Poker News

August 30th – Daily Deal

Happy Monday to everyone! On today’s Daily Deal, the Commerce Casino receives support from several of its competitors, Daniel Negreanu fires insults at Annie Duke, and an important figure in the Senate comes out in favor of online poker legislation. It’s all ahead… right now!

Hello, I’m Sean Gibson and welcome to the Daily Deal by Poker News Daily.

Let the battle lines be drawn. Several days after the Poker Players Alliance issued a petition to reverse the Commerce Casino’s stance against pro-internet gambling legislation in the United States, more casinos have come onboard to strike down the bill. In a letter issued to the press late Friday night from Commerce Casino Board members, it was revealed that the Bicycle Casino, Hawaiian Gardens, and Hollywood Park casinos also oppose Congressman Barney Frank’s HR 2267.

The press release claimed, “Californians wager an estimated thirteen point four billion dollars annually. That makes California the largest internet gaming market in the world, and without state legislation to protect it, critically-needed billions will be captured by offshore and out-of-state operators never to return.”

Why the Commerce Casino, Bike, or any other California casino wouldn’t just apply for a license under HR Two-Two-Six-Seven remains to be seen. PPA Executive Director John Pappas speculated in an exclusive interview with Poker News Daily, “They don’t want to compete with existing online operators or Harrah’s or Wynn or Google or anyone else who may get involved in internet gambling. They prefer to have their own fiefdom in California… A lot of lawmakers went out of their way to address their concerns via amendments, yet they still continue to oppose the bill.”

Moving over to another bitter dispute, in an interview with PokerPlayer, PokerStars pro Daniel Negreanu fired off what many have deemed inappropriate comments against Annie Duke. In an article entitled “The Evolution of Daniel Negreanu,” he was asked about the two-thousand ten World Series of Poker Ladies Event in which more than a dozen men played.

Negreanu voiced his disgust at the whole situation and then went on a tirade about Duke, who has never been an advocate of the tournament:

“What irked me is that this woman has the audacity on her website to call herself ‘the best female poker player in the world.’ So I’m like ‘how offensive are you, you f***ing c***? You want to say you’re speaking for women, yet you claim superiority over all of them.’”

Wow. Well … after afterwards Duke issued an open letter to PokerStars about the use of the c-word and the site ultimately responded, “PokerStars does not support the use of derogatory or hurtful language directed at any other player. While this was a personal matter between two players, we wish that better judgment had been used in the choice of words.”

Duke’s brother Howard Lederer and Tony G have been among those pros weighing in on the spat.

Finally, according to the Reno Gazette-Journal newspaper, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid claimed he would support the legalization of online poker in the United States. Reid also stated he would not support any other form of online gaming, including sports betting.

Reid also won’t support anything that hurts Nevada jobs, but the Senate Majority Leader will play a huge role in whether online poker is legalized. No progress has been made on legalizing internet gambling or online poker in the Senate, so having Reid as an ally could go a long way.

That does it for today’s Daily Deal, be sure to check back every weekday for a new episode of this show. Also be sure to check back with Poker News Daily throughout your day to find out the latest in poker news. I’m Sean Gibson hoping you have an amazing week at the tables!

Daniel Negreanu Fires Insults at Annie Duke

Team PokerStars Pro member Daniel Negreanu‘s hurtful remarks about UB.com‘s Annie Duke during interview with PokerPlayer.co.uk have sent the poker community taking sides between the two superstars. Negreanu called Duke a “f***ing c***” during what Negreanu thought to be an “off the record” conversation with writer Mark Stuart last week. His comments were published, however, and a verbal spat between the two sides followed.

In the article, titled “The Evolution of Daniel Negreanu,” Negreanu was asked what irked him about the 2010 World Series of Poker Ladies Event in which more than a dozen men played. Negreanu voiced his disgust at the whole situation and then went on a tirade about Duke, who has never been an advocate of the Ladies Event as a believer of sexual equality at the poker table. “What irked me is that this woman has the audacity on her website to call herself ‘the best female poker player in the world.’ So I’m like ‘how offensive are you, you f***ing c***? You want to say you’re speaking for women, yet you claim superiority over all of them.’”

The article was quickly passed through forums and other social media networks and eventually made its way to Duke, who was astounded by the comments made about her. Responding to the verbal assault, Duke wrote on Twitter, “Thank you for the support. I was certainly shocked at the language myself. I welcome criticism, but not abuse.”

PokerStars received word of the remarks made by Negreanu, the site’s most famous spokesperson, and one member of the PokerStars support team replied to an e-mail sent by a player on the site: “Although Daniel Negreanu is a Team PokerStars Pro, he is an entity to himself and as such will always be encouraged to express his views and speak his mind as he would otherwise do so, PokerStars Pro or not.”

Needless to say, Duke wasn’t satisfied with that response. She fired back with an “Open Letter to PokerStars” on her website demanding some sort of reprimand: “I am not offended by Daniel’s opinion. He has a right to disagree with me and dislike me. And I, just like PokerStars, would encourage him to express his views and opinions. This is not about his views. It is about a particular word he chose to express those views. The word “c**t” is not an opinion, it is an abusive epithet, and PokerStars is completely ignoring the use of that term in their response.”

Duke continues, “But more distressing is the use of the word ‘encouraged’ here. So, PokerStars, you are encouraging Daniel to continue to express views in this manner, to conduct these public attacks using offensive slurs and inappropriate language? I am more than dismayed that PokerStars is making a statement here that they encourage this kind of behavior, this kind of language use. According to PokerStars, this kind of behavior enriches our community.”

PokerStars then answered with an official statement in response to Duke’s letter, saying that the first e-mail was not PokerStars’ official statement on the issue: “PokerStars does not support the use of derogatory or hurtful language directed at any other player. While this was a personal matter between two players, we wish that better judgment had been used in the choice of words.”

Several high profile poker players have weighed in on the conflict, including Duke’s brother and Full Tilt Poker pro Howard Lederer, who came to her defense with a Twitter update shortly after the article was posted. “Hey Daniel, nice job representing poker and reinforcing that our attitude towards women is still Neanderthal,” Lederer said. “I understand some agree w DN on the ladies poker event issue. Many do. But abusing those you disagree with is never cool.”

Even the brazen Tony G offered to act as a mediator. “Let’s smooth over this situation, let’s try and forget that it ever happened. I know this fantastic place in Utah where you can get away from the world and I will pay for you to both go there and relax and chill out,” the PartyPoker pro said in his blog Wednesday. “You are both important ambassadors for the game we love – please let’s resolve this in a diplomatic manner otherwise someone is going to get really hurt.”

Negreanu has yet to offer an apology to Duke, which will certainly cause even more tension at the tables in the future. It’s public knowledge that the two haven’t gotten along since even before the poker boom of 2003 and it’s certainly keeping the community talking. Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for more high-stakes drama.

Liebert A Legend At Legends

The 2002 WPT Legends of Poker at the Bicycle Casino in Bell Gardens was the place Kathy Liebert sat down at a WPT table for the first time.

And it was also the site of her first of six WPT final tables.

Now, eight years and $1,727,443 in career WPT winnings later, she joined Erik Seidel as the only player to hit the century mark in WPT's played at the 2010 Legemds main event outside of L.A. Saturday.

But for Liebert, this wasn't necessarily the kind of record she was looking to set.

"Being number one for the most tournaments played is not really the goal," she laughed. "Being number one for money or most final tables is really what we're after.

"But I've done well on the WPT, so why not play them when I can."

Plus, she's proven them profitable.

"I mean, at least I'm ahead," she said. "I'd hate to have 100 tournaments played and be behind. That'd be embarrassing."

Just after the 2010 incarnation of WPT Legends wraps at the Bike, Liebert will head back to her Las Vegas home to be inducted into the Women in Poker Hall of Fame alongside Jennifer Harman and Billie Brown.

But while she appreciates the accolades, again, Liebert said this wasn't the honor she's after.  

"It's the Woman's Hall of Fame, and not be conceited or anything, but I kind of expected to get in to that one," she said. "The regular Hall of Fame would be more of an accomplishment, but I don't think I'm ready for that yet. I'm still young. Maybe one day."

That one day is clearly on its way.

Not only do Liebert's 15 WPT cashes make her 49th in all-time WPT earnings, her six final sixes tie her for sixth in career WPT final tables.

Plus, all told, her $5,717,426 in career earnings put her 41st on poker's all time earners list and the top female player in the game's history.

