Day 3 of the spectacular $50,000 World Championship H.O.R.S.E. event at the 2007 World Series of Poker is done. With 21 players & women poker pros left in the tournament, Amnon Filippi tops the field ahead of Kenny Tran and Bruno Fitoussi.
Lots can, and will, happen during the two final days, but one thing is certain: we will have a new H.O.R.S.E. world champion. Last year's winner Chip Reese has been eliminated from the tournament, and so has Andy Bloch, who faced Reese in the longest heads-up match in WSOP history in the 2006 H.O.R.S.E. event. Play online poker.
Dewey Tomko and David Singer are the only two players from last year's final table who are still in contention, and they are accompanied by big names such as Freddy Deeb, Barry Greenstein, Mike Matusow, Gabe Kaplan, Greg Raymer and Daniel Negreanu. Download poker wallpapers.
Phil Hellmuth, Huck Seed, Eli Elezra, John Juanda, Isabelle Mercier, Erick Lindgren, Allen Cunningham, Phil Ivey, woman poker player Annie Duke, Erik Seidel, Scotty Nguyen, David Williams, David Sklansky and Cyndy Violette were among the eliminated on day 3.
Day 4 starts off at 2 p.m. (PDT) and of course you can read all the latest live updates and see all the latest photos in the Live Poker Tournaments Section here at PokerListings.com.
Otherwise Fred Goldberg was the man of the day at the Rio in Las Vegas. Goldberg won Event 40, $1,500 Mixed Hold'em and took home a golden bracelet and $ 204,935 in prize money.
Two new final tables has been set, in Event 41, $1,000 Seniors No-Limit Holdem and in Event 42, $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Lo, and Event 43, $2,000 Limit Holdem got underway with its opening day. In the Live Tournaments Section you can find everything you need about these WSOP tournaments as well. Stay tuned to our poker blog for more updates.
This blogger has just returned from one of the many washrooms at the Rio Hotel and Casino where he ran his hands under some lukewarm water for five minutes. It was the only way this blogger could regain the physical capacity to type.
Yes, it's that cold at the World Series of Poker. With temperatures in the 100's outside, the air conditioning is working overtime inside. The only thing colder at the moment is Jeff Lisandro's luck. Lisandro was the first player to bust out of the WSOP $50,000 HORSE event. Close to joining Lisandro are Johnny Chan and Gus Hansen, both of whom could barely afford a Hyundai hatchback with their current chip amounts. The leader is Eli Elezra with $331,000, thanks to a giant $115,000 pot win in Razz. Play route 66 poker.
Live Chip Count
Back to the cold, and some possible reasons why the temperature resembles a meat packer at the Rio:
* David Letterman has replaced Jack Effel as poker tournament director. * WSOP hoodie sales are down. Way down. * Greg Raymer kept complaining it was too hot. * Doyle Brunson gets kinda sleepy these days. * Phil Ivey's veins are actually made of ice.
The first day of the real poker world championship, $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. has ended. Eli Elezra tops the field, but the High Stakes Poker profile is hunted by a pack of big-time pros including Carlos Mortensen, Phil Hellmuth, Phil Ivey, Daniel Negreanu and Doyle Brunson. Download poker wallpapers.
In total only 148 players & women poker players entered the $50,000 World Championship H.O.R.S.E. event, but they are all world-class poker players who will do everything to win the tournament.
Most likely, this year's final table will be as spectacular as last year's, when Chip Reese defeated players like Phil Ivey, T.J. Cloutier, Dewey Tomko, Doyle Brunson and Patrik Antonius to take the title and $1,784,640 in prize money. Play online poker.
With the big starting stacks and the limit format, the poker tournament is scheduled to last for four days, but 23 players, including Jeffrey Lisandro, Johnny Chan, Gus Hansen, David Benyamine and Sam Fahra busted out already on the first day.
