I wanna talk about World Series Of Poker

Source: Indianapolis Star ()

So many bowling questions, so few open lanes.

(Yes, I’m writing about bowling. Again. I realize some readers think I write about bowling every time I go through a divorce, but that’s not the case. In fact, Toni, aka She Could Be The One III, is better than advertised and she bowls — well, she has trouble cracking 100 even with the bumpers, but, hey, you take what you can get.)

Is Walter Ray Williams Jr. the greatest bowler ever? He looks like an actuary and bowls like an assassin.

His steroid-free numbers are astounding: No. 1 in career PBA titles with 44, No. 1 all time in earnings, 15 consecutive seasons winning at least one tour title and finishing in the top 10 on the money list, six times player of the year.

And, this season, Williams, who won his first Player of the Year award in 1986, is leading the pack for a seventh top honor — at age 48.

(Sure, you say, it’s only bowling and bowlers aren’t as well-conditioned and athletic as tennis or basketball players. Well, you go do it. You go roll 35 games a week and see how your back and knees and wrist feel. You go out there knowing the difference between a 224 average and a 217 average can be the difference between making the TV finals or making no money for the week. Boy, you people disgust me.)

Remarkably, bowling is Williams’s second-best sport — he’s a six-time world champion in horseshoes.

(You would know that if you paid attention to bowling. But, no, you’re watching Georgetown-Memphis college basketball or the Papajohns.com Bowl or the “Brian Boitano Spectacular.” Boy, you people disgust me.)

Should women be bowling on television? Is this some type of trick question? Women play tennis on TV, they play golf, soccer, basketball, even poker. So why shouldn’t they bowl on TV? We might put a woman into the White House — we can’t put a woman in a bowling alley to roll 748 series on TV?

If you don’t want to watch them, fine; heck, a court order couldn’t …

Source: Launchpoker.com ()

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Dec 23 2007, 11:35

Find poker room
1. Titan Poker2. Pacific Poker3. Redkings4. Betfair Poker5. VC Poker6. Betsson Poker7. Paradise Poker8. Poker9. Sky Poker10. FairPoker11. Noble Poker12. InterPoker13. Poker Room14. TigerGaming.com15. USA Poker16. wptonline.com17. CD Poker18. HollywoodPoker.com19. …

Source: CardPlayer.com ()

Dutch Boyd has more than $1.2 million in lifetime tournament earnings. For the past few months, Boyd did not play any major tournaments, but he came out to Las Vegas for the Five-Diamond World Poker Classic. Card Player had the chance to chat with him after he won a preliminary event, and we discussed his goals for the coming year.

Lizzy Harrison: You haven’t been around for a while; what has been going on with you, and where have you been?

Dutch Boyd: I have not really been following the tournament trail. I mean, I played a lot at this year’s World Series of Poker, and I played in the Legends of Poker at the Bike [Bicycle Casino in Bell Gardens, California], but traveling gets to me.

LH: What brought you here for the Five-Diamond World Poker Classic?

DB: I felt like I had something to prove at this tournament series. I mean, last year this tournament series was a complete disaster for me. So, I wanted to come back this year and kick some ass, and that is what I did.

LH: So far, you’ve won one preliminary event and cashed in two others; what key aspect of your game makes you the poker player that you are?

DB: In the tournaments that I did really well in, I was playing very good poker, so I was not really relying on the cards. I mean, when I won [event No. 3 of the Five-Diamond World Poker Classic], there were so many situations that came up in which I did not have a hand, but I did have a good read on my opponent, so I was able to push him off of his hand. I think I have a pretty tight image at the table, and so I am able to exploit that.

LH: Is there a part of your game that you want to improve?

DB: Yeah, the biggest aspect of my game that I am looking to improve is the ability to bring my “A-game” to the table every time I play. When I bring my “A-game,” I feel like I am one of the best, but sometimes, especially right …

Source: Online-Casinos.com ()

CHRISTMAS GIFT FOR POKER FANS
 
Video coaching from the best in the business
 
Pokerheads with a Christmas wish list may want to consider a new video coaching product featuring greats like Doyle Brunson and Mike Caro.  The two experts have teamed up with iAmplifyVegas.com to provide information aimed at honing a player's skills, passing on decades of experience.
 
