started the same year as Reitman separated from his first wife, fellow actor and poker enthusiast Shannon Elizabeth.  Duke had also been previously married.  She wed long-time friend Ben Duke in 1991, a marriage that lasted 13 years and produced four children: Maud, Leo, Lucy, and Nell.

Reitman is an actor, writer, and producer who has had supporting roles in many films and television shows.  Movie buffs may recognize him from “Lady in the Water,” “Drop Dead Sexy,” “American Pie II,” “Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back,” and “Clueless.”  His numerous guest appearances on television include “CSI,” “The Drew Carey Show,” “Monk,” and “Judging Amy.”  He has also had recurring roles on “Charmed,” “Townies,” “Blood Ties,” “Married with Children,” and “Jack and Jill.”  In addition to his acting roles, Reitman has produced and directed several episodes of “The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson” and wrote and directed “Survivin’ the Island” and “Leo.”

On the poker front, Reitman has had three minor World Series of Poker (WSOP) cashes, but he caught the attention of the poker world when he won UB.com’s $1 million Guarantee in early 2006.

Duke is one of the most prolific live tournament players in poker history and currently ranks second on the women’s all-time money list with over $4.2 million in career earnings.  She has 37 lifetime WSOP cashes, the most significant of which came in 2004 when she won her first and only bracelet in a $2,000 Omaha Hi-Lo Split event.  During the same WSOP, she won the inaugural Tournament of Champions, taking home a $2 million check.  Her most recent career highlight came this March, when she bested good friend Erik Seidel in the finals to win the NBC National Heads-Up Poker Championship and $500,000.

Poker Community Celebrates Christmas

Much like the rest of the world, poker players have their plans for Christmas. For some, that involved traveling to celebrate with family and friends. A few of poker’s top professionals had some trouble making their destinations, however.

England, in the grips of one of the snowiest winters in some time, held up poker duo Lex Veldhuis and Evelyn Ng. “Lex & I got caught in the British Airways mess at Heathrow yesterday en route to Las Vegas,” Ng Tweeted on Tuesday about the delays at the airport. “Hopefully we’ll be sorted out for today.”

Both Veldhuis and Ng kept a good attitude about the delays, with the former Tweeting, “Heathrow might be chaotic airport but the people there are nicest anywhere. Waiting in lounge now. Hope to fly in 2 hours.” Ng countered, “Looks like we’re good to go. It’s almost serene at LHR compared to the chaos yesterday. Just chillin in the lounge until our flight.” The poker pros were able to make it back to Las Vegas safely, with Ng Tweeting late on Tuesday, “After one 10 hour flight from London, it took a total of 5 minutes to exit the plane, pick up our luggage, and go through U.S. Customs.”

Another player having some drama as he returned home for Christmas was UB.com’s Scott Ian. The poker player and guitar shredder also was involved with the Heathrow debacle, Tweeting, “Made it to Heathrow even though the Dublin airport staff did everything wrong including checking our bags onto our canceled London-L.A. flight.” Ian had a much longer trip than Veldhuis and Ng did: “23 1/2 hours since we left Belfast. At O’Hare now. Flight to L.A. delayed 2 hours. Looking for Goose Island.”

Heading north for the holidays, Full Tilt Poker’s Greg “FBT” Mueller was in the middle of another emergency: “Just landed in Vancouver, but we were told paramedics are rushing onto our plane and we must stay seated… Will soon find out what’s wrong.” It turns out that it was a medical emergency, as Mueller Tweeted, “4 meds rushed on way to the back! I was in row 2 obv so I couldn’t see anything 3 mins later we were allowed to leave, no details! Home!”

Christian “charder30” Harder sounded as if he needed a trip home to recharge his batteries. “Pretty sucky ending to a pretty average year of poker for me,” Harder Tweeted on Tuesday after busting from the Atlantic City WSOP Circuit Regional Championship. “Home for the Holidays and then PCA.” After a couple of days relaxing at home, a much more reflective Harder detailed his Christmas plans to his followers on Thursday: “Chillin’ at my Dad’s in Virginia for a few days then back to Annapolis for Christmas. No idea what I’m doing for New Years Eve. Annapolis? NYC? AC? Baltimore?”

A couple of players were traveling for the Christmas holiday, but not heading home. Recent UB.com addition Maria Ho chirped about her destination: “Docked on my favorite island today… Kauai! This is one of many reasons why,” and included a Twitpic of the island. “Hollywood” Dave Stann, for his part, was looking to work during the holidays when he Tweeted, “Atlantic City-bound… I’m thinking Stud at the Taj. Come get you some old school action, bitches!”

Two of poker’s philanthropists, Linda Johnson and Jan Fisher, kept up their charitable sides by helping those less fortunate. “Anyone have coats or warm clothes to giveaway,” Fisher Tweeted during the run-up to Christmas. “We’re going to the LV mission 6am Xmas day to hand out…. join us or donate?” Johnson also was extending her charitable hand when she Tweeted on Wednesday, “Thanks to everyone who helped make the party a success tonight. 21 happy kids and their parents. Loved seeing the smiles.”

As always, the world of poker players delivers, even around Christmastime, with thoughts of wisdom and hilarity. PokerRoad’s Court Harrington Tweeted, “Life is about memories and moments, not about gifts. I’ve been lucky enough to have a lot of great moments already.” Family surrounded Gavin Smith, as he Tweeted, “My wife, son, sister, mother and niece are here! Life is great!”

“Can’t wait for Christmas! I’m as bad as my kids,” Jennifer Harman Tweeted late Wednesday night, apparently up late preparing for the holidays. Annie Duke’s schedule was pretty packed, as she Tweeted early Thursday morning from her home, “Finished a huge portion of the Xmas wrapping just now. About two hours more tomorrow plus the cooking starts for dinner for 18 on Friday!”

Tiffany Michelle sent out early wishes when she Tweeted, “In case I go MIA over the next two days from eggnog, Christmas carols, & present coma… Merry Christmas everyone,” and included a Twitpic of her dog. Finally, DoylesRoom captain Doyle Brunson capped off the year with a news flash: “Warning: Christmas Cancelled… @MandaLeatherman told Santa she had been a good girl in 2010. He died laughing.”

Maria Ho and Tiffany Michelle May Return to Amazing Race

On Sunday, the 17th season of the CBS reality series “Amazing Race” came to a close with Nat and Kat becoming the first all-female team to prevail. The duo crossed the finish line in Los Angeles to scoop the $1 million first place prize and, after the credits had rolled, a sneak preview of Season 18 was shown.

The next season of the Emmy Award winning “Amazing Race,” dubbed “Unfinished Business,” will see teams from past cycles that didn’t win compete one more time for the $1 million grand prize. A montage of “favorite teams” was shown and included poker players Tiffany Michelle and Maria Ho, who competed as part of Season 15.

Ho and Michelle were ousted in the Netherlands, where high winds on a makeshift golf course and an overly heavy high striker resulted in the only all-female team left standing being eliminated in sixth place. On whether the duo would consider returning for “Unfinished Business,” Michelle told Poker News Daily, “The ‘Amazing Race’ was the adventure of a lifetime. Clearly with how we were eliminated from our season, we’ll always feel like we have some unfinished business and would jump at the chance to do it again.”

