Poker News

Phil Bellante is “All In” With Poker Themed Song

"You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em." Thanks to Kenny Rogers and his hit song, "The Gambler," those words will forever be ingrained in the game of poker. The song is more than 30 years old, but its popularity has maintained throughout the years as a staple in the ever-expanding poker community.

Phil Bellante hopes his new poker-themed song will have the same impact on the new crowd of poker players. The musician, songwriter, and producer from Cleveland released a new album in 2009 and on it is the track "All In," a catchy tune that he's attempting to market as the new theme song of poker. He's already receiving rave reviews from the poker media. (The song can be heard at http://philbellante.com/)

Bellante has been busy promoting "All In" and Poker News Daily had a chance to speak with him about the song, his poker history, and his friendship with a well-known poker pro.

Poker News Daily: So Phil, can we assume that you're a poker player and fan?

Phil Bellante: Absolutely, a poker player and a huge fan!

Poker News Daily: How long have you been playing and what game(s) do you prefer?

Phil Bellante: I have been playing for at least 10 years and I would have to say that No Limit Texas Hold'em is my game of choice.

Poker News Daily: You recently did an interview with your friend and Full Tilt Pro Phil Gordon on ESPN Radio's "Poker Edge". How did you become close with Phil?

Phil Bellante: Phil is my good friend’s brother-in-law, so every year for the past several years, we all get together at their place for Thanksgiving and have a poker tournament. It’s a lot of fun, especially when Phil doesn’t win and somebody that hardly knows what they are doing wins the whole thing. Part of the mass appeal, I think, of the game is the ability for anyone to win at any time because of the luck factor and getting dealt the right hand.

Poker News Daily: Are there any other poker players you like or admire?

Phil Bellante: I admire people like Annie Duke, who has also heard the song and given it a nice review on my site. She is a forerunner for women poker players who are now becoming more involved in the game. That takes some fortitude and guts when it’s a male-dominated sport. I also think the old timers like Doyle Brunson are to be admired, as they started playing the game when very few people could make a living at it like they do today. I think now the appeal is more the big winnings for people rather than a true love for the game.

Poker News Daily: What was your influence for creating the song "All In" and what are your aspirations for it?

Phil Bellante: To be honest, it wasn’t planned, which is usually the underlying ingredient to a great song because it comes from something beyond the intellect and usually connects with people on a deeper level. I was sitting around watching a tournament one afternoon and just put myself in the mind of one of the players who went all-in with his hand and then managed to write the song in less than 10 minutes. I then produced the song with a Grammy Award winning engineer a few months later.

While writing the song, I just pictured myself at a tournament performing it. It would be great to be the entertainment for some of these upcoming poker tournaments and really see it catching fire. I have many people working around the clock in various capacities to get maximum exposure for this song. We are looking at movies, video games, TV programs, Poker Tournaments, etc. I guess you can say, I am going “All In” with this song.

Poker News Daily: Is this going to be "the" poker song for the next generation of poker players to latch onto?

Phil Bellante: “All In” has great potential due to the size of the poker market and its very catchy chorus. Andrew Feldman said during my recent ESPN Poker Radio show interview that the song had been stuck in his head all day. I just received the same comment from some of the top people in Nashville who are very interested in it and choose hit songs for the platinum country artists.

I really feel the song speaks to the poker community. It has that emotional and intense build leading up to a huge swelling chorus that kind of releases all the tension. Every player knows what that adrenaline rush feels like, so they can definitely relate. That is why I think it would be so perfect to sing at a poker tournament.

In the end, only time and the fans/players will be able to determine whether this is the case. The last generation had Kenny Rogers’s song’ “The Gambler,” so I wouldn’t mind him passing the torch to me for the next generation. I think I am holding a good hand with this song and so do a lot of the higher ups in the music world so time will tell.

The song can be downloaded at www.thepokersong.com

Full Tilt Launches Rush Poker

The premise to Rush Poker is non-stop action. In the game players are put into a large player pool but face a different table of opponents in every hand they play.

If a player is dealt a sub-optimal hand, they also have access to a “Quick Fold” button which instantly transports them to a new table and then automatically folds their hand on the old table when action gets to them.

 “Rush Poker is the greatest innovation since poker started on the internet,” said Team Full Tilt Pro Chris Ferguson.

The frenzied pace gives players the ability to play more hands than ever before.

It’s unlikely to get a read on a particular player, however, as it’s rare to play a big hand against the same player more than once a session.

Full Tilt is currently offering Rush Poker in No-Limit Hold'em and Pot-Limit Omaha at stakes $.05/$.10 to $.50/$1. At the time this article was published there were over 5,000 players on the Rush Poker tables.

You can find Rush Poker in the main menu in the Full Tilt lobby. To learn more about Rush Poker or sign up for a Full Tilt account click here.

You can also check out PokerListings’ strategy writer Dan Skolovy’s thoughts on Rush Poker here.

Visit PokerListings.com

Microgaming Network Attempts to Curb Online Poker Datamining

On Thursday, one of the top online poker networks in the industry, Microgaming, announced its intentions to eliminate datamining on its family of sites.

The Microgaming Network, which includes sites such as 32RedPoker, CrazyPoker, PurpleLounge.com, and Unibet, is one of the top ten poker networks in the industry, according to PokerScout.com. Averaging approximately 1,600 players in its cash games and offering a variety of tournament action, the Microgaming Network draws a tremendous amount of action from Europe. However, this hasn’t prevented Microgaming from taking what is a groundbreaking step in the online poker world.

Effective immediately, Microgaming announced the following changes to its hand history policy: "With immediate effect, hand histories on observed tables will no longer be stored on players’ computers and the practice of downloading and storing hand histories in bulk will be stopped." At most sites, all hands at a player’s table are transferred to a special file on the player’s computer hard drive. This allows a player to go back at a later time and review these histories - and opponents’ tendencies on the virtual felt – and use software like PokerTracker and Holdem Manager to analyze it.

Microgaming feels that such software has tilted the playing field between those who utilize such information and those who do not. Instead of using poker software to analyze play, Microgaming believes that it has become an “exploitative tool” that players use to pick up an unfair advantage.

In the announcement, Andrew Clucas, Head of Poker at Microgaming Software Systems, which operates the Microgaming Poker Network, stated, “Concern has been rising over the long-term effect of third party software upon the poker industry as a whole, and in particular the negative effect it has on the recreational player demographic. The decision to put a stop to the practice of datamining on the poker network is part of Microgaming’s overarching network strategy to support operators in attracting and retaining recreational players. It further demonstrates commitment in providing a secure and fair playing environment.”

While some in the poker playing community may view Microgaming’s move as an assault against those who use the varieties of software available, Clucas emphasizes that the company is simply ensuring a balanced playing field for its customers. “Microgaming is not seeking to alienate its winning players,” Clucas said. “There has been a move in the industry towards penalizing winners; we believe that is the wrong approach. There will always be winners and losers in poker. What we are trying to achieve is a more level playing field for all the players.”

Some in the poker world see the move by Microgaming as just the first domino in a chain about to fall. Steve Ruddock, a writer for the National Online Poker Examiner and a frequent participant in the battles on Full Tilt Poker, PokerStars, and the Cake Poker Network, believes that the move by Microgaming should be the standard for the online poker industry.

“I think datamining creates an unequal playing field because it puts the emphasis on data collection instead of hard-work, focus, and skill,” Ruddock noted. “Players are no longer rewarded for their hard-work: instead, players are rewarded for spending $50 to $100 and receiving data in return. Tracking software has turned breakeven or slight losers into winners by negating the advantage that decent winning players held over them: Work ethic and focus. Poker is equal parts strategy, psychology, and hard work; datamining eliminates the need for the third part.”

As to Microgaming’s decision, Ruddock sees that it could be a point of sale for players. “I think Microgaming’s decision will have widespread effects,” he opines. “At some point, ‘Do they allow datamining?’ will be just as important as ‘Do they offer rakeback?’ in the minds of potential customers. I hope more sites follow Microgaming’s lead. It would leave a handful of sites with a player base of dataminers and, once they see that the table is full of tight grinders, they’ll start looking for greener pastures.”

Top poker professional Kenna James, who is sponsored by PokerHost on the Cake Poker Network, took a philosophical approach to looking at the issue. “Datamining is an interesting platform for looking at us, as humans, as a microcosm of what is going on in the advancement of the high-tech world and its applications to us altogether,” James stated. “The issue I see with datamining is that it can reduce people to sets of numbers and I personally find this very impersonal; people are more then just a set of numbers.”

“The complexities of poker go beyond that in a live setting where you have to interact with real people, but maybe not so much online where you can hide behind the anonymity of an avatar,” Kenna explained. “Things get more complicated when you bring in emotion, compassion, and reason, among other things. These human qualities and characteristics can slowly be eroded when you begin to see people as just a number.”

James finished our discussion with an interesting thought: “Hours or days or years of using tools like this and becoming dependent on them for making their decisions may lead to some serious personal issues we have not yet discovered in life off the virtual felt.”

Whether other poker networks will follow Microgaming’s lead in the banishment of datamining and poker software remains to be seen. It also is a question as to how players will respond to not being able to use poker software on the Microgaming Network.

2009 Poker News Story of the Year

What is the poker news story of the year for 2009? Is it Swedish online poker pro Isildur1 igniting the high-stakes cash game world? Is it the World Poker Tour (WPT) being sold to Party Gaming? Is it something else? Poker News Daily’s staff evaluates the nominees.

In a poll posted on Poker News Daily asking readers to choose which of five news stories was the most important of 2009, an overwhelming majority picked the high-stakes cash game action featuring Isildur1. Others selected Joe Cada becoming the youngest winner of the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event, while many readers picked the delay of mandatory compliance with the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA). Also receiving votes were Party Gaming’s purchase of the WPT and the sudden closure of several high-profile poker rooms.

We asked each of our writers to select one option and argue why it is the top poker news story of 2009. Here’s what they had to say. Don’t forget to voice your choice in the poll to the right of this article.

