Top Ten Stories of 2010: #8, The Year of the Woman

We take a look at back at the year that was dubbed, the Year of the Woman.

Top Poker News Story of 2010

We’re nearing the end of the 2010 calendar year and, as such, we’d like to take a moment to reflect on the past 365 days. There were plenty of headlines in 2010, but which one stole the show for our esteemed panel of writers? Poker News Daily asked our staff which poker headline of 2010 stood out.

Dan Cypra: Splintering of Online Poker

2010 saw the continued splintering of the online poker market worldwide. France and Italy now have their very own online poker fiefdoms, while legislation in New Jersey to create the very first intrastate internet gambling framework in the United States is gaining steam. In fact, the measure will be one of the first topics that the New Jersey Assembly tackles in the New Year.

Whether the division of the online poker market is detrimental to the player experience remains to be seen. Many of the FR and IT sites tracked by PokerScout.com hold strong in the top 20 worldwide in terms of cash game volume, but players cannot compete as part of the worldwide pool. Expect this trend to continue in 2011 and beyond, especially in the United States, where a state-by-state legalization of internet gambling appears to be in the cards.

Annie Duke: Year of the Woman

I think the biggest news story of 2010 is the breakout of women in poker, and that is not just because I am one of them. Vanessa Selbst winning two majors was a huge step forward for women in poker and, of course, an incredible accomplishment for her. Leading into that, Liv Boeree’s stellar performance in San Remo was a breakout for her and for women in poker. I guess my win has to get a mention here, too. Women have had a hard time getting true traction in this game and 2010 put an exclamation point on the quality of the women who play.

Linda Johnson: Washington Online Poker Law Upheld

I think the biggest poker news story involved the Washington State courts upholding the 2006 state law saying that playing online poker is a Class C felony, a crime on the same level as child molestation. This prompted Full Tilt Poker and PokerStars to pull out of that market. What a travesty it is for people in that state, many of whom will have to relocate. I think it is also very hypocritical of the government; after all, Washington State residents still can buy lottery tickets online.

Lee Jones: Year of the Near Miss

2010 will be remembered as the “Year of the Near Miss”. We will probably never know how close we got to overt legalization of online poker in the United States towards the end of 2010. Harry Reid tried every possible maneuver to get his bill passed that would have legalized and regulated online poker in the USA. Had it not been for Jon Kyl, the bill almost certainly would have passed and been signed by President Obama.

Despite poker pros’ concerns about the 15-month blackout prior to actual regulated play, I believe that legalization would have (and will eventually) produce a second renaissance of poker that will completely overshadow 2003, the year of Chris Moneymaker and the WPT. It will only be in the light of that second renaissance that we realize how unfortunate the “Near Miss” of 2010 was.

John “JimmyLegs” Wray: Harry Reid Online Poker Bill

Certainly the biggest almost-story was the Harry Reid online poker bill. But it looks like regulated online poker in the States will have to wait. Maybe it’ll be the biggest news story of 2011? Fingers crossed!

Chris “Fox” Wallace: Full Tilt Rush Poker Mobile

I think we will eventually realize that Rush Poker Mobile is the biggest poker news story of 2010. It might not be the biggest story right now, but it will probably bring about some significant legal changes. Seeing people playing poker on the bus, in the halls at work, at the bar, or anywhere that people congregate – and seeing all of those people playing online poker for real money on their phones – will change public perception.

What direction the public perception goes and how the legal aspects work out will have a huge effect on the future of our freedom to play our favorite game. I think Michael Mizrachi‘s trip to the WSOP final table was talked about a lot more at the tables, but Rush Poker Mobile will have a bigger splash in the long-run.

Brett Collson: WSOP Ladies Event

When I first saw Shaun Deeb seated wearing lipstick, makeup, and a cowboy hat at the WSOP Ladies Event, I knew the poker world was about to erupt. Deeb and more than a dozen male players crashed what was supposed to be an enjoyable tournament for female poker players. Instead, it turned into a media circus.

Some of the men claimed they were taking a “gender equality” stance by playing in the $1,000 event; others had lost prop bets. Regardless, all of the women were upset by it, as evident by the standing ovation that occurred each time a male player was eliminated. The unfortunate episode also fueled one of the biggest feuds of the year between Annie Duke and Daniel Negreanu, which is another of the most memorable stories of 2010.

Bernard Lee: Michael Mizrachi

For me, it would be Michael Mizrachi. At the beginning of 2010, not many people put Michael Mizrachi in the forefront of poker, but as he arrived at the WSOP, he definitely wanted to make his mark. Mizrachi came out of the gates winning the $50,000 Player’s Championship. In addition to that, he made two other final tables and, of course, who could forget him almost winning the improbable double-double of the $10,000 Main Event as well? Michael Mizrachi had a phenomenal year and has put himself back in the forefront of the world of poker.

Sean Gibson: Michael Mizrachi

For me, the biggest news story of 2010 was the resurrection of Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi’s poker career. Count me in as one of the guys who wrote him off for good, especially when all of the financial trouble started cropping up. He proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that he’s one of the world’s best players; his run to the November Nine was every bit as magical as Phil Ivey‘s in 2009. Mizrachi is a player we can respect for his past accomplishments and track as one of the big names in the poker industry.

Earl Burton: Harry Reid Online Poker Bill and Jonathan Duhamel

As far as the biggest stories of the year in poker, I am torn between two. The four-year-long battle to overturn the UIGEA, which heated up even more over the past 12 months, seemed to get the hopes up of many of us in the poker community. I was always pessimistic about the passage of any legislation that would allow Americans to play poker online and, in the end, my pessimism proved to be correct.

The second story is Jonathan Duhamel’s victory in the WSOP Main Event. He became the first ever Canadian World Champion, capturing the attention of his country and the world. He was even nominated for Canadian Athlete of the Year alongside such big names as Sidney Crosby and Joey Votto. When you think of players from Canada who came before Duhamel, such as Daniel Negreanu and Gavin Smith, for him to become the first Canadian champion of the Main Event was a truly significant feat.

Top Poker News Story of 2010

We’re nearing the end of the 2010 calendar year and, as such, we’d like to take a moment to reflect on the past 365 days. There were plenty of headlines in 2010, but which one stole the show for our esteemed panel of writers? Poker News Daily asked our staff which poker headline of 2010 stood out.

Dan Cypra: Splintering of Online Poker

2010 saw the continued splintering of the online poker market worldwide. France and Italy now have their very own online poker fiefdoms, while legislation in New Jersey to create the very first intrastate internet gambling framework in the United States is gaining steam. In fact, the measure will be one of the first topics that the New Jersey Assembly tackles in the New Year.