About 20 teams were shown in the preview, whereas only 11 or 12 typically take to the “Amazing Race” course. Those who appeared included cowboys Jet and Cord (the runners-up during Season 16), Brooke and Claire (the runners-up from Season 18), and Margie and Luke, a mother and deaf son who finished third in Season 14. Several reality television websites have speculated as to who the teams that will compete as part of “Unfinished Business” will be. One site offered up the following list of 11:

Ronald and Christina: Father and daughter from Season 12
Kynt and Vyxsin: Dating Goth couple from Season 12
Amanda and Kris: Dating couple from Season 14
Jaime and Cara: Former NFL cheerleaders from Season 14
Kisha and Jen: Sisters from Season 14
Margie and Luke: Mother and deaf son from Season 14
Mel and Mike: Father and son from Season 14
Flight Time and Big Easy: Harlem Globetrotters from Season 15
Zev and Justin: Friends from Season 15
Jet and Cord: Cowboys from Season 16
Gary and Mallory: Father and former Miss Kentucky from Season 17

According to an article that appeared in Entertainment Weekly, Amanda and Kris, Margie and Luke, and Mel and Mike will all return. Complicating the matter is an Australian news site that reported teams scuttling around Oceanworld three weeks ago on November 22nd. During that time, Michelle reported via Twitter that she was enjoying the Thanksgiving holiday and participating in a Heartland Poker Tour event in the United States.

Whether the aforementioned list of 11 represents the final group is not yet known. The “Unfinished Business” cycle of “Amazing Race” will be shown in high-definition on CBS, with the kickoff episode airing on Sunday, February 20th. It marks the first installment of “Amazing Race” to air in high-def.

Other poker players who have appeared on reality television series include UB.com pro Annie Duke, who finished as the runner-up to Joan Rivers in the second cycle of “Celebrity Apprentice,” and Jean-Robert Bellande, who participated in “Survivor: China.” Rumors have persisted that a poker player will appear in the upcoming 22nd cycle of “Survivor,” although an official cast list has not yet been revealed. The finale of “Survivor: Nicaragua,” the 21st running of the CBS program, airs on Sunday night.

Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for the latest.

Venetian to Host All In For CP Charity Poker Tournament

Actress Cheryl Hines of “Curb Your Enthusiasm” and 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event champ Joe Cada will host the third annual All In For Cerebral Palsy celebrity charity poker tournament at the Venetian’s poker room on Saturday, December 11th. Proceeds from the event will benefit the One Step Closer Foundation, a non-profit organization whose main goal is to ease the lives of those who suffer from cerebral palsy through financial freedom and social acceptance.

The No Limit Hold’em charity tournament will be a $540 buy-in with unlimited $200 rebuys for 90 minutes. Half of the pool will go for the tournament’s payouts, with the other half going to the foundation. There will also be sports and Hollywood memorabilia available through auctions and an after-party with free drinks courtesy of the One Step Closer Foundation. Players can register online or at the Venetian Poker Room cage until the end of the rebuy period on December 11th.

Jacob Zalewski, who copes with cerebral palsy and serves as President and CEO of the One Step Closer Foundation, started the All In For Cerebral Palsy event in 2008. Zalewski is a huge poker fan can regularly be found at the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino during the annual WSOP in Las Vegas. He has made friends with many of poker’s biggest stars throughout the years, many of which support his foundation by playing in the event.

“We hope to see a future where cerebral palsy is a thing of the past,” said Zalewski, who made a final table at the WSOP in 2005. “We know are getting one step closer to that vision every day.”

Mekhi Phifer, star of FOX’s “Lie to Me” and films such as “8 Mile” and “O,” bested 97 players last year to win the All In For Cerebral Palsy tournament. The event raised more than $80,000, as attendance doubled at the Hard Rock Casino from the previous year.

Phifer is expected to return to defend his title this year, along with fellow celebrities Jason Alexander (“Seinfeld”), Sam Simon (creator of “The Simpsons”), Montel Williams (TV talk show host), Donnie Wahlberg (“Blue Bloods”), Gina Hecht (“Hung”), and former Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jerome Bettis. Playboy playmates Lauren Anderson, Stacy Fuson, Alison Waite, and Brande Roderick have also committed to the event.

Poker pros that have given support to the cause and will likely play again this year include Dennis Phillips, Victor Ramdin, Scotty Nguyen, Barry Greenstein, Eli Elezra, Freddy Deeb, Darvin Moon, Todd Brunson, Mike Matusow, Mike Sexton, Phil Laak, Antonio Esfandiari, Andy Block, David “Chino” Rheem, Tiffany Michelle, Maria Ho, Robert Williamson III, and Jamie Gold.

Cerebral palsy refers to motor conditions that appear in infancy or early childhood and permanently affect body movement and muscle coordination. Effects of the disorder don’t worsen over time, but they can’t be cured. However, treatment will often improve a child’s capabilities, allowing them to enjoy near-normal adult lives if their disabilities are properly managed.

For more information about the disorder and the “All In For Cerebral Palsy” tournament, visit AllInForCP.com.

Maria Ho Signs with UB.com

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Poker News in Brief: Nov. 8-14

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

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

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

NAPT L.A.

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

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

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

NAPT L.A. runs through Nov. 17.

UB Signs Ho

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

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

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

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

FPS Lyon

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

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

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

Wing Wins London Calling

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

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

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

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

PKR Live V

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

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

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

Mediterranean Poker Cup

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

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

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

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

Scotty Nguyen Adds Heartland Poker Tour Stops to Schedule

As part of his fan tour around the United States, Scotty Nguyen has announced that he will be making stops at two Heartland Poker Tour (HPT) events in November. The “Prince of Poker” will take part in the festivities at the Meskwaki Bingo Casino Hotel in Tama, Iowa from November 1st to 7th, followed by the HPT Championship at the Soaring Eagle Casino and Resort in Michigan from November 12th to 21st.

Nguyen skipped the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Europe completely in order to begin his own tour around the States, allowing fans to play with one of the world’s top players while shelling out a reasonable buy-in. Nguyen began his excursion by participating in the inaugural T.J. Cloutier Classic Main Event in Durant, Oklahoma in September. The event attracted 191 players and was won by Sudhakara Kattamuri for $73,127. Nguyen was eliminated early from the tournament.

At Meskwaki Bingo Casino Hotel, Nguyen will host a media-only tournament and play cash games in addition to the televised Main Event. Tami Wallace, Director of Sales and Marketing at Meskwaki, has already noticed a boost in interest for the upcoming event. “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime chance to play against this poker great,” Wallace said. “Meskwaki is honored to host such an event.”

At the year-end Championship Open at Soaring Eagle Casino Resort in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, Nguyen will take part in all of the festivities, including a charity tournament to benefit Disabled American Veterans and a private reception for 2010 HPT champions. Nguyen will join guest celebrity players Tiffany Michelle and Maria Ho of “The Amazing Race” fame for the charity event before taking his seat at the $1,500 HPT Championship.

“We’re looking forward to introducing our players to a poker legend,” HPT Commentator Fred Bevill said of Nguyen. “Scotty has been entertaining us all on TV for years.”

Also attending the Championship Open in November will be Poker News Daily Guest Columnist Bernard Lee.  A highly regarded personality in poker media, Lee attended the event last year, but fell short of the money. “I enjoyed myself last time from the champions’ dinner all the way to the Main Event,” Lee said. “Hopefully, I can get a little deeper (in the Main Event) than I did last year.”

Both November stops will be produced into pairs of hour-long episodes and broadcast on a syndicated network. HPT is available in over 100 million U.S. households and throughout Europe and the Caribbean, airing 52 weeks each year. Schedules and structures for all upcoming events are available at HeartlandPokerTour.com.

Attracting well-known pros will be a new experience for the HPT. With the mission statement “Real People, Unreal Money,” the HPT aims to get casual players out of their home games for an opportunity to play for “life-changing money” on national TV.  Said Tour President Todd Anderson, “Our events are even more exciting for the players when they get the chance to play with the celebrities they see on TV, and all players have a shot at playing on TV themselves.”

Jay Newnum (WhoJedi) Interview with Poker News Daily

From live tournament reporting to playing poker professionally, Jay “WhoJedi” Newnum has done it all. This week, he’s camped out at the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Circuit stop at Horseshow Southern Indiana, just outside of Louisville. Poker News Daily sat down with Newnum on Deck #1 of the riverboat to catch up. By the way, you can follow Newnum on Twitter at @WhoJedi.

