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Who came out on top in the weekly $100,000 guaranteed online poker tournament held this past Sunday, October 16th? DanLing took first place this week, earning $23,600. They were followed by trandz ($13,600.00) and metskins , who rounded out the top spots while earning $9,100. Here's the rest of the final table results: LordStark ($7,000.00); Suck_4_Luck ($5,700.00); T_CRAMEZZZ ($4,500.00); brando390 ($3,300.00); I_M_A_King ($2,200.00) and Birdie34 ($1,300.00).
In addition to our show-stopping Sunday events, Bodog hosts its regular weekly tournaments to players, and here's the winners of last week's events!
October 10 • $10k Guaranteed Double-Stack: Doked ($3,492.50)
October 11 • $10k Guaranteed Double-Stack: o_nami ($3,645.12)
October 12 • $10k Guaranteed Double-Stack: Bane24 ($3,675.37)
October 13 • $10k Guaranteed Double-Stack: tmac2424 ($3,554.37)
October 16 • $10k Guaranteed Double-Stack: ($3,561.25)
October 16 • $10k Guaranteed Turbo Double-Stack cametp887 ($5,225.00)
Bodog's guaranteed tournaments mean that there's always a big cash pool and with more players getting in on the action every week, that means there's more to be won Play poker online at Bodog and get your share!
In addition to our show-stopping Sunday events, Bodog hosts its regular weekly tournaments to players, and here's the winners of last week's events!
October 10 • $10k Guaranteed Double-Stack: Doked ($3,492.50)
October 11 • $10k Guaranteed Double-Stack: o_nami ($3,645.12)
October 12 • $10k Guaranteed Double-Stack: Bane24 ($3,675.37)
October 13 • $10k Guaranteed Double-Stack: tmac2424 ($3,554.37)
October 16 • $10k Guaranteed Double-Stack: ($3,561.25)
October 16 • $10k Guaranteed Turbo Double-Stack cametp887 ($5,225.00)
Bodog's guaranteed tournaments mean that there's always a big cash pool and with more players getting in on the action every week, that means there's more to be won Play poker online at Bodog and get your share!
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2006/12/07
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Michael Mizrachi hoped that he would've earned his second WSOP bracelet last November. Mizrachi had high expectations, and the chip lead, with five players remaining at the 2010 WSOP main event final table, but he ultimately finished fifth, just short of winning poker's greatest prize. In Las Vegas this June, Mizrachi had another opportunity for bracelet No. 2 in WSOP Event 47, but finished as the runner-up in his only cash of the summer. Although it wasn't a bracelet, his $158,148 score saved him from having a disastrous WSOP.
After a career year in 2010, when he cashed in for more than $4 million, Mizrachi's 2011 offered him only that one bright spot on the tournament front. Fortunately for The Grinder, his struggles ended in Cannes, France. Mizrachi found his stride once again in Event 5 of the 2011 WSOP Europe, defeating one of the toughest fields in a newly formatted all-around event to win his second bracelet and $448,861.
"Everything was going my way and there was nothing anybody could do," said Mizrachi after his win. "It was my day."
The 10,400 euro buy-in "Mix-Max" event featured 125 players, and the format changed three times during the competition. Day 1 offered nine-handed play, Day 2 was six-handed, and starting on Day 3, with 16 players left, the field played heads-up for the duration. One of the more intriguing aspects of this format was that the players would keep their stacks going from six-handed to heads-up play and the opponents were randomly selected at that point, resulting in some challenging situations.
Mizrachi understood how the game's dynamics would change on each day and prepared for each variation.
"I strategized about it beforehand, and thought I applied a lot of pressure in different situations," he said. "I was trying to be very creative. I did some things that people usually don't see, including some really crazy stuff. I was doing it nine-handed, then six-handed, and then short-handed. I was trying a lot of different things."
Mizrachi entered the heads-up portion of play seventh out of 16, and after he doubled up with K-K to Kent Lundmark's 10-10 on the very first hand, he was off and running. He eliminated Lundmark and Brian Hastings to advance to the last day of play, when he faced Roger Hairabedian in his final four matchup.
Hairabedian, a member of the Partouche Poker Tour main event final table, has cashed 22 times in 2011 and had the chip lead heading into the final day of play. After more than two hours of back-and-forth action, Mizrachi and Hairabedian were involved in one decisive pot. Mizrachi raised preflop with 6-7 and Hairabedian called with 5-5. The flop came J-5-8, giving Mizrachi an open-ended straight draw that trailed Hairabedian's bottom set. Hairabedian bet nearly half the pot and Mizrachi called. The turn was a four, which completed Mizrachi's straight. Hairabedian bet, Mizrachi raised big and Hairabedian moved all-in. Mizrachi called, the river blanked and he moved on to the finals to face Shawn Buchanan with a 2.3 million to 1.3 million chip lead.
Buchanan, the Canadian poker pro who defeated Noah Schwartz in the other semifinal, had been on a run of finishing as runner-up in WSOP events, and he was unlucky once again, finishing second as his A-J lost to Mizrachi's A-10 on the final hand. Buchanan has $1.9 million in WSOP earnings through 26 cashes and three second-place finishes. Mizrachi had nothing but praise for his opponent, who was the only player to secure three cashes out of the first five events at this year's WSOPE.
"Shawn is an unbelievable poker player, very talented," said Mizrachi. "All the good players know and respect him. The public does not know him, but they will. I really think he's going to be one of the best players of all time."
The Florida pro now owns 13 WSOP final table appearances and was pleased with his latest run, but his hunger for bracelets isn't satiated just quite yet.
"I think I will definitely with double digits," Mizrachi said of how many bracelet he hopes to have during his career. "But I hope for 20. When I run good, nobody can beat me. And I play all the games pretty well. I might be sitting there with a cane and can barely walk, but I think I can get to 20."
Other players to make the money included Dan Fleyshman (T-fifth), Jason Mercier (T-ninth) and Erik Seidel (T-ninth).
Below are the complete results of WSOPE Event 5:
Event 5: Mix-Max no-limit hold 'em
Buy-in: 10,400 euros
Entries: 125
Prize pool: 1,200,000 euros
Players in the money: 16
1. Michael Mizrachi (336,008 euros)
2. Shawn Buchanan (207,624)
3. Roger Hairabedian (112,092)
4. Noah Schwartz (112,092)
5. Dan Fleyshman (54,810)
5. Brian Powell (54,810)
5 .Anatolii Ozhenilok (54,810)
5. Brian Hastings (54,810)
9. Jason Mercier (26,618)
9. Dmitry Motorov (26,618)
9. Matt Waxman (26,618)
9. Erik Seidel (26,618)
9. Alexander Roumeliotis (26,618)
9. Joel Nordkvist (26,618)
9. Bryn Kenney (26,618)
9. Kent Lundmark (26,618)
After a career year in 2010, when he cashed in for more than $4 million, Mizrachi's 2011 offered him only that one bright spot on the tournament front. Fortunately for The Grinder, his struggles ended in Cannes, France. Mizrachi found his stride once again in Event 5 of the 2011 WSOP Europe, defeating one of the toughest fields in a newly formatted all-around event to win his second bracelet and $448,861.
"Everything was going my way and there was nothing anybody could do," said Mizrachi after his win. "It was my day."
The 10,400 euro buy-in "Mix-Max" event featured 125 players, and the format changed three times during the competition. Day 1 offered nine-handed play, Day 2 was six-handed, and starting on Day 3, with 16 players left, the field played heads-up for the duration. One of the more intriguing aspects of this format was that the players would keep their stacks going from six-handed to heads-up play and the opponents were randomly selected at that point, resulting in some challenging situations.
Mizrachi understood how the game's dynamics would change on each day and prepared for each variation.
"I strategized about it beforehand, and thought I applied a lot of pressure in different situations," he said. "I was trying to be very creative. I did some things that people usually don't see, including some really crazy stuff. I was doing it nine-handed, then six-handed, and then short-handed. I was trying a lot of different things."
Mizrachi entered the heads-up portion of play seventh out of 16, and after he doubled up with K-K to Kent Lundmark's 10-10 on the very first hand, he was off and running. He eliminated Lundmark and Brian Hastings to advance to the last day of play, when he faced Roger Hairabedian in his final four matchup.
Hairabedian, a member of the Partouche Poker Tour main event final table, has cashed 22 times in 2011 and had the chip lead heading into the final day of play. After more than two hours of back-and-forth action, Mizrachi and Hairabedian were involved in one decisive pot. Mizrachi raised preflop with 6-7 and Hairabedian called with 5-5. The flop came J-5-8, giving Mizrachi an open-ended straight draw that trailed Hairabedian's bottom set. Hairabedian bet nearly half the pot and Mizrachi called. The turn was a four, which completed Mizrachi's straight. Hairabedian bet, Mizrachi raised big and Hairabedian moved all-in. Mizrachi called, the river blanked and he moved on to the finals to face Shawn Buchanan with a 2.3 million to 1.3 million chip lead.
Buchanan, the Canadian poker pro who defeated Noah Schwartz in the other semifinal, had been on a run of finishing as runner-up in WSOP events, and he was unlucky once again, finishing second as his A-J lost to Mizrachi's A-10 on the final hand. Buchanan has $1.9 million in WSOP earnings through 26 cashes and three second-place finishes. Mizrachi had nothing but praise for his opponent, who was the only player to secure three cashes out of the first five events at this year's WSOPE.
"Shawn is an unbelievable poker player, very talented," said Mizrachi. "All the good players know and respect him. The public does not know him, but they will. I really think he's going to be one of the best players of all time."