Whether the division of the online poker market is detrimental to the player experience remains to be seen. Many of the FR and IT sites tracked by PokerScout.com hold strong in the top 20 worldwide in terms of cash game volume, but players cannot compete as part of the worldwide pool. Expect this trend to continue in 2011 and beyond, especially in the United States, where a state-by-state legalization of internet gambling appears to be in the cards.

Annie Duke: Year of the Woman

I think the biggest news story of 2010 is the breakout of women in poker, and that is not just because I am one of them. Vanessa Selbst winning two majors was a huge step forward for women in poker and, of course, an incredible accomplishment for her. Leading into that, Liv Boeree’s stellar performance in San Remo was a breakout for her and for women in poker. I guess my win has to get a mention here, too. Women have had a hard time getting true traction in this game and 2010 put an exclamation point on the quality of the women who play.

Linda Johnson: Washington Online Poker Law Upheld

I think the biggest poker news story involved the Washington State courts upholding the 2006 state law saying that playing online poker is a Class C felony, a crime on the same level as child molestation. This prompted Full Tilt Poker and PokerStars to pull out of that market. What a travesty it is for people in that state, many of whom will have to relocate. I think it is also very hypocritical of the government; after all, Washington State residents still can buy lottery tickets online.

Lee Jones: Year of the Near Miss

2010 will be remembered as the “Year of the Near Miss”. We will probably never know how close we got to overt legalization of online poker in the United States towards the end of 2010. Harry Reid tried every possible maneuver to get his bill passed that would have legalized and regulated online poker in the USA. Had it not been for Jon Kyl, the bill almost certainly would have passed and been signed by President Obama.

Despite poker pros’ concerns about the 15-month blackout prior to actual regulated play, I believe that legalization would have (and will eventually) produce a second renaissance of poker that will completely overshadow 2003, the year of Chris Moneymaker and the WPT. It will only be in the light of that second renaissance that we realize how unfortunate the “Near Miss” of 2010 was.

John “JimmyLegs” Wray: Harry Reid Online Poker Bill

Certainly the biggest almost-story was the Harry Reid online poker bill. But it looks like regulated online poker in the States will have to wait. Maybe it’ll be the biggest news story of 2011? Fingers crossed!

Chris “Fox” Wallace: Full Tilt Rush Poker Mobile

I think we will eventually realize that Rush Poker Mobile is the biggest poker news story of 2010. It might not be the biggest story right now, but it will probably bring about some significant legal changes. Seeing people playing poker on the bus, in the halls at work, at the bar, or anywhere that people congregate – and seeing all of those people playing online poker for real money on their phones – will change public perception.

What direction the public perception goes and how the legal aspects work out will have a huge effect on the future of our freedom to play our favorite game. I think Michael Mizrachi‘s trip to the WSOP final table was talked about a lot more at the tables, but Rush Poker Mobile will have a bigger splash in the long-run.

Brett Collson: WSOP Ladies Event

When I first saw Shaun Deeb seated wearing lipstick, makeup, and a cowboy hat at the WSOP Ladies Event, I knew the poker world was about to erupt. Deeb and more than a dozen male players crashed what was supposed to be an enjoyable tournament for female poker players. Instead, it turned into a media circus.

Some of the men claimed they were taking a “gender equality” stance by playing in the $1,000 event; others had lost prop bets. Regardless, all of the women were upset by it, as evident by the standing ovation that occurred each time a male player was eliminated. The unfortunate episode also fueled one of the biggest feuds of the year between Annie Duke and Daniel Negreanu, which is another of the most memorable stories of 2010.

Bernard Lee: Michael Mizrachi

For me, it would be Michael Mizrachi. At the beginning of 2010, not many people put Michael Mizrachi in the forefront of poker, but as he arrived at the WSOP, he definitely wanted to make his mark. Mizrachi came out of the gates winning the $50,000 Player’s Championship. In addition to that, he made two other final tables and, of course, who could forget him almost winning the improbable double-double of the $10,000 Main Event as well? Michael Mizrachi had a phenomenal year and has put himself back in the forefront of the world of poker.

Sean Gibson: Michael Mizrachi

For me, the biggest news story of 2010 was the resurrection of Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi’s poker career. Count me in as one of the guys who wrote him off for good, especially when all of the financial trouble started cropping up. He proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that he’s one of the world’s best players; his run to the November Nine was every bit as magical as Phil Ivey‘s in 2009. Mizrachi is a player we can respect for his past accomplishments and track as one of the big names in the poker industry.

Earl Burton: Harry Reid Online Poker Bill and Jonathan Duhamel

As far as the biggest stories of the year in poker, I am torn between two. The four-year-long battle to overturn the UIGEA, which heated up even more over the past 12 months, seemed to get the hopes up of many of us in the poker community. I was always pessimistic about the passage of any legislation that would allow Americans to play poker online and, in the end, my pessimism proved to be correct.

The second story is Jonathan Duhamel’s victory in the WSOP Main Event. He became the first ever Canadian World Champion, capturing the attention of his country and the world. He was even nominated for Canadian Athlete of the Year alongside such big names as Sidney Crosby and Joey Votto. When you think of players from Canada who came before Duhamel, such as Daniel Negreanu and Gavin Smith, for him to become the first Canadian champion of the Main Event was a truly significant feat.

Top Poker News Story of 2010

We’re nearing the end of the 2010 calendar year and, as such, we’d like to take a moment to reflect on the past 365 days. There were plenty of headlines in 2010, but which one stole the show for our esteemed panel of writers? Poker News Daily asked our staff which poker headline of 2010 stood out.

Dan Cypra: Splintering of Online Poker

2010 saw the continued splintering of the online poker market worldwide. France and Italy now have their very own online poker fiefdoms, while legislation in New Jersey to create the very first intrastate internet gambling framework in the United States is gaining steam. In fact, the measure will be one of the first topics that the New Jersey Assembly tackles in the New Year.

Whether the division of the online poker market is detrimental to the player experience remains to be seen. Many of the FR and IT sites tracked by PokerScout.com hold strong in the top 20 worldwide in terms of cash game volume, but players cannot compete as part of the worldwide pool. Expect this trend to continue in 2011 and beyond, especially in the United States, where a state-by-state legalization of internet gambling appears to be in the cards.

Annie Duke: Year of the Woman

I think the biggest news story of 2010 is the breakout of women in poker, and that is not just because I am one of them. Vanessa Selbst winning two majors was a huge step forward for women in poker and, of course, an incredible accomplishment for her. Leading into that, Liv Boeree’s stellar performance in San Remo was a breakout for her and for women in poker. I guess my win has to get a mention here, too. Women have had a hard time getting true traction in this game and 2010 put an exclamation point on the quality of the women who play.

