Poker News

Phil Hellmuth to Host Hold’em For Heroes Celebrity Tournament

Ultimate Bet’s Phil Hellmuth is once again doing his part in giving back to the families of police officers that have lost their lives in the line of duty. The 11-time bracelet winner is teaming up with the Taser Foundation for Fallen Officers to host the 5th annual Hold’em For Heroes Celebrity Tournament November 19-21 at Fort McDowell Casino in Arizona.

Last year, the event raised over $500,000 for the foundation and was labeled the “most successful charity poker tournament in the country” by national poker media. To date the TASER Foundation has awarded over $2.29 million to the families of fallen law enforcement officers in the United States and Canada. In 2008, 141 officers in the United States and Canada were tragically killed in the line of duty.

In a press release sent out by Ultimate Bet, Hellmuth was quoted as saying, “over the last several years, and especially since 9/11, my respect for policemen, firemen and the people who protect us has risen higher and higher. Our Hold’em for Heroes charity poker tournament gives money to the Fallen Officers Foundation, which supports officers and the families of officers who were killed in the line of duty. My friends and I are grateful to these brave men and women and we are proud to help.”

Joining Hellmuth at the event will be fellow Ultimate Bet Team member Brandon Cantu, Layne Flack, Todd Brunson, Antonio Esfandiari, Kenna James, Clonie Gowen, Roy Winston, and several other poker pros and celebrities. Country music artist Mark Wills has signed on to co-host the event with Hellmuth.

There will be three separate tournaments running during the three-day event. A $115 buy-in with unlimited $50 re-buys and a $50 add-on will take place on Nov. 19. Then a $265 buy-in with unlimited $125 re-buys and a $125 add-on will be played on Nov. 20, and on Nov. 21 a high-roller $1,000 buy-in with unlimited $500 re-buys with a $500 add-on will round out the festivities. Half of all the buy-ins, re-buys and add-ons will be donated to the TASER Foundation for Fallen Police Officers. The top two prizes in each tournament are a combination of cash prize and a seat in a one-table tournament to be played during the evening of Nov. 21 with Hellmuth for a $10,000 Main Event seat at the 2010 World Series of Poker.

Prizes will also be awarded for special events within the celebrity golf tournament held on Nov. 20. One lucky player could even win a 2010 Mercedes for making a hole-in-one.

Here’s a look at the full schedule of the three-day event:

Thursday, November 19, 2009

12:00 pm: $115 Buy-In Tournament first seating (Ft. McDowell Casino)
7:00 pm: $115 Buy-In Tournament second seating (Ft. McDowell Casino)

Friday, November 20, 2009

12:00 pm: $265 Buy-In Tournament first seating (Ft. McDowell Casino)
12:15 pm - 5:15 pm: Celebrity Golf Tournament (We-Ko-Pa Golf Club)
5:30 pm - 6:00 pm: Celebrity Media time (Radisson Hospitality Suite)
6:00 pm: VIP Reception at The Peaks Steakhouse
6:30 pm - 7:30 pm: Meet & Greet for Tribal leaders (Ft. McDowell Casino)
7:00 pm: $265 Buy-In Tournament second seating (Ft. McDowell Casino Poker Room)
7:30 pm: Poker Class for Celebrities (Radisson Hospitality Suite)

Saturday, November, 21, 2008

10:30 am - 11:30 am: General public meet & greet (Ft. McDowell Casino)
12:00 pm: $1,000 Buy-In High Roller Tournament (Ft. McDowell Casino)
4:00 pm - 5:00 pm: Dinner for families, celebrities, and VIP law enforcement guests (Ft. McDowell Casino outside courtyard)
5:00 pm - 8:00 pm: Resume tournament (Ft. McDowell Casino)
8:00 pm: Final Grand Prize Table (Ft. McDowell Casino)

Interested players should sign up at HoldemForHeroes.com.

Brett Favre Signing Delays WSOP Main Event Coverage on ESPN

The signing of quarterback Brett Favre by the Minnesota Vikings delayed the premiere of the 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event by 20 minutes on Tuesday night, with action from Day 1A and Day 1B taking center stage.

The $10,000 buy-in feature tournament began with Full Tilt Poker pro Jennifer Harman narrating, “Someone has to win it, right? So why not you or me?” Highlights of past Main Event winning moments aired, with a player rounding out the montage by saying, “All you need is a ticket and a dream.” The feature table of the first hour, Day 1A of the 2009 WSOP Main Event, included 2006 final table participant Allen Cunningham, Eli Elezra, and Lex Veldhuis, the boyfriend of Evelyn Ng who was featured in ESPN’s coverage of the $40,000 buy-in event commemorating the 40th running of the WSOP.

ESPN announcer Norman Chad fired up viewers by claiming, “This is it. It’s the greatest event in the galaxy. Anyone can win. We could bound and gag Lon [McEachern], stick him in a potato sack, and roll him into the Amazon Room and he may make the final table. I love the Main Event.” Table Two featured 2009 dual bracelet winner Greg “FBT” Mueller and poker pro Sammy Farha, who finished as the runner-up to Chris Moneymaker in the 2003 WSOP Main Event, igniting the modern poker boom.

The 40th Annual Moments featured Johnny Chan winning the 1987 and 1988 Main Events before landing as the runner-up to Phil Hellmuth in 1989. Chan also turned in a seventh place performance in 1992. Joining Chan in the Day 1A field were Phil Laak, Jennifer Tilly, Orel Hershiser, Dewey Tomko, Steven Paul-Ambrose, and Gus Hansen. “Seinfeld” star Jason Alexander and “Everybody Loves Raymond” actor Brad Garrett were seated together, making for a lively table.

At the feature table, Veldhuis rolled over his competition, showing a bluff against Elezra, who labeled him the best player in the field on Day 1A. Veldhuis then represented a flush on a four club board to take down a pot against a player who held two pair. In the Jack Link’s Beef Jerky Wild Card Hand, Simon Muenz raised to 900 with pocket tens, Velduis called with unknown cards, and Cunningham called with A-J. The flop came 4-3-2 with two hearts. Muenz checked, Velduis led out for 2,300, Cunningham got out of the way, and Muenz called. The turn was the nine of hearts. Veldhuis bet 6,000, leaving Chad to comment, “I still think Lex has air.” Muenz called and the ace of spades fell on the river. Veldhuis pushed and Muenz folded. As it turned out, Veldhuis held K-6 for a bluff.

A brand new segment dubbed “Deal Me In” aired and featured Full Tilt Poker pros reliving key hands in live tournaments. Chris Ferguson was the focus of the inaugural segment, recapping a hand where he turned quad aces against Prahlad Friedman. The punch line, according to Ferguson: “You don’t always want to slow play.” Contrastingly, “The Nuts” featured PokerStars pros Greg Raymer, Vanessa Rousso, Chad Brown, Joe Hachem, Hevad Khan, and Dennis Phillips trying to hit a wiffleball thrown by Hershiser. In the end, Raymer laid down a bunt, only to have Hershiser blow it foul.

ESPN’s second hour of coverage, which kicked off around 9:20pm ET on Tuesday night, included a feature table with Mike Matusow. He chimed, “Life is all about the power of positive thinking.” Flanking him was John Dodge, whose grandfather started the automobile company of the same name. Also in the field was Jack Ury, the oldest player in the Main Event at age 96, and poker legend Amarillo Slim, who hasn’t cashed in the tournament since winning it in 1972.

The Wild Card Hand during the Day 1B episode featured Doyle Brunson raise to 675 with A-J of hearts. James Kier called, holding the elusive Wild Card hand. The flop fell 2-4-K rainbow and the action went check-check. The turn was a three and Kier led out for 1,500. Brunson called to watch a four hit the river. Kier once again bet out, this time for 2,500, and Brunson called with just ace-high. Kier sheepishly revealed J-9 for air and another player at the table quipped, “Were you really just trying to bluff Doyle Brunson?”

Matusow gave autographed copies of his book, “Check-Raising the Devil,” to his tablemates, while another Mike, Mike Caro, was featured in an ESPN vignette talking about his “Mad Genius” moniker. Others in the field included Raymer, Ferguson, Barry Greenstein, Joe Sebok, Chris Moneymaker, Todd Brunson, and Pam Brunson. A “Straight from the Pros” segment, in which PokerStars sponsored players gave their take on hands, aired and featured Moneymaker.

Next week, Moneymaker’s colleague at PokerStars, Daniel Negreanu, will take center stage along with Hellmuth. The action takes place from 8:00pm to 10:00pm ET barring any more Favre news.

‘The Brunson 10’ Hopes to Take DoylesRoom to New Heights

Welcome to all new DoylesRoom — home of the legend and the next generation. For the past five years, Doyle Brunson’s site has embraced its reputation as the home of the old-time gamblers, sporting a cowboy look and the faces of Doyle and Todd Brunson, Mike Caro, and Hoyt Corkins. Now, with a clean new site

Laura Lane Gives the Inside Scoop on Inside Deal

Released every Tuesday on ESPN.com are new 30 minute editions of the hit poker show “Inside Deal.” Hosted by Poker News Daily Guest Columnist Bernard Lee and ESPN: The Magazine’s Laura Lane, “Inside Deal” has quickly acquired a loyal audience after debuting on August 4th. We sat down with Lane to discuss its success.

Poker News Daily: Tell us how you became involved with ESPN’s “Inside Deal.”

Lane: I write for ESPN: The Magazine and ESPN.com. I also did a lot of sports and entertainment television when I was in college. ESPN knew I liked poker, they approached me, and it went from there.

PND: Can you give us your poker background?

Lane: I first learned about poker from my little brother. We watched it on television and any time I hung out with him, I had to play. Then, I started playing against sports reporters in a weekly game. I got pretty good really fast. I would play every week in college, read books, watch it on television, and ended up playing in a charity tournament during the Sundance Film Festival. Jamie Gold was there giving lessons, so I sat down and got a lesson from him. Paul Wasicka and Todd Brunson were also there. I made it to the final table and finished fifth.