The Florida pro now owns 13 WSOP final table appearances and was pleased with his latest run, but his hunger for bracelets isn't satiated just quite yet.
"I think I will definitely with double digits," Mizrachi said of how many bracelet he hopes to have during his career. "But I hope for 20. When I run good, nobody can beat me. And I play all the games pretty well. I might be sitting there with a cane and can barely walk, but I think I can get to 20."
Other players to make the money included Dan Fleyshman (T-fifth), Jason Mercier (T-ninth) and Erik Seidel (T-ninth).
Below are the complete results of WSOPE Event 5:
Event 5: Mix-Max no-limit hold 'em
Buy-in: 10,400 euros
Entries: 125
Prize pool: 1,200,000 euros
Players in the money: 16
1. Michael Mizrachi (336,008 euros)
2. Shawn Buchanan (207,624)
3. Roger Hairabedian (112,092)
4. Noah Schwartz (112,092)
5. Dan Fleyshman (54,810)
5. Brian Powell (54,810)
5 .Anatolii Ozhenilok (54,810)
5. Brian Hastings (54,810)
9. Jason Mercier (26,618)
9. Dmitry Motorov (26,618)
9. Matt Waxman (26,618)
9. Erik Seidel (26,618)
9. Alexander Roumeliotis (26,618)
9. Joel Nordkvist (26,618)
9. Bryn Kenney (26,618)
9. Kent Lundmark (26,618)
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2006/12/07
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Make your first deposit with PDC Poker and use coupon code PDC to earn a 100% bonus on deposits up to $600! That's $600 free on deposits of up to $600.
You will also receive entry for 14 days into the $500 Freerolls for New Depositing Players.
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2006/12/07
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The operators of a Las Vegas casino say they are preparing for online poker to be legal in the United States by opening a free-play public online site.
SouthPointPoker.com allows the public to play on the Internet but not with real money, the Las Vegas Sun reported. South Point Casino hopes to have a customer base if the United States makes online poker a legal and regulated game.
"The obvious reason is you would want people on your site already playing so we are hoping to get that with the free site," spokesman Tom Mikovits said. "We wanted them to get comfortable with an aesthetically pleasing, good-looking site that's easy to play on."
Players can compete for seats in the 2012 World Series of Poker through the online site, another move to drive traffic.
South Point is the first Las Vegas casino to make the move into online poker. The site went live earlier this month and was only open to members of the casino's players club until Monday.
SouthPointPoker.com allows the public to play on the Internet but not with real money, the Las Vegas Sun reported. South Point Casino hopes to have a customer base if the United States makes online poker a legal and regulated game.
"The obvious reason is you would want people on your site already playing so we are hoping to get that with the free site," spokesman Tom Mikovits said. "We wanted them to get comfortable with an aesthetically pleasing, good-looking site that's easy to play on."
Players can compete for seats in the 2012 World Series of Poker through the online site, another move to drive traffic.
South Point is the first Las Vegas casino to make the move into online poker. The site went live earlier this month and was only open to members of the casino's players club until Monday.
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2006/12/07
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Earlier this summer, ESPN offered poker fans more than 36 hours of nearly live coverage of the WSOP main event from Days 3-8. The WSOP broadcasts, seen on ESPN's family of networks on a 30-minute delay, featured hole cards once hands had been completed and commentary by top poker professionals that highlighted the real strategy element involved in every hand. It was groundbreaking, innovative and really, just the start. The way the industry viewed coverage of the world's largest poker event had been changed forever.
When we left the Rio in July, the November Nine had just been determined on ESPN2. When play resumes in Las Vegas on Sunday, November 6, the action will resume, for the first time, on ESPN2. Beginning at 3:30 p.m. ET, the cards will be in the air and broadcast virtually live on ESPN2. Play-by-play will be provided by Lon McEachern and David Tuchman with analysis offered by a soon-to-be-announced cast of professional poker players. Norman Chad and the ESPN Inside Deal team will provide coverage during the breaks.
Sunday's final table play will continue until three players remain. Monday, November 7 will be a day off for the players and three-handed action will begin at 9 p.m. ET Tuesday, November 8, on ESPN with McEachern, Norman Chad and Antonio Esfandiari calling the action. On both days, in compliance with gaming regulations, the tournament will be broadcast virtually live on a 15-minute delay. At the end of every hand, hole cards will be seen for any player who voluntarily enters the pot or some way affects the action.
"We had great success with our live WSOP main event shows this summer and this kind of unprecedented coverage of the final table on ESPN will allow fans to experience the culmination of the biggest event in poker," said Doug White, ESPN senior director of programming and acquisitions.
Coverage of both days of play will also be found on ESPN3.com, WSOP.com and on smartphones using the WatchESPN application.
"There are moments when you realize you're turning an important corner," said WSOP Executive Director Ty Stewart. "This coverage shifts the paradigm for poker's potential on television and will showcase our championship with unprecedented richness and scale."
This year's November Nine will offer new, historic moments and as the final table gets closer, don't forget to catch up with the WSOP final table action every Tuesday night on ESPN from 9-11 p.m. ET.
When we left the Rio in July, the November Nine had just been determined on ESPN2. When play resumes in Las Vegas on Sunday, November 6, the action will resume, for the first time, on ESPN2. Beginning at 3:30 p.m. ET, the cards will be in the air and broadcast virtually live on ESPN2. Play-by-play will be provided by Lon McEachern and David Tuchman with analysis offered by a soon-to-be-announced cast of professional poker players. Norman Chad and the ESPN Inside Deal team will provide coverage during the breaks.
Sunday's final table play will continue until three players remain. Monday, November 7 will be a day off for the players and three-handed action will begin at 9 p.m. ET Tuesday, November 8, on ESPN with McEachern, Norman Chad and Antonio Esfandiari calling the action. On both days, in compliance with gaming regulations, the tournament will be broadcast virtually live on a 15-minute delay. At the end of every hand, hole cards will be seen for any player who voluntarily enters the pot or some way affects the action.
"We had great success with our live WSOP main event shows this summer and this kind of unprecedented coverage of the final table on ESPN will allow fans to experience the culmination of the biggest event in poker," said Doug White, ESPN senior director of programming and acquisitions.
Coverage of both days of play will also be found on ESPN3.com, WSOP.com and on smartphones using the WatchESPN application.
"There are moments when you realize you're turning an important corner," said WSOP Executive Director Ty Stewart. "This coverage shifts the paradigm for poker's potential on television and will showcase our championship with unprecedented richness and scale."
This year's November Nine will offer new, historic moments and as the final table gets closer, don't forget to catch up with the WSOP final table action every Tuesday night on ESPN from 9-11 p.m. ET.
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2006/12/07
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USA Today (of all the places!) had the first real details on the poker league that Jeffrey Pollack and Annie Duke started a while back. The Federated Sports and Gaming Poker League has (understandably) tough qualification criteria with each type of card requiring a certain level of skill. For instance, the five-year card requires that players have at least $4,000,000 in adjusted lifetime earnings from the game with a single largest win capped at $2,000,000. Players looking for a five-year card must also have earned at least three major titles and had at least 9 cashes since January 1, 2008 totaling at least $600,000.
For three-year and two-year cards, the qualifications are lighter, but each "qualifying tournament" has requirements that are stringent enough to ensure that it's not going to be easy to play in the league, even if you are a heck of a grinder.
"We put a lot of thought into it just thinking about what it is that would define one of the best live tournament players in the world," Duke told USA today. As mentioned above, players must be active and they all have to have won since 2008. "We wanted to make sure that we were grabbing the best of the best today," she continues. A notable player who's ineligible is Jamie Gold, who won $12 million at the 2006 World Series but hasn't gone full-time pro and has $12.231 million in lifetime earnings, according to the HendonMob.com database.
The first season has a roster of 218 players and the first event begins August 9-12 at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas.
Don't qualify for the new league? That's ok! Online poker at Bodog lets every player get in on the action!
For three-year and two-year cards, the qualifications are lighter, but each "qualifying tournament" has requirements that are stringent enough to ensure that it's not going to be easy to play in the league, even if you are a heck of a grinder.
"We put a lot of thought into it just thinking about what it is that would define one of the best live tournament players in the world," Duke told USA today. As mentioned above, players must be active and they all have to have won since 2008. "We wanted to make sure that we were grabbing the best of the best today," she continues. A notable player who's ineligible is Jamie Gold, who won $12 million at the 2006 World Series but hasn't gone full-time pro and has $12.231 million in lifetime earnings, according to the HendonMob.com database.
The first season has a roster of 218 players and the first event begins August 9-12 at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas.
Don't qualify for the new league? That's ok! Online poker at Bodog lets every player get in on the action!
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2011/09/28
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A U.S. House energy and commerce committee Wednesday scheduled a hearing next week that some see as a first step toward legalized Internet gambling.
"I am pleased that (Chairwoman Mary) Bono-Mack is holding a hearing on the important issue of Internet gaming," Rep. Joe Barton, R-Texas, was quoted by The Hill as saying.
Barton introduced a bill to legalize Internet poker this summer after the Obama administration shut down much of the practice and accused one site, Full Tilt Poker, of being a "massive Ponzi scheme," the Washington newspaper said.
"It's a first step to showing why the current law is a lose-lose for everyone -- the public, the taxpayer, the banking industry and the people who want to play poker openly and honestly on the Internet," Barton said.
