WSOP Event 2 - $1,500 no-limit hold'em

Brandon Cantu Wins Second-Largest Live Poker Tournament in History

Buy-In: $1,500
Number of Entries: 2,776
Total Prize Money: $3,789,240
Defending Champion (2005): Allen Cunningham

Official Results:
1 Brandon Cantu, Las Vegas, NV, $757,839
2 Phong “Mark” Ly, Los Angeles, CA, $416,816
3 Dr. Drew Rubin, Hollywood, FL, $226,597
4 Lee Padilla, Modesto, CA, $176,579
5 Brent Roberts, Staten Island, NY, $151,570
6 Don A. Zewin, Las Vegas, NV, $126,940
7 Ronald E. Stanley, Henderson, NV, $107,614
8 Mark Swartz, Phoenix, AZ, $88,668
9 Juan Carlos Mortensen, Las Vegas, NV, $71,617
10 Tom Nguyen, Reno, NV, $56,081
11 Jennifer Harman, Las Vegas, NV, $51,155
12 Jack Rosenfeldt, Hobrq, Denmark, $46,987
13 Ali Eslami, Van Nuys, CA, $43,197
14 Chad Burum, Novato, Canada, $39,408
15 David Baker, Katy, TX, $35,619
16 Adam N. Smith, Mansfield, TX, $31,830
17 Steven Hohn, Overland Park, KS, $28,040
18 Stuart Krasney, Tustin, CA, $24,251
19 Jorge R. Walker, Cerritos, CA, $20,462
20 Paul Smith, San Diego, CA, $20,462
21 Young V. Phan, Irvine, CA, $20,462
22 Ronnie Jackson, Henderson, NV, $16,673
23 Kyle Burnside, Somerset, MA, $16,673
24 David "Devil Fish" Ulliott, Hull, England, $16,673
25 Michael LaBonte, Richfield, WI, $13,641
26 Michael Bertolini, Las Vegas, NV, $13,641
27 Kent Roman, Wyandotte, MI, $13,641
28 Christopher Larue, Mantica, CA, $11,368
29 Rick Burke, Chicago, IL, $11,368
30 Ali Zargari, Las Vegas, NV, $11,368
31 Tam Hang, Seattle, WA, $11,368
32 Paul Darden, Jr Las Vegas, NV, $11,368
33 Mark Schaech, Baltimore, MD, $11,368
34 Jeffery Peterson, Corona, CA, $11,368
35 Albert Krux, Fayetteville, NY, $11,368
36 Rohn Schutsky, Freehold, NJ, $11,368
37 Vaughan Machado, Red Bank, NJ, $9,094
38 Motoyuki Mabuchi, Osaka, Japan, $9,094
39 Ryan Even, Henderson, NV, $9,094
40 Bill Gazes, Miami, FL, $9,094
41 Tony "Pokerthug" Lay, OK City, OK, $9,094
42 Arsenio Javier, Fullerton, CA, $9,094
43 Don Leone, Greendale, WI, $9,094
44 Michael Miller, Northridge, CA, $9,094
45 Ty Takishita, Honolulu, HI, $9,094
46 Phil Gordan, Las Vegas, NV, $9,094
47 Paul Gratsch, Cocoa, FL, $9,094
48 Trent Schuler, Springfield, OH, $9,094
49 Erik Seidel, Las Vegas, NV, $9,094
50 Emmett Burns, Fort Worth, TX, $9,094
51 Bernard "BeeNO" Ko, Chino Hills, CA, $9,094
52 Preston Ritchie, New Orleans, LA, $9,094
53 Ken Koski, Howell, MI, $9,094
54 Greg Noren, Phoenix, AZ, $9,094
55 Scott Lychwick, Gilbert, AZ, $7,578
56 Michael Kim, New York, NY, $7,578
57 Danny Fuhs, Las Vegas, NV, $7,578
58 Shane Stephenson, Pittsburg, PA, $7,578
59 Reza Zand , Henderson, NV, $7,578
60 Chris Henchcliffe, Olympia, WA, $7,578
61 Bill Chen , Lafayette Hill, PA, $7,578
62 Danny Adelson, Los Angeles, CA, $7,578
63 Greg Raymer , Raleigh, NC, $7,578
64 Gorden Smith, Tool, TX, $7,578
65 Unknown, NA, $7,578
66 Christpoer Budak, Cypress, TX, $7,578
67 Phil Helmuth, Jr Palo Alto, CA, $7,578
68 Derek Neumman, Bothell, WA, $7,578
69 William Lin , Denver, CO, $7,578
70 Ben Boyd, Los Angeles, CA, $7,578
71 Tad Jurgens, Phoenix, AZ, $7,578
72 Paul Tran, Houston, TX, $7,578
73 Nick Guagenti, Westerville, OH, $7,578
74 Sam Chung, Las Vegas, NV, $7,578
75 Tuan Le, Los Angeles, CA, $7,578
76 Bill Maguire, Robstown, TX, $7,578
77 Charles Gambino, Brooklyn, NY, $7,578
78 Jim Bechtel, Gilbert, AZ, $7,578
79 Mike Ngo, New Orleans, LA, $7,578
80 Dan Nemec, Menomonee Falls, WI, $7,578
81 Dan Nguyen, San Jose, CA, $7,578
82 Cathleen Tran, Irvine, CA, $6,063
83 Tom Slater, Danville, CA, $6,063
84 Bob Rasmussen, Seattle, WA, $6,063
85 Carl Olson, Seattle, WA, $6,063
86 John Bonetti, Houston, TX, $6,063
87 Darryl Oauenhauer, Laughin, NV, $6,063
88 Victor Demolo, Sarasota, FL, $6,063
89 Richard Talerico, Brookshire, TX, $6,063
90 Nick Voyatzis, Los Angeles, CA, $6,063
91 Armen Kara, Brea, CA, $6,063
92 Dom Auzzi, Bronx, NY, $6,063
93 Brian Taylor, Macon, GA, $6,063
94 Bruce Yamron, Naples, FL, $6,063
95 Jordan Rich, Portland, OR, $6,063
96 Matt Holtzclaw, Elk Grove, CA, $6,063
97 Keith Seradzki, Blontown, NJ, $6,063
98 Eric Froelich, Washington DC, $6,063
99 Brett Cuccarelli, Modesto, CA, $6,063
100 Blair Rodman, Las Vegas, NV, $6,063
101 Rigo Vangarelli, Acworth, GA, $6,063
102 Adam Green , Reston, VA, $6,063
103 Robert Sweedler, Portland, OR, $6,063
104 Sagar Patel, Morton Grove, IL, $6,063
105 Frank Senipoli, Hollywood, FL, $6,063
106 Fred Yazber, Semi Valley, CA, $6,063
107 Casey Kastle, Chicago, IL, $6,063
108 Jim Gentry, Vancouver, WA, $6,063
109 James Weston, Stanhope, NJ, $4,547
110 Tom Pniak, Las Vegas, NV, $4,547
111 William Shanks, College Park, MD, $4,547
112 Gregory Whiting Jr. , Philadelphia, PA, $4,547
113 Michael Copener, Phoenix, AZ, $4,547
114 Bruce Leyser, Los Angeles, CA, $4,547
115 Eric Mellott, Woodland Park, Co, $4,547
116 Arms Yongyuth, Carlsland, CA, $4,547
117 Derrick Ho, San Jose, CA, $4,547
118 Darrell Stoner, Orlando, FL, $4,547
119 Dave Chaput, Brookeville, MD, $4,547
120 Dave Fisher, Buffalo, NY, $4,547
121 Tom Noble, San Diego, CA, $4,547
122 Richie Wong, Las Vegas, NV, $4,547
123 Zachary Fritz, Las Vegas, NV, $4,547
124 Adam Friedman, Gananna, OH, $4,547
125 Chris Campochiard, Granada Hills, CA, $4,547
126 Nevio Nicolich, New York, NY, $4,547
127 Tanhdah Tran, El Monte, CA, $4,547
128 Chad Wiedenhoeft, Whitewater, WI, $4,547
129 Chaechon Yim, Kent, WA, $4,547
130 David Byer, Las Vegas, NV, $4,547
131 Larry Rossland, Mandan, ND, $4,547
132 David Mann, Long Beach, CA, $4,547
133 Greg Higginsbotham, Janesville, WI, $4,547
134 Todd Reynolds, Holtsville, NY, $4,547
135 Kenneth Johns Pitchford, Sutton-In, Ashfield, England, $4,547
136 Michael Hill, Wiesbaden Germany, $4,547
137 Bradley W. Anderson, Fresno, CA, $4,547
138 Patrick Poels, Mesa, AZ, $4,547
139 Michael Ruth, Schenectady, NY, $4,547
140 Thomas Sanduski, Las Vegas, NV, $4,547
141 John Yahnig, Louisville, KY, $4,547
142 Andy Miller, Abilene, TX, $4,547
143 Kenneth Brosnahan, Marietta, GA, $4,547
144 Michael Rohland, Downey, CA, $4,547
145 Jason Akay, Honolulu, HI, $4,547
146 Ryan Buckholtz, San Diego, CA, $4,547
147 Chris Odle, Middletown, De, $4,547
148 Rodney Johnson, Mechanicsville, VA, $4,547
149 Abraham Iannous, Henderson, NV, $4,547
150 Ryan Harrington, Portland, OR, $4,547
151 Burelle Almaello, Honolulu, HI, $4,547
152 Hung Na, Manhatten Beach, CA, $4,547
153 James Kilaryian, Moneta, VA, $4,547
154 Neal Matthews, Colorado Springs, CO, $3,410
155 Walter J. Davis, Las Vegas, NV, $3,410
156 Brandon Leeds, Phoenix, AZ, $3,410
157 Jason Strasser, New York, NY, $3,410
158 Unknown, NA, $3,410
159 David Siegel, Calabasas, CA, $3,410
160 Roger Houston, West Minister, CA, $3,410
161 David Wekks, Toledo, OH, $3,410
162 Angie Tran, Houston, TX, $3,410
163 Peter F. Horn Jr Acworth, GA, $3,410
164 Thomas Carrion Jr. , Fairfield, CA, $3,410
165 Jose Rosenkrantz, Miami, FL, $3,410
166 Unknown, NA, $3,410
167 Benjamin Lin, Rockville, MD, $3,410
168 Raed Abdulfihat, Kyle, TX, $3,410
169 Dustin Goff, Las Vegas, NV, $3,410
170 Jason Howard Gutherie, Parrish, FL, $3,410
171 Johathan Little, Pensacola, FL, $3,410
172 Stephen Grockett, Costa Mesa, CA, $3,410
173 CJ Hammett, Katonah, NY, $3,410
174 Alex Baldwin, NA, $3,410
175 Alexander Porter, Tucson, AZ, $3,410
176 Michael Davis, Norcross, GA, $3,410
177 Ehren Ezzel, Austin, TX, $3,410
178 Joseph Shukys, Las Vegas, NV, $3,410
179 Joseph Cordi, Indian Wells, CA, $3,410
180 Benedicto Cruz, Freemont, CA, $3,410
181 Douglas Gladstone, San Francisco, CA, $3,410
182 Zvi Groysman, Thornhill, Ontario, $3,410
183 Pierre Bergeron, Quebec, Canada, $3,410
184 Dawna Wilson, Teton Village, WY, $3,410
185 Rob Goetschins, Westlake, CA, $3,410
186 Michael Kennedy, Surprise, AZ, $3,410
187 Noah Kelley, Eugene, OR, $3,410
188 Jason Farkas, Oak Creek, WI, $3,410
189 David Unketer, Arlington, TX, $3,410
190 Todd Bourgault, Fair Haven, MA, $3,410
191 Robert Tyburski, Henderson, NV, $3,410
192 Russell Giorgianni, Las Vegas, NV, $3,410
193 Michael Epstein, Las Vegas, NV, $3,410
194 David Skinner, Las Vegas, NV, $3,410
195 Evan Paushter, NA, $3,410
196 Kenneth Meier, Pittsburgh, PA, $3,410
197 Stephen Gin, NA, $3,410
198 Jethro Horowitz, Double Bay, South Wales, $3,410
199, Aaron Price, Barsto, CA, $2,274
200 Troy Kidwell, Austin, TX, $2,274
201, Jeremy Lux, Shelbyville, IN, $2,274
202, Gerald Johonnot, Las Vegas, NV, $2,274
203, Andrew Wade, Adrian, MI, $2,274
204, Sammy Lewis, N. Las Vegas, NV, $2,274
205, Daniel John Stanton, Northfield, IN, $2,274
206, Adam Zinn, Henderson, NV, $2,274
207, Richard Wilcox, Danville, CA, $2,274
208, Ahavle Lehr, Bossier, LA, $2,274
209, Randy Campbell, Villa Park, CA, $2,274
210, Steven Wegel , Wedowle, AL, $2,274
211, Jason Hodges, Las Vegas, NV, $2,274
212, Richard Paulsen, Weburn, MA, $2,274
213, Duane Capes, Rochelle, IL, $2,274
214, Edward Piper, Mogador, OH, $2,274
215, Joseph Sorren, Flagstaff, AZ, $2,274
216, David Doyen, West Hills, CA, $2,274
217, Unknown, NA, $2,274
218, Amis Naderi, Santa Monica, CA, $2,274
219, Brendan Taylor, Henderson, NV, $2,274
220, Isabelle Mercier, Victoriaville, QC, $2,274
221, Jason Gonong, Dallas, TX, $2,274
222, Howard Elkins, Hendersonville, NC, $2,274
223, Robert Dacleb, Vallejo, CA, $2,274
224, William Mietz, Littleton, CO, $2,274
225, John Roveto, Snellview, GA, $2,274
226, Michael Rutherford, NA, $2,274
227, Scott Moore, Arroyo Grande, CA, $2,274
228, Peter Bell, Marina Del Ray, CA, $2,274
229, Wendeen Eolis, New York, NY, $2,274
230, Neil Channing, London, UK, $2,274
231, Joseph Cutri, Southhampton, PA, $2,274
232, Kirk Heflin, Kansas City, MO, $2,274
233, Jeffery King, Colochester, CT, $2,274
234, James Mercurio, Los Angeles, CA, $2,274
235, Michael Brittan, Englewood, NJ, $2,274
236, Unknown, NA, $2,274
237, John Winslow, Dallas, TX, $2,274
238, Hyon Chun , Los Angeles, CA, $2,274
239, Matthew Shell, Farmington, MN, $2,274
240, John Fagerile, Orting, WA, $2,274
241, Elio Reyes , Las Vegas, NV, $2,274
242, Hassaw Assaheuri, Las Vegas, NV, $2,274
243, Clonie Gowen, Sache, TX, $2,274
244, Kristy Gazes, N. Hollywood, CA, $2,274
245, Joseph Zewin, Las Vegas, NV, $2,274
246, Daniel Hill, State College Park, PA, $2,274
247, David Hatfield, Federal Way, WA, $2,274
248, Daniel Bakker, Branson, MO, $2,274
249, Bret Tannenbaum, Delray Beach, FL, $2,274
250, Hamberto Brenos, Miami, FL, $2,274
251, Richard Aquino, Kearney, NJ, $2,274
252, Jon K. Weekly, Denver, CO, $2,274
253, David Sands, Bozman, MT, $2,274
254, Robert Neyorayan, Sherman Oaks, CA, $2,274
255, Joe Pharo, Scottsdale, AZ, $2,274
256, John Gill II, San Bernaraino, CA, $2,274
257, Jean Gluck, Alhambra, CA, $2,274
258, Brian Tracy, St. Louis, MO, $2,274
259, Richard Abbamonto, Lakewood, CA, $2,274
260, James Burns, Murfreesboro, TN, $2,274
261, Unknown, NA, $2,274
262, Bryan Griggs, New Cast, $2,274
263, Danny Jensen , Arvada, CO, $2,274
264, Paul E. Kroh Jr. , Battle Mountain, NV, $1,299
265, Charles E. Swell, Oklahoma City, OK, $1,299
266, Joshua Nordmark, Sciota, PA, $1,299
267, Isaac E. Khalil, Las Vegas, NV, $1,299
268, John Burk Nugent, Spokane, WA, $1,299
269, Rodney Clements, NA, $1,299
270, Kathy Koon, Chicago, IL, $1,299
271, Juan Carlin, Laredo, TX, $1,299
272, Anthony Girouard, Las Vegas, NV, $1,299
273, Claudie Holland, Fayetteville, NC, $1,299
274, Richard Grisalva, Las Vegas, NV, $1,299
275, Cody Way, Amarillo, TX, $1,299
276, Brian Swinford, Rantoul, IL, $1,299
277, Stefeno Cancellwil, Bowmanville, OWT, $1,299, ,