PND: Did you get any advice from Gold?

Lane: I didn’t know much at the time. There were three tables left and he told me to go all-in with the next best hand I got. I picked up K-K and Jamie was sitting at my table. I pushed all-in, Jamie looked at me, and said he’d fold. After that, everyone at the table gave me respect.

PND: How is “Inside Deal” compiled before it debuts on ESPN.com? What work goes into it?

Lane: Andrew Feldman, the Poker Editor for ESPN.com, has good judgment when it comes to news stories. Bernard is the poker pro and has interviewed a lot of the players before. We talk about what stories are good for the week and, ultimately, our producer makes the call on what airs.

PND: The chemistry between Bernard Lee and you seems to be pretty strong. Tell us about working with one of poker’s top minds.

Lane: He’s one of the nicest guys ever. We had a phone conversation before we ever met while he was in Hawaii. I read his blog back in 2005 when he had a deep run in the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event and had a lot of questions for him about that. We’re both passionate and it’s nice working with someone who cares so much about the show. We keep talking about how we need a Sunday night game together because we shoot the show on Mondays. We had a barbeque after last week’s show and like hanging out with other.

PND: Has working on “Inside Deal” improved your own game?

Lane: I haven’t tested it out since we started filming the show. However, I’ve been learning so many tips that I probably should have known before, which will help undoubtedly me.

PND: Is it intimidating interviewing poker’s elite like Barry Greenstein, Chris Moneymaker, and Dennis Phillips?

Lane: Bernard has played with everyone, so he doesn’t get intimidated. Andrew has interviewed all of the top players. I’ve interviewed Jamie Gold and wrote articles for All In Magazine when it existed. I interviewed Greg Raymer when I was in college. I’ve interview A-list celebrities like Kobe Bryant and Kanye West, so I’m pretty comfortable.

PND: What feedback have you received from the show from friends, family, and co-workers who have watched it?

Lane: My little sister is honest. She’ll say, “Your hair looks better when it’s half up” and comment on my looks more than anything. Other people give me constructive tips. My mom says she doesn’t understand what we’re talking about. I went over to a friend’s house and they hadn’t seen it yet, so we watched it. They all wanted to know how I did it. Some of my friends are baffled by it.

PND: “Inside Deal” is slated to run weekly until the WSOP Main Event final table in November. What do you foresee beyond that?

Lane: The Main Event is the Super Bowl of poker, but there are so many different tournaments throughout the year. A show like ours could go year-round, but we’ll have to wait and see.

PND: Is there a market for a poker show like “Inside Deal” on television?

Lane: I really hope so. Poker is constantly growing and there are more people interested in it than ever before. People watch repeats of it over and over on networks like ESPN. The market is definitely strong. I would hope that in the next year or so, a show like ours is on television.

Laura Lane Gives the Inside Scoop on Inside Deal

Released every Tuesday on ESPN.com are new 30 minute editions of the hit poker show “Inside Deal.” Hosted by Poker News Daily Guest Columnist Bernard Lee and ESPN: The Magazine’s Laura Lane, “Inside Deal” has quickly acquired a loyal audience after debuting on August 4th. We sat down with Lane to discuss its success.

Poker News Daily: Tell us how you became involved with ESPN’s “Inside Deal.”

Lane: I write for ESPN: The Magazine and ESPN.com. I also did a lot of sports and entertainment television when I was in college. ESPN knew I liked poker, they approached me, and it went from there.

PND: Can you give us your poker background?

Lane: I first learned about poker from my little brother. We watched it on television and any time I hung out with him, I had to play. Then, I started playing against sports reporters in a weekly game. I got pretty good really fast. I would play every week in college, read books, watch it on television, and ended up playing in a charity tournament during the Sundance Film Festival. Jamie Gold was there giving lessons, so I sat down and got a lesson from him. Paul Wasicka and Todd Brunson were also there. I made it to the final table and finished fifth.

PND: Did you get any advice from Gold?

Lane: I didn’t know much at the time. There were three tables left and he told me to go all-in with the next best hand I got. I picked up K-K and Jamie was sitting at my table. I pushed all-in, Jamie looked at me, and said he’d fold. After that, everyone at the table gave me respect.

PND: How is “Inside Deal” compiled before it debuts on ESPN.com? What work goes into it?

Lane: Andrew Feldman, the Poker Editor for ESPN.com, has good judgment when it comes to news stories. Bernard is the poker pro and has interviewed a lot of the players before. We talk about what stories are good for the week and, ultimately, our producer makes the call on what airs.

PND: The chemistry between Bernard Lee and you seems to be pretty strong. Tell us about working with one of poker’s top minds.

Lane: He’s one of the nicest guys ever. We had a phone conversation before we ever met while he was in Hawaii. I read his blog back in 2005 when he had a deep run in the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event and had a lot of questions for him about that. We’re both passionate and it’s nice working with someone who cares so much about the show. We keep talking about how we need a Sunday night game together because we shoot the show on Mondays. We had a barbeque after last week’s show and like hanging out with other.

PND: Has working on “Inside Deal” improved your own game?

Lane: I haven’t tested it out since we started filming the show. However, I’ve been learning so many tips that I probably should have known before, which will help undoubtedly me.

PND: Is it intimidating interviewing poker’s elite like Barry Greenstein, Chris Moneymaker, and Dennis Phillips?

Lane: Bernard has played with everyone, so he doesn’t get intimidated. Andrew has interviewed all of the top players. I’ve interviewed Jamie Gold and wrote articles for All In Magazine when it existed. I interviewed Greg Raymer when I was in college. I’ve interview A-list celebrities like Kobe Bryant and Kanye West, so I’m pretty comfortable.

PND: What feedback have you received from the show from friends, family, and co-workers who have watched it?

Lane: My little sister is honest. She’ll say, “Your hair looks better when it’s half up” and comment on my looks more than anything. Other people give me constructive tips. My mom says she doesn’t understand what we’re talking about. I went over to a friend’s house and they hadn’t seen it yet, so we watched it. They all wanted to know how I did it. Some of my friends are baffled by it.

PND: “Inside Deal” is slated to run weekly until the WSOP Main Event final table in November. What do you foresee beyond that?

Lane: The Main Event is the Super Bowl of poker, but there are so many different tournaments throughout the year. A show like ours could go year-round, but we’ll have to wait and see.

PND: Is there a market for a poker show like “Inside Deal” on television?

Lane: I really hope so. Poker is constantly growing and there are more people interested in it than ever before. People watch repeats of it over and over on networks like ESPN. The market is definitely strong. I would hope that in the next year or so, a show like ours is on television.

Andy Beal enters Casino-business with Donald Trump!

Real Estate and Casino mogul Donald Trump, who is also the host of tv’s reality series “The Apprentice”, and Beal Bank (Andy Beal) have decided to enter the casino business again.

-”Andy Beal likes to play the biggest games”

Andy Beal is one of the bankers who are going to invest to the company which Donald Trump lost. In February 2009 Trump Entertainment Resorts was filed for bankruptcy for the third time. Yesterday the company informed that they have chosen Donald Trump to lead it again.

Trump’s daughter Ivanka and the Texas based Beal Bank are the co-owners.

“We’re going to invest $100 million initially… it will be a wonderful company after we intelligently spend money to fix it.” Trump said.

This is the third trip to bankruptcy court for the firm’s three Atlantic City casinos. At the time, it listed assets of $2.06 billion and debt of $1.74 billion, as of Dec. 31.

“My previous investment in the company was destroyed by excessive and restrictive debt.” Trump says.

Andy Beal is known the be the player who has the biggest ever poker winning in a single day. In 2004 Beal won $11.7 million from “The Corporation” which included players like Chip Reese, Hamid Dastmalchi, Gus Hansen and Jennifer Harman.

“The Corporation” includes other players like Doyle Brunson, Todd Brunson, Ted Forrest, Howard Lederer, Phil Ivey, Barry Greenstein, Chau Giang and others.

It’s not a hidden fact that many high-roll players have been waiting to play against Beal again.

Beal started his career as a blackjack player. In 2001 Beal began to visit Bellagio to participate in high-stakes games.

By the end of their matches they were playing staggering $100.000/$200.000 Limit Hold’em with more than $20 million on the table.

In 2006 Beal challenged “The Corporation” again and lost about $16.6 million to Phil Ivey in three days.

Source: Pokeri

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Andy Beal enters Casino-business with Donald Trump!

MMA and poker’s best team up for troops

The veteran UFC fighter plans to host his Second Annual "Operation All In" poker tournament and charity auction benefiting the Xtreme Couture G.I. Foundation on August 22 at the Golden Nugget Las Vegas.

The $330 with $100 re-buys tournament is open to the public and a $10,000 seat in the Sports Legends Challenge poker tournament at Atlantis Paradise Island in the Bahamas will be up for grabs.

"It's sure to be an amazing time, while raising awareness and a lot of money for an unbelievable cause," Couture said.

Proceeds from the poker tournament and both live and silent auctions at the event will benefit the Xtreme Couture G.I. Foundation, a charitable organization created by Couture to raise money and awareness for troops wounded in action and their families.

Couture is a veteran of the U.S. Army's 101st Airborne Division.

"Having spent time in a uniform it became a personal goal of mine to find a way to give back to the brave men and women of our Armed Forces for the sacrifices they make defending our freedoms," Couture said. "The Xtreme Couture G.I. Foundation was born out of that desire."

Several MMA stars are scheduled to attend, including Dan Henderson, Stephan Bonnar, Frank Trigg and Phil Baroni.

Pro poker players Todd Brunson, Lee Watkinson, Chip Jett, David Williams, Adam Schoenfeld and Robert Williamson III have also confirmed.