Linda Johnson: Washington Online Poker Law Upheld

I think the biggest poker news story involved the Washington State courts upholding the 2006 state law saying that playing online poker is a Class C felony, a crime on the same level as child molestation. This prompted Full Tilt Poker and PokerStars to pull out of that market. What a travesty it is for people in that state, many of whom will have to relocate. I think it is also very hypocritical of the government; after all, Washington State residents still can buy lottery tickets online.

Lee Jones: Year of the Near Miss

2010 will be remembered as the “Year of the Near Miss”. We will probably never know how close we got to overt legalization of online poker in the United States towards the end of 2010. Harry Reid tried every possible maneuver to get his bill passed that would have legalized and regulated online poker in the USA. Had it not been for Jon Kyl, the bill almost certainly would have passed and been signed by President Obama.

Despite poker pros’ concerns about the 15-month blackout prior to actual regulated play, I believe that legalization would have (and will eventually) produce a second renaissance of poker that will completely overshadow 2003, the year of Chris Moneymaker and the WPT. It will only be in the light of that second renaissance that we realize how unfortunate the “Near Miss” of 2010 was.

John “JimmyLegs” Wray: Harry Reid Online Poker Bill

Certainly the biggest almost-story was the Harry Reid online poker bill. But it looks like regulated online poker in the States will have to wait. Maybe it’ll be the biggest news story of 2011? Fingers crossed!

Chris “Fox” Wallace: Full Tilt Rush Poker Mobile

I think we will eventually realize that Rush Poker Mobile is the biggest poker news story of 2010. It might not be the biggest story right now, but it will probably bring about some significant legal changes. Seeing people playing poker on the bus, in the halls at work, at the bar, or anywhere that people congregate – and seeing all of those people playing online poker for real money on their phones – will change public perception.

What direction the public perception goes and how the legal aspects work out will have a huge effect on the future of our freedom to play our favorite game. I think Michael Mizrachi‘s trip to the WSOP final table was talked about a lot more at the tables, but Rush Poker Mobile will have a bigger splash in the long-run.

Brett Collson: WSOP Ladies Event

When I first saw Shaun Deeb seated wearing lipstick, makeup, and a cowboy hat at the WSOP Ladies Event, I knew the poker world was about to erupt. Deeb and more than a dozen male players crashed what was supposed to be an enjoyable tournament for female poker players. Instead, it turned into a media circus.

Some of the men claimed they were taking a “gender equality” stance by playing in the $1,000 event; others had lost prop bets. Regardless, all of the women were upset by it, as evident by the standing ovation that occurred each time a male player was eliminated. The unfortunate episode also fueled one of the biggest feuds of the year between Annie Duke and Daniel Negreanu, which is another of the most memorable stories of 2010.

Bernard Lee: Michael Mizrachi

For me, it would be Michael Mizrachi. At the beginning of 2010, not many people put Michael Mizrachi in the forefront of poker, but as he arrived at the WSOP, he definitely wanted to make his mark. Mizrachi came out of the gates winning the $50,000 Player’s Championship. In addition to that, he made two other final tables and, of course, who could forget him almost winning the improbable double-double of the $10,000 Main Event as well? Michael Mizrachi had a phenomenal year and has put himself back in the forefront of the world of poker.

Sean Gibson: Michael Mizrachi

For me, the biggest news story of 2010 was the resurrection of Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi’s poker career. Count me in as one of the guys who wrote him off for good, especially when all of the financial trouble started cropping up. He proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that he’s one of the world’s best players; his run to the November Nine was every bit as magical as Phil Ivey‘s in 2009. Mizrachi is a player we can respect for his past accomplishments and track as one of the big names in the poker industry.

Earl Burton: Harry Reid Online Poker Bill and Jonathan Duhamel

As far as the biggest stories of the year in poker, I am torn between two. The four-year-long battle to overturn the UIGEA, which heated up even more over the past 12 months, seemed to get the hopes up of many of us in the poker community. I was always pessimistic about the passage of any legislation that would allow Americans to play poker online and, in the end, my pessimism proved to be correct.

The second story is Jonathan Duhamel’s victory in the WSOP Main Event. He became the first ever Canadian World Champion, capturing the attention of his country and the world. He was even nominated for Canadian Athlete of the Year alongside such big names as Sidney Crosby and Joey Votto. When you think of players from Canada who came before Duhamel, such as Daniel Negreanu and Gavin Smith, for him to become the first Canadian champion of the Main Event was a truly significant feat.

Margets Makes Good at Full Tilt Poker Masters Series

An 888 Poker ambassador and the last woman standing in the 2009 World Series of Poker Main Event, Margets collected the €100,000 first prize outlasting 31 of Spain's best players, all of whom had all pre-qualified for the invitation-only event.

The three-day tournament series featured a varitey of poker challenges, including deepstack, shootout and turbo tournaments.

The title completed what was a remarkable year for Margets, beginning with a third-place finish in the Aussie Millions Six-Max side event and ending now with victories in two invitation-only events on the Spanish Poker Tour and Full Tilt Poker Series.

Margets now has well over half a million dollars in career tournament earnings.

Visit www.pokerlistings.com

Maria Ho to Host UB.com Charity Tournament Benefiting North Wales Library

We’re already into the second week of December and, as such, the online poker room UB.com is set to host its monthly Second Sundays charity tournament.  This month, the beneficiary of the fundraiser is the North Wales Library in Pennsylvania.

The tournament will begin at 2:45pm ET today and requires a $10 buy-in, with no additional fee going to the house.  The entire prize pool will be given to the North Wales Library, along with a 100% match by UB.com.

The top ten finishers in the tournament will receive a free entry into Sunday’s $200,000 Guaranteed, a $215 value.  The winner will also be awarded a Wireless Poker Controller.  Additionally, whoever knocks out tournament host Maria Ho, the newest member of Team UB.com, will win a $66 entry into that day’s $7,000 Guaranteed, which kicks off at 9:30pm ET.

Those who wish to donate, but are unable to participate in the tournament can do so via a player-to-player transfer to the account “CHARITIES.”  The first name “Charity” will be needed to complete the transfer.

The North Wales Library dates back all the way to 1927, when it was founded in the basement of the North Wales Elementary School.  As one might expect, the library outgrew the small space and that, combined with its administrators’ desire for additional facilities for activities, resulted in the purchase of a new building in 2008.  It took two years to renovate the building to suit the library’s needs and it re-opened at the beginning of this year.

Despite housing over 30,000 volumes and containing a space for community functions, there is a continual need for funds to support the facility.  It is more than just a local library today, serving many more people than just the North Wales locals.  In addition to North Wales, people come from Lansdale, Hatfield, Upper Gwynedd, as well as the Montgomery and Towamencin Townships to use the facilities and take advantage of its programs. North Wales is approximately 20 miles north of Philadelphia.