But once again, Liebert said being the top female player on the planet was never her plan.

"There haven't been that many women playing tournaments over the last 15 years," she said. "I'm sure 15 years from now we'll see a lot more successful women than we've seen in the last 15 years."

Looking forward, as she maneuvered her way through the Day 1b field at WPT Legends Saturday, with six final tables and no WPT titles, Liebert says she's got her eye on the ultimate prize.

"It would be nice to actually get a win," she said. "Maybe if I get one of these, somebody will actually want to sponsor me."

But if another final table appearance without victory is in the cards, she'll take it.

"To get that close and not win it is disappointing, but hey, I'll take it anytime if it's $500k plus."

And, she says it's great to be back at the Bike where it all began.

"Any tournament you do well in is a good tournament," she smiled. "I'd love to do well again."

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Poker Reality Show Holds Auditions

This past Friday, All In Entertainment LLC held a casting event for a new poker-based reality show centered around Fatty’s Poker Club, located in New York City. The program, “Fatty’s: Where Poker Gets REAL,” will follow the club’s owner, Mike “The Nose” Castaldo, and his band of regulars as they live their lives and play in cash games at the club.

Lacey Jones, who Wicked Chops dubbed the “Hottest Woman in Poker,” was on hand to evaluate those who auditioned for a spot at the Fatty’s tables and will also appear in episodes along with some of her celebrity friends. In a press release, Castaldo praised Jones, saying, “We are all thrilled to have Lacey Jones involved in this project. She is a highly regarded poker player with a great personality and will be a perfect fit with the unique characters that play at our members-only club. Lacey has a flair for bridging the gap between amateur poker players and the top pros of the world.”

Many readers may recognize the name “Fatty’s” from the 2010 World Series of Poker (WSOP). A group of ten players representing the club, four other “characters” who will be in the television show, and five contest winners all played in the Main Event wearing a team uniform of sorts. While the main purpose of the trip to Las Vegas was to publicize the show, they were still there to play. Each of the ten Fatty’s players made it out of Day 1, with one, Kenny Hofmann, eventually making the money, placing 278th for $41,967. The other big highlight of Fatty’s team at the 2010 WSOP Main Event was when Scott “Mayhem” Einiger eliminated Phil Ivey on Day 2.

Einiger is also a Senior Partner with the New York law firm Abrams Fensterman, which represents All In Entertainment LLC.

In an added twist to typical reality programming, Fatty’s Poker has teamed up with Fantazzle Fantasy Sports Games to give viewers a chance to sweat the players on the show. Details of the fantasy contest have not been released, but it will likely be similar to games that Fantazzle has run in which contestants select a “team” of poker players in an effort to pick the ones that will have the most combined success in a given tournament. Fatty’s and Fantazzle plan to award seats at the club’s tables and the 2011 WSOP.

“Fatty’s: Where Poker Gets REAL” is currently in production, but has yet to be picked up by a network. Target networks include Starz, HBO, FX, ESPN, and SPIKE. Those interested in appearing on the program will have another chance to audition sometime in the near future at a yet-to-be-revealed Atlantic City casino.

Poker Prodigy Alexa Fisher

As Alexa Fisher was showing interest in basic numbers, she ended up learning with a deck of cards. Being 3 years old, she noticed the relationship to the playing cards in hand and on TV, she wanted to “learn that game” Texas Hold’em. At 7 years old, already knowing every game played at the WSOP, Alexa was first identified as a prodigy by Max Shapiro’s article “Alexa the Poker Prodigy”, which ended up being a full page published article in Card Player Magazine.

Alexa has played in several poker charity events which she was featured during her poker tournament debut for the Schertz Humane Society, Homes for Pets. She was publicly featured during the KENS 5 television show Great Day SA demonstrating her poker playing skills. While visiting Las Vegas this year during her summer vacation from 1st grade, Alexa went to the Rio in hopes to meet her favorite poker players. So many of the top players wanted to meet Alexa that she ended up having 5 hats and 4 shirts with autographs to show for including tons of pictures. While attending the 2010 WSOP, many professionals considered Alexa “their lucky charm” and during breaks she often was visited by players who wanted to say hello.

Among those players of Alexa’s favorites that she got to meet included Phil Hellmuth, Pamela, Todd, and Doyle Brunson, and Johnny Chan. She met several of this year’s bracelets winners including Huck Seed, Vanessa Hellabuyck, Gavin Smith, Men “The Master” Nguyen, Dutch Boyd, Phil Ivey, Sammy Farha and Michael Mizrachi. She also met the 2010 WSOP Last Woman Standing winner Breeze Zuckerman. To top everything off, poker legend Barbara Enright took Alexa to Serendipity 3 which she treated Alexa to her first ever “Double Frrrozen Hot Chocolate”.

Interview with Leo Margets

Poker News Daily: Talk about your run as Last Woman Standing in the 2009 WSOP Main Event. How has that experience changed your career?

Leo Margets: My run was amazing, but I was not aware of it until this year. At the time of playing I was completely focused on winning one hand and then the next one, not of my standing in the race.
Placing 27th has definitely changed things in the table: other players act differently, and I have gotten more attention from my sponsor 888.

PND: Your title defense came up short in 2010. Walk us through your run in this year’s Main Event.

LM: I didn’t really feel a lot of extra pressure. I went out with a very polemic hand: I had 98 in the hole and was 3-bet by a very aggressive player whom I knew well from before. There were about 60 Big Blinds on the table, and my options were 4-betting him back or playing after the flop. I decided to flat call and play aggressively post flop, which was 8-9-Q rainbow. I decided to lead out in case he raised, but he shoved with 45 Big Blinds. He had Kings and spiked a Q on the river.
I was very sad to be left with only 5 big blinds, because I was looking forward to a big comeback, but ultimately it’s better to bust in Day 2 than in the bubble!

PND: You’re signed by 888. How did that sponsorship opportunity come up?

LM: Good timing! A few months after I started playing poker I went to the Casino in Barcelona to play a University Tournament, and I won it. 888 spotted me and offered to sponsor me for Spanish tournaments with buy-ins between 100 and 1000 Euros. Then the WSOP was approaching and many friends of mine were going, so I asked 888 if they would sponsor me, even though it was not part of my deal. I was very insistent until they finally said yes, and I promised I would not disappoint them!

PND: How are you treated differently at the poker table now compared to before your Main Event run in 2009?

LM: I get a lot more attention from the media and the crowd – it is so cool to hear nice things and support from the crowd! But sometimes I would prefer to be anonymous at the table,because others like to bluff me more when they know who I am.

PND: How did you get started in poker?

LM: It was completely weird. I was out on a first date, and at the time I didn’t know anything about cards. I invited him for a drink and he declined because he had a poker game. I was intrigued – what was this poker thing that was more important than a date? So I asked him if I could come along and see. This relationship really got me into poker; he was a great teacher and really helped me understand what poker is about. I got crazy about poker and started playing lots online, and the rest is history.

PND:We saw you walking down the red carpet at the Ante Up for Africa event at the WSOP this year. Talk about playing alongside major celebrities and other high-caliber poker pros.

LM: I respect everyone at the tables, but I’m not more nervous when I’m playing with pros. At this year’s Ante Up For Africa I got to sit next to Phil Gordon and Matt Damon. It was nice: I had never met Matt Damon. But he didn’t affect my game. What really affected it was multi-tabling live for the first time in my life – I was playing the $2,500 event at the same time, so I probably gambled a lot more at Ante Up for Africa.

PND: What upcoming photo shoots or other non-poker related projects do you have coming up?

LM: I already did a photo shoot for the Sunday magazine of El Pais [N.Ed.:one of the largest Spanish newspapers] and a couple of women’s magazines. I was also recently approached by either Elle or Vogue – can’t quite remember – but that won’t happen till September because I am taking a little holiday. I also contributed to two books.

PND: We know you’re talented at No Limit Hold’em. Have you tried to learn other poker games? How has that been going?

LM: Before this World Series I was taking Razz lessons with a friend, hoping to be able to play H.O.R.S.E., but I decided to give myself another year so I wouldn’t feel like I was improvising. I was doing a lot better in Omaha, but I missed my event this year because I was still playing another. Next year I will play other variants besides Hold’Em for sure.

PND: Quick quiz: Hottest male poker player is ___ (and why)?

LM: It would not be very original to say Antonius, right? Let’s say my ex who taught me to play poker 5 years ago. He is cute, sexy and smart.

