Here’s something that’s different this year … a self-service sports-betting terminal at the cash-game cage:
Frankly, I’ve hardly seen anyone use it, but hey, sometimes user hesitance has to be expected when it comes to cutting edge gambling technology. Should be super cool if they can ever turn it into an iPhone app.
So says this class-action lawyer on the right in an interview on CNBC on Wednesday. The Jeffrey Pollack lookalike on the left doesn’t seem to buy it.
Two rather distinct views of the World Series, a third of the way through the show, from @JeffreyPollack and Micon, both discussing their party animal ways:
For all J-Pollack V-logs, click here.
For the original Degen Update from the pseudo-media dude with revoked credentials (supposedly related to his video of a player smoking meth) and a tale of violence around a rule dispute in a $65 satellite, click here.
Jeffrey Carris was the last one standing in the $1,500 NL Holdem Shootout besting Jason Somerville in a brief heads-up battle as noted by Dan in the post below me. Carris collects over $300,000, while Somerville settles for nearly $200,000 in tournament winnings.
19 players return to the Rio at 1pm today in the $1,500 NL Holdem event, with Anirudh Seth or Seth Anirudh, listed in the chip counts as Andy Seth, better known as BKiCe online is the current chip leader with 1,407,000. Notables remaining include: Alan Jaffray (1,193,000), November Nine bubble boy Dean Hamrick (629,000), British actor Michael Greco (546,000) , and a triumvirate of Houstonians (Pete Vilandos – 325,000, Roberto Correa – 309,000 and Ali Davoudi – 254,000).
This final table of this event of this event is scheduled to appear at Bluff or wsop.pkr.com for international viewers, but that could change if the other final table for today gets there first.
Jon Turner will lead the 14 players back to complete the $2,500 Omaha 8/Stud 8 event, also resume at 1pm today. Turner will start with 465,000 in chips followed by notables Carlos Mortensen (328,000), Blair Rodman (290,000), Steve Wong (226,000), Phil Ivey (161,000) and Chad Brown (23,000).
$1,500 Limit Holdem resumes at 2pm today with 124 players vying for the final nine seats, with Jon Von Halle the current chip leader at 68,300. Some of the notables looking to make some money back on their investment include: Bill Chen (60,600), Justin Bonomo (44,800), Richard Brodie (41,500), Nikki Harris (39,400), and Bryan Devonshire (34,100).
Jason Newitt (185,900) is the chip leader at the end of Day 1 in the $5,000 PLO 8 or Better event. He’ll join 58 others at 2pm to play down to the final table with notables such as Andy Black (97,000), Jeff Lisandro (92,000), Daniel Negreanu (78,300), Barry Shulman (49,800), Phil Ivey (40,800) still in contention.
Saturday brings two more events to the tournament roster starting with yet another version of the $1,500 NL Holdem event as another 2,500+ being put through the grinder to see which donks survive today. Last year’s version of this particular donkament was won by Jesper Hougaard in a field of 2,447. Hougaard also won a bracelet last year at the WSOP Europe, so could another double be in the offing for this year’s winner? The WSOP Staff Guide projected a field of 2,534, but expect closer to 2800 to enter when play starts at 12pm today.
The $10,000 NL Holdem Heads-Up World Championship also starts today with a capacity field of 256 expected when play starts at 5pm. Kenny Tran is the defending champion in this event, winning over $530,000 last year. Winners of the 5pm matches will return at 10pm for round 2.
More updates during the day at Pokerati, and for other live update coverage, check out www.wsop.com starting at 12pm PT.
Jeff Carris beat out Jason Somerville to win the $1,500 NLH-Shootout in a 20-minute heads-up duel. And our own Team Pokerati ITMer John Harris (@johnharristtu) had just stepped into the box to deal the final hand:
I’m not sure who these guys are — I think it’s Robert Varkonyi and Rutherford B. Hayes — but they embarked on their annual scooter ride to the WSOP:
Only 1800 miles, 7 bottles of Absolut, 3 cases of All In Energy Drink and 27 sets of tires/shocks to go…..
Perhaps surprisingly, I haven’t seen either of these two guys at a final table. (But would love to know how their trip turned out.)
