Cute little time-waster

You've probably seen nickname generators before, but this is the first time I've seen one for poker. Just answer a few questions and pretty soon you've got your very own "badass poker nickname." You can try it out at www.pokernickname.com.

Mine? "The 'Tangman." I think I'll be sticking with evilbilly.

Reactions

HIGH ROLLER: THE STU UNGAR STORY: Finally got to see this film last night. First off, let me just say I truly enjoyed the movie. I really wish I knew more about Stuey so that I could more easily dissect the truth from the fiction. But the overall story was very effective in turning Stu Ungar into a mere mortal with gifts and weaknesses, rather than some mythical god of poker and self-destructive tempest he has become in modern folklore.

Second, I'll say I had very high expectations for the film, so some disappointment was probably inevitable. The one complaint I have is that I wish they had shown more cardplay, but that's really just a minor complaint from a certified poker-holic. To me, poker has an inate drama that can be used so well to add tension to a film. But maybe that sort of thing just doesn't play as well out in suburbia.

TILT: When the first episode of this show came on, I felt it could go either way. I enjoyed the cardplay and the feeling that I was looking behind the scenes of a life that fascinates me, but I was worried that the plot could just disintegrate into cheesiness.

Now that we have three episodes under our belts, all I can say is, "Oh, my." This show is maturing rapidly. It could have easily fallen into the trap of good vs. evil corniness, and while there is that element in the background, it's done much more realistically, with the good guys having their faults and the main bad guy having his saving graces.

And what can I say about Seymour's exit? Last week's ending literally left my jaw hanging open. It was at that moment that my mind was made up -- Tilt is pretty damn good TV. Anytime one of your main characters is sacrificed for the sake of the story line, you can tell you're watching a show where everything else comes second to plot. After all, prior to Seymour's death, the show sort of had a Teenage Mutant Ninja Rounders feel to it, with Seymour serving as Splinter, herding his elite force of young poker punks into battle.

Jack Binion World Poker Open - Main Event - Final Results

It took awhile for the final tournament report to get here, but here it is ...


John Stolzmann and Chau Giang in heads-up play.
No-Limit Hold’em
Buy-In: $10,000
Number of Entries: 512
Prize Money: $4,832,773

Official Results:
1. John Stolzmann, Madison, WI, $1,465,944
2. Chau Giang, Las Vegas, NV, 773,448
3. Daniel Negreanu, Toronto, Canada, 384,322
4. Scotty Nguyen, Henderson, NV, 336,282
5. Michael Mizrachi, Hollywood, FL, 288,241
6. Raja Kattamuri, Dallas, TX, 240,201
7. Tracy Scala, Del Ray Beach, FL, 192,161
8. Jason Tate, Tunica, MS, 144,121
9. Mike Liras, Houston, TX, 96,080
10. Mike Cordell, Little Rock, AR, 52,845
11. Brian McKain, Scottburg, IN, 52,845
12. Stan Goldstein, Los Angeles, CA, 52,845
13. Jim Lester, Cincinnati, OH, 43,236
14. Chris Ball, Mesquite, TX, 43,236
15. Hertzel Zalewski, Houston, TX, 43,236
16. Larry Satterwhite, Houston, TX, 33,628
17. Jeff Shulman, Las Vegas, NV, 33,628
18. Herbie Montalbano, New Orleans, LA, 33,628
19. Mike May, New York, NY, 24,020
20. Dan Heimiller, Las Vegas, NV, 24,020
21. Alex Prendes, Miami, FL, 24,020
22. Theo Jorgensen, Copenhagen, Denmark, 24,020
23. Frankie May, Moss Point, MS, 24,020
24. Mark Napolitano, Marbella, Spain, 24,020
25. Barbara Laux, Clairton, PA, 24,020
26. Art Young, Biloxi, MS, 24,020
27. Padriag Parkinson, Dublin, Ireland, 24,020

‘The Poker Graduate’
University of Wisconsin Student John Stolzmann Pulls Off Stunning Final Table Upset – Youngest-Ever Jack Binion World Poker Open Champion Seizes First Major Tournament Victory and $1,465,944

No one could possibly have predicted the startling conclusion to the sixth annual Jack Binion World Poker Open championship event. The most unlikely of dark horses, John Stolzmann – a 23-year-old college student – stunned a standing-room only audience and the entire poker world by annihilating one of the toughest final tables in World Poker Tour history. Not only was young Stolzmann out-chipped by one of the world’s top poker players by a 3 to 1 margin from the start, two other powerhouse poker superstars held decisive chip advantages, as well. Then, there were two other dangerous foes to contend with, since both had approximately the same number of chips as Stolzmann. On the scale of tournament hills to climb, this was Mount Everest. Of the six finalists coming into Day Four of the main event, John Stolzmann was the youngest and least-experienced player at the table. To suggest that after six hours, he would end up with the coveted gold and diamond bracelet, and be the focus of television cameras and multiple press interviews at the end of a grueling but exhilarating tournament, would have been far-fetched, to say the very least.

This year’s annual poker classic held in Tunica, Mississippi, hosted jointly by the Horseshoe Casino-Hotel and Gold Strike Casino-Resort, was memorable for many reasons. Based on attendance figures and prize money, it was the largest poker tournament ever held outside of Las Vegas. A whopping 8,702 players entered 20 tournaments. The total prize pool was $12,369,522. Only the World Series of Poker has higher numbers. Furthermore, the 1,449 players who entered Event #2 at this year’s tournament constituted the biggest poker tournament ever held, apart from the WSOP. Tunica has clearly become one of poker’s biggest and brightest destinations.

The JBWPO championship event lasted four long days. A record 512 players entered the tournament, which began on January 24th. After Day One, 161 players remained. Among the early bust-outs was last year’s champion, Barry Greenstein. The 2004 winner doubled up at one point, but was eliminated when he moved ‘all in’ with a straight and flush draw, was called by his opponent, and missed making his hand. The tournament continued on Day Two and played down to the final 27 – which was the number of players who received prize money. Finishing just short of a payout was 2003 JBWPO champion, David “Devilfish” Ulliott. Twenty-one players were eliminated on Day Three. The six finalists arrived at the final table for Day Four, with Las Vegas-pro Chau Chiang as the chip leader.

A full house of spectators crowded into the second floor ballroom of the Gold Strike. An additional 1,500 or so poker fans packed into the nearby Millennium Theatre to watch the final table on close-circuit television. Tournament Director David Eglseder opened the proceedings and was joined by WPT announcer, Linda Johnson. Linda Machi, a gospel singer from Gulfport, Mississippi sang the National Anthem.

SEAT 1: Michael "The Grinder" Mizrachi, Hollywood, FL
Chip Count - 515,000
SEAT 2: John Stolzman, Madison, WI
Chip Count - 517,000
SEAT 3: Chau Giang, Las Vegas, NV
Chip Count - 1,406,000
SEAT 4: Raja Kattamuri, Dallas, TX
Chip Count - 330,000
SEAT 5: Scotty Nguyen, Henderson, NV
Chip Count - 1,210,000
SEAT 6: Daniel Negreanu, Toronto, Ontario (Canada)
Chip Count - 1,173,000

At approximately 4:15 pm CST play began. Players were eliminated as follows:

6th Place – Raja Kattamuri came in short-stacked. He managed to survive during the first hour, but ultimately went out when he moved ‘all in’ with A-K which was steamrolled by Chau Giang’s K-K. An lifesaving Ace failed to come for Kattamuri, which meant a 6th place finish for the electrical engineer from Dallas. Kattamuri, the winner of a tournament here last week, had been the chip leader after Day Two. But he suffered a rough Day Three. Kattamuri played exceptionally well in this tournament and earned $240,201 in prize money.

5th Place – On the very first hand of the final table, Michael Mizrachi doubled up against Daniel Negreanu with K-K against 10-10. It looked like this might be ‘The Grinder’s’ big day. But Mizrachi was grinded down a bit and Negreanu ultimately extracted his revenge in a brutal way. On his final hand, Mizrachi had 8-8 against Negreanu’s 7-7 and it seemed Mizrachi would be the one to challenge Giang for the chip lead. Then, he took a horrible beat on a two-outer. The board came 9-6-5-2-8. The cretin of all cards – an Eight – made Mizrachi a set. But Negreanu’s Seven played for the Nine-high straight, and in a stunning reversal of fortune, it was Mizrachi who was forced to walk the plank of elimination. He was the 5th-place finisher and received $288,241.

4th Place – When play became four-handed, Giang was up over $2 million. Negreanu had about $1.7 million. Stolzmann and Nguyen each had about $600,000. Entering the third hour of play, Nguyen lost a big pot when Stolzmann made an amazing call of Nguyen’s large bet, with just a pair. Nguyen was short-stacked by this point and played A-5 on his final hand, paired the five, but ended up losing to Stolzmann’s two pair. Nguyen, the 1998 world poker champion, earned $336,282 for 4th place.

3rd Place – Daniel Negreanu has certainly been one of poker’s hottest players. The 2004 ‘Player of the Year’ (CardPlayer) took a beat early and lost half of his stack, but got most of those chips back an hour later against Scotty Nguyen when he flopped a set of Fives, and Nguyen missed his nut flush draw. For a while, it looked like the WPT would get a much-anticipated Negreanu-Giang showdown. But John Stolzmann had other plans. He ripped into Negreanu’s stack when he moved ‘all in’ on an outside straight draw, holding 10-7 after the flop came down 9-8-x. Negreanu, with an overpair (pocket Queens) was going nowhere, except to his stack to call. He was horrified to see a Six come for Stolzmann, completing the straight. This time, it was Stolzmann who caught a big miraculous card. Negreanu was eliminated a few hands later and received $384,322 for 3rd place.

The heads-up finale was a matchup of opposites. It featured the final table’s most experienced and highest-limit player against the least-experienced. It was clearly a showdown of David versus Goliath. Not only was Giang twice Stolzmann’s age, the three-time WSOP gold bracelet winner had been in this spot many times before. One could even argue that the $1.5 million dollar prize money for first place was not such a big deal for Giang, who has won and lost such sums in a single night of big-bet poker. No one knew what to expect or how long it would take for the end to come – but Giang was clearly an overwhelming favorite to win.

But John Stolzmann had two intangibles on his side. First, he was the chip leader – with about $2.6 million to Giang’s 2.3 million. Second, and perhaps more important – he was the great ‘unknown.’ No one had ever seen or played with Stolzmann before at this level. In a sense, it was Stolzmann’s stealth image and carefree attitude going up against a veteran player who could be counted on to make aggressive, mathematically-sound decisions. Hence, all the pressure was on Chau Giang.

Early on in the duel, Giang demonstrated his poker greatness by calling down Stolzmann’s bluff with just a pair of Deuces. If there was any question defeating Giang would be easy, that hand settled the issue. All of the sudden Gaing had the chip lead again. An hour later, Giang was up in the chip count about 5 to 2.

Twenty minutes later, it would all be over. Stolzmann won a few key pots by aggressively moving ‘all in’ and forcing Giang to make some tough decisions. Each time he came over the top of Gaing’s initial bet, the Las Vegas pro reluctantly plaid down his hand. Whether Stolzmann really had big hands or not, the strategy worked. Incredibly, Stolzmann seized control of the duel and nearly closed his stunning upset on the second-to-last hand of the night:

STOLZMANN: K-10
GIANG: A-J

Both players watched as the flop gave Stolzmann a straight draw. Giang had top pair and tried to trap his opponent. But an Ace fell on the river, giving Giang two pair -- Aces and Jacks. Although he didn’t know it at the time, that Ace was a bad card for Giang. Stolzmann had completed the nut straight. Giang called the ‘all in’ raise by Stolzmann and lost most of his chips on the killer hand.

The final hand was dealt just moments later when Stolzmann’s A-10 held up and an Ace-high dragged the final pot of the night.

In a post-tournament press conference, the 2005 JBWPO reflected upon his staggering win. “When we got to heads up, I actually changed my strategy, Stolzmann said. “I’ve played online a lot, but never played heads-up no-limit before. I thought I could get into some big pots with Chau, but he was running over me. So, I decided to get more involved in the small pots. I got lucky on a few hands and caught some cards, then I trapped him (on the straight), so it worked out.”

Prior to this tournament, Stolzmann’s biggest win had been $15,000 at a poker event in Costa Rica last year. But in Tunica, he won 100 times that amount -- $1,465,944 plus a $25,000 seat in the Bellagio tournament last this year to be held in Las Vegas.

Stolzmann currently attends the University of Wisconsin where he is majoring in philosophy. He intends to earn his undergraduate degree and then apply to law school.

“Before this tournament started, I was planning to come here and just play the cash games. I wasn’t planning to play in the tournaments,” Stolzmann said. “But at the last minute, I decided to play a super satellite. I won a seat and got in. Now, here I am.”

When it comes to poker, college student John Stolzmann has graduated – with full honors.

Final Table Started at: 4:15 pm CST
Final Table Ended at: 9:55 pm CST

Report by Nolan Dalla – JBWPO Media Director
Tournament Director – David Eglseder
Co-Tournament Director (Horseshoe) – Ken Lambert, Jr.
Co-Tournament Director (Gold Strike) – Robert McGovern

Bonus whore alert

UltimateBet is looking for new players, and they're opening up their pocketbooks to prove it. Starting today, UltimateBethas doubled its first-time deposit bonus to 40 percent, up to a maximum of $200. Makes me wish I hadn't already signed up.

In addition to the money, there's more going on at UltimateBet. For starters, every Sunday in February, they're having $100,000 guaranteed tournaments. In addition, their Aruba satellites start soon, giving players a chance to win their way to a WPT event and a nice vacation to boot.

Check it out at UltimateBet.

Stolzmann wins JBWPO

The crown for this year's Jack Binion World Poker Open main event goes to college student John Stolzmann. His achievement is quite impressive, considering names such as Negreanu, Nguyen and Giang at the TV table and that he started the day on somewhat of a short stack. Though he was fourth in chips going into the day, that was only about half of what third had. Finally, he had to overcome about a 2-to-1 chip disadvantage when it finally got down to heads up against the formidable Giang. Quite impressive indeed.

Although I've already printed this once, here's his bio once again. I'm getting a lot of visitors who are trying to find out more information about him, so it's probably best to make it as easy to find as possible.

Stolzmann is currently a 23-year-old student at the University of Wisconsin, in Madison. He was born in Sheboygan, WI and started playing poker about four years ago. He now plays semi-professionally – both online and in occasional visits to major poker tournaments. His biggest win to date was 4th place in the Costa Rican Classic (2004), where he collected $15,000. Stolzmann’s biggest influences have been his father and girlfriend – both of whom are at this tournament. He won his entry fee into the main event by finishing among the top spots in a super satellite. He has been able to survive the first three days of the main event – ranking 48th out of 161 players after Day One, and 20th of 27 players after Day Two. He comes into Day Four -- 4th in the chip count. Stolzmann is the youngest player at the final table – with the least amount of experience at this level. It will be interesting to see how he adjusts to the pressures of playing in front of WPT television cameras, against some of the top players in the game.

JBWPO update

They're down to two in Tunica. And of the two, exactly zero are named Daniel Negreanu.

Really, I'm not trying to bust the guy's chops. In fact, he surpassed all of my expectations of this event and he deserves all the accolades he gets.

Before he left in third place, Danny-boy put Scotty Nguyen out in fourth.

The final two left are Chau Giang and John Stolzmann. Giang came into heads-up play with a wide lead, but the game has tightened considerably since then, and the two are pretty close to even now.

You can get more as it happens at a great little site put together by the team at Full Tilt Poker, called pokerwire.com.

I can't stand it anymore

Just had to drop everything to respond to a jerk on RGP. I've already posted there, but this is an issue I feel strongly about, and I want to make sure that at least a few people see it before it gets buried in the mountains of spam. Below are the posts in question, with my response at the very end:

On Jan 27 2005 1:01 PM, BKimbler wrote:
Last night at a low limit home game.... I get AQs in SB with 3 of us left in the game. Button calls the .50 blind.... I raise to $1.50 and BB calls. Button raises all in making the bet $2.25 to me - I call and so does BB.
Was it wrong for me to call that?
The flop comes Q T 8... I raise all in for $15. I am promptly called by J9o and J9s diamonds... Needless to say, one makes the Straight and the other makes a Flush... i'm out.
How would you have played it? Checked on it... HELP!

-----

On Jan 27 2005 1:24 PM, BostonJD wrote:
You lost under $20.00 on a slightly bad beat... If that is so perplexing that you have to post about it on the internet, maybe you should be playing Yahtzee?

-----

On Jan 27 2005 1:32 PM, BKimbler wrote:
I am trying to improve as a player... No one in my poker circle will up the ante so, i'm stucking playing $5 buy-in and I'm not mad about losing $$, i'm wondering if I played it wrong.
What i'm perplexed about is why you have to be an asshole with your answer?

-----

On Jan 27 2005 2:40 PM, evilbilly wrote:
Now that's a good question that deserves a response. People get on here bitching about spam and bad beat stories all the damn time, but as soon as someone asks a poker question, they jump all over him, either calling him an idiot or saying his question isn't worthy of a serious response because there wasn't enough money involved.
Note to the RGP community: If you are really concerned about the decline of the newsgroup, try reaching out to the few players who get on here with poker-related questions, instead of bashing them over the head for daring to ask a question that is "beneath" you. Every time you post a smart-ass response to someone who is at least trying to engage in a discussion about the game, you're stifling others from getting involved and ceding yet another inch of content to the spammers.
The hostility that many posters display toward new players is an arrogance that can perhaps be afforded at the present, but which will ultimately cost us all. Someday, poker will no longer be the "hot thing" and new players, who we all require to help our profit margins, will be harder to come by. Insulting and embarrassing new players will do nothing to promote the game, and it certainly won't improve the poker discussion on RGP.

ADDENDUM: Well, I attempted to drop everything and put this on this afternoon. Unfortunately, Blogger decided to crap out and not publish, a tendency it has developed over the past week. Oh well, better late than never.

The TV table is set

We're down to the TV table at the JBWPO, and this looks like a strong one. It could also be a loud one, with the mouths of Daniel Negreanu and Scotty Nguyen sure to be flapping. Daniel continues to defy all my expectations that he would come into this event without the necessary fire in his belly to win it. Instead, he is showing that all the accolades of the past year haven't gone to his head. Indeed, we could be watching history in the making. At this pace, he could be putting together one of the greatest runs in the history of the game.

Jack Binion World Poker Open - Main Event - Day 3

No-Limit Texas Hold’em
Buy-In: $10,000
Number of Entries: 512
Prize Money: $4,832,773

1st place - $1,465,944
2nd place - 773,448
3rd place – 384,322
4th place - 336,282
5th place – 288,241
6th place – 240,201

SEAT 1: Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi, Hollywood, FL
Chip Count – 515,000
Mizrachi is a 24-year-old professional poker player born in Miami, Florida. He grew up wanting to become a medical doctor, started playing poker at the age of 15, and eventually dropped out of college to play full time. Mizrachi’s biggest win to date was first place in the Five-Diamond World Poker Classic II at the Bellagio held in Las Vegas (Dec. 2004), where he was victorious in the $2,000 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em event – worth $274,000 in prize money. Poker seems to run in the Mizrachi family; His brother, Robert, is also quite successful and has several in-the-money tournament finishes. Mizrachi is known as “The Grinder” for his solid consistent playing style, which isn’t flashy, but which seems to win the money more often than not. This strategy and persona is in stark contrast to his rivals at this table, particularly the more flamboyant Nguyen and Negreanu. It will be interesting to see how much he mixes it up with the bigger stacks – particularly chip-leader Chiang, sitting two seats to his left. To his credit, “The Grinder” was dead last in the chip count coming into Day Three, ranked 27th of 27 players (starting with just 37,000 in chips with blinds starting at 3,000-6,000). But he somehow managed to survive and rocketed up to a chip count of over half-a-million coming into today’s finale. Mizrachi is married to wife Aidilay, and has one son, Paul William.

SEAT 2: John Stolzman, Madison, WI
Chip Count – 517,000
Stolzman is currently a 23-year-old student at the University of Wisconsin, in Madison. He was born in Sheboygan, WI and started playing poker about four years ago. He now plays semi-professionally – both online and in occasional visits to major poker tournaments. His biggest win to date was 4th place in the Costa Rican Classic (2004), where he collected $15,000. Stolzman’s biggest influences have been his father and girlfriend – both of whom are at this tournament. He won his entry fee into the main event by finishing among the top spots in a super satellite. He has been able to survive the first three days of the main event – ranking 48th out of 161 players after Day One, and 20th of 27 players after Day Two. He comes into Day Four -- 4th in the chip count. Stolzman is the youngest player at the final table – with the least amount of experience at this level. It will be interesting to see how he adjusts to the pressures of playing in front of WPT television cameras, against some of the top players in the game.

SEAT 3: Chau Giang, Las Vegas, NV
Chip Count – 1,406,000
Despite his innumerable poker accomplishments, today’s chip leader, Chau Giang, shuffles around casinos and cardrooms in relative anonymity. Although Giang routinely plays in the highest limit games in the world -– try playing $2,000-4,000 limit as your ‘regular’ game –- he rarely gets recognized publicly. He sits down among, plays with, and often defeats the living legends every poker player will recognize –- be it Brunson, Berman, Baldwin, or Reese. Peers universally agree that Giang possesses a brilliant poker mind and is one of the toughest players in the world to beat –- whatever the game, whatever the limit, and whatever the challenge. But poker is just a small part of Giang’s incredible story. He is of Chinese decent, and fled Vietnam in a small boat in 1979 -- risking everything he owned to taste freedom in America. In a sense, it was an ‘all in’ bet Giang was willing to make. When his ultimate gamble paid off with his arrival in the United States in 1978, Giang began working laborious, minimum wage jobs to support himself and build a better life. He later moved to Colorado and took a job as a cook in a Chinese restaurant. Barely making ends meet, Giang started playing in a low-limit poker game and eventually discovered he could make a better living at the green felt table rather than frying rice. Convinced he could succeed, Giang took another gamble when he came to Las Vegas. He started in low limit games, then moved up to higher levels as his bankroll and confidence increased. Within his first year as a pro, Giang made $100,000 at the poker tables in Las Vegas. When the Mirage opened a few years later, Giang was regularly seen in the biggest game in the room –- often playing $500-1,000 limit and higher. GIANG began playing tournaments in the early 1990s and won two gold bracelets at the World Series of Poker –- for Ace-to-Five Lowball in 1993 and Omaha High-Low Split in 1998. Despite his success, Giang withdrew from the tournament circuit for many years –- instead focusing on high-limit cash games. But he was drawn back to tournaments last year for the strangest of reasons: His children boldly asked why they never see their poker-playing father on television. Giang answered the challenge by winning his third WSOP gold bracelet last year. Giang is now 49-years-old and is married with three children. In a sense, poker has been emblematic of a life that began with serious disadvantages, yet which ultimately yielded immense personal and financial awards and achievement. His prospects? His five opponents all know – Chau Giang will be a formidable force with the chip lead coming into today’s final table.

SEAT 4: Raja Kattamuri, Dallas, TX
Chip Count – 330,000
‘Raj’ was born in India. He is a 28-year-old electronics engineer who now lives in the Dallas suburb of Irving, TX. He is the best-educated of today’s finalists, with a Masters Degree in electrical engineering from UC-Santa Barbara. Kattamuri is also the most recent tournament winner sitting at the final table, fresh off his first-place finish in the $2,000 buy-in Limit Hold’em event here at the JBWPO less than a week ago, good for a $127,000 win – plus a seat in this event. Kattamuri’s road to Day Four has been rocky. He finished Day One ranked 6th out of 161 players in the chip count. Kattamuri had a fabulous Day Two, as he blasted into the chip lead going into the third day of play. In fact, Kattamuri had over a million in chips and was 100,000 ahead of the second-ranked player. Day Three brought mixed results. Good news was that he made it to the final table. The bad news was that Kattamuri took some beats and actually backtracked in the chip count. He comes in with 330,000, which is a mixed blessing. Kattamuri is certainly able to maneuver chips and make things interesting, as evidence by what happened in this tournament two days ago. But the high blinds will necessitate that Kattamuri find a hand quickly and double up with it early. If he does this, watch out – it could be a very exciting final table.

SEAT 5: Scotty Nguyen, Henderson, NV
Chip Count – 1,210,000
The 1998 world poker champion needs no introduction to serious poker fans. “The Prince” of poker has long been one of the game’s most colorful characters – both at and away from the table. Scotty Nguyen has a unmatched style all his own, whether it’s his white leather boots, blue-tinted shades, gold necklaces and pendants, incessant chatter, Michelob-guzzling toasts, or relentless aggression when he senses opponents’ weakness. He’s won four WSOP gold bracelets. He’s appeared on late night talk shows. He’s been in a movie. In short, he’s done it all. Nguyen is one of four foreign-born players at the final table. Like rival Giang, Nguyen fled his native Vietnam in 1978. After winning the world championship in 1998, his life became an open book. It seemed, everyone wanted to be seen with, talk to, and party with ‘The Prince.” Nguyen has encountered the usual ups and downs of the business and has weathered the storm well. The husband and father of five children now lives in Henderson, NV. He comes into the final table as one of the game’s most feared players and is clearly one of the favorites to win. Interestingly, Nguyen was not in good chip position until the end of Day Three. He had an average stack after Day One. He was ranked 23rd of 27 remaining players after Day Two. Now, he’s jumped up into second in the chip count. Side Note: Even if Nguyen loses chips, he remains one of poker’s best ‘short stack’ players. He is never out of a poker tournament until his last chip is gone.

SEAT 6: Daniel Negreanu, Toronto, Ontario (Canada)
Chip Count – 1,173,000
The hottest player in poker right now is unquestionably -- Daniel Negreanu. “KidPoker” has been ‘the force’ over the past year – which includes both live action and tournaments. He was Card Player magazine’s “Player of the Year” in 2004. Among other titles, he won the Bellagio’s Five Diamond World Poker Classic on the World Poker Tour last month – good for $1,770,000 in prize money. He also won his third gold bracelet at the 2004 World Series of Poker (Limit Hold’em). Negreanu was born in 1974 to Romanian parents in Toronto, Canada. He quit high school to play poker full time and beat most of the home games. Confident he could make a good living, Negreanu came to Las Vegas but failed the first time he tried to beat the middle-limit games on The Strip. Negreanu returned home to Canada and was determined more than ever to succeed as a poker player. He took the game even more seriously and began studying. He could be seen at many tournaments watching final tables intensely, learning how to play in short-handed situations. He also learned more about his opponents, including many top pros he would eventually face in tournaments. Negreanu’s breakthrough came at the 1999 World Poker Finals at Foxwoods, and his first WSOP came later that year. Negreanu went through a tough transition when he moved from Canada to play in Las Vegas full time. However, he stuck with the game and soon began writing about his experiences. His column in Card Player became a reader favorite, along with countless Internet reports and articles -- many posted at HYPERLINK "http://www.pokerpages.com" www.pokerpages.com. Negreanu, now aged 30, has evolved into one of poker’s brightest stars, and most respected players. He routinely plays in the biggest cash games and wins the most prestigious poker tournaments. He comes to this final table ranked 3rd in the chip count. It will be interesting to see how the top three players, both in terms of experience and the chip count, adjust their play to each other. All eyes will be on “KidPoker” to see if he can win the $1,465,944 first prize.