Doyle “Texas Dolly” Brunson is a 10-time World Series of Poker bracelet winner, and he joins University of Poker founder Mike Caro in the newest product available through iAmplifyVegas.com: iAmplify Poker University. The combination of Brunson's legendary instincts and Caro's technical prowess is unique in providing insights and practical moves to give players a sharper edge.
 
“iAmplifyVegas.com is honoured to be creating a course with two legends, Doyle Brunson and Mike Caro. This course will bring a whole new level to those who are serious about elevating their game.” Kipp Marcus, VP of Creative / Content Acquisition said.
 
The Brunson-Caro video joins an already impressive iAmplifyVegas.com lineup that includes Phil Hellmuth's Ultimate White to Black Belt Poker Course and FBI Agent Joe Navarro's Read'em and Reap, all downloadable to computers or iPods for those on the move.
 
iAmplify Poker University includes 40 lessons divided into 4 levels; with 6.5 hours of expert poker instruction. This four-level master video course has card analysis, tips, and hands-on strategy, that guide players through 7-Card Stud, Limit Hold 'Em, and No Limit Texas Hold 'Em.
 

Source: Houston Chronicle ()

ST. LOUIS
— The opening of Pinnacle Entertainment’s Lumiere Place on Wednesday brings a new player to the region’s casino scene, one that put down $507 million in its quest to become an entertainment destination in downtown St. Louis.

Nearby casinos in Missouri and Illinois expressed confidence that they can retain their patrons, positioning themselves as having distinct qualities from the competition.

Las Vegas-based Pinnacle Entertainment Inc. has developed 7.5 acres on the Mississippi riverfront near the Gateway Arch, with plans to transform an additional 10 acres in the future.

It called on Marnell Architecture, the firm that designed the Bellagio in Las Vegas, to design the contemporary look of the casino complex, which includes lighting that frames the outside of a 24-story hotel tower. Pinnacle also owns the President Casino-St. Louis, a gambling boat that floats nearby on the river.

Two hotels, a Four Seasons and a renovated Embassy Suites now called HoteLumiere, are scheduled to open by the end of March. The new casino has a gaming floor of 75,000 square feet, with 2,000 slot machines and 49 game tables.

"The bricks and mortar are one thing. Our product is the experience people go away with," said Lumiere Place general manager Todd George, just hours before the casino’s 10 p.m. opening to the public.

Around the casino complex, hundreds of workers were busy readying the site, painting and moving equipment as construction continued. An underground tunnel is being built from the casino to the Edward Jones Dome, where the St. Louis Rams play, to draw visitors from the other side of Interstate 70 to the riverfront.

Well-known chef Hubert Keller of Fleur de Lys paused while checking drinking glasses in a cardboard box at Burger Bar and gave an overview of one of the two restaurants will open in the complex.

His restaurants at Lumiere Place include Sleek, a steakhouse scheduled to open …

Source: CardPlayer.com ()

Shortly after 4 p.m. today, the final-table contestants at the 2007 World Poker Tour Doyle Brunson Classic took their seats to play for a huge first-place prize. The 664 contestants created a prize pool worth $9,661,200, and a first-place prize worth $2,482,605. This is the largest prize in tournament poker history outside of the World Series of Poker main event and the WPT World Championship. With this much money on the line, every player was eager to stake his claim for the prize. Here is how things looked when action started:
Seat 1: Ken Rosen — 1,135,000
Seat 2: Ted Kearly — 1,620,000
Seat 3: Jordan Rich — 6,585,000
Seat 4: Eugene Katchalov — 8,360,000
Seat 5: Ryan Daut — 330,000
Seat 6: David "Devilfish" Ulliott — 1,900,000
Daut was on an extremely short stack when action began, and he wasted no time getting all of his chips into the middle of the table. On the first hand of play, Daut moved all in from middle position for 320,000, and Kearly called from the small blind with pocket eights. Daut showed down A J, and he needed to improve to stay alive. The board rolled out 8 5 2 8 Q and Daut was eliminated in sixth place, earning $192,715.
Normally, with such a clear distinction in chip stacks, the chip leaders at a final table will do their best to avoid each other, but Rich and Katchalov had no problem mixing it up early. On the third hand of play, Rich had the button, and he raised to 220,000. Katchalov called from the small blind, and the flop came Q-J-8 rainbow. Katchalov checked, and Rich bet 320,000. Katchalov took some time before making it 840,000, and Rich reraised to 1,620,000. Katchalov went into the tank and then reraised it one more time to 2,640,000. Rich shook his head and mucked his cards, losing a huge chunk of his stack and giving all the momentum to Katchalov. While both players’ cards were shown, you can rest assured that this hand will be selected to air on television.
After …

