Poker News

Bubble Bursts as Dunst Seizes Main Event Lead

Those who were sweating their shorts stacks on the bubble had to wait an extra 90 minutes as tournament officials made the controversial decision to break for dinner only four slots shy of the money.

Frank Kassela sealed up his WSOP Player of the Year win by finishing in the money. All four Mizrachi brothers found a way to cash as well, perhaps ushering in a new era of dominance for "Team Mizrachi."

Only 574 of the 1,203 players that started the day are still remaining. Some of the unlucky players to be sent home before making money include Dan Harrington, Kathy Liebert, Annie Duke, Barry Greenstein and Robert Varkonyi.

Among those sent home in the money were Gavin Smith, Eric Mizrachi and Frank Kassela but perhaps the most painful elimination spot was reserved for Tim McDonald, who ended up filling that unwanted bubble spot and just missing out on a payday.

It wasn't all doom and gloom for McDonald though as he was awarded a Main Event seat for next year, so he has at least one more epic journey ahead of him.

David Chiu was another player to bust - although he made it to just inside the money.

"I am exhausted and totally burnt out,” Chiu said of a draining Main Event for him.

“I’ll probably take one whole week to catch up on sleep!”

By the end of play, there were a number of well known players occupying the top spots, Matt Affleck, Phil Galfond and Theo Jorgensen all in the top ten.

However it was the sharply-dressed Tony Dunst who trumped them all, slicing his way through to the chip lead, and anyone with designs on the title will have to create a few creases in Dunst's otherwise flawless suits if they are to create history and win the 2010 Main Event.

(With files from Jason Phillips.)

For a full account of how the day panned out, click through to PokerLIstings' WSOP 2010 coverage, including news, videos and blogs.

WSOP Adds Regional, National Championship Circuit Events

The tour is entering its seventh year and features events around the United States throughout the year. This year officials are adding four $10k buy-in regional championships and lowering the buy-in to $1.5k for the rest of the open events.

Also new this year will be the addition of a cumulative scoring system that culminates in a 100-person National Championship tournament that will be played at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas prior to the commencement of the WSOP.

The tournament won't have a buy-in and will feature the top 100 performers from the tour who will compete for a $1,000,000 prize pool and a WSOP Gold Bracelet. Only the top 10 will emerge with a payday.

"We recognized the WSOP Circuit Events needed a shot in the arm, and we believe we've responded with steroids," said WSOP Vice President Ty Stewart.  "The new model is exactly what the WSOP is all about, giving poker players of all bankrolls the chance for compete for the kind of fame, fortune and respect that comes only with a WSOP bracelet and a national television audience."

Speaking of national television, the WSOP is guaranteeing two-hours of national television coverage per $10k Regional Circuit Championship event. Clearly, the decision-makers are targeting professionals and amateurs alike in their attempts to attract more interest.

Tournament directors are hoping the end result is an expanded player pool and a renewed excitement for poker throughout the country. More details are available at the WSOP site.

London Poker Circuit adds midweek events

The 7th season of the WSOP Circuit will start in August

WSOP has announced the WSOP Circuit Tour schedule for the season 2010-2011.

The WSOP Circuit Tour will start its seventh season in August. It also looks like the tournament is gonna be bigger and better than ever before. This 7th season will include at least 12 tour stops - and presumably there will be even more of these.  

The 7th season will also involve some innovations which the organizers naturally classify as improvements:

• A Cumulative Player Point System for the whole season. 
• The WSOP Circuit National Championship tournament (televised nationally) in which the Top 100 players (who have accumulated most points) will qualify. 
• Four regional WSOP Circuit Championships happenings (buy-ins $10k and 2 hrs of TV broadcasting/each happening).  
• Standardized structures and pay-outs.

The WSOP Circuit 2010-2011 will start on August 19th from Iowa (Horseshoe Council Bluffs) and will continue until May 2011 when poker shall be played at Harrah’s New Orleans.

View the schedule from here.

Read more about WSOP Circuit.

Source: WSOP

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The 7th season of the WSOP Circuit will start in August

WPT Bellagio Cup: Joseph Miceli leading, Annette Obrestad also continues after receiving some help from the card deck

The second day of the WPT Bellagio Cup is over. At the moment 113 players of the original 310 who started in the tournament will continue to the third day. Other players still have the possibility to register in the tournament until the end of the first level of the third day.

After the first two days the biggest chipstack is held by Joseph Miceli (440k). The next ones in chipcount are Jordan Morgan (431,3k), the first-day chipleader Guillaume Darcourt (378k) and Paola Martin (290,8k).

Of the big names Men Nguyen (240k), Daniel Alaei (220k), Scott Seiver (215k), Annette Obrestad (117,7k) and Joe Hachem (100k) are also in the rop row. View the whole chipcount from here.

Obrestad’s games were nearly over during the second day as her pocket kings encountered the set Jordan Smith had flopped with pocket queens. However, the river brought the king to the table, and Annette’s wishes of winning the WPT race are still alive.

“Annette Obrestad”

The starting chipstack was 40k. At the moment the average stack is 109,7k.

The prize pool is not yet available since the buy-in time for the tournament still lasts until the end of the first level of the third day.  

Chipcount Top10:

Source: WPT and TheHendonMob

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WPT Bellagio Cup: Joseph Miceli leading, Annette Obrestad also continues after receiving some help from the card deck

Hail to the 2010 WSOP by Linda Johnson

If you are a poker player and you didn’t make it to the Rio to be part of or even witness the 2010 World Series of Poker (WSOP), you definitely missed out! As one friend of mine said, the WSOP has definitely matured. Kudos to Jack Effel and his entire staff for the many, many hours of planning they put in to make it run so smoothly.

When it comes to details, they seem to have thought of everything. The food problems of the past were settled by the creation of the Poker Kitchen, where players could grab food during dinner breaks without having to walk all the way into the casino. By the way, the fresh, custom, “more than you could eat” salads they served this year were incredible and the $10 food comp players got when they entered an event was sufficient to pay for a meal there. They had extra “executive” bathrooms outside the Amazon Room that were actually so deluxe that one would never know they were there temporarily.