Report by Nolan Dalla – JBWPO Media Director
Tournament Director – David Eglseder
Co-Tournament Director (Horseshoe) – Ken Lambert, Jr.
Co-Tournament Director (Gold Strike) – Robert McGovern

Jack Binion World Poker Open - Main Event - Day 2

Texas Hold'em (No Limit) Championship Event
Total Prize Pool - $4,832,773
512 Entries
$10,000 Buy-in

CURRENT CHIP COUNTS
1. Raja Kattamuri, 538,500, table 40, seat 2
2. Brian McKain, 433,000, table 31, seat 1
3. Mike Liras, 420,000, table 40, seat 1
4. Mike Cordell, 376,000, table 31, seat 7
5. Stan Goldstein, 357,000, table 39, seat 2
6. Chris Ball, 300,000, table 31, seat 8
7. Chau Giang, 297,000, table 31, seat 5
8. Dan Heimiller, 245,000, table 31, seat 6
9. Theo Jorgensen, 222,500, table 40, seat 8
10. Larry Satterwhite, 174,500, table 31, seat 2
11. Mike May, 174,500, table 39, seat 5
12. Jim Lester, 146,500, table 40, seat 6
13. Hertzel Zalewski, 144,500, table 40, seat 3
14. Frankie Havard, 144,000, table 39, seat 6
15. Daniel Negreanu, 141,500, table 31, seat 9
16. Herbie Montalbano, 119,000, table 39, seat 3
17. Tracy Scala, 108,000, table 40, seat 7
18. Mark Napolitano, 101,000, table 40, seat 4
19. Jason Tate, 100,500, table 39, seat 8
20. John Stolzmann, 93,000, table 39, seat 1
21. Jeff Shulman, 92,000, table 40, seat 5
22. Alex Prendes, 84,500, table 39, seat 9
23. Scotty Nguyen, 84,000, table 31, seat 4
24. Art Young, 79,500, table 39, seat 7
25. Padraig Parkinson, 66,500, table 40, seat 9
26. Barbara Laux, 63,500, table 31, seat 3
27. Micheal Miziachi, 37,500, table 39, seat 4

ALREADY OUT
28th $19,216, Pat McMillan, St. Charles, Mo.
29th $19,216, Randy Bot, Calgary, Canada
30th $19,216, Men Nguyen, Bell Gardens, Ca.
31st $19,216, David Ulliott, Hull, England
32nd $19,216, Hilbert A. Shirey, Winterhaven, Florida
33rd $19,216, John Phan, Long Beach, Ca.
34th $19,216, David Chiu, Rowland Heights, Ca.
35th $19,216, Bo Toft, Yardley, Pa.
36th $19,216, Maciek Gracz, Raliegh, N.C.
37th $14,858, Galen Kester, Lake Cormorant, Ms.
38th $14,858, David Levi, Las Vegas, Nevada
39th $14,858, Joshua Turner, St. Louis, Mo.
40th $14,858, Chris Tsiprailinis, Syracuse, N.Y.
41st $14,858, Robbye Hodge, Sumter, S.C.
42nd $14,858, Herman Zango, Miami, Florida
43rd $14,858, Nenad Medic, Ontario, Canada
44th $14,858, Avery Cardoza, Brooklyn, N.Y.
45th $14,858, Martin Vallo, Copenhagen, Denmark

PAYOUTS
First Place - $1,465,944 including a $25,500 seat in the WPT Championship
2nd $773,448
3rd $384,322
4th $336,282
5th $288,241
6th $240,201
7th $192,161
8th $144,121
9th $96,080
10th thru 12th $52,845
13th thru 15th $43,236
16th thru 18th $33,628
19th thru 27th $24,020
28th thru 36th $19,216
37th thru 45th $14,858

The final 27 will return at Noon on Wednesday, January 26 and play will continue until the final six are determined. The final six will return at 4 PM on Thursday, January 27 and play will continue until the Champion is declared.

News & Notes

Guess I can't delay it any longer. Time to do some housecleaning.

JACK BINION WORLD POKER OPEN: Well, it doesn't appear that I have a future career as a poker prognostiticator. Looking at the list of names left after Day 1 of the main event, whose name should appear near the top of the list but Daniel Negreanu. So much for me saying that after winning the player of the year award, he wouldn't have the necessary hunger to leave Tunica with a win. Danny Boy is sitting pretty comfy in 10th going into today. (Maybe he reads my blog and was inspired. Yeah, that's it ...)

Well, it's just a good thing I didn't put myself further out on a limb and try to pick some favorites. Looking down the list, I don't see John Juanda or Humberto Brenes, who would have been two players I would have bet money on to make the final table, or at least well into the money.

PLAYING WITH PIGGS: Was feeling quite sapped last night and didn't manage to put much time in at the tables, and what time I did play wasn't very productive. I still ended the night up $7.50, but it was a lot harder. Took my original $10 to the table and dang near lost it chasing a few hands or convincing myself that I could win a low pot because the others in the hand seemed to be betting high. After awhile, I just got tired of waiting for good cards and most of the profit I made came from buying pots. Oh well, whatever works.

ANNIE DUKE, SUPERSTAR: Wow, what a year for Annie Duke. Another one of my favorite players (so obviously she isn't on the JBWPO list), Annie now stands to profit away from the tables with both a movie AND a sitcom based on her life. She also has a book coming out next year. Read the full story here.

MORE POKER AT HARRAH'S AC: The folks at Harrah's Atlantic City apparently aren't done with poker, even though the WSOP Circuit has left town. Here's an announcement they've asked me to pass along to my readers:

Friday Night Freeze Out
No Limit Texas Hold'em - Cash Tournament
Location: Harrah's Poker Room
Dates: January 28, February 18, March 25
Time: 8pm
Buy-in: $500+$50
330 Player maximum

Single table tournaments will also be held throughout the day of the Freeze Out. The tournaments will be $55+$10 winner-take-all, with one winner from each single table tournament winning a seat in the Freeze Out.

Harrah's Atlantic City Poker Information Center (609-441-5741) is available for additional information.

Jack Binion World Poker Open - Main Event - Day 1

Texas Hold'em (No Limit) Championship Event
Total Prize Pool - $4,952,600
512 Entries
$10,000 Buy-in

Chip counts at the end of Day 1
1, Paravoliasakis, Georgois, 118500
2, Jorgensen, Theo, 112800
3, Toft, Bo, 103600
4, Lindgren, Eric, 95000
5, Phan, John, 89900
6, Kattamuri, Raja, 86900
7, Heimiller, Dan, 85800
8, Daugherty, Brad, 82200
9, Goldstein, Stan, 81700
10, Negreanu, Daniel, 77400
11, Tate, Jason, 75100
12, Helling, Grant, 69200
13, Gracz, Maciek, 66700
14, Havard, Frankie, 66600
15, Lederer, Howard, 65900
16, Groves, KD, 61300
17, Ramdin, Annand, 60500
18, Giang, Chau, 60100
19, Parkinson, Padriag, 59200
20, Sawant, Raj, 58900
21, Satterwhite, Larry, 58700
22, Brodie, Richard, 55300
23, Cordell, Mike, 55300
24, Tran, Thith Mimi, 54200
25, Ferguson, Chris "Jesus", 50200
26, Tracey, Robert, 49900
27, McWhorter, Jim, 49100
28, Myers, Terry, 48400
29, Chiu, David, 47900
30, Leung, Howie, 47300
31, Vallo, Martin, 46600
32, Prescott, Allie, 46500
33, Stelzer, Phil, 46300
34, Sigur, Fred, 46200
35, Hua, Can Kim, 43800
36, Cardoza, Avery, 43800
37, Jett, Chip, 43600
38, Haney, Mike, 42700
39, Kester, Galen, 42400
40, Hellmann, Tony, 42100
41, Deeb, Freddie, 41500
42, Medic, Nenad, 41400
43, Lester, Jim, 41200
44, Maxfield, Paul, 40200
45, Goehring, Alan, 39100
46, Bell, Chris, 38500
47, Bot, Randy S., 38500
48, Stolzmann, John, 37700
49, Sohayegh, Rouholl, 36200
50, Carlson, Russell, 36200
51, Tsiprailidis, Chris, 36000
52, Shulman, Jeff, 35900
53, Aigner, Scott, 35700
54, Rashid, Samad, 35700
55, Mosseri, Abraham, 35300
56, Ulliott, David Devilfish, 35200
57, Kabbaj, John, 35100
58, Duarte, William, 35000
59, Banks, Glyn, 34800
60, Dale, John, 34400
61, Nguyen, Scotty, 34100
62, McMillan, Patrick, 33600
63, Rouas, Philippe, 32900
64, Lee, Tom, 32500
65, Billot, William, 32300
66, Billot, Sandra, 32200
67, Kjaerland, Frederick, 31500
68, Booth, Doug, 31100
69, Hall, Danny, 29700
70, Seager, Peter, 28900
71, Strayer, Timothy, 28600
72, Ahlgren, Ed, 28600
73, Nguyen, Men the Master, 28400
74, Phan, Tracy, 28300
75, Esposito, John, 28100
76, Kane, Arthur, 28000
77, Zalewski, Herezel, 27900
78, Rizai, Matthew, 27200
79, Quinones, Javier, 27100
80, Liras, Mike, 26000
81, Abdallah, George, 25900
82, Whitaker, Mark, 25900
83, McKain, Brian, 25200
84, Saul, William H., 25100
85, Talebi, Rodeen, 24900
86, Cha, Jimmy Minsoo, 24700
87, Prendes, Alex, 24600
88, Williams, David, 24600
89, Lambo, Andy, 24200
90, Montalbano, Herbie, 24200
91, Alspach, Dan, 23700
92, Napolitano, Mark, 23400
93, Shirey, Hilbert, 23300
94, Tomko, Dewey, 22800
95, Tran, Ngoc, 22700
96, Seed, Huck, 22500
97, Laux, Barbara, 22400
98, Turner, Joshua, 22400
99, Levi, David, 22000
100, Lefkowitz, Matt, 21900
101, Sobel, Steve, 21700
102, Stolzmann, Steve, 21700
103, Tolleson, Richard, 21000
104, McKinney, Paul , 20700
105, Cardwell, Steven, 20500
106, Scala, Tracy, 20500
107, Fishbein, Joel, 20100
108, Kumar, Senthil, 20000
109, Rutledge, Joe, 20000
110, Brecher, Steve, 20000
111, Ball, Chris, 20000
112, Hume, Bob, 19700
113, Rukhsana, Guevarra, 19500
114, Wee, Chin, 19400
115, Tucker, Todd, 19300
116, Sehlstedt, Bo, 19000
117, Koral, Thomas, 18600
118, Watkinson, Lee Howard, 18300
119, Beebe, Glynn, 18200
120, Carter, Allen, 18100
121, Wade, Butch, 17500
122, Chandler, Firecracker, 17500
123, Cunningham, Allen, 17200
124, Young, Art, 17000
125, Knauf, Jon T, 16900
126, Tran, JC, 16800
127, Mizrachi, Ari, 16500
128, Hernandez, Frank, 16100
129, Testud, Paul, 16000
130, Eichel, Bill, 15600
131, Saab, Doug, 15300
132, Archer, Clifford, 15100
133, Smith, John, 14700
134, Anderson, Dennis, 14700
135, Mizrachi, Micheal, 14600
136, Farmer, Douglas, 14600
137, Chan, Johnny, 14600
138, Crockett, Christopher, 14500
139, Miller, Andy, 14500
140, Zango, Herman, 14400
141, Markowiak, Jarek, 14300
142, Seger, Doug, 13500
143, Harb, Adeep, 13500
144, Hwang, Robert "Action Bob", 13500
145, Rittenhouse, Keith, 13300
146, Rouhani, Farzad, 13100
147, Sidell, Jon, 13100
148, Sheilds, Shane, 12900
149, Finn, Mickey, 12600
150, Paez, Raul, 12500
151, Bradley, Shannon, 12000
152, Tomko, Derek, 11600
153, Breaux, Terry, 11000
154, Todd, Gene, 10400
155, Farnood, Sherkhan, 9000
156, Cousineau, Tony, 8600
157, Hodge, Robbie, 7900
158, Seunsom, Tony, 7600
159, May, Mike, 7300
160, Selby, Teddy, 6100
161, Paxton, Doug, 3800

Jack Binion World Poker Open - Event 18

Ladies Championship Event
No-Limit Hold’em
Buy-In: $200
Number of Entries: 433
Prize Money: $82,400

Official Results:
1. Angel Word, Bowdon, GA, $25,261
2. Liz Brown, Denton, TX, 13,037
3. Trudy Wells, Temperance, WI, 6,518
4. Karen Clark, Mayfield, KY, 5,704
5. Tracy Malvestuto, Champaign, IL, 5,704
6. Jewell Spooner, Madison, MS, 5,040
7. Thuy Nguyen, Tampa, FL, 3,360
8. Gyla Whitlow, Houston, TX, 2,520
9. Seneathia Porter, Birmingham, AL, 1,680
10. Kathy Keeter, Maumee, OH, 1,008
11. Stephanie Usry, Hattiesburg, MS, 1,008
12. Julie Palmer, Boone, NC, 1,008
13. Jenny Kang, Long Beach, CA, 840
14. Shirley Slusher, Pensicola, FL, 840
15. Kimberlee Gonzalez, Bartlett, TN, 840
16. Vicki Woods, Cabool, MO, 672
17. Debra Van Pelt, Memphis, TN, 672
18. Linda Calderale, Jackson, TN, 672
19. Jade Tran, Los Angeles, CA, 504
20. Mary Brown, Cincinnati, OH, 504
21. Lisa Crompton, Walls, MS, 504
22. Kelli Mix, Carrolton, GA, 504
23. Kathy Liebert, Las Vegas, NV, 504
24. Marisa Rodriguez, Tampa, FL, 504
25. Patti Hoffmeister, San Antonio, TX, 504
26. Allyn Jaffrey Shulman, Las Vegas, NV, 504
27. Tammy Montgomery, Memphis, TN, 504
28. Mary Blackwell, Phoenix, AZ, 336
29. Valerie Le Riche, Joplin, MO, 336
30. Pamela Shandel, Paris, France, 336
31. Azur Sohnrey, Tildon, IL, 336
32. Wendy Perez, Canfield, OH, 336
33. Christina Rodriguez, Las Vegas, NV, 336
34. Karla Lawlor, Rockford, IL, 336
35. Lucy Rokach, Stoke-on-Kent, UK, 336
36. Kerry Smith, Raleigh, NC, 336

Touched By an Angel:
Angel Word Wins Ladies Championship
in Record-Setting Event

Angel Word, a registered nurse from Bowdon, GA won the largest ladies tournament ever held in the South. She was the winner of the Ladies No-Limit Hold’em championship at the 2005 Jack Binion World Poker Open, held in in Tunica, MS. In terms of crowd excitement and player enthusiasm, it was – by far – the highlight of the 18-event tournament, to date. Every showdown and turn of a card brought the standing-room only crowd to its feet. Fortunes and chip leads changed multiple times during the three-hour slam-bang finale. At the conclusion, Angel Word was in tears. In short, it was everything anyone would ever want to see at a tournament final table. Too bad the television cameras were not there to capture the drama.

The real story of Angel Word’s first tournament victory started, not in Tunica, but at a casino in Philadelphia, MS. A few weeks ago, Angel picked up a flyer at the casino. She saw an advertisement for a poker tournament called the “Jack Binion World Poker Open.” She also saw that the tournament offered a Ladies Championship event.

Angel made her way to Tunica, hoping to play. But, disaster struck early. She lost most of her starting chips in the first few hours. She almost went out, when she was down to just a few chips and moved ‘all in’ with Q-8 – not exactly one of hold’em’s best hands. Incredibly, Angel spiked an Eight and managed to double up. A few hands later, she doubled up again. Within an hour, she was back to an average stack. Somehow, she managed to stay alive for 10 full hours, and made it into the money. When the final table commenced at 10:30 pm on a Sunday night, Angel arrived third in chips, behind the leaders – Tracy Malvestuto and Gyla Whitlow. Finalists were eliminated as follows:

9th Place – Seneathia Porter, an administrative director from Birmingham, AL was the first player to exit. She lost with A-K to Trudy Wells’ A-K. Porter received $1,680 in prize money.

8th Place – The first of Angel Word’s miracles at the final table came when she went heads-up with one of the big stacks – Gyla Whitlow. Angel got caught in a disadvantageous situation with J-10 against A-K. The first four cards were 5-3-2-7 and it looked like Angel might fly away. But a Ten fell on the river, which meant Gyla Whitlow lost most of her chips. A few hands later, Whitlow suffered another cruel blow, losing with 5-5 to pocket Jacks. Then, in a three-way pot, Whitlow took A-9 up against Angel, and lost (see details below). Whitlow, an event producer from Houston, TX, collected $2,520.

7th Place – In the same hand that eliminated Whitlow, Thuy ‘Cindi’ Nguyen had pocket Sevens. The hand developed as follows:
Nguyen – 7-7
Whitlow – A-9
Angel – K-10
The final board showed A-Q-3-J-J. Incredibly, Angel caught a straight on the turn and eliminated two players. Nguyen was the higher finisher by virtue of her larger number of chips. She earned $3,360 in prize money.

6th Place – Jewel Spooner was the next to get cut. Spooner played her last hand with 9-9 against Karen Clark’s K-J. A King shattered Spponer’s chances of winning. But the lady who finished in 4th place in an event here last year did received $4,200 for 6th place in this event.

5th Place – Tracy Malvestuto, and environmental compliance specialist from Champaign, IL went out next. Low on chips, she made her final stand with A-K, but lost to Angel’s A-J when a Jack fell on the turn. Malvestuto took prize money of $5,040.

4th Place – Karen Clark was the next player to be eliminated. The registered nurse from Mayfield, KY came in low in chips, was close to the chip lead at several points, but failed to win the key pot necessary to put her in control of the final table. She finally went out in 4th place, worth $5,704 in prize money.

3rd Place – Trudy Wells, a procurement officer from Michigan was attending the JBWPO for the first time. She was dealt A-5 on her final hand against Liz Brown’s A-Q. Predictably, the lesser hand failed to catch up and Wells was dry. She received $6,518 for 3rd place.

Heads up, the chip count was about even. But from the outset of the duel, Angel Word was the aggressor. She repeatedly pressured Liz Brown with raises, to the point where she was ahead about 2 to 1 in chips. After a few big pots, Brown was desperate to win a moved in with J-6 hoping to take the pot, but Angel was only to happy to call with A-K. The board was massive overkill. Angle made a full house – Kings over Aces – and won the last pot of the night.

Liz Brown, from Denton, TX was the runner up. Brown, who finished high in some online poker tournaments in the past, added $13,037 to her poker bankroll.

Meanwhile, a tearful Angel Word accepted first-place prize money of $25,261, the gold and diamond bracelet given to every tournament winner, a crystal trophy for the ladies championship, and a bouquet of flowers. Who could have known that reading an ad in a newspaper a few weeks earlier could have led to such a big surprise.

Final Table Started at: 10:15 pm CST
Final Table Ended at: 12:15 pm CST

NOTE: Special thanks to Grace Johnson for all her efforts. Grace provided translation services for several players and also recommended Linda Machi, who sang the ‘Star Spangled Banner’ for the opening of the main event. Thanks Grace!

Report by Nolan Dalla – JBWPO Media Director
Tournament Director – David Eglseder
Co-Tournament Director (Horseshoe) – Ken Lambert, Jr.
Co-Tournament Director (Gold Strike) – Robert McGovern

Jack Binion World Poker Open - Event 17

Limit Hold’em
Buy-In: $3,000
Number of Entries: 386
Prize Money: $1,082,671

Official Results:
1. Jess Yawitz, St. Louis, MO, $334,701 plus a seat in the $10,000 championship event
2. Dr. Andy Philachack, Garland, TX, 172,747
3. John Phan, Long Beach, CA, 86,374
4. Eddy Scharf, Cologne, Germany, 75,577
5. Nick Frangos, Mars Landing, NJ, 64,780
6. Billy Duarte, Berthoud, CO, 53,983
7. Mark Rose, Edna, TX, 43,186
8. Victor Eskew, Atlanta, GA, 32,390
9. Farzad Rouhani, Germantown, MD, 21,593
10. David Bach, Athens, GA, 12,986
11. Carlo Sciannameo, Worcester, MA, 12,956
12. William O’Connor, Houston, TX, 12,956
13. William Edler, Las Vegas, NV, 10,797
14. Lawrence Gosney, London, England, 10,797
15. Dewey Tomko, Winterhaven, FL, 10,797
16. Dr. Max Stern, San Jose, Costa Rica, 8,637
17. David Chiu, Roland Heights, CA, 8,637
18. Malbek Gracz, Raleigh, NC, 8,637
19. Daniel Alaeci, Santa Fe Springs, CA, 6,687
20. Hans “Tuna” Lund, Sparks, NV, 6,687
21. D.W. MacDonald, Calgary, Canada, 6,678
22. Matt Lefkowitz, Inverness, CA, 6,678
23. Allyn Jaffrey Shulman, Laguna Nigel, CA, 6,678
24. Michael Booth, Jacksonville, FL, 6,678
25. Adeeb Harb, Long Beach, CA, 6,678
26. Gary “Hog” Haubelt, Pittsburgh, PA, 6,678
27. Paul L. Clements, Baraboo, WI, 6,678
28. Douglas Farmer, Corrales, NM, 4,452
29. Tommy Vinas, Houston, TX, 4,452
30. Chris Crockett, Costa Mesa, CA, 4,452
31. Surinder Sunar, Wolverhampton, UK, 4,452
32. Dale Hackney, Durand, MI, 4,452
33. Guillermo Ruz, Tampa, FL, 4,452
34. Jimmy Cha, Alhambra, CA, 4,452
35. Rogen Chambra, Jackson, MS, 4,452
36. Jim Worth, Toronto, Canada, 4,452

Poker Rookie Jess Yawitz Teaches the Pros a Thing or Two:
St. Louis teacher wins Event #17 and $334,701 in prize money

Consider the following Day One starting table in the $3,000 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em event:
Seat 1: David “Devilfish” Ulliott
Seat 2: John Juanda
Seat 3: Anonymous cash game pro
Seat 4: Phil Hellmuth, Jr.
Seat 5: Paul Wolfe
Seat 6: Freddie Deeb
Seat 7: Anonymous cash game pro
Seat 8: Chad Brown
Seat 9: Jess Yawitz – who has been playing hold’em for exactly eight months

Of these names, which do you think made it into the money? Of these names, which do you think made the final table? Of these names, which do you think won first place and $334,701 in prize money?

If you guessed Jess Yawitz – please see the nearest mental health professional.

Yes, Jess Yawitz – a 58-year-old former teacher from St. Louis, MO – did the unthinkable. He crushed a tough field of 386 players and ended up with the Jack Binion World Poker Open gold bracelet for Event #17. The story went as follows:

On Day One, 377 players were eliminated. Nine of these players, places 10 through 36 received prize money. Nine finalists returned for Day Two and players were eliminated in the following order:

9th Place – Former JBWPO gold bracelet winner (2003) Farzad Rouhani, from Germantown, MD, got into a three-way pot early. Rouhani started with 10-10, which was hammered by Eddy Scharf’s Q-Q. Rouhani collected $21,593 for 9th place.

8th Place – On the same hand, Victor Eskew was dealt A-K. Against Rouhan’s 10-10 and Scharf’s Q-Q, Eskew had a chance to triple up. Instead, he hit the rail in 8th place when an Ace or King failed to materialize. Eskew, an Atlanta real estate broker, received $32,390.

7th Place – Mark Rose was the next player to get trimmed. He was short-stacked and was dealt 6-6. But Rose was cut down by John Phan’s A-A. Rose, the owner of a property management company in Edna, TX, took $43,186 for 7th place.

6th Place – This was longtime poker pro Billy Duarte’s second trip to a final table this year. Duarte wasn’t able to take advantage of the depths of his experience, being low on chips most of the day. Duarte was forced to make his final stand with Q-10, which got run over by Eddy Scharf’s A-Q. Duarte, from Colorado, earned $53,983 in prize money.

5th Place – Nicky Frangos was another exceptionally-talented pro at this table, who struggled late. Frangos seized the chip lead at one point, but lost a few key pots, and was low on chips. On his final hand, Frangos made two pair but lost. Frangos, with three final tables on the 2005 World Series of Poker Circuit (Atlantic City), added a 5th place finish here to his resume, and $64,780 to his poker bankroll.

4th Place – Former Lufthansa airline pilot Eddy Scharf had the chip lead also, then lost it. Scharf, the winner of a gold bracelet at the 2003 World Series of Poker, had A-10 on his last hand, made a pair of Tens, but lost to Dr. Andy Philachack’s set of Sevens. Scharf collected $75,577 and fortified his position as Germany’s top poker player.

3rd Place – The three finalists feasted on Eddy Scharf’s chips like a pack of wild wolves over a fallen carcass. Next, they would turn on each other. John “the Razor” Phan had been the most aggressive player and enjoyed a chip lead much of the previous day. But his momentum finally ran out. The Razor got cut when his pocket Queens were sliced and diced by Jess Yawitz’s A-K. In one of the tournament’s most decisive hands, Razor Phan’s Queens looked to be in good shape. But Yawitz held A-K of hearts and flopped a heart draw. The turn was no help to either player. Then, an Ace fell on the river, gutting Phan. The Long Beach, CA poker pro – winner of two events here in 2004 – earned $86,374 for 3rd place.

The heads-up match between Dr. Andy Philachack, a chiropractor from Dallas, and former teacher Jess Yawitz featured the most unlikely of finalists. To their credit, both had played marvelously up to that point. When the duel began, Yawitz enjoyed a 2 to 1 chip lead. Unfortunately, Dr. Philachack got a sickening run of cards late in the tournament and watched as his stack slowly dwindled.

With blinds high and racing around the table, Dr. Philachack had to make a stand somewhere. He made that stand with 8-3 after catching an Eight on the flop. But Yawitz had K-4 and managed to flop a King. That was enough to commit both players to the pot, as two blanks fell on the turn and river. Yawitz’s Kings held up and he was the winner.

Runner up Dr. Andy Philachack officially collected $172,747 in prize money – quite a performance for his first major final table.

Meanwhile, new champion Jess Yawitz was ecstatic. Although he learned to play poker as a child, he has only played hold’em for about eight months. Poker on television influenced him to come and play in events like the JBWPO.

“I have never played hold’em in cash games or home games before,” Yawitz said afterward. “But I decided I wanted to give poker a shot. At 58-years-old, I don’t have the luxury of starting slow. When I play, I put the pedal to the metal.”

Perhaps next time the likes of Hellmuth, Juanda and Devilfish sit down at a table – it’s Jess Yawitz they should fear.

Final Table Started at: 4:00 pm CST
Final Table Ended at: 7:15 pm CST

Report by Nolan Dalla – JBWPO Media Director
Tournament Director – David Eglseder
Co-Tournament Director (Horseshoe) – Ken Lambert, Jr.
Co-Tournament Director (Gold Strike) – Robert McGovern

Back in action

I'm back from the dead.

Having been relegated to horizontal status for most of the weekend, it feels good to be sitting upright at my computer once more. And even though today's workday promised the extreme pain in the buttocks we face on a monthly basis, I still arrived this morning ready to go.

While I spent most of the weekend feeling poor, I did recover enough each night to play some online with my newfound $16. At my last writing, I mentioned that I had eased it up to $22. Well, Saturday afternoon, I did attempt to play a few hands intermittently, even though I didn't really feel like it. I know, I know ... last week I was preaching about not playing while sick. And, I paid a small price for my hypocrisy, easing the stack back down to $17. But that evening, hopped up on cold medicine, I felt good enough to sit down and play, and I managed to double that $17 to $34. Sunday night, I was feeling pretty much recovered and played a lengthy session, running the stack up to $55.

All of this came while playing pot limit Omaha 8/b. Oh, how I love that game! Actually, what I love is the fact that the lowest limits of PLO8 seem to be entirely populated by holdem players trying out a different game. OK, I admit, I'm not too far removed from that category myself. I've been playing Omaha seriously for less than two months. But I've learned from my time at the tables, and what I've learned has been profitable thus far.

For instance, aggressively raising the low hand. Bad idea. Sure, for the holdem player who is just coming to the Omaha table, it seems like a good idea at first. Build that pot as high as possible so that the split will be favorable. But it doesn't take very many times of doing that, only to split the low hand two, maybe three, ways and losing money on the hand to realize it's not that smart. Sure, you've got that low nutted with your A2, but so does the high hand winner, and he's going to take all of the high and half of the low, leaving you with just a quarter of the pot and a smaller stack than before you "won." Plus, any chance of making money on the hand was lost because of your aggressive raises and reraises, which chased everyone else out of the pot.

It gave me a lot of satisfaction to drive that point home, brutally, against one idiot over the weekend. With an A23 in my hand and two low cards on the flop, me and the idiot called another guy's pot-sized bet. The pot wasn't very large, and I figured I could see one more card at the price for the guaranteed nut low if another low card came. An 8 falls on the turn, and the original bettor tosses in another pot-sized bet. I'm going to be happy to just call so I don't scare the idiot off and take half of a three-way pot, but the idiot makes a pot-size raise. Thank goodness the kids were in bed, because I immediately start spewing a string of curses at this guy. I suddenly know, KNOW, he also has an A2, but I feel locked into calling. (That's still one thing I haven't figured out. When faced with this situation, is it better to call, knowing you're going to ultimately lose money by splitting the low two ways, or should you fold and just lose what little you already have in the pot?) Anyway, I'm not certain it was the right move, but I called, thinking to myself, "But you are screwed if the river brings an A or 2." Sure enough, the river brought a glorious, magnificent A. Bettor bets, idiot raises, I move all in and both call. Of course, the original raiser had the high hand, and unfortunately, the idiot did manage to pull back a little bit by grabbing the high side pot. I, on the other hand, grabbed both low pots and ended up making a good score on that hand, while the idiot lost money.

