Posts Tagged ‘vegas’
High Stakes Poker Season 7 Taping at Bellagio This Week
This week, the seventh season of the GSN cash game franchise “High Stakes Poker” will begin taping at the Bellagio on the Las Vegas Strip. Last year, the action emanated from the Golden Nugget in Downtown Las Vegas and a source close to GSN told Poker News Daily that the change in venue was due to a “production decision.”
No members of the media are allowed inside the “High Stakes Poker” suite for Season 7. Instead, what happens in the small makeshift poker room will remain a closely guarded secret until the seventh cycle of the show airs beginning in February on GSN. “High Stakes Poker” will return to its Sunday night time slot and feature with the same faces as last year: PartyPoker pro Kara Scott conducting interviews from tableside and former “Welcome Back, Kotter” star Gabe Kaplan flying solo in the booth.
The constantly-changing list of pros scheduled to turn out over the next three days includes Barry Greenstein, Doyle Brunson, recent World Poker Tour (WPT) Five Diamond World Poker Classic winner Antonio Esfandiari, David “Viffer” Peat, Phil Laak, Jason Mercier, Phil Galfond, and former World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event champ Scotty Nguyen, who will be making his “High Stakes Poker” debut. The same source also relayed that several amateurs will join the fray.
One player who won’t be gracing the “High Stakes Poker” felts this year is Daniel Negreanu, one of only a handful of players who have competed in every season to this point. Negreanu explained via Twitter why he wouldn’t be able to make it to Las Vegas in time: “Sad news: At airport headed home, which means the trip is over. Have a commercial shoot when I land, which means no HSP for me this year.” Negreanu had been in Sydney for the PokerStars Asia Pacific Poker Tour Grand Final, where he made the final table and finished ninth.
Lex Veldhuis will also be a no-show for “High Stakes Poker” at the Bellagio. Veldhuis Tweeted earlier today, “Crazy busy week. Leaving for Vegas on Monday. Have to get all my shit done. Had to cancel for High Stakes Poker.”
Also potentially absent from the “High Stakes Poker” felts this season will be Full Tilt pros, although our source could not confirm or deny their attendance. Greenstein, a PokerStars pro, explained the dilemma on TwoPlusTwo: “Full Tilt has two major concerns. First is they don’t like their players playing when PokerStars is the sponsor of the show… Secondly, they were unhappy that PokerStars bought the HSP archives. In the early seasons of HSP, the players didn’t wear logos, so FTP is concerned that viewers will be able to go to PokerStars.tv and see the FTP players without logos and be confused by their affiliation.”
In previous years, the press was invited for interviews prior to the action. In fact, when the filming of Season 7 was scheduled to take place last month, Poker News Daily was invited to watch the action unfold. However, due to the change in location to the Bellagio this month, a source close to GSN told Poker News Daily, “We have all of these new players, a new venue, and new elements. It’s a small space. It’s super tight and we just want to focus on the game play.”
“High Stakes Poker” will once again boast a $200,000 buy-in for Season 7 and, unlike NBC’s “Poker After Dark,” no change to Pot Limit Omaha is expected. Instead, the GSN series will continue spreading high-stakes No Limit Hold’em. One-hour episodes will once again grace the small screen next year, as has been the case in years’ past.
Bellagio got robbed! Robber took down $1,5 million
One of the most famous casinos in Las Vegas is Bellagio. It got robbed yesterday and the robber got a $1,5 million haul worth of Bellagio’s chips.
Security camera cought the robber in act
The robber who was wearing a motorcycle helmet and jacket went tstraight to the Craps table cashier and demanded the money. In just a few minutes he got 1,5 million dollars worth of chips, and the hopped on his motorcycle and rode towards Flamingo Road. The robber got some chips which are worth $25K and they’re really rarely used, so he will have hard time exhanching them into cash.
No one got hurt during the heist and the situation was over really quick. It was the 10th casino robbery in Vegas this year.
Source: Pokerista.net, Las Vegas Review Journal
You just read Poker News from HighStakesNews.com
ESPN Backstage Tour with Bernard Lee
ESPN columnist and host Bernard Lee takes us on an exclusive backstage tour of the World Series of Poker Main Event. Lee is the co-host of the ESPN.com poker news show “The Inside Deal” as well as a professional poker player who has multiple deep runs in the Main Event in the last 10 years.
Lee takes us on a tour of how the stage was constructed to hold both the November Nine broadcast as well as the Poker Hall of Fame ceremonies which took place in the same spot. From the Rio Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada at the Penn & Teller Theater, Lee takes us through how they constructed the set as well as the various viewpoints on media row and the stands.
“As you can see they are gearing up for Saturday’s Main Event and we are basically sitting in the position that Soi Nguyen will be in at seat number nine. We are on the stage and you can see all the seats where the crowd and all the family and friends will be… You can also see how big the theater is for the November Nine. Media row is in the middle and then there are two tiers of seating.”
Lee goes on to show audiences the physical final table and goes through the seats and who sat where at the table. He also shows one of the ESPN cameras that are situated around the final table that shows a split-screen four ways. Several of these cameras are around the stage along with a camera directly above the table pointed down to show the table cards and flop, turn and river. Finally, he shows the stage where both Lon McEachern and Norman Chad do their introductions for the broadcast from and wraps up by showing more of the audience vantage points and media row where both ESPN and Poker News Daily staff sat to watch the festivities.
Bernard Lee is an accomplished professional poker player, as well as a poker media journalist for our site as well as ESPN.com. He is also the official spokesperson for Foxwoods Casino.
WSOP Circuit Main Event Atlantic City Day 1 – 352 players
Poker News in Brief: Dec. 6-12, 2010
As a result, there were a few stories that didn't make it on the front page.
Fortunately, we've compiled them for you below in our weekly Poker News in Brief feature.
This week, the PCA schedule changes, the PPA reacts to Harry Ried's planned poker bill, 888 gears up for the Irish Open and more.
PCA Updates Schedule
In response to high player demand and rising interest from International television broadcast interests, some changes have been made to the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure schedule.
The $5,250 buy-in NAPT Bounty Shootout Event has been upgraded to a three-day, six-max triple-shootout format with a capacity for 216 players.
Plus, the massive $100,000 buy-in Super High Roller Event is now scheduled to take place Jan. 6-8 and will be filmed for TV.
PPA Reacts to Reid Bill
John Pappas, the Executive Director of the advocacy group the Poker Players Alliance (PPA), released a statement regarding Sen. Harry Reid's proposed bill to license and regulate online poker.
"Lawmakers are acknowledging what PPA has been saying all along – that Americans want to play the great game of poker in any venue they choose and they deserve to be afforded the basic consumer protections that regulation can provide," said Pappas.
"While no bill will give players 100 percent of what we want and deserve, I do believe the legislation will be a victory for the poker playing community over the long-term.
"With the support of millions of Americans, and a growing bipartisan contingent of lawmakers, we are optimistic that Congress can get this done before the end of the year. We urge lawmakers to take action now and not let this important opportunity be missed."
Second Sundays With Maria Ho
UB and its newest Team pro Maria Ho are hosting an online fundraiser to benefit the North Wales Library Sunday.
As a part of UB's 'Second Sundays' the $10 buy-in event is scheduled for Dec. 12 at 2:45 p.m. ET.
UB will match the total funds raised by players, with all proceeds donated to the North Wales' cause.
Established in 1927 in the basement of the local elementary school, the North Wales Library was relocated to its present day location in January 2010. The Library's new venue houses 30,000 volumes and community space for activities.
UB Christmas Freerolls
UB is firing up the freeroll action with its Green Christmas Giveaway Dec. 12-29.
The site is hosting daily freerolls and low-limit Rebuy tournaments featuring satellite seats for its $80K GTD Sniper tourney on Wednesdays and the $200K GTD on Sundays.
PKR Ready For The Holidays
PKR is hosting its annual Christmas Cracker Dec. 23 featuring thirteen events with a total of $238,000 in expected prize pools up for grabs.
Players will also have the opportunity to bag state of the art technology prizes in the Santa's Grotto Freeroll.
Further information on the Christmas Cracker series can be found here.
888poker Hosting Irish Poker Open Qualifiers
This week sees the beginning of the 2011 Irish Poker Open qualifying satellites on 888poker.com.