Isildur1 Ignites High-Stakes Poker Scene
By Brett Collson

With the Durrrr Challenge moving at a crawl and the rest of the nosebleed games on Full Tilt Poker lacking in attendance, it appeared that the online high-stakes action was deteriorating in the fall of 2009. That all changed when an unknown Scandinavian with a seemingly bottomless bankroll appeared out of nowhere to take on anyone up to the challenge. Isildur1 shocked the world when he exploded onto the scene in November, recording multi-million dollar wins over Tom "durrrr" Dwan, the man we all perceived to be unbeatable. Phil Ivey, Patrik Antonius, and many others took notice and sat down with the Swede, resulting in swings that the online poker world had never witnessed before. At one point, Isildur1 had a profit of around $5 million, but after a number of losing sessions and a record-setting match against Brian Hastings, he was stuck nearly $3 million in a matter of weeks. While his masked emergence may have been brief, the mysterious Isildur1 changed the dynamic of high-stakes poker on the internet.

Joe Cada Becomes Youngest WSOP Main Event Champ Ever
By Jessica Welman

While Isildur1’s online run was impressive and the UIGEA delay was important, ask the casual poker fan what happened this year and they’ll likely cite the 2009 WSOP Main Event final table. This year’s November Nine had everything - big names, great stories, broken records, and a lot of suckouts. Fans were surely sad to see Phil Ivey bust in seventh place, but young Joe Cada has proven to be a more than adequate ambassador, as he brought poker to the mainstream media with appearances on the “Late Show with David Letterman,” CNN, “WWE Monday Night Raw,” “ESPN SportsCenter,” and Time Magazine. “The Kid” and his fellow November Niners captured the attention of people who typically didn’t give poker a second thought and took huge strides towards taking the game out of the backrooms, out of cyberspace, and into the spotlight, which no other poker headline was able to achieve in 2009.

WPT Sold to Party Gaming
By Earl Burton

There are several reasons why the sale of the WPT to Party Gaming is the top story of 2009 in poker. The most important reason is that, for the first time in its illustrious history, the WPT is now on a firm financial footing with an organization that can promote it to the fullest. In the future, with Party Gaming’s financial backing, there shouldn’t be problems securing tournament venues or television contracts. With the ability of Party Gaming, through its online poker site PartyPoker, to provide satellites for players to earn their way into events, tournament fields will probably grow in the coming year, potentially even returning to the “glory days” of a few years ago before the UIGEA. These and many other reasons should continue to keep the WPT in the same stratosphere as the WSOP and makes the sale of the WPT to Party Gaming the top story of 2009.

UIGEA Compliance Deadline Delayed
By Dan Cypra

I wonder whether I would even be here right now if the UIGEA regulation compliance date of December 1st had stood. The online poker industry in the United States, which feeds live tournaments around the world, could have potentially come to a screeching halt. Although nobody knows for sure what the real-world implications of the delay will be, the actions by U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke essentially preserved the status quo for another six months until June 1st, 2010. The delay marked the most important legislative development since the UIGEA was passed in 2006 and should be the most important poker news story of the year.

Pitbull Poker/Eurolinx/BetOnBet Closures
By Tom Jenkins

The closures of a handful of notable online poker sites represented a dark chapter of 2009. Pitbull Poker, Eurolinx, and BetOnBet all shut their doors to the general public, with thousands of poker players potentially out money as a result. Given the circumstances surrounding their closures, one can easily see why the very foundation of the online poker world could be disrupted going forward. Players must be able to trust that their money is safe when they deposit online given that very little punishment exists for wrongdoing by poker rooms. The wave of closures may ultimately lead to industry consolidation in 2010 and beyond, making this one of the top news headlines of the 2009 calendar year.

Justin Shronk Memorial Poker Tournament Draws 359 Players

The online charity tournament in honor of late poker media member Justin Shronk went off without a hitch last weekend and drew more than 350 players who wanted to pay memory to the PokerRoad family member.

The $5 + $5 tournament donated on Full Tilt Poker the entirety of the registration fee to the Justin Shronk Memorial Fund at Shronk’s alma mater, Temple University in Philadelphia.  Shronk earned his degree from the university’s School of Communications and Theater (SCT) and a scholarship has been established in his name to support other students majoring in Broadcasting, Telecommunications, and Mass Media.  According to a statement from SCT, the scholarship aims to help students who need financial aid and preference is given to candidates who have lost a parent.  Shronk lost his own father while in school.

The scholarship also pays honor to the spirit of the much-loved poker writer and producer.  “The recipient of the scholarship should also exemplify some of the same characteristics that Justin exhibited during his life - an absolute passion for everything media, a great wit and sense of humor, loyalty in his friendships, and someone who would take a job for less money to be able to do the work that he loved,” the scholarship description stipulates.

The fund at Temple was established over the summer when Shronk’s cousin, Brian Lemke, won a World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet and $692,690.  He donated $20,000 of that prize money to set up the endowment at Temple and PokerRoad friends and fans have contributed as well.

Sunday’s online tournament drew a slew of fans, fellow media members, and top poker pros who wanted to pay homage to their fallen friend.  Kevin “GetPWN3D” Saul, Amit “amak316” Makhija, Eugene Todd, Lee Childs, and Red Pros Andy Bloch, Michael Craig, Mandy Baker, Aaron Bartley, and Kristy Gazes played. So did PokerRoad founder Joe Sebok and site contributors Amanda Leatherman, Scott Huff, Joe Stapleton, Bryan Devonshire, and B.J. Nemeth.  Many of the pros shoved all-in early to give PokerRoad fans a chance to double up, while several others registered and simply blinded out in order to make a donation to the scholarship fund and prize pool.

The top 36 finishers made the money and several of them expressed an interest in donating their winnings to the cause.  The final table featured Leatherman, Matt Waldron of Life’s a Bluff, PocketFivesLive.com Tournament Reporter Rachel Crader, and several others, with Waldron and Leatherman taking first and second place, respectively.

"I had a blast playing and I'm so happy that so many people showed up in honor of Shronk,” Leatherman said on PokerRoad after her second place finish.  “I'm sure he would have wanted me to win, but congrats to Matt Waldron (laughs). Thanks to all the PokerRoadies for rooting me on the entire time! We miss you ShronkDaddy!"  Leatherman also told Poker News Daily she planned to donate her winnings to the Shronk scholarship.

On the site’s forums, Shronk’s mother, Kim, expressed her gratitude for the large tournament turnout. “This whole tournament and the great turnout helped me realize that Justin lives on in the hearts of the many that he brought laughter to.”

The online poker tournament is not the only fundraising effort for the scholarship fund lately.  Lemke recently final tabled the U.S. Poker Championships at the Taj Mahal Casino in Atlantic City.  He sported a UB.com patch for the televised event and donated all of the money he earned from the patch deal to the scholarship fund and the Patrick Cunnane Kids Education Foundation.

Those interested in making a donation to the Justin Shronk Scholarship can do so via Temple’s official website.  Donators must specify the SCT and the Justin Shronk Memorial Scholarship in order to direct the donation to the specific scholarship.

Poker2Nite Host Scott Huff Interview with Poker News Daily

Poker News Daily: Tell us about the feedback you received from the first episode of the UB.com-sponsored poker news show “Poker2Nite” on Fox Sports Net.

Scott Huff: People in the poker world seem to be excited about the show and hope that we can do a good enough job with it to last beyond our 13-episode run. The majority of people enjoyed it and sensed our nerves. Everyone felt like it moved quickly and was paced well. They felt like we needed to be the team we once were with PokerRoad and be less rigid.

PND: Along with Joe Sebok, you represent quite a young broadcast team.

Huff: I was sweating our YouTube hits after we put the first show up online. People have been putting up their own versions of the show and one of the comments was, “Look – babies delivering poker news.” I guess I didn’t realize it, but I got a lot of people Facebooking me and Tweeting me that we looked young. Until someone pointed it out, I didn’t even think of it. I’m just hoping that it doesn’t take away from the credibility of the show. Once we get comfortable, the youth will translate and it will be a positive thing for us. Most of the people consuming this content are young people anyway.

PND: Have you received any feedback from Fox Sports Net?

Huff: I haven’t gotten much feedback. What I’ve gotten is that the guys who were with us in studio have seen it and really liked it. Overall, they liked the product the first time through and thought we didn’t do anything offensive. They are more concerned with us not breaking the network’s rules.

PND: Talk about developing the content for each show.

Huff: We got lucky in the timing of the first show being right after the World Series of Poker and we didn’t want to leave off Durrrr signing with Full Tilt. With any news and anything related to poker, you have to let what’s out there be your guide as to what content to discuss. This week, we’re covering a charity tournament because we don’t have a huge World Poker Tour event to structure the show around.

PND: Speaking of Durrrr, what’s your take on the high-stakes action on Full Tilt Poker that has also featured Phil Ivey, Patrik Antonius, and Isildur1?

Huff: I don’t understand how anyone gambles as high as they do. It’s more interesting to me what the online tournament grinders are doing and what the mid- to high-stakes players are doing. When I know that $1 million will be exchanged every 15 minutes, it’s not as interesting. It just seems psychotic.

PND: How do you, Sebok, and the rest of the crew divide tasks to create “Poker2Nite”?

Huff: Joe Stapleton is the head writer on the show. Joe Sebok and I are in a support capacity as far as coming up with lines and such. Overall, I think we’re all trying to throw ideas out there for segments and we’re all in for that part. A ton of the workload is falling on Stapleton as far as the script goes, but we’re all in there for ideas week in and week out. We already have things planned out for the next few weeks and will get content from the WPT Five Diamond at the Bellagio. We are hopefully a three-headed beast and we have a producer who helps us rewrite spots where he knows things can sound better. It’s definitely a collaborative effort.

Poker News Daily readers can catch “Poker2Nite” every Wednesday at 11:00pm ET on Fox Sports Net. Check your local listings for full details.