You would think that would have taught him a valuable lesson. But while the lesson was taught, the student was asleep, and he kept up the same tactic the rest of the night.

Granted, there are times to raise with the low. I'll do it myself if I sense major weakness at the table, knowing I have insurance for half the pot if another player stays with a weak high hand. But in doing that, my hope is to get everyone to fold and hope that I can take the entire pot with just a low hand. This guy, though, didn't seem to realize he wasn't going to have any luck bluffing out a guy who was already trying to build the pot as much as possible, just as he was oblivious to the possibility that someone else could also be holding an A2, or even two low cards that rendered his 8-high useless.

Anyway, it was a pretty good weekend, intestinal flu and all. I just hope I can be wise enough to not get stupid and squander my new free bankroll.

Jack Binion World Poker Open - Event 15

No-Limit Hold’em
Buy-In: $2,000
Number of Entries: 369
Prize Money: $687,539

Official Results:
1. John Hoang, Alhambra, CA, $212,187 plus a seat in the $10,000 championship event
2. Martin Vallo, Copenhagen, Denmark, 109,519
3. Davood Mehrmand, Frankfurt, Germany, 54,759
4. Tony “Tekk” Seunsom, Houston, TX, 47,914
5. Bob Hume, Orlando, FL, 41,070
6. Tony Cousineau, Daytona Beach, FL, 34,225
7. Gavin Griffin, Darien, IL, 27,379
8. Dale Hackney, Durand, MI, 20,535
9. John Bolten, Overland Park, KS, 13,690
10. Don Moseley, Houston, TX, 8,214
11. Tracy Scala, Del Ray Beach, FL, 8,214
12. Lucy Rokach, Stoke-On-Trent, England, 8,214
13. Gullermo Ruz, Tampa, FL, 7,057
14. Chris Grigorian, Panorama City, CA, 7,057
15. Jimmy Cha, La Habra, CA, 7,057
16. Mads Andersen, Copenhagen, Denmark, 5,645
17. Jack Ward, Gulfport, MS, 5,646
18. Walter Anderson, Athens, AL, 5,645
19. Terry Garner, Hattisburg, MS, 4,234
20. Roger Tichenor, Sarasota, FL, 4,234
21. Dee Caldwell, Lexington, KY, 4,234
22. Lee Markholt, Eatonville, WA, 4,234
23. Dennis Waterman, Myrtle Point, OR, 4,234
24. Petar Ivancenic, Chicago, IL, 4,234
25. Joel Fishbein, Las Vegas, NV, 4,234
26. Peter Scayer, Birmingham, England, 4,234
27. Herman Zango, Miami, FL, 4,234
28. Paul Paez, Barcelona, Spain, 2,823
29. K.D. Groves, Dallas, TX, 2,823
30. Sam Pollack, Boston, MA, 2,823
31. Dominick Spadavechia, Boca Raton, FL, 2,823
32. Cal Ridyker, Las Vegas, NV, 2,823
33. Edward Ameen, New Orleans, LA, 2,823
34. Gerrald McClendon, Waxalachia, LA, 2,823
35. Richard Kirsch, Ft. Lauderdale, FL, 2,823
36. Shae Drobushvich, Moline, IL, 2,823

John Hoang Wins No-Limt Hold’em Event:
Former software engineer turned poker pro stages comeback win and earns $212,187 in first major tournament victory

A few years ago, John Hoang received some very bad news. The software engineer with Lucent Technologies was living in northern New Jersey and had just been fired from his job – the victim or corporate ‘outsourcing.’ Hoang was at a personal and professional crossroads in his life. He could either try and latch on to another job somewhere and compete with the other 60,000 unemployed ex-technology workers contending for entry-level jobs. Or, he could follow his dream to become a professional poker player.

Hoang packed his belongings and moved to Los Angeles, where he was destined to make his dream a reality. Hoang, who beat the middle and high limit Atlantic City games in his spare time back in New Jersey, found the action in California even better. His bankroll and confidence grew over the next year. Gradually, Hoang decided he wanted to start playing in more poker tournaments. And so, he arrived at this year’s Jack Binion World Poker Open. He was one of 369 entrants in the $2,000 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em event.

On Day One, 360 players were eliminated. Twenty-six of these players, places 10 through 36 received prize money. Nine finalists returned for Day Two and players were eliminated as follows:

9th Place – John Bolten, a businessman from Overland Park, KS, was the first player to exit. On his final hand, he lost to a set of Nines. Bolten, who finished 6th in an event here back in 2001, collected $13,690 as the 9th-place finisher.

8th Place – In a big 3-way pot, short-stacked Dale “Milkman” Hackney lost with K-9 to Davood Mehrmand’s 10-10, who tripled-up on the hand. Hackney, a dairy farmer from Michigan was pasteurized in 8thplace – good for $20,535.

7th Place – Lowest in chips at the start, Gavin Griffin took a tough beat with A-J on his final hand against K-J. The board brought not one, but two dreaded Kings, eliminating Griffin unceremoniously in 7th place. Griffin, a former WSOP gold bracelet from last year, received $27,379 in prize money.

6th Place – Tony Cousineau always seems to finish high in tournaments – with numerous cases and final tables. However, he could do no better than 6th place in this event. On his final hand, the Florida-based touring pro made top pair with A-7 when Seven came on the flop, but ended up losing to set of 10s. Cousineau collected $34,225.

5th Place – Bob Hume from Orlando, FL was short-stacked and started with the best hand, 10-10 against Davood Mehrmand’s 5-5. But a Five flopped, crushing Hume. Hume took home $41,070.

4th Place – Tony Seunsom (aka “Tekk’) took two tough beats in a row and went out next. On the first hand, he had A-Q and was ‘all in’ against Martin Vallo’s 6-6. A Queen flopped, but a Six fell on the river, igniting the crowd and ripping away nearly half of Seunsom’s stack. A few hands later, Vallo would prove to be Seunsom’s nemesis once again. This time, Seunsom was dealt A-Q against Vallo’s A-9. Vallo was in a horrible spot, but managed to flop a Nine, killing Seunsom’s prospects for victory. Seunsom, from Houston, TX earned $47,914.

3rd Place – The excitement really started when the game became three-handed. John Hoang was the low-stack and was down to his last 9,000 at one point – in contrast to Davood Mehrmand’s 500,000 in chips. But Hoang held on and regained a comfortable stack size after picking up several critical pots. One of the key hands of the tournament occurred when Davood Mehrmand was dealt K-J and tried to steal the pot pre-flop, running into Martin Vallo’s A-Q. Merhmand was the ‘all in’ player and desperately needed help. No problem. A King flopped, and Vallo was severely crippled. Incredibly, he came back a few hands later with a huge triple-up hand:
Mehrmand – A-9
Hoang – 7-7
Vallo – 5-5
Vallo and Hoang were both ‘all in.’ On the turn, the board showed 8-6-5-3, which meant all three players had outs. An Ace would give Mehrmand the win. A blank fell instead, which meant Vallo was right back in the tournament and the chips were now about equally divided.
Mehrmand had just about everything go wrong during the last hour. He went from decisive chip leader down to the felt in a few key hands, one of the most painful being when he lost with J-J to Hoang’s A-A. Mehrmand finally went out with Q-Q after Vallo made a pair of Aces with A-9. This marked Mehrmand’s third trip to the final table this year – the only player so far to pull off the trifecta. Unfortunately, the victory eluded Mehrmand this time as well, and the Iranian-born ex-patriot now living in Germany collected $54,759.

When heads-up started, Martin Vallo enjoyed a slight 5 to 4 chip advantage. Hoang won a few early pots, and seized the chip lead. It only took a short time for the classic hold’em confrontation to close the evening – a big pair versus A-K, close to an even-money proposition for both players:
Vallo: A-K
Hoang: J-J
The final board showed Q-4-3-4-5, which meant the pocket Jacks was the winner. Martin Vallo, one of a talented contingent of Danish poker pros which includes the likes of Gus Hansen and Mads Andersen, was the runner up. He officially collected $109,519.

This was certainly the second most unbelievable comeback win at the 2005 JBWPO, after Sirous B’s most improbable victory last week. Hoang had been down about 50 to 1 at one point when the action was at three-handed. But proving Yoggi Berra’s classic line, “It’s never over ‘til it’s over,” Hoang steadfastly never gave up and staged a remarkable comeback.

Whether overcoming adversity by following his dream after being lay off from his job, or coming back from a huge chip disadvantage in a poker tournament, John Hoang is an inspiration and example to everyone.

Final Table Started at: 4:00 pm CST
Final Table Ended at: 8:15 pm CST

Report by Nolan Dalla – JBWPO Media Director
Tournament Director – David Eglseder
Co-Tournament Director (Horseshoe) – Ken Lambert, Jr.
Co-Tournament Director (Gold Strike) – Robert McGovern

Jack Binion World Poker Open - Event 14

Limit Hold’em
Buy-In: $1,500
Number of Entries: 176
Prize Money: $239,447

Official Results:
1. Chris Savage, Baton Rouge, LA, $71,500 plus a seat in the $10,000 championship event
2. Mike Haney, Marion, AR, 43,407
3. Robert Perry, Highland Beach, FL, 23,850
4. Raja Kattamuri, Dallas, TX, 19,080
5. “Syracuse Chris” Tsiprailidis, Syracuse, NY, 14,310
6. Dr. Max Stern, San Jose, Costa, Rica, 11,925
7. Frank Kassela, Germantown, TN, 9,540
8. “Captain” Tom Franklin, Gulfport, MS, 7,155
9. Gerard Johnston, St. Charles, MO, 7,500
10. Mohamad Zalikha, Miami, FL, 3,442
11. An Tran, Las Vegas, NV, 3,442
12. Van Nguyen, Toronto, Canada, 3,442
13. Paul Clements, Wisconsin Dells, WI, 2,951
14. Billy Duarte, Berthoud, CO, 2,951
15. Derek Optitz, Ft. Worth, TX, 2,951
16. Joe Whitt, Hunstville, AL, 2,459
17. Ivo Donev, Bregenz, Austria, 2,459
18. Eddy Scharf, Cologne, Germany, 2,459

Chris Savage Cannibalizes Final Table:
Online Poker Whiz Runs Wire-to-Wire in
First Major ‘Live’ Tournament Win

The real danger is not that computers will begin to think like men, but that men will begin to think like computers.
-- Sydney J. Harris

In the not too far distant past, the general mindset of flesh and blood poker players towards online adversaries was one of contempt. They play too many starting hands. They have no ‘people reading’ skills. They can’t beat a real poker game.

Then, along came an accountant from Tennessee named Chris Moneymaker and the poker world turned upside down. Moneymaker, true to his name, did the unthinkable – parlaying a $37 online tournament win into the 2003 world championship. The unlikeliest of winners ignited a fuse on a global powder keg, exploding into a worldwide proliferation of online poker sites, many with hundreds of games going 24/7 and thousands of players around the clock. Proving that online poker as a training ground for tournament success was no fluke, a Connecticut-based attorney, Greg Raymer, repeated the same feat again in 2004.

Now, another online poker whiz, Chris Savage from Baton Rouge, LA has completed the techno-trifecta. Savage, who achieved astonishing results online over the past year, won the $1,500 buy-in Limit Hold’em event at the 2005 Jack Binion World Poker Open. First place paid $78,706 in cash, the coveted gold and diamond bracelet, and a $10,000 entry into the championship event, which starts next week. Savage’s online tournament record alone would be enough to make him the envy of 99.9 percent of all poker players. Consider that he won an unprecedented 12 seats to the $10,000 buy-in Aruba event last year, just from his online play. Savage won eight other major online tournaments in 2004, as well. Now, he’s broken into new territory – live tournaments.

“When I first started playing poker online, I lost more money than anyone,” Savage said following his victory. “Then, I decided to take the game seriously. I started studying. I talked to friends on the phone for hours about poker strategy, and learned about all the things you need to become a good tournament player….The most important this is – I’m not afraid to (get knocked out). I don’t play to move up a notch in the prize money, I play to win first place.”

Indeed, Savage never once let up in a relentless pursuit of his first live tournament win. “I’m able to fire the second shell and the third shell and make people fold the best hand,” Savage explained. “I’m going to keep firing bullets when I have the chip lead and it’s very difficult for someone to call in their position.”

On Day One, 167 players were eliminated. Nine of these players, places 18 through 10 received prize money. Nine finalists returned for Day Two and players were eliminated as follows:

9th Place – Gerard Johnston, from St. Charles, MO came in as the shortest stack. He didn’t last long. On the second hand of play, he raised with his remaining chips holding A-7, made a pair of Sevens, and ended up losing to a straight. Johnston, who is retired, collected $4,918 for 9th place.

8th Place – Next lowest in chips, “Captain” Tom Franklin was down to the felt, and lost to Max Stern’s full house on his final hand. Franklin’s elimination certainly improved the odds for his opponents, since the Captain has won dozens of major tournaments, including four final tables at the World Series of Poker. Franklin, from downstate Gulfport, MS received $7,155 in prize money.

7th Place – Frank Kassela is no stranger to playing for big money. He’s been in the money twice so far this year at the JBWPO and made final tables at majors elsewhere. But that experience didn’t help him here. Kassela was never able to establish much momentum during his hour-long stay in the finale. On his last hand he started with 6-6 but lost to a set of Fours. Kassela, the President of Mid-America Specialities in Germantown, TN, earned $9,540 for 7th place.

6th Place – This was Dr. Max Stern’s second final table this year (he was 3rd in the $500 buy-in Omaha High-Low event). The former pediatrician from Costa Rica played A-8 against Chris Savage’s A-9. Both players caught an Ace on the flop, but Savage made two pair when a Nine gratuitously fell on the river, eliminating Dr. Stern. The head of the famed ‘Costa Rican Connection’ added $11,925 in winnings to the $16,635 he received last week. Not bad for a 65-year-old retiree, who is a popular figure on the poker tournament circuit.

5th Place – “Syracuse Chris” Tsiprailidis was another big name poker pro who got cut down to size. The former restaurateur from Syracuse, NY and winner of gold bracelets at the WSOP and many other tournaments lost his last pot of the night with A-10 against Raja Kattamuri’s A-J. Both players made a pair, but the Jacks proved to be best. Syracuse Chris made $14,310 for 5th place.

4th Place – Four-handed play continued for nearly an hour before Raja Kattamuri lost with A-4 against Mike Haney’s A-7. Neither player made a pair, but the Seven played. Kattamuri, an electronics engineer from Dallas, TX who won the $1,000 buy-in Limit Hold’em event here in 2000, as well as other limit events elsewhere, took $19,080 for 4th place.

3rd Place – When it became three-handed, Chris Savage’s chip lead was so large that the real question became – who would finish second? Mike Haney settled that once and for all when he snapped off Robert Perry’s attempted bluff with a pair of 10s. Haney held 10-8 on the hand, paired the 10, and called Perry down all the way – who was drawing to overcards. Perry, a successful cash game player who is widely respected for his game in live action rather than tournaments, earned $23,850 for 3rd place.

When heads-up play began, Chris Savage enjoyed a decisive 10 to 1 chip lead. As we have seen previously at this year’s JBWPO, no lead is ever safe at a poker table. Just ask the ill-fated player who was up 87 to 1 last week in heads-up play – and lost. Add the fact that Mike “the Maniac” Haney had arrived at the final table 7th in chips, and made the biggest leap of the day.

Trouble for Haney was – it’s hard to be a “Maniac” when you are down by a 10 to 1 chip count. Haney, a local player who got his nickname from his outlandish and aggressive play, might as well have been pulling a fully loaded 18-wheeler up a steep mountain, completely out of gas. The truck driver from Arkansas was eliminated just six hands into the duel. Haney had the best of it on the final hand with K-3 suited, but lost to Savage’s 7-6 when a Six flopped. Haney collected $43,407 as the runner up.

Meanwhile, Chris Savage was the new champion. Not once during the four-hour finale did Savage lose the chip lead. Not once was Savage ever in serious danger of losing the chip lead. It was almost as though Savage was destined to win from the start. It was enough to make you think and truly believe – that maybe these online guys can play, after all.

Final Table Started at: 4:00 pm CST
Final Table Ended at: 8:10 pm CST

Report by Nolan Dalla – JBWPO Media Director
Tournament Director – David Eglseder
Co-Tournament Director (Horseshoe) – Ken Lambert, Jr.
Co-Tournament Director (Gold Strike) – Robert McGovern

Workday of the Living Dead

Oh, geez. I've caught something exceedingly nasty. I won't go into details (trust me, you don't want to know), other than two words -- intestinal flu. I would really, really like to be unconscious in bed right now, but work beckons. That's the problem with having a job where your attendance is necessary to meeting a deadline.

I had several things to discuss today, from the second episode of "Tilt" to the somewhat related topic of collusion at the poker table, but that just isn't going to happen. I'm just going to concentrate on getting my work done today as quickly as possible.

(Oh dear God, I just bit into something quite rotten in the vegetable soup I've been struggling to eat for the past hour. As if I didn't want to gag enough already.)

However, I will spare a quick update on the whole free money thing. Last night, I finally sat down to play with my free $16 at Piggs Peak Poker. I was already starting to feel a little under the weather, so I didn't play any more than one orbit at one table and two or three orbits at another table, yet still found a way to make $6. That's not too shabby, considering what I'm working with. Now if I can just avoid getting stupid and flushing the whole miniscule wad down the toilet.

Much as I'd like to play some more this weekend, I just can't do that until I'm feeling healthier. That's basically how I lost my whole roll back in December, when I tried to play one day when I had a bad cold. In fact, that day I kept my head lying on my desk, waiting until I heard the beep signalling that it was my turn to act. And still I wondered how I managed to lose early and lose often that day.

Funny thing is, my biggest scores while playing live games have come when I've played sick. I remember one night last spring when I felt like I needed a broomstick to keep me propped up at the table, but I just raked huge pot after huge pot. That night got so bad, I had to unbutton my shirt when my fever started to break and I had sweat pouring off of me. Maybe that's the key. Maybe having to sit there and look at me in my death-warmed-over state negatively affected my opponents' games. At one point that night, I remember a sheriff's deputy showing up. At first I thought he might try to give us some trouble, and I considered trying to summon the energy to give token resistance to arrest so that he might do me a favor and shoot me. But then he reached into his pocket and sat down to play. That was the last thing I wanted to see, as I had been getting ready to leave. But how can you say no to a guy with a badge and a gun? He was the only one I didn't bust completely out that night. He actually left $3 to the good.

Wow, I am really rambling now. That's probably a good sign that I need to cut this short, so that's exactly what I'm going to do. I'll be back when I'm feeling better.

WPO odds released

Internet sportsbook Bodog, which also operates a poker site, has published odds on the upcoming main event at the Jack Binion World Poker Open. According to the site:

With Daniel Negreanu capturing another player of the year award, he is currently pegged as the favorite for to win the WPT World Poker Open. Negreanu is listed at 25/1 odds. Right behind Negreanu are three of the best in the game with Men “The Master” Nguyen, Gus Hansen and John Juanda all sitting at 30/1. Barry Greenstein, Phil Ivey, Scott Fischman, Antonio Esfandiari, and poker’s powerhouse female competitor Annie Duke are all listed at 35/1 odds. Howard Lederer and Chris “Jesus” Ferguson are both listed at 40/1, with Chip Reese, Jennifer Harman, Erick Lindgren and Sammy Farha sitting at 45/1 odds.

WPT veterans Barry Shulman, Dan Harrington and Doyle Brunson are all positioned at 50/1 odds, with Phil Hellmuth, Erik Seidel and Greg “Fossil Man” Raymer at 55/1 odds. The Boatman clan, Barny and Ross are both listed at 95/1 odds with former World Series of Poker Champion Chris Moneymaker. The long shot option has a deadlock tie between Team Bodog members Terence “Chang83” Liu and John “RedWingFan” Kozlinski. Both players qualified with Bodog.com Poker to represent the company at the WPT World Poker Open in Tunica, Mississippi. Both Team Bodog members are listed at 125/1 odds.

Personally, Daniel Negreanu has to prove something to me before I would list him as a favorite at any event. I know, I know ... He's the player of the year, many times over, for 2004. But I'm not saying he isn't a good player or belitting his accomplishments over the past year. However, I can't help but think back to his own statement about winning the Five Diamond Classic and, with it, the Cardplayer Player of the Year Award, shortly after losing the lead to David Pham: "I am not my best unless it is a high pressure situation and there is a lot riding on the outcome." Basically, he was saying that, after leading the points race most of the year, he was bored and just didn't have the incentive to play his best. Well, after that win and clinching the award, I just can't see him showing up in Tunica hungry for a win. He certainly has the skill to prove me wrong, but I have to see it to believe it.

Check out the full odds list here.

The hunt for free money

One thing about busting out, it gives you incentive to find other ways to play.

Ever since I lost my bankroll this week, I have been unable to play. That is quite a turnaround for someone who has been playing for several hours a day, nearly every day for the past 18 months. Of course, one might wonder why I don't just dig into my pocket and start over, to which I would have to respond that between Christmas and three birthdays in January, I'm tapped out.

So, anyway, I've spent the past few days looking through the myriad of poker sites out there, trying to find any out there that offer free money for signing. Luckily, I did find one. There used to be a couple of others, but they have apparently dropped those offers just this week.

I've chosen to go with Piggs Peak Poker, simply because they offer the most of the ones I've seen so far. There are a few hoops to jump through, but if you're like me, you'll gladly jump through them. Piggs Peak, which for some reason also goes by the name Poker 333, offers new players the chance to get $16 for signing up. You simply have to download the software, register and also register a Firepay account or credit card, and then send them an email requesting your free $16. The site says it can take up to 48 hours to get your money, but I got mine in about six hours. To see all the details, just go to the website and click on "Poker Promotions" (it's the second one on the page).

Like I said, though, a couple of other places which have offered similar promotions have dropped them this week. There were a couple of other Prima sites that handed out $10 for free as late as Tuesday. I've checked with them today, however, and those promotions have seemingly disappeared. It would probably be wise to take advantage of the free money at Piggs Peak before it disappears, too.

UPDATE: There is at least one more free money offer still out there. Royal Vegas Poker is offering $10 free for signing up there.

Jack Binion World Poker Open - Event 13

Pot-Limit Hold’em
Buy-In: $1,000
Number of Entries: 234
Prize Money: $210,979

Official Results:
1. Edward Ameen, New Orleans, LA, 69,392 plus a seat in the $10,000 championship event
2. Jeff Heiberg, Buffalo, WY, 38,270
3. Amnon “Eric” Filippi, New York, NY, 21,028
4. Chad Moore, Frankfurt, IN, 16,822
5. Larry W. Keene, Fitzgerald, GA, 12,617
6. Mark Fleddermann, St. Louis, MO, 10,514
7. Pete Bigelow, Moose Lake, MN, 8,411
8. Russell Burns, DeKalb, IL, 6,308
9. Salem Helou, Lafayette, LA, 4,336
10. Pat Heneghan, Chicago, IL, 3,035
11. Rick Abrell, Terre Haute, IN, 3,035
12. Andrew (A.J.) Kelsall Lutz, FL, 3,035
13. Bill O’Connor, Houston, TX, 2,601
14. Glenn Kiersky, Memphis, TN, 2,601
15. Lee Grove, Superior, NE, 2,601
16. Fred Brown, Howell, MI, 2,168
17. Terry L. O’Brien, Bald Knob, AR, 2,168
18. Jon Hoellein, Cleveland, OH, 2,168

‘The Great Unknown’
New Orleans Business Owner Eddie Ameen Wins Top Prize in Pot-Limit Hold’em Event

Standing out in the hallway in front of the tournament room at the 2005 Jack Binion World Poker Open, two men were having a discussion. One of those men happened to be Hans “Tuna” Lund – one of the greatest poker players of the last thirty years, and certainly one of the game’s top intellects. Tuna was lamenting the fact that winning at poker today is much tougher than in yesteryear. “If you make a big bet, now they come right back over the top of you,” Tuna grumbled. “You used to be able to make a bet and take the pot, but today, no one is afraid anymore.”

Tuna is right.

The final table of Event #13 confirms the worst fears of Tuna Lund, and many top pros who once dominated the tournament poker circuit. The nine finalists in this event were names and faces that, for the most part, no one would recognize. All of the money spots --18 in all -- were comprised of relatively ‘unknown’ players. This is not to say these individuals aren’t good, perhaps even great players. Indeed, that’s the scary part. The ‘great unknowns’ have become so good so fast that they have just as decent a chance to win a tournament as any poker superstar. Chalk it up to the influence of televised tournaments and countless poker websites, strategy discussion groups, books, videos, seminars, and articles and what you have is poker egalitarianism – a large assembly of devoted and near-equally talented tournament players who are separated not so much by differences in skill, but by public awareness and perception. It’s as though there are two groups of poker players – the discovered and the undiscovered.

The undiscovered winner of this event was Eddie Ameen, a 57-year-old businessman from the New Orleans suburb of Metarie. Ameen owns a jewelry store as well as a successful personnel management firm. Ameen describes himself mostly as a ‘home game’ player, but his performance in this event was way beyond what anyone would expect in your average Wednesday night poker game. Ameen collected first-place prize money of $69,392, an entry into the $10,000 buy-in championship event, and the coveted gold and diamond bracelet given to each event winner at the Jack Binion World Poker Open.

On Day One, 201 players were eliminated. Nine of these players, places 18 through 10 received prize money. The nine finalists returned for Day Two and the players were eliminated as follows:

9th Place – Salem Helou moved ‘all in’ with 7-7 and was leading until the river card. Jeff Heiberg rivered a Jack holding K-J and busted Helou. The Lafayette, LA poker player who finished 2nd at a JBWPO event back in 2001 took $3,336 for 9th place.

8th Place – Next, the two lowest stacks went to war when Russell Burns took 6-6 up against Larry Keene’s A-A. This was bad for burns. Keene spiked a third (unnecessary) Ace which crushed Burns hopes of pulling off a bad beat. Burns, a Dekalb, IL attorney had his motion to stay at the final table denied. He bailed out with $6,308 in prize money.

7th Place – Pete Bigelow survived one ‘all in’ but got unlucky the second time he tempted fate. He moved in with 4-4 and was called by Eddie Ameen’s A-Q. The final board showed 10-10-9-6-9 which gave both players two pair, but Ameen had the better fifth-card kicker with an Ace. Bigelow, who won an event at the Horseshoe in Tunica at the Mid-America Poker Classic last summer, pocketed $8,411 for 7th place.

6th Place – Mark Fleddermann, an investor from St., Louis, MO was eliminated next when he lost to a straight. The final table was a disappointment for Fleddermann, who had arrived second in the chip count. But not much went right for him in his 90-minute stay. Fleddermann has cashed big in the past, including over $100,000 at last year’s WSOP. He collected $10,514 for 6th place.

5th Place – Larry W. Keene came in lowest in chips and moved five spots up the money ladder. He finally went out with K-Q in the big blind, slamming into pocket Kings. Keene, retired from the U.S. Navy, sunk in 5th place – worth a nice payday of $12,617.

4th Place – Chad Moore, who has some impressive tournament performances including 2nd here in Event #3 (worth $71,000), was ‘all in’ with Ace-high on his final hand, but lost when Eddie Ameen spiked a pair of Kings on the river. Moore’s take from this event amounted to $16,822.

3rd Place –.When play became three-handed, Edward Ameen had a 3-1 chip lead over the other two players. A few minutes later, Jeff Heiberg took A-7 up against Eric Filippi’s A-J. Heiberg was in serious trouble, but miraculously spiked a Seven on the river. That crushing defeat put Filippi on life support. He went out a few hands later when he suffered another beat – losing with 2-2 to a diamond flush with four diamonds on board. Filippi, a dedicated poker player who strives to make a name for himself in the game, enjoyed one his best finishes – 3rd place, worth $21,028.