They had plenty of stages for final tables. The bracelet ceremony was held each afternoon at a large center stage in the Pavilion, providing the bracelet winners an opportunity to be honored by their peers. I had the incredible opportunity to deliver the “Shuffle Up and Deal” speech from the center stage to kick off the Ladies Event. Here is a copy of the speech I wrote:

“I’m honored to be part of the opening ceremonies for the 2010 WSOP Ladies Event. 2010 is my 30-year anniversary of playing in the WSOP.

When I entered my first Ladies Event in 1980, I had no idea that it would be life-changing.  I had decided that if I did well in that event, I would quit my job and become a poker pro. That year – 1980 – I came in fifth place. I went home to California and gave notice at work. Two weeks later, I moved to Las Vegas and began my new life as professional poker player.

I’ve never regretted that decision. The past 30 years in poker have been incredible. Many things have changed in poker over the past 30 years.

Instead of starting with $400 in tournament chips, today we’re starting with $3,000 in chips. Instead of 65 entries, today there are more than 1,000 participants. Instead of paying three places, more than 100 will be paid. Instead of Seven Card Stud, the game has changed to No Limit Hold’em. Instead of playing downstairs in the Mexican restaurant at Binion’s that was converted to the World Series poker room for two weeks a year, we are here at the Rio in the biggest poker room in the world. Isn’t this setting spectacular? Instead of it being rare to see women in poker rooms, women have become an integral part of poker.

Women are accomplished players! There are now 15 women with gold bracelets in open events. You can’t open a poker magazine these days without seeing the picture of a woman who just won a big poker tournament.

Despite the changes in poker from 1980 to 2010, one thing has remained the same: the excitement that we, as poker players, feel every year at the WSOP.

As I look out today, I see excitement on your faces. I hope the 2010 Ladies Event changes many of your lives like it changed mine! I remember it like it was yesterday – the thrill I felt 30 years ago as I heard the tournament director say… Shuffle up and deal!”

At the time I gave the speech, I wasn’t aware that approximately 12 men had entered the Ladies Event. Of course had I known, I could have added the line, “Instead of only women playing in the Ladies Event, today we have men and women playing.”

There have been many articles and blogs written about whether or not men should be allowed to play in the Ladies Event and even whether or not there should be a Ladies Event. Here’s the bottom line as far as I am concerned: There is no reason to have a Ladies Event because women can’t compete with the men… they can! The reason to have a Ladies Event is because of the atmosphere at the event, which is different from an open event. It is pleasant and provides a great opportunity for women poker players to play with their peers. More than 1,000 women showed up to play, so they obviously support Ladies tournaments.

In the five open events I played in, I was almost always the only woman at the tables. Therefore, the conversation was mostly about sports, the cocktail waitress, and things that didn’t interest me. I witnessed at least two very vocal arguments between players in each of the open events I played in.

It really was a treat to get to play with ladies in a congenial atmosphere and to have conversations that interested me. In fact, the two penalties I saw given during the Ladies Event were given to men.

I would never dream of crashing a man’s bachelor party, hunting trip, or fishing trip, so why should they play in a Ladies Event? However, that doesn’t make it right for the women to cheer when the men get knocked out. They should just be ignored, in my opinion.

I hate to see the 2010 WSOP come to an end. It was a great Series for me, with three cashes in the five tournaments I entered and success in live games as well. Could we make it last a little longer next year?

Chan Still Among Leaders After Day 3 of WSOP Main Event

The cash is drawing nearer as the eliminations pick up and the celebrations become more intense. Only 747 will emerge with a payday and that bubble is expected to burst tomorrow.

Some of the players who had their Main Event dreams dashed today include former champs Joe Cada and Chris Moneymaker. Also sent to the rail were Kara Scott, David "Devilfish" Ulliott, Jen Harman, Daniel Negreanu, Vanessa Rousso, David Williams and Erik Seidel.

Surprisingly, all four of the Mizrachi brothers are still alive and The Grinder is the only person who can run down Frank Kassela for WSOP Player of the Year. He has to win in order to secure that feat.

Some of the other big names remaining include Jason Mercier, John Robert Bellande, Johnny Lodden, Barry Greenstein, Eric Baldwin, Sammy Farha, David Grey and Patrik Antonius.

Johnny Chan once again ended the day among the chip leaders. Chan said he was happy and tired as he bagged up his chips to end the day.

"I'm glad we're changing tables because the player to the left of me was probably the only one to win a lot of chips off of me," Chan said.

When asked to compare the 2010 competition to the fields he defeated back in 1987 and 1988, Chan chuckled. "Let's just say this; the players are a lot better nowadays."

Chan is confident that he can win a third Main Event title and record 11th bracelet. "I absolutely think I can win, otherwise I wouldn't be here," he said. "All those chips help give me confidence too."

Chan finished with 636k and found himself 9th on the leader board heading into day 4.

Tomorrow's action will once again start at noon in the Amazon Room and promises to be one of the most exciting and intense days on the entire WSOP calendar. As always, keep checking in here at PokerListings for all the latest news and live updates.

Jack Ury, 97, continues in the WSOP 2010 Main Event

We’ve got a real steel grandpa in the WSOP 2010 Main Event! Jack Ury who was born in Indiana 97 years ago made it through the first two days and will continue to the third tournament day.

On 2+2 forum Ury’s family receives a lot of praise. The nick “fire_sqaud” reports having seen how the family pushes him in a wheelchair all around Rio - to the toilet, to eat during the tournament breaks and so on. Ury, who found poker in 1953, amused the audience on purpose or unintentionally by taking more than doubles with his small stack.

From the big blind Ury went all-in with his king pair and asked - as the board was K2J87 -“Did I win?” and laughed merrily as his opponent was holding 3h-9s. Perhaps the most senior player of the tournament is slightly senile or maybe he just presents the stereotype of a Vegas steel papa?

Source: 2+2 and Pokernews

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Jack Ury, 97, continues in the WSOP 2010 Main Event

Doyle Brunson’s WSOP: a pure nightmare

The legendary Doyle Brunson told to Pokernewsdaily that this year’s WSOP has been a sheer nightmare for him…  

Brunson played eight tournaments and made the second day six times but couldn’t cash at all. He says that the 2nd and 3rd days of the WSOP tournaments are always good fun - and being eliminated on the second day without any cashes is the worst possible fate since getting through the first day is the most difficult part.  