Taking the Underground by Lee Jones

The poker media industry is an interesting beast. It spends a lot of time covering tournaments because, well, tournaments are fairly straightforward to cover and people like to know who’s winning what. You have a starting day and an ending day and the tournament promoters have an interest in providing information to the media. You can show chip counts, the big winners and losers for each day, and more.

However, there’s a lot more to poker than tournaments and one of the reasons that I’m writing for Poker News Daily is that they understand that. While these other aspects of the poker world are not as easy to cover, they’re still interesting and important.

Recently, I was traveling and heard about an underground poker game. I suggested to my editor that it would make an interesting piece – including ideas about strategy changes one makes for such games. Let me pause here to say that I define an “underground” poker game as one that (1) runs fairly regularly, (2) is a for-profit enterprise, and (3) is illegal or quasi-legal in its jurisdiction.

Underground poker games are, of course, a long-standing tradition throughout the United States – simply the commercial version of home games that have made up the backbone of poker playing today. Most of the poker luminaries of the last generation – Doyle Brunson, Amarillo Slim, T.J. Cloutier, and Bobby Baldwin – built their bankrolls playing underground games. In fact, well-known blogger, geek, writer, and actor Wil Wheaton got his start in the poker world by writing a delightful piece about an underground game in Hollywood.

The venue of my underground game experience was not in Hollywood, but I won’t be more specific than that. One simply doesn’t give out the GPS coordinates of underground poker games. The host told me a general area of the city to go to and then asked me to call him; he gave me directions from there. I found myself at a nondescript, unmarked warehouse in a nondescript light industrial area. The description fit the instructions I had gotten on the phone and there were eight to ten cars parked where he told me to park. I immediately noticed one thing: the cars were all parked facing outward, as if people here had succumbed to the British passion for backing into parking places… or thought they might be leaving quickly.

I got to the unmarked door and pushed the doorbell. A few seconds later, an electric latch buzzed open and a young man in jeans and a sport shirt welcomed me in. “Lee? Hi – I’m Rich [names changed here]. Come on in.”

The warehouse had been minimally decorated, but as a functional poker room, it had everything you needed. There was a bar (everything is complimentary), a couple of big screen televisions showing sports, and Mexican food. There were a couple of couches in the middle of the room, but even with all the accoutrements, including the two casino-size poker tables, there was still plenty of room for a three-on-three soccer game.

The owner/host, Jerry, came over and greeted me warmly. He may have been running an illegal poker game, but Jerry was a consummate businessman and host. He worked tirelessly to ensure that his customers were taken care of.

There was a tournament that evening with a very reasonable fee and extraordinarily generous blind structure. Everybody was able to play a lot of poker and nobody busted out for at least an hour. Once eight or nine people were out, they started the cash game, which was really the centerpiece of the operation. On his busiest nights, Jerry had two tables going, but with the tournament, just one cash table went the night I was there.

The cash game is where Jerry made his money and this is where we’ll switch to discussing strategy changes for such games. First, the rake in Jerry’s games (and virtually all underground clubs) is high. Jerry’s price is 5% of the pot with a cap at $20. Basically, you’re paying Jerry’s insurance premiums. I note that while this would be considered usurious in any U.S. casino poker room or California card club, it’s actually less than people routinely pay elsewhere in the world to play poker.

Two important lessons come from this high rake:

Rule #1: Play Fewer Pots.  When the pot is being raked that heavily, splashing around and picking up small pots on the flop costs you a lot of money. You’re never getting quite the price you think you are and you’re basically just “churning” your money like a stock day-trader paying commissions on dozens of trades every day. It means you have to be that much more profitable just to break even. For instance, with Jerry’s structure, the rake isn’t capped until the pot reaches $400, which is an all-in coup between two players with $200 buy-ins (a typical amount).  Your goal should be to play fewer pots, but try to make those pots larger. In a perfect world, you want the pot to be over $400, reducing the actual percentage of rake that you’re paying.

Rule #2: Watch Out for Winning Regulars. As I played in the cash game ($1-3 No Limit Hold’em), it became clear that most of the players were regulars. I also quickly figured out who the tougher players were. Now, these guys are not only beating the game, but they’re also beating the crippling rake. So, they have a pretty good idea of what they’re doing, not only in general, but also in the specific context of Jerry’s game. They know who the fish are and the mistakes the fish are making. In fact, somebody who may be a fish with respect to the sharks in that game might have an edge on you simply because he knows these people and plays with them all of the time. Many of the players in these games battle against each other in home or underground games three to four times per week or more. That kind of intimate knowledge can make the difference between being a shark and being the target; it’s unlikely that you’ll be a favorite the first time you sit in Jerry’s game.

With that said, underground games certainly have their appeal. I will admit that it would have been fun if Jerry had a John Malkovich-inspired Russian accent, but poker is pretty much the same around the world. Once we settled down to play, both in the tournament and the cash game that followed, it could have been the Bellagio or my home game. There were cards and chips, blinds, raises, and bad beats. Some of the players were good and many were bad. There was certainly plenty of EV for a solid No Limit Hold’em player.

I’ll leave with just one very important disclaimer: when you play in an underground game, you have stepped out of the realm in which most of us live our lives. There is a reason why there’s a heavy door with an electronic lock and video cameras watching every outside corner of the building. The place could be busted by the police at any time or, much worse, held up. You are also almost certainly breaking the law. Think about all that before deciding to try out the underground poker scene.

Lee Jones is the Card Room Manager of Cake Poker and has worked in the poker industry for six years. He has been associated with professional poker for almost 20 years. He is also the author of “Winning Low Limit Hold’em,” which has been in print for over 14 years.

Isildur1’s plan “revealed”

Now, after we’ve followed the insane action between Isildur1 and Tom “durrrr” Dwan, it’s time to expose how Isildur1 managed to make his way from a total nobody into one of the greatest online players. We found this article on the internet so the following text is purely fictional, thus we do not take any responsibility of it. And yes, we have the permission to use it and we wish to thank the writer from it.

Ice cold facts:

• Isildur1 is still a mystery, he seemed to pop out from total emptiness
• He is willing to challenge the world’s best players
• He insists to play only against Tom Dwan
• He demands at least six $500/1000 tables to be played simultaneously
• Plays insanely long sessions
• Wants to continue after a really short break

There’s really only two choices: 1) he is some total mental case, or he is a super talented genius; 2) Swedish top pros have set up a cunning plan.

Choice 2, or How to Beat durrrr - Part 1, Target Acquired; Lock & Load

One has to choose a subject who will not give up easily, Dwan fits the profile excellently. He doesn’t get scared after losing big time and is willing to continue even while losing - also a huge bankroll won’t do any harm.

Then one has to gather up a team of best players in their country - few mathematicians can’t be bad either. Data mine all the hands the subject has played during the past years and begin to analyze. One needs to dig deeper than just looking at the hands with what Dwan uses to raise. One has to go deep down straight into the subject’s mind, one has to look for patterns about how Dwan’s playstyle and strategies have changed. Go through every hand and analyze them all. Search for certain betting patterns. One has to analyze so far, that one can find the smallest holes and behaviour patterns in his play, thus finding an edge against the subject.

One of the Isildur1 team members analyzing Dwan’s brain matter

After going through the hands one has to create tens and hundreds of different approaches, strategies and tactics to counter Dwan. One has to build up an analytic and mathematical approach to Dwan’s play. Build a model which will give the edge against every hand Dwan plays.

This phase will take months to complete.

How to beat durrrr - Part 2, Operation Milk the Cow ’til it Bleeds

One has to gather up the top players and then demand their money to create a collective bankroll. Then the group rents an apartment to where they will build their headquarters. Create a new account to Full Tilt Poker and challenge the subject. Demand at least six tables to be played.

While one lures Dwan into the trap, 4-6 other players will make the calls by looking at the data they analyzed earlier. Each one of the group can monitor 1-2 tables, all of the though situations, Dwan’s overall mood and playstyle must be decided collectively. After the read is made, commence the exhausting grind.

Team Isildur1 chasing their subject target: durrrr

The team gains edge over Dwan by knowing Dwan’s every move. The team has multiple minds over the subject’s mind. Because Dwan has to play multiple tables simultaneously, one must now take the advantage. Team’s chosen players must make hasty plays, thus creating pressure unto Dwan. Thus begins the critical part; the team must lure Dwan to play too long sessions, that the subject will be too exhausted to play his best game. Tired player makes more mistakes; the more mistakes the subject makes, the more the team profits. By having a large team, there will be no tired team players.

The subject will be heated up, tired up and by doing the background work, one knows that the subject will not give up. Now the team must pump out every cent Dwan has before he realizes what hit him.

Proceed to the next victim. Rinse & repeat.

Original story can be found in Finnish at Pokerista.fi

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Isildur1’s plan “revealed”

Dani Stern (ansky451) Signs with DoylesRoom

Over the weekend, Dani “ansky451” Stern, star of the G4 online poker reality series “2 Months, $2 Million,” signed with DoylesRoom to become the newest member of the Brunson 10. Poker News Daily sat down with site namesake Doyle Brunson to learn more.

Poker News Daily: Tell us why you selected Stern to become the fifth member of the Brunson 10.

Brunson: Everything I heard about him was nice. He’s pretty levelheaded and he’s not one to showboat. He seems like a nice young man, so he seemed like a good addition. Also, he’s a good player.

PND: You told the assembled media that the Brunson 10 will soon be complemented by two female players to commemorate your 10-2 hand. That’s a great idea! When will you make the next selections?

Brunson: It wasn’t the plan to start with, but I came up with that idea. We’ll get two girls next year sometime.

PND: What feedback have you received from your autobiography, “The Godfather of Poker,” which was released on November 10th?

Brunson: I’ve only seen one review and it was really flattering. I know that my author (Mike Cochran) is a very good writer. He’s won numerous awards over 40 years with the Associated Press and he did a good job. I’m happy with it overall.

PND: You had mentioned that you stopped writing the book six times because you weren’t comfortable making certain aspects of your life public. What are some examples of what readers can expect when they check out the book?