Ho, the last woman standing in the 2007 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event and a competitor on the CBS reality series ” Amazing Race,” was introduced as a member of Team UB.com last month.  She is particularly excited to be involved with this charity event:

“Second Sundays is truly a way for people to play a game that they love, all the while helping a great cause, and I am proud to be a part of such a philanthropic gesture on behalf of UB.com,” she said in a statement released this week. “Growing up, I frequented my local library and had my nose buried in books any chance I got, so helping to raise money for the North Wales Library is something very close to my heart. We should all be in support of improving the quality of learning and educational tools for Americans of all ages.”

As might be apparent from the name, “Second Sundays” tournaments are held on the second Sunday of each month on UB.com.  Players on Absolute Poker, UB.com’s sister site on the CEREUS Network, may also participate in the event.

Last month, Second Sundays was hosted by Team UB.com member Joe Sebok and raised $4,172.50 for the Justin Shronk Memorial Scholarship Fund.  Shronk was a beloved member of the poker media, having worked at PokerNews, Bluff, CardPlayer, and Sebok’s PokerRoad Radio.  Shronk passed away in April 2009.  To honor his life, the Fund was established at the Temple University School of Communications and Theater to provide scholarships to Broadcasting, Telecommunications, and Mass Media students with financial needs.

Other organizations that have been beneficiaries of Second Sundays include the Sharon Osbourne Colon Cancer Program, the San Antonio AIDS Foundation, and the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund.  To date, UB.com and Absolute Poker have raised over $32,000 for their causes.

Stars Burn Out as EPT Barcelona Reaches Final 24

With overnight chip leader Bryn Kenney and big names like 2010 WSOP bracelet winner Pascal LeFrancois, Full Tilt pro Roberto Romanello, 2009 WSOP bracelet winner Marc Naalden, 2009 WSOP main event last woman standing Leo Margets, and EPT and WPT title holder Bertrand "ElkY" Grospellier all hitting the rail on Day 3, much of the final 24 is made up of players looking for their first big score.

Just 2009 Amsterdam Master Classics champ Kristoffer Thorsson and 2010 WSOP bracelet winner Konstantin Puchkov are recognizable amongst the group.

A total of 758 players entered the EPT Barcelona main event creating a €3,790,000 prize pool and making it the biggest tournament ever held in Spain.

First is worth €825,000.

The final table of eight will be set Friday and a winner crowned Saturday.

Visit www.pokerlistings.com

Margets, Renaut Dominate SPT Grande Final

It was Germany’s Marvin Rettenmaier who took down the SPT Grand Finale outlasting a field of 120.

But he first had to get past 888Poker player and French model and poker media personality Claire Renaut heads-up to collect the €111,000 first-place prize.

Renaut added €60,000 to the more than $170,000 she's won in 2010 through three wins and 15 different cashes.

The €3,200 Grand Finale's €360,000 prize pool marked the biggest in tour history.

A total of 52 players qualified for the event on Everest Poker and the tour sponsor had two of it's players in the final, including Live the Dream winner Koen de Bakker (3rd) and defending 2009 SPT Champion Steven van Zadelhoff (4th).

In addition to the Grande Finale, Everest Poker invited the tour's top 45 players into a €48,000 SPT MVP Freeroll.

Spain’s Leo Margets, the last woman standing at the 2009 WSOP Main Event, took the title and €15,500 first prize there.

Now in its third season, the SPT is fast becoming one of Europe’s most popular poker tours with events this year in Aranjuez, Valencia, Sevilla, Castellón and Ibiza.

Visit www.pokerlistings.com

Kenney in Control at EPT Barcelona

Kenney, who finished 28th in the 2010 WSOP Main Event and 29th in the 2010 WSOP Europe main event, qualified for the event on PokerStars.

2010 WSOP bracelet winner Pascal LeFrancois, Full Tilt pro Roberto Romanello, 2009 WSOP bracelet winner Marc Naalden, 2009 WSOP main event last woman standing Leo Margets, and EPT and WPT title holder Bertrand "ElkY" Grospellier remain in contention with just 112 players left.

A total of 758 players entered the EPT Barcelona main event creating a €3,790,000 prize pool.

All the remaining players are in the money with €825,000 set aside for first.

The tournament will run through Nov. 27 with EPT Live broadcasting the action on the final day.

Visit www.pokerlistings.com

November 19th – Weekly Update

Welcome to Poker News Daily’s Weekly Update. I’m Sean Gibson and I’ll be bringing you the top headlines in the world of poker for this past week. So – let’s get right to it!

In an impressive feat, Joe Tehan ran the table in the PokerStars North American Poker Tour Los Angeles finale, eliminating all seven of his opponents to pull in seven hundred twenty five thousand dollars. Tehan’s claim to fame to this point was winning the World Poker Tour’s Mandalay Bay Poker Championship four years ago for one million dollars.

Jason Mercier, Michael Binger, and Anh Van Nguyen also made the final table. Here’s how the final eight cashed out:

1: Joe Tehan – $725,000
2: Chris DeMaci – $440,000
3: Al Grimes – $250,000
4: Anh Van Nguyen – $195,000
5: Ray Henson – $145,000
6: Michael Binger – $114,000
7: Jason Mercier – $84,857
8: Jake Toole – $60,000

In a rather bizarre interview posted on ESPN.com, Margarita Prentice, the brains behind the law in Washington State that makes playing online poker a Class C felony, insinuated that players out of a job should “go pump gas.”

Prentice told ESPN.com’s Gary Wise,

“I just think some of these arguments are utter nonsense. You mean you’re going to move so you can play poker? Gee, lots of luck in your life… I have nothing against card playing. That’s fine. If you want to do that, but I’m sure not going to worry about someone… you know. Let them go pump gas.”

As you can imagine, the response to Prentice’s comments has been less than cordial. Poker Players Alliance Executive Director John Pappas told PND on Thursday,

“It’s a complete picture of what kind of a lawmaker she is. Not only is she dismissive of an entire industry of individuals who enjoy poker, but the idea that her law is subjecting people to suffering – she’s totally ignorant of that. She refuses to see that she passed a law that’s unpopular.”

It was announced late last week that Chili Gaming will launch a subscription-based service to bring online poker to USA players. The subscription-based model allows players, for a nominal monthly charge, to play online poker legally in the United States since no actual money is transferred on the tables. The new Chili Gaming American option will complement the global offerings of the company.

New Jersey is one step closer to becoming the first state to regulate, license, and tax the internet gambling industry within its borders. A bill introduced by State Senator Raymond Lesniak in New Jersey cleared the state’s Senate Budget Committee and may now see debate. The committee approved Lesniak’s intrastate internet gambling bill by a ten to one margin on Monday, with two lawmakers abstaining.

If the bill were to become law, all games currently permitted in land-based casinos would be available online, including poker. The State would impose a twenty percent tax on gross gaming revenues and each operator would be required to pay a licensing fee. All told, New Jersey’s format could become the model that other states would follow.