Source: PokerListings.com ()

Tuesday, Dec. 18, 2007

Scott Clements, BigRiskky, wins the PokerStars Sunday Millions.

By Sarah Polson

Scott Clements is running hot at the poker tables these days - and by these days, we mean the last 14 months. The latest win on his resume is the PokerStars Sunday Million.

Known as BigRiskky on the poker site, Scott Clements took on the PokerStars Sunday Million Dec. 16 and came out on top for a $165,552.01 win. His online success matches the live tournament success he’s been having. He first got some notice in the poker world when he won a World Series of Poker bracelet in 2006. He followed that up with a World Poker Tour win as well in October 2006. This year has been just as successful for Clements as he added another WSOP bracelet to his collection while cashing in five events at the 2007 WSOP. Plus, he won the WPT North American Poker Championships in October. His online win received some kudos from other online players including Shannon Shorr, who also took part in the event and cashed in 28th place. The final table of the Sunday Million finished thusly: Place Name Country Prize 1st BigRiskky United States $165,552.01 2nd holdplz United States $93,160 3rd Carden72 Australia $95,983.59 4th PokerSkiBum United States $54,152 5th joacb Brazil $40,614 6th CrossyDC United Kingdom $29,783.60 7th Rover10 United States $20,983.90 8th maxit11 Denmark $12,184.20 9th v1ckster United Kingdom $7,987.42 *Based on finishing order and a three-way deal. Three other major online tournaments took place at PokerStars as well. The Sunday Warm-Up now boasts a $500,000 guarantee, and according to PokerStars, it’s picking up steam. The final table finished as follows: Place Name Country Prize 1st Ch.Krebs1 Germany $79,080.20 2nd Jadeite Denmark $66,000 3rd THECHISELER1 United States $32,373.70 4th Bigstar666 Netherlands $26,673 5th django3001 $21,443 6th Dapper Dan G United States $16,213 7th Couperou Belgium $11,401.40 8th Vuylsteke United States …

Source: Youngstown Vindicator ()

“Clash of the Choirs” (8 p.m., NBC): In the realm of musical competitions, we’ve seen soloists and bands and even duets get in on the action. Now, make way for “Clash of the Choirs.” It’s a four-night event that has Patti LaBelle, Michael Bolton, Blake Shelton, Nick Lachey and Kelly Rowland picking talented singers from their hometowns to create “America’s greatest choir.” Can they work in harmony?

“Hard as Nails” (8 p.m., HBO): In this documentary, a young minister uses hip-hop and professional wrestling on his flock. Trying falling asleep on that sermon.

“Duel” (8 p.m., ABC): “Duel” is a new “tournament-style” game designed to fray the nerves of the steeliest contestants. Airing over six nights, it combines trivia challenges like those on “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” with the strategy played in the “World Series of Poker.” One of 20 contestants is guaranteed to win a jackpot of up to $1.5 million.

“Feasty Boys Eat America” (8 p.m, Travel Channel): Jim Stump and Jon Mayer add their own twist to beloved local dishes from across the country in this new series. In Monday’s program, a cranberry harvest in Carver, Mass., inspires the pair to try deep-fried turkey infused with butter, beer and cranberry juice.