Poker News Daily: How did you become involved in tournament reporting?

Jay Newnum: I won a $33 rebuy on PokerStars in 2004 to the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure, so I went down and played in the World Poker Tour event there and met B.J. Nemeth. At the time, he was working for CardPlayer, said he was leaving after that event, and asked me if I wanted the job. I’m like, “Sure, why not?” In 2005, I started doing it for CardPlayer. I started the CardPlayer forums and then worked with PokerNews. Then, I got away from it for a while and was playing full-time before Matt Savage and the WSOP dragged me back in.

PND: Tell us what it’s like working with Matt Savage, one of poker’s top tournament directors.

Jay Newnum: Working with Matt is awesome. Matt is the best boss in the world. He’s very easy-going, lets me do what I think will work for our coverage, and is very fun to work with.

PND: Give us the origins of your online handle “WhoJedi.” We’re praying for a “Star Wars” reference.

Jay Newnum: It’s my phone number. I’m a huge “Star Wars” fan and wanted 5334 as the last four digits of my phone number. You can’t pick the first three digits, but they randomly gave them to me and they spelled “Who.” I started being “WhoJedi” on Full Tilt and PokerStars. Then, everyone just knew me as that.

PND: Where do you see yourself going in the business from here?

Jay Newnum: I don’t know yet. I’m enjoying what I’m doing and have been doing this for a long time. I also run Twitter and Facebook accounts for people; I help the World Series out and work with three of the November Niners. If more stuff pops up in the future, I’ll do that. If not, I’ll just keep doing the social media work and the live reporting.

PND: Do you miss playing poker full-time?

Jay Newnum: I don’t miss the grind of it, but I miss the money.

PND: Who is your pick to win the WSOP Main Event this year?

Jay Newnum: I actually met Jonathan Duhamel out in Foxwoods. I didn’t know the kid before and he’s incredibly nice. It’s hard not to pull for him after you’ve met him. He’s a very nice kid plus he has a ton of chips. I’d like to see John Racener and “The Grinder” do well. Jason Senti also seems like a nice guy and I’d like to see him do well. I’m really open.

PND: John Racener seems to be a popular pick to win the Main Event. What can you tell us about his game?

Jay Newnum: John Racener is solid. He has been flying under the radar, but he’s played well. I talked to some of his people and he really has himself together, which I’m really impressed with. He’s on a path where he’s playing well, he’s focused, and he’s doing the right things in his life that are leading to his success at the poker table. He’s been continuing that since the November Nine ended. Even if he doesn’t win the Main Event, he’s going to do good things in the future.

PND: You worked with UB.com pro Tiffany Michelle reporting for PokerNews during the 2007 WSOP Main Event. Tell us what that experience was like.

Jay Newnum: That was outstanding. She is a fun girl to work with and that was a fun summer. She’d so some of the updates in the mornings and then I’d come in and do the afternoons and vice-versa.

Phil Hellmuth Enters The WSOPE And Dwyte Pilgrim Wins WPT Borgata From Poker In Twitter

The World Series of Poker Europe (WSOP) Main Event is in full swing, with many of the world’s best poker players in attendance. For all of the action on the felt, however, many in the Twitterverse have been discussing the latest entrance by Phil Hellmuth into the Casino at the Empire in London on Thursday.

“Today maybe my best entrance ever!,” Hellmuth chirped to his followers as he headed to the tables for Day 1A. “Video soon: Red double decker bus, 16 member big band, 11 models dressed like Lady Gaga singing Poker Face.” The usual Hellmuthian parade was captured by several members of the media, including the unfortunate finale, which drew catcalls from those who viewed it in London. “After whole Hellmuth charade, he and the Lady Gagas all walked into the wrong building… The theater next door,” noted poker journalist Eric Ramsey.

The reaction to Hellmuth’s latest entrance was predictably harsh by both the media and his fellow players. “Some of the Hellmuth ‘girls’. Or boys?,” queried poker journalist Tatjana Pasalic. Ramsey also pointed out, “Nothing like broad public displays that perpetuate negative American stereotypes abroad.”

One of the players who had the harshest reaction was Jonathan “FatalError” Aguiar, who Tweeted, “Phil Hellmuth couldn’t possibly be any more of a self absorbed a**clown if he tried, why are we forced to put up with this s**t in a £10K?” After Hellmuth Tweeted about his entrance, Aguiar suggested his next grand performance: “@phil_hellmuth no you’re a self absorbed idiot, every1 h8s u, maybe your next entrance can be on a NASA rocket pointed at sun.” Even the normally quiet Andy Bloch piled onto “The Poker Brat” by playfully Tweeting, “Phil Hellmuth, making his grand entrance, walked into a theatre instead of Empire Casino. Good thing he wasn’t driving a race car.”

While much of the attention was on Hellmuth’s entrance, there was some poker played Thursday and during the morning hours on Friday. Of the Day 1A participants, some who could Tweet about their success included Isabelle Mercier (“Bagging chips! Will be returning on Saturday at noon London time with my 34,725 chips.. Could be better.”), Scott Montgomery (“Felt like crap during day 1a of the wsope main event, and didn’t play much better. wish this cold would go away. 40k going into day 2.”) and Day 1A chip leader Nicolas Levi (“Chip Leader au jour 1A. Titre honorifique mais on pouvait pas mieux demarrer!,” which translates as “Chip Leader Day 1A. Honorary title, but could be better start!”).

For those that weren’t in London for WSOP Europe, the Borgata was the place to be for the final table of the World Poker Tour’s Borgata Poker Open. Of particular note was WSOP Circuit terror Dwyte Pilgrim, who took down the title. Tournament director extraordinaire Matt Savage was on hand, providing his followers with updates via Twitter. “Prematurely @DwytePilgrim celebrates WAAAAY too early after flopping 2 pair and Ofir Mor turns and rivers a higher 2 pair… Wow!,” noted Savage after one of the more exciting hands. “Like the football player that celebrates before crossing the goal line, @DwytePilgrim needs to score first.”

Pilgrim was quite chatty during the final table, as noted by WPT reporter Jessica Welman. “Dwyte just told one of the FTP patch-wearers, Ofir Mor, ‘It’s just my opinion, but I think Full Tilt should’ve picked me,’” Welman reported from the final table. Pilgrim also was caught saying at one point to the remaining players, “Quote @DwytePilgrim “You do know I am #1 in the world!,” according to a Savage Tweet. The bluster must have worked, as Pilgrim won the largest WPT event in history (1,042 players), causing ninth place finisher Lee Childs to Tweet, “So happy 4 Dwight & so glad I was one of the first 2 shake his hand & hug him. Much respect! I hope the broadcast shows all positive things.”

The end of the WPT Borgata Poker Open did cause some problems for one of the best in the poker media, B.J. Nemeth: “I just had a run-in w/ airport security when they wanted me to push my bags thru the X-ray machine before they were ready to scan me.” Apparently Nemeth cracked the code to getting further inspection when he followed up with, “The line that set them off: “If you can’t guarantee the security of my stuff, then I have to guarantee the security of my stuff.” Apparently Nemeth got through the security line in good shape, although he did Tweet, “Security punished me by ‘randomly’ selecting me for a full search of my bags and person.”

For the funniest Tweets of the past few days, we go first to Joe Reitman, who was in a charity event on Wednesday with his better half, Annie Duke. “At poker charity event. Knocked @AnnieDuke out. Then she made me double rebuy to put her back into game. Clearly my all-in call was bad EV.” The charity event must not have gone well for Reitman, as he later chirped, “Dear Joe. Next time a 70yr old woman @ a charity event who limps every hand decides 2 reraise u, even if its a min raise, fold. Do not shove.”