If you have ever wanted to own a piece of poker history, now is your chance. This week, two thousand eight World Series of Poker Main Event Champion Peter Eastgate put his gold bracelet up for auction on eBay. But before you wonder if he is busto, it should be noted that the sale is an eBay Giving Works charitable listing and the proceeds from it will benefit UNICEF.

The collectible is quickly approaching fifty thousand dollars and even Tony G has gotten into the act. The PartyPoker pro is purportedly seeking to buy Eastgate’s bracelet for his German Shepard.

While the sale of a WSOP Main Event bracelet may come as a shock, it is not completely out of character for the champ. In July, Eastgate announced that he was taking an indefinite leave from live tournament poker. In a statement, he said in part,

“When I started playing poker for a living, it was never my goal to spend the rest of my life as a professional poker player. My goal was to become financially independent. I achieved that by winning the WSOP Main Event in 2008.”

Maria Ho, the last woman standing in the two thousand seven World Series of Poker Main Event, has joined UB.com. The twenty seven year old becomes the newest face of the CEREUS Network site, which recently saw the departures of Billy Kopp, Matt Graham, and Michael Binger. Ho’s first live event as a sponsored pro of UB.com was at last weekend’s PokerStars NAPT LA stop. Besides her deep run in the WSOP Main Event three years ago, Ho’s poker resume includes a tenth place finish in the World Poker Tour’s Bellagio Cup in July and five in the money finishes in WSOP events over the last two years.

Finally, According to TVByTheNumbers.com, the number of viewers tuned into the World Series of Poker Main Event final table fell thirty percent this year to one point five million. Last year, two point two million viewers watched the spectacle, which airs annually on ESPN. On Tuesday, ESPN aired the final table in the ten PM time slot, whereas past installments had been shown one hour prior at nine.

The final table broadcast scored a point six rating among adults age eighteen to forty nine, a key demographic for mainstream advertisers. In addition, a total of one point one million households tuned into the one hundred twenty five minute broadcast that saw Jonathan Duhamel become the first WSOP Main Event champion from Canada.

That does it for this week’s edition of the Poker News Daily weekly update. Be sure to check back with us every day for the latest in poker news and be sure to follow us on twitter as well at twitter dot com slash poker news daily. I’m Sean Gibson and have a fantastic poker weekend!

Liv Boeree Video Interview

Liv Boeree one of the hot names in the world of poker right now. She’s worked in the industry as an interviewer and at the same time gained respect as a live tournament player.

In this interview, Boeree talks about her perspective of winning the EPT San Remo event and how that has fueled her desire to win more poker tournaments. For her efforts in San Remo, Beoree won €1,250,000 and became the third woman to win an EPT title. She also discusses her passion for rock music and how she expresses that through her fashion sense and mentions Pantera as one of her favorite bands of all time.

Boeree originally came into poker by being a guest contestant on a reality TV show back in 2005. She was coached by Phil Hellmuth and impressed so much that she took up the game seriously. In 2006 she worked for various internet and television shows covering poker and covered the World Series of Poker Europe. She is originally from Kent, England.

She was sponsored previously by UB.com but recently inked a deal to move over to PokerStars. He other successes in poker, outside of the EPT win, was a seventh place finish at the Welsh Poker Championship and a win at a Caesars Palace (Las Vegas, NV) tournament that gave her a $19,000 prize package to the 2007 WPT Five Diamond Poker Classic at the Bellagio. She also was on the Gala UK Poker Tour Season One as a featured player. In 2008 she won the Ladbrokes European Ladies Championship title for $30,000. She has cashed twice at WSOP events, first in the 2008 Event 38 field, which was a $2,000 Pot Limit Hold’em tournament. In that event she finished in 49th place for $4,074. Her other cash at the World Series of Poker was the same year in Event 41 at the $1,500 Mixed Limit Hold’em tournament where she finished 64th for $2,793.

Young-shin Im of Korea becomes first female APPT winner

The Asian Pacific Poker Tour’s stint in Cebu is over and has historically crowned its first female winner in the shape of Young-shin Im, a Korean woman who has only been playing poker for two years and precedes her victory with four cashes on the APPT.

Maria Ho Signs with UB.com

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Poker News in Brief: Nov. 8-14

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

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

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

NAPT L.A.

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

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

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

NAPT L.A. runs through Nov. 17.

UB Signs Ho

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

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

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

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

FPS Lyon

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

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

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

Wing Wins London Calling

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

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

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

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

PKR Live V

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

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

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

Mediterranean Poker Cup

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

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

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

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

Visit www.pokerlistings.com

Sam El Sayed Wins WPT Amneville

While the attention of the poker world was focused on the 2010 World Series of Poker November Nine, the World Poker Tour (WPT) made its first stop ever in Amneville, France for a €3,200 event. With an outpouring of support from some of the best players in Europe, Sam El Sayed emerged as the champion of the tournament after a 12-hour final table.

WPT Amneville, sponsored by PartyPoker.fr, drew an outstanding 542 players to build a prize pool eclipsing €1.73 million. Among those who passed on the pomp and circumstance of the party in Las Vegas to battle for the latest WPT championship included former WPT Player of the Year Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier, defending WPT London Poker Classic champion Jake Cody, and French poker superstars Arnaud Mattern, Nicholas Levi, Bruno Fitoussi, and Isabelle Mercier. Although none of these top pros walked away with any of the prize money, there was plenty of action on the tables to satisfy the European poker community.

El Sayed led the battle as the eight-handed final table started on Saturday afternoon. With over 4.8 million in chips, El Sayed held a sizeable advantage over his closest competitor, Ilan Boujenah, while the remainder of the final table looked to rise up the leaderboard. The players wasted little time in getting the chips flying on the felt, with the first elimination occurring slightly over an hour in when Georges Chehade held the sucker end of a straight against the nut straight of Wilfried Bresson.

El Sayed continued to apply pressure to the final table, winning many hands pre-flop against his wary tablemates. He would give up that lead, however, against the last woman standing in Amneville, Nesrine Kourdourli; the hand catapulted Nourdourli to the top of the chip counts and left El Sayed in second.

With the action down to seven players, it seemed as if everyone held the chip lead at some point. El Sayed stayed in the game by dumping Julien Robert in seventh place. Nourdourli, however, gave up the lead to a charging Boujenah after his top pair held up against Nourdourli’s wheel draw in a nearly nine million chip pot. Then, Franck Pepe surged to the point, spurred on when his nut flush trumped El Sayed’s king-high flush for over six million in chips.

With four players remaining, El Sayed sat on the short stack with Pepe, Boujenah, and Nourdourli arranged in front of him. El Sayed began a meticulous grind to outlast both Nourdourli and Pepe and, once heads-up action began, held a 2-1 lead over Boujenah. As the players moved into the 12th hour of action, El Sayed was able to chop away at the chip stack of Boujenah before taking him out.