"We hope you'll come join us for a great night and rub elbows with some of the best fighters and poker players on the planet all in the name of our troops," Couture said.

Tournament participants are also invited to an after party at the Golden Nugget's Gold Diggers nightclub.

Seats can be booked through the Golden Nugget Poker Room at 1-800-777-4658 ext. 8164, locally in Las Vegas at 702-386-8164, or by email at poker@goldennugget.com.

More information can also be found at www.xtremecouturegifoundation.org or www.goldennugget.com.

Visit PokerListings.com

Last Chance to Qualify for APT Macau.

The Asian Poker Tour is going from strength to strength, having attracted some of the industry’s biggest names in 2008 including Doyle Brunson, Jack Binion, Johnny Chan, John Juanda, Huck Seed, Liz Lieu, Todd Brunson, Kenny Tran and Poker Pack members Nam Le, Quinn Do, JC Tran, Steve Sung, David ‘Chino’ Rheem and Kwang Soo Lee.

Alec Torelli (traheho) Signs with Doyle’s Room

In coverage of the World Poker Tour (WPT) Bellagio Cup V, it was revealed that Alec “traheho” Torelli has signed with Doyle’s Room, a USA-friendly site on the Cake Poker Network. Torelli holds the sixth largest chip stack entering Day 4 at the Bellagio.

In an interview with WPT Live Updates Hostess Amanda Leatherman, Torelli recapped the process that went into signing with Doyle’s Room: “My agent knew the guy who is the Marketing Director, Will. He’s a really cool guy. We went to lunch together and talked about the prospects of it and things went really well. They looked at me for a little while and it all worked out… I’m really excited. I like him, the crew, Doyle, and everyone.” In May, Torelli took sixth in the $40,000 buy-in No Limit Hold’em tournament commemorating the 40th running of the World Series of Poker (WSOP). He banked $329,000 for his efforts in the event, which was ultimately won by Vitaly Lunkin. The tournament will air as part of ESPN’s coverage of the 2009 WSOP.

Now, Torelli is making waves at the WPT Bellagio Cup V. He has been at or near the top of the chip counts for virtually the entire $15,000 buy-in tournament. Heading into Day 4 on Friday, Torelli holds a stack of 703,000, good for sixth place overall. The entire field is looking up at online poker star Faraz “The-Toilet” Jaka, who holds 20% of the chips in play after three days, or 3.2 million. Torelli commented that a deep run in the Bellagio Cup V would come at the right time: “I got deep in the $40K and will hopefully get deep in this as well to make a run right when I sign.”

Torelli may be a part of the weekly Bounty tournament on Doyle’s Room. The $27 buy-in contest features $500 celebrity and pro bounties and over $25,000 in prizes are up for grabs. The site’s namesake and his family also compete in the Beat the Brunsons $100,000 Bounty Challenge, in which the site notes that you can “take on the first family of poker in the tournament where everyone’s a bounty for only $10+1.” Both tournaments, which are run weekly, are currently on hiatus for the 2009 WSOP.

Torelli finished as the runner-up to Kenny Tran in the $10,000 buy-in World Championship of Heads-Up No Limit Hold’em during the 2008 WSOP. The second place effort earned him $336,000. All told, he has well over $716,000 to his name from WSOP tournaments. In October, Torelli won a $5,000 buy-in preliminary event held during the Festa al Lago for $120,000. He defeated Jonathan “FieryJustice” Little heads-up in a final table that also featured Scott “BigRiskky” Clements, Ultimate Bet Star Player Michael Binger, Amnon Filippi, and Toto Leonidas. In 2006, Torelli took eighth place in the Ultimate Bet Aruba Poker Classic for $39,000.

According to PokerScout.com, which keeps tabs on online poker room traffic, the Cake Poker Network is the 10th largest worldwide with a seven day running average of 1,480 real money ring game players. Besides Doyle’s Room and the Network’s namesake, other sites in the Cake Poker family include Lock Poker, Players Only, Poker Host, and Red Star Poker. Doyle’s Room jumped to the Cake Poker Network from Microgaming earlier this year and now proudly accepts players from the United States.

Torelli will be in prestigious company on Doyle’s Room, where he’ll join personalities like Doyle, his son Todd Brunson, and the “Mad Genius of Poker” Mike Caro. Brunson owns 10 WSOP bracelets, good for the second most all-time to Phil Hellmuth’s 11. Brunson is arguably the most recognizable face in the industry and won the WSOP Main Event in 1976 and 1977. His most recent piece of hardware came by virtue of winning a $5,000 buy-in No Limit Hold’em Short-Handed event during the 2005 WSOP for $367,000, defeating Minh Ly heads-up.

Alec Torelli Leads WPT Bellagio Cup After Day 1A

A cozy field of 79 players turned out for Day 1A of the World Poker Tour (WPT) Bellagio Cup V. In the end, 61 reached Day 2 on Wednesday, led by Alec “traheho” Torelli. WPT officials are expecting 175 players to compete on Day 1B.

In 2008, the Bellagio Cup IV Main Event, a $15,000 buy-in tournament, boasted a field of 446 players. If 175 players were to turn out for Day 1B, it would translate into a total attendance of 254, representing a drop of over 40%. The Foxwoods Poker Classic boasted the smallest field during Season VII at 259 runners. The event has since been stricken from the WPT schedule.

Torelli’s aggression and willingness to gamble earned him the top spot on Day 1A. After a flop of K-J-7 with two hearts, Torelli moved all-in over the top of a check-raise by poker pro Dan Shak, who called and flipped up pocket jacks for a set. Torelli showed 8-9 of hearts for straight and flush draws. The turn and river were both hearts, filling Torelli’s flush and vaulting him up the leaderboard.

A few hands after battling with Shak, Torelli picked up pocket aces. On a board of J-J-10-6, Torelli check-raised his opponent all-in. The other player called and showed pocket kings, drawing to two outs. The river came the queen of hearts and Torelli scooped another sizable pot.

Torelli amassed a stack of 308,000 chips at the end of Day 1A, well ahead of the second place stack of 256,000 held by Andrew Cimpan, the winner of the Season VII L.A. Poker Classic. Cimpan eliminated Steve O’Dwyer late in the day. After a flop of 8-7-5, O’Dwyer pushed over the top of a raise by Cimpan holding 7-5 for two pair. Cimpan promptly called and showed 6-3 of diamonds. The turn and river both came diamonds, giving Cimpan a runner-runner flush and sending O’Dwyer home.

Defending Bellagio Cup champion Mike “SirWatts” Watson also remains in contention after Day 1A. He holds the 54th largest stack out of 61 players left in the hunt at 36,000, well below the average of 77,000. Watson won $1.6 million for his efforts last year and defeated World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet winner David Benyamine heads-up. The 2008 final table also featured Luke “IWEARGOGGLES” Staudenmaier and John “The Razor” Phan, who won last year’s Legends of Poker event.

On the second to last hand of the evening, poker pro Mike Matusow hit the exits at the Bellagio. Matusow moved all-in after a flop of J-J-7 holding pocket twos. However, his opponent held pocket kings, leaving Matusow barely breathing in the hand. The turn and river came a 10 and nine, respectively, eliminating Matusow from the 2009 Bellagio Cup. Matusow has recorded nine career in the money finishes in WPT events; four have been for final tables. He was the runner-up to Kevin “BeL0WaB0Ve” Saul in the Bellagio Cup III.

The honor of first player eliminated from the WPT tournament went to Allen Hickman, who held pocket tens, but ran into the A-5 of Zach Hyman. When the smoke cleared, the board read 5-5-2-8-6, giving Hyman trips.

Here were the Top 10 stacks from Day 1A of the Bellagio Cup V:

1. Alec Torelli - 308,675
2. Andrew Cimpan - 256,375
3. Ray Taylor - 181,800
4. Jeremiah Vinsant - 179,450
5. Adam Geyer - 157,600
6. Eugene Juergens - 147,500
7. Musa Mustafa - 144,200
8. Hoyt Corkins - 132,900
9. Isaac Haxton - 122,525
10. Justin Smith - 114,100

Other pros who appear in the Top 30 include Todd Brunson (20th place with 81,225), Vadim Trincher (23rd with 78,670), and Erik Seidel (28th with 76,275). The action on Day 1B of the Bellagio Cup V will kick off at Noon Pacific Time. The tournament will air as part of Season VIII on Fox Sports Net.

Celebrities Thriving in 2009 WSOP Main Event

It’s not every day that the Average Joe can play a game of poker alongside “Seinfeld” actor Jason Alexander. However, for eight players on Day 3 of the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event, battling against George Costanza will be a reality.

Alexander will be seated at Table B2 to open play on Friday for Day 3. Joining him will be poker pro Marc Karam, a member of Team Eurolinx who won a $500 buy-in HORSE tournament in 2007 during a WSOP Circuit stop at Harvey’s Tahoe. Karam has final tabled the World Poker Tour’s (WPT) North American Poker Championship twice, once during Season V and once during Season VII. All told, he has nearly $400,000 in lifetime WPT earnings and will duke it out against Alexander for poker immortality. “Seinfeld” ended its run in 1998 and Alexander has since become actively involved in poker.

Three members of the cast of NBC’s “I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here” entered the 2009 WSOP Main Event. In the end, only Lou Diamond Phillips remains to see Day 3. Phillips, who gained a considerable amount of fame after appearing in “La Bamba” and the “Young Guns” franchise, can be found at Table R132, Seat 4. Joining “LDP” will be Team Betfair pro Peter Jepsen, who sits with a stack of 119,500, well below Phillips’ tally of 192,300. Jepsen won the 2007 installment of the European Poker Tour’s (EPT) Warsaw stop. The other two cast members of “I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here” to enter the Main Event, Torrie Wilson and John Salley, were each eliminated on Day 1. Phillips won the second season of the hit NBC reality show.