In heads-up play, Eddie Ameen enjoyed a 2 to 1 chip lead over Jeff Heiberg. Ameen had come to the final as the chip leader, but suffered an early run of bad cards and beats – falling to the short-stack at one point. However, Ameen adjusted his play and picked up a number of key hands which allowed him to rebound into the chip lead again.

It didn’t take long for Ameen to close the win. On the final hand, Heiberg picked up K-6 of clubs and made a stab with a pot-sized bet after the flop came 9-6-4. However, Ameen had flopped top pair (Nines) and was going nowhere, except to reach for his chips to make a pot-sized re-raise. That was enough to put Heiberg ‘all in.’ Two successive Fours fell on the turn and river – giving Ameen the higher full house….Fours full of Nines.

Jeff Heiberg, a petroleum specialist from Wyoming, won his way into this event through a single-table satellite. He ‘officially’ collected $38,270 on his initial $120 investment.

Meanwhile, Eddie Ameen was thrilled with his first major tournament victory. Prior to this event, Ameen had finished second in a tournament at the Bellagio in Las Vegas. He owns two businesses – Edberg Jewelers in Metarie, LA and Management Recruiters of New Orleans, Inc.

This event was a glimpse into poker’s future, and perhaps even -- its present. The days of star-studded final tables at ‘open’ events are finished. Gone. Dead. Buried. The era of the ‘unknown’ poker player – those thousands of dedicated nameless masses who have been toiling away in private home games, reading strategy books, and contemplating the game in their own minds -- has now arrived.

Tuna Lund’s worst fears have come true. And Edward Ameen’s most majestic dreams have become reality.

Final Table Started at: 4:00 pm CST
Final Table Ended at: 8:10 pm CST

Report by Nolan Dalla – JBWPO Media Director
Tournament Director – David Eglseder
Co-Tournament Director (Horseshoe) – Ken Lambert, Jr.
Co-Tournament Director (Gold Strike) – Robert McGovern

Still recovering

Sorry for the lack of personal posts the past few days. Too much has been going on between home and work for me to get a good moment to clear my head and write about poker. In addition, my body is playing havoc with me, as it is begging for some relief from my natural insomnia. Tonight, and maybe the next few nights, I will definitely be catching up on all the sleep I've missed the past few weeks.

My own poker play has been a mixed bag of late. On the positive side, I had a good night at my sometimes weekly live game last Friday. Well, it ended good, anyway. The start of the evening was rather horrible, as I kept getting good hands against better ones. My first $10 buy-in was gone after three hands, when I caught two straights and saw them get run over by a flush and a full house. Now, you have to keep in mind, we only had four players. I could lay down a straight with an apparent flush or full house at a full table, but when it's short-handed, you don't expect to keep running up against the nuts (well, not the nuts, but damn close enough). The second buy-in lasted a little longer, but I ended up losing that as well. During that period, I had a full house cracked by quads. The third and final buy-in wasn't looking so good either at first, but I finally turned things around and ended the night up $35.

Online ... well, that's a different story. I'm officially done for awhile, not because I quit, but because my sickly bankroll quit me. I won't go into all the nasty details. Suffice to say that it turns out Omaha high-low wasn't quite as easy as my initial results had led me to believe. Anyway, both the free bankroll and the BIRE skipped town Monday night.

There's plenty more I could write about, but I am mighty exhausted right now. We'll have to catch up on all the tidbits from around the world of poker after I've rested up.

But thank the lord we're down to just one tournament right now. The WSOP Circuit Atlantic City ended last night, with Nghi Van Tran winning the main event and Erick Lindgren posting second. I also have to send a nod out to Aaron Bartley, who is better known to the rec.gambling.poker community as frequent poster GambleAB. He finished fifth in that event and picked up nearly $142K for his efforts. Great job!

Finally, I'll end with the latest results from Tunica. If you're not one who enjoys the tournament reports, you might want to give this one a shot. The final heads-up match sounds like one for the ages, not necessarily because of the play, but because of the boozing, the 27 rebuys and a proposal to pool the first- and second-place winnings and play for them winner-take-all. Sounds like a wild finish, but what else can you expect from Robert Williamson III? Anyway, here goes:

Jack Binion World Poker Open - Event 12

Pot-Limit Omaha
Buy-In: $1,000
Number of Entries: 135
Number of Re-Buys: 225
Prize Money: $328,829

Official Results:
1. Mads Andersen, Copenhagen, Denmark, $118,379 plus a seat in the $10,000 championship event
2. Robert Williamson III, Dallas, TX, 65,766
3. Karl Limbert, Margate, England, 36,171
4. Dale Morrow, Tunica, MS, 26,306
5. Larry Kozlove, Louisville, KY, 23,018
6. Sherkhan Farnood, Kabul, Afghanistan, 19,730
7. Tony Lay, Oklahoma City, OK, 16,441
8. Ayaz Mahmood, Houston, TX, 13,153
9. Raul Paez, Barcelona, Spain, 9,865

The Great Dane
Former Backgammon World Champion
Mads Andersen masters a ‘new’ game:
Danish player wins first poker tournament and $118,379

Experts in any one field tend to be extraordinary in other areas, as well. For instance, those with a special talent for languages can learn a third or even a fourth language much easier than the rest of us. Great thinkers tend to understand multiple sciences – physics, chemistry, and mathematics, for example. Inventors are likely to initiate multiple discoveries, not just one. Intellectual aptitude extends to game theory, also.

As proof – consider the winner of Event #12 at the 2005 Jack Binion World Poker Open. Danish-born master gamesman and 2002 Backgammon World Champion Mads Andersen topped a highly-competitive field of 135 players and earned his first poker victory. Not since Paul Magriel has any backgammon expert broken into the sanctified winner’s circle of a major poker tournament. Magriel, renowned for his backgammon expertise and achievements during the 1970s and 80s, made a number of poker tournament final tables in recent years.

Now, Mads Andersen has invaded the poker world and is taking no prisoners. He arrived at the final table sixth in the chip count, overcame several short-stacked situations, staged a startling comeback, and by wiping out one of the world’s best Pot-Limit Omaha players, made a bold statement that he has arrived on the poker scene.

On Day One, 126 players were eliminated short of the prize money. The final table was played on Day Two and the players were eliminated as follows:

9th Place – This was Raul Paez’s second time to make it to a final table. He won the Pot-Limit Hold’em event a week earlier, earning nearly $100,000. Unfortunately, Paez was knocked out 40 minutes into the finale. He was short-stacked and made his last stand with Q-Q-x-x. However, Dale Morrow had 8-8-x-x and flopped an Eight, bouncing Paez out in 9th place. Paez, from Barcelona, Spain added $9,865 to his JBWPO money winnings.

8th Place – Ayaz Mahmood, from Houston, TX has now attended the JBWPO for five straight years. This was the cash-game specialist’s second appearance at a final table. Mahmood played his final hand with A-A-x-x, normally a very powerful starting hand in Pot-Limit Omaha. However, Robert Williamson caught a full house with 8s full of 10s, and destroyed Mahmood’s chances of victory. Mahmood received $13,153 for 8th place.

7th Place – Paired Aces proved to be the downfall of another player, when Tony Lay was dealt A-A-x-x and raised ‘all in’ against Mads Andersen, with A-K-Q-J. The final board showed two Kings and a Jack, giving Andersen a full house. Tony Lay – who finished second in this same event last year – collected $16,441.

6th Place – When one thinks of the nation of Afghanistan – poker is probably the last thing that comes to mind. Sherkhan Farnood (from Kabul), Afghanistan’s #1 ranked poker player – got unlucky when flopped the ignorant end of the straight with 9-8 after the flop came 10-J-Q. Unfortunately, Dale Morrow caught the better end of the runner, with A-K, and Farnood was out. This was Farnood’s best poker tournament finish in the United States – good for $19,730. He won the Australian Open poker tournament in 2003.

5th Place – Larry Kozlove started with fewest chips, but moved four spots up the money ladder and took 5th place. He was crippled when he lost to Karl Limbert’s flush, and with his last 1,000 was ‘all in’ on the following hand. Kozlove was eliminated and collected $23,018 in prize money. Remarkably, Kozlove has now played in only two Pot-Limit Omaha tournaments in his life – making the final table each time (he was 3rd in the Mid-America Poker Classic in Tunica, last summer).

4th Place – Dale Morrow, a real estate developer with multiple homes in Tunica, MS and Myrtle Beach, SC, went out next. He flopped top-two pair but ended up losing to a straight. Morrow has made final tables at the Bellagio, Binion’s Horseshoe Las Vegas, and here at the JBWPO. His win amounted to $26,306 for 4th place.

3rd Place – British bookie Karl Limbert was low on chips early, then doubled up twice with A-A-x-x. In fact, he had the best run of anyone in the finale – moving up from dead last in chips, ultimately to 3rd place. Limbert’s last hand was a real heartbreaker. He was dealt A-K-7-7 and flopped the nut-flush draw with clubs. However, Mads Andersen had A-Q-10-9 and flopped the nut straight. The final board showed K-J-9-J-6 – for Limbert, one club short of the flush. Limbert, making his second final table at this year’s tournament, received $36,171 for 3rd place.

The head’s up confrontation between backgammon superstar Mads Andersen and former JBWPO and WSOP multi-tournament champion Robert Williamson III was one of the most spectacular in recent memory. It was one of the few final tables where the amount of spectators actually swelled as the competition became more intense, and overtly theatrical. It lasted about an hour, and for most who watched – it was too short.

This two-player finale had literally everything anyone could want in a poker match – including Williamson drinking and clowning, both players toasting each other and the crowd, wives and girlfriends laughing and cheering, Gus Hansen at tableside serving as a sort of mentor to Andersen, guest commentary by John Bonetti and George “the Greek,” and side bets between the players and spectators.

At one point amidst the poker circus, ringmaster Williamson made the mind-boggling offer to pool both first and second-place prize money -- and play for it all. Andersen nearly agreed to the deal, but passed. Brit bookie, Karl Limbert (out third) made Williamson a $10,000 side wager he wouldn’t win, and tossed two $5,000 chips onto the felt, which Williamson covered. Meanwhile, the cocktail waitress could not bring drinks fast enough, and Williamson must have consumed two dozen shots and beers – nearly the amount of re-buys he put into this event (a staggering ‘27’ by Williamson’s own admission).

The $27,000 ‘investment meant that Williamson had to finish third or better in this event to make a profit -- and to his credit, he accomplished that. In fact, the heavy booze, the clown act, the intimidating stares, the jive-talk, the overbearing human volcano that is Robert Williamson at a poker table disguised the fact that behind all the verbal lava is a great poker player.

But even great poker players….lose. In fact, they sometimes run into players who are just as good, if not better. Andersen was down 3 to 1 in chips at one point, and was ‘all in’ and one card from elimination. However, he managed to patiently wait for the cards to turn, never gave up, and seized the chip lead – much to the astonishment of Williamson and a packed poker gallery.

On the final hand, Williamson flopped three Queens with Q-Q-x-x. However, the three flop cards were all made up of clubs. Andersen had the 5-3 of clubs in his hand – good for the ‘made’ flush. Williamson had plenty of outs, and needed the board to pair. But in the end, the club flush held up and Mads Andersen was the new poker champion. Amazingly, Williamson won this event previously in 2003 and also won a gold bracelet in Pot-Limit Omaha at the 2002 World Series of Poker. So, defeating Williamson in heads-up play was quite an accomplishment – even for a master gamesman like Andersen.

“In backgammon, it’s all about playing percentages. If I know I have a 55 percent edge, I’m going to fire at it,” Andersen remarked. “I think backgammon was good for me in that way, because I’m not afraid to bet everything when I know the percentages are on my side.”

After the win, poker icon Gus Hansen sat alongside Andersen – unquestionably the most powerful 1-2 punch in Danish poker. In the years ahead, poker historians may make a convincing case that 2003-2004 was the “Gus Hansen era.” No other player quite made such a name for himself nor dominated both tournament and live action poker the way Hansen did. But now, there’s a new Dane in town. And the question is -- might this be the start of the “Mads Andersen era?”

Final Table Started at: 4:00 pm CST
Final Table Ended at: 10:35 pm CST

Report by Nolan Dalla – JBWPO Media Director
Tournament Director – David Eglseder
Co-Tournament Director (Horseshoe) – Ken Lambert, Jr.
Co-Tournament Director (Gold Strike) – Robert McGovern

WSOP Circuit Atlantic City - Main Event

No-Limit Texas Hold’em Final
Buy-In: $10,000
Number of Entries: 249
Total Prize Money: $2,365,500

Official Results:
1. Nghi Van Tran, Toronto, Canada, $780,615
2. Erick Lindgren, Las Vegas, Nevada, $430,521
3. Nick Frangos, Mays Landing, New Jersey, $236,550
4. Mimi Tran, Torrance, California, $189,240
5. Aaron Bartley, Cary, North Carolina, $141,930
6. Stan Goldstein, Cypress, California, $118,275
7. Chad Brown, Los Angeles, California, $94,620
8. Chris Ferguson, Pacific Palisades, California, $70,965
9. Michael Esposito, Seaford, New York, $47,310

Final Table Started at: 2:30pm EST
Final Table Ended at: 8:30pm EST

Tournament Report by Nolan Dalla
Tournament Directors – Ken Lambert and Johnny Grooms

Lots of tournament results

Took a break from everything, including the blog, during the three-day weekend, and now there's a lot of tournament results to update. So let's get that out of the way. I'll offer other updates a little later.

Jack Binion World Poker Open - Event 9

No-Limit TexasHold’em
Buy-In: $1,000
Number of Entries: 677
Prize Money: $630,818

Official Results:
1. Johnny Landreth, Lanett, AL, $175,597 plus a seat in the $10,000 buy-in championship event
2. Charlie Dawson, Lexington, KY, 90,929
3. Lee Grove, Superior, NE, 50,167
4. Larry Butler, Colorado Springs, CO, 43,896
5. Tracey Phan, Los Angeles, CA, 37,625
6. Karl Limbert, Margate, UK, 31,355
7. Vince Byrd, Dayton, TN, 25,084
8. Steve Hohn, Overland Park, KS, 18,813
9. Gio Rocca, Toronto, Canada, 12,542
10. Edward Moncada, Oakland, CA, 6,898
11. Scott Loye, Weatherford, TX, 6,898
12. Michael John Dean, Dunedin, FL, 6,868
13. Phil Johnson, Atlanta, GA, 5,818
14. Michael Johnson, Charleston, IL, 5,818
15. Mark Seif, Incline Village, NV, 5,818
16. Rob Hollink, Groningen, Netherlands, 4,525
17. Brian Owens, Lexington, KY, 4,525
18. David Randall, Tucker, GA, 4,525
19. Fred Brown, Howell, MI, 3,232
20. Guillermo Ruz, Tampa, FL, 3,232
21. Mike Pruett, Carrollton, GA, 3,232
22. Bill Seber, Houston, TX, 3,232
23. Charles Blair, Hodgenville, KY, 3,232
24. J.C. Tran, Sacramento, CA, 3,232
25. Richard Cohen, Cincinnati, OH, 3,232
26. Bill Eichel, Parker, SD, 3,232
27. Gino Sabella, New Bern, NC, 3,232
28. Dennis Waterman, Myrtle Point, OR, 2,263
29. Mousey Davis, Houston, TX, 2,263
30. Parviz Amleshi, St. Louis, MO, 2,263
31. Eric Seiler, St. Louis, MO, 2.263
32. Jo Jo Trevino, Corpus Christi, TX, 2,263
33. Jo Handman, London, England, 2,263
34. Chris Hunt, Paris, KY, 2,263
35. Buster Jackson, Elm City, NC, 2,263
36. Andy ‘Turtle’ Pachman, Atlanta, GA, 2.263
37. Earl Holmes, Valdosta, CA, 1,939
38. John De Francis, Kendall Park, NJ, 1,939
39. Paul Fehlig, St. Louis, MO, 1,939
40. Roy Swindle, Valdosta, GA, 1,939
41. Sonny Perry, 1,939
42. Louis Adat, 1,939
43. Joey Ganim, 1,939
44. Jeff Gibralter, 1,939
45. Carlos Fuentes, 1,939
46. Shamill Kostashuk, 1,616
47. William Banks, 1,616
48. Phillip Hernke, 1,616
49. Dan Delnoce, 1,616
50. Jerry Zehr, 1,616
51. Chris Grigorian, 1,616
52. Glen Bean, 1,616
53. Richard Abrell, 1,616
54. Thomas Stinson, 1,616
55. Jack Markowitz, 1,293
56. Don Sekorky, 1,293
57. Wilson Carnes, 1,293
58. Don McCarthy, 1,293
59. Dayne Baverman, 1,293
60. Steve Hobbs, 1,293
61. Pete Cikesh, 1,293
62. Andy Fine, 1,293
63. Phi Nguyen, 1,293

‘Paint Drying Contest’ won by Johnny Landreth:
Alabaman Makes Deal with Opponents, then Wins Bracelet

On the broad spectrum of poker tournament final tables, there are ‘legendary’ clashes such as the Chan-Seidel rematch at the 2001 World Series of Poker. There are ‘great’ final tables, such as Sirous Baghchehsaraie’s stunning comeback win after being down 87 to 1 against Scott Fischman at this year’s JBWPO. There are ‘good’ final tables, such as gadfly Avner Levy’s victory over Maria Stern here last week. There are ‘average’ final tables – which constitute many of the mid-level events. And occasionally, there are lackluster final tables, which happen every so often. Then -- there is Event #9, the $1,000 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em event at this year’s Jack Binion World Poker Open – which stands alone in the colorful kaleidoscope that is the poker world.

To say that this final table lacked drama would be a gross understatement. There were few big hands, no turning points, no amazing comebacks, nor lively banter that normally characterizes just about every tournament finale. It wasn’t necessarily the players’ fault. They played well, and deserved to be here, having topped a very tough field of 677 entrants. Most of them were relative newcomers to the final table experience, having never played for these stakes before. It certainly wasn’t the fact that the stakes were below par – this event awarded the third-highest prize money pool so far this year, including a whopping $175,597 for first place. Fact was -- the final table was so utterly without drama that the sparse crowd gradually got fed up with the match, especially when play became short-handed, and drifted off to watch the NFL playoffs on television or play in live games.

It all comes down to deals and dealmaking. When play became four handed, the remaining players cut a deal. They reportedly took $90,000 and change each. Such is the case with poker tournaments, where as long as the prize money is being put up exclusively by the players, they have the right (in most cases) to cut up the loot as they wish, whenever they want. We can debate the practice of dealmaking, and whether it’s good or bad for poker. Or, we can simply say that deals are a part of the game and acknowledge the fact. They happen.

Following Day One, during which 668 players were eliminated, the nine finalists took their seats at the final table. Thereafter, players were eliminated in the following order:

9th Place – Giovanni Rocca, from Toronto, Canada, arrived lowest in chips. He flopped a flush draw with K-Q of clubs, but missed on the final two cards and lost to Lee Grove’s pocket Kings. Rocca, who won a poker tournament at St. Ignace, last year, added $12,542 to his poker bankroll.

8th Place – Steve Hohn was second lowest in chips, and par for the course, he went out next. The Overland Park, KS-based poker player, who has won major tournaments at the Commerce Casino in the past, and finished in the top spots at World Series events in recent years, played his last hand with A-J, which lost to Charlie Dawson’s Q-Q. A Queen fell on the turn, for overkill, eliminating Hohn. He received $18,813.

7th Place – Vince Byrd, a Supervisor for the LA-Z-BOY chair company (man, couldn’t we have used some of his products at this final table), went out next with A-Q against Karl Limbert’s 9-9. The pocket Nines held up, and Bryd had to recline from his chair in 7th place, good for $25,084.

6th Place – After doubling up ‘all in’ with pocket Aces early, Karl Limbert went out with J-J against Johnny Landreth’s A-Q, when two queens came on board. Limbert, a UK bookmaker (it’s allowed by law there, folks), booked a nice payday -- $31,355.

5th Place – Tracey Phan, a Long Beach, CA poker player who finished third in the women’s event at the 2004 World Series of Poker, moved ‘all in’ hoping to steal the blinds with A-J. Lee Grove had Q-Q. Phan baited Grove into calling, by saying “please call – I want you to call.” Grove was only too happy to call with the pocket queens which held up and eliminated Phan. Phan, who stated her goal is to be “the first and youngest Vietnamese lady to win the poker world championship,” received $37,625 for fifth place.

4th Place – After the four finalists made a deal, Larry Butler, who has finished in the money multiple times at the JBWPO in the past, took a tough beat when his top pair of Aces lost to a set. Charlie Dawson flopped a set of Threes, which ripped most of the chips out of Butler’s stack. Butler, a trauma surgeon, was now on life support. A few hands later, Johnny Landreth flat-lined Butler with a set of Jacks. Butler took home $43,896 officially.

3rd Place – Lee Grove a wheat farmer from Nebraska was next cut from the chafe. Grove, who had two 4th place finishes at the World Series, and was playing in the JBWPO for the first time, collected $50,167.

The heads-up match between Johnny Landreth and Charlie Dawson lasted nearly two full hours. During the duel, neither player seemed willing to commit his stack at any time. Often, the opponent would fold whenever either player showed the least bit of aggression. The snoozefest was occasionally overshadowed by Dawson’s cheering section, made up of family and friends. The Kentucky crew did everything to encourage Dawson, even calling out the board cards at one point – which begat a rebuke from Tournament Director, David Eglseder.

Dawson enjoyed a 3 to 2 chip lead at the start, but after Landreth made a flush on one key hand, he had Dawson by 3 to 1. Half an hour later, Landreth made another flush, and the end seemed mercifully near. But Dawson, rooted on by his cheering section, staged a rally and drew back close to even. The monotony went on, and on, and on, as blinds and a few chips moved back and forth in an apparent cat and mouse game.

After a short break, the end came in bizarre fashion. Dawson tried to make a move on the pot by raising ‘all in’ with 7-3 off-suit (not exactly they type of hand one would expect to see after two hours of tedious conservatism), which was called instantly by Johnny Landreth holding Q-10 of clubs. Okay, so it was sooooted.

The final board showed Q-10-J-J-4, giving Landreth a sledgehammer of a hand over Dawson – two pair.

For second place, Dawson officially collected $90,929. Given that he agreed to a deal, this is about the same money he would have received anyway as the runner-up. Dawson, an engineer, was playing at the JBWPO for the first time. It was quite a payoff for a first-time visit.

Johnny Landreth, a retired used car dealer from Alabama, was the ‘winner.’ Afterward, as bystanders stood around anxiously anticipating even a tiny morsel of drama, it became clear there would be none. It was as though a business deal had just been consummated in a boardroom somewhere. There were no cheers. There was no confetti. There were no tears of joy or sadness. It was just business.

Final Table Started at: 4:00 pm CST
Final Table Ended at: 10:30 pm CST

Report by Nolan Dalla – JBWPO Media Director
Tournament Director – David Eglseder
Co-Tournament Director (Horseshoe) – Ken Lambert, Jr.
Co-Tournament Director (Gold Strike) – Robert McGovern

Jack Binion World Poker Open - Event 10

Limit TexasHold’em
Buy-In: $1,000
Number of Entries: 310
Prize Money: $283,214

Official Results:
1. Nick Yobbagy, Fort Collins, CO, $90,171 plus a seat in the $10,000 buy-in championship event
2. Hung Ly, Los Angeles, CA, 49,594
3. Gene Bowden, Yuma, AZ, 25,361
4. Norman Ketchum, Rockford, IL, 19,725
5. Minh Nguyen, Lake Elsinore, CA, 16,907
6. Sam Oliverio, Bridgeport, WV, 14,089
7. Matt Palmer, Ontario, CA, 11,271
8. Jose Rosenkrantz, San Jose, Costa Rica, 8,454
9. Matt Overstreet, Oxford, MS, 5,810
10. Ronald Leo Surenkamp, Indianapolis, IN, 3,486
11. Bruce Harris, Cordova, TN, 3,486
12. Frank Kassela, Germantown, TN, 3,486
13. Stan Kusy, Jr., Lafayette, LA, 2,905
14. Earl Holmes, Valdosta, GA, 2,905
15. Mark Bassham, Cooper, TX, 2,905
16. Sammy Nooner, Hondo, TX, 2,324
17. Janie Trevino, Corpus Christi, TX, 2,324
18. J. Benjamin, The Woodlands, TX, 2,324
19. J.C. Tran, Sacramento, CA, 1,743
20. Jimmy Tran, Las Vegas, NV, 1,743
21. Phi Nguyen, Hawaiian Gardens, CA, 1,743
22. Davood Mehrmand, Frankfurt, Germany, 1,743
23. Chris Venne, Boulder, CO, 1,743
24. Pete Ketzmer, Hernando, FL, 1,743
25. Robert Ed Leger, Houston, TX, 1,743
26. Joe Davanzo, Palm Harbor, FL, 1,743
27. Andy Wynn, New York, NY, 1,743

Persistence Pays Off:
After 20 tries and six straight years at the JBWPO, Nick Yobbagy wins first poker tournament – defeats newcomer Hung Ly in epic four-hour heads-up marathon

The game of poker can be divided into two distinct eras – before and after.

In the before era, Limit Hold’em was king. All live hold’em games were limit. Limit Hold’em tournaments attracted the largest fields and generated the vast majority of tournament circuit prize money. No-Limit was a distant second in popularity, and was non-existent as an option inside virtually all cardrooms within the United States. From Tunica to Las Vegas, it was easier to find a professional full-time keno player than to find a No-Limit Hold’em cash game.

Then came televised poker – and everything changed.

After the revolution, No-Limit Hold’em became the game. Today’s poker neophytes are drawn to No-Limit. As proof, look no further than this year’s Jack Binion World Poker Open. The first two No-Limit events at this year’s tournament – comprised mostly of new faces -- set all-time attendance records. Indeed, No-Limit games of all sizes have popped up in cardrooms from coast-to-coast – including games with tiny blind structures all the way up to the biggest games in the world. Strangely enough, Limit Hold’em now seems to be poker’s proverbial stepchild, still part of the family of course, but no longer the most desired and loved of the bunch.

The winner of Event #10 at this year’s JBWPO was a throwback to the ‘before’ era. “I learned how to play poker when everything was Limit Hold’em,” said Nick Yobbagy, a former executive with Eastman-Kodak and now a newly crowned poker champion. “The first time I played was back in 1969 at the Stardust (Las Vegas). I grew up on limit poker. I like limit poker because I can manage myself better. I know what a hand is going to cost me. So, it’s a very different game than No-Limit where one hand can cost all of your chips. In Limit poker you can take more chances.”

There were 310 entries in this event, up 18 percent over last year. Following Day One, during which 301 players were eliminated, the nine finalists took their seats at the final table. Players were eliminated in the following order:

9th Place –Matt Overstreet came to the final table lowest in chips and went out within the first ten minutes. For Overstreet, a 21-year-old college student playing in his first major poker tournament, this was quite an accomplishment. He collected $5,810 for 9th place. Someone please whisper to Overstreet that it’s not always so easy to make a final table.

8th Place – Former JBWPO bracelet winner (from 2003) Jose Rosenkrantz was eliminated next. The Costa Rican industrialist who now lives in Miami, FL received $8,454.

7th Place – Matthew Palmer was low on chips and went out in 7th place. The 26-year-old Canadian took home $11,271 for a fine effort.

6th Place – Sam Oliverio, a business owner from West Virginia went out next. On his final hand, he started with the best of it – A-Q versus A-7, but lost when Nick Yobbagy made a straight with a board of 9-8-6-9-10. Oliverio, who made the final table at the Las Vegas Bellagio’s No-Limit Hold’em event last summer, earned $14,089 in prize money.

5th Place – Minh Nguyen was certainly one of the most accomplished players of the nine finalists. Nguyen won two WSOP gold bracelets back in 2003. However, the best he could do here was 5th place. Nguyen, now living in Lake Elsinore, CA, received $16,907.

4th Place – Norm Ketchum also won a gold bracelet at the WSOP, in 2004. Ketchum, who has made many final tables (he came in second in an event here in 2000, along with 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, and 8th in various events over the years), went out at the 4th place finisher. Ketchum, from Rockford, IL, took $19,275 in prize money and is way overdue for a win at this tournament.

3rd Place – Gene Bowden, a 65-year-old business owner from Yuma City, AZ won his way into this event by winning a single-table satellite. That proved to be a wise $120 investment. The dividend was $25,361 in prize money for 3rd place.