Numerous visits at the dentist hardly eased his WSOP, and Doyle admits the whole thing got on his nerves. “Those gum treatments were supposed to be over in 4-5 months, but this has taken already eight months. I’ve got seven implants in my mouth which feels like getting on a carousel and not being able to get off.”

According to Brunson, Dan “djk123″ Kelly who secured his place in The Brunson 10 by winning the $25k NLHE 6-max is a nice young man - even though he looks like 14-year old boy. Handpicking the entourage of young players, Brunson tells there has been a long list of candidates in the selection process which is why he organized a race between the most promising players.

After Dan Kelly joined the team, seven places of The Brunson 10 are now taken. These young players are: Zachary Clark, Amit Makhija, Dani Stern, Chris Moorman, Alex Kamberis, Steve Gross and Dan Kelly.

Source: Pokernewsdaily, Doyle’s Room and TheHendonMob

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Doyle Brunson’s WSOP: a pure nightmare

Aussie Millions Heads-Up Championship Airs on GSN

On Saturday night, the Heads-Up Championship at the Aussie Millions aired on GSN. Only one hour of coverage was devoted to the event, which attracted 50 players. Once again, Paul Khoury and Grub Smith had the call.

Each match-up was played in a best of three format and GSN producers displayed the final hands made by players on the screen. Because of the short time devoted to the event, many of the hands that made it to air were all-ins and the action began with Barry Woods facing off against Vanessa Selbst, who was rocking a Full Tilt Poker logo. Selbst doubled Woods up with pocket sevens against pocket nines and then again after flopping trips against Woods’ boat.

Women like Amanda da Cesare, Jessica Dowley, Leo Margets, and Marsha Waggoner were profiled at the Aussie Millions. Then, Selbst 4bet all-in with 7-6 of hearts on a flop of 2-K-8, all hearts. Woods held K-7 and watched in glee as a king hit on the turn and a deuce hit on the river, giving him a runner-runner full house. Selbst hit the rails after the bad beat and Woods moved on to face Norway’s Martin Gudvangen.

Woods continued to receive the blessings of the poker gods, making a runner-runner straight against Gudvangen, leaving Khoury to remark, “Sometimes raising at the wrong time really pays off.” Then, Woods’ 10-8 held against Gudvangen’s 9-5 to ship him the title in the first match.

Gudvangen struck back in match #2, however, doubling up with A-J against A-8 before finally putting his opponent away with A-3 against J-9 all-in pre-flop. In the rubber match and holding Q-3, Woods moved all-in over the top of a bet by Gudvangen, who had pocket nines on a board of 5-8-5. Gudvangen made the call as an 87% favorite only to watch Woods spike a queen on the river to double up. Khoury exclaimed, “Barry is nodding his head, but he knows he’s run well in this tournament.” Gudvangen was eliminated shortly thereafter.

In the finals of the Aussie Millions Heads-Up Championship, Woods faced off against Canadian Kyle McMurphy. Woods whiffed on a straight draw on the river to give McMurphy the edge in round #1. Then, on a board of 9-Q-7-J, McMurphy checked with pocket jacks for a set and Woods bet 3,200 holding 10-8 for the second nuts. McMurphy check-raised all-in and Woods happily called. The river failed to pair the board and Woods claimed round #2.

In the deciding match of the event, McMurphy open-shoved all-in pre-flop with K-10 and Woods made the call with A-9 of hearts. The situation was looking grim for McMurphy until a nine hit on the river to give him a straight and a critical double up. McMurphy doubled one more time after coming out on the winning end of a race with A-10 against pocket deuces before finally putting Woods away with J-7 against K-2 all-in pre-flop. McMurphy banked $69,000 for the win, while Woods earned $46,000.

New episodes of Aussie Millions coverage on GSN air at 9:00pm ET on Saturdays as part of Power Poker Weekends on the cable station. You can catch poker on GSN according to the following schedule each week:

Saturdays on GSN

9:00pm ET: Aussie Millions
10:00pm ET: High Stakes Poker Season 6
11:00pm ET: High Stakes Poker Season 5
12:00am ET: Aussie Millions
1:00am ET: World Poker Tour Season 6

Sundays on GSN

10:00pm ET: High Stakes Poker Season 6
11:00pm ET: PokerStars Million Dollar Challenge
12:00am ET: Aussie Millions
1:00am ET: High Stakes Poker Season 6
2:00am ET: PokerStars Million Dollar Challenge

ECPoker Tour Vienna with Titan Poker

Titan Poker, as proud sponsors of the ECPokerTour (ECPT), are inviting YOU to represent them and join Team Titan in Vienna, Austria!!

ECPoker Tour Vienna will be taking place this coming November 10th to 14th and it will be a mammoth event! There will be an estimated €1,000,000 to be won over the tournament and you can be there enjoying the excitement and the poker action.

Lucky players who win one of the ECPokerTour Vienna packages, worth €5,500, can look forward to the following

• Main Event buy in (€3,300)
• 5 nights at the Le Miridien Hotel with breakfast and dinner x 2 (you can bring a mate!)
• Entry into an exclusive welcome party for the players
• Expenses – to cover flights and spending money

Are you in?

Start playing in qualifiers NOW for the most chances to get your hands on a ECPoker Tour Vienna prize package, there are satellites running around the clock from only €1.10 leading to Super Satellites on Sunday and Wednesday nights where the coveted ECPokerTour Vienna prize packages are won. The satellites are easily tracked down through the Titan Poker lobby / tournaments/ satellites.

This is a superb opportunity for veteran and novice players alike to get to this prestigious tournament for a poker experience of a lifetime at the ECPokerTour in Vienna, Austria this Autumn.

If you have not yet joined Titan Poker then this must be the time to go for it and join! For all you need to know about Titan Poker see our Titan Poker Review. Titan Poker is an excellent site with user friendly software and promos galore! Join today and use the Titan Poker Bonus Code VIPTITAN for maximum VIP sign up bonus of 150% up to $500 plus $25 free!