L.A. Lakers Guard Jordan Farmar sits with a stack of 75,500 entering Day 3 on Friday. The Lakers won the NBA title this season after defeating the Orlando Magic in five games, giving Farmar a championship ring. Farmar averaged 6.4 points per game and 2.4 assists per game during the regular season in 65 appearances to go along with 39.1% field goal shooting. Farmar will be seated at Table R105 today and will be flanked by Allen Kessler. The runner-up in a $2,500 buy-in Omaha High-Low Eight or Better event to Todd Brunson in 2005, Kessler has well over $400,000 to his name from WSOP and Circuit events. He also owns two final table appearances in WPT tournaments, most notably a sixth place effort in the Season V Foxwoods Poker Classic for $136,000.

“The Simspons” Co-Creator Sam Simon, who briefly appeared on the most recent season of GSN’s “High Stakes Poker,” sits with one of the event’s short stacks at 47,500. Simon finished 20th in the $10,000 buy-in World Championship of Pot Limit Hold’em this year for $24,000. In 2007, ESPN cameras closely followed his deep run in the Main Event, which ended with Simon busting in 329th place. “The Simspons” has been on the air for 20 years and, in 2007, the franchise rolled out a feature-length movie.

Australian cricket star Shane Warne also remains in the hunt for the WSOP Main Event title. He owns a sizable stack of 173,700, but will have his hands full at a talented table that also features recent WPT Foxwoods Poker Classic winner Vadim Trincher. Another non-U.S. celebrity who will take to the felts on Friday is French actor and singer Patrick Bruel. He owns a stack of 64,500 and can be found at Table B16, Seat 8.

A total of 2,044 players remain in the 2009 WSOP Main Event. The world’s most prestigious poker tournament will play down to its final table on July 15th. Then, the action will be paused for four months, with the feature table resuming on November 7th. Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for the latest news, notes, and nuggets from the Rio.

607 Players Survive WSOP Main Event Day 2A

Day 2A of the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event began with 1,478 players, compared with the 2,922 prepared to play on Day 2B. However, it ended with only 607 survivors.

Andrew Gaw, from the Philippines, was the overall chip leader at the end of the night with 386,000, while Eric Cloutier is right on his heels with 383,000. Amazingly, Cloutier began play with only 15,000 chips after a clerical error that reported him as being the chip leader after Day 1A. It has been confirmed this time that the former professional hockey player is near the top of the leaderboard after going on an unimaginable rush on Day 2A.

Several big names advanced to Day 3, including former world champions Chris “Jesus” Ferguson, Greg “Fossilman” Raymer, and Carlos Mortensen. Other bracelet winners moving on were Greg “FBT” Mueller, Poker News Daily Guest Columnist Mike Sexton, Thor Hansen, Vitaly Lunkin, Burt Boutin, Tom Schneider, Sam Farha, Farzad Rouhani, Erik Seidel, Bill Edler, Ted Lawson, and Roland de Wolfe.

Mueller has the most chips of any former bracelet winner heading into Day 3. He won two bracelets at this year’s WSOP and finished the day with a stack of 287,000. Both of his wins came in Limit Hold’em and combined for more than $650,000. Poker pro Kyle Wilson, a good friend of Mueller’s, ended the day with 306,000.

Notable celebrities who resumed play on Day 2A included actor and comedian Jason Alexander, world famous cricket player Shane Warne, actor and comedian Brad Garrett, and music manager Rene Angelil. Alexander, seated with Greg Raymer on the ESPN featured table for all of Tuesday, joins Warne as the only survivors of that group heading into Day 3.

With more than half of the field disappearing on Tuesday, there were several prominent names sent home. One of the first was Gus Hansen, who was unable to repeat his deep run in the Main Event last year. Hansen got his entire stack in on the turn with the nut straight against an opponent’s set of threes, but the board paired on the river to give the other player a full house and eliminate Hansen.

Others sent home early on Day 1A were former two-time Main Event champion Johnny Chan, Tony G, Barry Greenstein, Todd Brunson, John “World” Hennigan, Mike Matusow, and Amarillo Slim.

A horde of cameras and media members made their way over to Phil Laak’s table when his tournament was on the line during the second level of the day. A short-stacked Laak moved all-in with Q-9 and was called by a player with pocket eights. After Laak spiked a Queen on the flop, his opponent made a flush on the river to send him to the rail. Laak’s girlfriend, actress Jennifer Tilly, also made her exit on Day 1A.

Here’s a look at some notables who advanced to Day 3 of the 2009 WSOP Main Event:

Greg ‘FBT’ Mueller - 287,300
Andy Black - 215,700
Mike Sexton - 169,000
Sorel “Imper1um” Mizzi - 166,400
Vitaly Lunkin - 135,900
Tom Schneider - 123,700
Joe Sebok - 122,800
Greg Raymer - 95,900
Jason Alexander - 73,700
Farzad Rouhani - 70,000
Sam Farha - 67,500
Carlos Mortensen - 57,900
Bill Edler - 57,300
Erik Seidel - 55,600
Roland de Wolfe - 21,200

Day 2B will get underway at Noon Pacific Time on Wednesday. Troy Weber holds an overwhelming lead over the rest of the field with 353,000 chips; no other player has hit the 200,000 mark. Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for updates on all of today’s happenings at the 2009 WSOP Main Event.

WSOP Main Event Day 1B Draws 873 Players

With most Americans celebrating Independence Day on July 4th, it was anticipated that Day 1B of the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event would draw a smaller number of participants compared to the rest of the starting days. The final number was even smaller than expected, as just 873 players took their seats in the Amazon Room at Noon Pacific Time. The total was a substantial decline from the 1,158 players that participated on July 4th last year.

Still, several familiar faces took to the felts on Saturday. Former world champions “Amarillo Slim” Preston, Doyle Brunson, Jim Bechtel, Chris “Jesus” Ferguson, Carlos Mortensen, Chris Moneymaker, and Greg “Fossilman” Raymer were in attendance. Others pros in the field included Mike Matusow, Barry Greenstein, Hoyt Corkins, Erik Seidel, Todd Brunson, Alexander Kravchenko, and Shaun Deeb.

Jack Ury, at 96 years of age, played in the WSOP Main Event for the third consecutive year. Ury broke his own record that he set last year as the oldest player ever to compete in a WSOP event. The Terre Haute, Indiana native provided ESPN cameras with several colorful moments throughout Day 1B and will return for Day 2 with 23,075 in chips.

Day 1B ended with 655 players who will return for Day 2A on July 7th. The combined numbers of Days 1A and 1B translate into 1,478 players for Day 2A, which means that 74% of starters survived the first day.

Some of the early exits from Day 1B included Moneymaker, Brunson, Jeremiah Smith, and David “The Dragon” Pham, who was eliminated in nasty fashion. Pham got all of his chips in pre-flop with pocket aces against another player’s A-K, but one king found the flop and another hit the turn, cracking Pham’s aces and sending him to the rail.

The chip leader from Day 1B is Brandon Demes, from Tempe, Arizona. Demes, who ended the day with 137,075 chips, cashed twice in this year’s WSOP. He took 84th in Event #36 ($2,000 No Limit Hold’em) and 21st in Event #47 ($2,500 Mixed Hold’em). Demes also has numerous major online scores, including a victory in the PokerStars Sunday $500 tournament for $91,500 in January.

Demes is currently second on the overall leaderboard, trailing only Eric Clouitier, who finished Day 1A with a stack of over 150,000. Others who finished strong on Day 1B were Andrew Gaw (126,100), Nick Maimone (122,500), Samer Rahman (122,400), and Max Casal (121,100).

Here’s a look at how several notables ended on Day 1B:

Fabrice Soulier - 97,725
Joe Sebok - 78,800
Ali Eslami - 56,425
Shaun Deeb - 55,100
Michael Demichele - 54,325
“Amarillo Slim” Preston - 48,075
Hoyt Corkins - 45,325
Mike Matusow - 37,875
Todd Brunson - 32,950
Chris Ferguson - 24,050
Barry Greenstein - 18,900
Erik Seidel - 18,550
Bill Edler - 13,800

Day 1C will get underway at Noon on Sunday. A much larger field is expected, as there are only two more chances for players to participate in the biggest poker event of the year. Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for continuing coverage of the 2009 WSOP Main Event.

Jose Canseco Enters Dream Team Poker WSOP Tournament

Poker News Daily has learned that former Major League Baseball star Jose Canseco has entered the third Dream Team Poker tournament, which will be held on July 12th and 13th during the 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP).

Canseco, whose book “Juiced” helped fuel the steroid hunt in professional baseball, will take to the Dream Team Poker felts along with teammates Shane McDowell and Josh Clark. Canseco’s team, dubbed “On Tilt,” is one of over 100 that have already registered for the event, which will be the first of its kind at the WSOP. Each three-man Dream Team Poker squad will battle for individual and team prizes in the two-day contest, which comes with a price tag of $560 per person.

Attendees of PokerPalooza, formerly the WSOP Gaming Life Expo, will notice a wall of jerseys hanging outside its entrance. The spectacle has been on display all week, runs from floor to ceiling, and has become a popular stop for poker fans. Dream Team Poker officials are expecting over 300 players total at the Rio, including Daniel Negreanu, whose Team Poker VT has already paid its buy-in. 2007 WSOP Main Event Champion Jerry Yang will be in attendance, as will Team Bodog, which includes Evelyn Ng, Justin “ZeeJustin” Bonomo, and David Williams.

Last time out, Dream Team Poker held its first open tournament at Caesars Palace. The event attracted 148 teams and 444 players, selling out the Caesars poker room. In the end, Team ACED, led by 2006 WSOP Main Event Champion Jamie Gold, took down the title. Although Gold has since parted ways with the Merge Gaming Network site, his name is forever entrenched in Dream Team Poker history. Gold and company pocketed $59,000 for recording the top team finish and Danny Nelson from Team BikerHaven.net grabbed $24,000 for claiming the individual title.