The Irish Poker Open is the longest running No-Limit Holdem tournament in Europe and 888 is hosting a a $288+12 qualifier every Sunday at 8:05 p.m. GMT where at least one $7,200 package to the Irish Poker Open will be up for grabs.
Sub-satellites into the tournaments are available.
To win your seat to the Irish Poker Open visit 888Poker.
WSOP.com Offers Academy Packages
WSOP.com is offering its players the chance to win one of four WSOP Poker Academy packages worth £5,000 each.
The packages include flights to Las Vegas and five days at Caesars Place, a Master class with WSOP Pros, VIP hospitality and a $1,000 poker tournament.
Newly depositing players can win a package in freerolls set for Dec. 12 and Jan. 2.
Visit www.pokerlistings.com
Online Poker May Not Be Included in Tax Relief Bill
According to a Politico article released on Thursday, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) still plans to pursue legislation legalizing and regulating online poker, but likely won’t do so as part of the tax relief bill.
The Politico piece noted that language legalizing online poker was absent from a version of the tax bill released on Thursday. The news outlet explained, “Reid could still insert the poker legalization into the tax cut bill if additional modifications are made before a final vote is cast sometime next week. Or he could slip the plan into a mammoth $1 trillion omnibus spending bill that has yet to be unveiled, but is necessary to keep the government funded through September. Any option is certain to generate backlash from the GOP.”
The Las Vegas Sun reported earlier this week that Reid’s online poker bill was all but dead, but quickly retracted the story after the Senate Majority Leader’s comments were taken out of context. However, it appears that the legislation is still alive, at least until next week’s scheduled end to the lame duck session. Reid issued a press statement on Thursday that read in part, “The legislation I am working on would get our collective heads out of the sand and create a strict regulatory environment to protect U.S. consumers, prevent underage gambling, and respect the decisions of states that don’t allow gambling.”
Also commenting on the bill on Thursday was the Poker Players Alliance (PPA), which addressed the 15-month blackout period in an e-mail sent to members: “Frankly, the proposed blackout period is absurd and the PPA opposes it. And we have fought – and continue to fight – tooth and nail against it. But it is a reality. There will likely be a blackout period of some length included in any legislation that is passed.” During the period, no online poker sites would be able to service the U.S. market legally.
The PPA reminded readers that a period of 15 months without legalized online poker may be more beneficial than continued industry decline: “We believe that the trade off for getting regulated, permanent U.S. online poker market is worth a temporary blackout of some sort. It’s not what we want, either, and it’s not what we pushed for in Congress, and we don’t even like it. But when viewing this from the perspective of maintaining a sustainable internet poker market, the 15-month period is short-term pain for a long-term gain.”
After the 15-month blackout period, existing casino companies in the United States would be able to procure licenses. Then, after two more years, other companies would be able to service the market. Posters on PocketFives.com, however, questioned what the lay of the land will be during the 15-month period: “There would just be too much money to be made serving the U.S. market if the likes of PokerStars and Full Tilt pull out for 15 months. Some of these current second and third tier sites could make a vast fortune in 15 months.”
Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for the latest from Capitol Hill.
Las Vegas Life with Kristy Arnett: Poker After Dark, Vacation, and Podcast
Tags: vegas
Harry Reid Online Poker Bill Still Alive
Don’t believe everything you read on the internet. On Wednesday, just hours after publishing a story claiming that legislation to legalize online poker introduced by U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) had been dropped, the Las Vegas Sun newspaper issued a correction. Instead, the legislation remains very much alive and may be added to the tax relief bill.
How did the Sun get it wrong, you ask? A correction published on Wednesday night read in part, “In that earlier article, Reid was quoted telling the Sun after a press conference that he would not be adding legalization of online poker to his list of objectives during the lame duck session… A spokesman for Reid said later that the Senator’s comment got muddled in the cacophony of the Senate hallways, and that online gambling is still something he’d like to see move forward.”
Poker News Daily was one of the many mainstream and poker-related media outlets that picked up on the Sun’s story. Reid’s measure to license and regulate internet poker may be added to the forthcoming tax relief bill, which may have hit a stumbling block itself on Thursday. The L.A. Times reported that Democrats had rebuffed an agreement forged between U.S. President Barack Obama and Congressional Republicans on the tax bill’s contents. What the tax bill will ultimately look like now remains to be seen.
News of the Democratic rejection of the tax cut bill sent Wall Street on a downward spiral. At the time of writing, the Dow Jones Industrial Index is down 24 points on the day, or 0.2%, after spending the majority of the morning in the black. An Associated Press story quoted internet gambling champion Barney Frank (D-MA) as predicting that “the tax cut compromise ‘will be passed by virtually all the Republicans and a minority of Democrats.’ He said he would vote against it.”
Riding the wave of news stories this week has been Poker Players Alliance (PPA) Executive Director John Pappas, who told Poker News Daily on Wednesday night, “The process has been a roller coaster. We have been fighting off all sorts of bad additions to the bill, while at the same time swallowing the bitter pill of the 15-month freeze. We are still fighting and I won’t concede that the bill is dead until the Congress adjourns.”
The 15-month freeze refers to a period following the bill’s passage during which no online poker site can service the U.S. market legally. Following the waiting period, companies with existing casino licenses can solicit U.S. customers in online poker games for two years. Then, the market will open up to everyone. The timeline means that sites like PokerStars and Full Tilt, which are the major players in the market today, may be shut out for over three years if the bill were to be passed.
Poker News Daily sought comment from Reid’s staff on whether the final tax relief package would be revealed on Thursday. However, Reid’s staff had no statement on the matter.
Coming out in strong support of Reid’s efforts on Thursday was Forbes Magazine, which published an article that read in part, “Reid’s turnaround is welcome – and long overdue. The proposed policy change makes fiscal sense. Moreover, it is not government’s proper role to dictate what activities private individuals may or may not engage in. And from a practical perspective, Reid’s proposal provides a good opportunity for Congress members from both parties to turn their stated commitment to bipartisanship into substantive change.”
According to The Hill, the lame duck session of Congress is likely to end next Friday. Keep it tuned to Poker News Daily for the latest from Capitol Hill.
Harry Reid Drops Push for Online Poker Legislation
In breaking news from Washington, DC, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) has dropped his push for legislation to legalize and regulate online poker in the United States, according to the Las Vegas Sun newspaper.
The Sun explained in an article published just before 5:00pm ET on Wednesday, “Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid told the Las Vegas Sun after a press conference this afternoon that despite a flurry of last-minute lobbying, he would not be adding legalization of online poker to his list of objectives during the lame duck. ‘We’re still working on that, we’re not able to,’ Reid said.” The lame duck session is likely to end next Friday, according to The Hill.
The Sun continued by explaining that the road to legalizing and regulating online poker was a long one in the first place: “Lobbyists for the industry speculated that lawmakers might include the legalization as part of the tax extensions package being batted between Senate Democrats, Republicans, and the White House, and is expected to come up on the Senate floor sometime later this week.”
The Poker Players Alliance (PPA) commented, “No bill is dead until Congress adjourns” in the organization’s Twitter feed, in response to several reporters’ questions.
With U.S. President Barack Obama forging an agreement on the tax relief bill with Republicans this week, the likelihood of Reid being able to squeeze online poker legislation onto the measure appeared to be thin. Meanwhile, the U.S. Senate was forging a debate on the controversial “Don’t ask, don’t tell” policy today, with the window of time until the lame duck session ends quickly vanishing.
The status quo in the industry appears to be intact for the foreseeable future. However, according to a press release distributed by the Poker Players Alliance (PPA) on Monday, “The status quo is not tenable and legislation is needed to clarify and correct current laws and provide a regulated U.S. marketplace for players. Failing a Federal legislative solution, the future of internet poker remains unpredictable. However, a regulated market that offers competition, consumer protections, and clarity will undoubtedly provide the greatest benefit for the players and long-term stability to the internet poker experience.”
The online poker and internet gambling industries in the United States will now await a possible vote by the New Jersey Assembly next week on State Senator Raymond Lesniak’s measure to create the first intrastate internet gambling framework. The bill, which allows online poker and web-based versions of other brick-and-mortar casino games, may be the blueprint that other jurisdictions interested in legalizing internet gambling will follow.
Read the entire Las Vegas Sun article. The lame duck session is likely to end next Friday, so we’ll learn the ultimate fate of Reid’s bill shortly. Keep it tuned to Poker News Daily for the latest developments from Capitol Hill, New Jersey, and beyond.
