Wax on, wax off, paint the fence, sand the deck … I’m so ready for some higher stakes action — doing well not totally shitty at the PLO — but for some reason my virtual instructors at CardRunners sent me back to the $25 NL cash tables … to work with low- and micro-stakes specialist Matt Doran. Such bullshit I guess it’s all cool, rethinking the basics. We are playing short-handed, too, which I like … and he gives some valuable reminders on how to think through a weak-tight table that is capable of turning on a dime and doing something ridiculously stupid …

You can’t give up, right?

An hour with MDoranD and you’ll be ready to crane-kick your way through the little kids anywhere. Check this out … it’ just one student (not me) … but his before and after graphs are pretty impressive:

More like this available to you with Free Poker Training
at TrulyFreePokerTraining.com

J.G.

---

OP-ED

To start, I must address the reasons for obscuring my identity. Matters such as the ones I’ll address in the coming paragraphs should be open to free and intelligent discussion within the community. Perhaps a person of stronger will would view the open airing of a difficult topic as so beneficial to all that he could ignore the personal discomforts. I think we all remember the second Star Trek movie, when Spock so logically stated that the needs of the many must outweigh the needs of the one.

Sadly, however, I’m not the man Spock was, even though he’s only half man. The fact is, I fear for my safety, and you’ll understand why shortly. I must ask any poker media that wish to interview me after reading this piece to respect my desire for anonymity. All video must be shot in backlit silhouette so that my features are obscured and my
nose doesn’t look too large. I will conduct audio interviews if I can be assured that a filter will be applied that will make my voice indistinguishable form Alec Baldwin’s.

There are only two possible explanations for an onslaught of events such as these. The first is that ugly outcomes are a near mathematical certainty in tournament poker. The other is that you are terribly unlucky. If you run bad, there must be someone who runs like God.

The Truth of the WSOP
I’ve spent the last five summers in Las Vegas working around the WSOP, and every year I hear the same desperation. About two and a half weeks into the events, most players are feeling worn down by the tournament poker. Draws fail to materialize, decks run colder than an Alberta February, and beats so bad they leave scars occur constantly.

More…

Some more links to catch me up on keep you clued in about what else has been going on that may or may not be of interest to folks at the WSOP. Some of these stories vaguely connected to poker could actually turn out to be important:

First of all, for a succinct recap of what Week 3 really was all about, chock full of well-organized important details, be sure to check out BJ’s WSOP Report. [Tao of Poker]

The Shaun Deeb+Annie Duke vs. Daniel Negreanu+Linda Johnson WSOP-Ladies tourney brouhaha made national news in Philadelphia. [Philadelphia Inquirerer]

Attack of the Math Brats – a non-poker magazine’s take on “the aggressive new players whose pushy online style of play has put the old guard on the defensive”. [Time]

Speaking of defensive, the player-turned-shooter at the deadly poker robbery near Dallas has turned out to be a journalist — a cameraman for Channel 11. [Uncle Barky]

The EPT-Berlin robbers went on trial in Germany last week … and they’ve apparently admitted to everything about the heist. Only €4k unaccounted for. [BBC]

At 4 pm PT today, the second episode of Wicked Chops’ This Week in Poker will be streaming live, in a way where you can call in, or at least email and tweet. Guests to include Daniel Negreanu, Antonio Esfandiari, and Sara Underwood. [This Week in]

Despite what looks like increased entertainment traffic on the Vegas strip, Nevada’s jobless rate hit 14 percent — making it highest in the nation. [Las Vegas Sun]

The Silver State now officially kicks Michigan’s ass when it comes to macroeconomic destitution. [Christian Science Monitor]

But Paris Hilton is back in Vegas to party it up for the first time in a long while. [Twitpic]

Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman has declared September 2010 “Poker Month”, to honor and support the charitable efforts of Mike Sexton, Linda Johnson, Jan Fisher, and Lisa Tenner. [PokerGives.org]

With poker and other table games opening up in Pennsylvania and Delaware, New Jersey casinos are getting hammered. [Wall Street Journal]