U.S. Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., has come out against the administration and is a leading supporter of Internet gambling. He was a major force behind a bill to legalize online gambling in the previous Congress and reintroduced the same measure this year with the help of Rep. John Campbell, R-Calif.
Rep. Spencer Bachus, R-Ala., chairman of the Financial Services Committee, worked to ban online gaming in 2006 and said his committee has no plans to revisit the issue, The Hill said.
"I am pleased that (Chairwoman Mary) Bono-Mack is holding a hearing on the important issue of Internet gaming," Rep. Joe Barton, R-Texas, was quoted by The Hill as saying.
Barton introduced a bill to legalize Internet poker this summer after the Obama administration shut down much of the practice and accused one site, Full Tilt Poker, of being a "massive Ponzi scheme," the Washington newspaper said.
"It's a first step to showing why the current law is a lose-lose for everyone -- the public, the taxpayer, the banking industry and the people who want to play poker openly and honestly on the Internet," Barton said.
U.S. Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., has come out against the administration and is a leading supporter of Internet gambling. He was a major force behind a bill to legalize online gambling in the previous Congress and reintroduced the same measure this year with the help of Rep. John Campbell, R-Calif.
Rep. Spencer Bachus, R-Ala., chairman of the Financial Services Committee, worked to ban online gaming in 2006 and said his committee has no plans to revisit the issue, The Hill said.
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2006/12/07
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Towson University has its own poker club site courtesy of a college student who said he hopes to become the Mark Zuckerberg of online gambling.
Chandler Bator, a junior at Arizona State University, and ASU alumnus Anthony Bucca, began a Web project called “Your College Poker Club” for 160 colleges across the country, which gives college students a safe and legal environment to play casino games without losing money.
Your College Poker Club comes as a result of the federal government shutdown of multiple gambling websites such as FullTiltPoker.net.
Bator said he got the idea when a fellow student had to drop out of school because of all the money he lost on the online poker site PokerStars.net
“We wanted to make something that was safer for them to fulfill their need without the same type of risk involved with regular gambling sites,” he said.
When students sign up, they pay a fee and then are able to participate in poker tournaments, sports book betting, and other types of casino games. Bator said he hopes that as the sites pick up and membership increases, these games could have monetary rewards for students that finish in the top few spots.
“We will have daily and weekly prizes, and as our membership basis grows, our prizes will be able to grow,” Bator said. “We want to give out a $10,000 weekly seat to the World Series of Poker.”
As for what schools have access to the sites, the partners looked at institutions’ athletic involvement so that they could build off school spirit and eventually pit rival schools head-to-head in tournaments to see how schools stack up against one another.
“It will be fun to see how students take their school spirit and translate it into their usage of the site to try to perform better in the tournaments than students from other schools,” Bator said.
All 160 sites are set to be operational by the end of the month, according to Bator.
Chandler Bator, a junior at Arizona State University, and ASU alumnus Anthony Bucca, began a Web project called “Your College Poker Club” for 160 colleges across the country, which gives college students a safe and legal environment to play casino games without losing money.
Your College Poker Club comes as a result of the federal government shutdown of multiple gambling websites such as FullTiltPoker.net.
Bator said he got the idea when a fellow student had to drop out of school because of all the money he lost on the online poker site PokerStars.net
“We wanted to make something that was safer for them to fulfill their need without the same type of risk involved with regular gambling sites,” he said.
When students sign up, they pay a fee and then are able to participate in poker tournaments, sports book betting, and other types of casino games. Bator said he hopes that as the sites pick up and membership increases, these games could have monetary rewards for students that finish in the top few spots.
“We will have daily and weekly prizes, and as our membership basis grows, our prizes will be able to grow,” Bator said. “We want to give out a $10,000 weekly seat to the World Series of Poker.”
As for what schools have access to the sites, the partners looked at institutions’ athletic involvement so that they could build off school spirit and eventually pit rival schools head-to-head in tournaments to see how schools stack up against one another.
“It will be fun to see how students take their school spirit and translate it into their usage of the site to try to perform better in the tournaments than students from other schools,” Bator said.
All 160 sites are set to be operational by the end of the month, according to Bator.
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2006/12/07
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29893
Jake Cody got plenty of attention earlier this summer by winning the $25,000 buy-in heads-up world championship that kicked off the 2011 World Series of Poker in Las Vegas. After he took the third leg of poker's triple crown against one of the toughest fields in the world, he followed it up by earning two more cashes in Vegas, including the main event. Thus, it appeared that everyone was simply waiting for Cody's next big thing. Well, the waiting might just be over.
When play begins on Thursday at 8 a.m. ET on ESPN3.com, Cody will enter the WSOP Europe main event final table second in chips (2.7 million) behind Elio Fox (3.9 million). Cody started play on Day 4 as one of the shorter stacks, but battled for hours before finding a few key double-ups. Once he was rolling, he had very few setbacks and really earned his way into one of the biggest final tables on the poker calendar.
Fox was second in chips until one of the final hands of play on Wednesday as he knocked out both Arnaud Mattern and Alex Dovzhenko holding 10-10 and flopping a set against A-A (Mattern) and A-K (Dovzhenko). Fox won the Bellagio Cup VII for $669,692 in July and is positioned for an even bigger score on Thursday. Another Bellagio Cup champion, Moritz Kranich, also made the final table and will start with 1.6 million in chips (seventh overall).
Cody is only one of the European talents that will be on display Thursday. Chris Moorman, one of the world's top-ranked online poker players, made his third WSOP final table of the year after previously finishing second (in the $10,000 six-handed world championships) and third (in the $2,500 six-handed event) in Las Vegas. Moorman has never captured a live major title, but his final-table experience may be unrivaled by any of his competition in Cannes. This is his sixth WSOP cash of 2011 and he secured his final table bid by rivering Patrik Antonius with A-7 (against A-Q). Antonius was the final table bubble boy, finishing in ninth for 90,000 euros.
Moorman will begin the final day fourth with 2.2 million in chips. If he comes away with the win, he'll put the pressure on Ben Lamb for player of the year honors. However, he's not the only player who can take the honors from Lamb, who many believed was a lock when play concluded in Las Vegas. Shawn Buchanan, days removed from his second-place finish in the "Mix-Max" event, can also overtake Lamb with a victory. This is Buchanan's fourth cash at WSOPE and his ninth WSOP cash of 2011. He has $4.1 million in live tournament earnings, but the WSOP win has evaded him, although he has three second-place finishes. He'll enter the final table as the short stack with 1.0 million in chips, but with 30 big blinds, Buchanan has a ton of room to maneuver.
Dublin's Dermot Blain is making his second WSOP cash of the year and is just weeks removed from a 48th-place finish at EPT London. The 2009 APPT Macau champion will enter the final table third in chips (2.4 million). Brian Roberts is making his largest live career cash after making many significant ones online playing as "flawless_victory." With 2.0 million in chips, he'll have a fifth-place stack to start the final table.
In sixth is the third member of the British contingent at this final table, Max Silver. The UIKPT Dublin champion notched the biggest cash of his career in a side event at EPT London in 2010 and finished fourth in the WSOPE shootout last week.
In addition to the WSOP bracelet, here's what they'll be playing for on Thursday:
1st: 1,400,000 euros
2nd: 800,000
3rd: 550,000
4th: 400,000
5th: 275,000
6th: 200,000
7th: 150,000
8th: 115,000
When play begins on Thursday at 8 a.m. ET on ESPN3.com, Cody will enter the WSOP Europe main event final table second in chips (2.7 million) behind Elio Fox (3.9 million). Cody started play on Day 4 as one of the shorter stacks, but battled for hours before finding a few key double-ups. Once he was rolling, he had very few setbacks and really earned his way into one of the biggest final tables on the poker calendar.
Fox was second in chips until one of the final hands of play on Wednesday as he knocked out both Arnaud Mattern and Alex Dovzhenko holding 10-10 and flopping a set against A-A (Mattern) and A-K (Dovzhenko). Fox won the Bellagio Cup VII for $669,692 in July and is positioned for an even bigger score on Thursday. Another Bellagio Cup champion, Moritz Kranich, also made the final table and will start with 1.6 million in chips (seventh overall).
Cody is only one of the European talents that will be on display Thursday. Chris Moorman, one of the world's top-ranked online poker players, made his third WSOP final table of the year after previously finishing second (in the $10,000 six-handed world championships) and third (in the $2,500 six-handed event) in Las Vegas. Moorman has never captured a live major title, but his final-table experience may be unrivaled by any of his competition in Cannes. This is his sixth WSOP cash of 2011 and he secured his final table bid by rivering Patrik Antonius with A-7 (against A-Q). Antonius was the final table bubble boy, finishing in ninth for 90,000 euros.
Moorman will begin the final day fourth with 2.2 million in chips. If he comes away with the win, he'll put the pressure on Ben Lamb for player of the year honors. However, he's not the only player who can take the honors from Lamb, who many believed was a lock when play concluded in Las Vegas. Shawn Buchanan, days removed from his second-place finish in the "Mix-Max" event, can also overtake Lamb with a victory. This is Buchanan's fourth cash at WSOPE and his ninth WSOP cash of 2011. He has $4.1 million in live tournament earnings, but the WSOP win has evaded him, although he has three second-place finishes. He'll enter the final table as the short stack with 1.0 million in chips, but with 30 big blinds, Buchanan has a ton of room to maneuver.
Dublin's Dermot Blain is making his second WSOP cash of the year and is just weeks removed from a 48th-place finish at EPT London. The 2009 APPT Macau champion will enter the final table third in chips (2.4 million). Brian Roberts is making his largest live career cash after making many significant ones online playing as "flawless_victory." With 2.0 million in chips, he'll have a fifth-place stack to start the final table.