Brunson: My early years and some of the things I went through. In the last 20 or 30 years, it’s been pretty obvious what I’ve done, but there were some pretty trying times back in the early days. I saw a lot of violence and I didn’t know how people would receive that.

PND: You mentioned in the book that your father didn’t tell your family that he was a poker player. Talk about the moment you found out.

Brunson: I went home for Christmas one time and we accidentally started a poker game. He made a couple of plays and I asked how he could do those. He said he’s been seeing those plays for 40 years and I told him I didn’t even know he played. My dad never said much about anything, but maybe it’s in the genes.

PND: Have you thought about what life would have been like had you not had that accident and instead played for the Minneapolis Lakers?

Brunson: I know for sure what would have happened. I was a little ahead of my time and think I would have made the pros. I would have played my career out, married my college sweetheart, and been teaching somewhere.

PND: Which life would you have rather had?

Brunson: They both have their merits. Obviously, I have to say this one.

PND: Tell us about the future of DoylesRoom given your ever-growing stable of Brunson 10 members.

Brunson: We’re just trying to get promotions going that nobody else can give. We have what we call the Vegas Experience, where they’re giving prizes to winners of events to come spend the weekend in Vegas. I’ll have dinner with them and my son and daughter will take them around to some of the night spots. We’ll try to show them the life outside of the Strip.

PND: Give us a blonde joke, which have become the theme of your Twitter account.

Brunson: Why did the blonde stare at the refrigerator? Because the orange juice had concentrate.

Fox Sports to air with Sebok

Sebok, who is President of Pokerroad, broke the news during the WSOP audio broadcast this weekend and followed up with a blog post about it today.

The show is called Poker 2Night and will follow a SportsCenter-style format with Sebok and Scott Huff as hosts.

The half-hour long show will air every Wednesday at 11 p.m. and then be rebroadcast throughout the weekend. The debut episode is set to premier Nov. 18.

Sebok mentioned they would try to bring as much of the Pokerroad attitude to Poker 2Night as they possibly can. Pokerroad host Joe Stapleton will act as head writer and poker player/presenter Lacey Jones will also be involved in the project.

Fox Sports seems to be upping their poker programming lately as they also air the PokerStars Million Dollar Challenge, which is hosted by Daniel Negreanu and episodes of the World Poker Tour.

Visit PokerListings.com

James McManus Discusses the Poker History Book Cowboys Full

Earlier this decade, when poker wasn’t the behemoth that it is today, a noted writer by the name of James McManus accepted a job from Harper’s Magazine to cover the 2000 World Series of Poker (WSOP).

Far from looking at it as simply a poker entity and observe the proceedings, McManus decided to dovetail his story of the tournament with the ongoing murder investigation of the late Ted Binion and chronicle his efforts to play. After using a satellite to gain entrance into the Main Event, McManus went on to finish fifth in the $10,000 tournament and chronicled the whole story in what has become one of the poker world’s seminal books in “Positively Fifth Street,” which was released in 2003.

Since then, however, McManus has limited his writing about poker to newspapers and magazines. His last non-fiction book, “Physical: An American Checkup” (2006), looked at the American health care system and pointed out its problems even prior to this year’s debate on the issue. Now, one of the most notable scribes in the business has returned with what might be called the definitive book on the history of the game.

“Cowboys Full: The Story of Poker” was released on October 27th and documents, as best as possible, the development, growth, and history of what once was considered to be America’s game and has since expanded around the world. From the beginning of the creation of playing cards in China and Korea to today’s game, McManus nails the goal of putting a history to a pastime.

“Poker has a long-deserved reputation as the cheaters’ game, but the book reminds us that cheating has been a big part of baseball, football, cycling, boxing, horseracing, marriage, taxes, politics, warfare, and most other human activities,” McManus stated before the interview with Poker News Daily began. “It’s naive to single out poker as being overly luck-based or larcenous, especially when making laws banning some games, while encouraging others. For the State to encourage lotteries and bingo while banning poker is greedy and cynical.”

McManus continued by discussing the theory that poker is luck-based and how his book handles that issue. “I think the book makes it fairly clear how much luck is involved in other games, such as baseball and football, games that few people think of as being determined by luck,” McManus said. “Luck determines the winner of baseball’s World Series about as much as it does the winner of the WSOP.”

PND: After the success of “Positively Fifth Street,” why didn’t you write another poker book immediately?

McManus: Because I was sent by a magazine to get an executive physical at the Mayo Clinic, by another magazine to cover the debate about stem-cell research, and by another to write about emergency surgery my daughter had undergone. It seemed only natural that I would combine this material into a book, which turned out to be “Physical: An American Checkup” (2006).

In the meantime, poker still had my interest. My agent, editor, and I were all surprised that there was no single book on the history of what is clearly America’s card game and arguably the national pastime, especially during the boom years this decade. As such, I continued to research the poker story and it became “Cowboys Full.”

PND: What were some of the problems in writing a book on a subject that doesn’t have a well-known and documented history?

McManus: One problem was that I had no training as an historian; it’s one reason I call it the story of poker, not the history.

Another was that people tend not to keep records of their poker action, especially when they work as blacklegs and swindlers. You’re forced to rely on lore, hearsay, and the work of feature writers such as Mark Twain, who were paid to exaggerate for humorous or dramatic effect. The book addresses this problem directly and makes a serious effort to deduce what was actually going on. The reporting becomes more precise and historically reliable as I cover the last third of the 20th century, especially when famous hands began to be televised.

PND: What was more difficult, the research for or the writing of “Cowboys Full”?

McManus: Most definitely the research. I have 35 years of experience as a writer, but very little as a researcher, although Google and the Amazon search function made the job a lot easier than if I had to do it with microfiche. I also couldn’t have done it without David Schwartz’s hospitality and sage advice at the UNLV Center for Gaming Research or without his marvelous history of gambling, “Roll the Bones.”

PND: You look at poker from sides that the average person wouldn’t consider. When you talked to academics and scientists about poker and its effects on human history, did they understand what you were doing?

McManus: In many cases, I was relying on what people had written. People like John von Neumann, Oskar Morgenstern, David Halberstam, and the presidents and generals in charge of World War II and the Cold War were already dead while I was writing.

At the same time, I interviewed plenty of folks including Todd Brunson, Barry Greenstein, Jennifer Harman, Linda Johnson, Andy Beal, Crandell Addington, Chris Ferguson, Aaron Brown, Tony Holden, and Gabe Kaplan, who understood some of these issues a lot better than I did before I started talking to them.

PND: What was the most surprising aspect of poker you learned from your research?

McManus: How important its logic and psychology was, and continues to be, to the military and diplomatic strategies deployed in a world in which several countries, including some extremely unstable regimes, have nuclear weapons. In other words, how important poker-based game theory is to life beyond the green felt.

PND: What can the reader take away from “Cowboys Full” other than a grasp of the history of the game?

McManus: That it isn’t just a history lesson. It has dozens of pretty cool stories about actual games: riverboat hustles, friendly games in the White House and the homes of ordinary citizens, $40 million showdowns between Andy Beal and the corporation of Las Vegas pros captained by Doyle Brunson, Jennifer Harman facing off against Andy while waiting for her second kidney transplant, Stu Ungar making a WSOP final table from the intensive care unit, and Chris Moneymaker’s bluff against Sammy Farha. They’re all there and more.

PND: Now that you have followed up “Fifth Street,” are you finished writing books about poker?

McManus: No, but almost. I’m currently writing the final book of the trilogy. Book one was a memoir about the WSOP, which became “Positively Fifth Street.” Book two is the history of poker, which is “Cowboys Full.” Book three is a novel tentatively titled “The Winter Casino” about a very large tournament played in a city being threatened by an Al-Qaeda cell with a nuclear suitcase device.

The WSOP Main Event on ESPN: The One in Which Ivey Mucks a Winner

As we close our eyes and momentarily channel the writers of “Friends,” we here at PokerNews would like to officially dub last night’s episode of ESPN’s World Series of Poker Main Event coverage “The One in Which Phil Ivey Mucks a Winner.”...

PokerStars Ante Up for Africa Airs on CBS Sports

On Saturday afternoon, CBS Sports aired the second of two episodes of the PokerStars.net Ante Up for Africa tournament that played out during the European Poker Tour (EPT) Monte Carlo festivities.

Kara Scott served as the host of the event as it played out on the CBS Sports Spectacular broadcast. The nine-handed final table began with Daniel Negreanu holding a commanding chip lead with 151,100, well ahead of the 49,000 stack of EPT founder John Duthie. Alexander Armstrong and David Tuckman had the call of the event, which featured on-screen card backs with Ante Up for Africa logos and player names shown alongside their native country’s flag.

In the night’s first elimination, Teddy Sheringham raised with K-Q of clubs and rugby player Sebastien Chabal shoved with A-9. Team PokerStars Pro member Luca Pagano pushed over the top and Sheringham quickly folded. The flop came 4-J-2 and a running 10-8 gave Pagano a flush in the hand. Chabal was out in ninth and told Scott, “I’m disappointed because I wanted to win the whole thing. I’m happy, had a great time, and made some great friends.”

Meanwhile, Duthie hit the rails in eighth place after shoving pre-flop with A-K. Poker pro Tony G made the call with pocket jacks and turned a third jack. Duthie was drawing dead to the river and hit the exits. French journalist, writer, and presenter Patrick Chene was eliminated in seventh place at the hands of Dario Minieri’s A-J. Despite having a new arsenal of chips, Minieri folded to a re-raise by new Betclick pro Isabelle Mercier holding pocket eights. Minieri was getting 2:1 to call and Mercier held A-J for what would have been a coin flip situation.

Pagano was ousted after pushing pre-flop for 23,000 chips. Minieri called from the big blind at a discount holding J-3. The board ran out 2-A-3-J-J, giving Minieri a boat. The hand moved Minieri to second on the PokerStars.net Ante Up for Africa leaderboard, with Negreanu now the tournament’s short stack. Negreanu was sent to the rails at the hands of Mercier, who won a coin flip with pocket eights against K-Q. Negreanu told CBS cameras, “I was the chip leader and I seemed to be dominating and all of a sudden, the blinds went up and I folded and folded like a little wimp.”

