Poker News: Online qualifiers for PartyPoker.com Scandinavian Poker Masters -- The Game, Scandinavia's first televised high stakes cash game are still available at PartyPoker.com. Time is running out to qualify as there are now only two semi-final packages left up for grabs worth $11,000, which includes buy-in, hotel and travel expenses. Play online poker
The two six-player semi-finals and cash game final take place in front of television cameras in London from August 13 through 17. The two winners of the semi-finals will take on 12 of Scandinavia's top players in 'The Game,' an exclusive high stakes cash game. Patrik Antonius, Martin De Knijff and Mats Rahm will take on the qualifiers along with the likes of Jan Sørensen, Kristian Kjøndal, Per Hildebrand, Rene Mouritsen and Tore Lagerborg. Read poker blogs
The field is nearly full but there is still a chance to qualify for a place at the table in Scandinavia's first televised high stakes cash game. PartyPoker.com will pay the buy-in of $50,000 for the two qualifiers. The ten semi-finalists that miss out on the final will play for a share of $20,000 in a runner-up poker tournament. The high stakes cash game will be televised this autumn. Since this is a cash game there is no given prizepool, but every player has to buy in for an initial $50,000. 'The Game' will continue as long as there is money left or until the time runs out. Play route 66 poker
There are a number of ways to seize this prestigious opportunity. Qualification is available through daily freerolls, daily qualifiers for weekly satellite seats and direct buy-in to weekly satellites to play for guaranteed seats. Play $500 match poker bonus
A PartyPoker.com spokesman said: "The field is nearly full but there is still a chance to qualify for a place at the table in Scandinavia's first televised high stakes cash game." Play full tilt poker
This promotion is exclusive to Scandinavian players only. Play Strip poker Martin De Knijff
Poker News: When Temecula social worker Jerry Yang was a child, his father forbade him to gamble, prohibiting even checkers and dice. Play online poker
After Yang, 39, married, his wife disapproved of his burgeoning poker habit.
But he was defiant, and it paid off — big time. Yang won the Texas Hold'Em title and $8.25 million last week at the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas. Now his wife, Sue, approves of his playing, a small victory in itself, Yang said. Read poker blogs
The ethnic Hmong immigrant from Laos, a relative rookie, is getting used to being the world's poker king. He's already bought his wife a new Cadillac Escalade, set aside college funds for their six children and pledged 10% of his windfall to children's charities. Play route 66 poker
"It feels great. It hasn't sunk in yet, being the world champion," Yang said by phone from Central California, where he is vacationing with his family. "It's like a dream come true." Play $500 match poker bonus
Nicknamed "The Shadow" for his tendency to surge from the back of the pack to win, Yang was eighth out of nine players when the final round began at noon July 17. Play full tilt poker
After 14 hours, Yang beat Tuan Lam of Ontario, Canada, to win it all — besting 6,358 players in the poker tournament. Martin De knijff
Poker News: Pure Nightclub at Caesars Palace is set to host the Official Launch Party of the World Series of Poker Europe presented by Betfair.com on Monday, July 16th at 9 p.m. Play online poker
Satellites and pre-registration for the event in London September 6-16, 2007, will also be available at the Caesars Palace on Monday. Read poker blogs
Single-table satellites with $2,200 buy-ins will grant seats to the £10,000, 750-player Main Event as well as award the winner with a free ticket to the Official World Series of Poker Launch Party at Pure Nightclub. Play route 66 poker
Pre-registrations for the inaugural poker tournament will be accepted at the main cage in Caesars Palace. Currently, pre-registrations are open for WSOP Europe at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino for the duration of WSOP, as well as at www.worldseriesofpoker.com. Many of poker's top pros have already committed to play. Play $500 match poker bonus
The first World Series of Poker Europe will be hosted at three casinos operated by London Clubs International – Fifty, in St James; The Casino at the Empire, in Leicester Square, and The Sportsman, at Marble Arch. Martin De Knijff
Through Tuesday's finale, all WSO Poker tournament updates can be found here and of course by visiting the front page of Gambling911.com. Read poker blogs
As a testament to this year's WSO Poker tournament, a virtual unknown - Lee Childs - leads in poker chip count. He's already guaranteed winnings that are enough to sustain most households for an entire year (three months after taxes are taken out). Play route 66 poker
David Tran was the most successful tournament poker player to date ahead of other significant circuit players.