In sixth is the third member of the British contingent at this final table, Max Silver. The UIKPT Dublin champion notched the biggest cash of his career in a side event at EPT London in 2010 and finished fourth in the WSOPE shootout last week.
In addition to the WSOP bracelet, here's what they'll be playing for on Thursday:
1st: 1,400,000 euros
2nd: 800,000
3rd: 550,000
4th: 400,000
5th: 275,000
6th: 200,000
7th: 150,000
8th: 115,000
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2006/12/07
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The first Caesars Cup did not go so well for Team Americas in 2009. Losing four matches to one was not exactly the way that year’s Team Americas captain, Daniel Negreanu, wanted to represent his side of the Atlantic. And while it might have been tough to wait two years for another shot, that layoff may have made the payback that much sweeter. Team Americas, this time headed by 11-time World Series of Poker bracelet winner Phil Hellmuth, avenged its 2009 loss this week, defeating Bertrand Grospellier’s Team Europe three matches to one.
The Caesars Cup is similar in format to golf’s Ryder Cup. Each team’s captain selected four team members and decided in which order teach individual or duo should play to maximize their team’s chances in the best-of-five series. Joining Hellmuth on Team Americas were Negreanu, Jason Mercier (who replaced Huck Seed), 10-time WSOP bracelet winner Johnny Chan, and Hellmuth’s primary competitor for this year’s WSOP Player of the Year title and November Niner, Ben Lamb (who replaced Doyle Brunson). Grospellier selected Jake Cody, Max Lykov, Gus Hansen, and Tony G to attempt to defend Team Europe’s 2009 championship.
Prior to the competition, Hellmuth expressed his confidence to Caesars Cup officials, saying, “We’re going to win this time. Last time, there was a lack of team unity. This time around, we are much more focused. It was really humiliating to go through that, two years ago. We are not going to let that happen again.”
Grospellier begged to differ, countering, “I know we have the best team here. I picked out the players I think can beat each of the Americans. They have a lot of talented players. But we have the advantage. Our players are better as a team, which is very important when you are playing the team format.”
Match One was a tag team match, pitting Team America’s Lamb and Mercier against Team Europe’s Tony G and Jake Cody. America won it to take a 1-0 lead.
For Match Two, Hellmuth decided to pair up with Negreanu, just like they did last time, and just like last time, the result was the same: a loss. Hansen and Lykov took them down shortly after doubling up with A-5 versus K-T suited. The contest was now tied at one match a piece, narrowing the series to essentially a best-of-three.
Just like in other sports, Match Three of a best-of-five is pivotal when each team has won a game, as the loser is then put in an elimination situation. To try to gain the upper hand, Hellmuth sent the all-time great Johnny Chan to the felt against Team Europe’s captain, Bertrand Grospellier. Chan won the swing match, taking Grospellier down with pocket fours versus A-6.
Team Europe had its collective back against the wall, one loss away from ending the 2011 Caesars Cup without even getting to a Match 5. Lycov got the call, having to square off against Hellmuth in a pressure packed elimination match. It was over in thirty minutes. Hellmuth had Q-T, Lykov K-9, and when a Queen flopped, both men got all their chips into the pot. Hellmuth’s top pair held up and Team Americas wrenched the Caesars Cup trophy from the Europeans.
The Caesars Cup is similar in format to golf’s Ryder Cup. Each team’s captain selected four team members and decided in which order teach individual or duo should play to maximize their team’s chances in the best-of-five series. Joining Hellmuth on Team Americas were Negreanu, Jason Mercier (who replaced Huck Seed), 10-time WSOP bracelet winner Johnny Chan, and Hellmuth’s primary competitor for this year’s WSOP Player of the Year title and November Niner, Ben Lamb (who replaced Doyle Brunson). Grospellier selected Jake Cody, Max Lykov, Gus Hansen, and Tony G to attempt to defend Team Europe’s 2009 championship.
Prior to the competition, Hellmuth expressed his confidence to Caesars Cup officials, saying, “We’re going to win this time. Last time, there was a lack of team unity. This time around, we are much more focused. It was really humiliating to go through that, two years ago. We are not going to let that happen again.”
Grospellier begged to differ, countering, “I know we have the best team here. I picked out the players I think can beat each of the Americans. They have a lot of talented players. But we have the advantage. Our players are better as a team, which is very important when you are playing the team format.”
Match One was a tag team match, pitting Team America’s Lamb and Mercier against Team Europe’s Tony G and Jake Cody. America won it to take a 1-0 lead.
For Match Two, Hellmuth decided to pair up with Negreanu, just like they did last time, and just like last time, the result was the same: a loss. Hansen and Lykov took them down shortly after doubling up with A-5 versus K-T suited. The contest was now tied at one match a piece, narrowing the series to essentially a best-of-three.
Just like in other sports, Match Three of a best-of-five is pivotal when each team has won a game, as the loser is then put in an elimination situation. To try to gain the upper hand, Hellmuth sent the all-time great Johnny Chan to the felt against Team Europe’s captain, Bertrand Grospellier. Chan won the swing match, taking Grospellier down with pocket fours versus A-6.
Team Europe had its collective back against the wall, one loss away from ending the 2011 Caesars Cup without even getting to a Match 5. Lycov got the call, having to square off against Hellmuth in a pressure packed elimination match. It was over in thirty minutes. Hellmuth had Q-T, Lykov K-9, and when a Queen flopped, both men got all their chips into the pot. Hellmuth’s top pair held up and Team Americas wrenched the Caesars Cup trophy from the Europeans.
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2006/12/07
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By a very slim majority – California voters – after taking part in a poll, have backed the legalization of online poker for this state. The poll took place in September, while back at the ranch, Californian State legislature is still considering whether or not to make the game legal. When we say ’slim majority’ this is very slim – with only 53% in support and a margin of error of around 4.6%. Voters in the majority consisted of young males (3 – 1), while most opposition was met from Republicans.
According to the political director of the California Tribal Business Alliance – David Quintana, this is hardly an overwhelming majority. This business alliance opposes legislation, whereas COPA support it and have already launched a free-for-play online poker website. Obviously the launch of this games site has been undertaken with the hopes that pay-for-play poker will be made legal before very long.
There are two online gambling bills under consideration, despite the fact that in April a number of larger offshore online poker sites and their operators were indicted by the US Department of Justice. Full Tilt Poker (FTP) was one of these sites, and their story has turned out to be a mismanagement fiasco of massive proportions. The AGA argues that the lack of legislation was the reason for the FTP mess and they would probably be right.
While the support for online poker was age-related, and Californians do tend to historically support more liberal views on legislation; the author of the bill finds the results of the poll encouraging. State Sen. Lou Correa holds the view that the revenue potential for the state could be ‘explosive’ in terms of tax revenue, and is keen to cut a deal asap. He is hoping that support for online gambling will see his bill where he wants it to be, and legal online poker being played in California by January 2012.
According to the political director of the California Tribal Business Alliance – David Quintana, this is hardly an overwhelming majority. This business alliance opposes legislation, whereas COPA support it and have already launched a free-for-play online poker website. Obviously the launch of this games site has been undertaken with the hopes that pay-for-play poker will be made legal before very long.
There are two online gambling bills under consideration, despite the fact that in April a number of larger offshore online poker sites and their operators were indicted by the US Department of Justice. Full Tilt Poker (FTP) was one of these sites, and their story has turned out to be a mismanagement fiasco of massive proportions. The AGA argues that the lack of legislation was the reason for the FTP mess and they would probably be right.
While the support for online poker was age-related, and Californians do tend to historically support more liberal views on legislation; the author of the bill finds the results of the poll encouraging. State Sen. Lou Correa holds the view that the revenue potential for the state could be ‘explosive’ in terms of tax revenue, and is keen to cut a deal asap. He is hoping that support for online gambling will see his bill where he wants it to be, and legal online poker being played in California by January 2012.
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2006/12/07
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Bodog and Merge Gaming are apparently very much on the radar of the USA Department of Justice, at least according to inside sources that have been working with the radio hosts of QuadJacks.com.
This morning’s stream of Quad Jacks radio openly revealed that the next internet gambling companies that may be going down are Bodog and Merge Gaming. One of the site’s regular hosts, Zekday0, tweeted just minutes ago that “Bodog [is] going to be seized in 2 weeks, Merge 30-60 days. You heard it here FIRST.”
The tweet comes in the wake of Bodog redirecting their .com domain to Bodog.eu and Merge skins like Lock Poker redirecting their .com site to LockPoker.eu – both of which occurred just this week! These particular moves have been seen by many gaming insiders as a preemptive move to possibly stay one step ahead of the DOJ.
So far, none of the aforementioned sites have been indicted by the USA government, but their counterparts such as Bookmaker and Doyles Room were recently named in a Maryland indictment for being complicit in violating numerous state laws involving payment processing. Some of their domains have already been seized and sites like Bookmaker.com have already began redirecting traffic to bmaker.ag, a drastic move to ensure their place in the USA market despite being named in the most recent indictment against internet gambling websites.
As of right now, the news is only speculation at the moment, but it could be a very troubling sign for the remaining companies still offering online poker and other gambling services to USA customers. Since “Black Friday,” 14 online gambling companies have already been named in either federal or state indictments for breaking banking statutes and violating terms laid out in the Wire Act.