Coming in second place at Caesars in the team competition were the Claddaghs, who earned $33,000. Other top finishers included The Clones (third place for $15,000), Party at the Mansion (fourth place for $10,000), and the Hellmuth Busters (fifth place for $6,000). One-third of the 2008 WSOP November Nine turned out at Caesars, as did Phil Hellmuth, Johnny Chan, Todd Brunson, Paul Wasicka, Mike Matusow, Erica Schoenberg, and T.J. Cloutier. Also in attendance was Bonomo, who along with Matt Parvis and Eric Morris took down the inaugural Dream Team Poker event as part of Team Bluff.

Each player will begin with 10,000 starting chips and blind levels last 40 minutes. The price of poker begins at 50-100 and antes kick in at Level 3, when blinds are 150-300. A 10 minute break occurs after every three levels and teammates are not seated at the same table until 14 to 16 players remain. Teams that registered prior to July 1st received a customized jersey and play begins at 2:00pm Pacific Time on both July 12th and 13th. Individual payouts amount to 40% of the prize pool, while team payouts make up the remaining 60%.

Other players slated to enter the third Dream Team Poker tournament include Barry Greenstein and Joe Sebok (Team PokerRoad), Gavin Smith (Team Zurvive), Pamela Brunson (Team Pushers), Liz Liu (Team Chili Poker), and Barbara Enright, Paul Darden, and David Levi, who will make up Team Bookmaker Poker.

July 12th also marks Day 5 of the 2009 WSOP Main Event, which kicked off on Friday with the first of four starting days. A total of 1,116 entrants took to the felts on Day 1A, down from 1,297 last year. Today’s field is expected to be smaller due to the July 4th holiday in the United States. The $10,000 buy-in tournament will play down to its final table on July 15th, when it will be paused for four months. Last year, Danish poker pro Peter Eastgate earned $9.1 million for the victory and became the youngest WSOP Main Event winner ever at age 22.

The Dream Team Poker event will be held inside the Amazon Room, home of the 2009 WSOP. Registration is now open at the Rio cage and can be paid via casino chips, cash, or cashier’s check. We’ll have full tournament results for you right here on Poker News Daily.

Brandon Cantu Defeats Lee Watkinson for WSOP PLO High-Low Title

Two of poker’s stars clashed in a heads-up match for the ages in the $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Low Split-8 or Better event Saturday evening. Brandon Cantu and Lee Watkinson were the first bracelet winners of the 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) to play heads-up for a title and the large crowd that gathered at the ESPN stage in the Amazon Room wasn’t left disappointed.

In the end, it was Cantu who finished on top to earn his second WSOP gold bracelet and $228,867. Cantu fought back from a 5:1 chip deficit to take control of the match and eventually put Watkinson away. On the final hand, Watkinson raised and Cantu called to see a flop of Q-6-4 with two clubs. Watkinson moved all-in and Cantu called:

Watkinson:
Cantu:

Watkinson was unable to fill his low and straight draws and Cantu’s set of fours held up to seal the victory. The win came just a week after Cantu took second place in a $1,500 No Limit Hold’em event despite having an enormous chip lead throughout most of the final table. He earned $403,951, but the result came with plenty of discontent.

“This is really special, especially because I should have won a week ago,” he said of winning his second bracelet. “That loss was really hard for me to take. This one really was special… I put so much time into playing these tournaments. The money comes and goes, but the bracelet will always be there. It’s nice winning titles. It’s great.”

Cantu took nearly twice as many chips (1,025,000) into the final day of the Pot Limit Omaha High-Low event as his closest competitor (Mathieu Jacqmin). At one point during Day 2 he had 25% of the chips in play, reaching the one million chip mark before anyone else had hit 300,000. Despite having limited experience in the game, Cantu went on a rush that hadn’t yet been seen at this year’s WSOP. “I don’t know if this game suits my style,” Cantu explained. “But everything worked. You can’t be quite as aggressive in this game. You have to slow down a little bit. In the end, everything worked.”

Cantu’s first gold bracelet win took place in what was his first time ever to cash in a major live event.  He won a $1,500 buy-in No Limit Hold’em WSOP event in 2006 for $757,839. The tournament drew 2,776 players, which at the time at the time was the largest non-Main Event tournament in WSOP history.

Watkinson was also playing for his second career WSOP bracelet Saturday. His first came in the 2006 in the $10,000 buy-in Pot Limit Omaha championship. Watkinson also made it to the final table of the 2007 WSOP Main Event, taking eighth place for $585,699.

Here a look at the final results from the $1,500 Pot Limit Omaha Hi-Low event:

1. Brandon Cantu - $228,867
2. Lee Watkinson - $141,873
3. Mathieu Jacqmin - $92,946
4. Ted Weinstock - $74,727
5. Tommy Vedes - $47,617
6. Steve Jelinek - $36,893
7. Aaron Sias - $30,028
8. Ronnie Hofman - $25,618
9. William McMahan - $22,862

One player will be awarded a bracelet Sunday as the $1,500 Limit Hold’em Shootout comes to a close. Bracelet winners Greg “FBT” Mueller, Tom Schneider, David Williams, and Marc Naalden headline one of the most talented final tables formed at the 2009 WSOP. Online stars Matt “mattster24″ Sterling and Joep “Pappe_Ruk” van den Bijgaart will also be vying for the bracelet and $ 194,854 prize when play resumes at 2:00pm Vegas time.

Day 3 of the $50,000 HORSE will get underway at 4:00pm with 53 of the original 95 players still in the field. Gus Hansen is the chip leader heading in to Day 3 with 686,000 while Ray Dehkharghani (643,000), Erik “erik123″ Sagstrom (560,000), and Todd Brunson (549,000) are close behind. A winner will be crowned on Tuesday and collect $1,276,802.

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

Ankenman wins WSOP $2.5k Mixed

With Mathematics of Poker co-author Chen watching from the sidelines, Ankenman defeated Sergey Altbregin in heads-up play to win the World Series of Poker's $2,500 Mixed Event.

"This is my third big cash at a WSOP and I'm happy to win a bracelet," Ankenman said.

"The first two I was second so that was bittersweet. It's just nice to get the prize."

The prizes in question are a WSOP bracelet and $241,637 in prize money, and they came at the expense of a final table that included such fearsome distinguished as Dario Alioto, Layne Flack and Jon Turner.

In the end, however, it was only Altbregin, a Russian pro with $200k in career earnings, who stood in his way.

"When I was heads-up I was pretty confident because I've played a lot of heads-up limit," Ankenman told PokerListings.

In the end, the tournament came down to a combination of experience and simple luck.

"It was a combination of me being confident and me making a lot of hands in a row," he said. "I was just sort of able to run my opponent over."

The former Washington Mutual employee told PokerListings he loved the mixed game format.

"I think it's a great tournament," he said. "I really like the mixed game format because it gives you an opportunity to show off your chops.

"The World Series of Poker is like the last bastion of mixed games. It's really nice to be able to come here and play a wide variety of games."

Elsewhere in the Amazon Room on Tuesday:

Event 41 - $5,000 No Limit Hold'em Shootout

22-year-old Peter Traply became the first Hungarian to win a WSOP bracelet, defeating Andrew Lichtenberger in heads-up play to claim the title and $348,728 in prize money.

Check out what Traply had to say about his victory here.

Event 43 - $1,000 Seniors No Limit Hold'em

Twenty-eight players remain in the $1k Seniors NLHE tournament, including chipleader Tom Thomas, whose 917,000 in chips puts him nearly 300k above second-place Charles Simon.

Among those to hit the rail in Tuesday's action were 2007 LAPC champ Eric Hershler, Barbara Enright and "Minneapolis" Jim Meehan.

Action will resume at 1 p.m. Wednesday for the play down to a champion.

Event 44 - $2,500 Razz

The $2,500 Razz event took a scary turn midway through the day when pro "Miami" John Cernuto collapsed at his table due to what the WSOP termed "an ongoing medical ailment."

Cernuto regained consciousness at the Rio but was taken to hospital for treatment and was in good spirits when he contacted the WSOP's Nolan Dalla later in the evening, asking Dalla whether he had won his last hand.

Thirteen players remain in contention in the event, including chipleader Jeffrey Lisandro, Nikolay Evdakov and short-stack Ville Wahlbeck.

Action resumes at 1 p.m. on Wednesday.

Event 45 - $10,000 Pot Limit Hold'em

A total of 275 players bought-in to the $10k PLHE tournament and by day's end only 85 remained in contention for the tournament's $633,328 top prize.

Among those to falter in Day 1 action were Peter Eastgate, Barry Greenstein and Jason Mercier, while Bertrand "ElkY" Grospellier and Nenad Medic headline a star-studded field of survivors.

Action resumes at 2 p.m. for Day 2.

Event 46 - $2,500 Omaha Hi-Lo

Four-hundred and twenty-five players bought-in for the $2.5k Omaha 8 event and 216 players remained when play was suspended for the evening.

Among those who still remain in contention are Mike Matusow, Annie Duke and Todd Brunson.

The players return to action at 2 p.m. on Wednesday.

Check out the PokerListings 2009 WSOP section for more live coverage from the World Series of Poker.

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Wahlbeck wins WSOP Mixed Championship

The 33-year-old pro Finnish pro broke down in tears after his victory at the $10,000 World Championship mixed event.

Moments ago, he'd defeated veteran pro David Chiu in heads-up Omaha 8, taking the win with A Q 8 8 and a rivered Broadway Straight.

Faced with the exhausting reality of his first WSOP bracelet, Wahlbeck needed a few minutes to compose himself.

"This is every poker player's dream," he told PokerListings.com. "This is the first bracelet for Finland."

"Obviously I've been dreaming about this since I started playing poker. Now being here and having a bracelet is like a dream come true. So no wonder if I'm emotional."