Tiffany Michelle came up with an observation from some of her television viewing, Tweeting, “I haven’t spent much time in air ducts, but from what I see in the movies they seem to be very clean, large spaces, easy for crawling thru.” Lauren Kling decided to hit the cash tables in Las Vegas and found some notoriety: “Just sat down at a cash game at Aria and the dealer thought I was Avril Lavigne… so random!” Finally, Shannon Shorr, in action at the WSOP Europe Main Event, noted the generation gap: “Current topic of conversation at table is South Park. Jeff Lisandro asked, ‘What is South Park?’”

WPT Borgata Poker Open Begins Saturday

In Season 2, the Borgata Poker Open became a regular stop on the World Poker Tour (WPT). Today, the first of two starting days in the $3,500 buy-in East Coast poker tournament will begin at 11:00am ET. Tomorrow, it’ll be Groundhog Day for Borgata and WPT officials, who will see Day 1B play out.

Last year, the buy-in for the Borgata Poker Open was slashed from $10,000 to just $3,500 and, as a result, a record crowd of 1,018 convened. Olivier Busquet edged out Jeremy Brown in the 2009 running of this tournament to pick up $925,000. The total prize pool was just over $3.3 million and Brown earned $453,000 for his efforts. Also reaching the six-handed televised final table of the Borgata Poker Open last year were Ivan Mamuzic (third place for $251,955), Yanick Brodeur (fourth place for $216,681), Keith Crowder (fifth place for $188,126), and Kenny Nguyen (sixth place for $156,212).

In Season 7 of the WPT, the last time the buy-in for the Borgata Poker Open was $10,000, online poker pro Vivek “Psyduck” Rajkumar took down the title and a $1.4 million top prize. Sang Kim landed as the runner-up and banked $750,000. Bracelet winner Dan Heimiller took third place for $387,500, Jason Strochak finished fourth for $337,500, Mark Seif claimed fifth place for $287,500, and Andrew Knee banked $237,500 for sixth place.

Perhaps the most memorable Borgata Poker Open final table occurred in 2004, when Canadian PokerStars pro Daniel Negreanu outlasted David Williams heads-up. Negreanu banked $1.1 million, while Williams, now also a PokerStars pro, collected $573,000. Did we mention that Phil Ivey was at the final table? He was. Ivey, widely considered to be the top poker player in the business, finished in sixth place for $105,000.

Working against the Borgata Poker Open is the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Europe schedule ongoing from London. Among those still holding strong in WSOP Europe preliminary events, and so consequently won’t be making the trip to Atlantic City on Saturday, are November Niner John Racener, Jeffrey Lisandro, Jeff Madsen, Chris Bjorin, Erik Friberg, Scott Fischman, Ivey, Huck Seed, Tom Dwan, and Liv Boeree.

Among those who will be in attendance is Women in Poker Hall of Fame member Kathy Liebert, who Tweeted late Friday night, “Just arrived at Borgata. Two starting days so will play WPT tomorrow or Sunday.” Liebert has a plane ticket booked for London for the start of the WSOP Europe Main Event on Thursday.

Also in the house in Atlantic City will be Thuy Doan, who trumpeted her extensive travel plans via Twitter earlier this week: “East coast for a bit. NY to coach @royalflushgirls at their model house, AC for the WPT Borgata, then VA to visit family/Wahoos!” The WPT website also states that Full Tilt Poker pro Gavin Smith, Chris Bell, Maria Ho, Christian “charder30” Harder, UB.com’s Tiffany Michelle, Roy Winston, Jason “TheMasterJ33” DeWitt, Brian Lemke, and Busquet will all be in attendance.

Borgata was formerly the home of two WPT events annually, as the Borgata Winter Open played out each January. 2008 marked the last time the tournament was held as part of the WPT and that year, Gavin Griffin lodged one-third of his live poker Triple Crown by besting a final table that included Lee Watkinson.

Want a behind-the-scenes look at the WPT? Poker News Daily’s Sean Gibson recently traveled to the Bicycle Casino’s Legends of Poker and followed WPT host Mike Sexton as he prepared for a final table broadcast. Check out Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4. Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for the latest WPT Borgata Poker Open coverage.

UBOC 5 Championship Kicks off Sunday

On Sunday, the Championship Event of the fifth Ultimate Bet Online Championship, or UBOC, kicks off on the virtual felts of the CEREUS Poker Network. Players on the CEREUS Network sites UB.com and Absolute Poker will be vying for their share of a $1 million guaranteed UBOC 5 Championship prize pool. The tournament boasts a price tag of $1,050 and begins promptly at 4:00pm ET.

As if the seven-figure purse weren’t enough of a reason to sign up, the UBOC 5 Championship Event features 11-time World Series of Poker bracelet winner Phil Hellmuth as its host. The tournament comes with a Monster Stack format and a six-figure first place prize, so head to UB.com or Absolute Poker today at 4:00pm ET to get in on the fun. Both sites happily take action from United States online poker players.

The UBOC 5 Championship Event is the culmination of a 20-event tournament series that began back on August 18th. Since then, CEREUS Network pros like Annie Duke, Tiffany Michelle, and Mark Seif have hosted UBOC 5 tournaments, featuring poker games like Texas Hold’em, Omaha, and HORSE. This is the second time the UBOC has run in 2010, with the first cycle occurring back in January.

The lone six-figure payday of UBOC 5 so far went to Jeremy “DUHDUHDAISY” Fitzpatrick, who came out on top of the pack in a $1,050 No Limit Hold’em Six-Max Deep Stack event, the eighth on the schedule. A total of 583 players created a $583,000 prize pool, the largest to date heading into the Championship Event. Fitzpatrick owns the eighth spot on the PocketFives.com Online Poker Rankings and has also recorded wins in the Full Tilt $1K Monday and Bodog $100,000 Guaranteed.

In Event #8, Fitzpatrick edged out Danny “dannyills” Illingworth, whose second place consolation prize was worth $81,000. Illingworth calls Carlsbad, California home and finished second in the Absolute Poker $200,000 Guaranteed last month for $27,000.

Others at the final table of Event #8 of UBOC 5 included “UPAY4RHINOS” (third place for $54,219), “JOAOMATHIAS” (fourth place for $37,895), “LOCKDOWNTEX” (fifth place for $32,065), “POOLI” (sixth place for $26,235), “CRACKIN_TY” (seventh place for $21,571), “N0VASKY” (eighth place for $15,741), and “GR8PKRPLAYA” (ninth place for $9,911).

The opening tournament of UBOC 5 featured a field of 903 players for a $320 No Limit Hold’em Sniper event. A total of $200,000 was guaranteed, but the 900-plus player field swelled the total prize pool to nearly $250,000. The final table was stacked with brand name pros, including eventual winner Joshua “pbdrunks” Van Duyn, who banked $54,000. Rounding out the top three were Felipe “improved” Montenegro and Darren “darrenelias” Elias, who cashed in for $32,000 and $22,000, respectively.

Also taking place today on UB.com and Absolute Poker is the Championship Event of MiniUBOC 5. The smaller version of the grand finale comes with a $55 buy-in and a $50,000 guaranteed prize pool. “GUIGUI_88” will serve as its host and the MiniUBOC 5 Championship begins at 4:00pm ET. MiniUBOC 5 has featured the same slate of events as its high-stakes counterpart, but with reduced buy-ins for those players lacking deep pockets.

Blanca Games recently acquired the CEREUS Network, although the terms of the transaction remain a mystery. Tokwiro Enterprises, the former owners of UB.com and Absolute Poker, will likely send out a press release with additional details on the acquisition this week. Stuart Gordon is the main face behind Blanca Games, whose website simply notes that its operations “are conducted by subsidiaries and associated companies.” Blanca Games is based in Antigua and has offices in Costa Rica, where UB.com and Absolute Poker are located.

Visit UB or AbsolutePoker to sign up for the UBOC 5 Championship Event.

Poker News in Brief: Aug. 23-29, 2010

With so many great poker stories it's difficult to make it to the front page of PokerListings.com but fortunately every week we compile a list of lesser-known news in our ongoing Poker News in Brief feature.