This morning’s stream of Quad Jacks radio openly revealed that the next internet gambling companies that may be going down are Bodog and Merge Gaming. One of the site’s regular hosts, Zekday0, tweeted just minutes ago that “Bodog [is] going to be seized in 2 weeks, Merge 30-60 days. You heard it here FIRST.”
The tweet comes in the wake of Bodog redirecting their .com domain to Bodog.eu and Merge skins like Lock Poker redirecting their .com site to LockPoker.eu – both of which occurred just this week! These particular moves have been seen by many gaming insiders as a preemptive move to possibly stay one step ahead of the DOJ.
So far, none of the aforementioned sites have been indicted by the USA government, but their counterparts such as Bookmaker and Doyles Room were recently named in a Maryland indictment for being complicit in violating numerous state laws involving payment processing. Some of their domains have already been seized and sites like Bookmaker.com have already began redirecting traffic to bmaker.ag, a drastic move to ensure their place in the USA market despite being named in the most recent indictment against internet gambling websites.
As of right now, the news is only speculation at the moment, but it could be a very troubling sign for the remaining companies still offering online poker and other gambling services to USA customers. Since “Black Friday,” 14 online gambling companies have already been named in either federal or state indictments for breaking banking statutes and violating terms laid out in the Wire Act.
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2006/12/07
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The first six bracelet events of the 2011 World Series of Poker Europe offered incredible turnouts, huge prize pools and a clear validation that the WSOP brand is alive and well. The main event told the same story and set a record with 593 players creating the largest WSOP Europe main event, the largest prize pool in French poker history and the largest first-place prize in French history (1.4 million euros). American Elio Fox ensured that the WSOPE bracelet would head back across the ocean as he pocketed the top prize as champion of one of the biggest events on the poker calendar.
"I think the most important thing to me is knowing whether I played well, or not," he said after his win. "I get really hard on myself when I play poorly. Obviously, winning a lot of money is a great feeling. But as a poker player, I think it's extremely important to be tough on yourself, especially when you are playing badly. Even if your results have been good, and vice versa. Obviously, I am ecstatic that I won this. It's an amazing feeling. But it's also important to keep the important stuff in mind. I mean, winning a big title isn't everything."
His reaction after winning reflected his views as he initially barely cracked a smile once play had concluded and the bricks of cash were placed before him. Gradually, the win seemed to set in, as did a smile on his face.
Fox, a 25-year-old professional poker player from New York, turned to poker during his freshman year at Bard College. After graduating, he decided to pursue the online game full-time and profited well with his chosen profession. He traveled to Vegas for the WSOP this summer and went 0-for-17, but turned his run around with a win in the $10,000 Bellagio Cup for $669,692. Fox has earned more than $2.6 million at the live tournament felt throughout his career and it's the flexibility of a poker career that continues to appeal to him. That flexibility allowed him to establish a residency in Canada to continue playing online post-Black Friday.
"I like living a lifestyle that involves a lot of freedom," he said. "I don't like being on a set routine. The idea of going to the same job every day over and over for 10 hours a day sounds like horrible to me. Poker is just the opposite of that. It is also extremely interesting. You are constantly learning new things. There is always more to learn."
The heads-up matchup between Fox and online poker icon Chris "Moorman1" Moorman was a battle between two of the online game's best, with Fox beginning their confrontation with a 2-to-1 lead. Fox was able to take a good portion of Moorman's stack by rivering a 2-high flush and he earned the win when his A-10 held over Moorman's A-7. Moorman earned 800,000 euros for second, his largest career live cash.
It wasn't an easy day for Moorman as he battled to build his stack throughout most of the nine-hour final table, the quickest WSOP Europe main event final table in history. Despite his best efforts, he was never able to overtake Fox, who secured his lead in the early stages as he eliminated Jake Cody in seventh by holding 10-10 to Cody's J-J and turning a straight. From that point on, Fox picked his spots well and eliminated Moritz Kranich (third) to position himself for a tough heads-up match.
Brian "flawless_victory" Roberts appeared poised to be the one going heads-up with Fox, but one major hand against Moorman led to his downfall and fourth-place finish. Roberts flopped the second nut-flush while Moorman turned the nut flush and one of the largest pots of the day was sent Moorman's direction. Roberts would be eliminated by Moorman shortly thereafter.
In addition to the money and bracelet, Moorman and Shawn Buchanan (eliminated in sixth) had another opportunity during the final table: to overtake Ben Lamb for the 2011 WSOP Player of the Year lead. However, with Moorman's elimination in second place, Lamb officially locked up the honor. Buchanan had nine WSOP cashes in 2011, including four at WSOP Europe.
Lamb reacted to the final results on Twitter saying, "I finally won [Player of the Year]? [Good game Moorman] - one of the sickest around."
The event was broadcast live on ESPN3.com. Fans can watch a replay of the event on demand. The edited broadcast of the WSOPE main event and the Caesars Cup will be televised on Dec. 18 starting at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN2.
Other notable finishers include Patrik Antonius (ninth), Arnaud Mattern (10th) and John Duthie (18th).
Below are the complete results of WSOPE Event 7:
Event 7: Main event
Buy-in: 10,000 euros
Entries: 593
Prize pool: 5,692,800 euros
Players in the money: 64
1. Elio Fox (1,400,000 euros)
2. Chris Moorman (800,000)
3. Moritz Kranich (550,000)
4. Brian Roberts (400,000)
5. Dermot Blain (275,000)
6. Shawn Buchanan (200,000)
7. Jake Cody (150,000)
8. Max Silver (115,000)
9. Patrik Antonius (90,000)
10. Arnaud Mattern (90,000)
11. Alex Dovzhenko (67,500)
12. Thibaud Guenegou (67,500)
13. Andy Moseley (53,000)
14. Steven Moreau (53,000)
15. Amir Lehavot (43,000)
16. Michael Drummond (43,000)
17. Dario Sammartino (37,000)
18. John Duthie (37,000)
19. Jeremy Kottler (37,000)
20. John Eames (37,000)
21. Erik Seidel (37,000)
22. James Schafer (37,000)
23. Ricardo Tavares (37,000)
24. Tony Guoga (37,000)
25. Philippe Ktorza (32,000)
26. Pavel Ivan (32,000)
27. Maria Ho (32,000)
28. Chris McClung (32,000)
29. Eduard Kapitonov (32,000)
30. Matt Waxman (32,000)
31. Casey Kastle (32,000)
32. Artem Litvinov (32,000)
33. Melanie Weisner (27,500)
34. Megrous Kidhir (27,500)
35. Rifat Palevic (27,500)
36. Liv Boeree (27,500)
37. Tom Bedell (27,500)
38. Carbone Damiano (27,500)
39. Freddy Deeb (27,500)
40. Ilan Boujenah (27,500)
41. McLean Karr (24,000)
42. Hoyt Corkins (24,000)
43. Sean Getzwiller (24,000)
44. Giacomo Maisto (24,000)
45. Rebecca Mordoff (24,000)
46. Michael Leah (24,000)
47. Anatolii Ozhenilok (24,000)
48. Joao Barbosa (24,0
"I think the most important thing to me is knowing whether I played well, or not," he said after his win. "I get really hard on myself when I play poorly. Obviously, winning a lot of money is a great feeling. But as a poker player, I think it's extremely important to be tough on yourself, especially when you are playing badly. Even if your results have been good, and vice versa. Obviously, I am ecstatic that I won this. It's an amazing feeling. But it's also important to keep the important stuff in mind. I mean, winning a big title isn't everything."
His reaction after winning reflected his views as he initially barely cracked a smile once play had concluded and the bricks of cash were placed before him. Gradually, the win seemed to set in, as did a smile on his face.
Fox, a 25-year-old professional poker player from New York, turned to poker during his freshman year at Bard College. After graduating, he decided to pursue the online game full-time and profited well with his chosen profession. He traveled to Vegas for the WSOP this summer and went 0-for-17, but turned his run around with a win in the $10,000 Bellagio Cup for $669,692. Fox has earned more than $2.6 million at the live tournament felt throughout his career and it's the flexibility of a poker career that continues to appeal to him. That flexibility allowed him to establish a residency in Canada to continue playing online post-Black Friday.
"I like living a lifestyle that involves a lot of freedom," he said. "I don't like being on a set routine. The idea of going to the same job every day over and over for 10 hours a day sounds like horrible to me. Poker is just the opposite of that. It is also extremely interesting. You are constantly learning new things. There is always more to learn."
The heads-up matchup between Fox and online poker icon Chris "Moorman1" Moorman was a battle between two of the online game's best, with Fox beginning their confrontation with a 2-to-1 lead. Fox was able to take a good portion of Moorman's stack by rivering a 2-high flush and he earned the win when his A-10 held over Moorman's A-7. Moorman earned 800,000 euros for second, his largest career live cash.
It wasn't an easy day for Moorman as he battled to build his stack throughout most of the nine-hour final table, the quickest WSOP Europe main event final table in history. Despite his best efforts, he was never able to overtake Fox, who secured his lead in the early stages as he eliminated Jake Cody in seventh by holding 10-10 to Cody's J-J and turning a straight. From that point on, Fox picked his spots well and eliminated Moritz Kranich (third) to position himself for a tough heads-up match.
Brian "flawless_victory" Roberts appeared poised to be the one going heads-up with Fox, but one major hand against Moorman led to his downfall and fourth-place finish. Roberts flopped the second nut-flush while Moorman turned the nut flush and one of the largest pots of the day was sent Moorman's direction. Roberts would be eliminated by Moorman shortly thereafter.