Tony G was ousted in fourth place holding Q-6 against A-8 after an eight-high flop. Observing the action was “Heroes” star James Kyson Lee, who told Scott, “There are a lot of people here from all different fields. It’s great that we’re able to come together, do something fun, and raise awareness for Ante Up for Africa.” Norman Epstein, Full Tilt Poker pro Don Cheadle, and Poker News Daily Guest Columnist Annie Duke founded the charity in 2006. It is the centerpiece of an annual $5,000 buy-in gala during the World Series of Poker (WSOP), which aired in 2009 on ESPN.

Mercier and Sheringham both doubled up at the expense of Minieri, who was ultimately eliminated after running pocket tens into Mercier’s pocket queens. Mercier promptly doubled up with K-4 against Sheringham’s A-5 after the flop came 4-J-J. Then, the former member of Team PokerStars Pro called Sheringham’s all-in with A-2. Sheringham turned over 10-4 and the board ran out 6-8-Q-J-10 with four diamonds. Mercier’s deuce of diamonds was the only card of the suit held by either player and Mercier took down the inaugural Ante Up for Africa event in Monte Carlo.

Over €250,000 was raised for the Ante Up for Africa charity in Monte Carlo and no prize money was doled out to players. Instead, Mercier, who battled through a field of 43 runners, claimed a crystal trophy in the shape of a PokerStars logo.

Poker Community Offers WSOP November Nine Predictions

We’ve reached the midway point in the four-month break until the start of World Series of Poker (WSOP) November Nine festivities, but the anticipation for the big event has yet to slow down.  With big performances from Kevin Schaffel and Steven Begleiter at the World Poker Tour’s (WPT) Legends of Poker, Joe “jcada99″ Cada’s standout run in several PokerStars World Championship of Online Poker (WCOOP) events, and Jeff Shulman’s recent announcement that the one and only Phil Hellmuth will be serving as his poker coach, these nine men have kept themselves at the forefront of poker news.

So who will win the 2009 WSOP Main Event?  Poker News Daily sought the insight of some of the other players who made incredible runs at this year’s Main Event as well as a couple of our own writers who spent the summer keeping a very close eye on the action.  You’ll be surprised to read just how many of them did not opt for fan favorite Phil Ivey.

One player who is more than familiar with most of the November Nine is 12th place finisher in this year’s Main Event and Ultimate Bet sponsored pro Billy “Patrolman35″ Kopp.  The young online poker pro logged several hours with most of the players, including a stint where he was seated on Ivey’s direct right.  However, Kopp suggests that Ivey is not the one that viewers should be keeping their eye on:

“I think the man to look out for is Kevin Schaffel,” Kopp predicted. “Throughout the eight days that I played in the Main Event, this guy impressed me the most.  I was at several of his tables for an extended period of time and this was the one guy who really gave me trouble.  I am not sure if he was just getting some outstanding short-term luck and letting the cards speak or if he truly was playing exquisite poker. I am going to go with the latter, especially after his recent runner-up performance at [the WPT Legends of Poker]…I wish everyone much luck at the final table, as I have played with most of them at some point in the tournament.  However, I really applaud Kevin and the performance he put on, at least while I was there.  I am anxious to see some of the hands we got tangled in on television in a couple of weeks.”

Kopp is referring to Schaffel’s big score last month, when he made the final table of the WPT event and held his own against the likes of Toto Leonidas, online pros Todd Terry and Sam Stein, and the event’s champion, Prahlad Friedman.  Many are comparing his performance to Ivan Demidov’s runner-up finish at the Main Event of the WSOP Europe in 2008.  Last year, Demidov established himself as one of the frontrunners to win the Main Event with his performance and it appears that Schaffel is cementing a similar reputation.

Another online pro with plenty of insight into the minds of the November Nine is 22 year-old Nick “fu_15″ Maimone, who came in 14th in this year’s Main Event.  He is less certain than Kopp about his pick, but offered his thoughts nonetheless.

“It is complicated,” Maimone explained.  “I expect the coaching factor could highly influence the outcome of the Main Event.  However, the best players are, in this order, Phil Ivey, James Akenhead, and Joe Cada.  Although the chips are not in their favor, one of them will win.”  Those three are short on chips, especially Ivey and Akenhead, who are seventh and ninth on the leaderboard, respectively.  Ivey may be short on chips, but Maimone still believes the skill differential will make a huge difference come competition time: “Antoine Saout is decent and so is Eric Buchman, but the other four do not even come close in terms of skill.  I hope Ivey or Akenhead wins, but honestly I think Ivey will.”

Maimone is in the minority of the people we polled about their predictions though and he was the only one who picked the seven-time WSOP bracelet winner.  The writers here at Poker News Daily weighed in with their picks as well and, while they all conceded Ivey was likely the most skilled player at the table, they each went with a different horse to win the big race.

Brett Collson, who moonlighted as a reporter for PocketFivesLive.com in addition to his Poker News Daily duties during the Main Event, went with the lone internet pro at the table as his choice.  “We’ve seen short stacks excel at the Main Event final table in the past and I foresee it happening again this year,” Collson theorized.  “While Ivey might be the popular pick, Joe Cada’s cool demeanor and relentless aggression could create problems for the leaders from the get-go. He has plenty of chips to make some moves and is my pick to become the youngest Main Event winner ever in November.”

Staff Writer Earl Burton elected to go with the other November Niner to make a name for himself at the Legends of Poker event, Steven Begleiter.  “I have a feeling that everyone and their brother is going to pick Phil Ivey, but, to be honest, I think he is too short-stacked to have a tremendous impact,” said Burton.  He discounted the current chip leader from the mix as well.

“I believe that Darvin Moon is just happy to be where he is.  I believe that he is going to succumb to ‘Dennis Phillips Syndrome’ and forget what got him there.  I am going to go with Steven Begleiter, who just completed an excellent run at the Legends of Poker, to win the final table.  You can put Jeff Shulman in there as a potential dark horse contender.”

While Burton offered reasons why several of the players may or may not excel, our own Dan Cypra went with the straightforward, pick the chip leader approach, which makes plenty of sense considering Moon’s massive lead.  “It’s hard to ignore Darvin Moon, who has nearly double the chips of the next closest player,” Cypra pointed out.  “It’s reminiscent of Jamie Gold in the 2006 Main Event and Moon is my pick to win the 2009 version. While Ivey may be poker’s darling, the chip lead of Moon cannot be ignored.”

If you haven’t noticed, that is five different opinions and five different picks.  If this informal poll tells us anything, it is that the Main Event race is still wide-open, with each player bringing something to the table that the rest of their opponents lack.  Only time will tell who, if anyone, picked correctly, so until November all we can do is sit, wait, and keep coming up with reasons why our pick is going to be the one to take it down.

Showing Emotion in Poker by Nolan Dalla

If the opposite of a bad beat is a good beat, then the player sitting at Table 67/Seat 2 during a typical night at this year’s World Series of Poker (WSOP) was most certainly the benefactor of a miraculous catch – in other words, a good beat.  Most players remember their bad beats, but we usually forget the synchronized miracles that are dealt just as impartially.  Every player who gets crushed by a bad beat has a smiling correlated counterpart with fading memories of gifts from the poker gods.

The smiling man positioned at Table 67/Seat 2 would likely have remained unnoticed amid a roomful of hundreds of tournament players, except for one thing: his reaction.  The instant the player caught his miracle card, he bolted out of his seat, did a few fist pumps in the air, and shouted to no one in particular “Yes!”  He may have even shouted “Yes!” a few times.

No one needed to see the cards or view the board or replay the hand to understand exactly what had happened.  One player got lucky and caught the perfect card.  The other player took a bad beat and began to exit.  It’s a common occurrence at all poker tournaments – whether the buy-in is $20 or $10,000.

As the winning player was stacking the sizable pot, a floor man approached.  He issued a warning, citing the so-called “excessive celebration rule.”  The player expressed surprise at being reprimanded, but accepted the warning without protest.  In his defense, the floor man acted responsibly, enforcing a rule designed to encourage good sportsmanship and deter annoying distractions.

So, what’s the problem?

Looking back at this year’s WSOP, which included 57 gold bracelet events, for the first time ever, I can’t recall a single case of a player who grossly overstepped the bounds of proper behavior.  Perhaps an infraction happened at some point, but I never saw any such incident - and I was there at the Rio without exception for 49 consecutive days.  There were no Hevad Khan sideshows, no Mike Matusow tirades, and no Phil Hellmuth outbursts (as long as ceaseless whining doesn’t count).  Many players and fans probably think this is a good thing.  Sorry, but I think it’s a very bad thing.

Before I explain, I should make it perfectly clear that I despise quiet poker games.  Nothing bores me more than a game where there is absolutely no table talk.  We seem to be forgetting that poker is a game played by people with feelings and emotions, not robots - although sometimes it’s hard to tell the difference with so many ears wired up to iPods, eyes concealed by menacing sunglasses, and faces sheltered by hats and hoods that only serve to bunker a player emotionally from what’s supposed to be a social game.

Call me odd, but I like it when people talk at the poker table and show themselves as they really are.  I like it when people get mad.  I like it when people cheer for themselves.  It might be bad form to curse, but that should be permitted (as long as an opposing player or staff member is not abused).  I fail to understand why occasional outbursts or expletives are considered unacceptable in poker tournaments when all other sports encourage the expression of human emotion.  Last time I checked, anyone who enters a poker room is an adult and participates voluntarily.  If a player pays his entry fee, it’s his or her right to behave like a gentleman or act like a jackass.  And if anyone gets upset at seeing a player pump his fist in the air and celebrate a little, then I have some blunt advice: grow some thicker skin.  Deal with it.  I frankly don’t care to witness 7,000 perfectly-behaved members of a church choir playing in a major poker tournament.  I want to see 7,000 unique individuals – the quiet, the loud, the angry, the boisterous, the flashy, the thinkers, and even some jerks.  What’s wrong with that?