On that final hand, El Sayed made a raise to 800,000 from the big blind, which was called by Boujenah. After a 6-4-10 rainbow flop, Boujenah check-called another 800,000 bet from El Sayed. The turn, a jack of clubs, completed the rainbow and opened the floodgates. Boujenah checked, El Sayed put in two million in chips, and Boujenah came all-in over the top. El Sayed wasted little time in calling, tabling pocket kings against Boujenah’s K-10. Once the river blanked with another jack, El Sayed was crowned the champion of WPT Amneville:

1. Sam El Sayed, €426,425
2. Franck Pepe, €229,613
3. Ilan Boujenah, €161,550
4. Nesrin Kourdourli, €109,886
5. William Bresson, €79,545
6. Jean-Paul Pasqualini, €62,323
7. Julien Robert, €46,743
8. Georges Chehade, €34,442

Along with the €426,425 for his first place finish, El Sayed also took home a WPT bracelet and, perhaps more importantly, a seat at the WPT Championship at the Bellagio in April. Pepe, in addition to his €229,613 payout, earned a seat at the 2011 WPT Rendezvous a Paris at the Aviation Club.

After the cash was awarded, WPT President Adam Pliska stated, “We’d like to congratulate Sam Al Sayed on his win and all the players that made the final table. We look forward to welcoming Sam to the Bellagio for the WPT World Championship. The tremendous efforts made by the Seven Casino and the truly impressive attendance record at the inaugural WPT Amneville, presented by PartyPoker.fr, cement it as a must-attend stop for players for the future.”

The WPT still has three non-U.S. stops on its Season 9 schedule, with one more occurring before the end of the year. The WPT will return to Marrakech, Morocco, from November 27th to 30th for its second ever tournament in North Africa. Reigning champion Christophe Savary is expected to defend his title against such notable professionals as Liz Lieu, Andy Black, and Liv Boeree. The non-U.S. swing of the WPT will finish with stops in Venice in early February and Vienna in late March.

Filippo Candio Chips Up, Gets Penalized on ESPN WSOP Coverage

Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi entered Day 6 of the 2010 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event second in chips and took his seat at the feature table alongside poker pro Peter Jetten. A total of 122 players remained including Mizrachi’s brother, Robert.

Breeze Zuckerman exited in 121st place for $57,000 as this year’s Last Woman Standing. In her final hand, Zuckerman ran K-10 into UB.com pro Eric “basebaldy” Baldwin’s pocket aces. Then, Tony “Bond18” Dunst, fresh off being hired as the host of the “Raw Deal” segment on World Poker Tour (WPT) broadcasts, had his aces cracked by A-Q. In an interview with ESPN, Dunst admitted that he’d consider wearing a tuxedo if he made the Main Event final table.

Pocket aces were everywhere on Day 6. Filippo Candio doubled up with them against pocket queens and began screaming hysterically in one corner of the Amazon Room. Harrah’s officials issued Candio a one-round penalty for his outburst and he was all but mute for the rest of the broadcast. Before being assessed his punishment, Candio told WSOP floor staff, “I didn’t know this rule.”

Also surviving to see Day 6 was Jean-Robert Bellande. The former Bodog pro and “Survivor: China” contestant unsuccessfully tried to knock out a player with J-5 of spades. He was up against Big Slick, but his opponent, Jose Nadal, promptly flopped trips to take down the pot.

Robert Mizrachi’s miraculous run through the 2010 WSOP Main Event came to an end when he was all-in with A-10 for eight big blinds and up against A-K. ESPN poker commentator Norman Chad noted, “They have set a sibling standard for all future large families to shoot for.” Robert took 116th place for the same $57,000.

Ben Straate was eliminated as part of a three-way all-in that saw Theo Tran nearly triple up to over one million in chips. Rob Pisano, who was also in the hand, then exchanged words with Tran at Table 2. In the final hand of the first one-hour episode, Michael Mizrachi, now the Last Mizrachi Standing, picked up J-10 of spades and sent a player with A-7 of diamonds to the rail to become the new chip leader at 5.6 million.

The second episode, which began at 10:00pm ET, also featured action from Day 6. Candio made his way to Table 2, while former tennis pro and assistant to Patrik Antonius Nick Rainey was ousted in 106th place. Tran was then sent packing after running two pair into a straight and, at the feature table, Jetten dumped more than half of his stack. Jetten called the all-in of Brock Bourne with A-K on a board of Q-J-K-8-K only to see Bourne table pocket jacks for a full house.

Theo Jorgensen, who once defeated Full Tilt Poker pro Gus Hansen in a boxing match, won a pot of 5.6 million to become the new chip leader with over eight million. Then, Baldwin doubled up with K-J of clubs against A-4 of diamonds to keep his run towards the 2010 WSOP November Nine alive. Also chipping up was Alexander Kostritsyn, who held one of the top stacks in the Amazon Room at the Rio in Las Vegas.

Jorgensen headed to the feature table, putting all three of the largest stacks together. Then, Gary Kostiuk, who was recently diagnosed with MS, was eliminated in 85th place for $79,000 after running pocket tens into the cowboys of eventual 10th place finisher Brandon Steven. Moving in the other direction was Jerry Payne, who doubled up courtesy of Michal Wywrot after cracking pocket queens with K-J. Payne turned a king and no lady came on the river.

In the last major action of Day 6, Candio 5bet all-in before the flop with A-K and received a call from Manuel Davidian, who held pocket tens. With a pot worth 5.4 million up for grabs, the dealer spread out 2-K-6-8-3 and Candio pressed on. In lieu of celebrating loudly, Candio chose to sing to himself softly.

Next Tuesday, the action from Day 7 will air starting at 9:30pm ET on ESPN.

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EPT London Main Event final table begins very soon

Hectic journey here, readers - tube strikes; Edgeware Road station being closed; the last time I was in this area I was very drunk and distracted by a buxom Scandinavian woman. All these factors meant that actually finding the unmissable Hilton building was challenging.

Carlos Mortensen to Captain Spanish World Team Poker Squad

Inside sources at World Team Poker tell Poker News Daily that Team Spain, which did not participate in the first tournament back in May, has filed its roster. The captain of the squad will be former World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event champ Carlos Mortensen, who has banded together a team that brings great skills in all aspects of poker. Joining Mortensen on the roster will be the highly underrated Raul Paez, Santiago Terrazas, Oscar Blanco, Cayetano Garcia, and Leo Margets.

Mortensen has spent the last decade at the forefront of the poker world. Since his first cash in a tournament back in 1999, Mortensen has traveled the world as a player, with results that any top pro would be proud to own. At the WSOP in 2000, Mortensen cashed in his first event and, one year later, would become (at the time) only the sixth foreign-born player to win the Main Event. He has added a second bracelet by winning a $5,000 Limit Hold’em event in 2003.