Day 2 starts off at 2 p.m. (PDT) and of course you can read all the latest live updates and see all the latest photos in the Live Tournaments Section here at PokerListings.com
One golden bracelet was awarded on Day 24 of the 2007 WSOP. Greg Hopkins took home Event 37, $2,000 Pot-Limit Hold'em and $269,707 in prize money. Play online poker.
Otherwise Event 38, $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em was played down to the final table, and Event 40, $1,500 Mixed Hold'em got underway with its opening day. Stay tuned to our poker blog for more updates.
CEO Poker Tour, the poker event where players & women poker pros battle over the green felt of the poker table, for cash, trophies, gold bracelets, and bragging rights, has just placed the official CEO Poker Tour VIP Pass ticket for download on it's poker blog. You do not have to be a CEO to play in this event. Download poker wallpapers.
The free concert-like ticket will entitle players & women poker players to receive a gift bag and CEO Poker Tour hat, when they register at the Venetian Resort-Hotel-Casino in Las Vegas for the July 2-10, No Limit Texas Holdem events, starting at 5:00pm. CEO Poker Tour buy-ins range from $500 - $2,500.
"The CEO Poker Tour gives poker players the ability to play online poker and network," says William Peraza, Jr, CEO of CEO Poker Tour. "We also wanted to give players & women poker pros the added value of a gift when they register."
The CEO Poker Tour VIP Pass ticket can be downloaded from the website, enabling players to take home at registration a CEO Poker Tour flex hat, with the CEO Poker Tour logo, a $19.99 value, in addition to a gift bag.
All CEO Poker Tournament first place winners will receive a crystal, gold detailed, trophy, and bracelet winners will receive an 18K gold 2007 CEO Poker Tour Champion bracelet. The main event prize for the CEO Poker Tour is a crystal etched cup, engraved in gold, that will provide the winner with the ultimate bragging rights. Stay tuned to our poker blog for more updates.
The Isle of Man-based online gambling software provider Microgaming has added Pax Poker.com to its +40 site Internet poker network.
Pax is owned by the Malta registered and regulated online gambling group Bravo Poker Limited, and was founded by Einar Bolsted's talented and experienced team which made such a success of the Scandinavian targeted Poker Arena.
Chief executive Einar Bolsted said: “We are delighted to announce that Pax Poker has launched on Microgaming and look forward to experiencing the same success we’ve had with play online poker Arena. Like any operator, we aim to offer our players & women poker players the very best gaming experience and we believe that Microgaming’s software delivers this – whether it’s in gameplay, poker tournaments schedules or player numbers."
Roger Raatgever, CEO Microgaming said that the Microgaming Poker Network has been enjoying a period of exceptional growth over the last few years due to a continued commitment to providing the best online poker service available. "I am thrilled that one of our existing operators recognises the high level of software and support we provide and has seen fit to launch their latest addition on the Microgaming Poker Network,” he said. Play route 66 poker.
KEINER BEATS THE BIG GUNS
Raymer, Greenstein in final table tussle
Event 14 at the World Series of Poker - the two-day $1 500 Seven Card Stud - was decided in the early hours of Sunday morning after a tough 17 hour race to a final table tussle that featured big names Greg Raymer and Barry Greenstein.
Emerging from the fray with the winner's bracelet and $146 987 main prize was Michael 'The Doc' Keiner, who shut down heads up opponent Nesbitt Coburn in a great climax to a long and hard competition that initially featured 385 starters, winnowed down to 137 players & women poker pros at the start of Day 2 amid fears that the event may have to be extended into a third day.
On Day 2 Michael Mizrachi was among several experienced players who went out in the first three hours of play. Later casualties included woman poker pro Barbara Enright, who is the only woman poker player ever to make a main event final table at WSOP, and previous gold bracelet winners Mel Judah and Josh Arieh.
With 13 players still left at 2 am Sunday, the decision was made to continue playing and when Keiner busted Matthew Kelly in ninth place, the final table was set, with Keiner holding a strong lead on 318 500. It took another 4 hours to decide the matter, with Larry Eubanks the first out in eighth place at the hands of Keiner. Play $500 match poker bonus.
