This — a live cam from above the floor of the Commerce — is pretty cool. Would be extra-awesome if a fight were to breakout or some girl decided to go streaking. But whatever, anyhow, check it out, if you want to watch — at present — three or four tables of a super-satellite at the Commerce. (They just got back from break.)

I think the plan is to stream the final table of the $1k w rebuys event later tonight …

They don’t quite have play-by-play to make it a real show (yet), but there is a chat moderator to answer questions about what you’re looking at. This UStream thing … so much potential to be either really good or really bad. Jury still out … but interesting they have it … and the audio now in my background (have heard a few screams and stomps, calls for somebody named Sam, and lots of chip-clicking) is more compelling than the NBC analysts for pairs figure skating.

Webcam chat at Ustream

I don’t quite get what’s possible when they say, “You can send video here by putting the show’s hashtag, #veerob, in the title when you record! Enjoy!” Are they implying someone at the table could run video, too, and put it in the same thread?

I can see World Series coverage really changing in coming years if people can self-cover themselves on video similarly to reporting their chip counts via twitter.

Follow the goings-on at the Commerce a little less pathetically with @LAPokerClassic.

The LAPC recently featured 2 $230 mega satellites into their $1 million guaranteed $1000 re-buy tournament to give some lower stakes players a shot at a big payday in event that can get real expensive real fast. If you won a seat you also received a voucher that could be used for a re-buy or or an add-on.

The first of these mega satellites ended in a unique way with a player exhibiting some less than critical thinking. When they got down to the bubble of 18 players (17 seats were to be given away) play was on two tables of 9 players each and they were playing hand for hand to prevent either table from stalling. The first table finished their hand with one player being eliminated. While this was going on, a player at the other table was faced with an all in raise and was pondering his decision and called the floor-person over to ask the following question: “If I call and lose will I split 17th with the player at the other table who was just eliminated on this hand?” to which the floor-person accurately responded “yes.” He called the all in raise, lost the pot and split 17th place getting half a seat.

To some poker is all about winning pots…

BJ disappeared to somewhere near the Arctic Circle, leaving Huff to moderate an imaginarily bloody tete-a-tete between me (representing the down-and-dirty side of poker) and G-Wise (representing “big slick”). Bernard Lee also stepped into the fray briefly to discuss his new deal with Foxwoods and offer up his services as a stand-in panelist. (Doesn’t the ESPN analyst and Boston Globe columnist know we can’t let any ole riff-raff into our shtick!)

In addition to a slew of newsbriefs and snoozing through the segment on the Durrrr Challenge, we discuss Lee’s signing with Foxwoods as well as the Forbes’ laying the online poker cards on the table/cover for all to clearly see.

The Poker Beat
2/11/10

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Another good video from the LAPC … in this one Matt talks with Eric Baldwin (aka “Basebaldy), the 2009 CardPlayer Player of the Year. We, of course, got to know him as he was tearing through a Venetian Deep Stacks field prior to showing what he really was in town to do at the WSOP.

Anyhow, hate to make this all about the LAPC when tourneys are going on around the world — from Copenhagen to Tunica … but this gives a good glimpse at someone who is now a “big name” in poker though few have gotten to know him yet:

In the above video they talk about Baldwin’s efforts to snap his 0-fer history at the LAPC and where “taking it easy” fits in to the upcoming Ironman competition.

Since the last time we wrote about him he was keeling over at the table, it’s our pleasure to show a better, more-capacitated view of Miami John Cernuto — talking to Matt Savage after being the technical winner (he chopped) of the LAPC’s Event #28, $545 Limit Hold’em.

It was one of the few disappointing field sizes at the LAPC: 71 players, 9 paid.

In this winner’s video, Cernuto and 2nd place finisher Edwin Smith discuss not the $18,000 they split up, but limit vs. no-limit and whether or not you’ll see a resurgence (or the continued decline) of tournaments with far fewer all-ins:

Also: kudos to Tom Schneider for taking 6th and an $1,870 prize. That’s almost enough for a rebuy in a real 21st century poker event, lol.