Mortensen’s success hasn’t been limited to just his 21 cashes at the WSOP. He has won three tournaments on the World Poker Tour (WPT), including the 2007 WPT Championship. This win was a significant achievement, as it made Mortensen the only man to win both the WSOP Main Event and the WPT Championship. His victory at the Hollywood Poker Open earlier this year pushed Mortensen to the top of the heap in all-time money winnings on the WPT, passing Daniel Negreanu. For his career, Mortensen has almost $10 million in earnings with his wealth of championships.

Raul Paez has battled on poker tables around the world while establishing himself as one of the most underrated players in the game. His first tournament cash was in 2003 and, since that point, he has cashed in tournaments in the United States, Spain, France, Germany, Poland, England, and the Bahamas. While he hasn’t won on the major tours, Paez has been able to garner six WSOP cashes, two cashes on the European Poker Tour (EPT), and a final table finish in 2006 on the WPT.

Santiago Tarrazas has been in the game just as long as Mortensen and Paez, with a great deal of success in his own right. Although he lacks a major title, Tarrazas has earned a cash in the WSOP Main Event in 2007 and, just last year, finished in third place at the EPT Barcelona Championship Event. Tarrazas has over $650,000 in career tournament earnings from his travels across Europe.

Oscar Blanco has been a terror on the Spanish poker circuit since coming to the felt in 2006. He was the best All-Around Player during the 2006 Campeonato de Espana and, later that year, took a title during the L.A. Poker Classic’s preliminary schedule. Most recently, Blanco was the runner-up at the Partouche Poker Tour’s stop in Madrid, earning slightly over $65,000 for that cash in July. Blanco’s career earnings pass the $400,000 mark and signify that he may be the “wild card” of the Spanish team, as opponents may not have any prior history with him.

Cayetano Garcia is the oldest player on the squad, but his years on the tables have provided him with excellent skills. Although his tournament results only date back to 2007, Garcia has made the most of his time with a championship on the Spanish Poker Tour in 2008 and a seventh place finish in 2009 at the WPT Spanish Championship. 2010 has been the best year of Cayetano’s short tournament poker career, with roughly $82,000 in cashes as a part of his $250,000-plus career earnings.

Since making her mark as the “Last Woman Standing” in the 2009 WSOP Main Event, 888 Poker’s Leo Margets has continued to impress fans and opponents with her success on the tables. She made the final table of this year’s Aussie Millions $2,000 Six-Handed No Limit Hold’em tournament and earned another cash in a similar tournament at the WSOP. Margets has over $476,000 in tournament earnings and continues to be in the hunt for her first major title.

In December, the latest World Team Poker event is expected to run, although a location and date have yet to be determined. Team Spain will face an uphill battle against teams from the United States, Australia, and Canada. In the inaugural World Team Poker event, Team China, led by captains Johnny Chan and David Chiu, took down the title.

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Kara Scott Interview

Poker pro and TV host Kara Scott joins us from the CardRunners party in Las Vegas right on the strip. Site editor Dan Cypra, armed with camera and microphone, ran down Scott in the street before she could leave to get this exclusive interview which goes into depth about her professional poker life, her television career and her romantic relationship with Brian Townsend.

Scott has appeared and played in many different poker tournament broadcasts both in the United States and in Europe where she is more well known. She appeared on PartyPoker.net’s World Woman’s Open in 2007 and won the first event and eventually finishing 6th in the final. The next year she won the PartyPoker Sports Star Challenge and then finished second in the Irish Open for €312,600.

According to Wikipedia, her total live tournament winnings are in excess of $550,000. She had a great run at the 2008 World Series of Poker Main Event where she finished in 104th place out of the total 6,844 players, which earned her $41,816 for the $10,000 buy-in. Scott is the only woman who cashed in both the 2008 and 2009 World Series of Poker Main Event and only the second woman to cash in back-to-back Main Events after finishing in 238th place in 2009.

In January of 2009, PartyPoker announced that Kara Scott would join team Party to join Mike Sexton and Tony G on their list of sponsored pros.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

John D’Agostino Leads WPT Borgata Poker Open Entering Day 3

After two days of play in the World Poker Tour’s (WPT) Borgata Poker Open, tournament veteran John D’Agostino leads the way with a stack of 681,000. He has a slight lead over the second place stack of Giuseppe Pantaleo and, when play resumes for Day 3 on Tuesday, both will be seated at the same table.

Table 7 will likely be the focal point for much of the day on Tuesday, as D’Agostino and Pantaleo will collide. A total of 165 players remain in the hunt for the $733,000 top prize and an even 100 will make the money. D’Agostino is gunning for his third WPT final table at Borgata.

One of the final eliminations of Monday’s action was Bill Gazes. On a board of J-9-4 with two spades, Gazes committed his remaining stack with Q-10 for an open-ended straight draw. Full Tilt Poker pro Gavin Smith made the call for his tournament life with K-J for top pair and running aces gave the newly minted bracelet winner a critical double up. Gazes was eliminated on the very next hand when his A-6 could not draw out on Shawn Pilot’s A-K.

Smith would bust before the day concluded, joining Chris Bell and Nancy Todd Tyner as last-minute casualties. Smith pushed his remaining stack into the middle with A-K, but could not come out on the winning end of a coin flip against pocket sixes.

Monday’s action at Borgata was marred by two altercations between poker players. In the first, Matt “All In At 420” Stout and Allen Bari tangled after Tweeting disparaging comments about each other. Stout conveyed via cyberspace, “Left my headphones in the car and Al Bari is sitting on my right. Related story: finally told him what I (and most players) think of him.”

Then, Stout used two Tweets to explain, “Dub’d KQ thru Al Bari’s AK. Then he berated me. Tried to explain to new guy that he was a POS. Al Bari called floor n got a 1 orbit penalty on me bc he’s an impetulent child and I’m not, so I don’t call floor when he curses @ me.” Stout sat out for one round and did not survive Day 2, while Bari owns the 83rd largest stack at 170,600.

Then, a near-riot occurred after Steve Buckner won a pot at the expense of Larry Wolf. After comments were exchanged between the two and Buckner celebrated his win by “skipping up and down the aisle,” a woman on the rail came to Buckner’s side. The supporter exclaimed, “He is not a jerk! He is not a jerk! I know this man, and he is a kind man. You don’t know him! He is not a jerk!”

Wolf then fired back, leaving the railbird to ask him, “Are you Jewish?” The three-word tangent prompted Jeremy Schwartz, who was also seated at the table, to confront the mystery woman. Coverage found on WorldPokerTour.com details, “Borgata Tournament Director Tab Duchateau runs over at this point, and he quickly gains control of the situation. He gets Schwartz and the woman to back down a bit, and tells Wolf to calm down so he can handle things. Duchateau asks for a very quick summary of what happened, and 10 seconds later has the woman escorted out of the tournament area by security, and then removed from the room entirely.”