HR 2267 Passes House Financial Services Committee

After postponing the hearing on Tuesday, the House Financial Services Committee met on Wednesday to discuss Rep. Barney Frank’s proposed bill H.R. 2267, the Internet Gambling Regulation, Consumer Protection, and Enforcement Act. Many representatives were on hand to file amendments and make their voices heard, and after several hours the bill was passed by a vote of 41-22, finalizing the first of many steps to be taken in order to regulate online poker in the United States.

The hearing got underway just after 10:00 a.m. ET and the committee began discussing provisions of the bill in the markup phase. This is the phase where a Congressional committee makes changes to a bill before it is voted on and eventually sent to the House of Representatives for another vote. Should the bill get the majority vote from the House of Representatives, it would then be passed along to the Senate for another majority vote, before being signed into law by the President.

Several amendments were made to HR 2267 on Wednesday. Each amendment was handled individually and voted on by the representatives in attendance. Here’s a recap of what was discussed:

Amendment 1 (Congressman Brad Sherman, Calif.): Sites that have intentionally broken Internet gaming laws cannot get a license to conduct business in the United States. This will likely affect larger online poker sites such as PokerStars, Full Tilt Poker and the old Ultimate Bet, all of whom allowed players from the U.S. to play on their site after the UIGEA went into effect. Amendment is taken to a voice vote, where representatives are asked to motion whether they are in favor or against the amendment. Amendment passes by voice vote.

Amendment 2 (Congressman Peter King, New York): Prohibits sports betting, excluding horseracing. King and several other representatives strongly support the notion of keeping sports clean and away from anything that will undermine the integrity of the game. Amendment passes by voice vote.

Amendment 3 (Congresswoman Mary Jo Kilroy, Ohio): Secretary of Treasury has the power to prohibit unsolicited emails and advertisements targeted to minors and problem gamblers. Amendment passes by voice vote.

Amendment 4 (Congressman Spencer Bachus, Alabama, and Congresswoman Michele Bachmann, Minnesota): Forbids offshore sites that have illegally done business in the US, along with people who have been employed by said sites, from getting a license. Bachus aims to include everyone associated with an “illegally-run” online gambling site be banned; Frank disputes the provision, saying that a janitor or restaurant worker employed inside of a brick and mortar casino would not be held responsible for the mishandlings of upper management; the same should hold true for an online company. Bachus withdraws amendment and says he would like to resubmit. Bachus reintroduces amendment later in the day, stipulating that only those who knew they were working at an illegally-run Internet site will be banned from obtaining a license. Amendment is later voted on by roll-call.

Amendment 5 (Congressman Joe Baca, Calif.): Allows Indian tribes to participate in Internet gambling. Frank quickly denies the amendment as it is not germane, or relevant to the subject.

Amendment 6 (Congressman Joe Baca, Calif): Allow states/tribes to opt-in to Internet gambling. Frank emphasizes that the choice to gamble online should be up to the person, not to the state where they reside. Amendment denied by voice vote, but is later voted on by roll-call.

Amendment 7 (Congressman John Campbell, Calif): Includes several provisions: 1.) All facilities of licensees that operate and/or accept wagers be located in the US; 2.) States and tribes must have parallel authority; 3.) Bettors must be at least 21 years of age; 4.) Age and residence of bettors must be verified; 5.) Odds of winning at each game must be posted online, 6.) The identities of legal and illegal gambling sites must be verified by the treasury in order for banks to prohibit certain financial transactions; 7.) Owners must meet licensing requirements; 8.) Sites must provide loss limits for each bettor. Amendment passes by voice vote.

Amendment 8 (Congressman Brad Sherman, Calif.): States are given one full legislative session to opt out, as opposed to the original period of 90 days. Amendment passes by voice vote.

Amendment 9 (Congressman John Campbell, Calif): Internet sites who advertise towards minors will have their license revoked. Amendment passes by voice vote.

Amendment 10 (Congresswoman Melissa Bean, Illinois): Treasury is required to observe Internet sites and accordingly sanction fines and revoke licenses if minors are found gambling. Amendment passes by voice vote.

Amendment 11 (Manager’s amendment — the majority and minority member who managed the debate): Bets are to be made with prepaid cards and debit cards only; bettors will be restricted from using credit cards on Internet gambling sites. In addition, the House Financial Services Committee will have no jurisdiction on tribal rights. Amendment passes by voice vote.

Amendment 12 (Congresswoman Michele Bachmann, Minnesota): Internet sites are forbidden from allowing people who are delinquent on child support from gambling on their site. Sites who don’t obey this rule lose their license. Amendment passes by voice vote.

Amendment 13 (Congressman Gary Peters, Michigan): State and tribal lotteries are exempt from licensing requirements, as long as they are intrastate activities. Currently, these lotteries are already subject to state licensing, and the Federal government should not get involved. Amendment passes by voice vote.

Following the passing of the final amendment of the afternoon, Rep. Bachus called for a roll call vote, which Rep. Frank scheduled for 3:20 p.m. ET. The first roll call vote was on the opt-in amendment by Rep. Baca, which was defeated by a vote of 37-22. The next in line was Bachus’ amendment, which was also voted down, by a vote of 43-22. Finally, HR 2267 came before the committee, and it passed by an overwhelming margin of 41-22.

Stay tuned to Poker News Daily as we continue the follow the fight to regulate online poker in the U.S.

ESPN Airs World Series of Poker Preview Special

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Maria Ho – Poker Player Profile

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

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

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

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

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

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

Arrests made after Birmingham casino robbery

A group of seven people, six men and a woman, are being question by police in connection with an armed raid at a casino in Birmingham last week.

Magnificent Seven Discusses Poker Endurance Record Attempt

Last month, word that a group in Austria dubbed the Magnificent Seven broke Phil Laak’s poker endurance record spread like wildfire through the industry. Purportedly, pent up in a hotel in Kufstein, the group played poker for a record 137 straight hours. Poker News Daily sat down with Magnificent Seven member Rudi Teichmann to discuss the attempt.

Poker News Daily: Talk about the decision to break Phil Laak’s record.

Rudi Teichmann: The official Guinness claim was made by us in January of this year. Originally, it had never been the point to break Laak’s record. Our original aim was to break the record of the Amberg Poker Club set at 102.7 hours. We had started two months before our official attempt with training units (a camp of about 85 hours) to evaluate where eventual problems could arise. Just before we started, we read about Phil Laak’s new record. I must admit, however, that this then constituted an additional challenge for us.

PND: What were the parameters of the record attempt? Was it a cash game, tournament, or play money game? Were Guinness officials present?

Rudi Teichmann: We strictly adhered to the requirements of Guinness. When registering for the poker world record, there was, however, no official guideline about the way of playing: whether it was cash or play money did therefore not play any role. An official Guinness observer was not present, as this is not absolutely necessary.

PND: How do the Magnificent Seven know each other?

Rudi Teichmann: We are all longstanding friends and play a lot of poker together. At some point during a crazy hour, we hit on the idea that we could set a new world record and thus reach the Guinness Book of Records.

PND: Give us the lay of the land as Laak’s record time of 115 hours approached. What did the scene look like?

Rudi Teichmann: A doctor took the first player away from the table at 70 hours. The only woman we had finished the record attempt at 107 hours (new women’s world record).  Another player and I stopped at 116 hours (a new record). The remaining three managed to get through 137 hours before the doctor finally put his veto. The whole story was incredibly exhausting, but I can only speak for myself. I could not recognize what I was playing and I was emotional at the end. At some point, I just could not concentrate anymore.

PND: What reaction have you received from the poker world for the feat? Have people been skeptical of it?

Rudi Teichmann: Many laughed at us. Most critics even claimed that without real money, it wasn’t real. Personally, these statements have hurt me very much after all we’ve been through.

PND: We’ve heard people question the legitimacy of your record attempt given that the video feed went out for a while and the stakes weren’t publicized. Would you consider doing it again?

Rudi Teichmann: I can say only one thing: the whole Guinness world record was 100% recorded. The records have already been submitted to Guinness along with the logbook. The thing with the live stream was a spontaneous idea of ours and, accordingly, came with a few problems.

It is also, in this country, very difficult to find sponsors; we paid for everything out of our own pockets. I claim that we could have managed 150 hours with professional support and assistance. Our team is ready to meet this challenge again, in Las Vegas or anywhere else, to prove to everyone that our record was won honestly.

PND: What’s the hardest part about playing poker for so long? How were you able to overcome that?