Harry Reid Online Poker Legislation May Be Added to Tax Relief Bill
It’s shaping up to be an interesting last 10 days of the current Congressional session for members of the online poker community. On Tuesday, Politico published an article revealing that U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) was attempting to add a bill legalizing online poker to the measure extending tax cuts. Read the article.
Politico confirmed Reid’s desires with Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT). Hatch told the political news outlet, “They’re trying. Sen. Reid would like to do that.” Despite Hatch’s confirmation that Reid was attempting to add an online poker rider to the tax bill, Senator Jon Kyl (R-AZ), one of the masterminds of the original Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA), would not allow the plan to come to fruition. Kyl told Politico, “[There is] zero chance – no chance whatsoever that would be part of the tax deal. I don’t think it would be the right thing to do.”
Further complicating the matter is an agreement reached between U.S. President Barack Obama and Congressional Republicans. Whether Reid will be able to inject a measure that many consider to be a favor for Caesars Entertainment (formerly Harrah’s Entertainment) and MGM Resorts International, two of his biggest financial supporters, remains to be seen. One Congressional staff member told Politico, “You could call him ‘Harrah Reid’ at this point.”
Also coming out against Reid’s online poker legislation is the National Indian Gaming Association, which told Politico on Tuesday, “[The bill] is drafted to create an initial regulatory monopoly for Nevada and New Jersey for the first several years, which gives Las Vegas operators time to capture the market.” Several draft versions of the bill show that the U.S. market would only be open to existing land-based casino companies for the first two years. Then, other gambling outfits could join the fray and offer online poker.
Not optimistic about the chances of Reid’s legislation passing was Interactive Media Entertainment and Gaming Association (iMEGA) Chairman Joe Brennan, who told Poker News Daily on Wednesday, “Based on reports, it seems highly unlikely given the tax deal cut by President Obama that Senator Reid will have the leverage necessary to include this bill as part of the tax relief package.”
The Politico article was referenced in a barrage of stories on Wednesday, including one that appeared in the Huffington Post. Meanwhile, Capitol Weekly sourced a draft of the bill as saying, “The provisions of this title shall supersede any provisions of the law of any state or tribe relating to internet gambling facilities, including internet poker facilities.” In essence, according to Capitol Weekly, “Reid’s bill would throw a monkey wrench into an effort by the Morongo Band of Mission Indians to push forward a tribe-run internet poker franchise in California.”
Language in Reid’s bill, a draft of which appeared on Politico’s website and clocked in at 157 pages, read in part, “A new market should be limited, at least initially, to service providers that have an established track record of complying with a strict regulatory environment, have an established track record of providing fair games to consumers, and have significant goodwill and assets at stake, in addition to their internet poker assets, to ensure they would comply strictly with the new regulatory regime.”
The text also mandates, “No qualified body may issue a license under this title before the date that is 15 months after the date of the enactment of this Act.” What would happen to the online poker industry in the United States during so-called the 15-month “blackout period” is not clear. Posters on forums like TwoPlusTwo and PocketFives.com, however, have been up in arms over the 15-month restriction.
According to The Hill, the “lame duck” Congressional session will wrap up next Friday.
Vanessa Rousso Leads WPT Five Diamond World Poker Classic Final Table
At 4:00pm today, the final six players will take to the felt to determine a winner of the Five Diamond World Poker Classic, a stop on the World Poker Tour (WPT). PokerStars pro and GoDaddy Girl Vanessa Rousso leads the way with a stack of 5.8 million headed into the six-handed televised finale.
Among those railing Rousso on the play down day of the WPT Five Diamond World Poker Classic was UB.com pro Maria Ho, who Tweeted late Tuesday night, “Congrats to @VanessaRousso for making the final table of the @WorldPokerTour event as the chip leader! Flying back to Vegas to sweat her!”
Also enthused about Rousso’s final table appearance was her better half, Chad Brown, who Tweeted, “Congrats to my girl making the final table and she is the chip leader. Back tomorrow at 4pm for the grand finale. My money is on the lady.” Brown is fresh off hip replacement surgery, but played in the Five Diamond just days after the operation.
Tuesday’s action saw the field play down from 15 runners to six and the final elimination of the evening went to Kia Mohajeri, who took seventh place for $97,000. Mohajeri ran A-Q into the A-K belonging to World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event November Niner John Racener on his final hand. The board ran out an uneventful 6-6-2-9-10 and Racener padded his stack to 3.2 million, good for second place on the leaderboard behind Rousso.
Andrew “luckychewy” Lichtenberger, a Full Tilt Poker pro, met his demise after calling all-in with A-Q on a flop of A-10-6 for top pair. However, Rousso flipped up A-6 for top and bottom pair and a running 9-4 didn’t improve Lichtenberger’s holdings. He bowed out in eighth place for $67,000 from the $10,000 buy-in tournament, his deepest run ever in a WPT event.
Titan Poker pro Sorel “Imper1um” Mizzi bit the dust in ninth place in the WPT Five Diamond World Poker Classic. Mizzi exited in especially brutal fashion after running pocket queens into Rousso’s pocket kings on his final hand. Mizzi now has back-to-back top 10 finishes in WPT tournaments, but has yet to make a final table. He was the Final Table Bubble Boy last month at Foxwoods, finishing seventh in the World Poker Finals for $88,000.
DoylesRoom Brunson 10 member Amit “amak316” Makhija exited in 13th place on Tuesday, banking $42,000 for his five-day run in the Bellagio poker tournament. After Rousso moved all-in on a board of 9-6-2-10, Makhija called for his stack and showed 9-8 for a pair of nines and a gutshot straight draw. Rousso tabled ducks for a set and a river six gave the PokerStars pro a full house.
The WPT could not have asked for a more star-studded final table:
1. Vanessa Rousso – 5,830,000
2. John Racener – 3,235,000
3. Andrew “good2cu” Robl – 3,210,000
4. Kirk Morrison – 2,650,000
5. Antonio Esfandiari – 2,105,000
6. Ted Lawson – 635,000
When play resumes, the blinds will be 25,000-50,000 with an ante of 5,000. After 12 minutes, the price of poker will increase to 30,000-60,000 with an ante of 5,000. Here’s what’s on the line for the six survivors:
1st Place: $870,124
2nd Place: $549,003
3rd Place: $358,964
4th Place: $232,271
5th Place: $168,924
6th Place: $126,693
Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for the latest WPT coverage.
Online Poker Bill May Be Attached to Obama Tax Cut Plan
But Reid was quoted following a press conference Wednesday saying that despite last-minute lobbying, his online poker bill would not be on the agenda during this session of congress.
However, later in the day his staff said he still intends to push the legislation through during this session.
Last week, it was widely reported the Nevada Senator was planning to introduce his Internet Poker Act of 2010 before the current lame duck congressional session ends Dec. 17.
A draft copy of the act was leaked to the Las Vegas Review Journal and published by the paper.
Should it ever become law, online poker sites wishing to operate in the US would be forced to obtain a five-year operating license and pay 20% tax on all deposits.
The first license would not be issued for 15 months with current grey-market operators like PokerStars and Full Tilt being forced to cease activity in the US.
For the first two years, licenses would only be issued to current US casino or race track operators and casino slot machine manufacturers.
The U.S. player pool would also be segregated from other players around the globe for a period of three years.
Visit www.pokerlistings.com
Online Poker Bill Won’t Be Attached to Obama Tax Cut Plan
However, Reid admitted in a press conference Wednesday that despite last-minute lobbying, his online poker bill would not be on the agenda during this session of congress.
Last week, it was widely reported the Nevada Senator was planning to introduce his Internet Poker Act of 2010 before the current lame duck congressional session ends Dec. 17.
A draft copy of the act was leaked to the Las Vegas Review Journal and published by the paper.
Should it ever become law, online poker sites wishing to operate in the US would be forced to obtain a five-year operating license and pay 20% tax on all deposits.
The first license would not be issued for 15 months with current grey-market operators like PokerStars and Full Tilt being forced to cease activity in the US.
For the first two years, licenses would only be issued to current US casino or race track operators and casino slot machine manufacturers.
The U.S. player pool would also be segregated from other players around the globe for a period of three years.
Visit www.pokerlistings.com
Online Poker Bill Could Be Attached to Obama Tax Cut Plan
Last week, it was widely reported the Nevada Senator was planning to introduce his Internet Poker Act of 2010 before the current lame duck congressional session ends Dec. 17.