I’ll Bet: This field probably provided fewer tweets from the felt than any other event at the LAPC.

It apparently was just a one-time deal, but still … I’ve never played for the Washington Generals, have you played for the Washington Generals? Pretty cool … as Team Tiffany and Maria continue on their 15-minutes-of-farewell tour, throwing themselves into as many non-poker spots as possible until the next season of The Amazing Race forces the Harlem Globetrotters’ opponents to retire their numbers:

[via Wicked Chops]

Watch Tiffany Michelle and Maria Ho Show The Globetrotters How To Play Basketball on RawVegas.tv

The Winter Olympics get underway today, and we thought PokerStars you might appreciate some heads-up on who out there on the slopes, in the rinks — and hopefully on the medal stand — knows a thing or two about Texas Hold’em.

Beyond Johnny Weir’s loving him some Lady Gaga, the following Olympic athletes on Team USA like to play poker at charity fundraiser events and/or recreational home games while on the road doing the practice-travel-competition grind:

Ben Agosto (Ice Dancing)
on twitter
TanithandBen.com

Evan Lysacek (Figure Skating)
on twitter
EvanLysacek.com

JR Celski (Speed Skating)
on twitter
JRCelski.com

Hannah Teter, the Annette15 of Snowboarding?

Hannah Teter (Snowboarding)
in Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue

Nate Holland (Snowboarding)
on twitter

Shaun White isn’t known as much of a poker player, but here’s a picture of him at the poker table.

For more information on these athletes, including photos, videos and the full schedule for the 2010 Olympic Games, visit www.NBCOlympics.com or www.TeamUSA.org.

A cover story in the latest issue of Forbes magazine (the main story asking if Al Qaeda is bankrupt) features an article discussing the US government’s possible crackdown on online poker with the impending June 1 deadline for the UIGEA to be enforced. The article can be found on their website here and includes a slide show of the big names behind online poker.

I’m kinda glad I didn’t respond to that spammish email trying to sell me pokerati.cn … the Commie reds are about to embark on a six-month, eight-agency crackdown on online gambling. Chinese officials did not respond to inquiries on whether or not running the campaign between now and August had anything to do with timing of the World Series of Poker.

Not sure how deep any in our industry have dug into the possibilities in China yet, but hey, that “Bodies” exhibit could probably use some new prisoners to pose playing poker.

More on the China crackdown, where you may notice vague similarities to what’s gone down in the US of A:

Online gambling “has caused large cash outflows from the country and seriously disturbed social and economic order,” said a statement posted on the public security ministry’s Web site Monday.

The campaign aims to “bust a number of syndicates from home and abroad that collude to organise gambling activities on the Internet and severely punish the illegal rings,” it said.

Authorities will also clamp down on underground banks and third party payment platforms that provide cash transfer services for gambling sites, as well as Internet operators that provide Web access services, it said.

“(We) will clean up gambling information and Web sites across the board,” the statement said.

As more and more casinos proliferate across the United States, some of the old stalwarts are looking for ways to keep themselves at the top of their region when it comes to poker prestige and casino profits … and the famed Foxwoods Resort Casino in Connecticut has hired semi-accomplished poker pro and ESPN analyst Bernard Lee as their new representative.

Beyond being a landmark deal for himself personally, Lee’s partnership with Foxwoods opens up what may or may not become a trend in US brick-and-mortar poker rooms — hiring poker players with brand-worthy recognition to represent them on the tables, in the media, and possibly even at casino business meetings. Who needs an online site when there are fully legal, long-regulated American corporations trying to compete for gambling revenue share?

Pretty nice score for a guy who had one of his worst poker years ever in 2009, going 0-fer in the last WSOP and booking just a single five-figure cash ($13k for a 23rd-place finish in Misssissippi) since the election of Barack Obama.

Click below for the press release Foxwoods has put out announcing their new marriage:

More…

The award-winning cast of The Poker Beat breaks down last week who did and did not make the cut of the Bluff Power 20, and we analyze the launch of Victory Poker. Is there space (six years after Chris Moneymaker) for a new online poker site in the sector — one that does not include Full Tilt pros, PokerStars-size tournament fields, and AP/UB’s Kahnawake-ness?