Before I go any further, let me make one thing perfectly clear. I respect everyone who’s made the final table of the $1,500 No-Limit Hold ‘em Shootout. It’s a great accomplishment and one I’d be happy to emulate.
That said, my question is, couldn’t this be considered the easiest WSOP bracelet to win? Sure, it’s a tournament that started with 1,000 players, but the winner only has to defeat 26 of them to claim the prize. It’s not the same as a $1,500 donkament where you’re likely to see 1- or 200 different faces on your way to the final table, or even a 10K event where you may face 40 or 50 different opponents as tables break and shift.
This is essentially three sit & gos. Tough? Sure. But compared to other tournaments?
Are you one of the 24,000 online poker players missing their cash outs? Well the US Government has your money, and they’re laughing all the way to the bank! Get the scoop on this story, plus the state of Minnesota comes to a decision in their fight to ban internet gambling within it’s borders.
As two final tables, four ongoing tournaments, and loads of cash games and satellites raged on at the WSOP in the Rio, many eyes were firmly fixed on TV screens around the rooms as the Penguins beat the Red Wings in a nail-biting Game 7 of the NFL finals. With many a sports bettor looking to win or lose a buy-in or two a friendly wager, there were sighs as well as cheers when the Penguins took it down.
Some of the poker media members took a break to watch the game in the Rio sportsbook, while others of us went to support friend and UB blogger Gene Bromberg as he rooted on his Pittsburgh home team. And just as Mean Gene was in full celebration mode, Bluff Magazine managing editor Lance Bradley whipped through to the sportsbook to let us know he won quite the impressive futures bet placed in February on the Pens.
Condolences to the lovely Lacey Jones, whose Red Wings lost despite her tremendous cupcake distribution effort on behalf of her team. (Lacey makes a mean cupcake!)
Meanwhile, WSOP Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack paid close attention to the game and the Stanley Cup presentation because, well, his half-brother, Gary Bettman, is the Commissioner of the National Hockey League. (Two commissioners in one family? Rigged!) And just after the game, Pollack twittered:
Pittsburgh wins! Time for GBB to present the Stanley Cup — which may make an appearance at the WSOP next week!
Sure, the Stanley Cup will make its way to Las Vegas for the June 18 NHL Awards at the Palms, but will someone tote it across the street to the Rio? Seems like the brothers might discuss it and give the WSOP players a glimpse of hockey’s version of the WSOP gold bracelet.
The $10,000 NL 2-7 Lowball World Championship just concluded with Nick Schulman eliminating Ville Wahlbeck in heads-up play to take down his first WSOP bracelet and $279,750.
With six players left in the $1,500 NL Holdem Shootout, Jeffrey Carris is the current chip leader, with Andrew Margolis, Jason Somerville, Joseph Cutler, Brandon Wong and Christopher Moore the other players remaining.
Less than 80 players remain in the $1,500 NL Holdem event, playing down to a final table, maybe. The current chip leader is Brian Fitzpatrick with 450,000 in chips. Some of the notables remaining: “Pete the Greek” Valindos (320,000), Dean Hamrick (318,000), PokerListings’ Martin Derbyshire (170,000), EPT’s Kara Scott (103,700), and PokerNews’ Anthony Yeh (32,000)
64 players remain in the $2,500 Omaha 8/Stud 8 event, with 40 making the money. Phil Ivey is the current chip leader with 135,000. Others looking to avoid being quartered include: Chau Giang (70,000), Pat Pezzin (65,000), Blair Rodman (40,000), Bart Hanson (32,000) and Chip Jett (12,000).
The $1,500 Limit Holdem event drew a field of 643, down 240 from last year. About 300 players remain when the players returned from their dinner break. The average stack is about 14 big bets, so the money may be reached (63 will make money) by the end of level 10 tonight.
The debut of the $5,000 Pot Limit Omaha event saw a better than expected field of 198 players take their seats, of which only 18 will be paid. 22 of those who started have already gone from the tournament, with many more expected by the end of the eighth level. One of those players is Scotty Nguyen, still at zero on his goal of winning $4,000,000 at the WSOP or “retiring from poker”.