Rudi Teichmann: The most difficult thing was to keep our emotions under control. The fact that we are really good friends allowed us however to push each other. The worst thing in the whole affair for me was when the doctor took me off the table. The coordination of my movements was no longer smooth and I began to hallucinate. But in view of our diet, this had to be expected. I think with a regular and professional diet, we could have gone even further.

PND: What’s next for the Magnificent Seven?

Rudi Teichmann: We want to prove to the world that we are legitimate people and that even more is possible. I believe that together with Phil Laak, we could set a new world record on the basis of the obtained results and the gained experience, even if we play a cash game – but this would only be possible with sponsors…

PND: Give us your own background in the poker world.

Rudi Teichmann: I just wanted to prove that with willpower, you can play for more than 100 straight hours. I also tried to market this attempt, which, however, proved to be more than difficult. The gambling laws of Austria made it very difficult to get a permit for such an event. I don’t event dare to talk about sponsors. I was ready to cancel everything, but then my boys told me they wanted to do it. We funded more or less everything out of our own pockets and that was a significant five-digit Euro amount.

I am 46 years old. I studied marketing and work in a larger company as Director of Sales. In January of this year, I became dad for the first time. Otherwise, I love playing poker! In summary, I can only say that I would be happy to do it again, but this time in a more professional environment.

William Thorson – Poker Player Profile

One of the final 78 players in the 2010 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event, William Thorson was one of two Swedes remaining when Day 7 began on Friday, July 16th (Niklas Toorell is the other). Thorson has dominated the PokerStars-sponsored European Poker Tour (EPT), turning in a third place in the 2006 Irish Masters in Dublin for over $230,000.

2010 isn’t Thorson’s first deep run in the WSOP Main Event. In 2006, which went down as the largest Main Event in history, Thorson took 13th place and banked nearly $1 million; Jamie Gold earned 12 times that amount for winning the tournament. In 2007, he used a small portion of his newfound earnings to enter a $5,000 Limit Hold’em event at the WSOP, where he cashed for $136,000.

In 2008, Thorson was up to his winning ways once again on the live poker circuit. In the Bahamas at the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure, he finished ninth in the EPT Main Event and collected $120,000. Three months later across “The Pond,” Thorson grabbed sixth in EPT San Remo and boosted his already lucrative bankroll by $222,000.

In the 2009 EPT Dortmund stop, Thorson made the final table of the Main Event and finished seventh. That cash was good for $147,000 in the tournament that saw Sandra Naujoks become just the second woman ever to win an EPT feature tournament. In Monte Carlo to conclude the same season of the EPT, Thorson finished sixth in the High-Roller Championship for $130,000.

He won the Main Event of the PokerStars Baltic Festival in Tallinn, Estonia for $98,000, his last major tournament score leading up to the 2010 WSOP Main Event. He holds the fifth largest stack entering Day 7 at 6.53 million and is one of five non-Americans in the top eight in chips.

When he’s not tearing up the poker felts, Thorson can be found riding and training horses. He’s a member of Team PokerStars Pro.

Theo Jorgensen Leads Michael Mizrachi, John Racener In WSOP Main Event; Chan Eliminated

The final days of the 2010 World Series of Poker Championship Event are drawing nigh, with only 78 players left to decide the next World Champion.

Play on Thursday started with 205 runners, led by Canada’s Evan Lamprea, but the true story of the action at the WSOP Main Event sat further down the Top Ten. After not appearing for many of the preliminary events, two time WSOP Main Event winner Johnny Chan came to the felt with a vengeance. Through the first five days (and over 7000 eliminations), Chan battled his way to sit in ninth place with 2.559 million in chips to start play on Day 6. Unfortunately for the last back-to-back winner of the WSOP Main Event, the variances of the game of poker arose to take him down, destroying his meticulously built stack in the span of one hour.

Early during action on Day 6, Chan entered into a preflop battle against Robert Pisano, which eventually led to Pisano getting the remainder of his chips in against the 1987-88 World Champion. Chan confidently tabled his pocket Kings, only to see Pisano have the better of the situation with pocket Aces. After the board ran ten high, two other players at the table informed “The Orient Express” that they had folded his two outs. The carnage left Johnny sitting with only 800,000 chips remaining and Robert on a 4.4 million chip mountain.

Chan patiently waited over the next hour for an opportunity to get back in the tournament and seemingly found it against Jonathan Driscoll. In the cutoff, Johnny moved the remainder of his chips to the center only to have Driscoll immediately call from the button. After the blinds got out of the way, another cooler hit Johnny; his pocket Jacks were once again behind the pocket Aces that, this time, Driscoll held. The board once again ran low (seven high) and eliminated Chan in 156th place.

For those who were looking for the “last woman standing” this year, Breeze Zuckerman provided that excitement. Entering the day in 131st place with 738,000 in chips, Zuckerman was the only woman with a shot at the WSOP “November Nine” after the departure of Dorothy Von Sachsen on Day 5. Over the first three hours of play, Breeze was able to work her way up to slightly over 1.1 million in chips and found herself on one of the ESPN television stages. After the move to the big stage, however, Zuckerman bled chips and eventually was eliminated from the tournament in 121st place at the hands of defending CardPlayer Magazine Player of the Year Eric “basebaldy” Baldwin.

On the opposite side of the spectrum, several players used Day 6 to mount their assaults on the top of the leader board. 2010 $50K Players’ Championship winner Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi started the day in 30th place with 1.793 million in chips and used the run of play on Thursday to surge to the top of the mountain. Mizrachi seemed to be on the right side of the action throughout Day 6 and, late in the evening, vaulted into the chip lead after pushing Randy Dorfman and Christopher Bolt out of a pot with a four bet. His stay as the “leader of the pack” was short lived, however, as another charger on the day, Denmark’s Theo Jorgensen, took a pot from “The Grinder” with a river bet ten minutes later to assume the chip lead.

When the cards fly at noon (Pacific Time) on Friday, the remaining 78 players will look up at a strong leader board that includes this Top Ten:

1. Theo Jorgensen 9.3 million in chips
2. Michael Mizrachi 7.535 million
3. John Racener 7.2 million
4. Jonathan Driscoll 6.57 million
5. William Thorson 6.525 million
6. Matthew Jarvis 6.125 million
7. Edward Ochana 5.95 million
8. Alexander Kostritsyn 5.715 million
9. Cuong Nguyen 5.65 million
10. Joseph Cheong 5.555 million

Surprisingly, the Top Ten players have quite the resume in the poker world. Jorgensen is the reigning champion of the World Poker Tour’s resurrected Rendezvous a Paris, which he won back in May, and has $2.3 million in career earnings. Along with his victory in the $50K Players’ Championship, Mizrachi has two WPT titles and $8.8 million in earnings. Racener holds a WSOP Circuit championship ring and has earned $1.18 million in his short career. Thorson is the defending PokerStars Caribbean Adventure Pot Limit Omaha champion and Kostritsyn won the championship of the Aussie Millions in 2009, with each having over $2.3 million in career earnings. All totaled, the Top Ten have earned almost $18 million in their poker careers.

Sitting down the remaining 78 players are several dangerous players. The aforementioned Baldwin is currently at 2.135 million in chips, with European sensation Johnny Lodden on his heels with 2.105 million. Adam “Roothlus” Levy sits in 49th place with his 1.685 million chip stack, with Katy, TX’s David Baker and Full Tilt Poker superstar David Benyamine in pursuit. Day 4 chip leader Tony “Bond18” Dunst, Day 5 leader Lamprea, Hasan Habib and Scott Clements are all within striking distance of the Top Ten.

Friday’s plan of action at the WSOP is to play down to the final 27 players before calling it quits for the night. On Saturday, the battle for the “November Nine” begins as those three tables whittle themselves down to one. By the end of action on Saturday, the poker community will know the names and faces behind who will become the next champion of the World Series of Poker Championship Event.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Last Woman Eliminated in 2010 Main Event

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Online Nominations Open for 2010 Poker Hall of Fame

As the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event enters into its final week before taking its break for the November Nine, Harrah’s and WSOP officials have opened up the process of public nominations for the 2010 Poker Hall of Fame.

As with last year’s nomination process, the public is invited to visit the WSOP website to enter a nomination for who should be inducted in 2010. Each person has only one vote, making the nomination process difficult for the fans of the game. On September 1st, Harrah’s and WSOP officials will tally the voting and announce who will be eligible for inclusion in the Poker Hall of Fame. This list is normally ten players, but as with last year’s dropping of Full Tilt Poker’s Tom “durrrr” Dwan from the nominated list due to not meeting the requirement for “standing the test of time,” it can sometimes be smaller.