In addition to the money and bracelet, Moorman and Shawn Buchanan (eliminated in sixth) had another opportunity during the final table: to overtake Ben Lamb for the 2011 WSOP Player of the Year lead. However, with Moorman's elimination in second place, Lamb officially locked up the honor. Buchanan had nine WSOP cashes in 2011, including four at WSOP Europe.
Lamb reacted to the final results on Twitter saying, "I finally won [Player of the Year]? [Good game Moorman] - one of the sickest around."
The event was broadcast live on ESPN3.com. Fans can watch a replay of the event on demand. The edited broadcast of the WSOPE main event and the Caesars Cup will be televised on Dec. 18 starting at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN2.
Other notable finishers include Patrik Antonius (ninth), Arnaud Mattern (10th) and John Duthie (18th).
Below are the complete results of WSOPE Event 7:
Event 7: Main event
Buy-in: 10,000 euros
Entries: 593
Prize pool: 5,692,800 euros
Players in the money: 64
1. Elio Fox (1,400,000 euros)
2. Chris Moorman (800,000)
3. Moritz Kranich (550,000)
4. Brian Roberts (400,000)
5. Dermot Blain (275,000)
6. Shawn Buchanan (200,000)
7. Jake Cody (150,000)
8. Max Silver (115,000)
9. Patrik Antonius (90,000)
10. Arnaud Mattern (90,000)
11. Alex Dovzhenko (67,500)
12. Thibaud Guenegou (67,500)
13. Andy Moseley (53,000)
14. Steven Moreau (53,000)
15. Amir Lehavot (43,000)
16. Michael Drummond (43,000)
17. Dario Sammartino (37,000)
18. John Duthie (37,000)
19. Jeremy Kottler (37,000)
20. John Eames (37,000)
21. Erik Seidel (37,000)
22. James Schafer (37,000)
23. Ricardo Tavares (37,000)
24. Tony Guoga (37,000)
25. Philippe Ktorza (32,000)
26. Pavel Ivan (32,000)
27. Maria Ho (32,000)
28. Chris McClung (32,000)
29. Eduard Kapitonov (32,000)
30. Matt Waxman (32,000)
31. Casey Kastle (32,000)
32. Artem Litvinov (32,000)
33. Melanie Weisner (27,500)
34. Megrous Kidhir (27,500)
35. Rifat Palevic (27,500)
36. Liv Boeree (27,500)
37. Tom Bedell (27,500)
38. Carbone Damiano (27,500)
39. Freddy Deeb (27,500)
40. Ilan Boujenah (27,500)
41. McLean Karr (24,000)
42. Hoyt Corkins (24,000)
43. Sean Getzwiller (24,000)
44. Giacomo Maisto (24,000)
45. Rebecca Mordoff (24,000)
46. Michael Leah (24,000)
47. Anatolii Ozhenilok (24,000)
48. Joao Barbosa (24,0
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2006/12/07
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There are great names from the World Series of Poker’s past: Amarillo Slim, Puggy Pearson, Doyle Brunson. Gruff, manly names. The kind of guys who might down a bottle of bourbon, stuff a cigar in his mug, and then casually lay down a Royal Flush.
Do you want to be the next Puggy Pearson? I know I do. That’s why Penthouse magazine sent me to the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas to get world-class poker tipos from the likes of Greg Raymer, Mark Seif, Shawn Rice, and several other pros from those numerous late-night poker TV shows.
Here’s a brief sampling:
HAVE A DIRTY HARRY LOOK
Psychologically, people tend to avoid a person they perceive as being aggressive. So, when going up against a player in a bluff situation, try to develop a Dirty Harry look.
Former trial lawyer turned poker pro Mark Seif explains, “If you have an angry person at the table, people tend not to want to deal with him.” Seif demonstrates by doing his Dirty Harry–the very look he used to win two WSOP bracelets. It works. I no longer want to deal with him.
BE THE HAMMER, NOT THE NAIL
Just as soccer is a 90-minute game, when playing in a tournament, your goal is to make it to the final table. Therefore, don’t be too loose. New players want to be involved in all the action so they end up playing way too many hands. You’ll burn out if you start too fast. Learn to be a tight player and focus on the good hands. Once you start playing fewer hands, you’ll find that the decision-making process becomes easier.
Conversely, new players sometimes don’t play aggressively enough. You’ll get run over at the poker table if you don’t put that foot on the pedal when the time is right. No one likes to get run over. The consensus of my instructors: Poker’s easy when you don’t have to make the tough decisions.
FOCUS ON THE CARDS
A hoodie and sunglasses seem to be the standard poker uniform at the WSOP. Former FBI agent/body-language specialist Joe Navarro dismisses the flashy poker acces sories. “It makes you see a lot less at the table,” he stresses with a smirk. Navarro explains that when a player is wearing sunglasses, he is still easy to read: “It doesn’t block how their eyes react when they arch their eyebrows.”
Also forget hiding inconspicuously behind your hoodie: “Hoodies mean nothing–they don’t track how you are sitting, perched, and the position of your hands.”
Navarro believes that hands (human hands) are the biggest giveaway when collecting information on your opponents. Check to see if their hands are flat or arched in a ready-for-action position. When a player shows strong hands, they will be forward into the table, since we tend to move toward things we like. We also subconsciously incarcerate the cards if they have value. Spread fingers also designate a strong hand while fingers close together or thumbs hidden means the player’s hand is weak. (Use this to read his bluff.) For the optimal position, Navarro suggests hiding your thumbs and keeping your elbows in. When other players try to read you, all they’ll get is a blank slate.
Do you want to be the next Puggy Pearson? I know I do. That’s why Penthouse magazine sent me to the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas to get world-class poker tipos from the likes of Greg Raymer, Mark Seif, Shawn Rice, and several other pros from those numerous late-night poker TV shows.
Here’s a brief sampling:
HAVE A DIRTY HARRY LOOK
Psychologically, people tend to avoid a person they perceive as being aggressive. So, when going up against a player in a bluff situation, try to develop a Dirty Harry look.
Former trial lawyer turned poker pro Mark Seif explains, “If you have an angry person at the table, people tend not to want to deal with him.” Seif demonstrates by doing his Dirty Harry–the very look he used to win two WSOP bracelets. It works. I no longer want to deal with him.
BE THE HAMMER, NOT THE NAIL
Just as soccer is a 90-minute game, when playing in a tournament, your goal is to make it to the final table. Therefore, don’t be too loose. New players want to be involved in all the action so they end up playing way too many hands. You’ll burn out if you start too fast. Learn to be a tight player and focus on the good hands. Once you start playing fewer hands, you’ll find that the decision-making process becomes easier.
Conversely, new players sometimes don’t play aggressively enough. You’ll get run over at the poker table if you don’t put that foot on the pedal when the time is right. No one likes to get run over. The consensus of my instructors: Poker’s easy when you don’t have to make the tough decisions.
FOCUS ON THE CARDS
A hoodie and sunglasses seem to be the standard poker uniform at the WSOP. Former FBI agent/body-language specialist Joe Navarro dismisses the flashy poker acces sories. “It makes you see a lot less at the table,” he stresses with a smirk. Navarro explains that when a player is wearing sunglasses, he is still easy to read: “It doesn’t block how their eyes react when they arch their eyebrows.”
Also forget hiding inconspicuously behind your hoodie: “Hoodies mean nothing–they don’t track how you are sitting, perched, and the position of your hands.”
Navarro believes that hands (human hands) are the biggest giveaway when collecting information on your opponents. Check to see if their hands are flat or arched in a ready-for-action position. When a player shows strong hands, they will be forward into the table, since we tend to move toward things we like. We also subconsciously incarcerate the cards if they have value. Spread fingers also designate a strong hand while fingers close together or thumbs hidden means the player’s hand is weak. (Use this to read his bluff.) For the optimal position, Navarro suggests hiding your thumbs and keeping your elbows in. When other players try to read you, all they’ll get is a blank slate.
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As I type this, eight players are sitting down to play in the final table in the World Series of Poker* Europe main event. Here's a list of who they are and their chip count at the time of the game's start:
Seat 1: Max Silver (United Kingdom) – 1,825,000 chips
While relatively new to live poker, Silver already has almost €370,000 in live tournament winnings.
Seat 2: Elio Fox (United States of America) – 3,990,000 chips
The overall chip leader is over 1.3 million ahead of the nearest competition and if he wins today's event, James Bord will have to pony up a lot of money.
Seat 3: Dermot Blain (Ireland) – 2,405,000 chips
With just over $800,000 in live tournament winnings, this Irish pro has been a very consistent performer in live tournaments around the world, even if he's yet to take the top spot.
Seat 4: Jake Cody (United Kingdom) – 2,685,000 chips
Should this British player win today, he would become the first-ever player to win an EPT, WPT, WSOP and WSOPE title. Cody has more than $2,670,000 in live tournament winnings.
Seat 5: Shawn Buchanan (Canada) – 1,015,000 chips
A superb player who's earned nearly $4.2 in live tournament winnings, Buchanan would become the 2011 WSOP player of the year if he wins this year's World Series of Poker Europe.
Seat 6: Moritz Kranich (Germany) – 1,660,000 chips
You've likely never heard of him, but Moritz Kranich would get to claim the Triple Crown if he wins today. He primarily plays online, but he's earned almost $2.17m in winnings at live tournaments.
Seat 7: Chris Moorman (United Kingdom) – 2,230,000 chips
He's won almost $8,000,000 in online poker tournaments and took away over $1,000,000 from this year's WOld Series of Poker. He cashed five times, made two final tables finishing third in the $2,500 Six Handed event and second to Joe Ebanks in the $10,000 Six Handed Championship, that last result being his largest live score of his career so far.
