With the main event of The River at Winstar underway like right now … (and no real coverage going to follow) … WSOP officials released word of their latest stop on the WSOP Circuit — the Choctaw Casino in Durant, Oklahoma. Nifty-cool. And it was especially kind of them to schedule it in January, making it very convenient for my personal holiday travel plans — especially while visiting my folks or Gma, who live way more conveniently located near Choctaw than WinStar.
Click below for the official deets according to the WSOPress Release. And check out this video of the fancy-cool new Choctaw poker room (represented by WSOP-Ebay legend TJ Cloutier, btw) as seen by the architects before it opened up:
A note from @CRLana in Chicago that we’re happy to pass along to Pokerati readers (emphasis added) … and congrats indeed! We should like hang out sometime and/or follow each other on Twitter:
Congratulations to Jonathon “Nikachu” Zaczek, winner of the inaugural CardRunners Video Challenge. Along with the $5,000 Grand Prize, Zaczek has also signed as a new video instructor at CardRunners. View the winning video here.
Polls were open for two weeks and voting was very close. Fewer than 30 votes separated the top 3 finishers of our contest.
Final standings of the Video Challenge are:
1st Place – $5,000 – Jonathon “Nikachu” Zaczek
2nd Place – $2,500 – Matthew Janda
3rd Place – $1,000 – Lee Przytula
4th Place – $500 – Bryce Paradis
5th Place – Chip Set ($175 value) – Johan “Roundkick” Ryning
Thank you for all who participated and please keep an eye out for future contests at CardRunners.
As always, if you haven’t done so already, give yourself an edge over someone who likes to play online poker but is lazier than you by signing up for free poker training from CardRunners.
It’s just a list, but a fun and important one … the Class of 2010 to be considered for the Poker Hall of Fame presented by Jack Link’s Beef Jerky. Er, wait a minute, scratch that last part. You mean there’s no sponsor plausibly affecting the outcome of how things get inked into the record books? Next thing you’re gonna tell me is there’s no Jungleman or Durrrr. Wha’? Didn’t you see him get 2nd place!?! I mean the old guy, not Jungleman. He’s not even 21 yet, so that’s understandable that he shouldn’t be eligible ’til next year. OK, anyways …
Here are the names being considered this go-round … on first glance I don’t see any insta-scratches … so all 10 get at least a shake:
CHRIS FERGUSON
BARRY GREENSTEIN
JENNIFER HARMAN-TRANIELLO
DAN HARRINGTON
PHIL IVEY
LINDA JOHNSON
TOM McEVOY
DANIEL NEGREANU
SCOTTY NGUYEN
ERIK SEIDEL
While the PPA’s petition has already received more than 7000 signatures, including most of poker’s top professionals, the PPA is not letting up on the Commerce Casino for its vocal opposition to HR 2267. Responding to the Commerce’s response (to a response to a response?), the PPA points to the law as written and shows how most of the Commerce’s supposed concerns were addressed in amendments. The PPA wants players to see how California casinos are really making a protectionist money grab but trying to disguise it as a bold stand to protect poker players worldwide.
PPA Excutive Director John Pappas told PokerNews’ Matthew Kredell he will stop supporting Commerce events, but stopped short of calling for an all-out boycott:
“We didn’t think that was appropriate. Players will make that decision on their own. But you see the number of professional players who signed the letter. I know Commerce will be holding a lot of high-profile events in the future. Some pros might question whether to attend.”
Follow coverage of the PPA’s crusade to get Commerce officials to change their minds here. Meanwhile, the Commerce Hold’em Series gets underway today,
Later, NBC’s Tonight Show with Jay Leno featured Barney Frank, and when the subject came around to ways to raise revenues (around 3:45), Frank offered his support of legislation regulating online poker. Leno — making appearances this month at the Mirage in Vegas — wasn’t supporting the idea:
Detail from “Superstar Satellite” (above) and “Big Chick, Crabs and Snowmen” (below) – Oils on canvas – by Lisa Jane.
Those Brits, I tell you what … whether talking literature, theatre, or visual high art, they just always seem to be a tick ahead of mass-America when it comes to anything culture. Not being a self-loathing Yanker in saying that … just acknowledging why it’s hardly surprising that art would be a part of September’s massive poker activities in London.
* It’s hard to tell if Jane’s paintings are being deferential to highly regarded American poker artists who preceded her, or if she’s mocking them.
English painter Lisa Jane opens her first solo exhibition in the UK today, called “Poker in the Eye” — a multi-casino show of poker-inspired works that runs through the end of the month in London’s Mayfair district. Her paintings will be on display at the Maxim Casino, in the Palm Beach Casino’s tournament room — site of the currently running WPT-London Poker Classic — and down the street at Crockford’s, the world’s oldest private gaming club and assumed venue for the biggest cash games in Europe this week. Considering that “Crocky’s” has been hosting nobility-stakes action since 1828, it kinda makes you wonder about the WPT’s London kickoff … can you really call something a “classic” when it was est. 2010?
Regardless, because we are high-minded folks at Pokerati (seriously, minored in art history and shit) and want our readers to appreciate the finer things in life, we cut a deal with some down-on-their-luck art thieves to get you a sneak peek at some of Jane’s work from the show … while yours truly tries to remember what art (and art criticism) was really all about before the days of blogging.
JoeOE18: Had a great session with Deus Ex. Then got to another boss. Contemplating giving up and moving on to something fun. Wish there were cheats. 13 hours ago
A note from 
It’s just a list, but a fun and important one … the Class of 2010 to be considered for the Poker Hall of Fame 