A draft copy of the act was leaked to the Las Vegas Review Journal and published by the paper last week.
Should it become law, online poker sites wishing to operate in the US would be forced to obtain a five-year operating license and pay 20% tax on all deposits.
The first license would not be issued for 15 months with current grey-market operators like PokerStars and Full Tilt being forced to cease activity in the US.
For the first two years, licenses would only be issued to current US casino or race track operators and casino slot machine manufacturers.
The U.S. player pool would also be segregated from other players around the globe for a period of three years.
Visit www.pokerlistings.com
Harrah’s Atlantic City WSOP Circuit Event Breaks Attendance Record
The first of 11 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Circuit tournaments at Harrah’s Atlantic City was a smashing success over the weekend, breaking an all-time attendance record for the resort. The record going into Saturday was 1,181 players, which was set in 2008, but 1,250 entrants came from all over the East Coast to participate, generating a prize pool of $363,750 for the $300 buy-in event.
“We’re really excited for having set this record,” said Harrah’s Resort Atlantic City Poker Director John Arthur. “We got it right this year with the structures and everything else we have put into place for the Circuit and hope to continue having great numbers through the rest of the series.”
The first WSOP Circuit gold ring of the series was awarded to Christopher Rivers, a network engineer from Atlanta, Georgia. The 24-year-old won Event #1 for $64,565 after navigating through the record field, the biggest score ever for the amateur.
Rivers entered the final table as the second shortest stack, but was able to chip up and find himself heads-up against Maryland’s Matthew Diggs, who began the final table as the shortest stack. The heads-up match got underway shortly after 3:00am Monday with the players holding nearly identical stacks.
The decisive hand of the match came when the two got all of their chips in on a flop of 6c-5s-4c. Diggs, who had moved all-in, showed 2s-4h, while Rivers turned over pocket jacks after calling the bet. A queen on the turn and 10 on the river changed nothing, leaving Diggs with seven big blinds.
“The last couple of times I limped, he raised,” Rivers said of the hand that crippled Diggs. “So, I decided to limp with jacks and though I hoped he would play me aggressive after the flop, was worried about him drawing out on me, but I eventually called.”
The final hand of the tournament happened just minutes later, with Diggs all-in with K-10 against Rivers’ K-Q. Diggs was unable to improve, sending the title and the ring to the Atlanta native. “Oh man, this is great, I’m very excited,” Rivers added after the win.
Here’s a look at the results from the final table:
1. Christopher Rivers – $64,565
2. Matthew Diggs – $23,654
3. Greg Joslyn – $17,256
4. Ryan Moylan – $22,188
5. Jason “Bear” Alexander – $16,932
6. Don Huang – $13,033
7. Gregory Spurdis – $10,148
8. Geoff Desobry – $7,995
9. Chao Lin – $6,372
The $10,000 buy-in Regional Championship kicks off on December 19th from Harrah’s Atlantic City. The four-day flagship event will be nationally televised and is expected to draw several of the game’s top players.
All of the 11 events at Harrah’s Atlantic City count for the National Championship point system, which was implemented this year. One-hundred players will qualify for the season-ending televised WSOP Circuit National Championship at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, giving them a shot at a WSOP bracelet and a prize pool of $1,000,000. The full list of WSOP Circuit stops and qualifications for the 2010-11 WSOP Circuit National Championship can be found at WSOP.com.
LeBron James Returns to Cleveland from Poker in Twitter
While they were camped out at the Bellagio in Las Vegas for the World Poker Tour’s (WPT) Five Diamond World Poker Classic, players were also keeping their eyes on the sporting world. One of the big events that drew their attention in recent days was LeBron James’ return to Cleveland as a member of the Miami Heat.
Peter Jetten probably had the best plan for watching the Heat/Cavaliers game when he Tweeted on Thursday, “Going to have a fun relaxing day today. Massage this afternoon then going to watch the Heat/Cavs and TNF, The 10k Bellagio is tomorrow.” When he actually journeyed to the Bellagio sports book to check out the game, Kevin “BeL0WaB0Ve” Saul amusingly observed, “Lol @ Bellagio sportsbook… they have audio for Eagles game over Cavs/Heat.”
Firmly on the side of James and the Heat were Floridians Robert Mizrachi and Eric Mizrachi. As the Heat were demolishing the Cavaliers, the former Tweeted, “That’s what all you LeBron haters get for all the ‘booing.’ Miami just opened a can of ‘ass whooping’ on Cleveland, lol. Go @KingJames.” Robert chirped a simple, “Let’s go LeBron.”
On the other side were Alex Outhred and 2006 World Series of Poker (WSOP) final tablist Doug Kim. Kim gave James some props when he chirped, “OK, LeBron is damn ridiculous.” Outhred, though, still held some animosity: “Miami crushing Cleveland doesn’t mean #LeBron is no longer an asshole.” In the end, the Heat destroyed the Cavaliers 118-90.
As poker players dropped from the Five Diamond, NFL football took center stage. On opposite sides of the chase for the NFC North championship race were DoylesRoom Brunson 10 member Amit “amak316” Makhija and Saul. The latter showed his true colors when he Tweeted, “And that’s another victory formation! #bears.” Makhija showed his allegiance to Green Bay: “The Packers won and I’m up to 130k the only way the first level Coulda been sweeter is with a Bears loss, still a great start!”
In another big game on Sunday featuring the Indianapolis Colts and Dallas Cowboys, tournament director Matt Savage was unflinchingly honest in his assessment of the performance of Colts’ quarterback Peyton Manning: “Favre is out of the game so we need a new Interception King. Introducing Peyton Manning as the next Hall of Famer falling apart!” Jetten wryly noted across the Twitterverse, “This game would be so much more exciting if my big Cowboys must win Super Bowl bet was still live.”
Absolute Poker pro Trishelle Cannatella was in New York for the games on Sunday, but couldn’t hold back her rooting interest in the defending Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints after the team’s come-from-behind victory against the Cincinnati Bengals: “Payton is such a badass!!!! Love it. Watching the game in NYC. Geaux @Official_Saints.”
There were some top players paying attention on the cards in the Bellagio over the weekend. As action came to a close on Sunday, Allen Kessler (“Made day 4 of #wpt #Poker 10k Bellagio event. 54 left now of 438 starters. I have 90500. Avg probably 300k.”) and Vanessa Rousso (“Done for the day. I have 694k after a late surge. 54 left. Day four at noon tomorrow.”) were ready to come back on Monday.
Players out with a min-cash for their efforts included Full Tilt pros John Juanda (“Min cash WPT Bellagio. Last hand I had AKs, ran into both QQ & KK. Turned a flush draw, but missed.”) and Jon “PearlJammer” Turner (“Out 60thish, reshoved 18bbs w T9s from c/o over h/j’s raise, btn woke up w JJ, I hit 2 pair, but he hit J”).
For the top Tweets of the weekend, we’ll start with UB.com pro “Hollywood” Dave Stann, who became a movie critic: “Oscar noms for best actress Natalie Portman, director Darren Aronofsky & film Black Swan. Twisted look into the self-torture of true artists.” Scott Ian offered his critique of the latest effort from the Black Eyed Peas, Tweeting, “The Black Eyed Peas cover of Time Of My Life = the lamest piece of music I have ever had the unfortunate experience of accidentally hearing.”
Having a problem with coyotes at her home, Erica Schoenberg found a unique cure: “I just spent 100 bucks on wolf urine to sprinkle in the backyard to repel the coyotes. Guess I need to get into the predator pee market.” On the work front, Joe Reitman explained the audition process in Hollywood: “At commercial auditions, they now ask for your barcode. If I didn’t feel like cattle, I sure as hell do now.”
Finally, Joe Sebok offered a gem from PokerRoad’s Court Harrington when he Tweeted, “Me ‘Sometimes I forget to breathe when I’m typing.’ @courtharrington ‘Don’t become a novelist.’ As usual, solid Southern logic from the hick.”
Antonio Esfandiari Leads WPT Five Diamond World Poker Classic After Day 3
It’s magic! Antonio Esfandiari, known as “The Magician,” leads the way after Day 3 of the Five Diamond World Poker Classic, a stop on the World Poker Tour (WPT). Esfandiari was also the chip leader after Day 2 and now stands as the only player above one million in chips. A top prize of $870,000 is on the line in the WPT event, which is being housed at the Bellagio in Las Vegas.