The heads-up match between Hung Ly and Nick Yobbagy lasted four excruciating hours. There were 299 hands played in all during the six hour final table. Two thirds of them were played head’s up. The duel was interesting from several unique perspectives, not the least of which was the mutual respect by the two players for each other. As it became obvious that a victory would not be fast or easy, the players dug in and played the best poker of their lives, carefully plotting one decision at a time.

It was a contrast of players and personalities. For Yobbagy, age 62, it was finally reaching the ‘promise land’ after many years of trying and failing to make the big dance. Yobbagy has entered 20 majors by his own estimate. This was his first time ever to make a final table. By grace of the poker gods, he earned this one. Hung Ly, age 30, on the other hand was entirely new to the tournament poker scene. He was eager to test his skills and play at the highest level. The money seemed to be a secondary concern to the experience he was gaining in the heads-up match.

In fact, the two men never discussed nor made a deal. With $40,000 the difference between first and second place, one might have expected some kind of financial arrangement. But it was Ly who insisted he wanted to play the game as it should be played to the end -- for all the money, for the gold and diamond bracelet, for the $10,000 buy-in into the championship finals, and for the satisfaction of declaring a bona fide ‘victory.’ Some things have no price.

At various points during the showdown, either player could have won the title. Ly was at a disadvantage much of the way, but staged a dramatic comeback when he won a critical pot by spiking a second pair on the river. Yobbagy had Ly nearly ‘all in’ and held A-5. Ly felt pot-committed with Q-6 after the turned showed A-J-10-6. Yobbagy had top pair with Aces. Ly had bottom pair 6s, with an inside straight draw. On the final card, Ly spiked a Queen (two pair) to stay alive.

That hand ignited a see-saw battle that would continue for another two hours. At one point, Ly had Yobbagy down 4 to 1 and was close to victory. But Yobbagy scratched and clawed his way back into the chip lead and was able to inflict the knockout punch just shy of the 300th hand. With blinds and limits high enough to swing the outcome, virtually all hands were playable. Yobbagy was dealt K-9 to Ly’s 9-5. Both players made top pair when the turn brought a Nine, but in the end – Yobbagy’s King was the better kicker.

In a noble and gutsy first-time effort, Hung Ly took $49,594 as the runner up. Perhaps just as meaningful, Ly won a lot of respect and encouragement from the crowd, including the winner Yobbagy.

“Hung is a very fine player and a real gentleman,” Yobbagy said afterward. “When you sit and play with someone for so long, you learn about a person. Hung sure has a lot of character and stamina.”

The victory had special meaning to Yobbagy, not just because it was his first time to break the barrier en route to a final table, but for a much more personal reason. “My wife is having surgery later this month,” he said. “I’ve made arrangements to have my 2005 main event entry here rolled over into 2006 to be with her. She doesn’t know it yet, but this win is my gift to her.”

Indeed, some things have no price. Whether it’s Hung Ly in his uncompromising quest for first place in a poker tournament, or Nick Yobbagy being able to call his wife and say that he finally ‘did it’ after years of trying – this was truly an epic battle of two poker champions.

Final Table Started at: 4:00 pm CST
Final Table Ended at: 10:35 pm CST

Report by Nolan Dalla – JBWPO Media Director
Tournament Director – David Eglseder
Co-Tournament Director (Horseshoe) – Ken Lambert, Jr.
Co-Tournament Director (Gold Strike) – Robert McGovern

Jack Binion World Poker Open - Event 11

No-Limit Texas Hold’em
Buy-In: $1,000
Number of Entries: 314
Prize Money: $435,200

Official Results:
1. Ruben Ybarra, Chicago, IL, $138,647 plus a seat in the $10,000 buy-in championship event
2. Jac Arama, London, England, 76,256
3. Judge Leo Boothe, Fairriday, LA, 38,994
4. J. C. Tran, Sacramento, CA, 30,329
5. Thomas Komulainen, Iron River, MI, 25,996
6. Glyn Banks, Smithville, TN, 21,664
7. Jeff Burns, Mt. Juliet, TN, 17,331
8. Davood Mehrmand, Frankfurt, Germany, 12,998
9. Jo Handman, London, England, 8,665
10. Hilbert Shirey, Winterhaven, FL, 5,360
11. Tony Cousineau, Daytona Beach, FL, 5,360
12. Cleve Haley, Vornorny, TX, 5,360
13. Tim Moneymaker, Lubbock, TX, 4,467
14. Mark Boudewijn, Gouda, Netherlands, 4,467
15. Greg Aston, Ft. Worth, TX, 4,467
16. Bruce Van Horn, Ada, OK, 3,573
17. Adrian Swinger, Retford, England, 3,573
18. Jack Ward, Gulfport, MS, 3,573
19. Jeff Graves, Mt. Juliet, TN, 2,680
20. Roger Van Driesan, Titusville, NJ, 2,680
21. Peter Vilandos, Houston, TX, 2,680
22. Butch Wade, Knoxville, TN, 2,680
23. Matthew Dunn, Atlanta, GA, 2,680
24. Don Mullis, Mooresville, NC, 2,680
25. Vince Burgio, West Hills, CA, 2,680
26. Andrew Dakcski, Akron, OH, 2,680
27. Kevin Bott, Brexburo, ID, 2,680

Déjà vu All Over Again:
Ruben Ybarra Wins First Poker Tournament – Chicago poker player overcomes big chip disadvantage late, tops UK-champ Jac Arama in heads-up play for $138,647 prize

History has a strange way of repeating itself. The $1,000 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em event at the 2005 Jack Binion World Poker Open featured yet another stunning comeback victory and a breakthrough win for a new poker champion. Ruben Ybarra, a 36-year-old mortgage broker from Chicago, IL made his first final table ever after more than 20 tries. He ended up with first-place prize money of $138,647, the coveted gold and diamond bracelet, and an entry into the $10,000 championship event. He did it the hard way.

Consider the hand he won early on Day One, way prior to making it to the final table: With 200 players remaining, Ybarra started with pocket Aces, made a pre-flop raise, and was inexplicably called by a player holding 2-3. A deuce came on the flop, and Ybarra bet out. The opponent called. The turn brought another deuce, and Ybarra made a bet and was check-raised ‘all in.” He called. The river brought a beautiful Ace.

“If I wouldn’t have caught that Ace yesterday, I wouldn’t even be here,” Ybarra said. That turned out to be the biggest hand of Ybarra’s life.

The lifesaver of a card propelled Ybarra all the way to the final table, as he entered Day Two as the chip leader. The nine finalists took their seats and were eliminated in the following order:

9th Place – Jo Handman was the third woman to make it to a final table at this year’s tournament (Maria Stern and Tracey Phan were the others). Handman, from London, England was making her first visit to the JBWPO. She busted out early with A-2 against J.C. Tran’s A-A and collected $8,665 for 9th place.

8th Place – This was Iranian-born Davood Mehrmand’s second trip to the final table this year. He finished 4th in the $500 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em event (against 869 entries) – proving that this 38-year-old man knows how to play tournament hold’em. Mehrmand, who now lives in Frankfurt, Germany lost most of his chips holding pocket 10s when Glyn Banks was ‘all in’ with pocket 5s and spiked a Five. Mehrmand was eliminated a short time later and received $12,998 in prize money.

7th Place – Just about everything went wrong for Jeff Burns at this final table. He arrived second in chips but was never able to generate any momentum in his hour-long stay in the finale. Burns was torched holding A-K on his final hand, and lost to pocket 5s. Nevertheless, Burns – who won his way into this event by wining a $220 single-table satellite – took home $17,331 for 7th place, which was a nice return on his investment.

6th Place – Glyn “Ratchet” Banks has enjoyed some success at this tournament. He’s made two WPO finals tables in the past, and has an impressive record of satellite wins. “Ratchet” arrived lowest in chips and moved up the prize money ladder until he got hammered on his final hand when J.C. Tran caught a miracle card on the river to make a set of 8s. Ratchet received $21,664 for 6th place.

5th Place – Thomas Komulainen, a logging contractor from Michigan, ran into a buzz saw on his final hand when he lost to a full house. Komulainen took 5th place, good for $25,996.

4th Place – J.C. Tran made the biggest move of the day – inching up from 8th place in chips at the start to a 4th-place finish. Tran was eliminated in one of the key hands of the tournament (see details below). Tran, a Sacramento poker-pro who made 13 final tables in 2004 on the tournament circuit, received $30,329 for 4th place.

3rd Place – “Judge” Leo Boothe was eliminated on the same hand with Tran (see details below). The former Louisiana judge, who won the $500 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em event here in 2003, had his motion to stay at the final table overruled. He collected $38,994.

One of the key hands of the tournament took place when J.C Tran was short-stacked and made a raise with K-8, trying to take the blinds. Judge Leo Boothe called with 8-8. Jac Arama looked down and saw pocket Aces. Arama moved ‘all in,’ and Boothe reluctantly called. In the three-way pot, the final board showed A-Q-5-10-5, giving Arama a full house, Aces full of Fives. Tran busted out 4th, and Boothe finished 3rd, due to his larger stack size.

When heads-up play began, Ruben Ybarra had a slight 4 to 3 chip lead over the 2003 British Poker Champion Jac Arama. Then, the real drama began. In one of the most exciting 20 minutes of any tournament this year, Ybarra lost nearly all of his chips on one hand -- then made a stunning comeback. What made the event more thrilling was Jac Arama’s rowdy cheering section, comprised mostly of English poker players, and Arama’s own vocal gyrations of Austin Powers’ “Yeah, Baby!” whenever he won a big pot.

Ybarra lost most of his stack with A-J when he got into a pre-flop raising war at the worst possible time. Arama was ‘all in” with K-K. Ybarra failed to catch an Ace, and Arama was on the verge of winning his first American title. “Yeah, Baby!”

One of the funniest railbird comments ever followed. Brit Gary Jones, who had been in an identical spot four days earlier, was standing amongst the boisterous crowd. Seeing his fellow-countryman with a huge chip lead, Jones barked out, “Finish him off Jac – only an idiot would lose with a chip lead like that” – an ‘inside’ joke referring to the fact that Jones himself astoundingly lost an 87 to 1 chip advantage in a previous event, effectively earning the booby prize as the biggest choke job in poker history.

Little did anyone know at the time how prophetic Jones’ words would become.

Ybarra was ‘all in’ on the next hand with his last 39,000, and won. Next, he won two more big pots, stole the blinds a few times, and was soon back up to 180,000 in chips. A few minutes later, the final hand was dealt. It was a stunner.

Before the flop, Arama made a standard triple-the-big-blind raise. Ybarra tried to make a move at the pot by re-raising ‘all-in’ with A-3. Arama called instantly, holding 7-7. The flop came K-J-4, giving Arama the lead. A Deuce on the turn gave Ybarra extra outs, with an inside straight draw. Then, a mind-blowing card fell on the river – a Five.

At first, Arama thought he had won the tournament and shouted out, “Yeah, Baby!” But Ybarra had caught onto the fact that the Five on the end had completed a runner-runner straight. While Arama was desperately looking for someone to ‘high-five,’ Ybarra was getting handshakes and pats on the back. Arama was shocked and stunned and in a state of utter disbelief – after all it was a $62,000 leap in prize money. For a moment, it was like England had just lost the World Cup finals to the French. Dead silence. The English contingent wallowed away, with Gary Jones’ previous comments clearly on their minds. Jac Arama received $76,256 as the runner up.

When asked about his good fortune on the final hand, Ybarra said: “There are times when you have to just play. I sometimes get bogged down by the odds, but to win you really just have to figure out who you are up against, devise a counterstrategy, and play. At the beginning of a tournament, the odds and the math is more important. But later on, you have to make moves.”

Yeah, baby.

Final Table Started at: 4:00 pm CST
Final Table Ended at: 8:50 pm CST

Report by Nolan Dalla – JBWPO Media Director
Tournament Director – David Eglseder
Co-Tournament Director (Horseshoe) – Ken Lambert, Jr.
Co-Tournament Director (Gold Strike) – Robert McGovern

WSOP Circuit Atlantic City - Event 7

No-Limit Texas Hold’em
Buy-In: $2000 + $90
Number of Entries: 125
Prize Money: $250,000

Official Results:
Alan Schein, N. Miami, Fl. $90,000
Jon Finkel, N.Y., N.Y. $50,000
Adam Green, Reston, Va. $27,500
Chris J. Reslock, Atlantic City, N.J. $20,000
Frank Giaramida, N. Massapequa, N.Y. $17,500
Brian S. Mogelefsky, Huntington, N.Y. $15,000
James Keller, Fayetteville, N.C. $12,500
John F. Brown, Lake Grove, N.Y. $10,000
Allen Cunningham, Ventura, Ca. $7,500

Final Table Started at: 4:00pm EST
Final Table Ended at: 9:30pm EST

Tournament Report by Nolan Dalla
Tournament Directors – Ken Lambert and Johnny Grooms

WSOP Circuit Atlantic City - Event 8

Limit Texas Hold’em
Buy-In: $2000 + $90
Number of Entries: 51
Prize Money: $102,000

Official Results:
John Spadavecchia, Lighthouse Pt., Fla. $36,720
Martin Julius, Hassleholr, Sweden $20,400
Alexandra Vuong, Rancho Verdi, Ca. $11,220
Nikolaos Frangos, White Plains, N.Y. $8,160
David Chiv, Rowland Hts, Ca. $7,140
Ted Forest, Las Vegas, NV, $6,120
Robert Mackie, Staten Island, N.Y. $5,100
Anthony DeAngelo, Sewell, N.J. $4,080
Daniel Shak, Rosemont, Pa. $3,060

Final Table Started at: 4:00pm EST
Final Table Ended at: 11:30pm EST

Tournament Report by Nolan Dalla
Tournament Directors – Ken Lambert and Johnny Grooms

WSOP Circuit Atlantic City - Event 9

No-Limit Texas Hold’em (Ladies)
Buy-In: $200 + $30
Number of Entries: 168
Prize Money: $33,600

Official Results:
Esther Ludwig, Edison, N.J., $11,088
Kathleen Liebert, Las Vegas, NV., $6,115
GiGi Dong, Westminster, Ca., $3,360
Kathleen Hartman, Moncks Corner, S.C., $2,688
Gina Saladino, Fairview Village, Pa., $2,016
Pat Galasso, Ridgewood, N.J., $1,680
Terry Smith, Laurel, MD., $1,344
Bonnie Kornstein, Wyncote, Pa., $1,008
Kathryn Dowling Newark, De., $672
Sumontha Evans, Wilmington, De., $470
Kelly Voci, Mays Landing, N.J., $470
Taacey Strasky, Voorhees, N.J., $470
Gloria Lorusso, Staten Island, $403
Allyn Jaffrey, Luguna Niguel, Ca., $403
Melinda Flythe, Fayetteville Pa., $403
Chantell Laskoskie, Hamburg Pa., $336
Susan Sherman, Troy N.Y., $336
Sylvia McNamara, White Plains, N.Y., $306

Final Table Started at: 12:00pm EST
Final Table Ended at: 9:00pm EST

Tournament Report by Nolan Dalla
Tournament Directors – Ken Lambert and Johnny Grooms

WSOP Circuit Atlantic City - Event 1B

No-Limit Texas Hold’em
Buy-In: $500 +$60
Number of Entries: 172
Prize Money: $86,000

Official Results:
Brad Pierce, Newark, De. $28,380
Judith Frame, Cape May Ct. Hs. $15,652
Noam Freedman, Cambridge, Ma. $8,600
Jack Hirschman, Jericho, N.Y. 6,880
Mark A. Weber, Sicklerville, N.J. $5,160
Sanjay Pandya Smithville, N.J. $4,300
Richard Wampler, Charlottesville, Va. $3,440
Troy Lambe, Jackson, N.J. $2,580
Stephen Delvecchio, Baltimore, MD. $1,720
10. Michael Fontan, Parsippany, N.J. $1,204
11. Jason Calnan, Revere, Ma. $1,204
12. Norris Sydnor, Mitchellville, Md. $1,204
13. Thomas Clark, Brooklyn, N.Y. $1,032
14. Marc Schubbe, Minnetrista, Mn. $1,032
15. William Baxter, Las Vegas, Nv. $1,032
16. James Peera, Washington, D.C. $860.00
17. Allyn Jaffrey, Laguna Niguel, Ca. $860.00
18. Joseph Pecoraro, Bayville, N.Y. $860.00

Final Table Started at: 4:00pm EST
Final Table Ended at: 11:45pm EST

Tournament Report by Nolan Dalla

Tournament Directors – Ken Lambert and Johnny Grooms

Jack Binion World Poker Open - Event 8

Omaha High-Low
Buy-In: $500
Number of Entries: 442
Prize Money: $209,224

Official Results:
1. Sirous BaghchehsaraieLos Angeles, CA, $64,467
2. Gary Jones, London, England, 33,270
3. Dr. Max Stern, San Jose, Costa Rica, 16,635
4. Hilbert Shirey, Winterhaven, FL, 14,556
5. Mark Dickstein, New York, NY, 12,476
6. Dutin Sitar, Las Vegas, NV, 10,397
7. Luis Velador, Lake Elsinore, CA, 8,318
8. Billy R. Woodrum, Lexington, KY, 6,238
9. Andy Karon, Duluth, MN, 4,287
10. Song Webb, Dallas, TX ,2,572
11. John Kiersky, Memphis, TN, 2,572
12. Matt Allen, Chillicothe, OH, 2,572
13. Tom Reynolds, Hurst, TX, 2,144
14. Richard Bahl, Shawland, WI, 2,144
15. Hugh Barlow, Glencarbon, IL, 2,144
16. Costa Mavroudis, Winnipeg, Canada, 1,715
17. Joe Meyers, Tonkawa, OK, 1,715
18. Earl Key, Indianapolis, IN, 1,715
19. David Veike, Catharpin, VA, 1,286
20. Maxwell Southern, Harrogate, TN 1,286
21. Stan Goldstein, Cypress, CA, 1,286
22. Larry Dingler, Sycamore, IL, 1,286
23. Steve Shelley, Brighton, England, 1,286
24. Philip Krane, Westmont, IL, 1,286
25. John Buzbee, Riverview, FL, 1,286
26. Eddie Fishman, New York, NY, 1,286
27. Bill Alexander, Palm Springs, CA, 1,286
28. John Jacoby, Cheyenne, WY, 857
29. Michael Lutz, Bloomington, IN, 857
30. Raymond Davis, Los Angeles, CA, 857
31. Fred Koubi, Van Nuys, CA, 857
32. Dan Heimiller, St. Charles, MO, 857
33. T. Bill Melms, Ft. Worth, TX, 857
34. J.C. Chapman, Kansas City, MO, 857
35. Herb Tapscatt, Decatur, AL 857
36. Brad Saterfiel, Monroe, LA, 857

Reversal of Fortune Redux:
Sirous Baghchehsaraie Stages Greatest Comeback in Jack Binion World Poker Open History

What are the chances that any poker player down 87 to 1 in the chip count would come back and win? Add the obstacle that the player holding the chip lead just so happened to be one of England’s top poker pros, having finished high in several big tournaments recently -- including the 2004 World Series of Poker. Then, consider the game they were playing – Omaha High-Low Split, normally not a game contusive to massive chip swings. Finally, what are the odds this unprecedented reversal of fortune would all happen within a lightening-fast 35-minute period? Oddsmakers would certainly lay some pretty long odds on that proposition.

At 9:52 pm CST, on January 14, 2005 a hundred or so spectators were gathered around the final table of Event #8 at the Jack Binion World Poker Open. After nearly six hours, the outcome seemed to be a foregone conclusion. Sitting at one end of the table, with a massive chip count of $437,000 was steely-eyed Brit, Gary Jones. At the opposite end of the table was the well-known Los Angeles touring pro Sirous Baghchehsaraie clutching onto his last five chips like an illegal alien gripping bus fare – a paltry five chips in all. Baghchehsaraie didn’t have enough chips to post the big blind, let alone wait for a playable hand. Everyone rose to their feet and watched, anticipating the final hand of the night.

Instead, what they witnessed was quite possibly the single greatest comeback in poker tournament history. It was baseball’s Boston Red Sox upsetting the hated Yankees after being down 0-3, pro football’s Buffalo Bills overcoming a 32-point second-half deficit to stun Houston in the playoffs, basketball’s Los Angeles Lakers rallying from 33-points down to shock Dallas -- all rolled up into one whale of a poker tournament that is sure to be discussed for years to come. Recall poker’s famous ‘chip and a chair’ story from the 1982 World Series. Jack Straus, may God rest his soul, now has a rival. His name is Sirous Baghchehcaraie.

When the tournament started, no one could have possibly foreseen what was to come. Following Day One, during which 433 players were eliminated, the nine finalists took their seats at the final table. Thereafter, players were eliminated in the following order:

9th Place – Andy Karon, lowest in chips from the start, went out first when he was dealt a normally-strong A-2-3-7, got counterfeited, and lost to two pair and a better low. Karon, from Duluth, MN received $4,287.

8th Place – Billy R. Woodrum, a poker dealer playing in only his second High-Low tournament ever, was bounced off the final table when his A-5-5-7 was clobbered by Luis Velandor’s king-high-straight. Woodrum collected $6,238.

7th Place – Luis Velandor failed to capitalize on an early rush, ran card-dead his final twenty minutes and exited next, in 7th place. Velandor backed away from the table when his opponent, Hilbert Shirey flopped quad deuces. Velandor, a California poker pro walked away with $8,318.

6th Place – Dustin Sitar went out next when he lost to Baghchehsaraie’s two-pair. Sitar, who won the main event here at the 2004 Mid-America Poker Classic and is a member of the self-titled “D-Squad” of poker players (a small elite group of young Las Vegas-based pros). Sitar was paid to the tune of $10,397.

5th Place – Mark Dickstein survived three ‘all ins’ before having his poker tournament hopes guillotined. His A-4-6-7 was cut off by a flush and a better low, made by Gary Jones. Dickstein, a New York City investment advisor who made two final tables at the Bellagio’s December tournament in Las Vegas, added $12,476 in investment capital to his poker bankroll.

4th Place – Hilbert Shirey, a professional gambler from Florida with several major tournament victories, including WSOP gold bracelets, to his name, was eliminated next when he lost to Baghchehsaraie’s straight with a low. Shirey picked up $14,556 in prize money.

3rd Place – One of poker’s classiest gentleman, former baby doctor-turned poker shark Max Stern arrived at the final table with the chip lead. However, Gary Jones took the lead when play became three-handed. Dr. Stern’s final half hour at the table was a disaster. He failed to scoop a pot of any significance. Like his wife, the lovely Maria Stern just a few days earlier (second in Event #5), Stern’s finish was bittersweet. Stern, one of the original members of the famed ‘Costa Rica Connection’ was eliminated when Jones made a powerhouse High-Low hand – a wheel. He received $16,635.

When heads up play began, Jones held a 2 to 1 chip lead over Baghchehsaraie. Twenty minutes later, his lead had increased to 4 to 1. After another twenty minutes, Jones made a wheel, which cracked Baghchehsaraie’s set. Sirous was now in serious trouble.

Then it began. The winds changed. The sky opened. Lightening struck. Jaws dropped. Sirous Baghchehsaraie went on the biggest poker rush of his life. Outchipped by a count of $437,000 to $5,000 – a whopping 87 to 1 -- Baghchehsaraie posted his ‘all in’ big blind. He scooped the pot. He posted another blind, and won again. He posted the big blind on the next hand, and won yet again. And again. And again. And again. And again. You get the picture.

One railbird hollered out, “Hey Sirous – where were these cards earlier?” It was as though Baghchehsaraie had nine lives and used every last one of them in a 35-minute poker display that cancelled dinner plans, bruised egos, and stunned a jam-packed poker room at the Gold Strike. When Baghchehsaraie drew even in the chip count, the seating area around the final table was uncharacteristically silent. No one could believe what they were seeing.

Recalling any ‘comeback’ hands or one single ‘key’ moment would be impossible, because there were so many of them. Baghchehsaraie must have scooped or split just about every one of the 30 or so final hands. At no time during the rush did Baghchehsaraie lose any part of his stack.

What was going on inside Gary Jones’ head could only be presumed as an utter state of shock and disbelief. It was though his stack was engulfed by a giant mudslide, flowing towards the opposite end of the table. And he was totally helpless to do anything about it. To his credit, Jones never lost his composure or temper, and handled the catastrophe as well as anyone ever having to suffer such indignity.

The final hand was typical of the last half hour of heads-up play. Jones started with J-J-4-4. Baghchehsaraie started with A-10-8-5. The board showed K-10-10-7-A – completing a full house for Baghchehsaraie.

In some ways, the final hand was anti-climactic. The real ‘drama’ had taken place when Baghchehsaraie was down to the felt earlier and miraculously managed to survive, and then staged a dramatic comeback. Stunning, startling, miraculous, incredible, implausible, inconceivable -- there are no words to describe Sirous Baghchehsaraie’s victory in the $500 buy-in Omaha High-Low Split Championship. Let’s just say – you had to be there to believe it.

Final Table Started at: 4:00 pm CST
Final Table Ended at: 10:30 pm CST

Report by Nolan Dalla – JBWPO Media Director
Tournament Director – David Eglseder
Co-Tournament Director (Horseshoe) – Ken Lambert, Jr.
Co-Tournament Director (Gold Strike) – Robert McGovern

Jack Binion World Poker Open - Event 7

Limit Texas Hold’em
Buy-In: $500
Number of Entries: 272
Prize Money: $128,836

Official Results:
1. David N. Eller, Port Orange, FL, $40,047
2. Scott Fischman, Las Vegas, NV, 22,393
3. Rick Abrell, Terre Haute, IN, 13,436
4. Tony Seco, Myrtle Beach, SC, 9,597
5. Jeff Richman, Philadelphia, PA, 7,934
6. Derk Taylor, Eastmond, GA, 6,270
7. Jim Hagan, Melbourne, FL, 5,145
8. Eddie Rayl, Fitzgerald, GA, 3,694
9. Larry Evans, Yellville, AR, 2,375
10. Andrew ‘AJ’ Kelsall, Lutz, FL, 2,375
11. Larry Dingler, Sycamore, IL, 1,847
12. Steve Hohn, Overland Park, KS, 1,847
13. Brent Carter, Oak Park, IL, 1,583
14. Bill Shipley, Thorntown, IN, 1,583
15. Reno Williamson, Mooresville, IN, 1,187
16. Victor Sirna, Kansas City, MO, 1,187
17. R. Larry Armstrong, San Antonio, TX, 792
18. Charles D. Dant, New Hope KY, 792
19. Ray Babb, Soldiers Grove, WI, 792
20. Dr. Max Stern, San Jose, Costa Rica, 792
21. Kip Williams, Carrolton, A, 792
22. Brent L. Carter, St. Petersburg, FL, 792
23. Dick Cahill, Bement, IL, 792
24.-T, Bryan Jenkins, Chattanooga, IN, 396
24.-T, Steve Pasier, Conway, AR, 396

David Eller Seizes Second JBWPO Victory:
Floridian stages formidable comeback and defeats WSOP multi-winner Scott Fischman in heads-up duel

Skilled poker players have a tendency to gravitate to games like Seven-Card Stud High-Low Split, because there is a common feeling that the player has more control over the outcome. Unlike poker games like Texas Hold’em, where “any two cards can win,” Stud High-Low tends to reward patience, hand-reading skills, card memory, and selective-aggression. Seven-Card Stud High-Low Split players don’t tend to tell as many ‘bad beat’ stories. That’s because ‘bad beats’ aren’t nearly as common. They happen. But, in the long run, good starting multi-way high-low hands tend to rake the most pots.

On this night, a 41-year old Florida man usually had the best starting hands, and ended up winning the most pots. The seventh event of the 2005 Jack Binion World Poker Open, $500 buy-in Seven-Card Stud High-Low Split, was won by David N. Eller, from Port Orange, FL. Eller topped the largest ‘Eight or Better’ field in JBWPO history, topping 272 players. Eller joined the exalted ranks of a select few, becoming only one of a dozen players who have won multiple titles as the JBWPO. In 2001, Eller won the Omaha High-Low Split event. Since then, Eller has continued to refine his poker game – playing tournaments live and online – which has now paid handsome dividends to the tune of $40,047 in first-place prize money.

Following Day One, during which 264 players were eliminated, the eight finalists took their seats at the final table on Day Two. Thereafter, players were eliminated in the following order:

8th Place – Eddie Rayl, from Georgia, came in fourth in chips but had just about everything go wrong during his short stay on Day Two. Twenty-minutes into play, he was eliminated by a flush on his last hand and collected $3,694 for 8th place.