“Anime: Drawing a Revolution”(9 p.m., Starz): This new documentary rigorously examines the vibrant art form of anime and its worldwide influence on popular culture. Films and shows highlighted in the special include, among others, “Pokemon,” “Ghost in the Shell,” “Akira,” “The Matrix,” “Animatrix” and “Afro Samurai.”

“100 Greatest Songs of the ’90s” (10 p.m., VH1): While Clinton, Gorbachev and Saddam were commanding headlines, “Macarena,” “Iris” and “Mr. Jones” were just a few of the names at the top of the pop charts. VH1 pays homage to the decade that dawned with the fall of the USSR and with Y2K, counting down the results of online voting each weeknight till Friday’s arrival at the decade’s most popular song.

Source: Online-Casinos.com ()

BACKGAMMON ACE TAKES THE EPT PRAGUE TITLE
 
Frenchman victorious over field of 500 
 
Over 500 poker players registered for this weekend's inaugural PokerStars.net European Poker Tour Prague Main Event, an indication of the keen following the game has in the region. But it was French backgammon master Arnaud Mattern who emerged victorious, claiming Euro 708 400 in his first-ever EPT cash.
 
Among the top European poker players in the field were Rolf Slotboom, Nicolas Levi, EPT Baden champ Julian Thew and 2007 WSOP bracelet winner and Team PokerStars member Katja Thater. The flamboyant Italian prodigy Dario Minieri was in the field, along with Bertrand Grospellier, Steve Devlin, Finland’s Juha Helppi, EPT Dublin winner Reuben Peters, 2007 EPT Warsaw victor Peter Jepsen and World Series of Poker Europe Main Event champ and Betfair ambassador Annette Obrestad.
 
But with clever and disciplined poker tactics, Mattern beat the large field to take a seat at the final table, then survived to a heads up with Gino Alacqua for the title and the big money prize….and won.
 
Held at the Hilton Hotel in Prague, the competition was the first major poker tournament to be held in the Czech Republic.
 
Final tablers in the contest were chip leader Mikael Norinder from Sweden, closely followed by Mattern and further back Dag Palovic, Kristian Kjondal, Gino Alacqua, Juha Lauttaumus, Markus Golser, Johan Strassman and Nedzib Suman.
 
Strassman was the first final tabler to head rail-wards, taken out by chip leader Norinder. His triumph was short-lived however as Norinder was himself bundled out in the eighth spot after getting into a huge and at times controversial hand with eventual winner Mattern. During the confrontation, Norinder unintentionally presented 50 percent too many chips, and the ruling was made that he to make at least a minimum raise. In a rapid series of moves after that, Norinder …

Source: Poker King ()

Saturday, December 15, 2007

Alwaysbluff.com - Online Poker &nbsp

No matter what anyone says, Phil Hellmuth is without a doubt one of the best No Limit Hold’em tournament players ever. Sure he has an abrasive personality that turns a lot of people off of him, but you can’t argue with his track record. 11 World Series of Poker bracelets, one main event victory, over 60 money finishes at the WSOP, two final tables in WPT events, and countless other cashes and victories.

However, when it comes to Chinese Poker, it seems as though Phil Hellmuth is a huge fish.

First off, let’s head back to April of this year. The venue is the EPT Grand Final event in Monte Carlo. Hellmuth decides to leave his room after sipping on expensive bottles of wine, and finds Ivey and Antonius playing Chinese Poker. Hellmuth decides to sit in and play (nice game selection) and proceeds to drop over $530k, mostly to Phil Ivey. The two were playing $1000 a point, and then decided to raise it to $2000 a point. Hellmuth was so rattled from this beating at the hands of Ivey that he instructed his wife to “donate $50,000 to charity and pay down the mortgage.” According to his blog, this was the biggest single session loss that he had ever suffered, and you would think that he wouldn’t make the same mistake twice.

Think again. According to Hellmuth himself, he has lost another $400k playing Chinese Poker during the Five Diamond event. Not only did he bust all of the money that he brought with him to Vegas, but he had to borrow as well. I’m not sure who delivered this additional beatdown to Hellmuth, but I would guess that Ivey had to do with it.

Poker Blogs by Antonio Esfandiari, Phil Laak, Brandon Adams and Justin “Boosted J” Smith