Fifty-four players remain out of a starting grid of 439 and the entire field is in the money. Ali Eslami was the Bubble Boy on Sunday after being ousted from the Five Diamond in 101st place. Eslami committed his chips in a race with A-K against the pocket tens belonging to Scott Vener. There was very little drama when the board ran out Q-7-4-7-J and Eslami departed the Bellagio empty-handed save three days’ worth of memories. The minimum payout in the $10,000 buy-in poker tournament was just over $12,000.
DoylesRoom Brunson 10 member Amit “amak316” Makhija sent former WPT Championship winner David Chiu to the rail late in the day. Chiu was all-in before the flop with K-Q of hearts and ran into Makhija’s A-K. The flop came king-high, giving both players a pair, but Makhija remained out in front with an ace kicker. No help came on the turn or river for Chiu, who was ousted in 63rd place for $13,000.
Phil Ivey and Jason Mercier, the top two players on ESPN’s poker rankings dubbed “The Nuts,” were eliminated nearly back-to-back on Sunday from the Bellagio. Mercier was sent packing as part of a double elimination with K-8 against pocket fours and Doug Lee’s pocket nines. Lee flopped a set and never looked back, sending two players to the rail to vault up the leaderboard. He ended the day with a stack of 702,000, which is good for second place overall. However, Lee is still 300,000 behind Esfandiari.
Eliminated shortly after the money bubble popped was former World Series of Poker (WSOP) Europe Main Event champ John Juanda. The Full Tilt Poker pro was all-in pre-flop with A-K of spades and up against Will Failla’s pocket kings and Freddy Deeb’s pocket queens. Failla’s superior pocket pair held for the win and Juanda banked $12,000 for his 92nd place finish.
Here are the top 10 chip stacks entering Day 3 of the WPT Five Diamond World Poker Classic:
1. Antonio Esfandiari – 1,082,500
2. Doug Lee – 702,500
3. Vanessa Rousso – 694,000
4. Freddy Deeb – 654,000
5. Nick Phillips – 559,000
6. Jerry Young – 550,000
7. Ray Dehkharghani – 522,000
8. Charles Caris – 512,000
9. Bryn Kenney – 458,000
10. Kianoosh Mohajeri – 452,000
Other top-flight poker pros who remain in the hunt for the WPT title include:
12. Jonathan “FieryJustice” Little – 449,000
13. Doyle Brunson – 446,000
14. Sorel “Imper1um” Mizzi – 436,500
15. Andrew “luckychewy” Lichtenberger – 434,000
20. Eugene Katchalov – 365,000
22. Will Failla – 345,000
26. Marco Traniello – 315,000
31. Amit “amak316” Makhija – 287,000
37. Andrew “good2cu” Robl – 237,000
38. Andy Frankenberger – 233,000
39. David “Bakes” Baker – 225,500
45. Tim “tmay420” West – 113,500
53. Allen Kessler – 90,500
54. Jeff Shulman – 56,500
There are 15 minutes remaining in Level 15, where the blinds are 2,500-5,000 with an ante of 500. For those who have busted out of the WPT contest, the Bellagio will be holding a $5,000 buy-in tournament today at 2:00pm local time in the Fontana Lounge. Registration will remain open until 6:30pm. Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for the latest WPT coverage.
Antonio Esfandiari leads WPT Five Diamond
Esfandiari Widens Lead at WPT Five Diamond
The WSOP bracelet winner and WPT title holder became the first player past the one million chip mark and ended the day with a more than 300,000 chip lead over his closest opponent - Canadian WSOPC ring winner Doug Lee.
Also holding onto spots in the top ten are names like Vanessa Rousso, Freddy Deeb and Bryn Kenney.
The legendary Doyle Brunson, for whom the tournament was named, currently sits 13th.
The 100-person money bubble popped midway through the day Sunday with stars like Phil Ivey, Isaac Baron, David Chui, Johnny Chan, and Jason Mercier cashing, but failing to advance to Day 4.
A total of 438 players entered the 2010 WPT Five Diamond main event at the Bellagio Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, creating a $4,248,600 prize pool with $870,124 set aside for first.
The event will play down to a winner Wednesday, Dec. 8, which also happens to be Esfandiari's 32nd birthday.
Play will resume on Day 4 Monday at 12 p.m. PT.
To follow all the action, tune in to PokerListings' WPT Live Updates.
Below are the current top ten chip counts:
1 Antonio Esfansiari 1,082,500
2 Doug Lee 702,500
3 Vanessa Rousso 694,000
4 Freddy Deeb 654,000
5 Nicholas Phillips 559,000
6 Jerry Young 550,000
7 Ray Dehkharghani 522,000
8 Charles Caris 512,000
9 Bryn Kenney 458,000
10 Kianoosh Mohajeri 452,000
Visit www.pokerlistings.com
Venetian to Host All In For CP Charity Poker Tournament
Actress Cheryl Hines of “Curb Your Enthusiasm” and 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event champ Joe Cada will host the third annual All In For Cerebral Palsy celebrity charity poker tournament at the Venetian’s poker room on Saturday, December 11th. Proceeds from the event will benefit the One Step Closer Foundation, a non-profit organization whose main goal is to ease the lives of those who suffer from cerebral palsy through financial freedom and social acceptance.
The No Limit Hold’em charity tournament will be a $540 buy-in with unlimited $200 rebuys for 90 minutes. Half of the pool will go for the tournament’s payouts, with the other half going to the foundation. There will also be sports and Hollywood memorabilia available through auctions and an after-party with free drinks courtesy of the One Step Closer Foundation. Players can register online or at the Venetian Poker Room cage until the end of the rebuy period on December 11th.
Jacob Zalewski, who copes with cerebral palsy and serves as President and CEO of the One Step Closer Foundation, started the All In For Cerebral Palsy event in 2008. Zalewski is a huge poker fan can regularly be found at the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino during the annual WSOP in Las Vegas. He has made friends with many of poker’s biggest stars throughout the years, many of which support his foundation by playing in the event.
“We hope to see a future where cerebral palsy is a thing of the past,” said Zalewski, who made a final table at the WSOP in 2005. “We know are getting one step closer to that vision every day.”
Mekhi Phifer, star of FOX’s “Lie to Me” and films such as “8 Mile” and “O,” bested 97 players last year to win the All In For Cerebral Palsy tournament. The event raised more than $80,000, as attendance doubled at the Hard Rock Casino from the previous year.
Phifer is expected to return to defend his title this year, along with fellow celebrities Jason Alexander (“Seinfeld”), Sam Simon (creator of “The Simpsons”), Montel Williams (TV talk show host), Donnie Wahlberg (“Blue Bloods”), Gina Hecht (“Hung”), and former Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jerome Bettis. Playboy playmates Lauren Anderson, Stacy Fuson, Alison Waite, and Brande Roderick have also committed to the event.
Poker pros that have given support to the cause and will likely play again this year include Dennis Phillips, Victor Ramdin, Scotty Nguyen, Barry Greenstein, Eli Elezra, Freddy Deeb, Darvin Moon, Todd Brunson, Mike Matusow, Mike Sexton, Phil Laak, Antonio Esfandiari, Andy Block, David “Chino” Rheem, Tiffany Michelle, Maria Ho, Robert Williamson III, and Jamie Gold.
Cerebral palsy refers to motor conditions that appear in infancy or early childhood and permanently affect body movement and muscle coordination. Effects of the disorder don’t worsen over time, but they can’t be cured. However, treatment will often improve a child’s capabilities, allowing them to enjoy near-normal adult lives if their disabilities are properly managed.
For more information about the disorder and the “All In For Cerebral Palsy” tournament, visit AllInForCP.com.
Tags: 2008, 2009, Barry Greenstein, charity, charity poker, darvin moon, Hollywood, poker player, Tiffany Michelle, tournament, vegas, WSOP
Antonio Esfandiari Leads WPT Five Diamond World Poker Classic After Day 2
With two days of play in the books at the World Poker Tour’s (WPT) Five Diamond World Poker Classic, Antonio Esfandiari leads the way with a stack of 485,600. He’s the only player left standing to cross the 400,000-chip plateau.