One of the worst bits of poker advice ever written was the absurdly toxic suggestion that players should always stay quiet at the table.  What absolute rubbish.  Of course, when you’re not involved in a hand and a big pot is at stake, that moment should be respected with silence.  But to sit silent and emotionless for hours at a time is not only senseless, but it’s also counterproductive.  I find that it’s much easier to learn something about your opponents - not to mention have a much better time at the poker table - when there is table talk and people are communicating.

The “excessive celebration rule” was ostensibly adapted in order to dissuade players from turning events like the WSOP into a platform for antics more suitable for circus animals.  Undoubtedly, some players have acted like idiots in recent years, but one unforeseen consequence of having television cameras to record everything for posterity is that many players are now clamming up.  Some players don’t want to say anything stupid or appear foolish on television.  I’ve witnessed countless players who are usually colorful personalities at the table suddenly get stage fright and say absolutely nothing when sitting at a feature table.  There are notable exceptions, of course: Daniel Negreanu, Scotty Nguyen, and Phil Hellmuth immediately come to mind.  Imposing penalties on human emotion, even stifling stupidity, is a bad tournament rule no matter where it’s implemented.

By contrast, one doesn’t see restrictions on player behavior on “High Stakes Poker,” even though the magnitude of decisions is often worth six-figures.  That program is among the best on television because viewers get to see some of the world’s top players in a mostly unfiltered format, complete with their raw emotions exposed – the good, the bad, and the ugly.  Take emotion out of poker and you rip the heart and soul out of the game.

One of my favorite writers and best friends is English journalist Tony Holden.  He once famously wrote, “Whether he likes it or not, a man’s character is stripped bare at the poker table.”

Holden was absolutely correct.  I now fear that draconian measures like f-bomb rules and excessive celebration restrictions are becoming the pseudo-utopian utensils that are stripping humanity out the game.  We are now stripped bare, not by our own successes and failures, but by rules – however well-intentioned - which aim to suppress that which is most genuine and beneficial to poker as a spectator sport.  It’s our personalities, which sadly have become stripped bare.

Nolan Dalla can be contacted at nolandalla@aol.com.

Poker Hall of Fame: Reaction to Changes in 2009 Ballot

Last week, Harrah’s, the World Series of Poker (WSOP), and the Poker Hall of Fame Governing Council announced the final list of players to be considered for induction into the Hall this fall. What was originally a 10-man list was chopped to nine when online sensation Tom “durrrr” Dwan was left off because, in the Governing Council’s opinion, Dwan fell short of the “standing the test of time” criteria for Hall consideration. This has brought out differing opinions among some in the world of poker.

“I’d say that an age limit is reasonable,” longtime poker writer Ashley Adams stated to Poker News Daily. “There have to be some criteria - a minimum number of tournaments or dollars won would be reasonable - when it comes to deciding on nominees. I don’t think there should be a minimum number nominated, though. It should depend on the quality of the field.” David Apostolico, who authored two books such as “Machiavellian Poker Strategy” and “Tournament Poker and The Art of War,” said “it made sense” to leave Dwan off of the final nominees list. “No question ‘durrrr’ is a tremendous player,” Apostolico explained, “but the qualifications speak directly to longevity.”

Pamela Brunson, the daughter of poker legend Doyle Brunson (who has a vote for the new members of the Hall of Fame) and a highly respected player in her own right, echoes the thoughts of Adams and Apostolico: “I don’t think ‘durrrr’ should be inducted the Poker Hall of Fame yet. He’s a great player, but hasn’t been around long enough.” Poker News Daily’s Dan Cypra, who also owns a vote on the new Hall of Fame members, thought the issue would have solved itself in the voting. “Other members of the Committee I had spoken to were not considering Tom Dwan anyway… signaling out Dwan (by leaving him off the ballot) when he likely would not have received votes was a bit surprising.”

The question as to the “electability” of a quartet of players - Daniel Negreanu, Phil Ivey, Men “The Master” Nguyen, and Scotty Nguyen - has also raised several points of contention. Some feel that Negreanu and Ivey, despite their youth (Negreanu is 35, Ivey is 33), more than deserve their nominations. In addition, others think that baggage may drag down the two Nguyens and prevent their election to the Hall of Fame.

“Phil Ivey is definitely going down as one of the best overall players of all-time and Daniel Negreanu has done so much for poker,” Brunson commented. “Daniel is a great player with tons of personality. He has put his heart and soul into poker and is one of the best ambassadors of the game.” Cypra agreed with Brunson, but doesn’t believe that either will garner enough votes to earn admission to the Hall. “Ivey is poker’s sweetheart right now, fresh off two bracelet wins during the 2009 WSOP and a final table appearance in the Main Event on the horizon.” He continued, “His 2009 performance alone warrants consideration for the Poker Hall of Fame. Negreanu is one of the premier faces of the game. Serving as one of poker’s top ambassadors, winning four bracelets, and captaining the American Caesars Cup team gives him an impressive poker resume. However, I do not believe either has stood the test of time. Negreanu’s first WSOP cash was in 1998, while Ivey’s was in 2000.”

When the spotlight is trained on the Nguyens, more differences of opinion occur. “A general statement about ‘working in the interests of the game’ or ‘bringing honor and respect to the poker community’ is important,” Adams maintained. “By my standards, Scotty would get the nod from me and I’d have to think about Men.” Cypra, though, recalls Scotty Nguyen’s conduct at last year’s $50,000 HORSE tournament and disagrees: “Scotty Nguyen will not be receiving my vote. His antics during last year’s HORSE Championship hurt the game of poker. One could argue that, because of this, Nguyen has not filled the criteria of ‘played consistently well, gaining the respect of peers.’”

Voting by the 15 living Hall of Fame members and a 15 member media panel will conclude on October 2nd. The 30 member panel can choose up to three of the nominees (or write in their own choice) and a nominee has to earn 75% of the votes (in this case, 23) to be elected to the Hall. The results will be announced during the festivities surrounding the play of the WSOP Main Event final table.

When it comes to his choices, Cypra seems to have narrowed his options, stating, “I think Mike Sexton is a no-brainer. He’s the reason many of us are in the industry today and has served as the game’s top ambassador. He’s also a class act, a WSOP bracelet winner, and a TOC victor. I’m also leaning towards Dan Harrington and Tom McEvoy, who have stood the test of time right alongside Sexton.”

Brunson perhaps has an idea when she said, “I think some of the ‘old timers’ should be inducted before we get around to the young guys. They’ve been around a lot longer and put in their dues, even when poker wasn’t a popular and ‘cool’ profession!”

Poker Pros Michelle and Ho Confirmed for “The Amazing Race”

After two months of speculation, CBS has finally confirmed what the poker world has suspected all along: poker pros Tiffany Michelle and Maria Ho will be competing together as a team on the upcoming season of the competition reality show “The Amazing Race.”

Photos, bios and video of the two women went up on the show’s official website on Wednesday, along with those of the other eleven teams competing in the latest installment of the race. Ho and Michelle will be facing off against a wide array of people including a married couple who work as yoga instructors, members of the Harlem Globetrotters, a singer/songwriter team and a contestant who has Asperger’s Syndrome.

Rumors first surfaced of the poker playing pair’s involvement with the show when neither woman participated in this year’s World Series of Poker Main Event. A series of clues, including Michelle alluding to an upcoming project with one of the show’s producers, Jerry Bruckheimer, a forum thread featuring posts from former “Survivor” contestant Jean-Robert Bellande seeking female poker players for a new reality project and fan photos from the shows launch capturing what looked like Ho, all led to speculation that the two ladies would be the latest poker pros to take a stab at reality television.

In the video of the team posted on the show’s website, the two discussed their chosen profession and talked about how they became friends while travelling the poker tournament circuit. Michelle cited their success in a traditionally male-dominated field as one of their strengths as a team. No all-female team has won the show in its 14-season history and the team of Ho and Michelle believe they have a legitimate shot to win. “We’re used to being the women doing the things that no other women are doing”, Michelle explained.

Ho ran down some of the things the ladies did in order to prepare for the event. In addition to taking extensive notes on previous episodes of the show, Ho and Michelle also learned how to drive a stick shift, as there is typically some sort of vehicle-related challenge that involves just such a skill.  She joked that they may not have practiced eating rare and potentially unappetizing food, another staple challenge of the program, but asserted that she and Michelle were mentally prepared to run the race. Michelle and Ho also cited their knowledge of Mandarin Chinese (Ho is fluent) and sign language as potentially helpful skills, but noted that the last season of the race featured a lengthy leg in China, so Ho’s knowledge may not be put to use after all.

Should the two survive in the race long enough to make it to the finale, rumors indicate the two may have home field advantage working in their favor. The Las Vegas Review Journal recently reported that the production crew of the show pulled permits to film in and around Las Vegas in early August. Some of the stops listed on the permits included McCarren International Airport and the famous “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas” sign. While both women hail from Southern California, their poker work requires them to spend several weeks in Vegas each year, so the stop in Vegas would certainly be familiar territory for the duo.

This is not the only exciting news for Michelle. This week it was announced that she will be renewing her sponsorship deal with online poker site Ultimate Bet. Michelle first signed on with the site during her memorable WSOP Main Event run last year. She was the last woman left in the field that year and ultimately finished in 17th place.

“I’m happy to be signing on for another year with UltimateBet and I’m eager to get back to playing in live tournaments and exclusively at their online tables”, Michelle said in regards to her new deal. “The corporate team at UB has been so welcoming and supportive and I’m thrilled to be working with them. I can’t wait for the exciting things in store for us.”

The newest season of “The Amazing Race” begins on Sunday September 27th. The show will air on CBS from 8PM-9PM ET.