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Dan Bilzerian Interview with Poker News Daily

This year’s World Series of Poker (WSOP) brought anyone and everyone from the industry, including Victory Poker pro Dan Bilzerian, whose 180th place finish in last year’s feature tournament turned heads around the globe. We caught up with Bilzerian on the floor of the Amazon Room during Day 1 of his Main Event run.

Poker News Daily: Tell us how your day has been going so far.

Dan Bilzerian: I wasn’t going to play today, but my brother [Adam Bilzerian] talked me into it and I’m doing pretty well. I have around 80,000, so it has been a good start to the day so far. Last year, my brother and I got seated right next to each other, which was pretty sick. It was literally side by side. I haven’t blown up yet today and haven’t done anything stupid so far.

PND: Tell us about your experiences shooting guns in the desert. You recently took our very own Sean Gibson to shoot propane tanks.

Dan Bilzerian: The first time I went, I bought a car from CraigsList and blew that up. The second time, we blew up an RV. The third time, I shot Antonio Esfandiari in the chest with body armor. The funny story about that trip was that I went out there with a buddy of mine who is an ex-Seal and we were shooting a little bit. I have these explosive rounds and we’re shooting at a mountain about two miles out and every time you hit it, it lights up.

So, we figured that our producer, Nima, [could hit it since] it’s seven miles long and two miles out, but he missed the whole thing. He gave new meaning to missing the broad side of the barn.

PND: We understand you’re about to participate in an MMA fight. Tell us when it is and how you’re preparing.

Dan Bilzerian: I am doing a full MMA fight in about three months. I’ll be going every day and training. I’ve been doing it for a couple of years now, so I’m looking forward to having my first fight out here. I have to do something to keep myself entertained.

Team Mizrachi Mowing Down WSOP Main Event Field

Michael "The Grinder" Mizrachi is the most well known of the four, while eldest brother Robert is a familiar face to those around the pro tournament circuit. Unknown to most are brothers Eric and Danny Mizrachi, who also hail from Miami, Florida.

Right now all four are still alive and crushing the competition in the most prestigious poker tournament in the world. The Grinder also remains alive in the WSOP Player of the Year race.

Eric, who has the smallest stack of the four at 165k, is actually Michael's twin and the two 29-years-olds are separated by just two minutes. Robert is the oldest at 31, while Danny is the baby of the bunch at 23.

"We're all hungry for chips," said Danny.

"We're just taking it day-by-day," Eric Mizrachi said of their strategy and mindset coming into Day 3.

Not only do the brothers share a blood bond, they also have a financial stake in one another. "We all swap percentages," Eric told PokerListings. That has led to a lot of running between tables to sweat each other.

Eric and Danny are sitting three tables apart in the Pavilion Room, while Robert and Michael are seated at nearby one another in the Amazon Room. Anytime there is an all-in and a call announced by a dealer at one of their tables, one of the brothers is running over to make sure Team Mizrachi stays intact.

Right now it's looking good for Team Mizrachi. The Grinder is among the chip leaders with 360k and Robert isn't far behind with 275k. But don't discount the younger and less-known brothers.

"[Robert and Michael] are more experienced, but we've all been playing poker our whole lives and we play in all the tournaments online," Eric Mizrachi said.

While all four have aspirations to dominate the game for years to come, their focus is squarely on the task at hand. "It's the Main Event baby," a youthfully jubilant Danny Mizrachi said of his 250k stack. "It doesn't get any bigger."

UB Tattoo Prop Bet

UB held a contest on their site to find the craziest last longer prop bets. The two guys that won, Justin and Gregg, agreed to get the hand that busted them out of the tournament tattooed to their body along with the UB logo. The kicker in the prop bet is that the loser also had to find someone to get married to right on the Las Vegas Strip. Poker News Daily received exclusive access to what has to be one of the weirder stories to come out of the 2010 World Series of Poker as we followed them from the UB Suite at the Rio in Las Vegas to the tattoo parlor in a seedy part of Las Vegas Boulevard. Watch in fascinated horror as we interview the guys before the deed is done, see the tattoo being created and finally, see the finished artwork.

Vanessa Selbst Top 10 in World Series of Poker Main Event After Day 2B

Five days ago, Vanessa Selbst was introduced as the newest member of Team PokerStars along with former Bodog pro David Williams. The introduction took place at the Real World Suite at the Palms in Las Vegas, just across the street from the Rio, the site of the 2010 World Series of Poker (WSOP). After Day 2B of the Main Event, Selbst sits in eighth on the leaderboard with a stack of 265,000, trailing chip leader David Assouline’s mountain of 387,800.

Selbst took down the PokerStars North American Poker Tour Mohegan Sun Main Event and told the assembled crowd at the Palms that she had partly come out of retirement from poker. However, in order to solidify her Main Event run, she’ll have to navigate through a gauntlet of talent when the combined Day 3 field takes to the felt on Monday. Among those left in the hunt for the nearly $9 million top prize is Kelly Kim, an original November Niner, who doubled up late in the day on Saturday with queens against A-K.

One of the final eliminations of Day 2B went to Tommy Vedes, who called all-in with Q-3 of spades on a flop of A-5-4 with two spades. Matt Reed showed A-Q for top pair and no spade came on the turn or river. Vedes took down the World Poker Tour’s Festa al Lago last year for $1.2 million. He owns over $550,000 in career WSOP earnings.

On a flop of 8-4-6, Tom Schneider pushed all-in with pocket sevens, but received a call from a player with a wired pair of aces, which held for the win. We won’t be hearing any cries of “Stack ‘em, stack ‘em, to the top” this year from the two-time bracelet winner’s wife, but Schneider finished the 2010 WSOP with four in the money finishes.

Three players who have made deep runs in the Main Event in previous years found the exit late in the day on Saturday. Jeff Shulman, who finished fifth in last year’s cycle for $1.9 million, and Josh Arieh, who took third in 2004 for $2.5 million, were both ousted from the Main Event yesterday. Joining them was original November Niner Ylon Schwartz, who bowed out in back-to-back hands after running a straight into a flush on his second-to-last pot.