The final field numbered 438, meaning that attendance grew by 33% year-over-year. However, this year’s installment sported a $10,000 buy-in – down from $15,000 – resulting in a smaller prize pool. In 2009, $4.7 million prize pool was up for grabs and Daniel Alaei captured a top prize of $1.4 million. This year’s champion will pocket a considerably smaller $870,000, although 100 players will finish in the money instead of last year’s 27.
Former WPT champ Allen “AawwNutz” Carter hit the rail on Saturday courtesy of Andrew “luckychewy” Lichtenberger. Carter ran pocket tens into pocket aces on his final hand, which boosted Lichtenberger’s chip stack to 185,000. Lichtenberger ended the day by bagging up 170,600 in chips, good for the 32nd spot on the leaderboard. His company at Table 56 on Sunday will include Doyle Brunson, Jon “PearlJammer” Turner, Bryn Kenney, Peter Jetten, and Marco Traniello. Good luck.
Also departing on Saturday was RPM Poker pro Brent “Astrolux85” Roberts. Rather than write out the details of Roberts’ final hand, I’ll let his Twitter feed do the talking: “Out 55<88. Shoved 20 bb in the hj and Phil Hellmuth folded AQ in the cutoff. Basebaldy called from the sb and Phil berated me after I lost.” Hellmuth recorded a pair of top seven finishes during Season 9 of the WPT.
Online poker icon Cliff “JohnnyBax” Josephy, once the top-ranked player in the PocketFives.com Rankings, hit the skids on Saturday at the hands of Phil Ivey. Josephy 3bet all-in pre-flop in an apparent squeeze play and received calls from Ivey and Albert Kim. Ivey led out on a flop of K-6-3, Kim folded, and Ivey tabled A-K for top pair, top kicker. Josephy showed A-J for ace-high and no help came on the turn or river. Ivey, who held a top 10 stack after Day 1, continued his strong showing yesterday and now owns the eighth spot in the standings with 308,100.
The top 10 on the leaderboard at the Five Diamond World Poker Classic is littered with multiple bracelet winners and former WPT champs:
1. Antonio Esfandiari – 485,600
2. Daniel Fuhs – 397,500
3. Faraz “The-Toilet” Jaka – 364,400
4. Doug Lee – 355,000
5. Vanessa Rousso – 334,100
6. Sorel “Imper1um” Mizzi – 332,400
7. Keith Gipson – 325,100
8. Phil Ivey – 308,100
9. Doyle Brunson – 295,400
10. Nick “agriffrod” Mitchell – 290,100
Other top pros remaining that hold chip stacks in the top 50 include:
18. Jon “apestyles” Van Fleet – 246,200
22. Hafiz Khan – 213,700
28. McLean Karr – 181,200
32. Andrew “luckychewy” Lichtenberger – 170,600
33. John Juanda – 167,900
34. Eric “basebaldy” Baldwin – 167,000
38. David “Bakes” Baker – 159,600
41. Dan Shak – 156,800
46. David Singer – 139,400
50. Jon “PearlJammer” Turner – 132,200
Complicating matters today will be the Las Vegas Marathon, which kicks off at Noon PT and will close Las Vegas Boulevard. Players heading to the Bellagio, which is located on the Strip, should leave plenty of time to arrive in time for the “Shuffle up and deal” command. Day 3 of the WPT Five Diamond also begins at Noon.
Ryan D’Angelo Leads WPT Five Diamond World Poker Classic After Day 1
One day of play is in the books in the Five Diamond World Poker Classic, a stop on the World Poker Tour (WPT). Ryan “g0lfa” D’Angelo, who took fifth in the 2010 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure Main Event, leads the pack after Day 1 in Las Vegas with a chip stack of 192,500. The field numbered 391 when all $10,000 buy-ins were accepted on Day 1, with registration remaining open until 5:00pm local time on Saturday for Day 2. Last year, 329 players coughed up $15,000 apiece.
We really can’t believe we’re writing this, but Joseph “subiime” Cheong was bounced from the WPT Five Diamond after 6betting all-in before the flop with A-J and running into D’Angelo’s pocket jacks. If this seems eerily familiar to a hand that occurred at the 2010 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event final table, it is. In that tournament, Cheong crippled his stack after 6betting all-in pre-flop with A-7 three-handed and running into eventual winner Jonathan Duhamel’s pocket queens. The wired pair held each time.
North American Poker Tour (NAPT) Mohegan Sun champ Vanessa Selbst, a PokerStars pro, also met her demise on Friday at the Bellagio. Selbst got her money in good, holding pocket nines on a board of 8-6-6-3 for nines-up. Her opponent tabled 10-8 for eights-up and watched with glee as the river came another eight, giving him a full house and the win. On dropping the massive pot, Selbst proclaimed to the world via Twitter, “Oh yeah, now I’m busto instead of being the chip leader.”
Trending in the right direction on the first day of play was former Bodog pro and “Survivor: China” castaway Jean-Robert Bellande, who committed his stack with J-8 on a flop of 8-8-6 for trips. His opponent showed pocket nines, which added an open-ended straight draw when a seven hit on the turn. However, Bellande faded his opponent’s outs on the river and doubled through to 48,000. He finished the day at 65,050, good for 88th overall out of the 287 survivors.
2010 WSOP November Nine Bubble Boy Brandon Steven made his presence felt at the WPT Five Diamond on Friday. Steven sent formidable pro Scott Seiver packing during Level 3 to move to 52,000 in chips. Steven, however, failed to survive to Day 2.
Also finding the rail was Justin “ZeeJustin” Bonomo, who Tweeted the details of his untimely exit: “Bluffed every hand to get to 60k Level 1. Level 2 I made real hands and got sucked out on to get to 40k. Lost rest KK vs AA. Not fun.” Others joining Bonomo on the rail on Day 1 included Chino Rheem, UB.com pro Joe Sebok, and Shawn Cunix.
In case you’re wondering, Sebok was ousted in particularly brutal fashion. His chips found the middle with pocket queens on a flop of 10-5-2. However, his opponent had spiked a set with pocket deuces and Sebok’s WPT woes continued. Sebok has a pair of seventh place finishes on the WPT, which runs its final tables six-handed.
Here are the top 10 chip stacks entering Day 2 at the WPT Five Diamond World Poker Classic:
1. Ryan “g0lfa” D’Angelo – 192,500
2. Amirouddine Alibay – 185,200
3. Albert Kim – 157,100
4. Antonio Esfandiari – 149,550
5. Niema Mostafavi – 145,800
6. Phil Ivey – 143,225
7. Maciek Gracz – 138,850
8. Matt Keikoan – 133,775
9. Justin Young – 131,200
10. Kirk Morrison – 130,075
Other brand name pros remaining in the top 50 include:
12. John Hennigan – 120,500
16. Chau Giang – 115,000
22. Peter Jetten – 104,175
41. Faraz “The-Toilet” Jaka – 84,050
42. Yevgeniy “Jovial Gent” Timoshenko – 83,750
45. David Chiu – 82,950
Registration will close at 5:00pm local time at the Bellagio in Las Vegas. Among those rumored to be buying into the $10,000 tournament on Day 2 is Kathy Liebert. Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for the latest WPT coverage.
Tags: 2010, bellagio, bodog, buy-ins, Justin Bonomo, Phil Ivey, poker player, pokerstars, tournament, trips, vegas, WSOP
Big Time Poker is Back in the Big Easy
The two-week tournament series runs Dec. 2-12 including 14 events with buy-ins ranging from $150 up to the $2,500 main event beginning Dec. 10.
2010 marks the fifth year of the Bayou Poker Challenge.
In 2009, Allen “Chainsaw” Kessler won the main event and $70,976, defeating a field of 80 players.
This year’s Bayou Poker Challenge main event champ will also win a seat into the 2011 World Series of Poker Main Event in Las Vegas.
Cash games are also expected to be busy in the Crescent City throughout the series.
The 23-table Harrah’s New Orleans poker room has a reputation for hosting some of the top action in the country with games running around the clock.
Visit www.pokerlistings.com
Sebastian Homann Wins WPT Marrakech
Leading the tournament nearly wire-to-wire, Germany’s Sebastian Homann emerged as the champion of the World Poker Tour’s (WPT) stop at the Casino de Marrakech in Morocco.
WPT Marrakech, which was co-sponsored by the online poker room Chili Poker, drew a solid field of 221 runners. Each player paid €5,000 to participate and the prize pool nearly reached €1 million.