Seat 8: Brian Roberts (United States of America) – 2,000,000 chips
Brian was part of the hit documentary Two Months Two Million where he and three other high-stakes players attempted to raise the titular funds in 60 days. He may be the least experienced of the tournament players here today, but he's earned over $165,000 and is firmly in the middle of the pack.
Seat 1: Max Silver (United Kingdom) – 1,825,000 chips
While relatively new to live poker, Silver already has almost €370,000 in live tournament winnings.
Seat 2: Elio Fox (United States of America) – 3,990,000 chips
The overall chip leader is over 1.3 million ahead of the nearest competition and if he wins today's event, James Bord will have to pony up a lot of money.
Seat 3: Dermot Blain (Ireland) – 2,405,000 chips
With just over $800,000 in live tournament winnings, this Irish pro has been a very consistent performer in live tournaments around the world, even if he's yet to take the top spot.
Seat 4: Jake Cody (United Kingdom) – 2,685,000 chips
Should this British player win today, he would become the first-ever player to win an EPT, WPT, WSOP and WSOPE title. Cody has more than $2,670,000 in live tournament winnings.
Seat 5: Shawn Buchanan (Canada) – 1,015,000 chips
A superb player who's earned nearly $4.2 in live tournament winnings, Buchanan would become the 2011 WSOP player of the year if he wins this year's World Series of Poker Europe.
Seat 6: Moritz Kranich (Germany) – 1,660,000 chips
You've likely never heard of him, but Moritz Kranich would get to claim the Triple Crown if he wins today. He primarily plays online, but he's earned almost $2.17m in winnings at live tournaments.
Seat 7: Chris Moorman (United Kingdom) – 2,230,000 chips
He's won almost $8,000,000 in online poker tournaments and took away over $1,000,000 from this year's WOld Series of Poker. He cashed five times, made two final tables finishing third in the $2,500 Six Handed event and second to Joe Ebanks in the $10,000 Six Handed Championship, that last result being his largest live score of his career so far.
Seat 8: Brian Roberts (United States of America) – 2,000,000 chips
Brian was part of the hit documentary Two Months Two Million where he and three other high-stakes players attempted to raise the titular funds in 60 days. He may be the least experienced of the tournament players here today, but he's earned over $165,000 and is firmly in the middle of the pack.
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Team America won the 2011 Caesars Cup in Cannes, defeating their European counterparts 3-1. The event, held every two years, was inaugurated back in 2009 and Europe took the top spot, putting America on the trail of revenge immediately. Team captain Phil Hellmuth immediately assembled an A-Team of players consisting of Johnny Chan, Daniel Negreanu, Jason Mercier and Ben Lamb.
Hellmuth announced before the competition: "We’re going to win this time. Last time, there was a lack of team unity. This time around, we are much more focused. It was really humiliating to go through that, two years ago. We are not going to let that happen again."
He made good on that promise, leading his team to a victory over European captain Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier, Jake Cody, Max Lykov, Gus Hansen and Tony G. Jason Mercier and Ben Lamb won Match #1, taking down Jake Cody and Tony G but Team Europe came back in Match #2 with Gus Hansen and Max Lykov helping themselves to victory against Negreanu and Hellmuth. Match 3 was a heads-up affair between Johnny Chan and Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier with the final hand going to Chan all-in pre-flop with pocket fours. The final match was also heads-up between Hellmuth and Lykov with the poker brat winning with a pair of queens.
After the final hand was played, Hellmuth spoke to the press about the match and what it means. "There’s no money on the line in this event so all we do this for is pride. It’s not so much who wins or loses, because it usually just comes down to winning flips, but it’s about who made the most mistakes. It was a lot closer this year because last time our team made a lot of mistakes."
Can't play in Cannes for your preferred continent? Check out Bodog's online poker tournaments and find out how a small buy-in can earn you huge rewards.
Hellmuth announced before the competition: "We’re going to win this time. Last time, there was a lack of team unity. This time around, we are much more focused. It was really humiliating to go through that, two years ago. We are not going to let that happen again."
He made good on that promise, leading his team to a victory over European captain Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier, Jake Cody, Max Lykov, Gus Hansen and Tony G. Jason Mercier and Ben Lamb won Match #1, taking down Jake Cody and Tony G but Team Europe came back in Match #2 with Gus Hansen and Max Lykov helping themselves to victory against Negreanu and Hellmuth. Match 3 was a heads-up affair between Johnny Chan and Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier with the final hand going to Chan all-in pre-flop with pocket fours. The final match was also heads-up between Hellmuth and Lykov with the poker brat winning with a pair of queens.
After the final hand was played, Hellmuth spoke to the press about the match and what it means. "There’s no money on the line in this event so all we do this for is pride. It’s not so much who wins or loses, because it usually just comes down to winning flips, but it’s about who made the most mistakes. It was a lot closer this year because last time our team made a lot of mistakes."
Can't play in Cannes for your preferred continent? Check out Bodog's online poker tournaments and find out how a small buy-in can earn you huge rewards.
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The final five winners have made their way through the satellites and will be joining Team Bodog at the Punta Cana Poker Classic at the stunning all-inclusive Hard Rock Casino and Resort in the Dominican Republic! Bodog players rednight80, ROMPEHOYO, Tykoon35, freeze1873133 and Normality will be winging their way down on our dime to play in one of the best poker tournaments going.
There are still two more seats to be given away through a draw and we'll be announcing those winners in the near future. In the meantime, it's OK to be a little jealous of the players who've earned the tournament buy-in, a five-night stay at the all-inclusive Hord Rock Hotel & Casino, $1,000 in travel money and $1,500 in vouchers for golf, spa and more. I certainly am!
To view a complete list of winners, visit the Team Bodog page for the Punta Cana Classic and if you want to get ready for the next time a major event like this rolls around, check out
There are still two more seats to be given away through a draw and we'll be announcing those winners in the near future. In the meantime, it's OK to be a little jealous of the players who've earned the tournament buy-in, a five-night stay at the all-inclusive Hord Rock Hotel & Casino, $1,000 in travel money and $1,500 in vouchers for golf, spa and more. I certainly am!
To view a complete list of winners, visit the Team Bodog page for the Punta Cana Classic and if you want to get ready for the next time a major event like this rolls around, check out
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Intertops Poker regularly offers special reload bonuses to its players – and it’s that time again this weekend. From October 22nd – 25th (only), the fifteen-year-old poker site will double players’ deposits up to $500. Players taking advantage of this offer will also be invited to play in a special freeroll tournament early next month.
As an additional bonus, players who deposit from Saturday through Tuesday will also receive a ticket to the $1,000 Depositor Freeroll to be held on November 6th at 10:00 pm GMT.
To claim their reload bonus, players just enter the reload code “500reload” after they make a deposit. Bonuses will be immediately tagged to players’ accounts and tournament tickets will be issued automatically. (Rakeback players will not be eligible for the reload bonus.)
Serving players around the world since the early days of the internet, Intertops is one of the most trusted online poker room, casino and sportsbook sites. Known for its friendly customer service and hassle-free deposits and withdrawals, Intertops gives away tens of thousands of dollars in bonuses every month.
Intertops Poker’s $20,000 Oktoberfest Challenge continues until the end of the month. Simply by playing and earning Frequent Player Points, players can win a share of $20,000 in prize money and a seat at one of three Oktoberfest freerolls tournaments.
Complete details of Intertops Poker’s $500 Reload Bonus and Oktoberfest Challenge are available at Intertops Poker
As an additional bonus, players who deposit from Saturday through Tuesday will also receive a ticket to the $1,000 Depositor Freeroll to be held on November 6th at 10:00 pm GMT.
To claim their reload bonus, players just enter the reload code “500reload” after they make a deposit. Bonuses will be immediately tagged to players’ accounts and tournament tickets will be issued automatically. (Rakeback players will not be eligible for the reload bonus.)
Serving players around the world since the early days of the internet, Intertops is one of the most trusted online poker room, casino and sportsbook sites. Known for its friendly customer service and hassle-free deposits and withdrawals, Intertops gives away tens of thousands of dollars in bonuses every month.
Intertops Poker’s $20,000 Oktoberfest Challenge continues until the end of the month. Simply by playing and earning Frequent Player Points, players can win a share of $20,000 in prize money and a seat at one of three Oktoberfest freerolls tournaments.
Complete details of Intertops Poker’s $500 Reload Bonus and Oktoberfest Challenge are available at Intertops Poker
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Giving a glimmer of hope to the potential revival of significant online poker operations in the United States, a House of Representatives subcommittee is set to hold a hearing next week regarding the legalization and regulation of the online gambling industry, including poker, in the U. S.
The hearing will take place in front of the Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade, a sub-panel of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, on Tuesday of next week. This particular subcommittee focuses on interstate and foreign commerce, consumer affairs and consumer protection, all areas that covers potential online poker legislation. A member of the committee is Texas representative Joe Barton, who has proposed HR 2366 – titled the “Internet Gambling Prohibition, Poker Consumer Protection, and Strengthening UIGEA Act of 2011” – and considers the hearing a significant step towards enacting such regulation.
“I am pleased that Chairman (Mary) Bono-Mack is holding a hearing on the important issue of Internet gaming,” said Representative Barton to The Hill following the announcement of the hearing. “It’s a first step to showing why the current law is a lose/lose for everyone – the public, the taxpayer, the banking industry, and the people who want to play poker openly and honestly on the Internet. I look forward to an open exchange of ideas.”