In an effort to turn things around (and bring higher rollers to town) the Atlantic City Hilton is turning to performances by political rock stars — including Glenn Beck, Bill O’Reilly, Bill Clinton, Dick Cheney, and a duet show with Ann Coulter and James Carville. Tickets range from $100-$350. [Press of Atlantic City]

Trump Taj Mahal is targeting a slightly different clientele, with Gay Bingo Night on Fridays. [Press of Atlantic City]

Meanwhile, Democratic lawmakers there are calling for a sports-betting and online gambling “summit” — an effort to bring together competing interests currently fighting over whose online gambling bill gets to move forward, and discuss how they can all get on the same page(s). [Press of Atlantic City]

In Massachusetts, they want more gambling+poker, but the fight is also over which bill gets to move forward, Senate or House … and where the new casinos get to be located. [Boston Globe]

In Rhode Island, a casino measure that would include poker, breezed through the House and Senate, and now awaits to governor’s signature before being sent to the voters for a referendum. [Boston Globe]

In Connecticut — Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun specifically — the Indian tribes are making a concerted effort to court Asians. [Hartford Business Journal]

Is that Bernard Lee?

Harrah’s is apparently struggling to find a good buyer for the Rio — despite entertaining multiple offers; reportedy, negotiations have included deals that would allow the WSOP to stay at 3700 W. Flamingo, and contingency plans that would move the series to Caesar’s. [Las Vegas Sun]

The WSOP parent is looking to go public again, but maybe sooner than initially anticipated? [Las Vegas Review Journal]

The Wynn just cut 261 jobs — a move that allows the casino to restore wages and salaries for 3,700 employees that had to take pay cuts earlier this year. [Las Vegas Sun]

Sands (Venetian) CEO Sheldon Adelson is in Singapore, opening his $5.5 billion casino project — the Marina Bay Sands Resort –and is looking to India next. Despite being rebuffed by the Indian government in 2008, the man who once took a risk on The Real Deal, is making a second attempt at convincing the billion-bodies nation that they need tourism — and he’s the one who can bring it to them with a Vegas-style Strip. [The Economic Times]

MGM Resorts (no longer MGM/Mirage) is apparently salivating over India, too, with a letter of intent between them and Indian developers to begin plans for a Bellagio-Mumbai. [DNA India]

The Wappo indians in California are fighting over land in Wine Country, and seeking to restore their tribal status with eyes toward opening casinos in Napa and Sonoma. [Napa Valley Register]

A new bill — by U.S. Rep. Scott Murphy (D-NY) — intends to clarify the UIGEA … making it easier to use your credit cards to bet on horses online. [Times Union]

Howard Lederer’s Twitter says it all:

”

Phil Ivey defeated Bill Chen heads-up in the $3,000 HORSE earlier this morning, winning $329,840 (along with several million in bracelet bets). Bill Chen earned $203,802 for finishing 2nd, full results and Nolan Dalla’s tournament report soon at wsop.com.

Note: Ivey has a $5,000,000 bet with Lederer: Ivey needs to win two WSOP bracelets from 2010 to 2012. If one of Ivey’s bracelets is at a WSOP Europe event, it’s considered a push.

It really is funny, the “culture” you see on the streets of Las Vegas. Though both of these could have more to do with slot machines than poker, they both seem to speak a language — in seven characters or less! — that people at or around the Rio every summer clearly understand:

A review of Monday afternoon’s action:

Ivey, Juanda, Lisandro among final ten in 3k HORSE

Ten players remain in the $3,000 HORSE event, with Ryan Hughes (860,000) leading the field on dinner break. Other notables returning include Bill Chen (700,000), John Juanda (670,000), David “Not Bakes” Baker (450,000), Jeff Lisandro (445,000), Chad Brown (395,000) and Phil Ivey (180,000). Play resumes shortly, see who wins a bracelet at PokerNews.

Mahmood v Schmjekal at it again in 10k HU

Match #2 in the $10,000 No-Limit Heads-Up Championship final is underway, Mahmood only needs to win once more while Schmjekal needs to win two straight to earn a bracelet. PokerNews will be there for the long haul, hoping for a swift conclusion.