Saturday's final table marked the sixth consecutive day of poker for Wahlbeck, who is having an extraordinary 2009 WSOP.

A regular on the EPT circuit, the Finn entered his first 2009 WSOP event Monday, buying in for the $10k Seven Card Stud World Championship.

He battled a brutal field full of pros all the way to the final table in that event, cashing for more than $150,000 after busting out in third place early on Thursday morning.

He then registered for Thursday's Mixed Event World Championship and after three more exhausting days, found himself at another final table.

Wahlbeck started at the final table with the chip lead, but faced a tough challenge with players like Chiu, Huck Seed, Todd Brunson and Mark Gregorich still in the field as the event came down to the final eight.

He managed to stay out of major trouble as his rivals faltered, avoiding any big confrontations and not eliminating anyone until he busted Scott Dorin in third place in a Deuce to Seven Triple Draw hand.

Wahlbeck recently blogged about quitting poker after this year, but has to be reconsidering after proving himself against such world class fields twice in the same week.

"I've been playing professional poker for six years now, and this is such an exhausting profession," Wahlbeck said. "I don't know if I want to keep doing this."

"I've been playing six days in a row, 12 hours each day. Nothing but sleeping and poker. Now it feels wonderful, but I just know it's a rough job, and maybe in the future I would like to do something a bit more relaxing."

Chiu nearly survived the final hand to double up on Wahlbeck. Holding A 5 9 T, Chiu went all in pre-flop and the flop came J J 5.

The turn came 10, giving Chiu the lead, but the river K to give Wahlbeck the straight, the bracelet and $492,375 in prize money.

Chiu takes home $304,176 for 2nd place.

For Wahlbeck, there's no time for partying, as the $10k Omaha 8 World Championship begins later today at 5 p.m. So any celebrating will have to wait.

"Maybe [I'll] have a beer and then go to sleep," Wahlbeck said. "I have to play tomorrow. I'm really tired."

Check out the PokerListings 2009 WSOP section for more details.

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$10k Mixed event attracts cream of WSOP crop

The event uses a format where eight game variations are played at each level. The levels start with a mixed round of Deuce to Seven Triple Draw, Limit Hold'em and Omaha Eights or Better.

The next mixed round includes Razz, Stud and Stud 8, and the final mixed round of each level involves the big bet games, No Limit Hold'em and Pot Limit Omaha.

With eight different games in the mix, some pros admit that their skill level in some games is higher than in others.

"This one here is a really interesting one," said Gavin Smith. "This one puts a lot of weight on big bet games.

"No Limit Hold'em and Pot Limit Omaha are a lot more dangerous than all the Limit games. I think you have to be a lot more careful when you're playing the big bet games."

Smith spent some of Day 1 near the chip lead, but a tough run toward the end of the night left him short-stacked for Day 2.

"Al the guys that play the Big Game will have an advantage because they play these games all the time," Smith said. "The guys that you expect to go deep will probably be the guys that are going deep."

David Oppenheim enters Day 2 of the event with the chip lead, followed closely by Daniel Negreanu and Jimmy "Gobboboy" Fricke.

Negreanu told PokerListings he feels the mixed-game format suits him well. Despite entering late because of his participation in the $10,000 Seven Card Stud World Championship, he quickly worked his way up the leader board on Day 1.

"I came in 43rd in ($10,000 Seven Card Stud) so I started late, but I still was able to do really well," he said. "I'm more than comfortable, feel good, ready to kick ass.

"I play these games all the time. That's what I used to do for a living when I played poker for a living. So I feel more than comfortable playing all those games. I feel like a big favorite usually."

Fricke was all business at his table in the minutes before the start of Day 2.

"I feel like I have an edge in some of the games," he said. "I've played the same mix on PokerStars for the last couple of months.

"I feel like there are a lot of people that are strong in two or three games, and then the rest of them they're kind of just working their way through."

"PLO is my strongest game by far. No Limit I have a big edge. People have different skill sets, and I feel like I match up well against the field."

Lots of big names remain in the field, including Scotty Nguyen, Jennifer Harman, Jeff Lisandro, Allen Cunningham, Doyle Brunson, Todd Brunson, Erick Lindgren and Huck Seed.

The event is scheduled to play to the Final Table tonight before crowning a champion Saturday.

Check out the live updates for details.

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40 years of the WSOP: The new millenium

Back in 1991, Jack Binion was asked to look into the future and see where the WSOP might go.

Jack had no way of knowing how the WSOP would explode in popularity, bringing thousands to his casino in search of fame and fortune and said he expected a slow, steady 10 to 15 percent growth rate.

The last winner of the twentieth century was Jesus himself, Chris Ferguson.

He took home $1.5 million after outlasting 512 other players in the 2000 Main Event.

Poker author and fifth place finisher Jim McManus chronicled the final table in his book Positively Fifth Street.

The final battle between Ferguson and T.J. Cloutier was epic, with T.J. overcoming Ferguson's huge chip lead only to lose when his A-Q was out-flopped by Fergusons' A-9.

In the preliminary events, Jennifer Harman, Phil Ivey and Howard Lederer each won their first bracelet and Ferguson won another in 7-card stud.

Carlos Mortenson won the title in 2001 playing at the first final table with nine players, including poker standouts Mike Matusow, Phil Gordon, Phil Hellmuth and Dewey Tomko.

An unknown patent attorney Greg "Fossilman" Raymer came in 12th in the $1,500 Omaha Hi/Lo event that year.

2002 saw a whopping 39 preliminary events, three of which were won by Phil Ivey.

Robert Varkonyi was the Main Event champion, besting 631 hopefuls on his way to winning a then-record $2 million in his first ever WSOP event.

"I won my buy-in in my first ever single-table satellite," Varkonyi told PokerListings.

"I was extremely surprised to make the final table, it was completely unexpected. I was totally pumped with adrenaline, not nervous, just totally out of control excited to be there."

The fact that Varkonyi was a recreational - not professional - poker player caused some to doubt his chances, including Phil Hellmuth, who Varkonyi had doubled through earlier with Q-10 against his A-K.

During the televised final table, Hellmuth memorably promised to shave his head if Varkonyi were to pull out a win.

Eventually Hellmuth was forced to get a trim, but the name Robert Varkonyi was really lost in the shuffle with what happened next.

There is no poker aficionado who does not remember every moment of the 2003 Main Event.

The final nine, outlasting the record 839 who started, included Sammy Farha, Dan Harrington, Jason Lester, Amir Vahedi, David Grey, and David Singer.

But in their midst was a mild-mannered accountant who had dreamed of playing the Main Event since he saw the movie Rounders years earlier.

When Chris Moneymaker turned his online-qualifying win into $2.5 million, poker would never be the same.

Somewhat forgotten was the fact that Layne Flack had his second consecutive two-bracelet WSOP that year or that Ferguson, Hellmuth, Johnny Chan, Men "the Master" Nguyen and John Juanda each won two bracelets as well.

Women poker players did well in 2004 with Kathy Liebert, Cyndy Violette and Annie Duke each winning bracelets in open-field events.

But the story that year was the phenomenal increase in Main Event participants due in no small part to Moneymaker's historic win.

A total of 2,576 played and of course Greg Raymer won the $5 million dollar prize. Just like Moneymaker, Raymer had won his seat through an online satellite at PokerStars.

The 2005 WSOP was held outside of Binions for the first time, though the final two days of the Main Event took place in the old haunt.

Aussie Joe Hachem came out on top of the 5,619 person field, taking home $7.5 million.

His supporters' cheers are now legendary as was the final table that had a wide array of talent from the recently paroled Mike Matusow to the loveable everyman Steve Dannenmann.

The final table was also the site of the memorable meltdown from Ireland's Andy Black.

Raymer made a believer of everyone by coming close to repeating, finishing 25th in the big show.

Jennifer Tilly became the first celebrity player to win a bracelet and Doyle and Todd Brunson became the first father/son combo to win bracelets the same year.

If it were not for Jamie Gold, the 2006 WSOP would be remembered for its Player of the Year, Jeff Madsen.

Madsen became the youngest bracelet winner in history taking down the $2,000 NLHE, then won his second bracelet in Short-Handed NLHE six days later.

He also had two third place finishes - one in Omaha 8 and another in Stud Hi/Lo, an astounding feat at any age.

But Gold's $12 million win, outlasting the largest Main Event field ever at 8,773, is the story of 2006 as much for Gold's brash and controversial style as for the legal dustup that his win caused when another player claimed Gold had promised him half.

As if preordained, 2007 Main Event winner Jerry Yang was the anti-Gold. Quiet, pious, unassuming, Yang won $8.25 million with an aggressive, steam-roller approach to the final table that his co-finalists could not match.

With 6,358 players entering, there were 2,415 fewer than the previous year, only the second time in WSOP history that the number of entrants to the Main Event decreased.

Steve Billirakis was crowned the new-youngest bracelet winner in history, breaking Madsen's record from the previous year. Hellmuth won his record 11th bracelet and had a then-record 63 WSOP cashes.

Last year's WSOP set records for attendance (58,720), countries represented (118), and prize pool ($180,676,248).

It also saw the introduction of the November Nine, which ratcheted up the interest in and attention to the final table.

For poker purists who had been decrying the lack of "professional" winners of the Main Event, this final table had many players for whom poker was not just a hobby.

Runner-up Ivan Demidov went on to place third at the WSOP-Europe, David "Chino" Rheem is a respected pro, and eventual $9.1 million winner, the taciturn Dane Peter Eastgate, has proved himself a worthy title-holder.

2008 had a rash of memorable bracelet winners in preliminary events from the brothers Hinkle (Grant and Blair) to first-time bracelet-winners Erick Lindgren, David Singer, Kenny Tran, Nenad Medic, David Benyamine, JC Tran, and John Phan all breaking their "one of the best to never win a bracelet" record - now currently held by Andy Bloch.