Las Vegas, NV – Each and every poker player needs a little luck. Just ask Brandon Cantu. Sure, poker is a game of skill. But luck can also carry a good player a very long way.

On June 28, 2006 Cantu, a 25-year-old semi-professional player from Las Vegas, was competing in his biggest poker tournament ever. With 64 players still contending in the tournament on the second day, Cantu found himself nearly all-in with most of his chips in the pot and drawing slim against none other than Greg “Fossilman” Raymer, the 2004 World Series of Poker Champion. With Cantu’s tournament life hanging in the balance, Raymer had the best hand, by far. But luck sometimes appears when least expected. The angels of mercy resuscitated Cantu with two near-miracle diamonds to complete a flush, which eliminated the poker superstar and stunned those who witnessed the decisive moment. That pot ignited a flame in Cantu that would never extinguish. In fact, as it turned out, that crucial hand made Cantu three-quarters of a million dollars in extra prize money.

In Event 2, Cantu burned through a record-field of 2,776 players – an astonishing number in size and scale. Consider that the $1,500 buy-in no-limit hold’em event was the second-largest poker tournament ever in history. Already on pace to shatter every previous poker mark ever recorded, the first open event of the 2006 World Series of Poker was a complete sell-out. Only the 2005 WSOP main event attracted more participants (with 5,619). The total prize pool amounted to $3,789,240. There were 277 players who collected prize money.

After two long days of play, the final table was set. ESPN was on hand to film the finale for later broadcast. When the first hand was dealt out in front of a standing-room only crowd packed inside the Rio Convention Center, the seating positions and chips counts were as follows:

Lee Padilla, $753,000, 1
Phong “Mark” Ly, $516,000, 2
Mark Swartz, $359,000, 3
Brent Roberts, $260,000, 4
Juan Carlos Mortensen, $337,000, 5
Brandon Cantu, $773,000, 6
Ron Stanley, $283,000, 7
Drew Rubin, $573,000, 8
Don Zewin, $337,000, 9
,
The first player to be eliminated was a bit of a surprise. In fact, the final stages of the tournament were an absolute nightmare for Carlos Mortensen, the 2001 world poker champion. Towards the end of play on Day Two, the superstar Spaniard (who was actually born in Ecuador – a little-known fact) was sitting comfortably, with an impressive chip lead. Given Mortensen’s aggressive style, he was clearly a favorite to go far. Many poker observers began speculating that Mortensen might be on his way to a third WSOP gold bracelet. Then, everything began to unravel. Mortensen lost about half of his chips late on the previous night, and then proceeded to lose the other half within an hour at the final table. The final dagger came quickly. On his last hand, Mortensen was getting perilously low on chips and moved all-in with pocket fours. Phong “Mark” Ly was in the blind and called. Ly caught a queen on the turn to make a higher pair, which dashed Mortensen’s dreams of victory. Mortensen, a.k.a. “The Matador” got to play the ill-fated role of the bull in this event, and was dragged out of the ring in ninth place good for $71,617 in prize money.

After Mark Swartz was eliminated in eighth place (good for $88,668) two more long-time poker veterans were eliminated. Ron Stanley, perhaps best-known for his close encounter with poker legend Stu Ungar at the 1997 WSOP final table, moved all-in with A-9 suited after Lee Padilla opened for a raise. Don Zewin, who has been playing in WSOP events for 25 years, re-raised all-in with 8-8. Padilla was pot-committed and made a tough call with A-J of spades. Remarkably, Padilla caught three spades – good for a flush. Within mere seconds, Padilla had knocked out two consummate professionals and the tournament was suddenly down to just five players. Ron Stanley, a.k.a. “The Carolina Express” (1991 WSOP gold bracelet winner), was derailed at the seventh-place finisher, good for $107,614. Don Zewin -- who finished third in the 1989 main event (losing only to Phil Hellmuth and Johnny Chan) -- collected $126,940 for sixth.

That big hand put Padilla up over 1,000,000 in chips for the first time -- only 15,000 behind Cantu in the chip-count. That would be as close as he would get.

Brent Roberts, a college student from Staten Island, NY, arrived at the final table as a player primed to make history. Roberts, who turned 21 only three weeks ago (Note: The legal age to enter the WSOP is 21), would have been the youngest World Series winner in history, eclipsing Eric Froehlich’s mark set last year. But it was not to be. Roberts took 7-7 up against Lee Padilla’s A-Q and lost when a queen fell. One must now wonder where Roberts will go from here. Winning $151,570 in his first WSOP tournament ever is quite a benchmark of accomplishment. (Note: It is believed that Roberts is the youngest player in WSOP history ever to make it to a final table)

Lee Padilla’s last hour was a complete disaster. He went from a million in chips down to the felt in what can only be described as a disappointing series of bad hands and unfortunate breaks. Padilla, an almond farmer from Modesto, CA, went out fourth when his A-3 was cracked by Mark Ly’s A-10. Fourth place paid a very respectable $176,579.

Mark Ly was the only player to knock Cantu from his chip perch at any point. Ly hit the 2,000,000 chip-mark when he won a monster pot with A-Q versus Cantu’s 6-6. But Cantu wasn’t fazed. Soon thereafter, Dr. Drew Rubin was eliminated when his A-6 lost to Cantu’s 8-8. Rubin, a clinical psychologist from Hollywood, FL, was diagnosed as the third-place finisher and billed the prize pool for $226,597 – which came to about $7,500 an hour for his time.