One of our favorite moments of Day 2B involved Brandon Cantu. The UB.com pro announced via Twitter, “I’m shoving this hand no matter what, wish me luck.” True to his word, Cantu moved all-in and detailed what happened next on the popular social networking site: “Went raise 3000 call 3000 I get jt shove fold fold 31k.” Cantu, a dual WSOP bracelet winner, ended the day with a stack of 40,000.

Also bumped on Day 2B were DoylesRoom Brunson 10 member Dan “djk123” Kelly, David “Bakes” Baker, Doyle Brunson, and Full Tilt pro Phil Ivey, who made the final table of this event last year. Ivey was eliminated in especially gut-wrenching fashion, as he ran pocket queens into pocket kings. Ivey hit a queen on the turn to surge into the lead, but Yuji Masaki re-sucked on the river when a king hit. Ivey’s stack took a beating as a result and he was eliminated shortly thereafter.

Here are the top 10 chip stacks after Day 2B according to figures found on WSOP.com:

1. David Assouline – 387,800
2. Ricardo Fasanaro – 380,000
3. Matt Reed – 337,800
4. Jim “Mr_BigQueso” Collopy – 305,100
5. Jon “apestyles” Van Fleet – 295,600
6. Charles Sylvestre – 292,300
7. Sasha Rosewood – 279,500
8. Vanessa Selbst – 265,000
9. Marc Sander – 265,000
10. Gabriel Walls – 241,000

Other players remaining after Day 2B include legendary gambler Archie Karas, Victory Poker pro Dan Bilzerian, Jason Mercier, UFC announcer Bruce Buffer, Eric Buchman, Humberto Brenes, “The Simpsons” voice Hank Azaria, and Lock Poker pro Matt “All In At 420” Stout.

Sunday is an off day for the 2010 WSOP Main Event. On Monday, the survivors from both Day 2s will reconvene at the Rio for a combined Day 3. The tournament’s field will be whittled down to the final nine next Saturday, July 17th.

Doyle Brunson Comments on Dan Kelly Bracelet Run, Dental Surgery

Dan “djk123” Kelly solidified his bid to become a member of the DoylesRoom Brunson 10 by taking down the $25,000 No Limit Hold’em Six-Max event at the World Series of Poker (WSOP). Among those rooting him on at the final table was Doyle Brunson, the namesake of the popular USA-friendly site. Brunson sat down with Poker News Daily to share his thoughts on Kelly’s bracelet run and update us on his health following dental surgery.

Poker News Daily: Thanks for joining us. Tell us what this year’s WSOP has been like compared to past years.

Doyle Brunson: It’s been a nightmare for me. I haven’t done well at all. I think I played eight events, made the second day six times, and never cashed. That’s the ultimate torture because the hard part of these tournaments is getting through the first day, which I accomplished, and then I would just go card dead. The second and third days in these tournaments are fun. It’s the old cliché, “Wait until next year.”

PND: Talk about why you’re here railing Dan Kelly at the Six-Max final table.

Doyle Brunson: It’s all to do with the Brunson 10. We’re trying to get the 10 best young players we can find. We’ve had a long, long list of kids wanting to be members of the Brunson 10 and so we took the four most promising candidates and had a race here at the World Series of Poker. The one that did the best would become a member of the Brunson 10.

We have some amazing young players and Daniel’s one of them. He looks like a 14 year old kid, but he’s a nice boy. We take that into consideration too – what kind of person they are – and try to get high-caliber guys to start with. Daniel is obviously a nice kid.

PND: A few months ago, you underwent extensive dental surgery. Tell us how you’re feeling now.

Doyle Brunson: That’s what’s bugging me. I have seven implants that are driving me crazy. I thought it was going to be a four or five-month procedure and it’s already been eight months. I have two or three more months to let my gums heal. That’s a big procedure. I didn’t realize it, but it’s like you get on a merry-go-round and can’t get off.

Jennifer Tilly won the Bellagio Cup $5k Tournament and $124,000 dollars

Actress and poker player Jennifer Tilly proved her talent again by winning the Bellagio Cup VI $5K tournament.

Tilly won other 90 players of the Bellagio CUP VI Event #23 $5,000 + $180 tournament. The world also got to hear from Jennifer’s victory through her boyfriend Phil “Unabomber” Laak’s Twitter:

“Holla! My girl just shipped the 5k Bellagio! Max ship. Max joy.”

The results:
1 Jennifer Tilly, Sherman Oaks, CA $124,455
2 Danny Yousefzadeh, Roslyn, NY $112,528
3 Dmitry Vitkind, Moscow, Russia $97,040
4 Mark Entwistle, Windsor, England $34,044
5 Robbie Verspui, Gibraltar, Gibraltar $27,661
6 Rodger Johnson, Grand Forks, ND $21,278
7 Ray Qartomy, Sugar Land, TX $14,894
8 Michael Friedrich, Zurich, Switzerland $10,639
9 Alexander Gomes, Curitiba, Brazil $8,511

After this victory Tilly has already cashed nearly $700,000 dollars from live tournaments.

Sources: 2+2, Bellagio and TheHendonMob

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Jennifer Tilly won the Bellagio Cup $5k Tournament and $124,000 dollars

Frank Kassela WSOP’s Player of The Year

Frank Kassela won two bracelets and the Player of The Year race in WSOP 2010.

So far John Juanda, who took five cashes of which four were from final tables, kept Kassela on his toes until the very end. The solution was seen not until in $25,000 NLHE 6-max. Juanda bubbled in the 19th place when Kassela secured himself five (5) points. Eventually Kassela ranked third in the tournament and cashed over half a million dollars - and took a slim lead in Player of The Year competition.

Kassela conquered five cashes and profited in total two bracelets and more than $1,2 million dollars from the WSOP 2010. This year six players have managed to cash over a million bucks in the WSOP, but this all will change with the Main Event (where the Top 8 will receive over million dollars). The top earner of the summer is still Michael Mizrachi who won the $50k Players’ Championship.