The all-time money leader on the WPT, former World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event champion Carlos Mortensen, led a field of pros looking to take down the latest WPT title. Mortensen was joined by fellow industry staples like Bertrand “Elky” Grospellier, Team PokerStars pro Alexandre Gomes, WPT champion Surinder Sunar, and 2009 WSOP November Niner Antoine Saout. French poker pros Nicolas Levi and Roger Hairabedian made deep runs and just missed the final table.
When the final table began on Tuesday, Homann held the edge as the chip leader over fellow countryman Dominik Nitsche. Homann had been at the helm of the leaderboard since Day 1, but, with Nitsche approximately 50,000 chips behind him, certainly felt the heat. The German duo vastly outpaced the third stack at the table, France’s Guillaume Cescut, when the cards hit the air.
Homann wasted little time in establishing himself as the table captain, using the power of his stack to chop approximately 100,000 in chips from Johan Williamsson. He continued to push his tablemates around and, by the first break, had built his chip stack to over three million. Nitsche had faltered by the first break, giving up the second rung on the leaderboard to Williamsson.
After the break, Homann and Williamson unexpectedly butted heads in a clash featuring the two largest stacks at the table. With the blinds at 12,000/24,000 and a 4,000 ante, Homann opened the action with a bet of 50,000. When the action reached Williamsson, he re-raised to 135,000, which was called – after a moment’s hesitation – by Homann.
The duo saw a 4-3-8 flop with two diamonds, at which point the fireworks between the chip leaders were ignited. Homann checked his option and, after a bet from Williamsson of 165,000, announced that he was all-in. Williamsson immediately called all-in and tabled A-K of diamonds for the nut flush draw. Homann turned up a pocket pair of sixes, good for the lead, but he had to fade 14 outs twice to win the hand. Homann did so and Williamsson was eliminated in seventh place.
Homann continued to steamroll the table as he reached heads-up play with Cescut. For his part, Cescut slowed down Homann and, at one point, wrestled the chip lead away. It seemed to be the German’s day, however, as Homann crippled Cescut the next hand after losing the lead.
Cescut continued to fight, doubling up on three consecutive hands, but he eventually succumbed to Homann. On the final hand, Cescut raised to 125,000 and Homann called. On a J-4-3 flop (two spades), the twosome entered into a betting war, with Cescut’s remaining chips entering the pot. When the cards were shown, Homann held the lead with J-9 against Cescut’s A-4. None of Cescut’s five outs came on the turn or the river, crowning Homann the champion of the WPT Marrakech:
1. Sebastian Homann (Germany) – €244,508
2. Guillaume Cescut (France) – €135,831
3. Sebastien Compte (France) – €90,554
4. Felix Oberauer (Austria) – €72,439
5. Guillaume de la Gorce (France) – €54,334
6. Dominik Nitsche (Germany) – €36,220
7. Johan Williamsson (Sweden) – €28,977
8. Julien Lousier (France) – €25,356
9. Patrick Muleta (France) – €19,920
Although he admitted he was a recreational player, Homann was looking forward to playing in the WPT Championship in April. “I definitely intend to play more live tournaments now and am thrilled to have earned my entry into the $25,000 WPT World Championship – this takes everything to a whole new level. I will have to play more to prepare for the standard of opposition I am going to get there.”
With Marrakech in the books, the WPT now focuses on the Five Diamond World Poker Classic, which starts tomorrow at the Bellagio in Las Vegas.
Darvin Moon to Host Foxwoods MegaStack Challenge XVIII
On Saturday, the Foxwoods MegaStack Challenge will kick off from the forests of Connecticut. This time around, 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event runner-up Darvin Moon will serve as its host. The tournament series will shell out $375,000 in guaranteed prize money and offer a $1,100 buy-in Main Event.
Moon played second fiddle to Joe Cada in Las Vegas in 2009. Cada, who banked $8.5 million by virtue of the win, became the youngest WSOP Main Event winner ever, breaking Peter Eastgate’s standing record set in 2008. Cada won the event just days before his 22nd birthday and then went on a USA-wide victory parade that included stints on “The Late Show with David Letterman” and ESPN’s “SportsCenter.”
The $1,100 buy-in Main Event at Foxwoods begins on December 11th with Day 1 starting at 11:00am local time; the winner will be crowned the next day. Players will receive a starting stack of 40,000 and the blind levels will stretch for 50 minutes apiece. On Day 2, the survivors will return to the Foxwoods poker room at 11:00am and the blinds will lengthen to an hour. The Main Event comes with a $100,000 guaranteed purse.
On December 4th, the MegaStack Challenge kicks off with a $560 buy-in No Limit Hold’em event that offers a colossal $75,000 guaranteed prize pool. Players will receive a starting stack of 20,000 and the price of poker will tick up every 50 minutes. The two-day event begins promptly at 11:00am local time on Saturday for Day 1 and at Noon on Sunday for Day 2.
Here is the schedule for the newest Foxwoods MegaStack Challenge, hosted by Moon. All times are Eastern:
Saturday December 4th at 11:00am
$560 buy-in No Limit Hold’em, 20,000 starting chips
$75,000 guarantee
Sunday and Monday, December 5th and 6th at 10:00am
$230 buy-in No Limit Hold’em Re-Entry (Two Day 1s), 8,000 starting chips
$100,000 guarantee
Tuesday, December 7th at 6:00pm
$120 buy-in No Limit Hold’em Deep Stack Special, 15,000 starting chips
$10,000 guarantee
Wednesday, December 8th at 11:00am
$200 buy-in Bounty Event, 15,000 starting chips
$15,000 guarantee
Thursday, December 9th at 11:00am
$340 buy-in No Limit Hold’em, 15,000 starting chips
$75,000 guarantee
Saturday, December 11th at 11:00am
$1,100 buy-in No Limit Hold’em Main Event, 40,000 starting chips
$100,000 guarantee
In October, Foxwoods played host to the annual World Poker Finals, a stop on the World Poker Tour (WPT). The $10,000 WPT event drew a field of 242 players and Jeff Forest walked away with the title and a bankroll boost of $548,000. The internet-heavy final table also featured Dave Inselberg (second place for $325,608), Tom “Kingsofcards” Marchese (third place for $211,759), Nikolai Yakovenko (fourth place for $170,773), Keven “Stamdogg” Stammen (fifth place for $128,650), and Mohsin “chicagocards1” Charania (sixth place for $104,741).
Moon, a logger from the backwoods of Maryland, donned a New Orleans Saints cap and Wheeling Island Casino shirt throughout his WSOP stints. In 2010, he was seated at the ESPN feature table on Day 1D.
FoxwoodsLive.com will be bringing the action from the New England casino to life throughout the upcoming MegaStack Challenge.
Erik Seidel Hall of Fame Speech
Erik Seidel was elected to the Poker Hall of Fame this year and our cameras caught his speech, which was given just prior to the resumption of the World Series of Poker Main Event final table in November. Seidel is an eight time WSOP bracelet winner who also has a World Poker Tour win to account to his poker resume.
Seidel is originally from New York City having been born there and was originally a professional backgammon player for years. Eventually he made his way to Wall Street and the stock market before settling in as a top level pro poker player. He is well known in poker circles for being one of the group of players made famous from the Mayfair Club which churned out poker industry stalwarts such as Howard Lederer and fellow Hall of Fame inductee, Dan Harrington.
Seidel took second place to Johnny Chan at the 1988 World Series of Poker Main Event, which was by all accounts his first major poker tournament he participated in. Seidel made the final table eleven years later in 1999 and eventually finished in fourth place behind eventual winner Noel Furlong.
After being introduced by Texas Dolly himself (Doyle Brunson Poker Hall of Fame Speech), Seidel took the podium at the Penn & Teller theater at the Rio Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas and addressed the crowd. He spoke about his career and how long it took him to get to where he is, and that making the Hall of Fame was beyond any of his wildest expectations when he first began in the world of poker. He also talked about many of the players that have supported him along the way and how he transitioned during different eras in the game of poker and still maintained his standing as one of the top players in the world.
Seidel is a sponsored pro at Full Tilt Poker.
WPT Five Diamond World Poker Classic Begins Friday
The World Poker Tour (WPT) is wrapping up the 2010 calendar year with the annual Five Diamond World Poker Classic at the Bellagio in Las Vegas. The $10,000 buy-in event kicks off on Friday.