For more updates, check out www.wsop.com and Pokerati during the rest of your Friday evening.
The morning update for those that didn’t stay up all night to watch…
Zac Fellows took down the $3,000 HORSE event in a marathon final table just a couple hours ago, outlasting James Van Alstyne to take a bracelet home to Canada along with $311,899. With five players left, Van Alstyne had over half the chips in play, while Fellows was extremely short stacked. Eventually he worked his way to heads-up with Van Alstyne, the stacks nearly even. After nearly two hours of heads-up action, Fellows would finally finish off Van Alstyne, leaving him drawing dead in the holdem round to finish 2nd, good for nearly $200,000 and take him over the $3m mark in career tournament earnings.
The final table is now set in the $1,500 NL Holdem Shootout with these 10 players left for a bracelet returning at 2pm to air on ESPN360 (wsop.pkr.com for those outside the US, and as always links courtesy of The Hendon Mob database:
Seat 1: Jason Somerville – 450000
Seat 2: Christopher Moore – 450000
Seat 3: Joseph Cutler – 450000
Seat 4: Jeffrey Carris – 450000
Seat 5: Michael McNeil – 450000
Seat 6: Joshua Tieman – 450000
Seat 7: Eugene Katchalov – 450000
Seat 8: Ralph Shannon – 450000
Seat 9: Andrew Margolis – 450000
Seat 10: Brandon Wong – 450000
The final table of the $10,000 NL 2-7 Single Draw World Championship finished with 10 players remaining when play ended earlier this morning. Here’s how these players are currently situated:
Seat 1: Justin ‘BoostedJ’ Smith – 122500
Seat 2: Steve Sung – 212500
Seat 3: Nick Schulman – 300000
Seat 5: Archie Karas – 264500
Seat 6: Vince Musso – 765500
Seat 7: David Benyamine – 139000
(Table 151)
Seat 2: Michael Binger – 108000
Seat 3: Ville Wahlbeck – 481000
Seat 5: Roland de Wolfe – 102000
Seat 6: John Juanda – 387000
Ville Wahlbeck continues his impressive run in World Championship events this WSOP, cashing in his fourth $10k buyin event. Steve Sung started play on Thursday 57th out of 57 players with just 6,100 in chips.
The $1,500 NL Holdemevent finished exactly on the money as 270 players remain when play resumes at 2pm this afternoon. Glenn McCaffreywill start the day as chip leader at 187,800. Some of the notables who will also return on Friday: Dean Hamrick (134,700), Anthony Yeh (111,400), Kara Scott (81,700), Nam Le (57,000), and Thayer Rasmussen (50,200).
Day 2 of the $2,500 Omaha 8/Stud 8 resumes at 2pm with 153 players returning, 40 of which make the money. Veteran pro Can Kim Hua starts the day chip leader at 51,800. Notables trying to surpass him include: Jon Turner (43,300), Shirley Rosario (36,200), Phil Ivey (33,600), Chad Brown (31,200), and Shawn Sheikhan (29,500).
The 12pm tournament will be the $1,500 Limit Holdem event, which was won last year by Jimmy Schultz for over $250,000 in a field of 883. The 5pm event makes its debut, $5,000 Pot-Limit Omaha 8 or Better. The WSOP Staff Guide projects the $1,500 Limit Holdem event field as 880 (taking the under, 804 is my guess), while the $5,000 PLO 8 event has a projected field of 150 (take the over, 168 being my estimate).
More news during the day here at Pokerati, so come back several times during the day.
Recapping some of the events of today at the the Rio:
John-Paul Kelly took down the $1,500 Pot-Limit Holdem event a few minutes ago besting Marc Tschirch in headsup play to win his first career bracelet, and over $190,000. Erik Seidel, who announced that he would donate his entire winnings in this event to charity, finished 7th for $24,919.