Down to heads-up play, Brandon Cantu enjoyed a 3 to 2 chip lead over Mark Ly, about 2,400,000 to 1,760,000. The final outcome did not take long. Ly lost most of his chips when he overplayed his hand holding J-4, after the turn showed A-J-6-7. Ly re-raised all-in holding second pair. Big mistake. Cantu called instantly with A-K – good for top pair, top kicker. The river failed to rescue Ly, who went out just two hands later.

Phong “Mark” Ly a Vietnamese-born 27-year-old professional poker player, was the runner up. Ly, who is married with two children, now resides in Los Angeles. He received $416,816
In his first major final table appearance, Brandon Cantu won an astounding amount of money -- $757,839 for first place. He also received the coveted gold bracelet, traditionally presented to each and every WSOP winner.
“I have no skills in life other than poker,” Cantu joked afterward when asked why he decided to turn pro. “That’s it for me, maybe I’ll retire.”

But Cantu also admitted to having at least one goal, which he has not yet achieved. “I still have not won our home poker game tournament,” he said. “It has a $20 buy-in. They all keep making fun of me that I never win. When I win that one, my life will be complete.”

by Nolan Dalla

Overall Tournament Statistics (through end of Event #2):
Total Entries to Date: 4,008
Total Prize Money Distributed: $ 4,343,640

Poker Headlines - Friday, June 30

McDaniel College Student to Play in World Series of Poker - WTOP Radio Network

High-stakes poker tournament coming to Singapore - Manila Bulletin

The Hendon Mob Launch Poker News and Entertainment Service For Mobiles - PR Web via Yahoo! News

The Summer Season of The Online Poker League Starts this Weekend - PR Web via Yahoo! News

'05 World Series of Poker winner says he's got target on his head - Las Vegas Sun

More bloody Poker! - Club Skill

Understanding Poker Odds Continued - PokerMag.com

Poker Guide Sponsors Adventure Racing - OUTDOORNEWSWIRE

Poker, Just For Kicks - PokerMag.com

Celebrity poker players head for final `Showdown' - Miami Herald

Video Poker May Be Headed To Tracks - Today's THV

Station debuts poker show - Greeley Tribune

2006 World Series of Poker Opens with Second-Biggest Live Poker Tournament - Poker Player Online

WSOP Event 1 - Casino Employees World Championship

Chris Gros Wins First Event at the 2006 World Series of Poker!
Casino Employees World Poker Championship Shatters All-Time Attendance Record – with 1,232 Entries

No-Limit Hold’em
Number of Entries: 1,232
Total Prize Money: $554,850

Official Results (Final Table):
1st Place, Chris Gros, Henderson, NV, $127,616
2nd Place, Bryan Devonshire, Burnsville, MN, 66,582
3rd Place, R.J. Wright, Las Vegas, NV, 38,531
4th Place, Scott Clark, Las Vegas, NV, 27,720
5th Place, Christopher Himmenger, Las Vegas, NV, 22,176
6th Place, Craig Federspiel, Las Vegas, NV, 19,404
7th Place, David Wortham, Hemet, CA, 16,632
8th Place, Marsha Waggoner, Downey, CA, 13,860
9th Place, Barry Goldberg, Las Vegas, NV, 12,474
10th Place, Alejandro Posso, Sunrise, FL, 11,088

Las Vegas, NV -- On most days and nights, players in the “Casino Employees World Poker Championship” can be found providing customer service to the guests of their respective casino and hotel properties. On this day however, the concept of hospitality was the farthest thing from any of their minds.

As well it should have been.

The all-time record field of 1.232 participants competed for a total prize pool of $554,850 in the traditional kick-off to the six-week long World Series of Poker Tournament held at the Rio All-Suites Hotel and Casino. The tournament paid out the top 101 finishers as follows:

1. Chris Gros, Henderson, NV, $127,506
2. Bryan Devonshire, Burnsville, MN, $66,582
3. R.J. Wright, Las Vegas, NV, $38,531
4. Scott Clark, Las Vegas, NV, $22,720
5. Christopher Himmenger, Las Vegas, NV, $22,176
6. Craig Federspiel, Las Vegas, NV, $19,404
7. David Wortham, Hemet, CA, $16,632
8. Marsha Waggoner, Downey, CA, $13,860
9. Barry Goldberg, Las Vegas, NV, $12,474
10. Alejandro Posso, Sunrise, FL, $11,088
11. Rodney Lacsamana, Temecula, CA, $10,256
12. Eric Losee, Mt. Pleasant, MI, $9,425
13. Jackson Young, Las Vegas, NV, $8,593
14. Melissa Poff, THC, Indiana, $7,762
15. Florian Sutalo, Renton, WA, $6,930
16. Eric Rindal, Aurora, IL, $6,098
17. Lance Dillenberg, N/A, $5,267
18. Ed Martin, Las Vegas, NV, $4,435
19. Lydia Chang, Las Vegas, NV, $3,604
20. Randall Garza, Henderson, NV, $3,604
21. Angeliot Trinidad, Las Vegas, NV, $3,604
22. Ngoc Dang, Santee, CA, $3,604
23. Ronald Marks, Las Vegas, NV, $3,604
24. Aaron Bass, Las Vegas, NV, $3,604
25. Michael Jones, Tampa, FL, $3,604
26. Thanh Huyntt, Las Vegas, NV, $3,604
27. Frederick Narciso, Las Vegas, NV, $3,604
28. Bryan Connole, Palm Springs, CA, $2,772
29. Sonny Lee, Las Vegas, NV, $2,772
30. Inti Garcia, Las Vegas, NV, $2,772
31. Jonathan Job, Houston, TX, $2,772
32. Brian Petersen, Las Vegas, NV, $2,772
33. Michael Bond, Las Vegas, NV, $2,772
34. Gregory Eichhorn, Las Vegas, NV, $2,772
35. John Vasher, Lake Orion, MI, $2,772
36. Dustin Howes, Hayward, CA, $2,772
37. Arnim Temmle, Dortmund, GM, $2,218
38. Jason Seitz, Shakopee, MN, $2,218
39. Michael Enea, Stockton, CA, $2,218
40. Gerold Hills, Gilbert, AZ, $2,218
41. Lucia Gabor, Las Vegas, NV, $2,218
42. Marcus Pruitt, Los Angeles, CA, $2,218
43. Lorinda Ahlgren, Las Vegas, NV, $2,218
44. Robert Pacleb, Vallejo, CA, $2,218
45. Gregory Brenner, Palm Desert, CA, $2,218
46. Curisa Schweibenger, N/A, $1,663
47. Edward Long, El Cajon, CA, $1,663
48. Brian White, Las Vegas, NV, $1,663
49. Keith Maclaine, Las Vegas, NV, $1,663
50. Kyle Weurding, Las Vegas, NV, $1,663
51. Kelly Dora, St. Clair Shores, MI, $1,663
52. Matthew Voorhees, Englewood, CO, $1,663
53. Phillip Wong, Mesa, AZ, $1,663
54. John Hopkins, El Caton, CA, $1,663
55. Henry Karevowski, Incline Village, NV, $1,386
56. Nikkailette Letran, Keiut, WA, $1,386
57. Jake Nowatchik, Milwaukie, OR, $1,386
58. Charles Clark, Windbear, PA, $1,386
59. Michael Allen, Las Vegas, NV, $1,386
60. Donnalee Polgar, Las Vegas, NV, $1,386
61. Victor Randall, New Caney, TX, $1,386
62. William Hagen, San Jose, CA, $1,386
63. Leonidas Vargas, Las Vegas, NV, $1,386
64. Thomas Shue, Las Vegas, NV, $1,109
65. Richard Pecorello, Sherrill, NY, $1,109
66. Anthony Zeichick, Las Vegas, NV, $1,109
67. Scott Bean Jr., Reno, NV, $1,109
68. Matthew Rhinerson, Las Vegas, NV, $1,109
69. Todd Dobereiner, Davenport, IA, $1,109
70. Shawn Karmil, Mill Creek, WA, $1,109
71. Matthew Hardesty, Las Vegas, NV, $1,109
72. Richard T. Gatewood, Las Vegas, NV, $1,109
73. Randall Shur, Henderson, CO, $1,109
74. David Day, Las Vegas, NV, $1,109
75. Joseph Bodrogi, Henderson, NV, $1,109
76. Patrick Filomena, Henderson, NV, $1,109
77. Joseph Bilckenstaff, Henderson, NV, $1,109
78. Scott Johnson, Las Vegas, NV, $1,109
79. Jobie Cross, Marana, AZ, $1,109
80. Stephen Angeles, Las Vegas, NV, $1,109
81. Unknown, Unknown, $1,109
82. Amanda G. Wheeler, Las Vegas, NV, $832
83. Mohammad Fathipour, Woodland Hills, CA, $832
84. Neal Lipman, Las Vegas, NV, $832
85. Brian David Kooymar, Hanford, CA, $832
86. Woody Rivero, Las Vegas, NV, $832
87. Ari Mzrachi, Las Vegas, NV, $832
88. Lisa Brumbeloe, Auburn, CA, $832
89. Richard Haughey, Las Vegas, NV, $832
90. James W. Riley III, Las Vegas, NV, $832
91. Jesse Petrakis, Napa, CA, $832
92. Justo Gutrerrez, Arruyo Seco, NM, $832
93. Robert Alan Vaneerde, Las Vegas, NV, $832
94. James Margellos, Las Vegas, NV, $832
95. Ashley Young, Pleasanton, CA, $594
96. Curtis Wood, Las Vegas, NV, $594
97. James Gorczyca, Henderson, NV, $594
98. Hank Ritchey, Las Vegas, NV, $594
99. Ryan Kirk, Federal Way, WA, $594
100. Brian Johnson, Arcata, CA, $594
101. Joshua McBroom, Las Vegas, NV, $594

The ten players at the final table displayed an array of individuals vying for the $127,616 first prize and coveted WSOP championship gold bracelet. The lone female finalist, Marsha Waggoner was unwavering when asked how she felt as the only woman at the table. “This is where I belong,” she replied with a confident grin.

10th Place Finisher -- Alejandro Posso.
After a spell of little action in the early rounds, Alejandro Posso moved all-in with pocket kings. For Posso, opportunity quickly turned into a devastating instance of bad timing as Christopher Himmenger called and showed pocket aces. The flop of 3h 3c 8h did nothing for Posso, representing The Seminole Hard Rock Casino in Hollywood, Florida. The turn showed the 4d, while a Qs on the river sealed the Columbian-born poker dealer’s 10th place finish.

9th Place Finisher -- Barry Goldberg
A little more than an hour later, Barry Goldberg moved all in with Ac-Jd and R.J. Wright quickly called. Wright’s dominating Ad-Qc ended Goldberg’s bid as the flop showed 9s, 10s, 3d followed by a benign 5d at the turn and a 10d on the river.

8th Place Finisher -- Marsha Waggoner
The Brisbane, Australia native took home $13,860 after finishing in 8th place. An executive host for Hollywood Park in Inglewood, California, Waggoner beat out 1,227 other competitors before being eliminated.