Player of The Year / Top 5

1. Frank Kassela / 285 (five cashes, three final tables, two bracelets)
2. John Juanda / 225 (five cashes, four final tables)
3. Vladimir Schmelev / 210 (four final tables)
4. Dan Heimiller / 205 (seven cashes, two final tables)
5. Michael Mizrachi / 190 (four cashes, three final tables, one bracelet)

Source: Bluff Europe and TheHendonMob

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Frank Kassela WSOP’s Player of The Year

Carlos Mortensen, Marcel Luske to Play World Cup Heads-Up Match

Following the World Poker Tour (WPT) press conference on Saturday, two of poker’s biggest names will take part in a World Cup prop bet that will end with the loser hanging his head in shame for a day.

Spain’s Carlos Mortensen will play a heads-up match against Marcel Luske of the Netherlands in the Bellagio’s Monet Ballroom one day before the World Cup final game between each player’s home country. The loser will wear the jersey of the winning player’s country as they watch the World Cup final together on Sunday morning prior to the start of Bellagio Cup VI. Then, they’ll keep the winner’s jersey on throughout Day 1 of the tournament. Sunday’s World Cup final between the Netherlands and Spain kicks off at 2:30pm ET, with the Bellagio Cup starting later in the day.

The heads-up event is open to the public and can be seen live via Ustream through a dedicated link that will be posted on WorldPokerTour.com. Updates will be on Twitter throughout the contest and video highlights will be available on YouTube.com and on WPT’s website at the conclusion of the match.

Mortensen and Luske were both eliminated from the World Series of Poker Main Event and will shift their focus fully toward the Bellagio Cup following Sunday’s game. Mortensen had three cashes at the WSOP this year, including a sixth place finish in the $10,000 HORSE Championship for $102,237. Luske, meanwhile, played only a handful of events at the Rio and had one cash, a 22nd place finish in the $1,500 Limit Hold’em Shootout.

Luske, who updates his Twitter account frequently, expressed his disappointment following his elimination from the Main Event: “there is always a reason 4things, busted from the main, back in the bellagio, like being home earlier than expected… lol gl 2 the survivors.”

The Bellagio Cup is the fourth stop on Season 9 of the WPT and will run from July 11th to the 15th. The final table will take place Thursday, July 15th, one day earlier than the initially scheduled, inside the Bellagio Fontana Lounge beginning at 4:00pm PT. Last year, Brazil’s Alex Gomes bested a field of 268 players to collect $1.1 million. The final table was one of the best the WPT has ever seen, consisting of pros Erik Seidel, Justin “Boosted J” Smith, Alec Torelli, Faraz Jaka, and Christopher Sonessen. The other two winners of the Bellagio Cup were Kevin “BeL0WaB0Ve” Saul (2008) and Mike “SirWatts” Watson (2009).

Among the topics discussed at Saturday’s WPT press conference will be the addition of a new female on-air talent, added tour attractions, and new additions to the television production.

WSOP Main Event Day 2b: Ivey Stunned

A total of 2,734 players started the day but only a little over 1,400 will see the light of Day 3.

Ricardo Fasanaro, Gabriel Walls, Vanessa Selbst, Bryn Kenney and Alex Kostritsyn were among the chip leaders as the tournament clock was finally paused at the completion of the day.

Ivey and Brunson were definitely not the only people to bust as over 1,000 players were sent to the rail throughout the day.

There numerous celebrities in the field to start the day but Shannon Elizabeth, Trishelle Cannatella and Sam Simon were all among the players to bust.

Perhaps most disappointing elimination of the day was Ivey who last year fought his way through 6,488 runners before finally busting at the 2009 final table in seventh place.

Ivey ran pocket queens into pocket kings and despite hitting a queen on the turn was eliminated when his opponent made trip kings on the river.

The single biggest controversy of the day occurred when Prahlad Friedman was accused of making a call just as the time on a called clock had expired.

The dealer hadn't heard the call and mucked Friedman's hand.

Ted Bort was furious as he would have busted Friedman if he had called. He mentioned to the ESPN cameramen on the scene that he wanted the tapes just so he could have the satisfaction of knowing he busted Friedman.

Friedman, who is no stranger to controversy, maintained that he had said call but the floorman had already counted down to one.

With all the starting days out of the way the WSOP Main Event will now take one day off before all the remaining players reconvene on Monday at 12:00 p.m.

It will be the first time every surviving player in this tournament has been under the same roof so there should be fireworks.

We'll be there every step of the way with live updates, videos, photos and more.

World Poker Tour Brings Back Kimberly Lansing for Season 9

In an overhaul of sorts for Season 9, the World Poker Tour (WPT) has brought back Kimberly Lansing. Her role, you ask? According to a press statement released on Saturday, Lansing will “provide show opens, breaks, commentary, and perspective, including player interviews that will serve to bring out the human interest side of playing for high stakes.”

Sunday marks the first day of play in the Bellagio Cup VI, the kickoff U.S.-based event of Season 9 of the WPT. With buy-ins for several upcoming tournaments slashed to encourage more participation, Season 9 may mark a rebirth of sorts for the age-old series that first appeared on the Travel Channel back in 2003.

Lansing last appeared on WPT programming in Season 6. On why she will rejoin the tour’s ranks for the forthcoming cycle, WPT President Adam Pliska commented in the same press release, “We believe the WPT anchor represents a significant step forward in poker programming and Kimberly is a natural fit for the position. Her charisma, style, professionalism, and knowledge of the sport have earned her the respect and attention of players throughout the poker community.”

Party Gaming purchased the WPT late last year, leading some to believe that PartyPoker pro Kara Scott may make her way to the small screen. However, Lansing will become a mainstay at live tournaments located at casinos around the United States. Also receiving more exposure during Season 9 will be WPT hosts Mike Sexton and Vince Van Patten, who will now attend the starting day of every U.S. event. Despite the Bellagio Cup starting on Sunday, Van Patten sits in 101st after Day 2A of the World Series of Poker Main Event holding a stack of 174,200.

The WPT held a press conference on Saturday morning to announce the changes for Season 9 and also officially introduced Matt Savage as its Executive Tour Director. Savage, a co-founder of the Tournament Directors of America, will work hand in hand with players, casinos, and tournament staff to provide a seamless experience for WPT players. Savage added, “There are so many exciting changes at the World Poker Tour and I’m looking forward to having a big role in the WPT’s continued success. This is an amazing team and I’m proud to be working with them.”