This week we'll take a look at bwin preparing the "grandest" series of online poker, Dan Kelly winning a UBOC event and NBA-star Shawn Marion helping to raise over $70,000 for charity in a poker tournament.

Dan Kelly wins UBOC Event 10

Noted online poker player Dan "djk123" Kelly added to his already impressive poker resume this week by winning Event 10 of UBOC5.

Kelly, who plays on UB as JEFFGRESSARD, outlasted a field of 294 players to take down a first place prize of $26,000 in the Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Lo event.

For those keeping track at home, Kelly has now won an FTOPS event, made the final table of a WCOOP main event and most recently won the $25k Six-Max event at the WSOP for $1.3 million.

The 21-year-old has over $4 million in combined live and online winnings.

bwin Readies Grand Series of Poker

bwin Poker's exclusive Grand Series of Poker is set to go off this September.

Now in its fifth year of existence, the GSOP has proven to be one of the most popular online poker series with millions to be won.

This year the schedule has been expanded to include 15 separate events as well as GSOP Mini, which will run parallel to the main GSOP and offer smaller buy-ins for cash-strapped players.

The GSOP and GSOP Mini will take place Sept. 19 to Oct. 10 with the $300k guaranteed Grand Slam scheduled for the final day.

Shawn Marion Charity Tournament a Slam Dunk

The proceeds from the Shawn Marion Celebrity Poker Tournament that was held last week at Choctaw Casino have been tabulated and the event raised nearly $70,000 for the Shawn Marion Foundation.

"We appreciate Choctaw's hospitality and support in our mission," said Shawn Marion. "We had a successful event that will help provide scholarships for kids who may not otherwise get the chance to earn a degree."

In addition to the celebrated NBA star there were numerous poker pros in attendance including Annie Duke, Tiffany Michelle, T.J. Cloutier and Maria Ho.

First place winner James Dean won a 2011 World Series of Poker Main Event seat courtesy of UB.com.

Titan Poker Stages Big Cash Out

Popular European site Titan Poker is set to run a special promotion in September where Titan points will be worth even more than usual.

The Big Cash Out will give players the ability to get even more cash when they redeem their hard-earned points.

What's more, Silver-level players will have the option of cashing in their points for as little as 1,000.

The promo will run from Sept. 1 through Sept. 30.

PartyPoker Throws a Snowball

It's still summer but there's a lot of cold hard cash to be won in PartyPoker's most recent promotion.

The Snowball will allow players to build momentum as they generate frequent player points in the month of September.

If players are able to generate 5-200 points they will automatically gain entrance into freerolls that range from $5k all the way up to $50k.

Fortunately you don't lose the chance to enter smaller freerolls the higher you go so if you qualify for the $50k freeroll you can enter all four of the smaller freerolls.

Players who earn from 500 points all the way up to 50,000 will earn bonus cash from $20 all the way up to $5,000 as well as entry into all the freerolls.

Blanca Games Acquires CEREUS Poker Network

Late Thursday, it was revealed that Blanca Games had purchased the CEREUS Poker Network, which consists of UB.com and Absolute Poker. A press release is due out early next week from former owners Tokwiro Enterprises. The purchasing price and terms were not released.

Stuart Gordon is the Chief Executive Officer of the CEREUS Network’s new parent company and commented in a press release distributed on Thursday evening, “The acquisition of CEREUS is a significant opportunity for us. CEREUS is a major platform of well-managed assets. Over the past few years, it has created new brands, like UB.com, that are extremely well-positioned in the most desirable demographic in our market: players in the 20s and 30s age brackets.” UB.com and Absolute Poker both accept players from the United States.

Gordon added, “From our perspective, we have acquired a large, sophisticated online gaming operation with state-of-the art capabilities, ranging from compliance to business intelligence to online marketing to customer service. We see a tremendous growth opportunity in this deal and beyond, as Blanca seeks additional acquisitions in the market.” Gordon founded and manages BingoMania.com and Helix Gaming International. Like UB.com, both sites feature licenses from the Kahnawake Gaming Commission, or KGC, and Stuart also owns licenses from the nation of Antigua.

Poker News Daily has independently confirmed that no staffing or operational changes are expected at UB.com or Absolute Poker with the transition to Blanca Gaming. In addition, Gordon commented that he doesn’t expect any changes to occur in the “playing experience” on either site. Blanca Games is based in Antigua and, according to its website, keeps offices in Costa Rica, where UB.com and Absolute Poker are based.

Gordon alluded to Blanca Games’ focus on security on the CEREUS Network going forward: “We intend to leverage the existing strengths of the CEREUS Poker Network, particularly in the areas of security and customer service. Although we are impressed with many of the new security features on the Network today, security is and will remain our top priority.” Both UB.com and Absolute Poker are fresh off high-profile superuser scandals. On the former site, over $20 million was taken from players in a heist featured on the CBS news program “60 Minutes.”

The CEREUS Network is in the midst of holding its fifth Ultimate Bet Online Championship, or UBOC. It’s actually the second time that UBOC has run in 2010 and a $1 million guaranteed Main Event will play out on Sunday. The tournament, hosted by 11-time World Series of Poker bracelet winner Phil Hellmuth, boasts a $1,050 buy-in and kicks off at 16:00 ET. The UBOC 5 Main Event is the culmination of a 20-event tournament series that began back on August 18th.

The CEREUS Network’s team of pros includes Hellmuth, Poker News Daily Guest Columnist Annie Duke, Tiffany Michelle, Trishelle Cannatella, Eric “basebaldy” Baldwin, and Brandon Cantu. No changes to rakeback, tournament schedules, and software were announced as of press time, but more details on the transaction and what it means for players may be given when Tokwiro issues its press release next week.

The CEREUS Network was officially launched in November 2008 after the player bases of Ultimate Bet and Absolute Poker were combined. One year later, Ultimate Bet was re-branded as UB.com.

Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for the latest on this breaking story.

UBOC5: ALLRGCTONUTS Takes Down Event #7; Tiffany Michelle Makes Deep Run in Event #8

UB.com Announces Take Down a H0 Bounty Poker Tournament

On Saturday, the very first installment of the UB.com Take Down a H0 bounty tournament played out on the virtual felts of the CEREUS Network site. The unique poker tournament boasts a $50,000 guaranteed prize pool and features UB.com pro Mark “P0ker H0” Kroon. The buy-in is $320.

Kroon is a founding member of Team UB and even co-hosts the popular “Man Up with Mark and Mike” radio show on 1670 AM in Madison, Wisconsin. His bounty tournament kicks off weekly on Saturday at 3:05pm ET and the person who bumps Kroon from his event claims 300 Tournament Dollars for their troubles. Kroon owns Player’s Bar and Grill in Madison, a college town that’s home to the University of Wisconsin.

The first installment of the No Limit Hold’em Deep Stack Take Down a H0 event ran over the weekend on the CEREUS Network, which includes UB.com and its sister site Absolute Poker. A total of 224 players turned out, creating a $67,200 prize pool that easily shattered its guarantee. Kroon was busted from the tournament early, but we’re sure that he merely retreated to his bar for the rest of the day.

In January, Kroon final tabled the PokerStars Sunday Warm-Up for $79,000. Three months later, he took second in the Absolute Poker $1K on his home network for another $68,000. Kroon is an original member of the popular online poker forum PocketFives.com.

UB.com is ramping up to host the fifth Ultimate Bet Online Championship, or UBOC for short. The 20-tournament series kicks off on Wednesday with a $320 Sniper No Limit Hold’em event and a $267 Pot Limit Hold’em/Omaha contest. The two events on UBOC 5’s first day offer up a combined $300,000 in prize money. All told, UBOC 5 will pony up $4 million in guarantees and offers one tournament with a seven-figure purse.