7th Place Finisher -- David Wortham
Originally from Atlanta, GA, Wortham played a tight game at the final table, doubling-up when the opportunity presented itself. However, what seemed to be an opportunity turned into a bust as his pocket Queens were trumped by Bryan Devonshire’s pocket Aces. Luck was not a lady that night as Devonshire’s rockets held-up against Wortham.

6th Place Finisher -- Craig Federspiel
Moving all-in with pocket Jacks, Federspiel was called by Chris Gros who turned over what else? Pocket Aces. The Mirage Las Vegas dealer originally from Louisville, KY who holds a Bachelor’s Degree from UNC Chapel Hill was eliminated as Gros’s aces held up.

5th Place Finisher-Chris Himmenger
With the blinds increased to $4,000-$8,000, Chris Himmenger moved all-in for $49,000 and R.J. Wright obliged. Himmenger, a waiter at Binion’s Casino in Las Vegas turned over As-6h. Wright showed 10s-9s. The flop came 2c - 7c - 7s. An 8h at the turn gave Wright an open-ended straight draw while the Jh on the river completed the straight and busted Himmenger.

4th Place Finisher -- Scott Clark
After watching his colossal chip-count slowly diminish, Clark, a 25-year old dealer at the Rio Las Vegas pushed his remaining stack into the pot. Once again, R.J. Wright sensed opportunity and called. Clark, or “Scooter” as his friends and family affectionately call him, showed pocket fives. Wright turns over Ad-3s. It was bad news for Clark as the flop showed Ac, 4s, 9c. Wright eliminated his third opponent at the final table as the turn came with an 8s and the river showed Qc.

3rd place Finisher -- R.J. Wright
Only a couple of hands later, the “eliminator” became the “eliminated” when Wright went all-in after a flop of 6d, 2d, 2h, re-raising Chris Gros’s 200K bet. Gros called and showed Ks-Qs. Wright, a New Jersey native and dealer at the Luxor in Las Vegas, turned over the better hand, As-5d. The turn brought the 3h. A Kc on the river prompted a loud eruption from spectators as Wright was eliminated.

Heads-Up Action -- Chris Gros vs. Bryan Devonshire
After a number of alternating re-raises and folds between the two finalists, Gros, a dealer at Caesar’s Palace called 24-year-old Devonshire’s 30K pre-flop re-raise. After a flop of 3s, 3d, 8h, Devonshire, a semi-professional poker player from Burnsville, MN bet $45,000. Gros re-raised to 100K and Devonshire moved all-in. Chris Gros, a St. Louis native who holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Biology called and revealed that he caught trip 3’s with 4h,-3c in his hand. Devonshire turned over Ac-Kc. A 10h at the turn and a 7s on the river made Gros the champion of the opening 2006 World Series of Poker event.

“Oh my God,” replied Gros when asked how it felt to be a WSOP bracelet winner. “I don’t know what’s more exiting, not having to make another mortgage payment or winning the bracelet. It is something that I will always have.”

by Alan Fowler (WSOP Staff)

Bigger and bigger

With 2,305 players, last year's second event at the WSOP was the third-largest poker tournament ever, ranking behind only the 2005 and 2004 main events, respectively. Not anymore.

This year's second event sold out at 2,700 players. Carlos Mortenson leads the pack after day 1.

Justice delivered

Before this little issue gets lost in all the news coming out of the World Series of Poker, I should probably update everyone on the results of my complaint about the frozen tournament I played last week.

Briefly, I played a $5 tournament that had gotten down to 21 players when the server crashed and the tourney was cancelled. The top 20 were supposed to be paid, so we had already eliminated most of the field before the crash. However, afterwards, all I received was a $5 tournament ticket, and I was hopping mad because I was entitled to a bit more.

Anyway, I wrote a nasty complaint to the poker site where I was playing and didn't hear from them for several days. Saturday, after three days of waiting, I finally got a response. Essentially, they divided the $2,100 prize pool equally among the 21 players left, and I got $100. That was great for me, since I was pretty short-stacked at the time and had figured that, if they paid out according to stack size, I would have been due only around $35. Of course, I would probably feel differently about this resolution had I been one of the chip leaders at the time of the crash, but at least this was an attempt to resolve the situation. Anyway, if memory serves, the $100 payout was roughly equivalent to either a fifth- or sixth-place finish, and even an overwhelming chip leader at that point wouldn't have been guaranteed of finishing any higher than that, had the tournament played out, so this resolution was pretty fair, in my eyes.

Enough of that. It's time to get back to eagerly waiting for tidbits from the WSOP. In the meantime, here are the poker stories making headlines across the web:

Poker Headlines - Wednesday, June 28

Parents Concerned About Library Poker Games - WCVB TheBostonChannel.com via Yahoo! News

Commentary: Move over, poker, ESPN now delivers dominoes - The Columbus Dispatch

Construction firm founded with poker winnings turns 60 - The Toledo Blade

Everest Poker Players Put on Strong Showing at the WPT Grand Prix de Paris - PR Web via Yahoo! News

Players' World Series of Poker Dreams Saved - PR Web via Yahoo! News

Card Shark Media and Card Player Magazine Launch First-Ever Daily Poker Column for Newspapers - Business Wire via Yahoo! Finance

The World Poker Store Announces a Four for One Forward Stock Split - SYS-CON Media

Proliferation Of Poker: Really Big Deal - Rolling Good Times

Group Aims to Convince Lawmakers to Legalize Poker in Texas - CardPlayer.com

Poker's greatest ambassador and popular television commentator win Tournament of Champions - Poker Player Online

New venues for World Poker Tour - QCK

Largest, Richest and Most Prestigious Live Poker Event Begins - casinos.ch

The Final Hand from the 1993 World Series of Poker Championship - CardPlayer.com

World Series of Poker 2006 Set for Take-Off! - PokerNews.com

POLAND TOPS IN INTERNATIONAL POKER CONTEST - Online-Casinos.com

Twelve New Online Casinos and Poker Rooms Receive eCOGRA 'Play It Safe' seals - Bolsamania.com

WSOP Tournament of Champions

Official Results:
1st Place, Mike Sexton, Las Vegas, NV, $1,000,000
2nd Place, Daniel Negreanu, Las Vegas, NV, 325,000
3rd Place, Mike Matusow, Las Vegas, NV, 250,000
4th Place, Chris Reslock, Atlantic City, NJ, 150,000
5th Place, Andrew Black, Dublin, Ireland, 100,000
6th Place, Darrell Dicken, Waterloo, IA, 75,000
7th Place, Chris “Jesus” Ferguson, Pacific Palisades, CA, 50,000
8th Place, Kido Pham, Dallas, TX, 25,000
9th Place, Daniel Bergsdorf, Umea, Sweden, 25,000

LAS VEGAS, Nev. -- The third-annual Tournament of Champions concluded today at the Rio All-Suites Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. TOC competitors included the top World Series of Poker and WSOP Circuit players of the past year. The high-level of competition and intense play makes the TOC one of the most prestigious titles in poker.

The special by-invitation-only tournament offered up a total prize pool of $2 million – including a one-million dollar first-prize. For all 27 players -- the special event cost nothing to enter. All prize money was posted by Harrah’s Entertainment and its corporate partners -- including Sobe Adrenaline Rush (energy drink) and PartyPoker.net (online poker school).

The invited list of players this year included each of the WSOP Circuit event winners from August 2005 through June 2006 (12 seats). Players who made it to the final table of the 2005 WSOP main event were also included (nine seats). The remaining places were filled by individuals selected by Harrah’s Entertainment and its sponsors (six seats). Those players ranged from poker legend and two-time WSOP champion Doyle Brunson, to Sarah Strong, who beat out 100,000 competitors to win sandwich-king Quizno’s special promotional qualifying tournament. However, neither player would survive past the first day.

With so much prize money and bragging rights for one of poker’s most prominent titles up for grabs, ESPN, the leader in sports television, was present to film the entire two-day event for a later broadcast.

Seventeen of 27 starters busted-out yesterday on Day One. The ten finalists returned to the Rio for Day Two. The final table’s composition was truly international. Finalists were born in six different nations, representing four different countries – the USA, Sweden, Ireland, and Denmark.

Seat 1: Kido Pham
Seat 2: Chris “Jesus” Ferguson
Seat 3: Darrell Dicken
Seat 4: Mike “the Mouth” Matusow
Seat 5: Daniel Negreanu
Seat 6: Andrew Black
Seat 7: Mike Sexton
Seat 8: Gus Hansen
Seat 9: Chris Reslock
Seat 10: Daniel Bergsdorf

Andrew Black arrived as the chip leader, with a commanding 2 to 1 chip lead over his closest rival, Daniel Negreanu. One unfortunate player would be forced to make an unpaid appearance at the final table. Since only the top-nine finishers received prize money, the unlucky tenth-place finisher had the cruel misfortune to make it to a final table, yet walk away penniless.

That unlucky tenth-place finisher turned out to be Gus Hansen, one of poker’s most feared and respected top professionals. “The Great Dane” arrived with the second-lowest stack stick and went out quickly. Despite his success at tournaments elsewhere, Hansen has yet to win a WSOP-related event and seems way overdue for a breakthrough victory. Hansen exited to a round of applause from the crowd and sighs of relief from the remaining nine players, who were guaranteed prize money once the nine finalists were set.

Daniel Bergsdorf was the next player to be eliminated. About an hour into play, the Swede who finished seventh in the WSOP main event last year, moved all-in with pocket kings after the flop came J-9-8. Unbeknownst to Bergsdorf, opponent Daniel Negreanu had flopped a monster hand, holding queen-ten -- good for a straight. Bergsdorf failed to improve and finished in ninth place, which paid $25,000.

Kido Pham, who won the Bally’s WSOP Circuit championship held in Las Vegas last year, went out next. Pham was low on chips and tried to steal with a weak hand. Andrew Black made the call, caught a pair, and ended Pham’s dream of becoming a millionaire. Eighth place paid $25,000.

One of the tournament’s most decisive hands occurred mid-way into the finale. The hand completely altered the fortune of at least two players, and set the stage for the remainder of the tournament. Daniel Negreanu was dealt pocket kings and called an all-in re-raise by Andrew Black, holding ace-king. It’s rare in tournament poker to see a confrontation between the two largest chip stacks, but this is precisely what happened. The kings held up and Negreanu rocketed up into the chip lead for the first time. In an instant, Black’s humongous chip stack went from a castle to a farmhouse.

Chris “Jesus” Ferguson, the 2000 world poker champion and five-time WSOP gold bracelet winner, was low on chips throughout play. He finally busted-out when his pocket sixes were flattened by Darrell Dicken’s pocket eights. Neither player improved, so the higher pair won. Ferguson collected $50,000 for finishing seventh.
“At the end, it was necessary to make a move,” Ferguson later explained. “I made a move and got called by a better hand – it’s that simple….I’m not really happy with seventh place, but you can’t win them all.”