Once the top ten nominees have been announced, the 16 living Poker Hall of Fame members and a similar number of media personnel will decide which players are inducted. In a change from the past, the top two vote getters will be inducted during the play of the November Nine this year. Previously, it took 75% of the vote to be inducted into the Hall, leading to only one player, World Poker Tour host, PartyPoker spokesman, and Poker News Daily Guest Columnist Mike Sexton, to be enshrined in 2009. It was the first time since 2004 that there was only one inductee, when 1986 World Champion Berry Johnston was honored.

Poker News Daily’s Dan Cypra, who held a vote on last year’s media panel (this year’s panel has yet to be determined), has several ideas as to who should be on the roster of nominees for 2010. “There are five people who I believe meet the criteria that is set for the Poker Hall of Fame,” Cypra stated. “Some of them were part of the process last year, but there are a couple of players whom I believe have met the requirements and deserve induction.”

Cypra noted that 2009 nominees Tom McEvoy (1983 World Champion and 2009 Champions’ Invitational winner), eight-time WSOP bracelet winner Erik Seidel, and Team PokerStars pro Barry Greenstein (“If only everyone had his generosity,” Cypra mentioned) should be reconsidered in 2010. “They exceed the criteria for induction in the Poker Hall of Fame and are more than deserving of the honor,” Cypra said. He also picked out two players that weren’t a part of the ten nominees in 2009 for inclusion on this year’s nominee list.

“Huck Seed has been one of the best players in poker for more than a decade,” Cypra observed. “With his previous win in the Main Event (1996), his victory this year in the 2010 Tournament Of Champions, and his record at the National Heads-Up Poker Championship (eight cashes and the 2009 championship), Huck is deserving of a nomination.” The other player that Cypra would choose is 2001 WSOP Main Event champion Carlos Mortensen. “Carlos should be included because he is the only person to have won both the World Poker Tour Championship and the WSOP Main Event,” Cypra observed. “He is the leading money winner in the history of the WPT and has played in the highest stakes games around the world, exceeding the criteria for nomination.”

Cypra believes it still is too soon to induct some of the younger superstars of the poker world that were nominated in 2009 and also sees some drawbacks with deserving nominees from last year: “Phil Ivey and Daniel Negreanu, while well qualified for the Poker Hall of Fame, are still too young (they are both in their 30s). In the case of players such as Scotty Nguyen and Men “The Master” Nguyen, there is some controversy in their past that could hurt them. They would stand a very good chance of being elected, however, if they can get past the fan nominations.”

The Poker Hall of Fame was established in 1979 to honor those who have become true legends of the game. In honoring players, casino executives, and innovators for their contributions to the sport of poker, the Poker Hall of Fame is one of the most exclusive “clubs” that a professional in the poker industry can be inducted into, numbering 37 men and one woman (Barbara Enright). Prior to last year, the process of choosing who would be inducted was determined behind closed doors.

The qualifications that a person must meet for inclusion in the Poker Hall of Fame are highly difficult to attain. First, a player must have played poker against acknowledged top competition and at high stakes. There must be a consistency to their game and the player would have to earn the respect of their poker playing peers. Finally, there is the “stand the test of time” qualification, with many of the poker players inducted into the Hall of Fame having put in 30+ years into the game. For those that are not players, but influential executives or innovators, the requirement is to have “contributed to the overall growth and success of the game of poker, with indelible positive and lasting results.”

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?

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Liv Boeree and UB.com Renegotiating Contract

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

WSOP Main Event Attendance Up 34% After Three Starting Days

Three starting days are in the books in the 2010 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event. Today at Noon PT, Day 1D will kick off after being the first to sell out its pre-registration. Overall, attendance through the first three starting days of the Main Event is up a colossal 34% year over year.

In 2009, there were 3,685 entries after Day 1C officially closed its doors to new players. A total of 1,116 entered on Day 1A, while just 873 took to the floor on Day 1B, which fell on the Fourth of July. Day 1C saw 1,696 entrants in 2009. This year, the first of three starting days in the Main Event occurred on Monday, July 5th, safely removed from the holiday festivities one day prior. Day 1A this year featured a starting grid of 1,125 players, while Day 1B attracted 1,489. Yesterday, Day 1C saw a field of 2,314 show up for a three-day total of 4,928.

Among those who took to the felts on Day 1B was Annette “Annette_15” Obrestad, a Full Tilt Poker pro, who was seated at Table 2. Meanwhile, Poker News Daily witnessed Tiltboy Rafe Furst make his exit after an opponent flopped a set of threes. Jeff “yellowsub” Williams, who finished third in a $5,000 No Limit Hold’em event, told us to bet on the Netherlands in the Fifa World Cup; sure enough, “Sub” was right, as the European country outlasted Uruguay 3-2. Unfortunately, we did not make it to the Rio sports book in time.

At the table next to Full Tilt pro Jeremiah Smith’s was an all-in and a call with A-K versus aces, one of several pots that featured Big Slick running into the superior hand. This time around, however, the player with A-K made a straight a busted his opponent. A bevy of players donned blue 888 logos, including Leo Margets, the Last Woman Standing in the 2009 Main Event.

Justin “ZeeJustin” Bonomo, Matt “mcmatto” Affleck, Drag the Bar instructor Dusty Schmidt, and Marco “CrazyMarco” Johnson were among those who carried the banner for the internet poker community on Tuesday during Day 1B. On Day 1C, online poker pros in the room included DoylesRoom’s Faraz “The-Toilet” Jaka, free agent Lauren Kling, Kling’s beau Mike “SowersUNCC” Sowers, and Jordan “Octavian_C” Rich.

Furst and Joe Sebok were among those who donned an all-white jump suit in support of Bad Beat on Cancer, whose green 1% patches can be seen on a bevy of players in the Amazon Room.

Day 1D of the Main Event has a capacity of 3,800 and, as of 5:00pm PT on Wednesday, nearly half of those seats were sold. In 2009, a total of 6,494 players entered the Main Event, meaning that we’re already guaranteed to have a field larger than last year’s, a welcome sign given the depressed economy. The 2009 attendance would have been even larger had 500 players not been shut out after Day 1D reached capacity. Whether today will have any similar drama remains to be seen.

Wednesday began with PokerStars pro Joe Cada issuing the command to start play. Then, it was UB.com pro Phil Hellmuth’s turn to shine. Several hundred spectators endured 110-degree heat in the Rio parking lot to watch Hellmuth enter as an MMA fighter, including Mike Matusow. When asked by Hellmuth why he was in attendance, Matusow responded that he wanted to watch the “idiocy.” Meanwhile, 2010 bracelet winner Gavin Smith caught a pink UB.com hat tossed to the crowd by several dancers.

Finally, we’d be amiss if we didn’t discuss the trials and tribulations of Illinois native Stuart Nitzkin, the first player eliminated from the Main Event back on Day 1A. He lost a pot with pocket aces when the final board came K-K-10-10-10. Then, he donated his remaining chips with pocket kings after a player with K-10 made a straight. So it goes in poker’s richest tournament.

The survivors from Day 1A and Day 1C will convene for Day 2A on Friday. Those who made it through Day 1B and Day 1D will assemble for Day 2B on Saturday. Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for the latest news, notes, and nuggets from the 2010 WSOP.

ESPN Inside Deal Features Vanessa Rousso, Dean Hamrick

This week, the ESPN.com poker news franchise “Inside Deal” welcomed recent World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet winner Dean Hamrick and top-tier female pro Vanessa Rousso. New episodes of “Inside Deal” are released every Tuesday exclusively on ESPN.com.

Hamrick finally got over the proverbial hump in 2010, taking down a $1,500 No Limit Hold’em event for $604,000 and his first bracelet. He’ll take that money and head back to Michigan, telling “Inside Deal” hosts Laura Lane and Andrew Feldman, “It felt amazing. It was a little weird because it was 6:30 in the morning when I won, so I was as excited to finally get to sleep as I was to win the bracelet. It’s a pretty surreal moment. Everyone is around you and they’re dealing that last river card and you know if it goes right, you’re going to be the champ and get everything you ever wanted.”