The UBOC 5 Main Event plays out on August 29th and is a $1,050 No Limit Hold’em Monster Stack tournament. UB.com front man and 11-time World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet winner Phil Hellmuth will host the tournament, which comes complete with a $1 million guarantee.

Running concurrently with UBOC 5 is the MiniUBOC, which features the same 20 tournaments, but with reduced buy-ins and guarantees. The MiniUBOC Main Event, for example, has a $55 price tag and $50,000 in guaranteed prize money.

No Limit Hold’em, Pot Limit Hold’em, Pot Limit Omaha, HORSE, Limit Omaha Eight or Better, and Eight Game events will play out as part of UBOC 5. Every player who takes down a UBOC or MiniUBOC event will nab a championship watch in addition to the cash.

Besides Hellmuth and Kroon, other members of Team UB include reigning National Heads-Up Poker Championship winner Annie Duke, two-time bracelet winner Brandon Cantu, and former “Amazing Race” contestant Tiffany Michelle. The site recently parted ways with European Poker Tour (EPT) San Remo Main Event winner Liv Boeree after the two parties could not come to terms on a new deal.

The CEREUS Network happily accepts players from the United States. Its sites are holding a Bubble Buster promotion during UBOC 5 that pays out up to $1 million in cash. Any player who makes the money in 11 of the 20 UBOC 5 tournaments captures the grand prize. For players who aren’t as fortunate, prizes are available for two in the money finishes or more and include freeroll entries, tournament tickets, and cash.

Visit UB.com and Absolute Poker for more details on the Take Down a H0 bounty tournament. Look for it in the lobby every Saturday at 3:05pm ET.

UB Targets Colon Cancer Patient with Charity Event

The $10 buy-in event at UB is set for Aug. 8 at 2:45 p.m. ET.

UB will match 100% of the prize pool with all proceeds going to La Monaca, a 38-year-old who was first diagnosed with colon cancer in 2007 and throughout his own treatment has staged two benefits of his own for cancer research and families dealing with a cancer-stricken family member.

Jason recently received news that his most current round of chemotherapy was ineffective, and on the same day discovered that $1,700 in money raised for his care was stolen.

In addition to the event, direct donations can also be made online at UB via Player-to-Player transfer to the account "CHARITIES".

Top 10 finishers in UB's Second Sundays events win entry to UB's weekly Sunday $200+15 buy-in $200,000 Guaranteed tournament.

The winner will receive a bonus wireless poker controller and there's a bounty on Duke's head with the player who sends her to the rail picking up a $66 entry to UB's $7K GTD tourney the same day.

Last month's Second Sundays event, hosted by Team UB's Tiffany Michelle to benefit the Crystal King Benefit Foundation, drew a total of 237 players and raised $4,740.

Click here for more information on Jason LaMonaca.

For more on UB, check out PokerListings' UB Room Review.

Tiffany Michelle Video Interview

Tiffany Michelle joined us at the 2010 World Series of Poker Main Event, a day after she had concluded her Day 1A. A sponsored pro at UB.com, Michelle was a reporter doing on the floor interviews for a news site before she made her own splash at the tables. Her main claim to poker fame was her historic run at the 2008 World Series of Poker Main Event, as she finished in 17th place. She did not participate in the Main Event in 2009 because she was part of the cast of the CBS reality hit show, The Amazing Race. Her partner was her long time friend and fellow poker pro, Maria Ho.

In this interview Michelle talks about what went on during Day 1A of the Main Event and how thing may not have gone smoothly but she survived the day. She is then asked about how all the young women in poker always bring her up in interviews and if she is actually the president of a secret poker sorority. She admitted that she was, or at the very least, wanted that bit of rumor to be true. Another topic that came up during the interview was some of the events that occurred at the UB WSOP Party which was at the Sky Lounge at the Mandarin Hotel which is part of the Aria / CityCenter complex. She talked about how Trichelle Cannatella professed her undying love for Michelle and was so wasted, planted a “big one” on Michelle before the night was over. They also talked about the famed proposal between a UB prop bet winner and one of the UB Suite booth models.

Unfortunately for Tiffany Michelle, she did not go on the cash at the Main Event, but she had plenty of followers and was extremely courteous to fans for photos and autograph.

ESPN Airs World Series of Poker Preview Special

On Tuesday night at 8:00pm ET, ESPN kicked off its coverage of the 2010 World Series of Poker (WSOP), which just wrapped up its midyear action from the Rio in Las Vegas. One of the many features in the preview special was a roundtable discussion with former Main Event champs Chris Moneymaker, Chris Ferguson, Scotty Nguyen, and Dan Harrington. Moneymaker urged, “If I can do it, anybody can do it.”

Ferguson told the story about how Moneymaker parlayed a $40 satellite into the most prestigious title in poker. Then, Harrington conveyed to ESPN poker analyst Lon McEachern what he missed most about the “good old days” of the game: “The camaraderie. You knew most of the players in the tournament. It was a social gathering.” Ferguson retorted, “You can be nostalgic about the old days, but I don’t miss it at all.”

Ferguson was asked what he thought the greatest WSOP feat was. The 2000 Main Event champion answered that Johnny Chan’s wins in the 1987 and 1988 installments before falling heads-up to Phil Hellmuth in 1989 took the cake: “It’s safe to say that’ll never happen again.”

Many have dubbed 2010 the Year of the Woman, with Annie Duke, Liv Boeree, and Vanessa Selbst all winning major titles. On whether a woman taking down this year’s Main Event would ignite another poker boom, Ferguson forecasted, “I think it would make an enormous impact if a woman won the Main Event. More and more women are getting into poker already.” While Ferguson spoke, b-roll of Nichoel Peppe, Maria Ho, and Tiffany Michelle appeared on screen.

ESPN host Norman Chad doled out the annual Flushy Awards. WSOP Tournament of Champions qualifier Bertrand “Elky” Grospellier received honors for his “unique head of hair and Bedazzled attire.” Also receiving a Flushy was Prahlad Friedman for his rap war with Jeff Madsen. Ninety-six year old Jack Ury claimed a Flushy for “Best Reaction” after scooping a pot during last year’s Main Event.

Victory Poker pro Antonio Esfandiari claimed a Flushy for “Best Begging” after telling a dealer that he’d wash his car if clubs hit the board. Chad awarded himself a Flushy for “Best Fan” for his unyielding support of 2009 WSOP Main Event November Niner Phil Ivey and a “Lifetime Achievement Award” went to Hellmuth, who commented, “No Poker Brat this year… in theory.”

A special ESPN “Inside Deal” segment aired with host Bernard Lee profiling several changes for the 2010 WSOP Main Event, including expanded tournament space, new bracelets designed by Steve Soffa, and new events like the $50,000 Player’s Championship, $25,000 No Limit Hold’em Six-Max, and the rekindled Tournament of Champions. The $50,000 contest will take center stage next Tuesday on ESPN.

Also featured during Tuesday’s kickoff broadcast were reigning Main Event titleholder Joe Cada, DoylesRoom’s Doyle Brunson, Tom “durrrr” Dwan, Scott Seiver, and Isaac Haxton. Chad rounded out the broadcast by explaining what he’s eyeing the most when coverage of the 2010 WSOP Main Event begins next Tuesday on ESPN: “I always look forward to the unknown, the unexpected, the unbelievable.”