The WSOP Circuit champion from Harrah’s Rincon, near San Diego, went out in sixth place. On his last hand, Darrell "Gigabet" Dicken moved in on a semi-bluff with a diamond flush draw. Mike Sexton had top pair (kings) and called. Dicken failed to catch a much-needed diamond, and picked up $75,000 for two days of poker playing.

Andrew Black, who suffered a brutally disappointing experience at this final table, became the tournament’s next fatality. With his massive chip advantage at the start, Black certainly expected to finish higher than fifth. But he could not overcome the big loss to Negreanu. Black went out on a flush draw with king-nine suited, but missed. Mike Matusow anxiously scooped up and meticulously stacked Black’s final chips, making the mystical Irishman the latest final table outcast. Black’s prize amounted to $100,000.

East Coast poker champion Chris Reslock won the WSOP Circuit main event at the Atlantic City Showboat, held last year. He held tough at the final table, finishing fourth, despite arriving as the player lowest in chips. On his final hand, Reslock was dealt ten-nine and flopped a pair of tens. Daniel Negreanu also flopped a pair of tens, with a king-kicker. The higher side-card played, and Reslock was busted. The former Atlantic City taxi driver rode away with a ‘fare’ amount of cash -- $150,000 for fourth place.

Trickled down to a trio, it was fitting that the three TOC finalists were among the most well-known poker personalities in the world. Although quite different in background and temperament – Mike Sexton, Daniel Negreanu, and Mike Matusow have all captured the public’s imagination and attention in very dissimilar ways. The verbal fireworks that many in the standing-only crowd were anticipating went off almost immediately. Matusow consistently baited his favorite target, Negreanu which only encouraged a combative and comedic rebuttal, more often than not leaving the entire table in stitches. Even the calm and collected Mike Sexton broke up a few times, making it seem like the audience was watching a modern-day performance by poker’s version of “the Rat Pack” rather than an intense multi-million dollar tournament.
After trading chips back and forth for over an hour, the next major confrontation took place when Mike Matusow admittedly made a mental mistake and “slipped.” Matusow’s fateful hand started off innocently enough, with Mike Sexton making a standard raise with pocket sevens. Matusow had A-4 and re-raised all-in. Sexton contemplated his decision for a time and finally decided to call. Judging by the look of despair on his face, Matusow knew he was in trouble. Predictably, the sevens turned out to be lucky for Sexton, and the defending champ was out. Matusow’s share of the prize money amounted to $250,000.

“I got tired. I played spectacular most of the day. I was in ‘the zone,’ but I slipped,” Matusow admitted afterward. “On the final hand I pressed too hard, and I lost. Mike played amazing poker. I’ve played against him a thousand times. He made the right call. I am the first to say I was defeated.”

As ESPN cameras rolled in a post-tournament interview, the normally bombastic Matusow reserved his harshest criticism for himself. “I wanted to defend my title so bad,” he said. “It sucks, especially because I am the one who screwed up.”
If Matusow was feeling exhausted as the tournament entered a third unscheduled day, he had no inclination of the unexpected test of mental and physical dexterity that was to befall the two finalists. When heads-up play began, Mike Sexton enjoyed a slight chip lead over Daniel Negreanu – 1,488,000 to 1,212,000. The duo would duel for more than five hours, initially trading the chip lead back and forth. But as the night grew longer and morning came to light, it was Sexton who was both more aggressive and appeared to catch a more favorable run of cards in the tournament’s later stages. As the clock inched toward 4 am, Sexton had improved to a 3 to 1 chip lead and the end seemed eminent.

But poker tournaments are often impossible to predict. One hour later, Negreanu reversed Sexton’s advantage and seized a 3 to 2 chip lead. With all but the most hardcore poker aficionados still conscious, a late break from the action revealed the exceptional desire to win burning within the two former poker champions. Negreanu approached the press table and candidly stated, “Whoever wins this tournament will really have something to be proud of. There has been some great poker played here over the last several hours.”

No one could, or would, dare argue. In fact, it became obvious that both players essentially played mistake-free poker for a total of 17 hours. In the end, one critical yet erratic hand, two cards randomly passed between the arched fingers of two phenomenal players would ultimately make a champion out of one player and the other a heartbroken victim of chance.

That hand took place when Sexton was dealt king-queen. Negreanu was dealt queen-jack (two diamonds). After the flop came K-8-4 with two diamonds, Negreanu (on a diamond flush draw) moved all-in and Sexton (holding top pair) called. Two non-diamond blanks fell on the turn and river, and Sexton regained the chip lead – this time about 4 to 1 over his adversary. Negreanu was unable to recover from that devastating blow.

Then, the clock struck six. With both players visibly weary from the dusk to dawn duel of staying power, the final hand of the TOC was dealt at 6:07 am PST. Negreanu, with queen-jack moved all-in with two overcards and a straight draw after the flop came 10-8-4. Sexton, with pocket aces, could not move his chips into the pot fast enough. An ace on the turn seemed to be a big card for Sexton, but it actually helped Negreanu considerably more. He picked up four additional out (four kings to make a straight). But an eight on the river paired the board, giving Sexton a full house – aces over eights – and his first WSOP-related victory in more than 17 years.

It was tough to see if Negreanu was more disappointed or fatigued afterward. The three-time WSOP gold bracelet winner expressed no regrets. “It was really tough – there were a lot of great of players at this final table,” said Negreanu. “Looking back, I really do not have any regrets about the way I played my hands. I must have missed just about every big draw I had, and that cost me in the end.”

Mike Sexton’s victory was well-deserved for many reasons. Sexton won his only WSOP gold bracelet back in 1989, in the game of seven-card stud eight-or-better. But due to the demands of his celebrity as a poker commentator on television, Sexton has not been able to play in as many tournaments as he would like.

“I am so happy to win,” a choked up Sexton said in a post-victory interview. “To win the million-dollar prize and this title means everything to me. But to be perfectly honest, there is nothing quite like that feeling when you win your first (gold bracelet) at the World Series of Poker. To come back again all these years later and win this tournament, especially against such tremendous competition, in addition to defeating a great champion like Daniel Negreanu after five hours, really makes me proud.”

At the start of the tournament, Sexton – the eternal goodwill ambassador – pledged half of his TOC win to charity. That means a collection of Sexton’s favorite charities will split a whooping half-million dollars. “I have been blessed with so much good fortune,” Sexton said. “I really want to give something back from the game that has been so good to me and has taught me so many things.”

The win was special for at least one more reason. Back in 1998, long before the current poker craze, Sexton had a grand vision for an exclusive yearly poker tournament which would only feature the greatest poker champions. That tournament, both in name and concept, eventually became the “Tournament of Champions.”

Nearly a decade later, Sexton would win the very tournament he helped to inspire.

“When I first helped to create the TOC concept, it was really ahead of its time,” said Sexton. “I am thrilled to see (Harrah’s Entertainment) take that idea and create its own World Series of Poker-version of the TOC. Of course to actually play in it and win it – well, that’s justice.”

by Nolan Dalla

It's over!

Word is that Mike Sexton has finally outlasted Daniel Negreanu in the WSOP Tournament of Champions. Sexton apparently won the event in style, taking down the final hand with pocket rockets.

I am still waiting for the tournament report and will post it as soon as I receive it.

Negreanu vs. Sexton slugfest

Here's the latest update from the WSOP Tournament of Champions, and it looks like it is one for the ages.

The TOC final table began at 1 pm PST on Monday, June 26th. Over sixteen hours later, at 5:15 am on Tuesday June 27th, two players still remain. DANIEL NEGREANU is playing heads-up versus MIKE SEXTON. The final duo has been playing one-on-one for nearly five consecutive hours.

What a way to kick off the World Series. Stay tuned for the final result of this one.

Merry WSOP-mas!

Today's the day I begin giggling like a school girl.

The 2006 World Series of Poker gets underway today, although it's only the casino employee tournament to start. Tomorrow the real action begins, with the $1,500 NLHE. As the most affordable version of the most popular form of poker, expect that one to be jam-packed. Remember, last year's event #2 ranks as the third-largest poker tournament ever, behind only the 2005 and 2004 main events.

And, once again, I'm not going to be there. I still hold out hope that one day in the not-too-distant future I will be able to be able to make the pilgrimage to poker's Mecca, but I've not gotten there yet. Bummer.

But still, I will be hanging on every bit of news to come out of the tournament and, once again, I'll be happy to pass it along here. I'm signed up to receive all the tournament reports and press releases out of the WSOP, so you will be able to find them all here.

In fact, because they've changed things up a little this year, holding the Tournament of Champions before the rest of the action (it got started yesterday) we already have some information to pass along. Here's the action so far and composition of a final table that should have a little something for every poker fan:

Black Back on the Attack!

Rio Hosts the 2006 Tournament of Champions

No-Limit Hold’em
Number of Entries: 27
Total Prize Money: $2,000,000

Current Standings:
1. Andrew Black, Dublin, Ireland, 94,175
2. Daniel Negreanu, Las Vegas, NV, 44,325
3. Daniel Bergsdorf, Umea, Sweden, 24,500
4. Kido Pham, Dallas, TX, 23,825
5. Mike Matusow, Las Vegas, NV, 21,300
6. Chris “Jesus” Ferguson, Pacific Palisades, CA, 16,600
7. Mike Sexton, Las Vegas, NV, 16,100
8. Darrell Dicken, Las Vegas, NV, 15,425
9. Gus Hansen, Copenhagen, Denmark, 7,375
10. Chris Reslock, Atlantic City, NJ, 6,375

As final table begins, Irishman Andrew Black is the chip leader,
Daniel Negreanu a distant second, eight more round-out the field

Las Vegas, NV -- The third annual Tournament of Champions kicked off today at the Rio All-Suites Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. The TOC is a one-of-a-kind freeroll competition consisting of the top World Series of Poker and WSOP Circuit players of the past year. The high-level of competition makes the tournament one of the toughest events to win in poker. Annie Duke was victorious the inaugural TOC held in 2004. Last year, Mike “the Mouth” Matusow won the championship.

The invitational tournament offers a total prize pool of $2 million – including a million-dollar first-prize. Nine places will be paid. For all players -- the special event cost nothing to enter, as all prize money is posted by Harrah’s Entertainment and its esteemed corporate partners -- including Sobe Adrenaline Rush (energy drink) and PartyPoker.net (online poker school).

The 27 invited players this year included all of the WSOP Circuit event winners from August 2005 through June 2006 (12 seats). Players who made it to the final table of the 2005 WSOP main event were also invited (nine seats). The remaining seats were filled by individuals selected by Harrah’s Entertainment and its sponsors (six seats). Those players ranged from poker legend and two-time WSOP champion Doyle Brunson, to Sarah Strong, who beat out 100,000 competitors to win sandwich-king Quizno’s special promotional qualifying tournament.

With so much prize money and bragging rights for one of poker’s most prestigious titles at stake, ESPN was on hand to film the entire event for future broadcast.

On Day One, 17 players busted-out. Players were eliminated in the following order:

27th – Abe Korotki went out first when he flopped a set of eights against Daniel Negreanu’s set of jacks. The higher set won.