David Tran has been playing poker for about 10 years, just about all his adult life, according to PokerPages.com, one of many significant website enterprises covering this year's World Series of Poker. Martin De Knijff
Poker News: The London Telegraph reports that several hundred pupils of a former renowned FBI agent are among those competing for this year's grand World Series of Poker prize. Ironically, it was the FBI's actions over the past year that have played a major role in cutting the WSOP attendance nearly in half based on forecast trends that would have had over 10,000 participating in 2007. Play online poker
The US Justice Department has aggressively gone after online poker gambling establishments, enforced laws, and helped to ensure that Harrah's (which runs the WSOP) would not allow participation of online poker sites that have arguably helped to make the World Series of Poker into such a massive event. Read poker blogs
Joe Navarro worked as an FBI agent for 25 years. Over that period he learned some valuable skills to help determine if the "bad guys" were lying. Where did he learn these skills? From playing poker! Mr Navarro has swapped the interrogation room for the poker den - using his skills to help players spot the almost imperceptible movements that give away whether their opponents have a strong hand or are bluffing. Play route 66 poker
Florida-based Mr Navarro, 54, who still lectures to CIA and FBI counter-terrorism and counter-espionage officers, first realised that he had a skill for poker when he filmed a documentary which pitted human body language experts against a lie detector machine. Play $500 match poker bonus Martin De Knijff
Poker News: She's one of the most feared cash game players in the world, but perched on a chair watching her husband attempt to make the final table of the $10,000 Pot-Limit Omaha championship Monday night, woman poker player Jennifer Harman looks like any other nervous wife. Play online poker
The petite card shark joined the crowd circling the final two tables of the poker tournament and watched as the field was whittled to one felt of nine where her husband, Marco Traniello, earned a spot among poker superstars such as Doyle Brunson and Patrik Antonius.On Monday, the only sign of her fierce reputation in the poker rooms comes in the message emblazoned on her t-shirt: Don't piss me off. Read Poker Blogs
It's doubtful anyone would try in a room packed with adoring fans who line up to pose for snapshots with the Full Tilt Poker pro once the poker tournament has wrapped up - Traniello has final tabled and Harman's stomach has stopped doing flip flops. After all her years playing poker and two World Series of Poker gold bracelets, Harman says she's now gunning for Traniello to pick up a win. Play route 66 poker Martin De Knijff
Poker News: WSOP personnel do not work together year round. They come from several different Harrah's properties and outside casinos. The group has a plan and a management structure, but very little experience working as a team when the WSOP begins. play online poker
"Picture a basketball team with no pre-season or season at all being asked to jump right into the NBA finals and play perfectly," Greenbaum said. "It's a little different because our NBA final is 45 days long, but I'd say it takes about a week before we hit our groove."Thompson and Pollack also said it takes about a week. "By the fourth or fifth day, we've usually seen the day-to-day, handled a few problems and can finally settle down a bit," Thompson said. Read poker blogs
The bracelet events draw the most attention, but Effel said the Series is much more than just 55-historic tournaments. The WSO Poker tournament runs 24 hours a day with anywhere from one to six bracelet tournaments, cash games, single-table satellites, mega-satellites, evening tournaments and ESPN final tables running concurrently. The Bluff Sequestrium was also added this year. Read poker blogs
Effel hired 750 dealers and 60 floor supervisors to run daily poker operations. The hiring process began in late 2006 when Effel received hundreds of applications. He also hand-picked several floor managers from different Harrah's properties to round out his team. The WSOP day never really ends. Dealer, managers and table staff need to make decisions 24-hours a day. Effel's nightmare is not having enough personnel, but so far, the 300 tables have passed the test with "a little bit of something for everyone." route 66 poker
"We have an amazing system," Effel said. "Our floor managers handle setting up the tables, rotating the dealers and spreading the different offerings for the day. When issues arise they can't handle, they run them up the chain to my assistant directors and if need be, to me. We've been able to handle every poker tournament and have started most of them on time with few complaints." $500 match poker bonus
Due to attrition, only 625 of the original 750 dealers the WSO P hired for this year's poker tournament are actually working, Effel said. Dealers are classified as either A, B, or C dealers, with C dealers being basic employees who can essential deal only Hold'em. "A" dealers are the best, employees who can handle the 16 different poker variations offered at the 2007 WSOP. Effel structured the poker tournament schedule in a manner that prevents the harder variations from running at the same time, but at some junctures, the squeeze on the dealer-related staff is tight.
"Essentially, what we've created is a poker player's paradise," Effel said. "There's something here for everyone, but having that type of spread takes more man power than people realize."
Iafrate has other concerns as the Rio's assistant general manger, like keeping the regular casino running and finding places for all the guests to stay. "Our casino doesn't shut down because the WSOP is here," Iafrate said. "It's a big deal, but it's just one piece. We need to make sure everything is running smoothly." $500 match poker bonus
The Rio is 95 percent full year-round, so his staff needs to change their regular marketing strategies to ensure there is enough space for the 50,000 poker guests. When the Rio is full, players are moved to other Harrahs' properties, like Caesars, Bally's or the Flamingo. Every player who registers for a WSO Poker tournament event receives a room discount. Martin De Knijff