In case you missed it, the WSOP Preview will replay from 1:00am to 2:00am ET early Sunday morning on ESPN2. As first reported by Poker News Daily, here is ESPN’s Tuesday air schedule for the 2010 WSOP. All times are Eastern:

July 27th at 8:00pm: $50,000 Poker Player’s Championship
July 27th at 9:00pm: $50,000 Poker Player’s Championship Final
August 3rd at 8:00pm: Tournament of Champions
August 3rd at 9:00pm: Tournament of Champions
August 10th at 8:00pm: Main Event Day 1A
August 10th at 9:00pm: Main Event Day 1A
August 17th at 8:00pm: Main Event Day 1B
August 17th at 9:00pm: Main Event Day 1B
August 24th at 8:00pm: Main Event Day 1C
August 24th at 9:00pm: Main Event Day 1C
August 31st at 8:00pm: Main Event Day 1D
August 31st at 9:00pm: Main Event Day 1D
September 7th at 8:00pm: Main Event Day 2A
September 7th at 9:00pm: Main Event Day 2A
September 14th at 8:00pm: Main Event Day 2B
September 14th at 9:00pm: Main Event Day 2B
September 21st at 8:00pm: Main Event Day 3
September 21st at 9:00pm: Main Event Day 3
September 28th at 8:00pm: Main Event Day 4
September 28th at 9:00pm: Main Event Day 4
October 5th at 9:00pm: Main Event Day 5
October 5th at 10:00pm: Main Event Day 5
October 12th at 9:00pm: Main Event Day 6
October 12th at 10:00pm: Main Event Day 6
October 19th at 9:00pm: Main Event Day 7
October 19th at 10:00pm: Main Event Day 7
October 26th at 9:00pm: Main Event Day 8
October 26th at 10:00pm: Main Event Day 8
November 2nd at 9:00pm: Main Event Final 27
November 2nd at 10:00pm: Main Event Final 18
November 9th at 9:00pm: Main Event Final Table

Maria Ho – Poker Player Profile

Born in Taipei, Taiwan, Maria Ho moved to the United States with her family when she was four years old. As she grew up in Arcadia, California, it looked as if her future career would be in music, as she played piano and violin and sang. At the University of California, San Diego she sang in an a capella group, performed in musicals, and even performed with her sister’s band around Los Angeles.

But she got bitten by the poker bug while in college and once she graduated with a degree in Communications and a minor in Law and Society, there was no looking back.

She first caught the attention of the poker public in 2007 when she was the last woman standing in the World Series of Poker Main Event, finishing 38th and winning $237,865. That was actually her third of eight career WSOP cashes; her next best performance came in 2009 when she placed 11th in the $10,000 Limit Hold’em Event. After three small cashes in the 2010 WSOP, she once again turned heads while the Main Event was going on by placing 10th in the $10,000 Championship at the World Poker Tour‘s Bellagio Cup VI.

All told, Maria Ho has won $400,000 on the live tournament circuit, ranking her 38th on the women’s all-time money list.

Already a poker celebrity, Maria became a crossover celebrity in 2009 as she teamed up with friend and fellow poker pro, Tiffany Michelle, to compete on the 15th season of the hit CBS reality show, “The Amazing Race.” The poker duo placed 6th out of 12 teams.

Away from poker, Maria enjoys working in her family’s real estate business. She is also involved with several charitable organizations, including the Ronald McDonald House, the One Step Closer Foundation, and the National Kidney Foundation.

205 Remain in WSOP Main Event; Johnny Chan Still Among Leaders

When you’re a two-time World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event champion and 10-time bracelet winner, you have the luxury of playing it cool and waiting for players to make unnecessary bluff attempts against you. Johnny Chan has found that especially true at the 2010 WSOP Main Event.

With 205 players remaining going into Day 6, Chan is among the top 10 chip stacks, a perch he’s been sitting on throughout most of the tournament. Chan ended the day with 2,559,000, mainly thanks to a pot he won towards the end of the night against Garrett Adelstein. With the blinds at 6,000/12,000, Adelstein raised to 36,000 in the cutoff and Chan re-raised to 101,000 on the button. Action folded back to Adelstein, who decided to move all-in for around 970,000. Chan quickly called, turning up Kc-Kd, while Adelstein revealed just Qc-Jh. After the board ran out 8s-3s-4s-6s-Qc, Adelstein was on his way to the cage while Chan was stacking a pile of nearly 2.7 million chips.

Chan will be playing catch-up to 21-year-old Evan Lamprea, who bagged up 3,564,000 chips to claim the title of chip leader at the end of the night. Lamprea is followed closely by Michael Skender (3,527,000), Joseph “Subiime” Cheong (3,357,000), Duy Le (3,186,000), and Theo Jorgensen (3,088,000). Other notables healthy in chips include Bryn Kenney, Alex Kostritsyn, Josh Brikis, John Racener, and Michael Mizrachi, whose brother Rob is also still alive, but nursing a short stack.

Also in the field is Breeze Zuckerman, who is the only woman left in this year’s Main Event. Zuckerman, a life coach from Moorpark, California, finished Day 5 with 738,000 chips and will now be placed in the same esteemed group as Leo Margets, Tiffany Michelle, and Maria Ho as “last woman standing.”

The most inspiring story of the day was Team PokerStars Pro Gualter Salles, who could become poker’s next version of Jack Strauss. Strauss famously won the 1982 Main Event after being down to a single chip; Salles is well on his way to accomplishing the same feat. Early on Day 5, the Brazilian called a bet of 106,000 on the turn with everyone at the table believing he was all-in. Salles and his opponent flipped over their cards, with Salles’ pair of jacks trailing the other players’ trip eights, and he was unable to improve his hand on the river. After the hand, Salles realized that there was still a yellow 1,000 denomination chip sitting in front of him. And thus, the rush of a lifetime began.

Salles won the next four hands to increase his stack to 225,000, which was more than what he started the day with. He would double up again only minutes later and eventually finished the day with an astounding 939,000 chips. Salles, a former IRL and CART driver, posted the following Tweet at the end of the day: “que dia incrivel,de uma fichinha solitaria pra 939k. vamoo Brasil.” Translation: “What an incredible day, from a lonely little chip to 939K. Go Brazil.”

The day wasn’t as kind to the hundreds of players that made their exits. Among those eliminated on Day 5 were 2009 November Nine Eric Buchman, Shannon Shorr, Karina Jett, Vanessa Selbst, Jason Mercier, Brandon Cantu, Isaac Baron, Hoyt Corkins, Vitaly Lunkin, Brett Richey, and Praz Bansi.

Day 6 will get underway at Noon Pacific Time on Thursday. Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for continuous updates from the 2010 WSOP Main Event.

Last Woman Eliminated in 2010 Main Event

It ultimately came up short when she had the misfortune of moving all-in with king-ten against Eric Baldwin who picked up pocket aces.

In spite of her elimination, Zuckerman was upbeat about the potentially life-changing experience.

"It was pretty amazing," she said. "It's going to take a long time for any emotion to sink in. I'm completely overwhelmed."

It's been a remarkable journey for Zuckerman, who little more than a year ago was playing in a small home game with her female friends.

Born and raised in Israel, Zuckerman has a degree in sociology and graduated from law school there. She worked for a major newspaper for many years before emigrating to the U.S. approximately 14 years ago.

"I never knew what poker was and I didn't even know the hand values," she said. "I liked it though and eventually made it to the casino to play. The rest is history."

She now plays poker for a living but next month Zuckerman will be starting graduate school at Cal-Lutheran to get her Masters Degree in Psychology.

Right now she's still processing her 121st place finish, which earned her $57,102.

Although Zuckerman didn't have the flash of previous last woman standing winners such as Tiffany Michelle and Maria Ho, she more than proved she could play solid poker over the last six days.

"It was a nice treat," she said about being the last woman standing. "I mean I came here to play poker, it didn't matter if I played guys or girls."

Although Zuckerman admitted she was still reeling from her elimination as she left the Rio, she had a positive outlook on her journey.

 "It's not disappointment," she said. "Right now it hurts like hell and I'm trying to remind myself of the accomplishment and I'm hoping at some point soon I'm going to be able to marvel at what I achieved."

The 2010 WSOP continues through July 17. For comprehensive coverage of the WSOP tune in to PokerListings' Live Updates and News.