26th – 1989 WSOP champion Phil Hellmuth went out early when his Q-Q was flattened by 2000 WSOP champion Chris “Jesus” Ferguson.

25th – Greg Merkow flopped top pair but lost to Gus Hansen’s 6-6 when “The Great Dane” caught a six, good for a set.

24th – Peter Feldman was dealt 4-4 and had the best hand until Chris “Jesus” Ferguson caught a jack on the river to go with A-J. Feldman went out 24th.

23rd – Steve Dannenmann was eliminated when his 8-8 lost in a big three-way pot with Daniel Negreanu and Joe Hachem. Negreanu had A-Q and flopped an ace, putting Dannenmann out of the tournament.

22nd – The reigning world poker champion Joe Hachem had the best hand when he moved all-in with Q-Q. Steve Dannenmann was all-in as well, holding 8-8. Daniel Negreanu had A-Q and caught an ace on the flop, eliminating the top two finishers of the 2005 WSOP in one single hand.

21st – Jeff King started his final hand with A-K but lost to Andrew Black’s 9-9. A nine came on the river, which was the crowing blow for King.

20th – Law student Brad Kondracki busted out with A-J. He ran into Chris “Jesus” Ferguson’s Q-Q. A queen came on the turn and ended Kondracki’s hopes of a winning verdict.

19th – Sarah Strom, a crowd favorite, showed she could play poker with the best. She outlasted champions Hachem and Hellmuth, and might have finished higher had it not been for some very bad luck. Strom was low on chips and moved all-in with A-Q against Daniel Negreanu, holding an embarrassingly bad hand – 5-2. When the flop came A-3-4 giving Negreanu a straight, he went over and gave Strom a conciliatory hug. Strom smiled and waved to the crowd. She could be proud of her play in this tournament.

18th – John Spadavecchia, a veteran of many poker battles lost this one when he played an A-8 aggressively and missed, losing to Doyle Brunson when the final board showed J-10-7-8-5.

17th – Mike O’Malley busted-out when his A-Q was crushed by Daniel Negreanu’s 3-2. It proved to be yet another weak hand that turned into a monster. O’Malley moved all-in holding top pair when an ace flopped, and Negreanu called with a pair of threes. Another three fell on the turn (good for three-of-a-kind) and O’Malley waved goodbye.

16th – Vinny Vinh went out with 6-6 against Chris Reslock’s 7-7. Reslock would be a giant killer over the next hour, as he eliminated three consecutive players.

15th – Clint Baskin was eliminated when his 9-9 was cracked by Chris Reslock’s A-K. Reslock rivered a king, and Baskin melted away in 15th place.

14th – Tex Barch was short on chips and moved in with J-9 against Chris Reslock’s K-Q. Reslock made a pair. Barch didn’t. Barch went home.

13th – Poker icon Doyle “Texas Dolly” Brunson went out in unlucky 13th place when his K-Q lost to Aaron Kanto’s Q-Q.

12th – Scott Lazar, a movie producer in Hollywood, went out next with A-K against Kido Pham’s Q-Q. Lazar failed to make a pair, and was cut from the script in 12th place.

11th – Aaron Kantor took a tough beat when his A-K lost to Andrew Black’s A-10. Black flopped two pair (aces and tens) and Kantor was left wondering what went wrong and ended up going out just short of the money.

That left ten players to return tomorrow for the final table. The ten finalists, born in six different nations, represent four different countries – USA, Sweden, Ireland, and Denmark. The ten finalists of the 2006 Tournament of Champions consist of the following players:

Seat 1: Kido Pham
Thang “Kido” Pham was born in Vietnam and now lives in Dallas. He pulled off a major upset in the Bally’s Las Vegas WSOP Circuit championship and arrives at the final table in fourth place.

Seat 2: Chris “Jesus” Ferguson
Chris Ferguson is one of the world’s most popular poker players. He won the WSOP in 2000, and currently owns five gold bracelets. He arrives at this final table in the middle of the pack.

Seat 3: Darrell Dicken
Darrell Dicken, a.k.a. “GigaBet” won the WSOP Circuit championship at Harrah’s Rincon, near San Diego. He arrives with a modest chip stack.

Seat 4: Mike “the Mouth” Matusow
The defending champion of this event is Mike Matusow, who won last year’s $1 million top prize. He also finished ninth in the WSOP main event last year, earning another $1 million. Should he repeat as TOC champion, he would truly be the million-dollar man.

Seat 5: Daniel Negreanu
Canadian-born Daniel Negreanu now lives in Las Vegas. When he won his first WSOP gold bracelet in 1998, he was the youngest winner in WSOP history at the time. He now owns three gold bracelets and arrives second in the chip count.

Seat 6: Andrew Black
Andrew Black finished fifth in the WSOP main event last year, earning $1.75 million. The mystical Irishman is clearly on a mission here and arrives with an impressive chip lead – twice the amount of chips as his closest rival.

Seat 7: Mike Sexton
Mike Sexton has evolved into one of poker’s greatest ambassadors and is one of the game’s most recognizable faces. Sexton is a widely-respected television poker commentator and writer and won a WSOP gold bracelet in 1989.

Seat 8: Gus Hansen
“The Great Dane” is one of poker’s most aggressive players. He has enjoyed much success in poker – yet for all his poker glory, he has yet to win a WSOP gold bracelet. He has a big challenge at the final table, as the player in ninth position.

Seat 9: Chris Reslock
Chris Reslock won the Showboat Atlantic City WSOP Circuit championship. He was tough on the first day, eliminating three players. But he ran cold towards the end of Day One and arrives at the final table as the shortest stack.

Seat 10: Daniel Bergsdorf
Daniel Bergsdorf finished seventh in the WSOP main event last year, earning $1.3 million. The Swede is third in chips at the start of the final table.

Prize money will be distributed, as follows:

1st Place -- $1,000,000
2nd Place – 325,000
3rd Place – 250,000
4th Place – 150,000
5th Place – 100,000
6th Place – 75,000
7th Place – 50,000
8th Place – 25,000
9th Place – 25,000

Final table play starts on Monday, June 26 at 12 noon PST.

by Nolan Dalla

WSOP TV schedule

Hot off the press, the air dates for this year's World Series of Poker are out.

This year, they're doing things a little ass-backwards compared to previous years. Like last year, they will be showing the WSOP Circuit events first, but then they switch gears and go directly to the main event, spread over 12 hours over six weeks.

The preliminary events won't be shown until after their main event coverage is complete, and once again it is mostly a hold'em affair. Only two episodes over the entire run are games other than hold'em -- the $10,000 Omaha championship and the new $50,000 HORSE championship. No stud, no razz, nothing but hold'em during 30 out of 32 hours of programming. There are not even any limit hold'em events planned for broadcast, although they are showing two pot-limit hold'em events.

Here's the full list:

Circuit Championships
July 18 8 p.m. Harrah's New Orleans
July 18 9 p.m. Harrah's New Orleans
July 25 8 p.m. Showboat Atlantic City
July 25 9 p.m. Bally's Las Vegas
August 1 8 p.m. Bally's Las Vegas
August 1 9 p.m. Bally's Las Vegas
August 8 8 p.m. Grand Casino Tunica
August 8 9 p.m. Grand Casino Tunica
August 15 8 p.m. Grand Casino Tunica
August 15 9 p.m. Grand Casino Tunica

World Series of Poker Main Event
August 22 8 p.m. Main Event/$10,000
August 22 9 p.m. Main Event/$10,000
August 29 8 p.m. Main Event/$10,000
August 29 9 p.m. Main Event/$10,000
September 5 8 p.m. Main Event/$10,000
September 5 9 p.m. Main Event/$10,000
September 12 8 p.m. Main Event/$10,000
September 12 9 p.m. Main Event/$10,000
September 19 8 p.m. Main Event/$10,000
September 19 9 p.m. Main Event/$10,000
September 26 8 p.m. Main Event/$10,000
September 26 9 p.m. Main Event/$10,000

World Series of Poker Bracelet Championships
October 3 8 p.m. No Limit Hold 'Em/$1500
October 3 9 p.m. Pot Limit Hold 'Em/$1500
October 10 8 p.m. No Limit Hold 'Em/$2500
October 10 9 p.m. No Limit Hold 'Em/$2000
October 17 8 p.m. No Limit Hold 'Em/$1000
October 17 9 p.m. Omaha/$10,000
October 24 8 p.m. No Limit Hold 'Em/$1000
October 24 9 p.m. HORSE/$50,000
October 31 8 p.m. Pot Limit Hold 'Em/$2500
October 31 9 p.m. No Limit Hold 'Em/$2000

I have to say I'm a little disappointed with the programming choices they've made. The poker universe is far more diverse than no-limit hold'em, but you wouldn't know it from this schedule.

To update you on my current dispute with an as-yet-unnamed poker site, I have still received no response to my complaint. This is really starting to piss me off, even more than I already was. If I don't get some satisfaction by Monday, I will be more than ready to start naming names.

UPDATE, 11:25 A.M.: I hadn't looked at the full press release when I got it. I just skipped to the dates and ignored the rest, but here's an interesting nugget I found when I went back for a second read:

"In addition to the regular telecast schedule, poker fans will -- for the first time ever -- have the opportunity to see the Main Event's final table live. For a suggested retail price of $24.95, poker fans can purchase for their TV screens or computers The World Series of Poker Live! -- a new pay-per-view special starting at 3 p.m. Eastern Time on Thursday, August 10. The live coverage will continue until the champion is crowned."

I may need to call in sick that day.

Taking off the kid gloves

I'm a little bit irate today, after apparently getting the shaft from a poker site. I won't name the site at this time, as I am still awaiting a reply from them regarding my complaint and I would like to give them a chance before publicly tearing them a new asshole.

In short, I was playing a tournament yesterday when the server crashed. At the time of the crash, we were waiting for one more player to bust before reaching the money. It was only a $5 tourney, so the amount of money involved isn't really all that important. What is important to me, the more I sit and stew about it, is how the poker site in question has apparently taken advantage of a server crash to steal the players' money.

Full details of what happened can be found in the complaint I have sent to them, which I am pasting below:

Yesterday, I was playing in the $5+.50 rebuy tourney that started at 1:15 p.m. EDT when the server crashed, freezing all of the tournaments then being played. The tournament started with 288 players and, at the time of the crash, there were 21 players left, with the top 20 finishing in the money. At the time of the crash, I was somewhere around 16th or 17th position, and the number 21 player had less than one big blind left.

I contacted support via the Live Chat option to ask what would be done about the frozen tournament, and received a vague reply that you were looking into it and that once you had come to a conclusion, you would notify me by email.

It is now a day later and I have still received no email. However, I checked my account with this site and saw that you have put a $5 tournament ticket in my account. I ask how this can even be remotely fair?

For one, I sincerely doubt that the 267 players who had busted out at the time of the server crash were refunded their buy-ins. Therefore, their $1,468.50 in INITIAL tournament fees has been unfairly taken from the players. That doesn't even count their rebuys.