John Robertson was out at position 7 after a clash with Steve Sung, and that was followed by WSOP veteran Raymer's departure at position 6 after falling foul of some aggressive play by Greenstein. Position 5 went to Dale Phillips - another Keiner victim, and soon after Greenstein was gone in the number 4 slot following a clash with Nesbitt Coburn. Download poker wallpapers.
The heads up was decided when Sung was taken down by Coburn, leaving him to face Keiner in the heads up.
At 7am, ESPN wanted to record the Keiner-Coburn heads-up match, but as it would mean having to return later the idea was dropped, allowing the game to continue with two very tired players. Around eight Sunday morning and after more than 17 hours of play, Keiner was able finally to prevail and pocket the big money and the bracelet. Coburn's consolation was $80 876. Check our poker blog for more updates.
Inaugural World Series of Poker Event Attracts European High-Rollers
Amid much anticipation, the 2007 World Series of Poker Tournament kicked off at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas yesterday and a clutch of big-hitting Europeans sat down among the 451 players & women poker players in the first-ever $5,000 mixed hold’em event.
Among the Euro contingent in search of the first of 55 bracelets were Andy Black, Roland De Wolfe, Gus Hansen, Patrik Antonius, Max Pescatori, Thomas Wahlroos, Thor Hansen, Dave “Devilfish” Ulliott, David Benyamine, and Conor Tate. Download star poker wallpapers.
By the end of day one, 95 players & women poker pros remained and the European charge had faltered, perhaps as a result of the limit hold’em element, which is not generally considered a strong European discipline.
Players received a $10,000 starting stack and, just past noon, last year’s main event winner Jamie Gold uttered the legendary “shuffle up and deal” command to get the event started with a level of no-limit hold’em.
Gus Hansen and Benyamine took their seats late, the Devilfish gave Phil Hellmuth (also a late ariver) a massage, and Black scored a table that contained Greg Raymer and Joe Sebok. Play online poker.
It wasn’t long before controversy raised its head with much grumbling about the playing cards. Players complained the newly designed “,Poker Peek” cards were difficult to read and after a number of reported mis-reads Harrah’s acted quickly and reverted back to more conventional stock.
Devilfish mixed it up in the first two levels, tangling with both Chad Layne and Mike Teltscher. He came a cropper both times and started level three with just over half his starting stack. Benyamine had rocked his stack up to over $15,000 early in level three.
By level five, Devilfish, Wahlroos, and Gus Hansen were seated together, along with impressive Canadian youngster Sorel Mizzi. But Hansen’s continued participation was short-lived and he busted out along with fellow Scandinavian Patrik Antonius. Play $500 match poker bonus.
Conor Tate had a much more satisfactory level, trumping a set with a higher set to reach the heady heights of $30,000 in chips.
Level eight saw Mike “The Mouth” Matusow crack Devilfish’s aces but by level 11 both players were gone, Devilfish getting unlucky when he got his chips in with tens only to see his opponent catch a queen and jack for two pair.
Towards the end of play, the final tranche of Euro heroes were vanquished with Northern Irishman Conor Tate, Italian Max Pescatori, and Thomas Wahlroos from Finland failing to get over the last hurdle. Adventure route 66 poker.
Elsewhere, struggles ensued with Roland De Wolfe, Thor Hansen, and David Benyamine still alive but only just kicking, sitting on $7,000, $5,000 and $3,700 in chips, respectively. However, the short stack situation proved too much and all were gone when the smoke cleared.
With players playing down to a final table of nine today, the less-than-average-stacked Europeans will have to up their game considerably to recover from a commanding US performance. Try online poker.
Today will also see the start of the $1,500 no-limit hold’em, which is likely to include Padraig Parkinson as well as many of the European casualties from yesterday’s event. With a registration queue snaking through the Rio for most of the day — numbering 1,000 strong at one point — it’s sure to be huge. Lock onto our poker blog for more updates.