7th Place – Jim Hagan went out next when he lost to Scott Fischman’s scooped pot with both a straight and low. Hagen, the proud owner of Beef o’ Brady’s Family Spots Pub in Mebourne, FL, was making his first-ever final table. He invested just $80 in a single-table satellite to get his entry, and waltzed away with $5,145.

6th Place – Derek Taylor, who plays here at the tournament every year, was low on chips and started his last hand with a pair of Jacks. They failed to improve. He lost to Scott Fischman’s full house. Taylor made $6,270 for his time spent at the poker tables.

5th Place – Jeff Richman came in lowest in chips, a paltry 7,000 and doubled up early with a straight and a made-low. But just when it looked like Richman might stage an improbable comeback, he went out with two-pair (Ks and 4s) and lost to Fischman’s three-of-a-kind. Richman, a salesman and poker semi-pro for the last twenty years from Philadelphia, PA took home $7,934.

4th Place – Tony Seco, aged 60, wasn’t able to generate much momentum during the finale, and lost with Aces up to trip-Fours. Interestingly, Seco has endured bridesmaid status many times, having made a dozen or so final tables in the last decade, without having won top prize. He had to settle for $9,597 for 4th place. Seco is the owner of a poker room on Sun Cruises, which sails twice daily out of Myrtle Beach, SC (see -- HYPERLINK "http://www.suncruzcasino.com" www.suncruzcasino.com). Seco says his poker room has the friendly dealers and staff anywhere -- except for Tunica, of course.

3rd Place –Down to three players, Rick Aberall lost two big hands in a row to Scott Fischman. Then, David Eller gave Aberall a final kick in the pants when he topped Eller’s pair of Jacks, with two small pair. Aberall, a semi-retired excavating contractor from Indiana dug up $13,436 in prize money for 3rd place.

The last two players featured Scott Fischman against David Eller. At the start, Eller enjoyed a 4 to 1 chip lead. Fischman and Eller were a stark contrast to one another. Eller much prefers his low-key profile, whereas Fischman has become a poker celebrity by virtue of his two televised wins on ESPN at the 2004 World Series of Poker. In fact, Fischman has come to represent a new generation of ‘young guns,’ who possess uncanny poker ability, raw nerve, and a ‘let’s take a flamethrower to this place’ approach that has left many more experienced poker veterans annoyed, yet just as green with envy.

The early duel looked like it would end quickly. Fischman lost the first key pot of the match. Fischman folded (x-x) A-6-6-3 (x) when he was raised on seventh-street by Eller, with (x-x) 5-J-10-4. Fischman obviously had no low and only a pair of Sixes for high, so he made the right decision. Eller later confirmed this by saying that he made a straight on the end.

Then, Fischman went on a rush and it looked like the match might go deep into the night. The crucial hand was when Eller made two pair -- 10s and 6s when he showed (A-K) 10-10-6-8 (6), which was cracked by Fischman when he spiked a life-saving Seven on the final card, good for a full house. Fischman’s hand showed (7-7) x-x-3-3 (7). But just as Fischman drew about even with Eller, he then lost several pots, and was down again by 4 to 1 in chips. During the decline, Fischman repeatedly caught ‘bricks’ on 4th and 5th Streets, which forced him into a ‘fold and wait’ posture.

Fischman’s big opportunity to get back into the match came on his final hand, when he started with three baby hearts – (5-3) 7. Normally, that would be a very strong Eight-or-Better hand. But Eller was dealt pocket Kings, and this looked to be the perfect opportunity to lock up the win. The final hand came down as follows:

Fischman: (5-3) 7-J-9-4 (3)
Eller: (K-K) 10-4-7-9 (6)

The lone pair of Kings was the winner.

Afterward, Scott Fischman was visibly disappointed, as any poker champion would be – but also complimented and congratulated Eller. Fischman, age 24, the winner of two gold bracelets at last year’s WSOP ($1500 No_limit Hold’em and $2000 HORSE) collected $22,393 for second place.

David Eller, age 41, is an electrical contractor by profession, but is also a serious poker semi-pro. He has a refreshing, carefree attitude towards poker and his accomplishments at the tables: “I’m not intimidated by anyone,” Eller said. “For me, it’s not about the money – I just come here to play my best, and if I win, I win, and if I don’t I just try to play the best I can. I’m not interested in playing like many of the pros do – traveling all over the world and being on TV. I am content to be who I am and try to make a nice win at a tournament when I can.”

He added, “I like high-low games. I usually know where I stand. In Hold’em, a guy might show you A-A or 7-2 – you never really know. But in Stud High-Low, I usually know right where I am at.”

Eller certainly knows where he is – he’s at the top of the list of all Stud Eight-or-Better players at the Jack Binion World Poker Open.

Final Table Started at: 4:00 pm CST
Final Table Ended at: 8:45 pm CST

Report by Nolan Dalla – JBWPO Media Director
Tournament Director – David Eglseder
Co-Tournament Director (Horseshoe) – Ken Lambert, Jr.
Co-Tournament Director (Gold Strike) – Robert McGovern

Tilting the tables our way

Seems like everyone who has a problem with ESPN's new show "Tilt" has landed on RGP today to gripe about it. From nitpicking, to wholesale condemnation, to righteous outrage, the complaints seem to run the gamut.

They're all missing the forest for the trees.

I, like many of you, I suspect, watched the premiere last night. My one major complaint with the show is that, like so many other shows these days, it just tosses you in the middle of everything and leaves it up to you to sort everything out. That works in some cases and doesn't in others, I think not so much in this one. Maybe it's just me, but I would have preferred a premiere that spoon-fed me all the information I'll need to understand the rest of the season, rather than one that left me puzzled about a lot of things. But this is very minor.

The card play itself, I thought was well done, except for that one nagging flaw of why anyone on earth would choose to play some of these starting hands. Okay, the Matador is a cheat and knows what everyone else at the table has, leaving him only 30-some cards to guess about instead of 40-some. How in the world does that translate into playing, much less raising with, a 46o? Other than that flaw, however, the rest of the hand was pretty crafty. I like the way the Matador taunted his mark into not betting his hand on the flop, giving the Matador the opportunity the chance to catch his draw for free.

And I have to say that I rolled on the line, "When we run out of toilet paper at the house, I wipe my ass with $8,000 -- $9,000 if I've had chili." Classic.

Yes, it's a bit heavy on the melodrama. But to all the people who are griping about it, I just have one thing to say. Get ready to fill your wallets. Tilt wasn't made for serious poker players. It was made for the masses, so naturally it's been given an overdose of drama. This is a show for people who maybe like to play cards on occasion or watch it on TV, not for people who earn their living at the tables. As such, some of the stupid moves the characters make will only encourage new players to line up and play stupidly. They'll all be wanting to play their 34s "because I have a pair." That can only mean that, for those of us who try to play seriously, our profit margins are about to soar.

SPEAKING OF PROFIT MARGINS ... that's a nice segue into my own play. Of course, as mentioned a couple of days ago, I frittered away the free $100 I received to play at Party. However, I was able to place 89th in the new player freeroll out of 2,500 players, earning $7. Okay, $7 is $7. It's a super-size meal and a hot apple pie, and that's about it. But when you're stubborn like me and wanting to try to prove a point, it is at least a small amount you can roll the dice with in hopes of getting in better position. That was my job last night. And let me tell you, when all you're holding is $7, there aren't many options. At first, I thought about playing a $5+1 tourney, but that would only give me one shot to make some money or not. So, I ventured into a $25 PL Omaha 8/b table instead.

Boy oh boy, I've never played Omaha that tight before. Of course, I'm new to the game, so I look at a lot of hands and see possibility and like to see cheap flops. I didn't have that option last night. I just had to wait for the perfect opportunity to come. My first really good hand, however, didn't hold up. Thankfully, I was able to see I was going nowhere fast and was able to get out of that hand before losing everything, although I was cut down to $3.50. The next hand I played, I ended up splitting a low pot, cutting me down to something like $2.82. Finally, a few hands later, I find two aces in my pocket and get all in. There's no low and I end up taking the pot and pocketing $8. I got down again by venturing into some pots and giving them up, and once by splitting a high pot and losing the low.

But ultimately, I found my groove and was able to claw my way into positive territory. I played very, very few hands, but the ones I played I always ended up winning, often scooping the entire pot. One in particular involved came when my stack was at $13. I was holding two sixes in my hand and the flop coming 622. I got extremely aggressive with it and got myself all-in against the only player at the table to have another deuce. No more low cards came, either, so I took the entire pot and doubled up.

Another came when I was holding AA and got an A on the flop. I was just as aggressive with that hand, but when the river came, there was an AKJ and three hearts on the board. I checked. The hearts came runner-runner, so I didn't think my only other opponent in the hand would have been drawing to a heart flush. Of course, he could have held something else and been fortunate to have two hearts. Or he could have been drawing for the straight all that time, although I didn't think that too likely either, as expensive as I had made it. Still, he could have been holding AKQ10, calling the entire time with two pair and the possibility of a straight. So I figured checking made sense. Anyway, he only had $5 left and he went all in. That put the pot at $30 and there was no way I was laying down my hand for that amount of money. If he had backed into a straight or flush, I would just have to pay it, but I truly felt he had an entirely different piece of the flop and I had him beat. I was right.

I don't know if that was the right call, though. Really, I can't see any way out of it. With that size bet and the amount I had already put into the pot, I think I was committed to calling. Yes, he could have very easily had made an unintentional straight or flush, but calling that last be was basically me just gambling that he hadn't. I do know that if there had been more players involved in the hand, I could have very easily laid the hand down, knowing the odds of a straight or flush were much more likely.

Anyway, the end of the tale is that I had a very good night, especially for someone with only $7. By the time I quit for the evening, my stack was at $42. That's not quite back to the hundred I blew, but walking away from a table with six times what you came with is a good night, no matter what the stakes or how you look at it.

One observation: When I tried to jump from the .01/.02 Omaha 8 game to the .10/.25 at Ultimate Bet, I was amazed at the increase in skill level. (That probably will make some of you battle-hardened O8 players laugh, but remember I'm new to the game.) Not only were the players more knowledgeable about the game, but it was a rare occurence when there were more than two players in a pot. As a result, there was very little profit in a high-low split game ... well, for me anyway. Anytime there were more than two players, it was usually because I was the third player who shouldn't have been in in the first place. In the penny games, you were guaranteed to get paid well when you had the best high or low, because there could be as many as six people showing down.

That's not a problem at Party. Since the lowest PLO8 game they spread has blinds of .25/.50, you have both decent and terrible players at that level, so the odds of getting paid well are higher, even in a split pot, because so many more people hang around until the end. It's simple math to see that you're going to fare much better splitting a six-way pot two ways than a two-way pot two ways.

I think I've found me a game I can play.

NO NEWS IS ... BAD NEWS: Sorry for the lack of tournament news today, but I haven't received my customary and usual reports from Tunica or Atlantic City. I did get a note from Tunica saying there was some sort of a problem with the report and that they would get it to me this morning, but it's mid-afternoon and still nothing. I don't know what's holding up AC.

Back in business

Last night was the final new player freeroll I could play at Party Poker, which for me meant that it was a last-chance tourney. Having nothing better to do and no money to play anywhere else, I decided to give it a shot. Of course, going in I wanted to give myself the best chance of making some money, so I decided to lay back and just play my cards, not getting involved unless there was good reason to. Early on, I was doing pretty well, but ran into trouble with KK vs. AJ. AJ was a short stack who I put all in preflop, and of course an A came on the flop. That hurt me and the next few playable hands I had didn't fare well with the board, so around the first break I was down to 350. I finally get AJ with the blinds at 50-100 and push all in, really just hoping to pick up the few hundred that was on the table already. One person call, however, so I turn over my AJ and he turns over his AJ and we ultimately split the pot with an aces over queens full house. However, because there had been a few limpers who folded after my raise, that pushed me back to 500.

After the first break, I just played cautiously until I hit a little mini-rush. After a couple of good hands in a row, I found myself in the neighborhood of 2,000. However, I knew I was just too nervous to play my best, so I decided I needed something else to occupy my mind. I fired up Ultimate Bet and started playing two of the penny O8 tables in addition to the tournament. This seemed to work, because before I knew it, my stack grew to somewhere around 12,000 by the second break, without me even realizing it.

At this point, we were starting to get within sniffing distance of the money. The tournament started with 2,498 players and the top 220 got paid. My stack was certainly a lot healthier than it had been, but I was not even within shouting distance of comfortable, so I went to my emergency plan for multis. In addition to being tight, I got slow and started using up most of my allotted time every time it was my turn to act. I know this probably aggravates a lot of people and I'm sorry, but I've got to do what I can to get in the money. In the end, my intentional slowness also benefits the rest of the table, since we were all able to coast into the money.

Finally, we reach the money and it's time to get down to business. I log out of Ultimate Bet (I actually had made $6 while playing) and turn my full attention to the tournament. I also figure I need a little more looseness and a little more courage, so I start popping the tops off some Amber Bock and get ready to play. But before I knew it, I got down to around 4,000 and had to tighten up again. Sure, we were in the money, but 181-200 only paid $3.50, and I wanted a little more for my efforts. Fortunately, I did manage to double through with AA.

And then the end came. Blinds are at 750-1,500 and I get dealt QQ. There's an early raise to 3,000, and I immediately move all in with my last 7,900. Big stack at the table (over 100,000) flat calls and the early raiser calls. The board looks good for me, with 10 high, but big stack turns over 99 to make trips with a 9 on the board. Early position idiot had A5. And so, that was the end of my night, finishing 89th out of 2,498. The payout was only $7, but that's a lot more than nothing, which is what I had going in to the night.

But, enough about my night. Several other people had much more profitable evenings than I did, so let's turn our attention to them.

Jack Binion World Poker Open - Event 6

Watch out, there's three more Kentucky boys in the top 10 in this one. We're taking over, I tell ya.

Pot-Limit Texas Hold’em
Buy-In: $500
Number of Entries: 284
Number of Re-Buys: 399
Prize Money: $312,810

Official Results:
1. Raul Paez, Barcelona, Spain, $99,657 plus seat in the $10,000 buy-in main event
2. Tony Cousineau, Daytona Beach, FL, 54,811
3. Mike Lutz, Louisville, KY, 28,028
4. Jack Ward, Gulfport, MS, 21,800
5. Robert Hooten, Kansas City, KS , 18,685
6. Dave Chung, Calgary, Alberta (CN), 15,571
7. Vince Ballinger, Greenwood, IN, 12,457
8. Chris Grigorian, Panorama City, CA, 9,343
9. Calvin Crain, Lexington, KY, 6,228
10. Henry Garrison, Manchester, KY, 3,853
11. Josh Jones, Des Moines, IA, 3,853
12. Tom Crowson, Huntsville, AL, 3,853
13. Ed Thomas, Winter Haven, FL, 3,211
14. Michael Tait, Ft. Lauderdale, FL, 3,211
15. Gino Sabella, Newburn, NC, 3,211
16. Butch Wade, Knoxville, TN, 2,568
17. Mike Cordell, Little Rock, AR, 2,568
18. Can Kim Hua, Los Angeles, CA, 2,568
19. Jamie Stewart, Bateville, MS, 1,926
20. Pat Heneghan, Chicago, IL, 1,926
21. Otis Anderson, Houston, TX, 1,926
22. Dale Hackney, Durand, MI, 1,926
23. Steve Kaufman, Las Vegas, NV, 1,926
24. Danny Hall, Calgary, Alberta (CN), 1,926
25. Bob Turner, Winter Haven, FL, 1,926
26. Karel Sanders, Tunica, MS, 1,926
27. Mark Dickstein, New York, NY, 1,926

Toro! Toro! Toro!
Spaniard Tops Pot-Limit Hold’em Event:
Raul Paez captures first major poker title and $99,657

The wonderful country of Spain is known for many things -- Pablo Picasso, Flamenco guitar, Sangria wine, arch-style architecture, and bullfighting, to name a few. It may be time to add ‘poker players’ as one of its greatest exports. After all, Spain produced 2001 World Series of Poker Champion -- Carlos Mortensen. His wife, Cecilia De Mortensen, from Madrid, won an event at the 2003 Jack Binion World Poker Open. Fellow countryman Carlos Fuentes, from Pamplona, finished second in an event here last year. Now, Raul Paez, from Barcelona, added his name to the talented list of Spanish poker champions. He won the $500 buy-in Pot-Limit Hold’em event and collected $99,657 as top prize in JBWPO Event #6.

Paez arrived at the final table with a decisive chip lead. His closest adversary (Jack Ward) was outchipped by 2 to 1. It took Paez three hours to top the other eight finalists, as he never was in serious danger of losing the chip lead. This marked Paez’s first major tournament victory.

After playing for 13 hours during the previous day, the nine finalists took their seats at the final table on Day Two. Players were eliminated in the following order:

9th Place – Calvin Crain, the 43-year-old owner of the Kentucky Turf Company in Lexington, KY, was the first player to exit. He lost with A-5 to Raul Paez’s K-Q. The final board showed Q-7-2-7-Q, giving Paez trip Queens. This was Crain’s first live tournament. He received $6,229 for 9th place.

8th Place – Chris Grigorian, 44, who has made countless final tables in his twenty years as a tournament pro, hoped to make a run at the chip lead, but was never able to gather chips. On his final hand, Grigorian was dealt J-J and was knocked out by A-Q when two Aces came on board. Grigorian, a.k.a. “The Armenian Express” was derailed in 8th place, netting $9,343.

7th Place – Vince Ballinger, a 57-year-old retiree from Greenwood, IN, took two horrible beats in a row and went out next. After losing most of his chips on the previous hand, he was dealt 9-9 and flopped a nine – normally a powerhouse hand. But in the end, he lost to four hearts on board. Tony Cousinaeu’s heart flush ripped the heart out of Ballinger, who took home $12,457 for 7th place.

6th Place – Dave Cung, a 32-year-old real estate investor from Calgary, Alberta, was lowest in chips at the start and made a nice run. He went all in with K-Q on his final hand and was called instantly by chip leader Raul Paez -- with A-Q. Cung’s dominated hand failed to improve and Paez won with Ace-high. Cung’s payout amounted to $15,571.

5th Place – Robert Hooten, who is in the telecommunications business in hometown Kansas City, was eliminated shortly thereafter. He received $18,685.

4th Place – This was Jack Ward’s second final table at the 2005 JBWPO. He was 9th in the No-Limit Hold’em event #2. Ward pulled off at least one miracle in this finale, catching a life-saving Nine on the river, when he had 9-9 and was ‘all in’ against Tony Cousineau’s K-K. But that would be Ward’s lone highlight at the final table. A short time later, he took 10-10 up against Mike Lutz’s Q-Q and couldn’t repeat the miracle catch. Nevertheless, Ward has to be satisfied making two final tables thus far, against fields of 628 and 284 respectively. Ward, an auto broker from Gulport, MS who has won tournaments in Los Angeles and Reno in the past, added $21,800 to his prize winnings.

3rd Place – Mike Lutz, a poker pro from Louisville, KY, suffered a horrible beat when he went all-in with J-J and was a decisive favorite over Raul Peaz -- holding Q-6. Had Lutz won the key hand, he might have made a made things interesting. A Queen on the river crushed Lutz, who went out with $28,028 for 3rd place. Lutz also took 5th place at the Festa de Lago (Bellagio – Las Vegas) last year.

The heads-up confrontation featured Spaniard Raul Paez, relatively unknown in the United States, versus longtime tournament regular Tony Cousineau, from Florida. Cousineau has developed a reputation for getting deep into the money, but rarely winning the top prize. Indeed, Cousineau is a master at getting through 90 percent of the field (and has arguably one of the best records of in-the-money finishes to prove it). But, winning has proven to be elusive.

From the onset of one-on-one play, Cousineau knew the challenge would be formidable. Not only had Paez held a decisive chip lead during the entire time, he enjoyed a 4 to 1 chip advantage over Cousineau. Hence, it became critical that Cousineau pick a key hand to double up with, and then parlay that into a comeback win.

Ten minutes into the duel, Cousineau made his final stand:

Cousineau: Ac 4h
Paez: Ks 5s

The flop came 7-6-4, no suits, good for Cousineau – who held a pair. The turn brought a Queen, no help to either player. Paez needed a Three, Five, Eight, or King to win. On the river, an Eight rained down from the poker gods, making a poker champion of Paez, and adding to Cousineau’s disappointing final table legacy. As the runner up, Tony Cousineau received $54,111 and was visibly upset with the end-result.

Raul Paez, aged 27, has played poker tournaments in Los Angeles and Las Vegas, previously – as well as in Spain and France. However, he is primarily a limit cash game player who now plays in private games at home and on the Internet. His family owns and operates a delicatessen in the beautiful Mediterranean coastal city of Barcelona.

Paez began to take poker seriously only two years ago. He said he entered a casino a Barcelona a few years earlier, saw a poker game, sat down without knowing how to play, and promptly lost all his money. He returned again and again, each time becoming better and learning more. Eventually, Paez began beating the local game.

When asked what makes Spaniards such great poker players and competitors, Paez spoke through a translator: “We are passionate people. We are very dedicated when we put our minds to something.”

Raul Paez plans to use the nearly $100,000 in prize money to play many more poker tournaments – both in the United States and Europe. He is, most certainly, a player to watch carefully who has a bright future ahead.

Final Table Started at: 4:00 p.m. CST
Final Table Ended at: 7:05 p.m. CST

Report by Nolan Dalla – JBWPO Media Director
Tournament Director – David Eglseder
Co-Tournament Director (Horseshoe) – Ken Lambert, Jr.
Co-Tournament Director (Gold Strike) – Robert McGovern

WSOP Circuit Atlantic City - Event 1A

Note: This is one of the additional $500 NLHE tournaments that was previously not on the schedule, but which Harrah's decided to add after the tournament had already begun.

Jack Binion World Poker Open - Event 6

Watch out, there's three more Kentucky boys in the top 10 in this one. We're taking over, I tell ya.
No-Limit Texas Hold’em
Buy-In: $500 +$60
Number of Entries: 99
Prize Money: $49,500

Official Results:
1. Rohit Chopra, Corona Ca. $17,820
2. Ron Rhoads, Douglassville, Pa. $9,900
3. Jon Kinkel, N.Y., N.Y. $5,445
4. Jim Miller, Henderson, NV. $3,960
5. Alan Flaisman, Wadsworth, OH. $3,465
6. Sang Tae, Leonia, N.J. $2,970
7. Tory Keomanivong, Upper Darby, Pa. $2,475
8. Dean Schultz, Munroe Falls, OH. $1,980
9. Robert Jaffe, Marlboro, N.J. $1,485

Final Table Started at: 4:00 p.m. EST
Final Table Ended at: 11:30 p.m. EST

Tournament Report by Nolan Dalla
Tournament Directors – Ken Lambert and Johnny Grooms

WSOP Circuit Atlantic City - Event 5

No-Limit Texas Hold’em
Buy-In: $1500 + $80
Number of Entries: 119
Prize Money: $178,500

Official Results:
1. Anthony, M. Tagliaferri, Williamsport, Pa. $64,260
2. H. Michael Borovetz, Carson, Ca. $35,700
3. Douglas Carli, Alliance, OH. $19,635
4. William Blanda, Humble, Texas $14280
5. Alan Goodman, Brooklyn, N.Y. $12,495
6. Allen Kessler, Huntington Valley, Pa. $10,710
7. Douglas Gardner, Yonkers, N.Y. $8,925
8. Freddy Spour, Brooklyn N.Y. $7,140
9. Daniel Alspach, La Jolla, Ca. $5,355

Final Table Started at: 4:00 p.m. EST
Final Table Ended at: 10:00 p.m. EST

Tournament Report by Nolan Dalla
Tournament Directors – Ken Lambert and Johnny Grooms

WSOP Circuit Atlantic City - Event 6

Limit Texas Hold’em
Buy-In: $1500 + $80
Number of Entries: 20
Prize Money: $30,000

Official Results:
1. Massimiliano Pescatori, Las Vegas, NV. $10,800
2. Alexander Vuong, Rancho Palos Verdes, Ca. $6,000
3. Jack Clemento, Phila, Pa. $3,300
4. John Spadavecchia, Lighthouse, Fla. $2,400
5. Chad Loude, Rockville, MD. $2,100
6. John Myung, Vienna, Va. $1,800
7. David Anthony Williams, Dallas, Tx. $1,500
8. Gary Schoengold, Olney, MD. $1,200
9. Debra Ann Snook, Catonsville, MD. $900

Final Table Started at: 4:00 p.m. EST
Final Table Ended at: 8:00 p.m. EST

Tournament Report by Nolan Dalla
Tournament Directors – Ken Lambert and Johnny Grooms

I don't want to talk about it

Horrible, horrible night last night. The good news is I no longer have to worry about taxes on the free $100 I received for signing up at Party Poker. Plus, I have the satisfaction of knowing that I have given money to a lot of people over the past couple of days, and hopefully they will put it to better use than I did.

Enough of that. Let's get straight on into ...

TOURNAMENT UPDATES:It's a bit disconcerting talking about all these people winning when I've seemingly forgotten how, but I have obligations.

Pokerstars Caribbean Adventure

It's over. The final table was held yesterday and here is how it all shook out:

1. John Gale, Bushy, United Kingdom, $865,600
2. Alex Balandin, New City, NJ. $484,700
3. Michael Westerlund, Gothenburg, Sweden, $306,400
4. Patrick Hocking, Medford, OR, $207,700
5. "Miami" John Cernuto, Las Vegas, NV, $155,800
6. Nenad Medic, Canada, $112,500

Jack Binion World Poker Open

Event #5
Seven-Card Stud
Buy-In: $500
Number of Entries: 244
Prize Money: $115,463

Official Results:
1. Avner “Pappa” Levy, Boca Raton, FL, $37,308 plus seat in the $10,000 buy-in main event
2. Maria Stern, Las Vegas, NV, 20,662
3. Michel Bernstein, Cherry Hill, NJ, 12,626
4. Dan Smith, Corydon, IN, 9,138
5. Mike Purdy, Chesapeake, VA, 7,692
6. Mickey Sisskind, Detroit, MI, 4,734
7. Randy Lowery, Macon, GA, 4,734
8. Brian Taylor, Macon, GA, 3,550
9. David Rabbi, Las Vegas, NV, 2,130
10. James R. Beetz, Houston, TX, 2,130
11. David Vacuum” Tobin, Pairie DuChien, WI, 1,893
12. Terry Renwick, New Palistine, IN, 1,893
13. Clare Villemez, Las Cruces, NM, 1,657
14. George Privitera, Cheektowaga, NY, 1,657
15. Stephen Morgan, New Albany, IN, 1,420
16. Jim Payton, Camby, IN , 1,420

Beauty and the Beast – Avner “Pappa” Levy Defeats Maria Stern in Classic Stud Showdown: Combustible former tennis pro wins second JBWPO bracelet

Seeing Avner Levy win a poker tournament is a lot like watching a toilet overflow. It’s shocking, baffling, horrifying. But, once your eyes are locked on to the reality that there’s about to be utter chaos all around, you can’t take your eyes off the spectacle. It thus becomes fascinating.

The car crash that has been 49-year-old’s life – most of it spent on highly-confrontational, pressure-filled tennis courts and jam-packed poker tables – slammed into the 2005 Jack Binion World Poker Open, with Levy in the drivers seat. He raced through a tough field of 244 players and crossed the finish line, earning his second gold and diamond bracelet. In 2003, Levy won bracelet number one – in the $500 No-Limit Hold’em event. At times, he made it look easy.

After playing for 12 hours during the previous day, the eight finalists took their seats at the final table on Day Two. Players were eliminated in the following order:

8th Place – Brian Taylor was lowest in chips, with just 6,000, and started off at the 3K-6K betting level. The restaurant owner from Georgia failed to win that critical first hand and busted out in 8th place, worth $3,550 in cash.

7th Place – Randy Lowery, an electrical contractor, was dealt split Aces but was shocked to see Avner Levy dealt split Aces as well, then catch a second pair. The lone Aces were no good. Lowery was making his first final table at the JBWPO. He collected $4,734 for 7th place.

6th Place – Mickey Sisskind, a Detroit attorney and longtime poker semi-pro, also lost with a pair of Aces – this time to Maria Stern’s two pair. Sisskind won the Seven-Card Razz event at the 1995 World Series of Poker, but could do no better than 6th place in this event. Considering that he was lowest in chips at the start of the day with just 5,500, some might say that was an accomplishment. Sisskind added $5,917 to his poker bankroll.