The official final table of the $3,000 HORSE event comes back from its one-hour dinner break with eight players remaining at the final table. After Gavin Smith was eliminated in 10th, the remaining players played for nearly three hours to eliminate one player. Here’s how the final table will be seated when played resumed:
Seat 1: Gabriel Nassif
Seat 2: Timothy Finne
Seat 3: Chris Amaral
Seat 4: James Van Alstyne
Seat 5: Michele Limongi
Seat 6: Martin Eikeng
Seat 7: Matt Hawrilenko
Seat 8: Zac Fellows
What started with 100 players is now down to about 40, spread out over 10 tables in the $1,500 NL Shootout. Play ends for the evening after the 10 tables each have one winner, returning tomorrow afternoon to appear on the ESPN broadband service, subject to change of course.
24 players remain in the $10,000 NL 2-7 Lowball Single Draw World Championship, playing down to a seven player final table before the clock strikes 3am. Vince Musso is the current chip leader at 270,000 followed by Roland de Wolfe (200,000), Jean-Robert Bellande (188,000), Ville Wahlbeck (160,000) and David Benyamine (142,000) among the notables remaining. Wahlbeck’s looking to cash in his 4th 10k event of this Series, one of the more impressive feats of any WSOP.
A field of 2,506 started the latest version of the $1,500 NL Holdem event, with less than 800 remaining. It appears that Anthony Yeh, who works for PokerNews, is the unofficial chip leader with over 70,000 in chips. Play continues for another four levels tonight, the morning update will have the chip leader and other notables of the remainder of the field.
A field of 376 took to the felt in the $2,500 Omaha 8/Stud 8 event at 5pm. Check out the WSOP website for more details from this evening’s remaining events throughout the evening.
Yikes, through 19 events …
(I fear Mathers’ scab squad might be gaining, and this little fun-for-me could prove costly.)
Daniel Negreanu: 406
Gavin Smith: 134
Lance Bradley: 110
Mark Seif: 97
Andrew Feldman: 81
Bernard Lee: 72
Howard Lederer: 47
Dan Michalski: 44
Dennis Phillips: 40
Chops Preiss: 32
Gary Wise: 2
(Negreanu, btw, has multiple $10k and $12k-to-$10k sidebets on his fantasy poker action.)
This story seems to have legs. ABC News has a piece — where they lede with a guy who so far is unable to buy into the WSOP main event. I found this story at the top of the Drudge Report … which means everyone in the mainstream media (who doesn’t read Pokerati) is also well aware of the situation. (FWIW, the ABC News story ups the number of banks targeted from four to five.)
Feds Order Banks to Freeze Millions in ‘LEGAL’ Online Poker Winnings…
Even the EU is getting involved again, threatening to take the European Commission’s discrimination claims to the WTO if they can’t reach a settlement with the US to allow their companies to compete without this sort of harassment from the US Feds. In their view, the recent actions in New York’s Southern District Court are merely a continuation of the protectionist policies that began three years ago:
“Internet gambling is a complex and delicate area, and we do not want to dictate how the U.S. should regulate its market. However, the U.S. must respect its WTO obligations,” said E.U. Trade Commissioner Catherine Ashton in a statement.
[...]
“The report comes to the conclusion that these proceedings are legally unjustified as well as discriminatory, because the activities of E.U. companies took place under the cover of U.S. WTO commitments,” the Commission said in a statement.
At a minimum, this guarantees that federal authorities (beyond a lone Assistant US Prosecutor) should be taking a real look at how “American-friendly” online poker sites process the dollars that transact in peer-to-peer poker games taking place on offshore sites before being shipped to American banks.
As of today … you can forget about BodogLife.com … after some courtroom wrangles, the Costa Rican bad boys of online poker are back at the original Bodog.com.
Their news arm — Bodog Beat — still hasn’t repopulated yet at the new old domain. But hey, as Calvin Ayre and friends now know … the internet is hard.
Backroom Hold’em - Poker has long fought association with cross words http://t.co/1ApiZY97
RT @compncards: Iowa Online Poker Bill Passes Committee - Moves On to House http://t.co/9j87SAZF #poker
RT @MeanPokerDealer: I think it's SO cool how you guys loop the earbuds around your ears so they're hanging there all not in your ears and stuff. I hate you.
@KhanNoaman I only tweeted links to PokerNews & @CalvinAyre articles re: #Montreal lawsuit & the YouTube video of the 2011 Mtl Open kickoff.