Morongo Tribe Backs Down from Intrastate Poker For the Moment

According to a recent article by Debra Gruszecki, a writer for the Palm Springs-based Desert Sun, the Morongo Band of Mission Indians has backed off of its position to legalize online poker in California. Originally, the Morongo tribe was working...

Bluffing durrrr on the River

Even a crazy mistimed bluff against one of the world's best players can reap rewards, says our new strategy writer, high stakes grand master Sami “larsluzak” Kelopouro.

Bodog Open to Canadian Residents

Perhaps none of the sites that are around today have embraced the “poker lifestyle” more than Bodog, the online poker room, casino, and sports book founded by billionaire Calvin Ayre. While Bodog grew into one of the most notable gaming platforms in the industry, the site did not accept action from Canadian players allegedly due to having business outlets in Canada that would not be protected from governmental intrusions. Recent actions have indicated, however, that this situation is about to change.

Poker News Daily has recently been scouring the internet and found that Bodog will be opening a site with the URL bodog.ca that will be specifically for Canadians to place wagers, play poker, or hit the slots on or about September 1st. As of this time, the URL forwards players to the bodog.com homepage. The information is causing some apprehension, while others are looking forward to the additional gaming option in Canada.

The online poker community PocketFives.com posted about Bodog accepting Canadian players on Thursday afternoon. A thread began, “For years Bodog was not able to provide service to you, but they are now! You can sign up an account today and take part in, among other things, the amazing overlay every Sunday in the $100k Guaranteed.” The post was made by one of the site Admins.

An article at Casino City Times by writer Rebecca Liggero, who spent time in Antigua with representatives from BodogBrand.com and BodogEurope.com, there is massive expansion coming from Bodog. One of the most interesting parts of the equation is unveiled when Liggero asks Keith O’Donnell, the head of Bodog Europe, when the company will take Canadian action. O’Donnell responds, “Canadian players will be able to access a Canada-specific product suite from www.bodog.ca starting in the Fall of this year. I aggressively renegotiated the Bodog Europe brand license agreement to acquire the rights to the Canadian market earlier this year and I would expect the Canadian market – extremely technologically literate, sports lovers, and a very significant poker base – to be a huge success story in 2009 and 2010.”

Reaction has been mixed as to what could happen with Bodog’s acceptance of Canadian action. Online forum responses have wavered from the delight in the addition of another gaming option for Canadians to the dismay of more gambling that could affect those with addictions. There are also those potential customers who have been disappointed by previous rumors that Bodog was going to offer Canadians this option in the past, but didn’t actually complete the move.

Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for the latest.

Indian Tribes Trying to Pass Online Poker Legislation in California

According to a recent report from Capitol Weeky writer Malcolm Maclachlan, a consoritum of California-based Indian tibes and card rooms are lobbying to offer online poker for state residents. Despite having the authority to run gaming venues in the...

Boeree joins Team UB

An astrophysics grad from the University of Manchester, Boeree got her start on a UK based poker reality game show where she was schooled by Team UB stars Phil Hellmuth and Annie Duke.

She went on to become a brand ambassador for Absolute Poker and has now moved over to Team UB.

"It's an honor to play with the two people who helped launch my poker career," Boeree said.

"Annie and Phil are two of my favorite players so to sit on the same team as them is a bit of a surreal experience, but one I'm definitely proud of."

Boeree took down the Ladbrokes European Ladies Championship in May 2008, and recently made two side-event final tables at Bellagio in Las Vegas before finishing 37th in the 2009 WPT Championship.

She has also worked as a TV presenter, writer and interviewer on several poker broadcasts including UltimatePoker.com Showdown, Gutshot TV, Daily Express, Challenge TV, Gala ((UK Poker)) Tour, Sky Poker TV, Poker Verdict, Ladies' World Poker Open and the WSOPE.

Other members of Team UB include Adam "Roothlus" Levy, Brandon Cantu, Hollywood Dave Stann, Matt Graham, Michael Binger, Scott Ian and Tiffany Michelle.

In related news, Ultimate Bet is celebrating its 10th Anniversary by offering a $10 Million cash bonus to any player who qualifies online for the Aruba Poker Classic starting with a 10 cent Step 1 satellite and goes on to win the event.

The 8th annual Aruba Poker Classic is set for October 3-10 at the Radisson Aruba Resort, Casino & Spa, and Boeree is expected to play.

PokerListings also made Boeree one of the site's Best Bets at the 2009 ((WSOP)).

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Poker News in Brief: Aug. 3-9, 2009

As part of our ongoing News in Brief feature we've compiled a list of stories that didn't quite make the front page this week but are worth mentioning to hardcore poker fans.

This week sees an infamous golfer/poker player give up his case against the USGA, a new way to transfer money between sites and Doyle Brunson and Daniel Negreanu making their picks for the Poker Hall of Fame.

Brunson, Negreanu pick Sexton for Poker Hall of Fame

The nominees for this year's poker hall of fame include Phil Ivey, Tom Dwan, Barry Greenstein, Dan Harrington, Tom McEvoy, Men Nguyen, Scotty Nguyen, Eric Seidel, Daniel Negreanu and Mike Sexton.

Both Doyle Brunson and Negreanu have come out overwhelmingly in favor of Sexton as their number one pick.

It's hard to argue with their logic as Sexton has been around at the highest levels of poker for many years and has, perhaps more importantly, been one of the best ambassadors for poker in history.

You can check out Brunson's post here while Negreanu's is here.

SendMyChips opens site-to-site transfers

It's an idea that's been around for a long time but SendMyChips.com appears to have finally solved the challenge of getting money from one poker site to a competing one.

The site currently works with Full Tilt Poker, Absolute Poker, Cake Poker and Ultimate Bet, although it does charge a fee to get money from one site to the other.

The service is already endorsed by several well-known pros, most notably Dave Colclough, Marc Goodwin and Paul Jackson.

Apparently the company also works with results tracker SharkScope.com to provide a credibility check to prevent fraud. The more history a player has the more they can transfer using SendMyChips.com.

Dusty "Leatherass" Schmidt withdraws USGA lawsuit

Online poker player and amateur golfer Dusty "Leatherass" Schmidt got into some serious trouble with the United States Golf Association when he offered a $1 million challenge to anyone that would play him in eight 9-hole golf matches and 10 heads-up poker matches back in March.

USGA didn't take kindly to Schmidt offering to play golf for money and promptly revoked his amateur status.

Schmidt responded by filing a lawsuit against the USGA, which he finally decided to drop this week, according to a story with the Associated Press.

Now that Schmidt has dropped the lawsuit he apparently going to work on his game and attempt to play some professional events.

More poker programming?

Poker seems to be making an all-out assault on television lately. We've already seen the premiere of Face the Ace, ESPN's Inside Deal and 2 Months 2 Million will debut next week, but Pokerati is reporting that even more poker TV shows may be in the works.

According to a Craigslist ad that was sent to Pokerati there will be four poker shows filmed at Binions Casino, Las Vegas, and they are currently recruiting hosts, writers and production crew. You can check out the complete ad for yourself here.

FTOPS XIII begins

With the sheer number of FTOPS even it's getting harder and harder to keep track of them all.

Nonetheless FTOPS XIII started on Wednesday with a $200+$16 No-Limit Hold'em event hosted by Russian super poker player Vitaly Lunkin. The eventual winner was DeceptionPT who grabbed $107,518 for first place.

Like most online series held by Full Tilt, FTOPS XIII will offer an extensive schedule with more than 25 events and $18 million in guaranteed prize money. There is even a special Ante Up for Africa event hosted by Don Cheadle.

For a complete look at the schedule go to Full Tilt Poker.

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How Funds Seizures Affected Online Poker Players

It’s been about two months since the funds for many online poker players were frozen and payment checks bounced due to actions taken by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.  Players affected by bounced checks were refunded, typically with a bonus in the neighborhood of 10 to 20%.

Since those events took place, the industry has quickly recovered. Many players have turned to alternative means of cashing out from their favorite poker rooms, ranging from direct wire transfer to player-to-player transfers.  For many, the variables that dictate the action include the check size and whether they are a player from the United States.

One U.S. player spoke to Poker News Daily about the issue on the condition of anonymity. He plays regularly at Full Tilt Poker at the $1-$2 ring games.  He’s a full-time professional poker player that logs 60,000 to 70,000 hands per month for a decent win-rate.  Our subject regularly cashes out checks from his poker account every month in order to pay bills like his internet service, telephone, and rent.  Unfortunately, this monthly “salary” in the form of a mailed check bounced during the aforementioned events.  Full Tilt Poker moved quickly to refund the outstanding balance and offered a small bonus to make up for the inconvenience.

After the funds seizure became public, he was in a tough spot.  There was just enough to pay the bills without a new paycheck, but it would deplete the savings he had been keeping.  There was no guarantee of being paid via his regular check method, so after some time and research, he tried the premium bank wire method of withdrawal.  The player had to find out the specific informational code for his bank and provide that along with his bank account number to the online poker room.  After about a week, the bank transfer was initiated and cleared into his account the next day. Unfortunately, there were service fees for this type of transfer and his bank charged an extra $35 for completing the wire.  The good news was that our hero received his funds in a quick manner without much headache.

This story was one we heard over and over when researching the topic.  Many full-time players are now in fear that future printed checks won’t clear and are looking for a guaranteed way to bring in their funds.  For recreational players that only occasionally cash out, the news is good for printed checks.

A writer at Poker News Daily recently withdrew $990 from Absolute Poker, another site linked to the poker funds seizure.  The check was approved the next day and confirmed via e-mail. About a week later, the check was received in the mail for an amount $0.09 more than cashed out from a bank outside of the United States.  The bank issued the funds in United States Dollars and the check was deposited in person at a national bank.  It cleared within 24 hours and the funds were secure.

The reports of foreign bank checks being received indicates that the poker rooms’ payment processor have found a way around the U.S. Attorney’s Office by simply issuing checks from foreign accounts.  These bank accounts issue money in U.S. Dollars, so players are receiving the funds they expect.  The checks are clearing as well, so it appears that most of the poker rooms have adapted to the new legal climate.