Seated nearby, Christian “charder30” Harder gave his two cents on what went down: “Dear god poker players are nuts. Almost a fist fight between a girl and dude at adjacent table. Damn Borgata.”

Did we mention there was also poker being played? Here are the top 10 chip stacks entering Day 3 of the WPT Borgata Poker Open:

1. John D’Agostino – 681,200
2. Giuseppe Pantaleo – 668,100
3. Francis Lamothe – 611,800
4. Lars Bonding – 521,900
5. Marc Goldman – 506,600
6. Eric Salinas – 495,000
7. Jens Eisner – 477,900
8. Stan Sinclair – 449,300
9. Jeffrey “jpapola” Papola – 447,300
10. Benjamin Klier – 433,800

Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for the latest.

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Poker News in Brief: Sep. 6-12

Add in some high stakes action, the UKIPT heading to Ireland and the Partouche Poker Tour setting its own November Nine and it was a busy week in the PokerListings news room.

A few stories may have slipped through the cracks, but we've gathered them below in our regular Poker News in Brief feature.

This week, the WCOOP main event gets the biggest guarantee ever, Boxing legend Evander Holyfield hits the felt, UB's bad beat jackpot is claimed and more.

$2 Million for WCOOP Champ

PokerStars is now offering a record-breaking guaranteed payout to the winner of this year’s World Championship of Online Poker main event.

The 2010 WCOOP main event champion will walk away with a guaranteed $2 million payday, the largest first-place prize for an online poker tournament in history.

The $5,200 two-day main event begins Sep. 26.

Last year Yevgeniy “Jovial Gent” Timoshenko won the title and $1,715,200 first-place prize.

High Heels Heads West

The first all women’s poker tour launched on the East Coast, is headed west.

The High Heels Poker Tour will hit the Wildhorse Resort Casino in Pendleton, Oregon. The Nov. 8 for its $165 Fall Round Up Ladies No-Limit Hold’em event.

For more information, including dates, times and buy-ins go to www.highheelspokertour.com.

Still The Champ

Evander Holyfield won the celebrity 'Beat the Champ' poker tournament live at Poker in the Park in London this week.

London's Leicester Square played host to thousands of fans attending Europe's largest poker festival including one Midlands man who got the chance to take on the former Heavyweight Boxing Champion of the World on the felt.

"It's like fighting," Holyfield explained. "If you want to win you have to focus and prepare and that's exactly what I did for this tournament, just like I do for any challenge." Leif G. won his way into the tournament through RealDealPoker.com.

Bad Beat?

A Ferris, Texas woman lost with quads, but won $218,115 in Bad Beat Jackpot money on UB this week.

KAPPIT saw her four nines crushed by CJBV’s quad queens at a $0.25/0.50 table, triggering the payday.

For his part, CJBV picked up $109,057.85 while the seven other players banked at least $1,000 just for being there.

Plus 610 others grabbed $89.36 because they were playing the same limit.

"I've been playing Poker for 45 years now, mostly live poker, and I hit a jackpot once in a land-based Casino, but this is the biggest prize I've ever got,” she said. “Keep those jackpots coming UB... Dreams do come true."

Full Tilt Sponsors MMA Series

Full Tilt Poker is putting its name on the Bellator Fighting Championships.

Now in its third season, the Bellator Fighting Championships is a continuing series of televised World Class Mixed Martial Arts presented in a tournament format.

This week marked the first of eight nationally and internationally televised Bellator events sponsored by Full Tilt.

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Veteran Texas Poker Player Cracks UB.com Bad Beat Jackpot For Over $200K

A 60 year old Ferris, Texas woman is the latest person to capture the UB.com Bad Beat Jackpot, taking down a sizeable six-figure payday.

Early Tuesday evening, “KAPPIT” took to the felt of the $0.25/$0.50 UB.com Bad Beat Jackpot tables, not knowing that this would be a “good news, bad news” night for her. After making a seemingly unbeatable four of a kind in nines, “KAPPIT” continued on to attempt to take the hand down. It wasn’t until an opponent stuck with her to the river that the hand would take a seemingly unfortunate turn.

After tabling her four nines, “KAPPIT” was looked up by “CIBV,” who trumped her holding by tabling quad queens. On the UB.com tables at that level, the payout per hand averages between $4 and $11, but it was about to get much richer for all players involved.

At the time, the UB.com Bad Beat Jackpot was at $670,575.38, with several hundred  people eligible to share in the bounty. For being defeated with her quad nines, “KAPPIT” was awarded a payday of $218,115.71 and – in addition to what was won for holding the quad queens – “CIBV” took down a healthy $109,057.85 for his winning hand. Seven players at the table were gifted with $1,000 for just being there and an additional 610 players received $89.36 for playing at the same stakes as “KAPPIT” and “CIBV.”

“I’ve been playing poker for 45 years now, mostly live poker, and I hit a jackpot once in a land-based casino,” “KAPPIT” said to UB.com after being awarded the Bad Beat Jackpot. “This is the biggest prize I’ve ever gotten, though. Hats off to UB Poker. It was ‘SO’ my lucky day to capture the Bad Beat Jackpot. It looks like our dream of trading off our 1995 truck will finally happen. Keep those jackpots coming UB… dreams do come true.”

UB.com, a part of the CEREUS Poker Network with sister site Absolute Poker, is one of the stalwarts in the online poker industry when it comes to offering such Bad Beat Jackpots. Since the program was launched on the network, thousands of players have shared in a total of $58,114,636.59 in jackpot money. The Bad Beat Jackpot can only be won by players on the specially designated tables, of which there are hundreds that stretch from the $0.25/$0.50 No Limit Hold’em level up to $5/$10.

This year alone, 63 players have won a Bad Beat Jackpot, with “KAPPIT’s” win shooting the grand total of  this year’s Bad Beat Jackpot prize money to a massive total of $9,328,292.80. Along with the players who have won the main Jackpot, the CEREUS Poker Network has passed out other smaller Bad Beat Jackpot prizes to another 11,082 players.

Even though “KAPPIT’s” big payday occurred on Tuesday, the CEREUS Network Bad Beat Jackpot is on the move once again. Of the $670,575.38 that was hit on Tuesday, 25% was rolled over to start the next jackpot, meaning that $167,643.85 was in the pot. The CEREUS Bad Beat Jackpot currently is sitting at $237,355.84 as of early Thursday afternoon.

Poker News Daily would like to congratulate “KAPPIT,” “CIBV,” and the hundreds of players who were fortunate to take down their piece of the CEREUS Network Bad Beat Jackpot.

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.