So what is in store for 2009?  What records will be set, which will be broken?  Who will be the big story, the one talked about another forty years from now?

Will a big name take the big title, or will another "relative" unknown take poker's biggest prize?

For those answers and a whole lot more, follow PokerListings' Live Reporting from the Rio throughout the 2009 WSOP.

Related Articles:

• 40 years of the WSOP: The beginning
• 40 years of the WSOP: The 70s
• 40 years of the WSOP: The 80s
• 40 years of the WSOP: The 90's

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Beat the Brunsons on Doyle’s Room Every Monday Night

A brand new tournament unveiled on the popular online poker site Doyle’s Room challenges players to Beat the Brunsons… literally. The tournament takes place every Monday night at 9:30pm ET and awards up to a $100,000 bounty for eliminating members of the Brunson clan. The high-stakes event comes with a buy-in of just $11.

Everyone knows the legendary Doyle Brunson, who plays under the screen name “Tex_Dolly” on his own online poker site. If you send Doyle packing from the Beat the Brunsons tournament, you’ll take home $1,000. Eliminate Todd Brunson, who appropriately plays as “Todd_Brunson,” and you’ll see your bankroll on Doyle’s Room balloon by $500. Knock out Pam “Queen_Kitty” Brunson and $250 will be coming your way. Doyle’s nephew, Ken (who goes by “Tex_Ken” on the virtual felts) has a $250 bounty on his head, as does Todd’s wife Anjela “Russian_Chick” Brunson. Beyond the five members of the Brunson family, you’ll also receive $5 for every person you knock out of the tournament.

A variety of unique cash rewards are up for grabs in the weekly spectacle. If a player can knock out every member of the Brunson family, they’ll take home a $100,000 jackpot. In addition, if a player knocks out Doyle with his signature hand, 10-2, they’ll receive $5,000 for their efforts. If two Brunsons go at it and one is eliminated, everyone seated at the table when the melee occurred will receive their $11 buy-in back. In addition, being ousted from the Beat the Brunsons tournament by Doyle himself results in the following prize, according to text found on the site: “Getting knocked out of a tournament by Doyle Brunson is nothing to be ashamed of; it's happened to the best of them. If Tex_Dolly takes you out, we'll send you a free copy of one of his best-selling books so you can sharpen your game and come back for another shot.”

The tournament also features a traditional prize pool, so its winner will take home a sizable sum of money in addition to any bounties they receive. The champion also scores a $500 payday into their Doyle’s Casino account. The tournament kicks off at 9:30pm ET every Monday. Players start with 2,000 chips and blinds escalate every 15 minutes in the No Limit Hold’em tournament. If $11 isn’t within your bankroll, Doyle’s Room has you covered. Standard sit and go, speed, multi-table, and turbo satellites starting at $1.10 are available. $5.50 heads-up satellites are also an option, with the winner moving on to the Beat the Brunsons event on Monday nights.

April 27th marks the fourth time that the Beat the Brunsons tournament has been held. It compliments the highly popular Bounty event, which takes place every Thursday at 9:30pm ET. The Bounty comes with a price tag of $27.50 and boasts a rotating series of celebrities. Knock out one bounty and you’ll win $500. Send two bounties packing and you’ll score $5,000. Knock out all three bounties and you’ll find your Doyle’s Room bankroll grow by $25,000. All first-time Bounty players receive their buy-in back regardless of whether or not they cash. This week’s bounties include Doyle Brunson, Hoyt Corkins, and “The Mad Genius of Poker” Mike Caro. Recent celebrity guest bounties have included “The Wrestler” star Mickey Rourke, “The Sopranos” actress Jamie-Lynn Sigler, and “Entourage” personality Kevin Connolly.

Doyle’s Room makes its home on the Cake Poker Network, which accepts customers from the United States. Other sites on the Network include Lock Poker, Players Only, Poker Host, and Red Star Poker. According to traffic ranking site PokerScout.com, the Network is the tenth largest worldwide by cash game volume with a seven day running average of 1,580 players.

David Grey Reveals the Secrets of the Andy Beal Game

No security necessary - just $26 million in chips, David Grey, and a pistol-carrying Todd Brunson. Perhaps there were safer ways to transport The Corporation's winnings after Phil Ivey took Andy Beal to town, but it was what it was. A quick drive to Bellagio, and the players divvied up their...

Jennifer Harman Charity Poker Tournament Returns for Third Year

Jennifer Harman and her many friends are back to raise money for a good cause.

The third annual Jennifer Harman Charity Poker Tournament will be held at The Venetian Poker Room on Friday, April 17, in Las Vegas. The event, which benefits the Nevada Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (NSPCA), raised more than $130,000 for the organization last year alone.

Poker celebrities that have already reserved seats for the charity tournament include Doyle Brunson, Phil Ivey, Phil Hellmuth, Daniel Negreanu, Barry Greenstein, Chris Ferguson, Hoyt Corkins, Jerry Yang, Andy Bloch, David Williams, Eli Elezra, David Oppenheim, Lee Watkinson, Jeff Madsen, Karina Jett, Todd Brunson, Brad Booth, Joe Sebok, and many others. Defending champion Seth Dupre, a recreational player from Las Vegas, will also participate. The event is open to the public.

A red carpet walk featuring players accompanied by animals from the NSPCA shelter is scheduled to begin at 4 p.m., while emcee Matt Savage will kick off the $300 No Limit Hold'em tournament at 5 p.m. The tournament will include unlimited $100 rebuys for the first three levels and then a $100 add-on worth twice the starting stack.

The grand prize of a seat in the $10,000 World Series of Poker Main Event, along with a Curtis & Co. watch, will be awarded to the winner. Each player will receive a generous gift bag courtesy of the Nevada SPCA and its sponsors. The silent auction, hosted by Nevada SPCA and Triumph Sports, will feature autographed sports and poker memorabilia items. The auction will run from 3 p.m. until 7 p.m.

The following sponsored prizes will be awarded to those that reach the final table:

1st Place -- $10,000 World Series of Poker Main Event seat, Legacy Alliance custom designed crystal trophy, Curtis & Co. sports watch, Life’s A Bluff autographed Limited Edition Lithograph.

2nd Place -- WSOP Academy certificate, Legacy Alliance custom designed crystal trophy, Curtis & Co. sports watch, Life’s A Bluff autographed Limited Edition Lithograph.

3rd Place -- WSOP Academy certificate, Legacy Alliance custom designed crystal trophy, Curtis & Co. sports watch, Life’s A Bluff autographed Limited Edition Lithograph.

4th Place -- Two nights luxury accommodations at the Venetian, dinner for two at a Delmonico Steakhouse (pending approval), certificate to Venetian’s Canyon Ranch Spa Club (pending approval), Life’s A Bluff autographed Limited Edition Lithograph.

5th Place -- Autographed complete home poker chip set, tickets for two to David Spade Live at the Venetian (pending approval), Quad Queens all-in-one cushion backpack, Life’s A Bluff autographed Limited Edition Lithograph.

6th Place -- Tickets for two to Phantom at the Venetian (pending approval), autographed complete home poker chip set, Quad Queens all-in-one cushion backpack, Life’s A Bluff autographed Limited Edition Lithograph.

7th Place -- Tickets for two to Wayne Brady at the Venetian (pending approval), autographed complete home poker chip set, Quad Queens all-in-one Cushion Backpack, Life’s A Bluff autographed Limited Edition Lithograph.

8th Place -- Tickets for two to Madame Tussauds (pending approval), autographed complete home poker chip set, Quad Queens all-in-one cushion backpack, Life’s A Bluff autographed Limited Edition Lithograph.

9th Place -- Tickets for two to Jersey Boys (pending approval), autographed complete home poker chip set, Quad Queens all-in-one cushion backpack, Life’s A Bluff autographed Limited Edition Lithograph.

10th Place -- Tickets for two to Blue Man Group, SuperSystem leather-bound autographed by Doyle Brunson, Doyle Brunson autographed cowboy hat, Quad Queens all-in-one cushion Backpack, Life’s A Bluff autographed Limited Edition Lithograph.

There will also be a “Last Woman Standing” prize and “Jennifer Harman Bounty” prize sponsored by 2-Step Images. More information, including tournament structure, prizes, and contacts, can be found at http://www.jenniferharmancpt.com.

Double Elimination Leaves Five-Handed WPT Final Table at Foxwoods

Wednesday marks the conclusion of the World Poker Tour’s (WPT) Foxwoods Poker Classic. Traditionally, WPT final tables are played six-handed. However, a rare double elimination on the final hand on Tuesday leaves just five players.

Attendance at this year’s Foxwoods Poker Classic was down 25%, but there was no shortage of action at the Connecticut casino. On the final hand of the night, the number of players went from seven to five when Joe Raposa and Bill Botchis were both eliminated by Vadim Trincher, who holds a commanding chip lead over the field as a result.

Blinds were 12,000-24,000 when the double elimination occurred. Trincher raised to five times the big blind under the gun. Botchis shoved for 193,000 and Raposa pushed over the top for 248,000. Trincher called holding pocket aces and had both covered. Botchis and Raposa each turned over pocket pairs of their own, nines and jacks, respectively. The board came 8-7-5-2-7 and Trincher’s aces held. Suddenly, just five players remained.

This is only the second time in WPT history that a final table has started with five players. The other was during the Season VI WPT Celebrity Invitational, which was won by Van Nguyen. The cards will hit the air at 4:00pm ET today, with the winner taking home over $700,000. Here is a look at the chip counts as they stand entering the final table:

1. Vadim Trincher - 2,813,000
2. Amnon Filippi - 1,852,000
3. Matthew Casterella - 1,808,000
4. Lenny Cortellino - 1,175,000
5. Alex Perelberg - 200,000

Trincher took 132nd in the 2007 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event, turning his $10,000 buy-in into $58,000. Filippi is perhaps the most experienced player remaining at the WPT Foxwoods Poker Classic final table. He finished fourth in the 2007 HORSE Championship at the WSOP for $586,000 and owns nearly $700,000 in lifetime earnings from WSOP tournaments. This is his fourth WPT final table. He grabbed fourth in the Season IV Borgata Poker Classic for $184,000, sixth in the Season VI Mirage Poker Showdown for $100,000, and fifth in the Season VII Doyle Brunson Five Diamond World Poker Classic, which took place in December, for $288,000.