Second, if for some strange reason you did refund the buy-ins to all 288 players, even though 267 had already busted out at the time of the crash and were not affected by it, I only received my initial buy-in, even though I made a rebuy on the very first hand so I could start the tournament with a double stack. If you have decided to take this unfair approach, then I should be due at least $10.50 for the total amount I contributed to the prize pool. If you didn't refund rebuys, then you have unfairly taken over $600 from the players.

It seems to me that a far more equitable resolution to this would have been to adjust the payouts to 21 players left in the tournament and pay them based on their standing at the time the tournament crashed. Or you could have split the $2,100 prize pool evenly among the remaining players, giving everyone $100. By doing otherwise, you are either stealing the rebuys or stealing the money the busted out players had contributed to the prize pool.

I am highly displeased with how my initial query has been handled (failing to email me with the details of the resolution) and for the apparent mishandling of players' money in the prize pool. I will expect a reply and a satisfactory resolution within 24 hours, as stated on your website, before I forward my complaint to the Kahnawake Gaming Commission.

Thank you for your immediate attention to this matter.

Stay tuned for how this one works out. I will post details as they become available.

Poker Headlines - Thursday, June 22

World Poker Tour(R) Adds Three New Tournaments at Familiar Locations, Changes Several Dates on Season V Tour Schedule - PR Newswire via Yahoo! Finance

Another poker dream gone sour - Tahoe Daily Tribune

Chuck Blount: It's time again for World Series of Poker - San Antonio Express News

Million Dollar Poker Tournament, Bingo Cruise Prize and Casino Affiliate Cash Bonuses at Gaming Partners - PR Web via Yahoo! News

Full Tilt Poker Pro Clonie Gowen to be Featured in Maxim Magazine's World Series of Poker Insert - PR Web via Yahoo! News

New Web Site Lets Poker Players Find Game Anywhere - Rolling Good Times

Busted Mouth

So admit it, we all enjoyed watching Mike the Mouth take it on the chin in the closing moments of this week's High Stakes Poker, didn't we?

Personally, I've gone back and forth on Matusow. I started off not liking the guy, considering him an asshole first, and then a baby when I saw him crying after busting out of the 2004 World Series. Then, watching him in last year's WSOP, I gained some respect for him because I was starting to see the method to his madness. Plus, his jibes at the table didn't seem quite as mean-spirited. Then, reading and hearing some interviews with him, he seemed like a genuinely nice guy who uses his mouth as just another weapon in his arsenal.

But Monday night, while I was getting a laugh from his remarks, he did step over the line on occasion, particularly by opening his mouth during the Antonio Esfandiari-Daniel Alaei-Sam Farha all-in hand. So it seemed like a little bit of justice being meted out on the final hand when he lost a goodly sum.

Still, anyone who can piss off Antonio the Magician can't be all bad.

But how about Daniel Alaei? Were those some wicked laydowns or what? I mean, there just aren't that many players out there who are going to lay down JJ or AK preflop. There are times when I know it's probably the right move, but I still can't do it.

All this just goes to show why High Stakes Poker continues to be the best poker show on television.

Speaking of poker on TV, the damned World Poker Tour has reworked their website so that now you cannot see who the players are on upcoming episodes. I went there today to check out tonight's episode, and the tournament page comes up blank. There is a video preview on the main page, but it went too fast for me to figure out who is on tonight's episode other than Barry Greenstein. To me, it looked like tonight will be Barry and a bunch of goobers, but I am almost certainly wrong.

Poker Headlines - Wednesday, June 21

Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa Ups the Ante: Largest Poker Room in Atlantic City to Debut on June 30 - SYS-CON Media

There's More Than One Expert Strategy for Video Poker - Rolling Good Times

Poker.com Saves the Day for World Series of Poker Hopefuls - PR Web via Yahoo! News

Poker TV Network, Inc. Completes Merger with PC Universe, Inc. - SYS-CON Media

Online Poker Championship Looking for Poker Masterminds - PR Web via Yahoo! News
A night at the poker table - Stuff

It takes effort to suck this bad

The 2006 blogger tourney over at Poker Stars is in the books, and the good news is that I was successful in not repeating my brilliant performance last year, when I was knocked out on the first hand.

The bad news is that I lasted precisely twice as long. Yup, knocked out bluffing on the second hand.

I don't want to talk about. Suffice to say, I was a little over-eager.

Oh hell, I guess I could be a good sport about it and tell you that "Daleroxxu" was the ultimate winner, receiving an entry into the World Series of Poker main event. The rest of the final table included ZbjaffeZ, thelivewire, max1090, Tomstra, glyphic, cashdaddy69, HoodedMan and silenthedges, in that order, and they will all get to play in a $1,500 WSOP event. I don't recognize a damn name in the bunch.

My piss-poor performance put me on a day-long tilt that saw me give back every bit of the money I'd made the past week at Spades Lounge. I also tried giving myself a consolation tournament by buying in to a $10 tourney at Hollywood Poker, and I actually did somewhat better, choosing to bust out close to the bubble in that one.

Frustration ... setting in ... feel need to ... blow all my money.

By last night, I'd settled back down a little and chose to actually deposit some money at Poker Stars. I ended up struggling to break even most of the night. I actually managed to make a little in the cash games, but my crappy performance in countless $3 tourneys wiped all but $2 of that out. Oh well.

Some freaking Father's Day.

Poker Headlines - Monday, June 19

Poker games to benefit disabled - The MetroWest Daily News

Poker Academy Supplied World Renowned Texas Holdem Poker Artificial Intelligence to Myelin Media’s “STACKEDTM with Daniel Negreanu" - PR Web via Yahoo! News

Showdown Poker Tour Signs with the World’s Number 1 Poker Tournament Director, Matt Savage - PR Web via Yahoo! News

James Anderson Wins Skycity Auckland Poker Finals - Scoop.co.nz

Savage salvages wonderful hand - Lawrence Journal-World

Victoria unashamed at gambling tax take - AAP via Yahoo!7 News

Actor Dennis Farina Quits "Law & Order" to Join New Poker Movie - Online Poker News

It's hard out here for a fish

Screwing around in a Spades Lounge $100 NL table, I don't know what came over me, but I really got crazy. I wasn't just the table donkey. I was damn Donkey Kong. I took some pretty tough beats early on and lost some chips, and lost some more when I called down a raiser who I thought missed the board, but turned over aces.

I rebuilt my chips, all the while some guy is giving me grief, telling everyone I'm a fish and he busted me twice yesterday. I recognize the name, but don't remember getting busted once, much less twice. At one table, some guy took my initial buy-in, but it wasn't this assclown, and I rebought and took every penny that guy had. Every other table I played, I made money. Oh well. It's good to have people underestimate you.

I was down $70 at this point, but made $65 of it back. Then I took a beat holding AQ against QJ and dropped $20. A little later, I took three horrendous beats in a row, holding the best hand each time and getting outdrawn. This took me back down to $25 and I was starting to think it might not be such a good thing to have people underestimate you, because no matter what, I would have three or four people calling each hand and outdrawing me.

Finally, I thought, "Screw it. If I'm going down in flames, let's do it in style." The next hand I picked up a suited A9 and pushed all-in into an unraised pot. To show how much respect my raises were getting, I was called by two people. Fortunately, I rivered two pair and tripled up. A few hands after that, I started getting the best of the calling stations, when my hands actually started holding up. I finally ended the session up $25.

It was refreshing to note as I left the room that the guy who had allegedly busted me twice the day before was down to his last $8.

But that just goes to show how even when you think you're in the best possible situation, it doesn't really matter if the cards won't cooperate. Early on, I was pushing every edge, only to get cold-decked. Fortunately, that spell ended early enough for me to right the ship, but I've had spells like that last for weeks, and it can devastate a bankroll.

Anyway, if you haven't figured it out by now, get your asses over to Spades Lounge. It's still in beta, so there aren't too many players and the software can be a little buggy. It might be difficult to find a game sometimes, but when you do, it will be worth it. The players for the most part are strict ABC types who don't know the first thing about playing the middle or the bottom of the deck. It can be great fun cracking some guy's AK with a 67, then listening to him mock you for it. If you're the type who has trouble with chatbox trash talk, the money you make should go a long way towards some quality therapy. Having made my first deposit three days ago, I've already made five times my original deposit, plus I've made tremendous headway toward knocking out their 150 percent deposit bonus. It's good times over there, so come on over. Just don't take my money.

Please hurry, PPT

Is it just me, or does the World Poker Tour seem unusually dull this year?

I completely skipped last week's episode and didn't miss it in the slightest. And I could have done the same last night, but I managed to watch it in a Benadryl-laced stupor, the result of sliding across something under my house that had my chest and belly broken out in red bumps.

Some of the shows this year have been good. I enjoyed watching Gavin Smith and Michael Mizrachi get their wins, and the highlight of the season would have to be seeing Scotty Nguyen return to top form. Other than those three shows, however, it seems like it's all been the same, a nonstop parade of anonymous college kids lucking their way to big money. And no matter how many times Mike Sexton says, "He's only 21 years old and he's playing with the big boys. I predict we'll be seeing a lot more of this guy," we never see them again.

I guess I'm entering the stage of my poker-playing where I don't think, "Ooo ... pretty!" every time I see another suckout. I want to see people who actually know how to play the game well, making moves I might learn something from.

Hope is in sight. The WPT's fourth season has just two episodes remaining. Then, on July 5, the Professional Poker Tour will begin its 26-week run.

This is good news. If you watched the sneak preview of the PPT a couple of months back, you know what I mean. The PPT is more subtle, more elegant ... at least from what I've seen so far. If all the poker shows on television had a family reunion, the WPT would be the loud-mouthed drunk hamming it up with Celebrity Poker Showdown and Poker Royale: Battle of the Sexes. Meanwhile, the PPT and High Stakes Poker would be off to the side, quietly discussing strategy.

Damn, the Benadryl must not be completely worn off. I generally don't wax metaphorical until at least after lunch.

Poker Headlines - Thursday, June 15

Identity theft victim's poker account stolen - Bradenton Herald

Chuck Blount: Opinions varied regarding biggest mistake in poker - San Antonio Express News

Greens outline poker machine cuts - Australian Broadcasting Corporation

Charities look to trade in chocolate chips for poker chips - San Diego Union-Tribune

Free Poker Products Promotion From We Do It All Vegas is Now Being Offered to Poker Players World Wide - PR Web

Global Hunt for Poker Beauties: the Miss Poker Face - PR Web

New Online Poker, Gambling and Lotteries Directory Announced - PR Web via Yahoo! News

FullTiltPoker.com Responds to Mansion Poker PR - Rolling Good Times
Desert loaded with poker players - Palm Springs and Coachella Valley Local News and Guides

Soccer Star Makes Poker Debut - Rolling Good Times

Poker Players Alliance and PocketFives Team Up To Stop Online Gaming Ban - PR Web

Lederer Joins Poker Players Alliance Board of Directors - PR Newswire via Yahoo! Finance

Find Your Own King or Queen, Date a Poker Player - PR Web via Yahoo! News

Lady Luck’s Date for the Poker Diary - PokerNews.com

Latest hope for tourism: Poker by candlelight - Orlando Sentinel

Fantasy Poker League Still Accepting Players - CardPlayer.com

Opportunity Village of Las Vegas Celebrity Poker Tournament - CardPlayer.com

New Site For Microgaming Poker Network - Online-Casinos.com

Video Poker Industry Headed Toward Slow Fold - PokerMag.com

Growth in Online Casinos Lifts Poker Room - Online Casino News

Mansion Poker to Host Televised Pro-Am - Bluff Magazine

Pull up a chair for Deadwood-themed poker - Joystiq

The National Poker League Vegas Open Winds Up in Las Vegas - CardPlayer.com

Wow

Just played the most unbelieveable hand.