Maria Ho Video Interview

Maria Ho gained mainstream fame by appearing with her good friend Tiffany Michelle in the CBS reality show “The Amazing Race” last year. Those in the poker world, especially those that frequent the legendary Commerce Casino in Los Angeles, know that Maria Ho is a lot more than just a pretty face. Known for being one of the best high stakes live Limit Hold’em players, she joins us right before the start of her World Series of Poker Main Event Day 1. In this interview she talks about her role on Team China with World Team Poker and growing up in a Chinese household which prepared her for the world of being a poker pro as well as her strategy going into the Main Event.

Liv Boeree and UB.com Renegotiating Contract

Rumblings around the Amazon Room, site of the 2010 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event, have Liv Boeree and UB.com parting ways. However, Poker News Daily can independently confirm that the two sides are actively renegotiating Boeree’s contract.

Boeree made waves in April after taking down the European Poker Tour’s (EPT) San Remo Main Event for $1.7 million. She bested the largest European EPT field ever of 1,240 in the process and defeated Sweden’s Jakob Carlsson heads-up. Boeree’s win was the latest in the so-called Year of the Woman, which also included Annie Duke winning the National Heads-Up Poker Championship and Vanessa Selbst taking down the PokerStars North American Poker Tour (NAPT) Mohegan Sun Main Event.

Poker News Daily has learned that Boeree’s contract has expired, but the two sides are pursuing a new deal. A UB.com spokesperson explained on Thursday, “Liv’s contract has expired. We are in contract renegotiation discussions now.” The negotiations are expected to come to a head within a week.

Meanwhile, the 2010 WSOP Main Event is playing out at the Rio in Las Vegas. Boeree played on Day 1B on Tuesday, running into a set of kings during the first level to cripple her stack. Then, she was poised for a much-needed double up with pocket jacks, but an opponent with pocket eights found a set. Boeree has never cashed in a WSOP tournament with a buy-in greater than $2,000. This year, she turned in three in the money finishes for $8,000 total.

Boeree, who is dating fellow poker pro Allie Prescott, still appears on UB.com’s website as a sponsored pro. The U.K. native was born in 1984 and, 21 years later, appeared on “Ultimate Poker Showdown.” There, she received instruction from Annie Duke, Phil Hellmuth, and David “Devilfish” Ulliott and the rest, as they say, is history. Duke and Hellmuth now front Team UB, while Ulliott serves as the namesake behind the Entraction Network site Devilfish Poker.

In May 2008, Boeree took down the Ladbrokes Poker European Ladies Championship for $42,000. Then, she final tabled a preliminary event held during the Aussie Millions in 2009 for another $13,000. The same year, Boeree took 37th in the World Poker Tour (WPT) Championship at the Bellagio for $40,000, nearly doubling her $25,000 buy-in. Her crowning glory remains her win in San Remo, where she became just the third woman ever to win an EPT title, joining Vicky Coren (EPT London in 2006) and Sandra Naujoks (EPT Dortmund in 2009).

Besides Hellmuth, Duke, and Boeree, UB.com’s roster of sponsored pros also includes former “Poker2Nite” host Joe Sebok, “Amazing Race” contestant Tiffany Michelle, two-time bracelet winner Brandon Cantu, and Anthrax’s Scott Ian. In early June, Cantu re-signed with UB.com for one year. UB.com pros were spotted at the site’s get-together at the Mandarin Oriental bar at CityCenter in Las Vegas on Monday. The night ended with a shotgun wedding as part of a site-sponsored prop bet contest.

Recent player signings include David Williams and Vanessa Selbst inking agreements with PokerStars, the world’s largest online poker site. In addition, PokerStars is sponsoring the stable of pros belonging to Cliff “JohnnyBax” Josephy and Eric “sheets” Haber during the Main Event, which includes well-known players like Nick “fu_15” Maimone, and Jamie “TheNew” Robbins. Back in May, Amanda Musumeci joined the ranks of Bodog, which parted ways with Williams, Justin “ZeeJustin” Bonomo, and Jean-Robert Bellande.

Tale of Two Days for Team UB

Two flights of the 2010 World Series of Poker Main Event Day 1 are in the books, and while there have been plenty of ups and downs for the 2,600 players so far, it has been a story of contrasting days for the members of Team UB.

Day 1A drew 1,125 runners, two of whom were members of Team UB: Tiffany Michelle and Matthew Graham.  Michelle, who has become a crossover celebrity after competing on “The Amazing Race,” was never far from the roaming eyes of the ESPN cameras.  If she was involved in an all-in, particularly if it was all of her chips at stake, chances were that camera crews would rush over to her table.  In fact, at one point she tweeted, “Listen ESPN cameras: Stop hoarding around my table like I’m a lamb being led to the slaughter, not giving you an exciting bust anytime soon!”

Watching her chip stack crumble from the get-go, Michelle did have her chips at risk on more than one occasion, but she managed, as she put it, to “grind grind grind” and keep herself in the competition.  With only around 20 big blinds left, she is going to need to make a move early on Day 2, but she’s still alive, and that’s what matters.  Hopefully for her sake, she’ll have a better run of cards.  On Twitter, she said, “I keep thinking that good cards HAVE 2 come. Playing 10hrs & I’ve had Aces twice, jacks, 8s, AK AQ & AJ once. Not exaggerating. That’s it.”

Also on Day 1A, Team UB member Matthew Graham had a very nice go of it, ending the day with 58,450 chips, just a bit fewer than twice as many as what he started with.  That chip count put him about in the middle of the pack after that first flight.

So, Team UB was 2-for-2 after Day 1A.  Regardless of whether the players had 200,000 chips or 2,000, they were batting 1.000, so that’s something to hang their hats on.

And then the calendar turned to Tuesday.  Four Team UB players took to the felts on Day 1B: Brandon Cantu, Liv Boeree, Joe Sebok, and Mark “P0ker H0″ Kroon.

Kroon was eliminated early on, getting unlucky when his Queens slammed into Kings.  That wasn’t the knock out blow, but it crippled him and shortly thereafter he headed home when he lost a race with A-K against, of course Queens.

Sebok couldn’t gain any traction all day.  During the first level, he had Kings against Eights against A-Q, but the flop came A-8-A, giving him virtually no shot at the pot.  He was smart enough to get out of there, though, so the damage was minimal.  He later lost with two pair against a better two pair and eventually sunk as low as 6,000 chips.  He was able to chip back up to keep hope alive, but slipped back again when he called an all-in with A-Q, losing to Jacks.  At dinner, he had just 3,500 chips, all of which he lost on the first hand back from the break when his Fives lost to A-6.  He just couldn’t win a race.

Philosophical about the whole thing, Sebok Tweeted, “there’s something so brutally final about not doing shit during the wsop and busting out of the main. like, it’s over. see you next year…”

Liv Boeree, winner of the 2010 EPT San Remo Main Event, ran into a set of Kings during Level 1 and was never able to recover after her stack fell to almost 5,000 so early.  She was eliminated when her opponent turned a set of 8′s, sucking out on her pocket Jacks.

It wasn’t all doom and gloom for Team UB on Day 1B, though.  Brandon Cantu, a two-time WSOP bracelet winner, advanced to Day 2 with a healthy 65,000 chip stack.  Always brief, yet prolific, with his Twitter updates during tournaments, Cantu let his followers know that he was down slightly from his starting stack at the first break, but soon climbed to 33,000, then 42,000, and then about 52,000 by dinner.  He peaked at 71,000 going into the last hour, but despite the small drop in chips to close out the night, he called it a “great day.” Cantu admitted that he was getting cards left and right, but at the same time, he was playing his “A game.” Not a bad combination.

All in all, with the amount of luck needed just to get past the first day, a 50 percent success rate for Team UB is pretty solid, even though the first two days had very different feels.  The big stars of Team UB – Annie Duke and Phil Hellmuth – will play Wednesday, as will Adam “Roothlus” Levy and Hollywood Dave Stann.  The rest of the team members have not publically announced which of the last two starting days they will play, but no doubt they will be at the Rio, ready to make a run to the November Nine.?