Also debuting during Season 9 will be the Royal Flush Girls, who include 2007 Miss Kentucky USA Michelle Banzer, “FHM Singapore” cover girl Sunisa Kim, and Formula Drift car builder Melyssa Grace. All told, six Royal Flush Girls will film vignettes for WPT programming, including a behind-the-scenes tour at the host venue. The Royal Flush Girls will be on-hand this weekend at the Bellagio on the Las Vegas Strip.

The WPT last held an event on U.S. soil in April, when newly signed PokerStars pro David Williams took down the $25,000 Championship event. Williams defeated UB.com pro Eric “basebaldy” Baldwin heads-up in a final table that also included Shawn Buchanan, David Benyamine, Billy Baxter, and John O’Shea. Attendance for the 2010 WPT Championship was down over 40% from 2009, when 338 players took to the felts in a tournament won by Yevgeniy “Jovial Gent” Timoshenko.

The seventh and eighth seasons of the WPT appeared on Fox Sports Net. However, no official announcement has been given as to whether the ninth season will also air on the cable station, although a statement is expected in the near future. Seasons 1 through 5 of the WPT aired on the Travel Channel, followed by a brief hiatus to GSN for Season 6. GSN officials opted not to air Season 7, leading to WPT landing on Fox Sports Net.

Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for the latest WPT news.

WSOP High Profile: Jason Dewitt

Jason "JMaster130" Dewitt seems to have taken that to heart on Day 2b as he's fought his way into the top 10 chip counts as of the dinner break with over 200k.

"I'm feeling really good," he said. "I've only made one mistake over the last two days so if I can just keep that up I can make a very deep run."

Dewitt, originally from Indiana and now residing in Atlanta, made headlines this year when he won the $5,000 No-Limit Hold'em event for over $800,000 beating skilled online players like David Benefield, Amit Makhija and Jeff Williams.

It was a huge relief for the 26-year-old who had both a second and third place finish in the 2009 WSOP.

After snagging the $800k bracelet victory in the middle of the WSOP, Dewitt went 11 tournaments without cashing and felt he needed to change something.

"I decided to wear my bracelet and then I went deep and cashed in a tournament," he said. "It worked really well. People were just giving me stacks with my bracelet on."

It worked so well that Dewitt decided to continue the tradition during the Main Event and so far it's worked like a charm.

"They always think I'm making a move," he said.

It's all new ground for Dewitt, who has played four Main Events, never cashed, and only made Day 2 once. Despite his lack of success in the event Dewitt still feels very comfortable amongst the 7,319 players who entered.

"The structure in this is just so good," he said. "You can just be more patient if you're getting any good cards."

Dewitt mentioned there was only one nagging concern on his mind as he headed out for the dinner break.

"It's a pretty long grind," he said. "I'm kinda getting bored today."

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

WSOP’s hottest rail girls - see the pictures

WSOP is not only for poker players. Also their fans and partners are very interested in tournament and poker masters. Here are some pics of pretty rail girls of the WSOP 2010…

-The Norwegian beauty Rachel Nordtømme.

-Isabella, the girlfriend of comedian Brad Garret.

-David Williams and the girlfriend (with the white bag)

-The US is an animal-friendly country: even the dogs are welcome to the casino!

-See you on the rail!

All these pictures are from Wicked Chops Poker’s comprehensive WSOP 2010 picture gallery which you can access in here.

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WSOP’s hottest rail girls - see the pictures

Jerome Bettis Interview with Poker News Daily at WSOP Ante Up for Africa

Last week, the annual Ante Up for Africa charity tournament played out at the 2010 World Series of Poker (WSOP) in Las Vegas. This time around, two well known pros battled it out in the finale, as Full Tilt’s Phil Gordon edged out Carbon Poker’s Shannon Elizabeth.

On the red carpet, Poker News Daily caught up with Super Bowl champion Jerome Bettis, a former stud running back who final tabled the event and landed in sixth place for $22,000.

Poker News Daily: We’ve seen you on the PokerStars sponsored “Million Dollar Challenge,” Bravo’s “Celebrity Poker Showdown,” and other poker-related television programming. Will we be seeing more of you in the future?

Jerome Bettis: I’m just going to enjoy it. Being retired, everything is sporadic, but I enjoy poker. Whenever I get a chance, I’ll try to get out and play a little more.

PND: This is the first time you’ve played in the Ante Up for Africa event, right?

Jerome Bettis: Yeah, it’s the first time I’ve been here. It’s also the first time I’ve been to the World Series and seen what it is. It’s pretty spectacular.

PND: What are your expectations heading into this event? Are you going to take it seriously or just go and have a good time?

Jerome Bettis: Whenever I sit down, I take it seriously, no question about it. But, I’m also about enjoyment, so I’ll take it seriously, but I’m also paying attention to what’s going on.

PND: We obviously have to ask you about your Pittsburgh Steelers this year. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is suspended for four games and wide receiver Santonio Holmes is now on the New York Jets. What are your expectations for their season?

Jerome Bettis: I think this is going to be a good year for the Steelers in the sense that it’s going to show them what type of team they are without Ben. Also, it’s going to help build the running game, which they need to do anyway. I think this becomes a pre-curser to the team they want to be. When Ben comes back, you’ll have a solid running game with a solid passing game and I think that makes for a championship caliber football team.

PND: If the Steelers were to call you up and say, “We need ‘The Bus.’ He’s our only hope,” would you go back?

Jerome Bettis: I’d tell them, “The Bus has four flat tires, so you don’t want me.”

2010 World Series of Poker Day 42: Jesper Hougaard, Cole South and Johnny Chan Among Leaders

$2,770 Cash Freeroll on Poker770 Coming Up Soon

Kimberly Lansing Rejoins WPT

The announcement was made during press conference held on the eve of Bellagio Cup VI, which is the first event of the WPT's ninth season.

Lansing served as a video hostess during the WPT's sixth season and towards the end of her run acted as a hostess like Shauna Hiatt, Courtney Friel and most recently Amanda Leatherman.

"I'm so thrilled to be back in the poker world," said Lansing.

"I didn't know where the WPT was going, not having had a host for a few years, so for me to come back and get a chance to be even more than a host is really exciting."