Jan Von Halle and Thor Hansen Rip up $5,000 Pot-Limit Hold'em But Europeans Fail to Take Bracelet in $5,000 World Championship Seven-Card Stud Poker Tournament
Day eight at the 38th World Series of Poker was a mixed one for the Europeans. With no representative at the final table of event 10, the $2,000 no-limit hold’em poker tournament, the main challenge was expected to come in event 11. Indeed, there were high hopes of another bracelet as three Euro poker players sat down to compete at the final table of the $5,000 world championship seven-card stud event.
However, it would ultimately end in disappointment and frustration for all three.
Marco Traniello, the on-form Italian, busted in eighth place but walked away with $19,458, his second WSOP cash this year.
Frenchman Oriane Teysseire hit the rail not long afterwards in seventh place for a payday of $27,072 while Dane Theo Jorgensen was eliminated in fifth place for $46,530.
Event 12, the $1,500 no-limit hold’em short-handed, saw a couple of European cashes, with Johannes Steindl making 64th place for $3,214, his second cash at this year’s WSOP, while Dutchman Peter Dalhuijsen was out in 55th for $3,701.
The $5,000 world championship pot-limit hold’em tournament (event 13) saw plenty of familiar European faces and women poker players among the 398 participants with Andy Black, Gus Hansen, David “Devilfish” Ulliott, John Gale, Max Pescatori, Roland De Wolfe, Katja Thater, Harry Demetriou, Ross Boatman, Barny Boatman, Thomas Wahlroos, Kirill Gerasimov, Michael Gracz, Bertrand “Elky” Grospellier, Jeff Lissandro, and Jan Von Halle all sitting down on day one. Check out their poker wallpapers.
It was Lissandro and Von Halle who led the charge, with the former catching a string of strong hands and getting paid off, and the latter busting out Michael Gracz.
Von Halle ended the day among the chip leaders on over $170,000 in chips and Lissandro will also return tomorrow with around $80,000 in chips. Notable bustees include Wahlroos, Demetriou, De Wolfe, Pescatori, Black, Hansen, Ulliott, and Gale.
Day one of the $1,500 seven-card stud tournament (event 14) saw 395 buy-ins and German Davood Mehrmand rising to chip leader towards the end of the day before falling back to under $10,000 in chips by the close of play. Thor Hansen sat on over $14,000 in chips as the tournament ended.
Still in the tournament going into day two was Max Pescatori, while Andy Black was eliminated.
Saturday, June 9 will see the final table of the $1,500 no-limit hold’em event, day two of the $5,000 world championship pot-limit hold’em tournament, the culmination of the $1,500 seven-card stud event, and the start of both the $1,500 no-limit hold’em game and the $2,500 H.O.R.S.E game.
In the midst of the 2007 World Series of Poker, the online poker world has been abuzz with some exciting news regarding the future of the industry. On Thursday, Congressman Robert Wexler (D-FL) introduced H.R. 2610, the “Skill Game Protection Act,” which would essentially carve out a place for games defined as “skill games” from the UIGEA, which was passed late last year. On Friday, Congressman Barney Frank’s (D-MA) “Internet Gambling Regulation and Enforcement Act of 2007” was discussed in committee. The bill would carve out exemptions for properly licensed gaming operators from the UIGEA. Both bills are extremely important for online poker players everywhere.
Congressman Wexler’s bill focuses on carving out an exemption for skill games from the UIGEA. The bill emphasizes that minors should not be allowed to access gaming websites, that “persons with compulsive behavior should be identified and referred to treatment,” that money laundering issues will be addressed, and finally, that the industry will be taxed. The bill specifically refers to playing online poker, chess, bridge, mahjong, or any other game where the action is essentially player versus player and not player versus the house. Most importantly, according to the Poker Players Alliance, the bill clarifies the Wire Act of 1961 to allow skill games to exist. PPA Chairman and former three-time Senator from New York Alfonse D’Amato comments on H.R. 2610: “Congressman Wexler’s bill is a positive development for the millions of American poker players who play poker online and enjoy one of our nation’s great pastimes. Poker and other games of skill have fallen victim to bad public policy. Wexler’s plan will give skill games the rightful protection they deserve and it will require the proper safeguards to protect children and those prone to abuse.” He adds, “Congressman Wexler’s legislation is necessary to provide equitable treatment for true games of intellect and competitions among individuals. Americans have played online poker responsibly throughout our history and the Wexler bill will ensure that the game is enjoyed for years to come.”