One of the most prestigious tournaments on the WPT schedule, the Five Diamond will draw some of the biggest names in the game. There will be one change that should draw a larger field for this year’s version of the tournament, however. In the past, the WPT Five Diamond event had a $15,000 buy-in. Perhaps reflecting tighter bankrolls, this year’s Five Diamond event is a $10,000 buy-in tournament.
The Five Diamond started on November 28th with an abbreviated schedule in comparison to past years. This year’s schedule featured 12 tournaments, whereas in 2009 there were 16 on the schedule. Preliminary events completed on this year’s tournament roster have been sparsely attended, even with the buy-ins reduced.
To this point, six events have been completed: three No Limit Hold’em tournaments, a Pot Limit Omaha with rebuys tournament, an Omaha High/Low tournament, and the Seniors’ Event. Of these tournaments, none has cracked 250 players.
“Miami” John Cernuto made the final table of the first $500 No Limit Hold’em tournament, which was won by Zeferino Hernandez. James Van Alstyne and Mark Gregorich made the money in the Omaha High/Low tournament, which was won by poker veteran Ken Lennaard.
Earning more points towards his run at the CardPlayer Player of the Year title was North American Poker Tour (NAPT) Venetian champion Tom Marchese, who won the $1,000 No Limit Hold’em with rebuys tournament. Finally, in a tournament that featured three female combatants at the final table, Karen Munro took the title in the second $500 No Limit Hold’em event.
One of the final preliminary events on the Five Diamond schedule, a $5,000 No Limit Hold’em tournament, will take place today, with the remainder of Thursday dedicated to satellites. Ready to go for today’s $5,000 event is WPT “Raw Deal” host Tony “Bond_18” Dunst, who Tweeted to his followers, “Off to the Bellagio to the play the 5k today, let us go go go!”
The WPT Five Diamond has been a crowning achievement for several of poker’s most notable players. “The Great Dane” Gus Hansen won the first ever cycle back in 2002 and such notable poker pros as Paul Phillips, PokerStars front man Daniel Negreanu, Joe Hachem, Eugene Katchalov, and November Niner David “Chino” Rheem have captured the title in the past.
Last year’s tournament was won by Daniel Alaei, who is expected to be on hand at the Bellagio to defend his WPT title. In 2009, Alaei outlasted a field of 329 players who built a prize pool of over $4.7 million. Daniel defeated a stacked final table that included former World Champion Scotty Nguyen, Shawn Buchanan, Faraz “The-Toilet” Jaka, and eventual runner-up Josh Arieh to take home a $1.4 million first prize.
Poker News Daily will keep you up to date on all of the action at the Bellagio as the WPT wraps up 2010 in style.
Tags: 2009, 2010, bellagio, buy-ins, Daniel Negreanu, Gus Hansen, poker player, pokerstars, tournament, vegas
Vanessa Rousso Selling Lamborghini Gallardo on eBay
If you are a well-known poker player who has something valuable to sell, it looks like this is the right time to put your items on the market. Peter Eastgate put up a World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet, as did Eskimo Clark. Now, Team PokerStars pro Vanessa Rousso is offering up her yellow 2007 Lamborghini Gallardo on eBay.
Rousso purchased the sports car last year as a treat for herself with her poker winnings. In a video interview with CardPlayer, the GoDaddy Girl said that she had been planning the purchase since she was teenager. Even though she could afford to pay the sticker price for the vehicle, she was smart and bought it used, benefiting from the depreciation in value in its first year.
And for those who think the sale is a sign that she is “busto,” think again. In the video, she said that she figured she could resell the Lamborghini in a year for about what she paid for it, so to her, it was like driving the luxury ride for free for a year.
The car is not up for auction, but rather for a fixed price of $126,500 via eBay’s “Buy it Now” option. Celebrity Cars Las Vegas, which is the exotic auto dealer that is facilitating the sale for Rousso, is also allowing interested buyers to negotiate through the “Make Offer” alternative. A $500 deposit is required within 48 hours of when the sale closes. Not sure about whether you can afford it? You have plenty of time to wrangle up the cash, as the listing does not end until December 17th unless someone buys the car first.
Rousso is the third owner of the 2007 Lamborghini Gallardo, which has been driven just 12,875 miles. Under the hood is a five-liter, V10 engine and the transmission is selectable – either automatic or a special six-speed manual “E-Gear.” The interior is black leather with yellow stitching. It is equipped with everything one would expect in a six-figure luxury automobile like a navigation system, rear view camera, heated seats, and a dual zone climate control.
This model originally retailed for $180,050 and Rousso’s asking price seems to be in line with the market. Seeing as how there were only 5,000 Lamborghini Gallardos produced in 2007, it is not easy to find comparable listings, but similar models are for sale around the world for about the same price.
In her live tournament career, Rousso has won over two-and-a-half million dollars. The highlights include a win in the 2009 European Poker Tour Grand Final High Roller Championship ($749,467), a runner-up finish to Huck Seed two months earlier in the 2009 NBC National Heads-Up Poker Championship ($250,000), a victory in a $5,000 No Limit Hold’em event at the 2006 World Poker Tour (WPT) Borgata Poker Open ($285,450), and a seventh place finish in the 2006 WPT Championship ($263,625).
She has also had great success online, including a $700,000 payday when she placed second in the 2007 PokerStars World Championship of Online Poker Main Event.
Eastgate auctioned off his one-of-a-kind WSOP Main Event bracelet for $147,500, having set the minimum bid at $16,000. The proceeds were used to benefit UNICEF. Shortly before Eastgate’s auction ended, a bracelet won by Clark found its way to the world’s largest online auction site. Clark won the bracelet in a $1,500 Razz event at the 1999 WSOP.
Tags: 2009, aced, european, interview, Online Poker, poker player, pokerstars, tournament, vegas, WSOP
Doyle Brunson Poker Hall of Fame Speech
Doyle Brunson‘s introduction speech for Erik Seidel at the Poker Hall of Fame induction ceremony was captured by our cameras just before the start of the November Nine at the World Series of Poker Main Event final table.
Erik Seidel seemed a natural pick for this year’s class for the Poker Hall of Fame. His most impressive career accomplishment are his eight World Series of Poker bracelets, in poker disciplines of Limit Hold’em, Omaha 8 or Better, Deuce to Seven Draw, No Limit Hold’em, Pot Limit Omaha, and Deuce to Seven Draw Lowball with Rebuys.
Seidel was honored to have Doyle Brunson introduce him in front of the large crowd at the Penn & Teller theater at the Rio Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. Brunson’s speech reflected aptly on Seidel’s many achievements in the game and contributions to the industry as a whole.
“I’m honored to introduce Erik because I’ve known him since he first began his career. I’ve watched him evolve into the gentleman that he is today and how he’s done a great job being the great player that he is.”
Brunson continued, “Most people think of Erik as a tournament player. What they really don’t know is that Erik started out as a backgammon player … then went to Wall Street and then decided to be a professional poker player… It was then that Erik played cash games for a long time and I was in most of the games with him and saw what a great player he was. I was kind of sad to see him become what I call a ‘tournament player’ because I feel like one of the prerequisites to getting into the Hall of Fame is to be a great cash game player, and people don’t really know what a great cash game player he is.”
Seidel, on top of his 8 WSOP bracelets also has a win at a World Poker Tour event and is a sponsored pro at Full Tilt Poker.
Homann Goes Wire-To-Wire at WPT Marrakech
Except for a brief moment heads-up when Frenchman Guillaume Cescut took the lead, Homann went wire-to-wire for the win, entering the final table with a chip lead he grabbed on the event's first day.
The win more than doubled Homann's $183,537 in career live tournament earnings.
The World Poker Tour Marrakech presented by Chilipoker drew 222 players to the Casino De Marrakech at the Es Saadi Gardens & Resort in Morocco this week.
The victory also secured Homann a seat in the 2011 World Poker Tour Championship at Bellagio in Las Vegas this May.
Next up for the WPT is the annual Five Diamond World Poker Classic at Bellagio Dec. 3-8.
Here's how the final table finished up in Marrakech:
1 Sebastian Homann €244,508
2 Guillaume Cescut €135,831
3 Sebastien Compte €90,554
4 Felix Oberauer €72,439
5 Guillaume de la Gorce €54,334
6 Dominik Nitsche €36,220
7 Johan Williamsson €28,977
8 Julien Labussiere €25,356
9 Patrick Muleta €19,920
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