Hamrick made deep runs in the 2007 and 2008 Main Events. However, the $1,500 No Limit Hold’em tournament marked just his second WSOP final table. He reflected, “When you’ve been close a couple of times, you realize how hard it is to get back. A final table is very tough, especially in the bigger fields. You don’t want to make a mistake and every decision is crucial.” Hamrick also revealed that the skill level of the field has gotten considerably tougher, a sentiment that many pros in the tournament series have echoed.

Rousso joined “Inside Deal” and discussed whether she considered 2010 to be the Year of the Woman: “I think that whole Year of the Woman thing is just to have something cool to say marketing-wise. Yeah, some women have had some great results this year. I don’t think there’s anything unique about 2010. Women will have great results in years to come. Truth is, we just have a lot of great women players now.” Annie Duke, Vanessa Selbst, and UB.com’s Liv Boeree have been among the females to win major tournaments since 2010 began.

In an interview-heavy episode, “Inside Deal” then welcomed Unabomber Poker front man Phil Laak, who is fresh off a 115-hour marathon poker session that set a Guinness World Record. The previous mark, held by Paul Zimbler, was just 78 hours. Why did Laak feel the need to obliterate Zimbler’s record by two full days? “When I got to 80 hours, I hadn’t made a plan of when I’d stop. I just figured I’d stop soon after that because I’d be so exhausted. What I didn’t expect is that I was supercharged.” Laak profited nearly $7,000 from the $10/$20 cash game table at the Bellagio.

Laak added that he has a renewed outlook on life following his weeklong affair: “Since the challenge, I have become super human. I think better, I play poker better, I have more patience, I’m more empathetic, I work harder at the gym, and things are more effortless. It’s crazy.” Laak’s record may have been broken by a group of European young guns; however, the validity of the attempt appears to be in doubt.

Finally, a viewer e-mailed asking Rousso whether she thought the WSOP Ladies Event should offer up a bracelet despite not being open to the general public. Rousso’s response: “I don’t really get that freaked out about it. I know a lot of pros have a very strong opinion one way or the other. For me, it’s up to the WSOP. If they choose to put it on the schedule, it’s a bracelet event. It’s as simple as that.” Shaun Deeb, David Sesso, and other males entered the tournament this year, but none survived Day 1.

Catch ESPN’s “Inside Deal” weekly on ESPN.com.

Women in Poker Hall of Fame nominees announced – among them Duke, Harman and Liebert

The 2010 Women in Poker Hall of Fame has nominated seven female poker players two of which will be chosen to Hall of Fame in September.

On the list there are familiar names to current players as well as a couple of older legends and poker professionals.  

Betty Carey - A poker pro whose blue eyes mesmerized among others Doyle Brunson. When the 70’s turned to 80’s, Carey was known from her very aggressive playing style. Won a few WSOP money prizes and carried a  .357 Magnum with herself.

Phyllis Caro - A poker pioneer since 1979. Started her career as a dealer and is nowadays the manager of poker operations in Hollywood Park, California. Has assisted her husband Mike Caro in making numerous poker books.

Nani Dollison - A South-Korean born hard core professional. Won a WSOP bracelet from $1,000 Limit Hold’em in 2001 and is one of the few WSOP Ladies Event double champions. Has cashed nearly 800,000 dollars during her career.

Annie Duke - Has claimed over 4,2 million dollar profits from tournaments and one WSOP bracelet from $2K Omaha Hi-Lo.

Jennifer Harman - A multi-skilled high stakes pro who has pocketed 2,5 million dollars during her career. The only woman who has won two WSOP bracelets.  

Kathy Liebert - The most successful female tournament player ever with her 5,7 million dollar winnings since 1994.

Joanne “JJ” Liu - A pro player born in Taipei, Taiwan. Has won a WPT title and over 2,3 million dollars from the tournaments. A regular face in high stakes cash games.  

Check out the nominees and the vote which will be open until July 15th in HERE.

Sources: PokerNewsDaily, womenspokerhalloffame.com and TheHendonMob

You just read Poker News from HighStakesNews.com

Women in Poker Hall of Fame nominees announced – among them Duke, Harman and Liebert

Cat o Neill is not a woman to be messed with

Cat o Neill raises from middle position and gets called by Mike Hill and Sean Molly with around 7000 in the pot.

Steve Jelinek makes it British bracelet number five

This year's WSOP was supposed to be year of the woman. Well it should be the year of the Brits as Steve Jelinek makes it bracelet number five for Blighty at this year's World Series.

June 24th – Daily Deal

A very Happy Thursday to everyone! Today on the Daily Deal by Poker News Daily, we play paparazzi for Tiffany Michelle’s twenty-sixth birthday party and address a rumor that Phil Ivey won’t play in the WSOP Tournament of Champions and bring you the latest news from the Rio.

Hello, I’m Sean Gibson and welcome to the Daily Deal by Poker News Daily. More bracelets were handed out at the Rio in Las Vegas for the 2010 World Series of Poker. In Event number 36 it was former November Niner Scott Montgomery who won the $1,000 buy-in no limit hold’em tournament. He outlasted over 3,000 opponents for his first bracelet and nearly a half million dollars. Event number 39 was the $1,500 no limit holdem shootout which was won by Steve Kelly. The 21 old is an online cash game pro and made almost $400,000 for winning this event. Finally, it was Frank Kassela winning Event Number forty for his second WSOP bracelet this season. This time it came in the $2,500 dollar Razz event with Kassela winning over two hundred and ten thousand dollars.

In a recent installment of the ESPN Poker Edge Podcast, Full Tilt pro Phil Gordon revealed that Phil Ivey may skip this year’s WSOP Tournament of Champions, “I heard that Phil Ivey is not even going to play. I was told that because there is a bracelet event the same day as the TOC, Phil isn’t going to play the TOC… You might be seeing Ivey running back and forth from the TV table.”

According to Pokerati, Ivey has a five million bet with Howard Lederer that he’ll win two bracelets by the conclusion of the two thousand eleven WSOP, so he can ill-afford to miss events. On this week’s ESPN’s Inside Deal, poker pro Barry Greenstein, who was also voted into the Tournament of Champions, weighed in on whether he thought Ivey would play, “I haven’t even talked to Phil about it. I would guess he would play. What he was probably concerned about was the way they had it set up initially, it was going to conflict with him playing in events and he has a bunch of side bets.”

Ivey was the top vote getter for the WSOP Tournament of Champions. I guess we’ll have to wait and see if he’s in attendance.

Finally, it wouldn’t be a poker show without an inside look at Tiffany Michelle’s birthday bash. The poker diva and last woman standing in the two thousand eight World Series of Poker Main Event celebrated in style, hitting up Crystals at CityCenter in Las Vegas. Joining her were “Amazing Race” team member Maria Ho, Adam “Roothlus” Levy, and several other pros.

Michele was seen posing on the red carpet at the Eve Nightclub and noshing on a three-tier chocolate cake crafted by the Gimme Some Sugary Bakery. Rather than describe it to you, here’s a picture for you to chew on.

Thanks for joining me on The Daily Deal. Don’t forget to visit PokerNewsDaily.com and be sure to follow us at Twitter.com/PokerNewsDaily for the latest in poker news. This is Sean Gibson, wishing you the best of luck at the tables!

2010 Women in Poker Hall of Fame Nominees Announced

The Women In Poker Hall of Fame has announced the names of seven ladies nominated for induction in 2010, of which two will be enshrined during ceremonies in September.

The Women in Poker Hall of Fame, founded by the Ladies International Poker Series and sponsored by CardPlayer Magazine, is designed to honor women who have acquired prominence and made contributions to the poker world. The Hall, which  inducted its charter members in 2008, also recognizes those who have contributed significantly to promoting women in poker through their involvement in the gaming industry.

The qualifications for women to be named to the Hall are quite rigorous. Potential candidates must meet three criteria to be considered by voters:  a candidate must have been active as a player or industry leader for a minimum of 15 years. The lady, whether a player or an industry leader, must have contributed to the world of poker in some significant way. This person can qualify by either winning major poker tournaments or making significant contributions to the industry. Finally, a person must be a proponent of women’s poker. Even is she does not play in women’s events, she must support them.

With these criteria, popular female players who have made waves recently, including  PokerStars’ Vanessa Rousso, Full Tilt Poker’s Annette “Annette_15” Obrestad, Vanessa Selbst, and UB.com’s Liv Boeree, are not eligible for the Hall yet. “They will have their time to shine in the near future,” stated Women in Poker Hall of Fame Board Member Karina Jett. “The criteria set by the Board ensures inductees are well established players or industry professionals.”