5th Place – Mike Purdy, a security consultant from Chesapeake, VA looked to be in a good spot to make a run, but missed a diamond draw on his final hand, losing the big pot. Amazingly, his four diamonds showing failed to scare away hyper-aggressive Levy. Purdy ended up with a pair of Sevens and lost to Levy’s pair of Kings. Purdy invested just $80 to get his seat, won a single-table satellite, and received $7,692 as the 5th-place finisher.

4th Place – Dan Smith might have challenged for the chip lead had a few cards fallen differently. On his most critical hand, he missed a spade draw and lost to Maria Stern’s trip Threes. That put Smith out in 4th place. Smith, a home builder from Indiana, nailed down $9,183 in prize money.

3rd Place – Michael Bernstein, a professional poker player who mostly plays live action from Cherry Hill, NJ started the final table with the chip lead. By the time play became three-handed, the betting limits were so high that just one or two hands played to conclusion was enough to determine who would finish 1st, 2nd, and 3rd. On his final hand of the night, Bernstein bet out with two pair on seventh-street, and lost when Levy spiked two pair (Aces up) on last card. Bernstein, age 25, was the youngest player at the final table. He collected $12,626 for a bittersweet 3rd-place finish.

The only thing that was similar about the two finalists was that they are both well-known tournament players. However, they are known for two very different and distinct reasons. Maria Stern, who won the Seven-Card Stud event at the 1997 World Series of Poker (and wife of Dr. Max Stern, also a gold bracelet winner), is widely treasured for her grace and style. For many years, Stern has embellished the green felt with her charm and perseverance as a tournament player.

Avner Levy, on the other hand, has always been a controversial figure in the poker world. Combative, bombastic, eccentric, insane, intimidating, combustible, annoying, manipulative – all have been adjectives used to describe the former tennis pro. While Levy has mellowed a bit in the last year, he still stands out in any poker room like a malfunctioning fire alarm. If you don’t see Levy, you are almost certain to hear him. His trademark phrase “Come to Pappa!” screamed at the top of his lungs when he wins a big pot, often turns heads and infuriates foes.

Stern began the heads-up duel with a slight 6 to 5 chip lead. Early on, Levy was the aggressor, aided by powerful ‘scare’ cards. After a dozen hands, Levy had seized a 2 to 1 chip advantage. Stern got most of those chips back when she made trip Deuces on one key hand, but ten minutes later -- Levy made a higher two-pair and regained the 2 to 1 chip lead.

The heartbreaker for Stern came when she had a number of scare cards on board, and ended up with only a pair of Tens. Fearful that her hand was not strong enough, she bet out on a bluff, hoping to take down the big pot. Levy, with a vulnerable pair of Queens, made a crying call and screamed “Come to Pappa!” when he saw his Queens were best.

Then, it came. The final hand showed Stern with (A-10) 2-2-9-7 (Q) against Levy’s (10-7) 4-4-K-K (8). Levy ‘King’s up’ was the winner. Stern was visibly disappointed with her finish, and collected $20,662.

Afterward, Levy was emotional and deeply introspective – just what one would expect from “Pappa.”

“My life has completely changed,” Levy said afterward. “I have my girlfriend here and want to show the world that I am a changed person. I have been broke for a long time, but I met the best woman of my life.”

Levy also noted that he learned a lot about poker and winning poker tournaments from fellow tournament pros, such as Marsha Waggoner, T.J. Cloutier, and Men “The Master Nguyen.” Levy added that he wanted to dedicate this victory to his good friend, poker pro John Bonetti, who is very ill and is unlikely to attend the tournament this year. When asked about the significance of winning a second gold bracelet versus the first, Levy was typically straightforward about what it means.

“I will not let anyone take my image away from me,” he said. “This bracelet is more important than money. It shows people I am a poker champion. Now, I own it. I’ll own it forever.”

Indeed, Avner Levy is a poker champion – and a quagmire. He’s irritated hundreds, if not thousands of his fellow players, dealers, and tournament directors over the years with his outlandish antics. Yet, he’s also hosted tennis camps for handicapped children and given selflessly to good causes. There is a softer, more vulnerable side to Avner Levy the poker world never sees – a man with compassion and conviction.

Will the real Avner Levy please stand up?

Final Table Started at: 4:00 pm CST
Final Table Ended at: 7:15 pm CST

Report by Nolan Dalla – JBWPO Media Director
Tournament Director – David Eglseder
Co-Tournament Director (Horseshoe) – Ken Lambert, Jr.
Co-Tournament Director (Gold Strike) – Robert McGovern

WSOP Circuit - Atlantic City

Event #4
Limit Texas Hold’em
Buy-In: $1000 + $70
Number of Entries: 57
Prize Money: $57,000.

Official Results:
1. Nikolas Frangos,White Plains, N.Y., $20,520.
2. Warren Karp,Lake Forest, Ca., $11,400.
3. Alan Miller, Sharon Ma., $6,270.
4. Robert Rector, Bridgeport, West Va., $4,560.
5. Sal Accard, Dix Hills, N.Y., $3,990.
6. Gino Yu, Torrance, Ca., $3,420.
7. Graig Gray, Portland Or., $2,850.
8. Michael Dellaratto, Galloway, N.J., $2,280.
9. Alan Flaisman, Wadsworth, Oh., $1,710.

Final Table Started at: 7:30 p.m. EST
Final Table Ended at: 12:30 a.m. EST

Tournament Report by Nolan Dalla
Tournament Directors – Ken Lambert and Johnny Grooms

Grumble, grumble ...

Well, I guess you can deduce from that heading, last night was not a good night. I'm rapidly coming to the conclusion that maybe I just suck at this game. It seems like the more I read and study and play, the worse I get.

Started the night with $101. Ended with $68. But wait, it gets worse. What you can't see in those totals is that I cleared my $25 bonus during the course of the night, so what looks like a $33 loss is actually $58. And there's more. As soon as I cleared my bonus, I left the table I was at, took my newly acquired $25 to another table and promptly lost it all in the very first hand I was dealt. I accidentally sat down at a NL table instead of a PL table, as I have been doing. The preflop action saw one minimum raise from the SB, so I called with my K10 suited. The flop comes 10 high and the SB checks. I'm put him on two paint cards or Ax and decide take the pot down with my top pair. I move the slider all the way to the right, and that's when I realize I'm at a NL table, because my bet has climbed to $24. I start moving it back down, but figure, what the heck, might as well take the $3 on the table right now, so I move all in. He calls, holding JJ. It's official -- I'm stupid.

The thing about my butt-kicking last night is that, other than that boneheaded move I just wrote about, I can't think of anything exceptional about the evening. No real bad beats to speak of. Must just have been my own bad play. And to top it all off, I was up big at one point.

I think part of my problem, though, was that I continued playing long after I wanted to call it a night. I became focused on satisfying my bonus requirements that night, which meant having to play over 250 raked hands, and that was about 100 hands longer than I really wanted to play.

I'm not really sure what to do next. Maybe I'll try to slow the bleeding and start playing some tournaments. Maybe I'll head back to UB and try to renew the BIRE. Maybe I should really take a break.

CARDPLAYER: Cardplayer magazine is having a busy week. In addition to crowning Daniel Negreanu player of the year this week, they're also taking the wraps off a facelift for the website today. Here's the announcement:

Card Player magazine, the world's leading poker publication, has launched a new Web site at http://www.CardPlayer.com that offers expanded content, customization tools, and an enhanced version of its proprietary software enabling amateur and professional poker players to track and analyze their tournament play results.

The magazine also is inaugurating a new monthly freeroll No-Limit Hold'em tournament with a $1,500 prize and a grand prize competition for the year's top 100 players. Players automatically qualify for the monthly tournament by posting to site message boards, shopping at the online store, or ordering a magazine subscription.
Visitors to the new Web site can register for free membership that qualifies them to create a personalized home page comprised of modules tailored to their specific needs and interests. Module choices range from poker news, a poker odds calculator and a poker room directory to Player of the Year, World Poker Tour and World Series of Poker updates. Members will also receive their own free CardPlayer.com email address, 50MB of storage space and calendaring capabilities.

The site's proprietary Card Player Poker Analyst software provides a variety of filters enabling users to analyze both their live game and tournament performance based on whatever data is most critical to them, including location, placement, winnings and game type.

Content upgrades include a new section that lists and describes every special tournament, with ongoing updates that will include Card Player web TV programs, major tournament reporting, player profiles, Card Player's Poker Schools, a blog section, and a specialized women's area. Expanded data on World Poker Tour, World Series of Poker, amateur poker, and tournament results is also planned.

"With these upgrades, our Web site will continue to be the primary destination on the Internet for anyone who loves the game of poker," said Barry Shulman, publisher of Card Player magazine. "It is simply the most comprehensive, customizable and informative online resource dedicated to poker, hands down, and it's still entirely free."

But hell, just go check it out for yourself -- www.cardplayer.com.

MORE PROOF: Didn't I just go on a rant a couple of days ago about how shameless commercialization would lead to the end of the poker explosion? Well, here's just another example:

Ultimate Poker Babes, from the producers of Ultimate Poker Challenge, America's #1 poker television program, now bring you a fun, sexy, reality game show where the cards are mandatory and the clothing is optional. The version you can't see on TV is three hours of UNCUT, UNRATED, strip poker fun. Seven babes play in one competitive game of "Sexy Hold'em."

The Ultimate Poker Babes open casting call drew lots of sexy women, all vying for a chance to be one of the lucky seven. Watch as they compete in a delicious game of Sexy Hold'em and attempt to capture the world's attention with a Strip-Or-Dare -- for the Ultimate Poker Babes crown and thousands in cash and prizes! "This is the real no-limit, high-stakes poker and gives new meaning to going all-in," said Dan Pugliese, Executive Producer.

As a bonus, the DVD contains the complete Ultimate Poker Babes: Casting Call, a full-hour of behind-the-scenes footage, including up-close and personal interviews with sexy women from around the world -- from an exotic med student to the girl next door, plus exclusive photos not available anywhere else. For more information, please visit http://www.ultimatepokerbabes.com.

Ultimate Poker Babes, is the first in a series of strip-poker tournaments featuring beautiful girls from around the world and will be presented in Las Vegas for three days beginning January 25, at NATPE in booth 448.

Not that I have anything against watching scantily-clad or unclad young women, BUT ...

I thought Poker Royale had gone cheesy with the announcement that the next incarnation of what has been a quality poker tournament show would be a "Battle of the Sexes." But now, another decent alternative to the WPT and WSOP is trying cash in with tastelessness. Like I said, I'm all for naked or nearly naked women, but this just can't be good for the game.

That being said, I wonder how much the DVD is ...

Tourney Updates

Down to 6 in the Bahamas

The Pokerstars Caribbean Adventure is down to the TV table, scheduled to be played today. Here's a preview of what you'll be seeing later this year on the WPT.

1. John Gale, Bushy, United Kingdom, 1,330,000
2. Alex Balandin, New City, NJ, 1,261,000
3. Michael Westerlund, Gothenburg, Sweden, 1,072,000
4. Patrick Hocking, Medford, OR, United States, 527,000
5. "Miami" John Cernuto, Las Vegas, 291,000
6. Nenad Medic, Canada, 142,000

Another Kentuckian takes top prize in Tunica

I'm now getting full updates directly from the Jack Binion World Poker Open, and the first I have to bring you certainly looks good to a Kentucky boy like me.

2005 Jack Binion World Poker Open
Horseshoe Casino Hotel and
Gold Strike Casino-Resort, Tunica, MS
Daily Report
January 10, 2005

Event #4
Limit Texas Hold’em
Buy-In: $500
Number of Entries: 628
Number of Re-Buys: 869
Prize Money: $697,527

Official Results:

1. Tony Hellmann, Louisville, KY, $201,365, plus seat in the $10,000 buy-in main event
2. Pat Heneghan, Chicago, IL, 106,238
3. Freddy Deeb, Las Vegas, NV, 55,500
4. Davood Mehrmand, Frankfort, Germany, 48,606
5. Jeremy Tinsley, Houston, TX, 34,718
6. Zeb Strawn, Charlotte, NC, 34,718
7. Darrell Strock, Dallas, TX, 27,775
8. Alan Katzen, Memphis, TN, 20,831
9. Jack Ward, Gulfport, MS, 13,887
10. Herb Kelso, Ridbelands, MS, 7,638
11. John Barch, McKinney, TX, 7,638
12. Paul Maxfield, London, England, 7,638
13. James Myers, Fayetteville, GA, 6,250
14. Steven So, Calgary, Canada, 6,250
15. Jerri Thomas, Las Vegas, NV, 6,250
16. Joe Spell, Mansfield, GA, 5,011
17. Billy Duarte, Beithoud, CO, 5,011
18. Collin Wilson, Atlanta, GA, 5,011
19. Elias Hourani, Houston, TX, 3,579
20. Greg Jensen, Matterhorn, CO, 3,579
21. Joey Vitale, Tampa, FL, 3,579
22. Dave Potter, Wildwood, MS, 3,579
23. Greg Aston, Ft. Worth, TX, 3,579
24. “King” Nick Browning, Union, OH , 3,579
25. Tony Cousineau, Daytona Beach, FL, 3,579
26. Scott Fischman, Las Vegas, NV, 3,579
27. Randy Murfin, Nixa, MS, 3,579
28. Todd Urbina, Alexandria, LA, 2,505
29. Michael Lutes, Bloomington, IN, 2,505
30. Josh Jones, Des Moines, IA, 2,505
31. George Miller, Gary, IN, 2,505
32. Dan Heimiller, Poughkipsee, NY, 2,505
33. Justin Young, Moorehead City, NC, 2,505
34. Ross Tyler, La Mesa, TX, 2,505
35. Don Mercer , Sneads Ferry, NC, 2,505
36. Men “the Master” Nguyen, Bell Gardens, CA, 2,505

Just Say No!
Kentucky Tax Accountant, Tony Hellmann Wins First Major Poker Tournament: Jack Binion World Poker Open Breaks Three-Day Attendance Record as Early Prize Pool Surges over $2.2 Million

Poker has become so big now, that playing for six figures is standard practice. The turn of a single card at any key point in a tournament can be worth $100,000, or more. Given that big time poker tournaments routinely award half-a-million dollar prize pools, there are bound to be countless thrilling moments at just about every final table – including screams, shouts, fist pumps, tears, and victory dances.

Event 4 of the Jack Binion World Poker Open had none of that. In fact, it might very well have been the most restrained final table in recent memory. There were no loud outbursts. There were no emotional victory speeches. There were no encouraging chants from the rail. There were just nine expressionless men crowded around a table, which very much looked like your average Monday night poker game – except the pots were little bit bigger. Okay – a lot bigger.

Still…. Maybe it was the cold, foggy weather outside deep in the heart of the Mississippi Delta. Maybe it was the fact that this final table, held on a Monday, immediately followed one of the busiest weekends in poker history. More than 2,500 poker players had streamed through the Gold Strike and Horseshoe Casinos in the previous two days alone, a record. Or, perhaps it was quite simply that not every final table necessarily has memorable confrontations and great strategic showdowns.

None of this should take away from Tony Hellmann’s achievement. After all, the semi-retired tax accountant from Louisville, KY who is a familiar face on the tournament trail did something extraordinary. He topped a massive field of 628 players and ultimately won $201,365 in official figures (although a deal between the two finalists was reportedly struck). Hellmann overcame numerous obstacles, including a small stack size at the start of the final table, and ultimately took first prize in the tournament.

After playing for 14 hours during the previous day, the nine finalists took their seats at the final table on Day Two. Players were eliminated in the following order:

9th Place – Jack Ward (not to be confused with another poker player with the same name from Alaska) came in second-lowest in chips, and only lasted a few hands. Ward, who has previously won poker tournaments in Los Angeles and Reno is a 55-year-old auto broker from Gulfport, MS. This marked his highest finish yet at the JBWPO. He collected $13,887 for 9th place.

8th Place – Alan Katzen finished second in the Limit Hold’em event here last year, but could do no better than 8th place this time around. He took a tough beat when he lost to a full house on the river. The retired restaurateur from Memphis received $20,831 for two days of poker playing.

7th Place – Darrell Strock, a real estate agent from Dallas, was playing in his first poker tournament ever. He beat out 621 other players, but could not knock out anyone from the final six. Strock won $27,775.

6th Place – Zeb Strawn had a tough task on Day Two, as he arrived with the lowest stack of the final nine. Outchipped by over 10 to 1 to the leader at all times, Strawn scratched and clawed his way into a 6th-place finish. The 35-year-old self-employed poker player from Charlotte, NC received $34,718.

5th Place – If there was a tragic figure at this final table, it was without a doubt, Jeremy Tinsley. He was certainly one of the two odds-on favorites to win the finale (along with tournament pro Freddy Deeb). But Tinsley suffered some horrendous bad beats that destroyed his chance to become a three-time JBWPO champion. Tinsley, who has won the Pot-Limit Omaha event twice in years past, took his worst beat with A-Q versus A-J in an ‘all in’ situation for his opponent. When a Jack flopped, Tinsley had lost over half of his stack. After a few more beats and a bad run of cards, Tinsley – a poker pro from Houston – exited a disappointing 5th, worth $41,662.

4th Place – Davood Mehrmand was certainly the most animated and unusual player at the final table. The Iranian-born businessman-turned poker player hummed songs and talked to himself throughout the close of the tournament. But his psychological ploys failed to bring the decisive moment needed by Mehrmand to win the tournament. Mehrmand took an awful beat on the final hand with A-6 versus A-5 and was ‘all in.” When a Five rained down on the river, Mehrmand was no longer singing. The colorful poker personality who now lives in Frankfurt, Germany and is also an accomplished backgammon player, received 4th place prize money of $48,606.

3rd Place – Well-known Las Vegas poker player Freddy Deeb came to the final table up 2 to 1 over everyone else, and must have liked his situation – holding chips against his two final adversaries -- Tony Hellmann and Pat Heneghan. But by this stage, the blinds were so high that the last thing any player could do was play passively. By this time, Hellmann had seized the chip lead and it took only a few pots to wipe out what was left of Deeb’s stack. Deeb has now played every year at the JBWPO and added $55,550 to his lifetime earnings in this tournament.

The last two players reportedly cut a deal and then played on. Tony Hellmann enjoyed a 3 to 1 chip lead at the start and never relinquished. At one point, Pat Heneghan staged a brief comeback, spiking a Ten on the river to make a pair against Hellmann’s two overcards. But Hellmann ended the night holding Q-2 versus Heneghan’s 10-7. The final board showed A-K-Q-9-6 giving Hellmann a pair of Queens.

Pat Heneghan, a 52-year-old retired employee from the City of Chicago, had won major tournaments previously – including events at The Orleans and online tournaments. He was officially paid $106,238 for his second-place finish.

At the conclusion of the tournament, as several bystanders were leaving the tournament area, Hellmann did what was unquestionably the most interesting thing at the final table. He took out a small badge and clipped it on his shirt pocket. Written on the badge was the word “YES” with a large red streak stripped across the letters. In other words -- “NO!”

When asked what the badge meant, Hellmann smiled and said: “I wear this because if people try to borrow money from me, I can just point to the word and keep quiet. I really have trouble saying ‘no’ to people, so this might be a warning to everyone that I don’t lend money.”

Who would have expected such shrewd financial prudence….from a tax accountant?

Final Table Started at: 4:05 pm CST
Final Table Ended at: 7:35 pm CST

Report by Nolan Dalla – JBWPO Media Director

Tournament Director – David Eglseder
Co-Tournament Director (Horseshoe) – Ken Lambert, Jr.
Co-Tournament Director (Gold Strike) – Robert McGovern

WSOP Circuit - Atlantic City

Event #3
No-Limit Texas Hold’em
Buy-In: $1,000 + $70
Number of Entries: 254
Prize Money: $254,000

Official Results:

1. Daniel Beers, Canal Fulton, OH, $81,280.
2. Sal Simeone, Florham Park, N.J., $44,704.
3. Sang Y. Tae, Leonia, N.J., $22,860.
4. Neal Gersony, Rocky Hill, CT., $17,780.
5. Michael Candido, Flourtown, Pa,. $15,240.
6. Stephan Frame, Cape May, N.J., $12,700.
7. S.J. Giambrone, Staten Island, N.Y, $10,160.
8. Scott Neuman, Lakehurst, N.J., $7,620.
9. Patrick Kelly, New Hope, Pa., $5,080.
10. Joe Commisso, Maple Shade, N.J., $3,048.
11. Edward Siegel, Lake Worth, Fla., $3,048.
12. Ernest Campbell, Kew Gardens, N.Y., $3,048.
13. Marc J. Grossman, Gladwyne, Pa., $2,540.
14. Christopher L. Richardson, Herndon,Va., $2,540.
15. Gil Elbaz, Neponsit, N.Y., $2,540.
16. Alfred Muncey, Lusby, MD, $2,032.
17. Luca Pagano, Preganzio, Italy, $2,032.
18. Stephen Delvecchio, Baltimore, Md., $2,032.
19. Andrew Weinstein, Alexandria, Va., $1,524.
20. Vernon Martin, Severna Park, Md., $1,524.
21. Daniel Zajac, Downingtown, Pa., $1,524.
22. Michael V. Santoro, EHT, N.J., $1,524.
23. Glenn Cooney, Tampa Fla., $1,524.
24. Gary Lewis, Schwenksville, Pa., $1,524.
25. Paul Lombardo, Absecon, N.J., $1,524.
26. Vincent Napolitano, Williston Park, N.Y., $1,524.
27. William W. Johnson, Jackson, OH, $1,524.

Final Table Started at: 4:00 p.m. EST
Final Table Ended at: 5:45 p.m. EST

Tournament Report by Nolan Dalla
Tournament Directors – Ken Lambert and Johnny Grooms

The surge continues

Harrah's has apparently been caught by suprise by the interest in the WSOP Circuit. Apparently, from what I've gathered in various rants on RGP, they had only planned for 500 players in their $500 tourneys. Hello ... 500? Who fell asleep on this one? We're only talking about the most accessible buy-in to an event with the WSOP brand on it. In Tunica, they're bringing 1,400, and they were apparently only ready for 1,100 or so. Both places have been relying heavily on a standby system.

But, there is some good news. Harrah's is responding to the unexpected demand by offering two more previously unschedule $500 tourneys. Here's the official notice I just got:

Great news! Due to the overwhelming response to the 2005 World Series of Poker Circuit Tournament, we've added two additional $500 No Limit Hold 'Em Tournaments -- one on Wednesday, January 12 and one on Friday, January 14 -- at Harrah's Atlantic City.

So, there you have it. Two more chances to get in the money ... and maybe get your pic on my blog! Good luck!

WSOP Circuit Event #2

Event #2
Limit Texas Hold’em
Buy-In: $500 + $60
Number of Entries: 248
Prize Money: $124,000

Official Results:
1. Casey A. Peters (pictured above), Brick, N.J., $40,920.
2. Eric Rosica, Warminster, Pa., $22568.
3. John C. Zapinski, Madison Hts. MI, $12,400.
4. Jason Ruotolo, Smithfield, R.I., $9,920.
5. Anthony Hill, Columbia, CT., $7,440.
6. Michael Cacaj, Sterling Hts. MI., $6,200.
7. Jose Gomes, Fresh Meadows, N.Y., $4,960.
8. James Kinney, Matthews, N.C., $3,720.
9. Ralph Ferro Jr. Ridgewood, N.J., $2480.
10. Edward Alberts, Livonia, MT., $1736.
11. Anthony Licastro, Long Valley, N.J., $1,736.
12. Joseph Brooks, Egg Harbor Township, N.J., $1,736.
13. James Padrick, Fayetteville, N.C., $1,488.
14. Barry Brownstein, Phila, Pa., $1488.
15. Thomas Gehret, Phila. Pa., $1,488.
16. Allen Kessler, Huntingdon Valley, Pa., $1,240.
17. Arthur Bressler, Manalapan, N.J., $1,240.
18. William McMahon, Cedar Grove, N.J., $1240.

Final Table Started at: 4:00 pm EST
Final Table Ended at: 8:30 pm EST

Tournament Report by Nolan Dalla
Tournament Directors – Ken Lambert and Johnny Grooms

And five minutes later, SUCCESS!

Gotta say something for the folks at Harrah's: They're on the ball. While posting my last update, I sent an email to the Harrah's Atlantic City PR department to see if there is a mailing list for updates on the tournament and if I could be added to it. Not five minutes later, I have my first official report on the first event, with a promise of another report for the second event soon. Thanks to Susan Kotzen for a fantastic job helping me with this. And until the big boys get on the ball and start reporting what's going on, I'm just going to post these in their entirety. So, without further ado, here's the first report:

Event #1
No-Limit Texas Hold’em
Buy-In: $500 + $60 (buy-in amount)
Number of Entries: 628 (number of players entered)
Prize Money: $314,000 (total prize money in this event awarded to winners)

Official Results:
1. Michael Pascullo, Syosset, N.Y., $91,060.00
2. William H. Cole, Winchester, Ca., $48,042.00
3. James J. Grogan, Deland, Fla., $25,120.00
4. Konstantino Pashos, Flushing, N.Y., $21,980.00
5. John M. Botticello, Floral Park, N.Y., $18,840.00
6. John Milone, Babylon, N.Y., $15,700.00
7. Airy Sysouphan, Phila. Pa., $12,560.00
8. Michael Hickman, Media, Pa., $9,420.00
9. Seth Gomes, New York, N.Y. $6,280.00

Final Table Started at: 4:00 pm EST
Final Table Ended at: 7:15 pm EST

Tournament Report by Nolan Dalla

Tournament Directors – Ken Lambert and Johnny Grooms

What is it with these people?

Last night was a little rough. My free money Party Poker account took a bit of a hit early in the night, although I was able to recover most of it. I ended down $11 on the night, which is good, since I was down around $55 at one point. But one hand really sticks out. Dealt KK in late position, I bet the pot. This was a $25 PLHE table, so the blinds were .25/.50 and my bet made it $2.75. I don't remember how many callers I got, although I think there were a few because my aggressive play had been backfiring all night, so I had richly rewarded a few of the players at the table when my big hands caught small flops. Anyway, the flop comes J high with two diamonds. First player to act bets out 50 cents. I immediately make another pot-sized bet, which now was over $12. He has $14 left in front of him and he moves the rest of it in. On the turn I catch a K and I'm feeling good, but the river is a third diamond. Of course, he has 73 diamonds.

Of course, this was the same guy who earlier in the night called my pot-sized bets preflop and flop, putting himself all-in, with 33 on a 992 flop with two diamonds. I was making a move at this point with my AQ diamonds, but of course I didn't make my flush.

As I heard on TV sometime yesterday, sometimes you're the dog, and sometimes you're the hydrant.

Thankfully, I did recover. I must say I have to give myself credit for not going on tilt, even though there were several occasions where that would have been understandable. But the early going was just brutal. I tried waiting patiently for big hands or calling with connectors when the pot odds justified it, but I just couldn't coordinate my pocket with a flop.

Oh well, at least there's some people playing good poker somewhere. Let's look at a few of them:

POKERSTARS CARIBBEAN ADVENTURE: Day 2 is in the books and it looks like most of the big names were in a hurry to get to Tunica or Atlantic City, since they're nowhere to be found in the final nine. The final table includes Michael Westerlund, Alex Balandin, Greg Debora, Patrick Hocking, John Gale, Nenad Medic, "Miami" John Cernuto, Christian Kruel and Steve Zolotow. Obviously, these must all be pretty darn good players in order to still be alive at the final table, but the only name I recognize is "Miami" John. Of course, that's probably due to my own ignorance. The Swedish Westerund is leading the pack with over 1 million in chips, but Balandin and Debora are close behind with over 800K apiece.

JACK BINION WORLD POKER OPEN: The $500 LHE event was won by Texan Campbell Davis. He gets $134,058, plus an entry into the the $10,000 main event.

WSOP ATLANTIC CITY: I have not had any luck finding a source for updates on this event. Pokerpages and Cardplayer, which are both usually very good about posting results, haven't listed anything yet, and I can find nothing at the casino or Harrah's websites. I'm still working on it, though.