It was a $50 buy-in no-limit table at Spades Lounge. I had been playing a little bit like a donkey (actually, a lot like a donkey) and I had cut my stack in half before clawing my way back to almost even when this hand came up.

I was dealt KK in the big blind. There were a total of four players at the table. UTG player calls, button folds and small blind makes the minimum raise to $2. I normally don't like to slow-play with this hand, but I'd been having more success at this table by mixing my game up a little, so I just smooth-called, as did UTG.

The flop came Jc-6h-3h. Small blind bets $1. I call and the other player raises to $2. Small blind raises to $3 and again I call. Now the other player moves all-in for $10 more. Small blind and I both call.

The turn is a Kd, giving me trips. At this point, I putting the all-in player on a flush draw and the small blind on maybe a pocket pair, but certainly something. He bets $7. I figure now is the time for me to end the charade, so I bet enough to put him all-in, which is around $20 more. He thinks and calls.

So now I'm sweating the river, but figuring that I'm still in good shape to make money on the side pot, even if the flush draw hits. Still, I'd like to take the whole pot down, so I'm eager to see the river card. It finally comes down and not only does the flush draw miss, it's the last king in the deck, giving me quads! Cha-ching!

Nice little hand, but what made it unbelievable was when the other players turned their cards over. As I expected, the UTG player had a flush draw, but he actually had a little more than that, holding Ah-Jh for top pair, top kicker and the nut flush draw when he went in. No way he was getting away from that hand. The same goes for the small blind, who had pocket sixes and a flopped set.

It feels good to get lucky.

Bubbled again

OK, I admit, it's been hard to get back into the blogging habit, but I'm giving it my best shot.

Today might not be the best day for it though. I was up way too late last night, thanks to my attempt to try a multi-table tourney that started about the time I should have gone to bed.

You see, I don't play the multis much. I know that seems to be where all the money is, but I've always been more of a cash game player. Still, just because like any poker player I have dreams of someday playing in one of the big tournaments, I give them a try from time to time.

Anyway, about the time I was thinking of going to bed, I noticed a $5 tournament starting in three minutes. I figured I'd give it a shot, so I signed up, not really expecting to do anything, but thinking I could get a lot of play in for just $5.

At first, things didn't go so well. I made a move at one of the very first hands, only to have someone else push me off the hand. I had nothing, but I wanted to try to take control of the table early, so I was bluffing and just happened to pick the wrong time. It ended up costing me nearly one-third of my starting chips.
After that, I just sat back and waited for cards. Near the first break, they came in a rush. In the span of three or four hands, including a back-to-back 10-10 and K-K, I managed to build my stack from an anemic 1,000 to a healthy 8,000 and top-10 standing.

From there, I tried to take control of the table again and was having some success, chipping away at the table to gain another 3,000 chips. But then my AQ in the small blind doubled up the big blind's AK, and I was once again in average stack territory of about 6,000.

From that point on, I went on a rampage. I don't mean I started playing better. I mean I went crazy, raising every single pot for about 20 consecutive hands, my stack went up and down like a yoyo. Finally, at 6,000 once again after seesawing between 4,000 and 8,000, I got lucky with a KQ against AQ and got back to over 12,000 and I settled down again. Shortly thereafter, I got moved to a new table.

At the new table, I felt I could change gears once again, since I came in as an unknown. One of the big stacks in the tournament was to my immediate left, and he had me doubled. There were also a couple of 10,000 stacks at the table. We were just a couple of hands away from the second break and I was in early position, so I just folded my way to the break and tried to form impressions on the style of play at the table. Afterwards, though, I came back on the big blind and started getting aggressive, picking up about every third pot without having to show down. Before long, I was up around 20,000 and was third in chips, when I got moved again.

At the next table, I was the chip leader. However, things started getting ugly. The tournament had started with 287 players and I saw we were down to 40, with only the top 20 making the money. I started thinking about Erick Lindgren's book at this point, about how that I should start using my big stack to steal the blinds near the bubble so I build a huge stack for the final table, but my timing was way off. The table had tightened up considerably, as everyone was trying to fold their way to the money. However, I never seemed able to take advantage of that. I suffered my first big setback when, in the small blind with blinds of 500-1,000, the action was folded to me. I tried to steal the big blind, although to my credit I did have AK. I raised to 3,500 and the big blind smooth called. The flop missed me, coming queen-high, but I tried to go ahead and steal the pot and best most of the big blind's stack. He went all-in and I was in a position where I had no choice but to call. While I picked up a king on the turn, he had flopped bottom set and he cut me in half.

Down to around 12,000 in chips, the blinds went up the next hand to 600-1,200. With only 10 BB left in my stack, I was in desperation mode and started pushing all-in with any ace, any king, any pair. I managed to take the blinds a couple of times, which weren't insignificant, but then got called the third time and lost a race and most of my chips. When I was in the big blind again, I had only 22 chips more than the blind, and I just tossed it in. Miraculously, I doubled up that hand and the next hand I played. I still only had a little over 4,000, but we were getting very close to cashing now. I then scanned the table for the next smallest stack and made a decision to push all-in regardless of my cards when it got to his big blind. The table was very tight at this point, and I felt my 3 1/2 BB raise would scare away all but the big blind, and with him being short-stacked and trying to hang on, I figured it would be likely he would fold as well. However, he managed to double up when he was under the gun, so the conditions had changed considerably when he got the big blind. But I decided to chance it anyway, thinking he might be relieved to have doubled up and gained a better chance to survive, so that he might fold anyway, not wanting to risk that many of his newly acquired chips. I pushed all-in, holding 3-5, and he called with an A9. I think that was a questionable call on his part, especially that close to the money and with a hand that could very likely be dominated, but I suppose he had the pot odds to make the call. His hand held up and I was out in 25th -- five out of the money.

Clearly, I was frustrated by the finish, but not nearly as much as I have been in the past with similar finishes. For one, I didn't find myself thinking, "If only I had just sat out, I could have folded my way into the money." While that was certainly true, I was playing to make the money. I was aiming for first, or at least top three, and I feel like I did what I needed to do to try to get there. It just didn't work out.

But I did learn a few things. Most importantly, I learned that there are a lot more loose calls in $5 tournaments, so bullying near the bubble isn't nearly as effective. Certainly, I knew that the level of play in a $5 tournament wouldn't be anywhere near the level of, say, a $10,000 WPT event. But I figured going into hyper-aggressive mode near the bubble would still work, because who wants to get that far and leave with nothing? But, as I found out last night, there are quite a few people who either don't mind that fate or don't consider it until it is too late. I sent quite a few of them out of the tournament, but I also ran into a bunch of them who did the same for me.

Anyway, like I said earlier, I don't really have that much experience with the multis, and last night was enjoyable, despite the end result. Maybe I have learned a few things and will be able to fare better the next time around.

Poker Headlines - Friday, June 9

Easley bans video poker - Wilmington Morning Star

Internet poker site not taken over by FBI - Gambling911.com

Poker player antes up - Calgary Sun

True Poker Player Wins Tournament - Casino City Times

FACE UP HOLD 'EM SHOW FOR POKER ZONE TV - Online-Casinos.com

2006 Mandalay Bay Poker Championship Day 4 - Six Pack - CardPlayer.com

National Poker League Update - Bluff Magazine

Scotty Nguyen Poker Challenge Kicks off Tomorrow - PokerNews.com

Werner Herzog Plays Poker - Cinematical

Paladenic has sights on World Series of Poker - Sierra Vista Herald

Tim McGraw's Poker Face - Net Music Countdown

Daily Hip-Hop News: Ja Rule Tries Hand at Online Poker - SOHH

ESPN, Harrah's Entertainment Extend Agreement To Telecast World Series of Poker(R) Through 2010 - Business Wire via Yahoo! Finance

World Series Of Poker, Milwaukee's Best Light Announce Largest Sponsorship Deal In Poker History - Business Wire via Yahoo! Finance

FlopTurnRiver.com, One Of The Fastest Growing Online Poker Strategy Sites, Has Just Reached A Benchmark Of Over 7,000 - PR Web via Yahoo! News

Small Town Poker Tour to Donate to Your Charity - PR Web via Yahoo! News

Over 120 Compete to Represent Italy in the Everest Poker European Championship - PR Web via Yahoo! News

MANSION Superstar Challenge $1 Million Up For Grabs in Televised “Pro-Am” Poker Show - PR Web via Yahoo! News

TV poker alert

Don't forget that in a little more than an hour (at the time of this writing), the best poker series on television is back with the premiere of its second season. Game Show Network's "High Stakes Poker" comes on tonight at 9 p.m. Eastern. If you happen to miss it, it repeats at 2 a.m. Eastern.

Here we go again ...

I have registered to play in the PokerStars World Blogger Championship of Online Poker!

This Online Poker Tournament is a No Limit Texas Holdem event exclusive to Bloggers.

Registration code: 2901920

Last time they had this tournament, I lasted all of one hand (for the record, I did have a full house). Thankfully, some creative soul actually managed to bust out a few seconds before me, so I did not pick up the ignoble distinction of being first out.

Here's hoping I make it to at least the second hand this time around.

I almost forgot ... free money!

Rest assured that my time away was not a complete waste. In the little time I had, I was able to find a couple more free money offers that I'm happy to pass along to you.

First, the best new offer is $50 free at Poker.com, no deposit required. To get the money, you need to visit this site and sign up. The money will be deposited directly into your account. There is a limit on the number of signups they take each day, so it is best to sign up right after the clock resets. It resets at midnight central time (1 a.m. eastern, 10 p.m. pacific).

There is also another site which is offering $10 free, no deposit necessary. You can get that offer at Dream Poker.

The last offer that's pretty cool is at Hollywood Poker. It isn't a free money offer, but they are offering pretty cool first deposit and reload bonuses throughout the month of June. Not only can you get a nice bonus, from 100 to 500 percent, but there are extra prizes on top, all the way from hats and magazine subscriptions, to an iPod Nano. A word of caution -- the bigger the bonus, the higher the clearance requirements. If you're just going to play the dime or quarter games, you will never clear the entire bonus in the 60 days you are given, so you are better off picking a smaller bonus. On the other hand, the bigger bonuses are released in increments, so it is possible to get some of the bonus, but if you're angling for the iPod, you need to deposit a healthy amount, play middle limits (at least) and play a hell of a lot of hands.