Meanwhile, Congressman Frank’s bill is gaining momentum, being discussed in the House Financial Services Committee on Friday, June 8th. Witnesses who spoke in front of the Committee included Michael Colopy, Senior Vice President of Communications for Aristotle, Inc.; Pastor Greg Hogan; and Radley Balko, Senior Editor of Reason Magazine. They, along with others, expressed differing views about the feasibility of regulating internet gambling.
Colopy’s company runs a major age and ID verification system that was the subject of a popular piece 60 Minutes aired about the internet gambling industry. He commented in front of the Committee, “A self-exclusion list program is being developed in association with the National Council on Problem Gambling through which individuals will be able to put their own names on a confidential self-exclusion list of those who do not wish to be solicited or allowed to open an account with a casino.” This addresses the compulsive “click your mouse and lose your house” issue many have with internet gambling itself. It is a safeguard that can exist with online gambling.
Hogan is the Pastor at the First Baptist Church of Barberton, Ohio. He spoke as a father on his son’s gambling problem. A student who paid for Lehigh University through a $23,000 per year grant, his son soon was exposed to the world of playing online poker, depositing money on PokerStars. He became consumed with gambling and, at one point, was depositing $400 per day into his account. Hogan quoted a statistic from the National Council on Problem Gambling: “Among the college population, 7% that gamble online will become addicted.” His son eventually robbed a bank to pay back gambling loans and served almost two years in jail. Overall, Hogan claims he “opposes any effort to legalize or even give credibility to Internet gambling.” Other statistics mentioned in his testimony included the higher suicide rates, credit card debt, and health issues associated with problem gamblers.
Balko is the Senior Editor of Reason Magazine. He is a supporter of Congressman Frank’s efforts: Poker “is about as mainstream and uniquely American as baseball. Online poker is merely a new evolution of the game. The Internet merely removes the geographic barrier preventing those who love the game from finding opponents of similar skill who are willing to wager similar amounts of money.” He sums up the argument of many responsible and professional online poker players and women poker players everywhere: “The ban on Internet gambling pushes millions of Americans who were wagering online responsibly due to anecdotal evidence of a few who may do so irresponsibly.”
The road from here is uncertain for the online gambling industry, but one thing is for sure: These two bills have the potential to make a positive impact on our industry.
There are plenty of ways for poker players to prepare themselves for the World Series of Poker. Gus Hansen spent a little time honing his game online the past week, raking in quite a stash that will no doubt come in handy for entry fees.
The day before he was spotted playing in the $5,000 Mixed Hold'em event of the World Series of Poker, online fans spotted Gus Hansen putting in a successful session online in the $1,000/$2,000 H.O.R.S.E. game at Full Tilt Poker.
According to HighStakesReport.com, more than 230 hands of play resulted in the Dane pulled in nearly $50,000 in winnings.
Some other players did well online that night as well. Player "bacina" won more than $50,000 in a 30-hand session, and "OK ALL-IN" also won $27,000 in the game.
One of the losers of the night was David Benyamine. He dropped $67,000 on the game, which probably didn't help put him in the right frame of mind for the WSOP either.
Last year's event was missing something. The most exciting moment came when Phil Hellmuth won his tenth-bracelet. This was when I was still a Hellmuth fan. But then he started blogging about his pseudo-celebrity status and I stopped caring. Plus, he talks in the third person off the record as well as on, which is pretty tedious.
Anyway, I'm really looking forward to this years WSOP.