Frye cooking the field at 1k NL Day 2

Around 150 players remain on day 2 of the $1,000 No-Limit Holdem with Jeff Frye leading the field with 280,000 in chips as they return from dinner break. Other notables: Ryan D’Angelo (175,000), Scott Montgomery (140,000), Leo Margets (122,000) and Svetlana Gromenkova (73,000). See who’s cashed so far and get updates at wsop.com.

Jetten blasts into 10k Pot-Limit Holdem lead

62 players remain during day 2 of the $10,000 Pot-Limit Holdem Championship with Peter Jetten (605,000) holding the lead, with 27 players making the money which will be reached sometime this evening. Other notables: Tom Marchese (318,000), Jason Lester (290,000), Allen Kessler (245,000), Vitaly Lunkin (215,000), Burt Boutin (142,000) and Amnon Filippi (98,000). PokerNews will be go deep into the night providing updates and chip counts for people to track their favorites.

Shootout draws plenty of shooters

The $1,500 No-Limit Holdem Shootout drew a field of 1400 players, with the 140 ten-handed tables playing to a winner for round 1. The 140 winners return Tuesday afternoon, among the winners so far include Michael Binger, Adam Levy, Isabelle Mercier, Bryan Devonshire, Robert Mizrachi, Annette Obrestad, Rob Perelman, Chau Giang, JC Tran and Victor Ramdin. To see who else moves on this evening, check out wsop.com.

Razz draws hundreds to get frustrated

The 5pm tournament on Monday was the $2,500 Razz, which drew a field of 365 entrants starting with 7,500 in chips. Among the early chip leaders: Frank Kassela (14,300), Team Pokerati/Loudmouth Poker pro Tom Schneider (11,200), Dutch Boyd (10,600), and Lacey Jones (8,000). Eight hours of play are on the agenda, and PokerNews will be there to cover the excitement, if it can be found.

Recapping Sunday night’s WSOP action:

Angle corners Seniors’ bracelet

78-year old Harold Angle of Sun City Center, Florida defeated Michael Minetti heads-up to win the $1,000 Seniors’ No-Limit Holdem Championship and add $487,994 to his bank account. Minetti earned $301,389 for the runner-up finish. As Dan noted in the post below, Tom Schneider finished 14th in his WSOP Seniors’ debut. The full results and Nolan Dalla’s tournament report is available at wsop.com.

Mahmood leads 10k Heads-Up final 1-0

The finals of the $10,000 No-Limit Holdem Heads-Up Championship was expected to have finished earlier today, but the first match in the best-of-three final between Ayaz Mahmood and Ernst Schmejkal took over six hours to complete, with Mahmood eventually winning. Play will resume at 7pm tonight as they play to a finish, hopefully.

Juanda leads stacked 3k HORSE

25 players remain on day 3 of the $3,000 HORSE, with John Juanda (393,000) leading the way when play resumes at 3pm. The stacked field includes David “Not Bakes” Baker (373,000), Phil Ivey (205,000), Jeff Lisandro (193,000), Dan Heimiller (180,000), Bill Chen (158,000), David Benyamine (137,000), Chad Brown (108,000), Scott Seiver (105,000) and David Singer (93,000). The full list of chip counts are available at PokerNews.

Marchese leads 10k PL Holdem Day 2

A field of 268 players started Sunday afternoon in the $10,000 Pot-Limit Holdem Championship, after ten hours of play, Thomas Marchese emerged as the leader with 334,600 in chips when play resumes at 3pm today. Some of the notables returning include Dani Stern (200,500), John Duthie (171,400), Noah Boeken (136,400), Blair Rodman (92,900), Mike Matusow (77,300) and Shannon Shorr (72,700). The top 27 players get paid, with the winner pocketing $617,214. The full list of chip counts are available at PokerNews.

D’angelo leads 1k NL day 1b field

Day 1b of the $1,000 No-Limit Holdem tournament drew a field of 1,119 players, with 165 of them joining the 268 day 1a players when play resumes at 2:30pm. The top 324 players make the money, with the winner picking up $481,760 at the cashier. The full list of chip counts for both days is available at wsop.com.