All hail the Bluegrass State

JACK BINION WORLD POKER OPEN: Hot dog, a Kentucky boy won an event! Shane Shields of Union won the $500 NLHE in only his second live tournament ever. The field was huge, with 1,449 players, and Shane had a $174,663 payday. Way to go, Shane! As a fellow Kentuckian, I can't help but think your win will help elevate the game in our state. (Now how about using some of that prize to lobby our legislature to get off their butts and pass a gaming bill?) Scanning over the rest of the list, none of the other names jumped out at me, except for An Tran, who placed second and won $92,707.

POKERSTARS CARIBBEAN ADVENTURE: The main event is underway, and the field is already pretty deep into the money. After day 1, the field is down to 55, and 76 places paid. There are quite a few recognizable names left in the hunt. Erick Lindgren is currently sitting in 10th place, and my favorite player to look at, Evelyn Ng (Evy Baybee!), is in 28th. Greg Raymer is proving his WSOP win was no fluke, as he is still alive and sitting in 34th place. Wouldn't you know it, Raymer's final challenger in the WSOP is also still alive in 39th place. There are plenty of other familiar names still alive also, including Alex Brenes, Daniel Larsson, Peter Giordano, Avery Cardoza and "Miami" John Cernuto. I may have missed some, because several names ring a bell, but my head is just too fuzzy this morning. See this list for yourself at Poker Pages.

In other news ...

I am quite killed today. The family and I made the trek to Huntington Mall yesterday to do some post-holiday exchanges and gift certificate spending. This is only notable in a poker blog because I did pick up a couple of new books. One is Big Deal: One Year as a Professional Poker Player by Anthony Holden. This one is purely for entertainment purposes, and it's a bit more literary than your average poker book, and it chronicles Holden's adventures in the poker world in Las Vegas, Malta and Morocco.

The other, hopefully more profitable book I picked up is Championship No Limit & Pot Limit Hold 'Em by T.J. Cloutier and Tom McEvoy. I have been a long time in buying this one, especially since T.J. is one of my favorite players. But this book comes highly recommended. James McManus credits it in Positively Fifth Street with giving him the knowledge he needed to make the final table of the WSOP main event, when all he was supposed to do was cover the event for a magazine article. And I can remember another player or two giving the book the same cred. I know my game needs something to jump start it, so hopefully this will be what I'm looking for.

FREE MONEY UPDATE: Well, I haven't been losing any the past couple of days. The problem is, I haven't exactly been winning, either. Over the past two days, I've managed to make a total of $3. I suppose that's better than losing, but I hate it when I get into these break-even funks. (Not that I desire to go back into crash-and-burn mode like I did in December. Oh, please spare me, poker gods!)

And I suppose I'm feeling confident enough in the program I'm using to pass the information along to others. It is offered by the same people who run Poker Source Online. How it works is you sign up and download Party Poker through them (of course) and, once they confirm everything (takes a couple of days), they send you an email asking you to call them so they can confirm them just a little more. After that five-minute phone call, however, they put $75 directly into your Party Poker account. And after you play 500 raked hands, you get a $25 bonus from Party Poker. That's not a bad deal, at all. You can find them at www.instantbankroll.com. They also offer a referral program, for you fellow bloggers out there. You get $10 sent to you via Paypal for every person you refer who signs up. Naturally, I'm not one to turn away money, so if anyone reading this here signs up for it, I would greatly appreciate it if you would put my name, evilbilly, in the referred by box (at Instant Bankroll) when you sign up.

The Rise and Fall of Poker

We all know that the game is enjoying unprecedented popularity at the present time, spurred mostly I think by the World Poker Tour, which led to increased interest in the World Series of Poker. Of course, one thing is always certain with the fickle public -- what goes up must come down, eventually. I think that poker is probably at or near its height of popularity right now, and that at some point that popularity will fade significantly. I do think poker's place in the public eye will remain higher than it was just a few years ago, but I just don't think the current degree of interest can be sustained over the long term.

For one, I think we are approaching the saturation point. It's the American way to take something good and publicize it until most people get sick of it, and I think we're getting to the point where there will be a backlash. We're already seeing the beginning of it with reports of "concerned authorities" who fret and frown that teenagers may be getting caught up in "gambling." Well, I've played in some home games where some teenagers have shown up to play, and their style of play certainly should be characterized as gambling, so maybe there's some truth to that.

And then there's the whole gimmick factor. When the network execs start thinking that maybe their latest fad is starting to grow a tad stale with the fickle public, so they start adding little twists to keep it fresh. The first of these in the poker craze was Celebrity Poker Showdown ("Watch has-been celebrities play really bad poker!"). And then there are the specials -- "Ladies Night" or "The Young Guns of Poker."

But then I turned on Poker Royale a couple of weeks ago and was pleasantly surprised. No theatrics, no heightened drama, just 18 people, pros and amateurs alike, playing cards. That's what I like. The cards have enough drama by themselves. I don't need a lot of sideline distractions to keep me interested.

And now I'm disappointed again. A press release this morning has announced that the next incarnation of Poker Royale will be "Poker Royale: Battle of the Sexes." Oh, for crying out loud. Didn't we grow out of this "girls vs. boys" stuff shortly after middle school? The good news about it is that it looks like a pretty good lineup, genitalia notwithstanding. I just dread hearing the stupid comments from the announcers -- "Can the ladies teach the men a thing or two about poker?" Poker Gazette has already reported about this, and since I don't want to pollute my blog with this such crap, you can find it here.

What's next? A heads up contest where the winner gets a million dollars and the loser has to eat a live rat?

TOURNAMENT UPDATE: The first event in the Jack Binion World Poker Open got underway yesterday, the $500 PL Omaha rebuy event. I had eagerly anticipated how the tournament would fare, especially with the WSOP Circuit starting at the same time and the Pokerstars Caribbean Adventure also going on. Well, all of the competition did not decrease the field any. Last year, the same event attracted 259 players, who made a total of 326 rebuys. This year, the event had 281 players, who made a total of 431 rebuys. I don't know what to make of those figures. My gut tells me that the increasing popularity of poker has created a bigger field so that attendance actually increased a little, but that the caliber of the field is somewhat weakened, as evidenced by 105 additional rebuys with only 22 more players. They played the event down to its final 10 last night, and I don't readily recognize any of the names on the list. They are Luis Velador, Ray Weaver, Joe Rutledge, Manelic Minaya, Tommy Grimes, Billy Duarte, B. Nijran, Gene Frank and Randy Edmonson.

FREE MONEY UPDATE: Last night, I was in desperate need of a catch-up night of sleep, so still haven't invested much time in my free money offer at Party Poker. I did play about 60 hands, but didn't catch anything like the cards I did the first night, when I only played 30 hands. In fact, the only truly premium hand I caught all night was KK, at the same time a (thankfully) very short stack caught AA. I didn't improve any, and he didn't need to.

But there was one hand near the end of my play for the night that I am truly proud of. There was one player in the game who was frequently raising. Not too frequently, so as to identify him as a maniac, but frequently enough that I was quite suspicious. For one, I can't remember seeing him win a showdown. He might have, but I don't remember it. Mostly, he was making his money with a pot-sized preflop bet, followed by a pot-sized flop bet, followed by everybody folding. Finally, holding Ad7d, I decided to call one of his pot-sized preflop bets. (I know, not exactly a good hand to get involved in for a huge pot, but I'd had enough of this guy and was willing to gamble on catching a flush or at the very least that he was holding two high cards and I could beat him if I paired my 7.) Everybody else called his preflop bet as well, which would the pot at over $11 after the rake. Sure enough, the flop came all low cards and I paired my 7. (I think it was 479.) So now I'm thinking that if he was holding AK or something similar, I had him beat. The only problem was that the flop was all suited, and it wasn't my diamonds. Leading off, he fired in another pot-sized bet, $11 and change. I only had $21 left in front of me, but when everyone else in the hand folded, I decided I had to make a move and went all-in. He went deep into the tank, using up nearly all of his time before making a decision. At the same time, some other player was urging him to call, saying I was bluffing, even going as far as telling him that she had folded the flush preflop. God, that's tacky. I don't know why she had it in for me. I had made no moves the entire time I was at the table and certainly wasn't ahead. The guy then said in the chat box, "I have rockets." Oh lord, that scared me. There aren't too many players at low limits who are going to fold rockets, no matter what, and I was certain he would call, especially if one of his aces gave him a flush draw. But, with but a couple of seconds left on the timer, he finally folded. Did he really have AA? I don't know, but I would like to think so because it feels pretty damn good to think I bluffed someone off of pocket rockets. That pot put me up $20 for the night, and represents the only profits I made the entire night.

Another thing I wonder -- if he really did have AA, did he make the right call with the information he had? Certainly, if he thought there was a good chance I had a flush and he didn't have a flush draw, then yes, he did make the right call. If one of his aces gave him the flush draw, though, I don't think I could have made that laydown. It was a $10 raise of his $11 bet. The pot was $44, giving him 4:1 on a flush draw with two cards to come. I think he would have to have made that call if he had the flush draw, so I can only assume he didn't. Whatever the case, I am damn glad he folded!

Updates

TOURNEYS: Unfortunately, I have not been able to find much in the way of tournament results out of the Poker Stars Caribbean Adventure, but then, I'm getting the impression that the main action hasn't quite started yet. However, Poker Stars has set up a blog to report the goings-on in the Bahamas, and I must admit it is quite interesting reading. I especially enjoyed reading the wholly appropriate fate of the self-professed "Suckout King." You'll find it here.

Down in Tunica, the main action gets underway today in the Jack Binion World Poker Open. However, yesterday was the invitation-only freeroll for members of the media. Congratulations to frequent RGPer John Burgess for winning that event and taking home $1,800.

There will be plenty more to come. For those of you who are not quite as obsessed with the game as I am, to the point of scavenging all over the internet for every tidbit of news about poker, check back here for more summary results from all the tournaments.

FREE MONEY: As I had mentioned yesterday, I ran across an offer for a free $75 at Party Poker, no deposit required. As promised, I found the money when I logged in last night. (Actually, my account had $75.01 in it. I don't know where the extra penny came from.) I didn't get to play much last night, having to keep my phone open due to some extraordinary circumstances at work. However, I did manage to play about 30-some hands just to get a feel. And as Iggy is wont to say, "Oh, the humanity." I immediately headed to the $25 PLHE tables. I was dealt a few hands right off the bat that I might have played, but the guy to my right had a habit of jacking up the pot every single time.

Then, a few hands in, I get dealt AA under the gun. I have learned not to slowplay aces, at least not too much, so I will usually put in at least a token raise with them. However, I fully expected Mr. Raise It Up to my right to make obligatory preflop raise, so I just called, fully expecting to be able to make a much bigger pot-sized raise after he did so. Everything worked to plan, except he only raised the minimum, making the total bet $1. I immediately raise it to $4. The guy to my immediate left has only 50 cents more than that, so he goes all-in. The action folds back to the raiser, who decides to move all-in, making it $8.10 more for me to call. I do so, disappointed that I don't have the ability to pop it up once more, since my only two opponents are already all in. First card off the deck is a third A and I'm beginning to mentally dance a little jig. But when all the cards are out, I see three hearts on the board, as well as AJK. For a second, I ponder the odds that someone has a straight or flush to screw my aces. But when the cards are turned over, the short stack shows K10 and the raiser showed JJ in the hole. I'm sure it must have been crushing for him to make his set of jacks, only to fall to my set of aces, and that gives me a warm feeling inside. After that hand, there was only one more person left at the table, so I bluffed the next pot off of him and left, up $14.

Next I decided to head over the the PLO8 tables. There I make a tragic mistake when dealt 8822 and the flop brings an 8 and a 2. I liked my hand and its potential, but one guy in early position was already making pot-sized raises, so I just called it down. He had significantly less than me, so on the river I move all in. Only afterwards to I see the straight draw on the board. Exit stage left, down $25 at the table and $11 on the night.

Now I'm a little disgruntled and I'm wondering if I'm going to blow this marvelous $75 I had been given. Only one way to find out, so I head back to the $25 PLHE tables. I start off getting nothing or less for quite a while, and I'm just folding, folding, folding. Finally, I get AKs in the BB. Everybody at the table limps, so I fire in a pot-sized raise, $3. Everybody except one guy folds. Glory hallelujuah, the flop brings AAJ. I check, hoping he'll try to steal. He checks (dammit!). Turn brings a 9. I decide the only way to goad him into trying to steal is to make it look like I'm making my own pathetic attempt to steal, so I bet 75 cents. Bingo, he raises it to $1.50. I make it $5 and he calls. That call concerns me a little. Could he have AJ or A9? Maybe JJ or 99? No matter, because the river brings a K. So, I do what anyone who is holding the stone cold nuts would do in that position -- I check. He takes a long time to act, so I figure he's either trying to find a price I will call or won't call, depending on whether he has a strong hand himself. He finally settles on $10. I only have $17.50 left in front of me, so I chuck it in. Amazingly, he calls. I say amazing, because he then proceeded to turn over a J5. Thank you very much! I stay one more lap around the table, don't play a hand and call it a night, up $25 at the table, $14 on the night.

I was very pleased with how I played that hand, although it wouldn't have worked against another opponent who had a brain in his head. Reminds me of the time I check-raised this one guy three times in a single hand. I was holding AA and the flop came rags. Check, bet, raise, call. Turn brings a K. Check, bet, raise, call. River brings an A. Check, bet, raise, call. I take the pot. He gets pissed off and leaves. I was glad for him.

So far, this free money deal appears to be the real deal. I want to give it just a day or two more, though, because the last thing I want to do is send my readers off to something that isn't legit. But if everything appears to be on the up-and-up, I will post the address for getting your own free $75 account by this weekend.

Bits & Pieces

WELCOME: Having been at this whole poker blogging thing for a month and a half-ish, it appears that I'm starting to see a few people visiting on a semi-regular basis. That's nice, and it's all I ask. I'm not looking to be the next star of the poker blogging world. It's just nice to see that I'm not tossing all of these words into empty air. A little feedback would be nice, too. Reading about the old days with Doyle Brunson and Amarillo Slim, I think one of the best things those fellows had going for them, other than their skill at the tables, was the ability to just bounce things off of one another, to figure the game out together. I'm certainly no expert at anything, so when I toss some of my ideas out there, it would be nice to hear from folks who want to tell me whether they think I'm right or just full of it. I'm just trying to learn as much as I can about this game, and hearing from other folks who are doing the same is a good way to do that.

IT'S TOURNEY TIME! It's a busy, busy time in the world of poker. The Poker Stars Caribbean Adventure starts today, and hopefully we'll have some preliminary results tomorrow. Tomorrow brings us the start of the Jack Binion World Poker Open, the first WPT event of the new year, and Friday is the kickoff of the inaugural WSOP Tournament Circuit event at Harrah's Atlantic City. Whew ... I'll be a busy, busy boy these next few days, as I attempt to keep track of the all the winners and post them here.

PLAYERS TO WATCH IN 2005: The new year and all the new action also brings us to a new race for the Cardplayer Player of the Year. Of course, speculating on this matter is sort of akin to picking the teams, winner and point spread of next year's Super Bowl the day after this Super Bowl, but hell, I'm crazy enough to go out on a limb. I fully expect this to be John Juanda's year. I do not see Daniel Negreanu making a repeat performance. In his own blog, he spoke of needing a little adversity (losing the lead to David "The Dragon" Pham with only one event left to play) in order to inspire his amazing victory last month. Now that he's got the Player of the Year Award under his belt, I just can't see him being very inspired to go for the repeat. On the other hand, John Juanda has been perhaps the most consistent winner over the past few years, and I think he is poised to finally make it to the top of the mountain. Nobody is playing better than him right now. But if I were to pick another player as my dark horse, it would be the Godfather of Costa Rican Poker, Humberto Brenes. This is a player I truly enjoy watching, and his game appeared to be peaking at the end of last year.

BIRE UPDATE: Well, last post I let everyone know how I had squandered away all of my hard-fought gains over the weekend. Well, last night I went back to square one of the Bankroll Implosion Recovery Experiment -- the Omaha 8/b penny tables over at Ultimate Bet. Having blowing everything at Hollywood Poker and most of everything at UB, I was down to a grand total of $1.02. I figured that small stack of change was getting lonely, so I might as well piss it away as well. Funny thing happened, though ... I actually made a little. I played a grand total of 10 hands and ended up running that pathetic $1.02 to a slightly less pathetic $10. Sure, it's no princely sum, but I figure anytime you can sit down at a table and leave with 10 times what you came in with, it's a pretty good day. Plus, while it's no fortune, it's surely enough to keep me going at the penny tables for a long while.

FREE MONEY! I ran across one of those posts on RGP about how to get free money at a poker site with no deposit. I've done those things in the past, usually for $10 or $15 at a Prima site, but that's not nearly enough to work with and I usually flush it down the commode. But this one was for a free $75 at Party Poker. Now that's a little bit to work with. Heck, it was this time last year that I ran $40 at Poker Room to well over $2,000. Maybe lightning will strike twice. Oh, and I almost forgot to mention, that deposit is also eligible for a $25 bonus from Party, after playing 500 raked hands. Anyway, I've signed up and the money was supposed to be deposited today (I haven't seen it for myself, since our work computers are all Macs). But I plan to try it out tonight and, if everything seems to be kosher, I'll fill my readers (both of them!) in on all the details later this week. I'm sure everybody could use a little free money.

SHAMELESS COMMERCIAL PLUG: OK, I've not mentioned this before, because I figure anybody who does willingly come to visit my site doesn't want to read a bunch of affiliate pitches from me. But over on the right side of the page, you'll see where there's some advertising. Of course, I don't get anything for that advertising unless someone actually clicks on the ad and sends some money to these folks. All I ask is that, if you plan to use one of the poker rooms I list or plan to buy any of the gear that's offered anyway, please consider doing so from this site. I will thank you and my bankroll will certainly thank you. I have tried to be discriminating in the ads I've chosen. I only list poker sites where I play, so I can vouch for them. There's also an affiliate deal from Ultimate Bet over there. Any of you poker bloggers out there who would like to offer UB to your readers, please go ahead and sign up there. It's free and you too can make a little spare change signing people up to play at UB. Toward the bottom of the column, there's also a listing of poker chip auctions on eBay. Of all the chips I've ever bought, they've all come from eBay, because that's where you can get them cheapest. If you're looking for a chip set, that list toward the bottom is a convenient place to look for the auctions ending soonest. Plus, if you place your mouse over the price, the shipping charges will pop up (neat trick there) so you'll know right away exactly how much it will cost you to get your chips before you even go to the page. OK, that's all of my shilling for now. Just be aware of the offers waiting for you over there and if you're looking at trying one of those rooms or getting any of that merchandise, just think about getting it here and I'll love you forever. Thanks.

PISSING OFF RGP, ONE READER AT A TIME: I had fully intended to update the blog yesterday, but I found myself arguing with a good number of folks in the rec.gambling.poker newsgroup. You see, I have this apparently controversial opinion that some games are well nigh unbeatable. Now, I'm not one of those people who makes excuses for my own inabilities by saying that the low-limit online games are unbeatable or, worse, rigged, but I do believe certain types of (usually) low-limit games are, if not unbeatable, then certainly unbeatable from a traditional tight-aggressive playing style. In particular, I'm thinking of full games where there are a couple of maniacs jacking the pot up and several calling stations staying all the way to showdown everytime. In other words, games where you're likely to see six or seven people seeing the flop every single time and maybe as many as four or five showing down.

[Brief pause to allow everyone to ready their flamethrowers.]

OK, so why do I say this? Because your traditional tight-aggressive playing assumes that many of your opponents will make good decisions and lay down longshot hands. A tight-aggressive playing style requires facing no more than one or two other players in a hand in order to be successful. The reason this is a successful strategy in most games is because you don't play except when you have very good starting hands, so you have a reasonable expectation of being ahead in the hand from the deal on. The one or two opponents who stay with you will usually have inferior cards, and their chances of hitting a good flop are lower than yours. But when you have a multitude of players staying in every hand, while their individual chances of hitting a decent flop are still low, their collective odds are much higher, so much so that the tight-aggressive player is almost always underdog against the field. Here's the example I used to explain my thoughts:

Going to Cardplayer's website, I fired up the odds calculator. They only allow you to enter a maximum of five players, and that's probably more realistic. I enter AdAs for one player, then AhKc, Js10d, Jc2c and 9s7s for his four opponents. So what are the odds of of AA winning in that one particular scenario? 52 percent. I next make the AK suited (hearts) and AA's chances dropped to 46 percent.

Just for funnzies, can you guess which hand was second-best, at least in terms of odds of winning? It was the 9s7s, with 19 percent.

OK, you still have the best of it, but you only have a 1:2 chance of winning the pot. Not really comforting to know that when you are playing against a table where you're virtually guaranteed to face four thick-headed opponents no matter what, you're still only about a coin-flip favorite AGAINST THE FIELD with the best possible starting hand. I certainly wouldn't bet my house if I knew that I'd be facing large number of opponents.

That is why I'm saying that these games are much tougher to beat. If the BEST you can hope for at a table full of maniacs and calling stations is a coin-flip favorite, you will need a lot of them in order to come out a significant winner. But you're not going to get a whole lot of them. In fact, you're going to be folding a significant number of hands, and a lot of times you're going to be the poor sap holding AK in the above scenario, with less than a 7 percent chance of winning

Now, that was just an example of what you are facing with the absolute best of it. It was by no means meant to be the entire proof, in and of itself. And, of course, I got this reply a short time later from GrouchySmurf1002:

Seriously?

You don't want to coin flip where you put 1 bet in the pot, and other people put 3 bets in?

Seriously?

You think this is HARDER to beat?

Seriously?

You'll have more losing sessions and some emotionally draining downswings, sure. But you're gonna come out a much bigger winner long term. That's what matters.

And, of course, he's absolutely right. GrouchySmurf1002 is a sharp cookie, who apparently is a Poker Room regular like myself, although I cannot ever recall playing against him. And if this were the only hand I were going to play, or if I could be guaranteed AA every single hand, I would be right there, tossing as much money into the pot as possible.

But that's not the point. The fact of the matter is that during a normal session of play, you're probably not going to see a hand like AA, KK, QQ or JJ more than a handful of times. The rest of the time you will be getting far worse hands, with far worse odds of winning. Most of them, a tight-aggressive player will fold without hesitation. Then there will be a few hands he'll enter thinking he has the best of it preflop, but will have to surrender before showdown because the board and the action are not working his way. And then there will be some he will take all the way to showdown, something like AK with an A on the flop, thinking he might have the best of it, but which will get beat because ridiculous opponents who stayed with 57o and made two pair or a straight. And, according to the example I used above, the player with the 97s actually is getting even money to call, whatever the bet is. But a tight-aggressive player will see those cards, see a couple of raises and fold them without a second though. In the end, there will be a lot of surrendered blinds and a lot of lost pots. And if the two or three times he has a dominating hand like AA or KK don't hold up, which it's pretty much even money they won't, then the

For all of these reasons, I think the type of game I've described has negative expectation for the tight-aggressive player. I may very well be wrong, but I base this belief on the thought process I've just outlined, as well as my own experiences. But please note, I did not say these games are unbeatable, just unbeatable from a traditional tight-aggressive playing style. There may very well be a way to play these games and come out a consistent winner, but whatever it is, I haven't found it. In fact, if anybody reading this has suggestions, I would be happy to hear them. I have played many types of tables with many types of players, and I've found ways to beat just about all of them. But whenever I've tried playing these games, I've found nothing but frustration and a declining bankroll. The only thing I can think of that might give me a better shot is to adopt a somewhat more loose-passive style preflop, in order to see more flops cheaply in hopes of getting lucky.

With all that said, however, that opinion has proved to be highly unpopular in the RGP community. I get told that I'm a loser, that I'm an idiot, that I should stop playing poker. Whatever. All I know is what I've seen and what I've read, and I'm not the only one who feels this way. There are some, a small minority, but some other RGP regulars who feel the same way. In The Psychology of Poker, Schoonmaker writes that overall loose-passive games are more a matter of luck than skill, precisely because of the larger field. Even Doyle Brunson has said in interviews that he finds it easier playing pros than a bunch of novices. So, even if I'm wrong, I feel like I'm in some pretty good company.

#@$!!

Oh, geez, here we go again.

After pretty much staying away from poker for many more weeks than I would have liked, other than the BIRE, I decided to delve into the life once again. I deposited $20 into Hollywood Poker, which is a skin of Poker Room, and at first, things were going fine. I had doubled up and felt like everything was going well. But I had noticed that my absence from poker had caused me to pick up a few nasty habits, such as playing too many hands, chasing too much and not being nearly aggressive enough. In other words, I had somehow transformed from a TAP to an LPP, under Schoonmaker's definition.

Then, everything went to hell. I suppose it should, as poorly as I had been playing. But it seems like after I recognized how bad I was playing and made efforts to correct it, that's when I started losing money. Between the BIRE and Hollywood Poker, I had run my total $21.79 investment to roughly $100 during the weekend, only to crash and burn again. I ended Sunday night with $11. Now I have $1.02. Looks like it's back to the BIRE. But I don't know that I have it in me to try to wage another comeback.

The micro-limits are enough to drive me crazy. After I tightened up and started playing the way they say you're supposed to, I lost all my cash. Now, a lot of that has to do with me being rusty, but a lot of it has to do with some of my opponents making poor decisions and getting rewarded for them. My last $10 at Hollywood Poker went to two hands in which I was aggressive with a premium hand preflop (JJ and AKs), only to see a vastly inferior hand (A2s and J2s, respectively) draw out flushes on the river. I've had AK beaten by 72, but that was my fault for limping when he was on the big blind, and he flopped quad 7s. I mean, it's as if the poker gods are trying to screw with me.

What's truly surprising to me is how my game got so bad so quickly. I guess I kind of figured that playing poker was somewhat like riding bicycle, but I'm learning that's not the case. If you don't play for awhile or if you're playing a crapshoot-style game and allow yourself to gamble "because everyone else is doing it" (both scenarios apply to me), you can find yourself back to square one in no time. And it's almost as hard to recover good playing skills as it was to learn them the first time around. Almost, but not quite. Right now, I find my primary opponent to be myself, because I'm getting very impatient at the table and trying to win big pots I have no reason to be a part of, and I'm wanting to get into these big action games and throw down with the rest of them. Deep down, I know what I should be doing, but when I get to the table, I'm having a hard time doing it. If I were to postulate the cardinal rules of playing winning poker, the first and foremost would be, "Being a winning player is not supposed to be exciting. In fact, to be a winning player usually means sitting out while everyone else is playing."

I guess my priorities right now are upside down. Instead of playing for money lately, I've been playing for excitement. And when you try to put yourself into exciting situations at the poker table, you're in for a bad night. Sure, there's a lot of drama, a lot of excitement in chasing two-outers or trying to suckout when you know you're a dog. Unfortunately, there's also a lot of losing.

Sigh ...

Oh well, even though my poker play is sucking hind tit right now (hell, it may even be a hemhorroid, for all I know), there is still plenty to be excited about as a poker spectator. This week kicks off the 2005 tournament year in a big way, with the WPT and WSOP Circuit both getting underway, not to mention the Pokerstars Caribbean Adventure. The Jack Binion World Poker Open gets started Wednesday in Tunica, while the WSOP Circuit - Atlantic City starts Friday. For me, this will mean daily visits to Poker Pages and Cardplayer to check on the latest results, as well as constantly combing RGP for any good anecdotes from the tournaments. Heck, with three tournaments going on at once, it's like Christmas all over again. Each day brings a new treat to discover.

And now for something completely different ...

Well, perhaps not completely different. In fact, it's perfectly in keeping with my experiences this weekend. Check out this gem from RGP:

Sung to the tune of "Imagine"

Imagine there's no bad beats
it's easy if you try.
No 5th-street suck outs,
no beats by the Queen-Five guy.
Imagine all the people,
playing perfectly....(heeheeee-eee)

I can say you're an idiot,
but you're not the only one
bitching about bad players who
raise with King-Nine under the gun.

Imagine there's no fishes
it isn't hard to do.
No weak players to profit from,
and no one limping with Jack-Two.
Imagine all the people
playing perfectly....(heeheee-eee)

I can say, you're an idiot,
but you're not the only one
bitching about bad players who
draw to inside straights just for fun.

Imagine no runner-runner beats,
I wonder if you can.
No need for raises or value-bets
a perfect-playing clan.
Imagine all the people
sharing the pots & paying rake. (aaa-aaa-ache)

I can say you're an idiot,
but you're not the only one.
bitching about bad players who
play bottom pair just for fun.