The hearing isn’t necessarily about Representative Barton’s bill but is examining the larger issue of internet gambling as a whole. The theme of the hearing has been titled “Internet Gaming: Is There A Safe Bet?” As Barton’s is the only legislation at this time to be introduced to the House, this does look to be a referendum in the House on the online poker question, however.
Although the hearing is a potential first step to getting some form of regulation and legalizations to online poker, it faces a huge roadblock in moving forward. In the past, potential online poker legislation has been pushed through the House Financial Services Committee which, prior to the Republican seizure of the House in 2010, was chaired by pro-poker advocate Massachusetts Representative Barney Frank. After the 2010 elections, the new chairman of that committee, anti-gaming crusader Alabama Representative Spencer Bachus, said that there would be no hearings regarding the issue. Thus, this particular subcommittee has become the focal point for attempting to move legislation forward.
Even if the legislation can move out of this committee, it faces an uphill road to being put to a vote in the House of Representatives. Although it has bipartisan support – the bill’s original sponsors include Democratic representatives Shelley Berkley of Nevada, Steve Cohen of Tennessee, John Conyers of Michigan, Mike Honda and Linda Sanchez of California, Ed Perlmutter of Colorado and Frank, and Republican representatives John Campbell of California, Michael Grimm and Peter King of New York and 2012 Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul of Texas – House Majority Leader Eric Cantor of Virginia is a part of the anti-gambling coalition that would potentially block any further action in the House.
The Poker Players Alliance is pulling out the big guns to support proposed legislation. The PPA has already announced that its chairman, former Senator Alfonse D’Amato, will be a witness at the hearings. Meanwhile, Rich Muny, the PPA’s Vice President of Player Relations, has sent an e-mail to PPA members to request that they contact members of the Bono-Mack subcommittee to express their support for any internet gaming legalization and regulation.
The hearing is scheduled for next Tuesday at 10:30AM (Eastern Time) and will be held in the Rayburn House Office Building. Poker News Daily will monitor the hearings and report on any action that this particular hearing may bring.
The hearing will take place in front of the Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade, a sub-panel of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, on Tuesday of next week. This particular subcommittee focuses on interstate and foreign commerce, consumer affairs and consumer protection, all areas that covers potential online poker legislation. A member of the committee is Texas representative Joe Barton, who has proposed HR 2366 – titled the “Internet Gambling Prohibition, Poker Consumer Protection, and Strengthening UIGEA Act of 2011” – and considers the hearing a significant step towards enacting such regulation.
“I am pleased that Chairman (Mary) Bono-Mack is holding a hearing on the important issue of Internet gaming,” said Representative Barton to The Hill following the announcement of the hearing. “It’s a first step to showing why the current law is a lose/lose for everyone – the public, the taxpayer, the banking industry, and the people who want to play poker openly and honestly on the Internet. I look forward to an open exchange of ideas.”
The hearing isn’t necessarily about Representative Barton’s bill but is examining the larger issue of internet gambling as a whole. The theme of the hearing has been titled “Internet Gaming: Is There A Safe Bet?” As Barton’s is the only legislation at this time to be introduced to the House, this does look to be a referendum in the House on the online poker question, however.
Although the hearing is a potential first step to getting some form of regulation and legalizations to online poker, it faces a huge roadblock in moving forward. In the past, potential online poker legislation has been pushed through the House Financial Services Committee which, prior to the Republican seizure of the House in 2010, was chaired by pro-poker advocate Massachusetts Representative Barney Frank. After the 2010 elections, the new chairman of that committee, anti-gaming crusader Alabama Representative Spencer Bachus, said that there would be no hearings regarding the issue. Thus, this particular subcommittee has become the focal point for attempting to move legislation forward.
Even if the legislation can move out of this committee, it faces an uphill road to being put to a vote in the House of Representatives. Although it has bipartisan support – the bill’s original sponsors include Democratic representatives Shelley Berkley of Nevada, Steve Cohen of Tennessee, John Conyers of Michigan, Mike Honda and Linda Sanchez of California, Ed Perlmutter of Colorado and Frank, and Republican representatives John Campbell of California, Michael Grimm and Peter King of New York and 2012 Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul of Texas – House Majority Leader Eric Cantor of Virginia is a part of the anti-gambling coalition that would potentially block any further action in the House.
The Poker Players Alliance is pulling out the big guns to support proposed legislation. The PPA has already announced that its chairman, former Senator Alfonse D’Amato, will be a witness at the hearings. Meanwhile, Rich Muny, the PPA’s Vice President of Player Relations, has sent an e-mail to PPA members to request that they contact members of the Bono-Mack subcommittee to express their support for any internet gaming legalization and regulation.
The hearing is scheduled for next Tuesday at 10:30AM (Eastern Time) and will be held in the Rayburn House Office Building. Poker News Daily will monitor the hearings and report on any action that this particular hearing may bring.
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However, 2011 November Niner Pius Heinz had his own, honest rationale for choosing Day 1A.
"I kind of wanted to get out of Vegas, just in case I busted out," the 22 year-old German online professional poker player candidly explained. "I was in Vegas since the beginning of June … I had stayed five weeks and I was just tired. I was looking forward to going home and seeing my friends and family. So, if I busted [on Day 1A], I could get out of there and go home as soon as possible." During the first level of Day 1A, Heinz would've gotten his wish had it not been for a spectacular read. About an hour into the main event, the cutoff seat, occupied by an older, conservative player, limped for 100 (blinds 50/100). Looking down at Ac-Kc, Heinz raised to 450 from the small blind and was called by the original limper. The dealer spread 10c-8c-2h on the flop.
"I led for 600. He briefly hesitates and makes it 1,200 and I called," Heinz said.
The 4d hit on the turn and both players conservatively checked. A supposedly "bingo" card for Heinz came on the river, the 9c. Having the nut flush, Heinz led for 1,800 and his opponent went into the tank for nearly two minutes, appearing like he was about to make the call.
"What is going on?" Heinz pondered in reflection. "If he called, it would be great, but if he raised, I truly put him on a straight flush. I decided that if he raised, I would just call."
After the agonizing delay, his opponent raised to 5,000 and amazingly, Heinz went with his gut instinct and just called. Once his opponent revealed Qc-Jc, Heinz showed his hand to the amazement of the entire table. Not only did Heinz's astute read save his tournament, Heinz felt his poker instincts were spot on.
"Based on this hand, I really so felt confident now in my live reads," said Heinz, who was working on the transition from online to live play all summer long. "I really did not have a lot of experience playing live and I definitely suffered in my first four or five events this summer at the WSOP. The live game is pretty boring and you need a lot of patience. To get more experience, I would go play cash after I busted a tournament. I needed practice even handling the chips."
Unfortunately for Heinz, he had lots of practice at the cash tables as he cashed once out of about 15 events this summer leading up the main event. Nevertheless, he didn't stray from his self-described style, which is often associated with young online players.
"I'm a really, really aggressive player, especially preflop," he said. "Sometimes, I cut back my aggression when my image is bad, but my default is being really aggressive."
The aggressive image and game plan wasn't always in his repertoire, but he developed his style in the same way that many others in the online generation had -- through friends, forums and a whole lot of poker.
"I started playing poker with my friends," he said. "We just saw coverage of the main event and High Stakes Poker on German television. After we saw them, we thought, 'Let's try it.' So we would play at a friend's house over the weekends and play small cash games or sit-and-gos."
Developing an interest for the game, Heinz decided to give online poker a try. He truly believed that the game was about skill, not luck, and he immersed himself in the poker world by reading poker forums online.
"When I started to play online, I found the big poker forums such as Pocketfives and 2+2. There I would discuss hands and situations and it really helped me with the fundamentals of my game and develop my aggressive style," he said.
Over the years, Heinz has played in thousands of online tournaments and made dozens of final tables. He earned more than $700,000 in online tournaments and thus, as he played the 2011 WSOP main event, he tried not to focus on the grandeur of the main event.
"Just having the experience online helped me so much," Heinz explained. "I tried to play every hand well, pick good spots and not spew away my chips. I tried not to focus that it was the main event, which is obviously the best and biggest tournament of the year. But at the end of the day, it is just another tournament and I've played a lot of them. I tried to look at the main event that way and I think it worked well."
His relatively simple mental approach seemed to work extremely well for seven days of competition. Entering Day 5 he was third in chips and he was second entering Day 6. He was still among the leaders after Day 7, but his tournament almost came to a sudden, crashing halt on Day 8 with 11 players remaining.
After Heinz three-bet shoved all-in with Kc-Jc, John Hewitt (who eventually became the 2011 WSOP final table bubble boy) snap-called with Ah-Ks. At risk, Heinz was slowly watching his main event chances slip away. The flop came 10c-8h-7h, giving Heinz a possible gutshot straight draw. The turn 6h eliminated more potential outs and Heinz felt his run was at an end.
"I was honestly not worried until the turn," he said. "But when the 6h came, giving John the flush draw, I just thought to myself, 'Oh well, I made it really far and made a sick run. If it wasn't meant to be, it was meant to be. Overall, there aren't many players who can say that they got this far in the main event.'"
Miraculously, one of his outs, the nine of diamonds, fell on the river, completing his straight and boosting his stack up to around 16.5 million.
"I was basically ready to get up and leave," he said. "Then, I saw the nine hit on the river and I couldn't believe it."
From there, the final table bubble was fairly uneventful for Heinz as he finished the four-