The story of our full-time professional poker player and our own internal writer reflect the current climate of receiving funds in the online poker industry.  Full-time poker professionals are using a premium bank wire service, despite the extra fees, in order to receive funds in guaranteed fashion.  Recreational players are receiving paper checks once again, this time from foreign banks, with no issues reported.  It seems for the time being, all is restored to normal in the online poker world.

<i>Rounders 2</i> a reality?

"Everybody would probably come back," Rounders star Matt Damon told PokerListings. "The actors all had a really good time working together. I know Edward would want to do it; we had a blast working together. [Director] John Dahl I'm sure would like to do it. Maybe someday it will happen.

"The only reason to do a movie like that would be if we had a great idea. If the two writers suddenly said eureka! We have a great idea. Then everyone involved would be interested in exploring it."

According to one half of the David Levien and Brian Koppleman writing team, who penned both Rounders and the casino caper flick Oceans 13, that "eureka" moment may not be far off.

"We've been concentrating on Rounders 2 lately; Ideas are percolating," Levien told PokerListings. "It's great to know that all of the original players want to come back and do another one."

The Hollywood rumor mill recently had Leonardo DiCaprio set to star in a Rounders sequel using a Levien and Koppleman script based on online casinos.

Levien confirmed that project is in the works, but its association to Rounders is circumstantial at best.

"We did just set up a project centering on the world of offshore online casinos with Leonardo attached," Levien said. "It's a little ways down the road, but we've started researching."

"It's a great world. Some of the countries where online casinos are based are like the new version of the Wild West, and with so much money on the line there is lots of drama attached."

The two writers just seem drawn to the world of poker and gambling.

"Vegas, the poker world, the casino environment, and the characters that gravitate around them are endlessly fascinating to us," Levien said.

"We've always been interested in poker players who develop these skills and literally live by them; putting their money on the table and living or dying by how good they are."

Rounders is hands down the most popular and influential poker movie ever made.

It's been quoted, impersonated and dissected at more poker tables and online forums than any other film. Those discussions often center on how the movie was written and why these two writers picked poker as the setting for their first feature film.

Levien says it was the game itself that that drew them in.

"Brian and I had been working on the rough beginnings of a screenplay idea about two friends, and deciding what to do with one's life, and we weren't sure exactly what world we were going to set it in," he explained.

"Then Brian called me at about three in the morning and said 'I just lost all my money at an underground poker club. It was awesome. We've got to set the movie here.'

"The next night we went, and kept going back, playing at clubs all over the city every night for a year.  We read all the available important poker books too, and began writing the script during the mornings."

One of the underground poker clubs in question was New York's famed Mayfair Club, home court to Dan Harrington, Howard Lederer, Erik Seidel and a host of colorful characters.

Speculation regarding the various characters in the movie and who they were based on has run rampant since the film's 1998 release.

It has even been claimed the movie was based on actor/comedian Norm MacDonald and although he occasionally played at Mayfair, Levien says Rounders really had nothing to do with him.

However, he did confirm rumors that the "Teddy KGB" character was based on a player known as "Eddie KGB," and that "Joey Knish" was actually based on a rounder named "Joel Bagels," but he squashed all speculation regarding Damon's character "Mike McDermott."

"Brian had just gone to law school at night, but didn't want to practice law, so we got the idea: What if something that seemed conventionally wrong, like poker playing, was really the main character's destiny, and something usually considered proper, like being a lawyer, wasn't the right choice," he said.

For Rounders biggest fans, the most frequently argued question has always regarded what Teddy KGB was holding in the film's final hand.

Unfortunately, Levien and Koppleman still refuse to end that debate.

"That's probably the most asked question in regard to the movie, but it's something we never answer," Levien said.

Visit PokerListings.com

WPT May Be for Sale

With the final days of the World Series of Poker (WSOP) playing out and the eighth season of the World Poker Tour (WPT) starting this week, poker has taken center stage in Las Vegas. Even with this activity, however, there are rumblings in one of the financial world’s top publications.

The Wall Street Journal on Monday published an article entitled “Deal Me In” by staff writer Brett Arends that asked whether the WPT was for sale. In the article, Arends quotes WPT Enterprises (the WPT’s parent company) Chief Financial Officer Tom Flahie as stating, “We can’t comment… beyond saying we’ve provided confidential data to third parties.” Founder and Chief Executive Officer Steve Lipscomb was reached by Arends in Gibraltar and added, “We’ve had discussions with, and exchanged documents with, some companies that have expressed an interest.” A WPT spokesperson told Poker News Daily, “Our general policy is that we do not comment on matters that are speculation or rumor.”

Arends’ article in the Wall Street Journal does an excellent job in documenting the history of the WPT and points out why it may be appealing to another organization to purchase the business. It also details how, over its seven-year history, the WPT has been one of the catalysts that drove poker to its unprecedented heights, but did not perform well on the bottom line of profitability.

While doling out hundreds of millions of dollars to players who have competed on the WPT circuit over seven seasons, the WPT has lost money over its entire history. In 2005, it reached its apex on the stock market at over $26 per share and was involved in the now-infamous potential buyout from poker legend Doyle Brunson. Once that sale failed to take root, the stock of WPT Enterprises collapsed to the point in which it was nearly de-listed from the NASDAQ after falling below $1 per share. Only recently has the stock stayed above $1 for ten consecutive trading days, securing the future of its listing. Currently, WPT stock is being traded at $1.36 per share.

While Arends’ examination of the WPT is thorough, there are questions as to who is the potential suitor that could pick up the tour. Gaming Intelligence Group has surmised that the possible buyer is the online sports book and poker room bwin, which recently teamed with the WPT to present an event in Venice, Italy. Other suggestions have included Full Tilt Poker, which has sponsored the WPT on Fox Sports Net for the last two seasons, and PokerStars, which is the international broadcast sponsor of WPT broadcasts.

Rumor Has It

Most of you probably don’t know this, but the Poker News Daily you are reading right now is actually Poker News Daily version 2.x (I would say 2.0, but that’s not quite accurate – the site has undergone some changes in recent months). Version 1.0 was launched back in 2005, ran for a couple years, and then was folded into another website. I wrote a lot of news articles for the original PND and even got a gig writing for a now defunct poker magazine as a result of my work.

I didn’t consider myself a “journalist” or a “reporter” though, as I didn’t uncover most of the news about which I wrote – I would comb other news sources, conduct further research on the topics, sometimes contribute my own insight, and write my own story. Sometimes, though, I was able to break a story. The hard part about that was getting it written and posted quickly, before any other news outlets could scoop me. It would have been easy to not properly verify facts in order to post a juicy story, but fortunately, I avoided the temptation to cut corners and turn PND into a rumor mill.

Recently, a well-respected poker blog/news site posted an article about how poker player Adam Richardson (known as “Admo” online) “stiffed” Ante Up For Africa by not donating a single penny of his more than $100,000 prize after he came in second in the charity tournament at the World Series of Poker. The “news” was largely reported in the form of an e-mail to various members of the poker media. The e-mail, from someone named “Hunter,” stated that Richardson left with all of his prize money, refusing to donate even after he was asked. According to the e-mail, he was also supposedly rude to other players during the tournament.

Richardson has since responded, saying that none of that is true. I’m not going to go into all the details, but Richardson said that he did have a plan to donate anywhere from 50 to 100 percent of his winnings to Ante Up, but wished to speak with Annie Duke first about some questions he had about the charity before determining the exact amount. He did not leave the Rio with the money. He left his winnings in the cage until he was able to determine exactly what he was going to do with the money.

Richardson has been very forthcoming with status reports on what was going on with this “scandal”, and I tend to believe his story. Regardless of whether or not I believe him, though, it was in very bad form for the website to make that e-mail public. Sure, the person who posted it (who is a good guy, by the way) did tack on a disclaimer at the end which stated that he had not confirmed the veracity of the e-mail, but that really doesn’t matter. It’s one thing to do this with something minor, like, “Rumor has it that Full Tilt Poker might be adding some new cash games”, but when you are spreading a rumor that can destroy someone’s reputation, that’s just irresponsible.

Don’t get me wrong, I can understand the desire to get that story up as fast as possible because hey, it is an interesting story, if true. But there is no way I would have done that when I was writing news items for PND. If I really wanted to post it, I would have attempted to contact Richardson to get his side of the story. Then, maybe I would have posted the story with complete information. Even then, though, I might not have done it because if he did actually take the money and run, it’s not like that wasn’t allowed. There was no rule stating that a player was required to donate any winnings to Ante Up For Africa. Of course, if someone knowingly enters a charity tournament and doesn’t give back any of their winnings, I would have to agree that the person needs to take a close look at his ethical leanings, but you know what? That’s not news. It’s not my place to broadcast the perfectly allowable decision by somebody in a poker tournament.

Now, even if I wrote what one would consider a blog, as opposed to a straight-up news site, I still wouldn’t write anything about what Richardson did or did not do until I had all the facts straight. It may be a bit cliché, but I like to try to live my life by the “Golden Rule”, which states, “Do unto others as you would have done unto you.” What if I was in Richardson’s place? How would I feel if someone smeared by reputation in the name of news and page views?

While it seems that most people do believe Richardson, some still disagree with the way he went about his business when it came to donating his winnings. But that’s another discussion entirely. I am proud that Poker News Daily does not feed the rumor machine and that the writers here take care in the news articles they post. After all, we wouldn’t want to become the Poker National Enquirer now, would we?

Poker Community Remembers Lee Munzer (1943-2009)

The poker community lost one of its most respected writers yesterday when Lee Munzer passed away. He was 66. Munzer …

Poker Community Remembers Lee Munzer (1943-2009)

The poker community lost one of its most respected writers yesterday when Lee Munzer passed away. He was 66. Munzer …

Poker Community Remembers Lee Munzer (1943-2009)

The poker community lost one of its most respected writers yesterday when Lee Munzer passed away. He was 66. Munzer …