For those of you that don't know, I'm a Red Sox fan. So I have an innate unreasonable strain of optimism whenever a season (or series in this case) begins anew. So here are five reasons why I think this year's WSOP will be better than last year's…
After 15 hours of watching the 2006 Main Event final table play out from the media room, one thing became clear - no one wanted Jamie Gold to win. Every time the man went all-in, the "objective" media cheered for his opponent. Not even the amazing story of Gold playing for his dying father elicited sympathy. The media felt for Gold and his family (myself included), but could not stop loathing an arrogant player who said he might tank the final table because he didn't want to become a celebrity. And then we found out about the Crispin Leyser ordeal! After a year of watching Jamie Gold ruin the goodwill for poker created by past champs Greg Raymer and Joe Hachem, one thing is certain, the man couldn't handle the responsibility of being champion. There is no way Gold can repeat, and that's good for poker.
Nadia is on fire. Her poker education came full circle this spring when she finished second in the pro-heavy field at the NBC Heads-Up Championship. Whether she likes it or not, Nadia has become a standard-bearer for women in the Series, similar to Jennifer Tilly in 2005. After a dismal 2006, women will make a comeback in 2007 and I'm all for it. I expect big things from Elizabeth, Jennifer Harman, Kathy Leibert, and the amazing Anna Wroblewski, who held the chip lead for a time at the WPT Championship. Women players are good for poker because watching ugly old men win and pimply-faced college kids is becoming a bit passé.
3. The pros will make a comeback
The Chris Moneymaker story was nice, but for poker to survive as a televised sport, the superstars must make some noise in 2007. I want "The Mouth" back at the Main Event final table. I want Doyle Brunson to win number 11. I want Daniel Negreanu and Phil Ivey to capture two bracelets a piece. I want little Jennifer Harman breaking people in the Main Event. Poker needs it, much like baseball needed Sammy Sosa and Mark McGuire to break the single-season homerun record to make the game relevant again. Poker needs its stars Harrah's, so don't be too heavy-handed with the steroid policies. Juice the pros up and let's make some history.
4. The H.O.R.S.E will be a H.O.R.S.E
The 2006 $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. final table was the greatest ever put together, pitting poker's past (Brunson) against poker's future (Ivey) with a sprinkling of great minds (Andy Bloch) and a whole lot of cash game prowess (that Chip Reese guy). The only problem is the world didn't get to see poker's greatest play H.O.R.S.E. because ESPN didn't trust that the masses would understand a mixed-game. I believe those days are done. The major online sites now offer weekly big-buy-in H.O.R.S.E. tournaments and many casinos, including Bellagio and Foxwoods, have started offering regular H.O.R.S.E cash games. No-Limit Hold'em is still king, but people want to see the other games offered in their casinos. This year's H.O.R.S.E. tournament is sure to draw another amazing group of top players, and I'm excited to see which one of them will win.
5. Participation numbers will be down
The "boom" is over. But that's not necessarily a bad thing. , . For every sport, the true test comes when the glitz and glamour wears off. I don't care who you are, I know you were excited for a few moments about the XFL. The thought of combining pro-wrestling antics with football was intriguing -- regardless of your fears of watching Vince McMahon in pads. The XFL failed because it sucked. Poker doesn't suck. The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act and the NETeller arrests did not kill online poker in America because people enjoy playing the game. It's become a pastime -- where people can socialize and have a little harmless fun. The number of WSOP entrants will drop this year because not everyone is interested in playing for bracelets, but that doesn't mean people are no longer interested in poker. All of the major media outlets will cover the Main Event. Nearly everyone has played or knows someone who plays poker and that's not going away. I say let's weed out the weak and see how poker does without the flash. My bet is poker will do just fine.
Day 3 of the spectacular $50,000 World Championship H.O.R.S.E. event at the 2007 World Series of Poker is done. With 21 players & women poker pros left in the tournament, Amnon Filippi tops the field ahead of Kenny Tran and Bruno Fitoussi.