The seven women who have been nominated feature representatives from every era in  the history of the game. “Some of these candidates are better known than others, but they are all worthy of induction,” said Lupe Soto, the Hall’s Founder. The seven women who have been nominated for induction are led off by Poker News Daily’s guest columnist Annie Duke.

Duke has been one of the top female players in the game for nearly two decades. The current National Heads-Up Poker Championship titleholder, she has earned over $4.2 million dollars in her career. In addition to being an excellent player, Duke has also been at the forefront of the poker community, advocating in the halls of Congress on several key issues.

Duke is joined by Jennifer Harman, the only woman to have won two open World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelets and a fixture in some of the biggest cash games in the world. Harman has used her poker success to drive attention to several charitable causes, including the Nevada Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, and has earned over $2.3 million in tournament earnings during her career.

Kathy Liebert is another contemporary of Duke and Harman who has had a successful career in poker. Liebert is the all-time leading money winner among women with well over $5.6 million in earnings. She was the first woman to win a $1 million first prize in a poker tournament when she captured the 2002 PartyPoker Million.

Joanne “J.J.” Liu has quietly made her impact on the poker world. While playing in some of the most difficult cash games around the world, Liu has also been a formidable foe in the tournament arena. A graduate of Bradley University, she has earned over $2.1 million from tournament poker, including a third place finish in a $1,500 No Limit Hold’em event and a seventh place finish in a $2,500 Six-Handed Limit Hold’em event at this year’s WSOP.

Involved in poker since 1979, Phyllis Caro has been a part of nearly every aspect of the poker world. Working her way up from being a dealer, Caro has become one of the preeminent women in the gaming industry. Today, she works as the Director of Poker Operations at Hollywood Park in California. She has also assisted her husband Mike Caro with some of his best known works.

Nani Dollison is one of only three women – 2008 Women in Poker Hall of Fame charter members Barbara Enright and Susie Isaacs are the other two – who have won the Ladies’ Championship at the WSOP twice in their career. One of the most aggressive players on the felt, Dollison has earned almost $800,000 in her poker career and has played in venues that span the globe.

One of the pioneers for women in poker is Betty Carey. She was considered one of the most feared players – male or female – in the late 1970s and early 1980s. She consistently battled against some of the legends of the game, including “Amarillo” Slim Preston, Johnny Moss, and Doyle Brunson, and more than held her own. She was one of the first women to play in the WSOP and is someone whom all the nominees above have to thank for blazing the trail.

Out of this exceptional list, only two will earn nominations. The voting process is open to the public at the Women in Poker Hall of Fame website until July 15th, with the two players elected to the Hall announced in August.

Poker Pro Tiffany Michelle Celebrates 26th Birthday at Crystals

UB.com‘s Tiffany Michelle turned the big two-six last week and to celebrate, she had a Friday night of dinner and dancing at Crystals, part of the new CityCenter development in Las Vegas.

Michelle was joined by fellow Team UB pros Liv Boeree and Adam “Roothlus” Levy, sponsored adult film actress Samantha Ryan, Absolute Poker‘s Trishelle Cannatella, “Amazing Race” partner and poker player Maria Ho, and 2006 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Player of the Year Jeff Madsen at actress Eva Longoria Parker’s Beso restaurant to start the evening.  Being from Los Angeles, Michelle was already a fan of the first Beso location in Hollywood and her opinion was no different of its Vegas sibling.  Michelle Tweeted, “Now one of my fav restaurants is in Los Angeles AND Vegas…”

After dining on lobster, the birthday girl moved the party to the Eve nightclub, also at Crystals.  Michelle and her entourage walked the red carpet, posed for pictures, exchanged pleasantries with fans, and then headed inside for drinks and dancing.

No birthday is complete without a cake and Michelle’s was something to see.  Created by Gimme Some Sugar bakery, it was a three-tier chocolate cake with cookies and cream filling and chocolate ganache.  The top and bottom tiers were wrapped in pink fondant, while the middle tier was black.  Pink and black playing card suits wound around the tiers, while a gold chain (edible, we assume) hung from the top.  Attached to the chain were brass knuckles and Michelle’s nickname “HOT CHIPZ.” A gold dollar sign adorned the top of the cake.

Always finding the time to Tweet, even on her special night, Michelle posted, “Off the hook at @Eve_NightclubLV. Best bday ever, not to mention the SICKEST cake.”

Michelle has not had much good fortune in this year’s WSOP and has yet to find herself on the right side of the money bubble.  She has one lifetime cash at the annual tournament series; it was a big one, as she was the last woman standing in the 2008 Main Event, placing 17th for $334,534.  She will get her chance to be the top female in the Main Event once again starting in a couple of weeks, as the big $10,000 No Limit Hold’em Championship kicks off on July 5th at the Rio.  Last year, she was absent from the Main Event to film the CBS reality series “Amazing Race.”

She has had more success online, however.  Last Thursday night, she Tweeted, “Seriously, 4 as BAD as I’ve been running @ the WSOP/Rio… I’m making up for it on UB.” Michelle proceeded to place second in that night’s $15,000 Guaranteed rebuy on the USA-friendly online poker site.?  Play with Michelle by visiting UB.com.

Annette Obrestad Eyes Second WSOP Bracelet in $1,500 NLHE Shootout

Full Tilt Poker pro Annette “Annette_15” Obrestad is within inches of capturing her second World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet. Obrestad famously took down the 2007 WSOP Europe Main Event, the first ever running of the £10,000 buy-in tournament, and banked £1 million. She’s making her Las Vegas WSOP debut this year and a bracelet win would be the icing on the cake for the 21 year-old.

Fourteen players remain in the $1,500 No Limit Hold’em Shootout, the 39th event of the 2010 WSOP. Among them is Obrestad, who, prior to the tournament series, jumped from Betfair to the USA-friendly Full Tilt Poker. Now, she’s vying to become the first woman to win an open event at the 2010 WSOP and the latest in a string of pros to capture hardware this year, a list that includes Phil Ivey, Men “The Master” Nguyen, and Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi.

The field of 14 survivors will split into two tables of seven. The tournament began with 1,400 competitors and, in a shootout format, players must win their tables in order to advance. Tuesday’s finale saw Obrestad compete against a starting group that included Scott Sitron and Fatima Moreira de Melo, whom she beat heads-up to move on to Wednesday’s finale. The top 14 players are guaranteed $7,000, with a grand prize of $382,000 on the line.

Poker pro J.C. Tran is one major obstacle that stands in Obrestad’s path to her second WSOP bracelet. Tran won the Main Event of the PokerStars World Championship of Online Poker in 2006 for nearly $700,000. One year later, he took down the World Poker Tour’s World Poker Challenge for $683,000. Tran has two WSOP bracelets, which came in 2008 in a $1,500 No Limit Hold’em event and last year in a $2,500 Pot Limit Omaha contest. All told, Tran has over $2 million in career WSOP and Circuit Event earnings. The action picks back up at 2:30pm PT today.

The lone bracelet awarded on Tuesday went to Hungary’s Valdemar Kwaysser, who took down the Pot Limit Hold’em Championship (Event #38) for $617,000. Kwaysser outlasted a field of 268 and edged out Canadian Matt Marafioti heads-up. Five countries were represented at the final table; the only bracelet winner in contention, Blair Rodman, finished in eighth place.

Kwaysser joined Peter Gelencser and Peter Traply as the only residents of Hungary ever to take down WSOP events. Kwaysser, 26, lives in Budapest and has been playing poker for five years. On the Hungarian poker community, he told WSOP officials, “We help each other a lot. I truly believe that why Hungary has done so well, considering the size of the country which is small, is because we all stick together, and we learn together, and discuss poker together.”

DoylesRoom Brunson 10 member Dani Stern took fifth in the Pot Limit Hold’em Championship and cashed for $161,000. Stern finished one spot on the leaderboard ahead of PokerStars North American Poker Tour Venetian winner Tom Marchese, who banked $123,000 for his sixth place showing. The man who Marchese defeated in the televised Venetian tournament, Sam Stein, was the final table bubble boy in Event #38.

The Pot Limit Hold’em Championship marked the second in the money finish of the 2010 WSOP for Marchese and the first for Stern. Here’s how the final table cashed out:

1. Valdemar Kwaysser – $617,214
2. Matt Marafioti – $381,507
3. James Calderaro – $284,845
4. Konstantin Bucherl – $214,106
5. Dani Stern – $161,934
6. Tom Marchese – $123,264
7. Peter Jetten – $94,394
8. Blair Rodman – $72,754
9. Alexander Kuzmin – $56,404

Two events fire up today from the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. At Noon PT, a $1,500 No Limit Hold’em tournament will begin. Five hours later, the cards hit the air in the $10,000 HORSE World Championship. Keep it tuned to Poker News Daily for the latest WSOP results.