Lansing will be the first hostess that will also be given the title as anchor which means she will cover each tournament from the starting day all the way to a winner.

"The new anchor position will allow us to have a central hub reminiscent of what you would see on Sports Center," said WPT President Adam Pliska.

In addition to the new anchor role, the WPT will offer more international stops such as London, England and Amneville, France.

"We are truly going global," said PartyPoker Pro Mike Sexton. "We're not only adding stops in the US, we're adding numerous stops around the world."

Also new for the upcoming season are the Royal Flush Girls, six event ambassadors who will appear in every episode of the WPT bringing behind the scenes action to viewers.

The group includes Michelle Banzer, Melyssa Grace, Jennifer Haley, Melanie Iglesias, Sunisa Kim, Katrina Topacio.

Earlier this year the WPT also announced that well-known poker tournament director Matt Savage would act as the executive tour director.

The WPT Bellagio Cup VI begins Sunday and will run until a winner is declared on June 15.

Young tournament grinder Melanie “Callisto 5? Weisner is the newest Full Tilt Red Pro

Young beautiful female Melanie Weisner has signed a deal with Full Tilt Poker which means from now on she will carry the “Full Tilt Red Pro” title.

Weisner, a specialized tournament player, is known as “Callisto 5″ at PokerStars and as “Callisto” at Full Tilt. Callisto 5 has cashed more than $500,000 and her game balance is 120,000 dollars positive. Callisto’s Full Tilt account, in turn, is about $60k on the negative side.

According to the Hendon Mob this young star has cashed 110,000 dollars from live tournaments. Hopefully her example attracts more and more young female professionals to the poker circles so that we’ll get longed-for variation and challenge to this highly masculine game.

Sources: Parttimepoker, 2+2 and TheHendonMob

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Young tournament grinder Melanie “Callisto 5″ Weisner is the newest Full Tilt Red Pro

7,319 Players Enter Second Largest WSOP Main Event in History

7,319 players stormed the Rio All Suites Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas for the first four Day Ones of the 2010 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event, making it the second largest tournament in the history of the 41 year old institution.

To put this year’s tournament in perspective, only the 2006 WSOP Main Event and its 8,773 player field – held prior to the passage of the Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act (UIGEA) in the United States later that year – eclipsed the number of players accommodated by the Rio this year. While this year’s Main Event is the second largest tournament in history, the first place prize will not be the second largest in history. Due to the flattened payout structure instituted by Harrah’s and WSOP officials last year, this year’s winner will receive $8,994,138, the third largest payday behind 2006 champion Jamie Gold’s $12 million and 2008 victor Peter Eastgate’s $9,152,416.

Day 1D was by far the largest of the four Day Ones held., as 2,391 players stepped up to take their shot at winning poker’s most cherished championship. Day 1D vastly outpaced the three previous Day Ones (1,125, 1,489, and 2,314 players, respectively), leaving poker fans around the Pavilion and Amazon Rooms of the Rio scrambling to search for their favorite pros.

Former Dallas Cowboy great and Pro Football Hall of Fame member Emmitt Smith issued the call to “shuffle up and deal” before stepping to the felt himself, decked in Full Tilt Poker regalia. Although he made it through the first break, the all-time leading rusher in NFL history didn’t last long at the tables. Joining him on the rail were such professional players as Ante Up For Africa champion Phil Gordon, John Kabbaj, Pamela Brunson, 2005 WSOP final table duo Joseph Hachem and Steve Dannenmann, John Juanda, Sorel Mizzi, and Noah Boeken.

According to statistics from the WSOP website, 1,699 players survived the carnage of the final Day One of the 2010 WSOP, with several notable professionals stepping up to the top of the leaderboard. WSOP bracelet holder Steve “MrSmokey1” Billirakis was able to capture the lead of Day 1D by finishing off the night with 187,150 chips. He is closely pursued by Khamsy Nuanmanee, a 24 year old player from Las Vegas who thrilled the crowd around the Rio with her run up to 170,525 in chips. Others trailing behind this duo on Day 1D include David Benyamine (130,800), Team PokerStars pro Vanessa Rousso (111,050), 2010 bracelet winner Matt Keikoan (105,175), Josh Arieh (103,650), Jason Mercier (90,525), and 2010 WSOP Player of the Year contender Frank Kassela (87,000).

The remaining 5,129 players in the 2010 WSOP Main Event will now proceed to play over the next two days. Days 1A and 1C will be hitting the felt Friday afternoon for Day 2A, with roughly 2,400 players scheduled to meet again for battle. Corwin Cole looks to be the overall leader for the four Day Ones with 228,200 in chips, but there are a host of challengers that await him in the Top Ten of Day 2A alone.

Sitting in fourth place at the start of Day 2A is the last man to win back-to-back WSOP Main Event titles, Johnny Chan, stacked with 163,700 in chips, top female professional Lauren Kling (149,650) in seventh, Hendon Mobster Barny Boatman (144,050) in eighth, and $50,000 Player’s Championship winner Michael Mizrachi holding down the tenth place slot with his 142,650 in chips. Others who will be looking to move up the leaderboard on Day 2A include Hoyt Corkins (129,150), defending WSOP Europe Main Event champion Barry Shulman (113,325), recent PokerStars signee David Williams (112,225) and former World Champion Chris Moneymaker (107,425).

After play today and Saturday, the field should be cut down to roughly 2,500 survivors. The WSOP Main Event will then take a break on Sunday before bringing the remaining warriors back for action on Monday. Then, players will attempt to reach 747th place, the first position that will be paid at this year’s Main Event.

Darvin Moon Interview with Bernard Lee

Darvin Moon is the 2009 World Series of Poker Main Event runner-up and is back in Las Vegas to take part in the world’s biggest poker tournament once again. He joins Bernard Lee on his segment, The Hijack Seat, and answers questions both about last year’s amazing run and what is in store for this year. Moon used a straightforward poker approach to nearly win the Main Event and knocked out most of the competition at the final table, including Phil Ivey.

Bernard Lee is a guest columnist and is the official spokesperson for Foxwoods Casino and can also be seen co-hosting ESPN’s poker show, Inside Deal.