The Poker Beat
2/05/10

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We know little because we’re thousands of miles away, but why am I not shocked that what coulda been the greatest thing ever — poker that helps a bunch of kids on Super Bowl Sunday — has left at least a few people with a sour taste in their mouths?

I sent an email trying to find out how many people played, how much money was raised, and what celebs if any may have gone deep in the biggest freeroll in Texas history … but instead learned from Dallas CAN!, the charity who helped make it happen:

Went ok the poker company we partnered with did some things that were not right to help our charity and although we packed the place and paid up front for everything, we never saw a dime last night.

The Hard Rock Poker Lounge is getting its weekend poker orgy underway — this is the “relaunch” of the poker room there … under new management, with new ideas, and more action than usual …

They’ve got a full slate this weekend — beyond just the free food, splashed pots, a 20k guarantee Friday tourney and stuff like that … they’ve got a whole slate of events, including a Sharon Osborne celebrity charity event (Trash Talk Championship of the World they are calling it), a party for the launch of Victory poker. Currently filming (for ESPN 360, I believe, is a $100/$200 NLH cash game. $50k buy-in … with Antonio Esfandiari, Andrew Robl and others on the table … we’ll have some more names for you. And I think that’s The Maven waiting in the wings for a seat.

Click here for a rundown of all they’ve got going on.

Of course the game next table over is what really interests me — $1/$2 NLH/PLO … just an option to run-it-2x today, not automatic. But in my jaded opinion, that’s where the real poker is going on. The plan is to keep this game running throughout the weekend — as Super Bowl raffle is currently my 2010 bankroll plan.

More TK throughout the weekend … but here’s a glimpse of surprisingly early Friday night action taking off at the Hard Rock’s big poker weekend:

Wicked Chops has the intro and the detailed breakdown … and they provided the actual list:

1. PokerStars
2. Full Tilt Poker
3. Mitch Garber
4. Howard Lederer
5. Ty Stewart
6. Doyle Brunson
7. Joe Cada
8. Barney Frank
9. Tony G
10. Daniel Negreanu
11. Phil Ivey
12. John Pappas
13. Mike Sexton
14. Mori Eskandani
15. Brian Balsbaugh
16. Lance Bradley
17. Joe Sebok
18. Barry Shulman
19. Matt Savage
20. Per Hagen

More…

There could be 1,000 players or more gathered in South Dallas this Sunday, just a few blocks from Dallas Police Headquarters btw, competing for a WSOP main event seat in what’s being advertised as the biggest “True Freeroll Texas Hold’em Poker Tournament” in history

The event is technically a charity fundraiser for the much-respected DallasCAN! Academies around a Super Bowl viewing party. Tons of non-poker stuff and prize giveaways going on — and the freeroll poker tournement just happens to be part of it.

It took them like 6 years to figure out how to pull this off in a fully legal way, Big ups to all things Texas poker for this. Though like a McDonald’s Monopoly game, no purchase is necessary, they do offer a VIP upgrade that includes, among many things, extra chips for players in the tournament.

It all goes down at Gilley’s, which has much experience pulling off large poker events, though possibly never one this size before, featuring current Dallas Cowboy stars and tea legends:

Join celebrity athlete hosts and Dallas Can! Academy the 2010 DFW Big Game Watching Party!

Door prizes, spirits, food and legendary athletes all come together for the kids at the Can! Academies.

Hosted by:
Jason Witten,
Randy White,
Drew Pearson,
Stephen McGee and
Jay Novacek.

Sunday – February 7, 2010
Gilley’s – 1135 S Lamar St
Dallas, TX 75215

Fan Fest: Noon – 4PM
Game Watching Party: 3 – 10PM
Doors open to VIP at 3PM

Click here for the official website:DFWBigGame.com

Click below for details on the poker tournament itself — going around my old hometown stomping grounds via email. Should be a pretty fascinating mix of amateur poker types and major players in the Dallas area trying to win their way (via an arguably soft field in a challenging blind structure) into the other Big Game this summer:

More…