In a press release dated for Monday, Full Tilt Poker announces the signing of their youngest member to Team Full Tilt, Tom “Durrr” Dwan. Chances of an awkward press conference like the one held for Patrik Antonius?

From the press release:

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Linda Tran delivered the harsh bad beats to Phil Ivey, Steve Begleiter, and in the hand pictured here, Jeff Shulman.

This is her second time dealing the WSOP November Nine … it was her birthday … and I caught up with her (on a ledge actually) to find out what it’s been like to (repeatedly) deliver the bad news, perhaps to the detriment of dealer tips.

Bustout Queen

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UPDATE: Buchman out at her hand now, too.

WHAT ARE the odds: She’s busted out via bad beat three Jews and a black guy. All the white/Euro hands held up. Just-sayin’ …

As you all have probably heard, Phil Ivey didn’t exactly want to do a bustout interview after his AK lost to Darvin Moon’s AQ. But as he tried to sneak out the back hallway — to the back lot at the Rio where his RV and Hummer were parked — a few people were able to block his exit and force him to talk, which you can see here:

Afterwards, according to The Maven, Ivey reportedly darted to his automobile with Howard Lederer trailing behind him, and Lederer said, “You wanna race?”

Ivey’s response: “I don’t like races.”

Pauly and I look further into drinking with Padraig Parkinson, and in general what it means to be at the WSOPenn and Teller Theater at about midnight with seven players still remaining.

(NOTE: Ivey busted a few minutes after we finished recording this episode.)

Episode 6: Not-so-Last Call

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Not sure where he’s headed … gotta think Bellagio, right?

Anyhow, as we all know by now, Phil Ivey got bad-beated by Darvin Moon — AK < AQ -- to finish in 6th place ... which is five whole places from the win ... and ESPN musta known what was up ... he darted left, when the ESPN exit interview stage was right ... but the savvy, seasoned production crew cut him off at the pass and dragged him in front of the cameras.

He looked disgusted, to say the least. Will be interesting to see what he has to really say. (Body-language translation: hey, that's poker, but otherwise fuggoff!)

Anyhow, that's the set up ... apparently Nolan Dalla and Lacey Jones each got a question or two. PokerNews and the rest, however ... sorry, no dice.

HAND UPDATE: Steve Begleiter all-in QQ vs. (again) the AQ of Darvin Moon. Looks like the hands hold up the way their supposed to this time. Ace on the River!!!!

Begleiter out.

Moon, btw, hardly getting up and moving during it all. Should make for interesting TV.

NOTE: Linda dealt that beat, too.

This time short-stacked Phil Ivey got it all-in with AK vs. Darvin Moon’s AQ. The crowd has erupted to chants of “I-VEY, I-VEY, I-VEY!”

Ivey tries to hold back a smile … biting into an apple to hide his smirk.

UPDATE: And ooooh, Pokerati’s fave final table dealer Linda Tran delivers a Queen in the window.

The crowd still gives a standing ovation … more chants of “Ivey, Ivey!” … Phil Hellmuth chases him down … Ivey keeps walking, apparently not wanting to talk. He’s on stage immediately giving his ESPN bustout interview. He looks nonchalant and pissed and disgusted at the same time.

Obviously the tenor of this tournament just changed dramatically. No?

No new sponsors added to the WSOP in the November Nine interim … save for AMC-The Prisoner on Steve Begleiter.

(We did, however, get a free packet of beef jerky upon entering the building.)

Pauly and I get practically weepy at Mike Sexton’s Hall of Fame induction, with help, of course, from Padraig Parkinson.

Episode 4: Voter Hesitation

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Episode 5: Touched by Sexton

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As the PokerRoad boys say, “If you can’t take the best of it, take the worst of it.” For Kevin Schaffel, that meant getting all in preflop with pocket Aces vs. Eric Buchman’s pocket Kings and losing to quads.

Live poker is most certainly rigged.

I was standing on the balcony as the hand played out and the emotions were obvious.

Pre-flop – aces vs. kings

Post-flop – aces vs. quads

Benjo joins us all the way from France … and boy, have you ever heard our favorite poker Frenchman so excited before? That’s what happens, apparently, when Darvin Moon attempts to make a play … and let’s face it, always a better episode when Benjo’s in studio.

Episode 3: For Those about to Rock, We Saout You

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