Monday’s tournaments

Two tournaments on the schedule today, first is the $1,500 No-Limit Holdem Shootout at 12pm. This has a listed cap of 2,000 players, which appears to be a strange number to use for a shootout. If more than 1000 players are registered, 20 additional tables will be added, with some tables being 9-handed. The winners from round 1 will make the money and return on Tuesday, with the winners of those tables playing on Wednesday to determine a winner. With a 1,000 player cap last year, Jeffrey Carris won this event last year, good for $313,673. The 5pm tournament is the $2,500 Razz, won by Jeff Lisandro in a field of 315 for $188,390.

Oklahoma Johnny Hale was scootering around the record-setting WSOP-Seniors event last night once they got down to about nine tables … he was splashing pots with $5 commemorative chips from Palace Station honoring members of “The Seniors” Poker Player Hall of Fame.

The chip plausibly stimulating additional action on the table I happened to be watching bore a familiar mug … none other than disgraced poker pioneer Russ Hamilton, which presumably could make for quite the collector’s item.

Jack Ward has only seen his fortunes in the WSOP-Seniors event improve since taking down the pot with a Russ Hamilton Hall of Fame overlay.

The winner of that pot, btw, and the hotly desired piece of poker memorabilia, was Jack Ward, from Gulfport, Miss. Not all the Johnny Hale splash pots happened to feature Russ Hamilton chips … there were also some Vince Burgios, Johnny Moss’s, TJ Cloutiers, and others. But since taking down the Hamilton coin, Ward jumped from about 50k in chips to 519k, which had him on the verge of elimination in Day 2 starting Day 3, today, in 7th position with 23 players remaining.

En route, Ward also happened to take out Berry Johnston, a current member of the Seniors Hall of Fame, who lasted longest amongst that group and finished in 39th place.

UPDATE: At this moment there are currently 13 left, with Team Pokerati’s Tom Schneider out in 14th, and newfound fan favorite Jack Ward in 10th.

You can follow the chip-for-chip action here.

Investigations into Hamilton Role in UB Cheating Scandals Ongoing

Meanwhile, Wicked Chops seem to be getting onto the multi-part longform-narrative bandwagon, perhaps realizing that’s the really the only way to tell the full story of the biggest poker cheating scam in history, and possibly a multibillion-dollar black eye to an online poker industry still struggling for legitimacy.

Be sure to read Part 1 of WCP’s The Ultimate Bet Super-User Scandal, as they piece together initial Nat Arem discoveries, Haley Hintze’s continuing investigative research, and their own original reporting to weave together a tale of how “Russ Hamilton pulled the strings to develop a super-user ‘tool’ that cheated friends, associates, and UltimateBet customers out of millions of dollars.”

While it seems like Wicked Chops may be putting together something more akin to the Warren Report while Haley nails down the dirty details of Umbrella Man, it seems clear that before all is said and done with Cereus, we’ll be looking at a true-crime aga of online poker shenanigans that goes far beyond any one man on a single chip playing dirty.

Sorry to leave any ‘Ati-first readers hanging for a week without easiest access to the latest Tao of Pokerati take on happenings at the World Series. Of course you all are smart … and presumably know to find any episode you (or I) may have missed in the Tao of Pokerati podcast archives here. Seriously, check ‘em out … there’ve been some good ones.

Pauly skipped town a couple days ago … I guess with Rio security responding to all the billboard advertising around their property for Dr. Reefer, the Happiness Consultants, Legal Cannabis Scrips ‘R Us, etc. by cracking down on 420 breaks at the WSOP, Pauly decided if he was gonna leave the Rio, he might as well keep on driving (then flying) to the nearest Phish concert.

But no worries … He’ll be back in a few days; in the meantime Benjo and I gotcha covered. Last night, with two final tables going on at the main stage, we found ourselves in one of those spots where two additional bits of exciting Amazon action were taking place simultaneously, with galleries overlapping in a single aisle as remaining players were well past their bubbles and getting nearer to big-money prizes.

Episode 35: French Man Kissing (w Benjo)

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

There’s a real s’affrontent going on in the $10k heads-up, with Bertrand Grospellier, arguably the #1 player in France right now, battling Benjo’s pal Lucovic Lacay, currently the top contender capable of dethroning him. All the excitement has the French guys on the rail madly … kissing? Benjo breaks down the questionable nature of these public displays of Euro-affection.