Places six through ten at Foxwoods were as follows:

6th Place: Joe Raposa - $85,292
7th Place: William Botchis - $68,235
8th Place: Lee Markholt - $54,830
9th Place: Allen Kessler - $46,315
10th Place: Tony Gargano - $40,209

Markholt’s tournament run ended after he was crippled holding pocket jacks against pocket kings on an eight-high board against Trincher; he was ousted from the event shortly thereafter. Markholt finished fourth in the WSOP Circuit Event Championship in Tunica in 2006, cashing for $183,000. Kessler was the runner up to Todd Brunson in a $2,500 buy-in Omaha High-Low Eight or Better WSOP tournament in 2005, pocketing $132,000. He made the final table of the Foxwoods Poker Classic two years ago and took third in the WPT Invitational during Season IV.

Other notable in the money finishes included:

12th Place: Barry Greenstein - $40,209
15th Place: David Williams - $34,117
24th Place: Charlie Marchese - $23,150
30th Place: Evan McNiff - $20,713

First place will pay out $731,079, second place pockets $409,405, third place will take home $214,449, fourth place will earn $138,905, and fifth place scores $106,007. The champion at Foxwoods will also take home a $25,000 buy-in to the WPT Championship, which kicks off in ten days from the Bellagio in Las Vegas. Preliminary tournaments for the prestigious end of season event are already running, keeping many of the West Coast pros in Sin City instead of traveling to Foxwoods.

Stay tuned to Poker News Daily to see who wins!

Team ACED Wins Dream Team Poker Caesars Palace Tournament

A total of 148 teams, or 444 players, entered Dream Team Poker's second tournament, which was held at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas over the weekend. It was the first installment open to the public and, when the final cards were dealt, Team ACED took down the event for nearly $60,000.

2006 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event Champion Jamie Gold headlined Team ACED, which also included Ashley Nataupsky and Houston Waldie. The team's name is a reference to Gold's sponsorship by the Merge Gaming Network site of the same name, an agreement he inked in February. The Network accepts players from the United States and also includes Carbon Poker, IronDuke, Poker Nordica, and Rumble Poker, among others. ACED recently sponsored a charity fundraiser for Children Uniting Nations that was held after the Oscar festivities in Los Angeles and emceed by Gold.

Gold actually took ninth in the event, while Nataupsky finished in fourth. The 2006 Main Event winner commented in a press release distributed by Dream Team Poker on Monday, “It’s the most fun you can have without $12 million on the line. My WSOP bracelet is in a vault, but my Dream Team Poker trophy will be on my mantel for all to see.” Gold bested a field of 8,773 players in poker's most prestigious tournament in 2006 and took home the largest prize ever given out at the WSOP.

In order to preserve the integrity of the game, Dream Team Poker also awards prizes for the top individual tournament finishers. At the Caesars event, Danny Nelson emerged victorious from the pack, taking home nearly $24,000. Heads-up, he went toe to toe with Philip Rousseaux for 45 minutes in front of a throng of onlookers. In the final hand, Rousseaux pushed with J-8 on a board of K-8-4, only to see he was dominated by Nelson's K-9. A six on the turn and a seven on the river sealed the win for Nelson, who played as part of Team BikerHaven.net.

Teams were given jerseys to hit the felts with, creating a unique atmosphere. A team's overall score is determined by the two best finishes of its members and teammates are not seated at the same table until 14 to 16 players remain in order to stunt collusion. The runner up finish by Rousseaux was enough to earn The Claddaghs the second best team score and its corresponding $33,000 prize. Here were the top five teams at Caesars in the second Dream Team Poker tournament, a $550 per person buy-in affair:

1st Place: Team Aced - $59,940
2nd Place: The Claddaghs - $33,300
3rd Place: The Clones - $15,984
4th Place: Party at the Mansion - $10,656
5th Place: Hellmuth Busters - $6,660

The top five individual finishers were:

1st Place: Danny Nelson (Team BikerHaven.net) - $24,063
2nd Place: Philip Rousseaux (Team Claddaghs) - $13,320
3rd Place: Jerry Percival (Team Runner, Runner) - $7,922
4th Place: Ashley Nataupsky (Team ACED) –$ 6,666
5th Place: John Regis (Poker Masters) - $5,328

The very first Dream Team Poker event was held at the Hard Rock Casino in November and was won by Team Bluff, which consisted of Matt Parvis, Eric Morris, and Bodog poker pro Justin “ZeeJustin” Bonomo. Despite being open to the general public, the second installment of Dream Team Poker brought out some of the top names in poker. Former WSOP Main Event Champions in attendance over the weekend included Gold, Jerry Yang, Tom McEvoy, Ultimate Bet pro Phil Hellmuth, and Johnny Chan. Also making the trek to Caesars were three members of the inaugural November Nine: Dennis Phillips, David “Chino” Rheem, and Kelly Kim. Other poker pros that competed included Todd Brunson, Paul Wasicka, Full Tilt Poker front man Mike Matusow, Erica Schoenberg, T.J. Cloutier, David Williams, and the last woman standing in the 2008 WSOP Main Event, Tiffany Michelle.

No date for the third Dream Team Poker tournament has been announced. Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for the latest on this unique spin on the game.

Bodog Unveils 2009 WSOP Prop Bets

If you've ever wanted to rail your favorite poker stars without having to be at the 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) in Las Vegas, head to Bodog. The online poker site and sports book recently opened up betting on the WSOP. The festivities at the Rio begin on May 27th.

Among the wagers available on Bodog is what poker pro will win the most money during the 2009 WSOP. The leader in the clubhouse is 11-time bracelet holder Phil Hellmuth, who is currently going off at 5:2. Other players that are available to bet on include Doyle Brunson (7:2), David Sklansky (12:1), Barry Greenstein (5:1), Mike Caro (12:1), Phil Gordon (10:1), T.J. Cloutier (6:1), and Team PokerStars Pro member Daniel Negreanu, who is fetching 3:1 odds.

The question of “Will Phil Hellmuth win his 12th bracelet at the 2009 WSOP occurring in Las Vegas beginning May 27th?” is paying +300 for Yes and -500 for No. Hellmuth made three final tables last year, taking third in the $1,500 buy-in HORSE event for $93,000. You can also bet on whether Brunson or Johnny Chan will score their 11th bracelets. The +300 figure means that a player must bet $100 to get back a total of $400. The -500 figure means that a player must bet $500 to get back a total of $600.

A special last longer wager is also available on the prestigious $50,000 buy-in HORSE Championship, which was infamously won last year by Scotty Nguyen. He has 5:1 odds in the bet, the favorite among the pros available. Others include Brunson (6:1), Hellmuth (7:1), Chan (7:1), Freddy Deeb (11:2), Phil Ivey (6:1), David Williams (11:2), Justin “ZeeJustin” Bonomo (11:2), and Negreanu (6:1). Deeb won the event in 2007 and the late Chip Reese took down the inaugural HORSE Championship in 2006. The trophy given to the winner of the event is named in his honor.

Another unique bet asks wagerers to select what pair will rack up the most winnings in the 2009 WSOP. Patrik Antonius and Kathy Liebert are the current favorites, going off at 4:1. Other pairings available include Doyle and Todd Brunson (6:1), the husband and wife team of Marco Traniello and Jennifer Harman (6:1), father and son Barry Greenstein and Joe Sebok (9:2), brother and sister Annie Duke and Howard Lederer (15:2), Bodog pros Evelyn Ng and Justin Bonomo (15:2), Phil Laak and Jennifer Tilly (6:1), mother and son David and Shirley Williams (6:1), engaged couple Chad Brown and Vanessa Rousso (10:1), and Tom “durrrr” Dwan and Tiffany Michelle (9:2).

Players can even bet on what game will be played when the final hand is dealt during the HORSE Championship. Hold'em, Razz, and Seven Card Stud are all paying 5:2, while Omaha High-Low and Seven Card Stud High-Low are both going off at 15:4.

Bettors will also be keeping their eyes on the female contingent in the Main Event, as a special women's-only last longer bet is available on Bodog. Jennifer Harman and Kathy Liebert are the current favorites; both are 5:1 to remain in contention in the Main Event the longest. Others include Duke (7:1), Tilly (10:1), Cyndy Violette (7:1), Isabelle Mercier (7:1), Clonie Gowen (7:1), Ng (7:1), Liz Lieu (7:1), Mimi Tran (7:1), Katja Thater (7:1), Rousso (7:1), and the last woman standing in the 2007 WSOP Main Event, Maria Ho (10:1).

One prop bet on Bodog centers wholly on Bodog pro Jean-Robert Bellande's finish in the Main Event. Bellande was a contestant on CBS' “Survivor: China,” one of the 18 seasons of the show that have aired. “No Money” is paying 1:20; finishing in the money, but no better than 10th place is paying 8:1; making the final table is paying 150:1; and winning the 2009 WSOP Main Event is fetching 1,000:1 odds. Bellande took 442nd in the Main Event last year.

The first wager listed in Bodog's poker section is, “Will Scotty Nguyen reach his stated promise that he will earn $4,000,000 or more in combined winnings at this year’s WSOP?” Yes is paying out +2,400. The bet stems from an interview Nguyen had with PokerListings that he would retire from poker if he does not amass $4 million in winnings at the 2009 WSOP. Whether he will follow through on his promise is anyone's guess.