Celebrating Father’s Day from Poker in Twitter

With Father’s Day on Sunday, many of the pros in the poker world took the time to send their best wishes to their dads. “Happy Father’s Day to all the great Dad’s out there!,” Liz Lieu Tweeted to her followers, while Erica Schoenberg added her tribute: “Dad, thanks 4 being the degen that I know & love. I wouldn’t b where I am w/out you or your love 4 the ponies, blackjack, craps, casino war.”

Joe Sebok had perhaps the best Father’s Day gift in mind when he said to his father Barry Greenstein, “Happy Father’s Day to the big man, @barrygreenstein. a bracelet seems like a good gift to give yourself.”

During the play of the World Series of Poker (WSOP) at the Rio in Las Vegas, there have been some strange requests from fans to their poker playing idols. A couple of weeks back, Shannon Elizabeth turned down a request to sign a guy’s chest, but the men weren’t quite as shy. “Girl from South America wanted me to sign her boob,” Doyle Brunson Tweeted to his fans. “How could a gentleman refuse?” PokerStars front man Daniel Negreanu also got a strange request: “Some woman just asked me to sign her tramp stamp area. She’s going to get a tattoo there to surprise her husband.”

On the calmer side of autographs, Erik Seidel still had an odd request. “Saw the guy who wants me to sign the book he thinks I wrote,” Seidel, who has never authored a book, Tweeted. “Can’t wait to see who he’s mistaken me for. I’m hoping it’s Doyle.”

Prop betting at the tables has once again been a popular pastime at the WSOP. “John Hennigan joined the table and instantly started side bets with @durrrr!,” tournament director Matt Savage reported from the felt as he played the $3,000 HORSE tournament. Negreanu also got in on the action: “I just laid 100-1 with Kathy Liebert that I will make Day 2 of this event. She bet 100 bucks. I’d lose 10k. I know it’s a bad bet. I don’t care!” No word on the action at Savage’s table, but Negreanu will make at least $100 after making it to Day 2 in his event.

DoylesRoom pro Amit “amak316” Makhija also was looking for some action over Twitter. “Open challenge to anyone in the Twitterverse,” Makhija started in the first of two Tweets. “Looking for a 3k most money cashed for bet in the 10kplh today at 5. If I don’t know you well give me 3k at the beginning of the tournament and respond to this before it starts and were booked! Let’s go!” Apparently, Makhija received the action he was looking for, Tweeting soon afterwards, “Booked with @ShannonShorr he’s insta taking all my prop bet offers this summer, good to see someone knows a whale when they see one. Gl!”

During another event at the WSOP, Maria “Maridu” Mayrinck and Maria Ho ended up at the same table, which turned out to be more interesting for its side antics than the action on the felt. “This is the weirdest HORSE table I’ve ever played at,” Mayrinck stated upon arrival. “When I got moved to this table a player & the dealer were yelling at each other about to fight & I’m yelling floor!” Moments later, Mayrinck added another report of a fight through a Tweet: “Fight 3 almost broke out at my table. They are nuts!” Ho added in her two cents: “Add a crazy/smelly/dealer abuser and a douchebag to the lineup.”

Things were better over the weekend for Ho, as she teamed up with her partner in crime from “Amazing Race,” UB.com pro Tiffany Michelle, to celebrate Michelle’s birthday. “The girls at Eve nightclub for Tiffany’s bday bash!,” Ho Tweeted along with a picture of the crew. “Great time with great people!” Liv Boeree was part of the revelry and also sent a Twitpic of the gathering of the ladies. Alex Outhred felt a little left out of the festivities, Tweeting, “So mad I missed all the fun! -looks like it was a happy bday! I didn’t wanna hurt anyone on the dance floor.”

To wrap the weekend with the best Tweets, we have to go no further than Seidel, who offered up the gem, “Daily observation: Abuse dealers, and you will be dealt a life that sucks.” New Full Tilt Poker pro Lacey Jones put her own spin on a classic adage: “When life gives you lemons… stuff them in your bra.” Finally, Elizabeth came up with a Tweet that accurately told everyone what she was up to: “Today’s another fun filled day of poker! What? It’s that time of year. What’d you expect me to be doing? Knitting?”

BLOG – Women – can’t live with ‘em; can’t bust ‘em out of poker tournaments

We’ve had the Year of the Amateur in 2003; the Year of the Pro in 2009; is 2010 to be the Year of the Woman? When Shaun Deeb and other male players entered the $1,000 Ladies’ Event there was a bit of a storm kicked up, albeit one contained to a poker-related teacup. Men aren’t technically disallowed from entering the event because of equality and discrimination laws, however most don’t for obvious reasons.

2010 WSOP Attendance Up, Prize Pool Down

Thursday marked the completion of 29 events in the 2010 World Series of Poker (WSOP), or the halfway point. Fifty-seven bracelets will be awarded overall, culminating in November with the crowning of the Main Event champion. Whether due to the ongoing worldwide recession, a declining poker presence in the United States, or a combination of both, it’s been a mixed bag so far for Harrah’s officials.

Through 29 events of the 2010 WSOP, there have been 30,552 total entries, a rise of 6.6% from last year’s tally of 28,658 at this time. However, this year, we’ve already seen three $1,000 No Limit Hold’em tournaments, triple the number that panned out last year. This year, the total price tag for all tournaments so far is $143,000, up from last year’s tally of $137,500 through 29 events. However, a $50,000 event has already been held in 2010, whereas last year’s priciest tournament through 29 events was $40,000.

Total prize money is down slightly year-over-year. In 2010, the purse through 29 events stands at $53.6 million, down 4.8% from last year’s total of $56.3 to this point. The multitude of $1,000 buy-in events may be to blame for the lower total prize pool, as the three affordable No Limit Hold’em tournaments held so far attracted fields of 4,345, 3,042, and 3,289. Last year’s lone $1,000 No Limit Hold’em tournament, dubbed the “Stimulus Special,” generated a field of 6,012 players, the largest non-Main Event tournament in WSOP history.

The kickoff $1,500 No Limit Hold’em tournament, which began on a Tuesday last year and on a Monday this year, drew a starting grid of 2,791 in 2009 and 2,092 in 2010, a steep drop of 25%. The Ladies’ Event held strong year-over-year, with attendance of 1,054 in 2010 on par with the field of 1,060 that turned out last year. Today marks the beginning of the final non-open WSOP bracelet tournament, the $1,000 Seniors’ Event, which saw a field of 2,707 do battle in 2009.

Here are several events held so far during the 2010 and their attendance compared to 2009:

$500 Casino Employees Event
2009: 866 players
2010: 721 players
Change: -16.7%

$1,500 Omaha High-Low Split
2009: 918 players
2010: 818 players
Change: -10.9%

$10,000 Seven Card Stud World Championship
2009: 142 players
2010: 150 players
Change: +5.6%

$1,500 Pot Limit Hold’em
2009: 633 players
2010: 650 players
Change: +2.7%

$10,000 Seven Card Stud High-Low Split
2009: 164 players
2010: 170 players
Change: +3.7%

$1,500 No Limit Hold’em Six-Handed
2009: 1,459 players
2010: 1,663 players
Change: +14.0%

$2,000 Limit Hold’em
2009: 446 players
2010: 476 players
Change: +9.0%

$5,000 No Limit Hold’em
2009: 655 players
2010: 792 players
Change: +20.9%

$2,500 Limit Hold’em Six-Handed
2009: 367 players
2010: 384 players
Change: +4.6%

$1,500 Seven Card Stud High-Low Split
2009: 467 players
2010: 644 players
Change: +37.9%

Twenty of the 29 bracelets awarded in 2010 have gone to players from the United States, while three each were given to players from Great Britain and Canada. Hungary, New Zealand, and France each captured one bracelet.

Many have dubbed 2009 the “Year of the Woman;” however, the “Year of the Pro” may be a more accurate label for the WSOP. Twenty of the 29 bracelets dished out so far have been to pros, while just six amateurs have collected titles. Five players – Praz Bansi, Men “The Master” Nguyen, Dutch Boyd, Sammy Farha, David Warga, and Matt Keikoan – became repeat gold bracelet winners.