None other than KevMath stepped into a new dimension across the pond last week, appearing on The Poker Show with Jesse May. Our favorite 2+2 moderator — and arguably the second or third most mysterious man in poker — shares his refreshingly sober analytics from what May calls “the best AND worst journalism about poker”. Check it out … there’s a lot to be learned from the guy charged with shepherding ducks on NVG (and cleaning up their mess).

They also get into the personalities at the NBC Heads-Up Championship for a bit, and talk about the peculiar appeal of Luke Schwartz — what’s behind FullFlush’s rising star in the UK, and why is he more than just a 2+2 blowhard?

Really good stuff from a new (to audio) voice serving a necessary role in the poker world. He clearly does it all for the glamour:

KevMath on The Poker Show

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I’m still alive, but Pauly’s out. Before bringing our Hollywood poker weekend to a close, we decide we should get a firsthand taste of the real Commerce degen experience, so Pauly escorts me to the ATM to make good on an a charitable WPT rebuy acquired-at-the-table debt before he jets off to Uruguay.

Episode 5: ATM Roulette

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This would be our last episode of the book on the 2010 WPT Celebrity Invitational. In the end, cards didn’t fall my way as I finished sans audio and had to twitter in my results:

@Pokerati Out to vince van fuckhead. All in preflop my AQ < 57s. I respect his play
12:55 AM Feb 21st via txt

Your intrepid player-correspondents catch up on the first break at the star-studded WPT Celebrity Invitational to talk about how the tourney is going … I’ve battled back from chip-and-a-chair conditions at a table full of pros (and rebought with Pauly money) to stay alive, while Pauly has been taunted by errant nipples and offered blow in the bathroom. We’re not even deep, but we’re already taking note of would-be final tableist Trishelle Cannatella, too, before getting distracted by the pathos of Commerce steerage.

Episode 4: A Roomful of (Hollywood) Cliches

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We were still waiting for cards to get in the air at the WPT Celebrity Invitational when we found the red-carpeted smoker’s terrace at the Commerce. The first ever PartyPoker Party in LA, too — LA: It’s Very Different than America — as Tao of Pokerati runs into its first ever security issue.

Episode 3: Newcomer’s Welcome

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Pauly and I arrive at the Commerce to see more big-name degens than we do celebrities, but it’s still early …

Episode 2: Commerce She Bangs

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While you listen, be sure to check out some more detailed WPT Invitational tales on Tao.

As Pauly and I are prone to do whenever we get together, we couldn’t help ourselves from kicking into 3-minute-podcast mode in Los Angeles this weekend as we both got ready to take on the Hollywooded up field at the WPT Celebrity Invitational for the LAPC … and explore How-TF we got into the field in the first place.

Episode 1: Slumming It in Not-So-Beverly Hills

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BTW, if you want to hear a different side of Dr. Pauly, be sure to check out his Lost Vegas podcast episodes. A lot more sex and drugs in those.

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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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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The Poker Beat Crew celebrates our first-year victory in Bluff Magazine’s Reader’s Choice Awards. Then we take on the Kathy Liebert / Daniel Negreanu confab in Mississippi where they talked about what it really takes to get a sponsorship deal in this day and age … and we speculate on where Annette Obrestad fits in to all this. Then, what it means if anything that Phil Ivey dethroned Daniel Negreanu as the all-time tournament money leader.

The Poker Beat
1/28/10

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Here are the other winners:

Favorite Poker Personality: Mike Sexton
Top TV Poker Show for 2009: High Stakes Poker
Favorite Poker Podcast: The Poker Beat on PokerRoad.com
Top Poker Blog for 2009: WickedChopsPoker.com
Favorite Poker Forum: TwoPlusTwo.com
Best Poker Twitterer: Doyle Brunson
Favorite Las Vegas Poker Room: The Bellagio
Favorite Poker Room Outside of Las Vegas: The Commerce
Favorite Online Poker Site: Full Tilt Poker
Favorite Online Poker Resource: CardRunners.com
Top Story of 2009: Phil Ivey Makes WSOP Main Event Final Table
Best Online Poker Player: Tom “durrr” Dwan
Favorite Poker Villain: Phil Hellmuth
Favorite Player of 2009: Phil Ivey

Tons os news stories to blow through … John Caldwell can now say definitively that it takes the work of three men to replace him. But the poker news keeps beating. On this week’s docket :

– everyone’s abuzz about Rush Poker. Full Tilt seems to have come up with a catch-on concept that makes no bones about feeding the addiction in a way that seemingly takes multitabling to a whole new dimension. But will Hevad Khan ever be able to play?

– the new WSOP hygeine rule. Yuck. But does it affect strategy?

– and the Heartland Poker Tour flies in to town to pit Vegas locals against “heartland” tourists, bringing more action to Red Rock than Station Casinos coulda anticipated. My personal poker dreams re-crushed.

The Poker Beat
1/21/10

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Click here to weigh in on show topics on the Poker Road Forums.

NOTE: I plea the 5th against allegations that I may have been podcasting while intoxicated.

For those who missed it, on last week’s episode we bid farewell to co-host John Caldwell … then got to business discussing the PCA and the new breed of Tiger Beat PokerStars. And then we get into the first annual Poker Beat Awards … where the crew waxes gay about Phil Ivey and all his accomplishments or lack thereof in 2009. I woulda voted for him (maybe I did?) but he wasn’t even at the ceremony to accept his awards. What a jerk!

We also talk a little Clonie vs. Full Tilt lawsuit and say our goodbyes to those who left us in 2009.

on PokerRoad

The Poker Beat
1/14/10

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You know, we may wanna start paying attention to Europe. Here in the US, we’re screaming pretty constantly, re: poker, “regulate, regulate, regulate!” And yet across the pond these days, there seems to be a lot of, “whoa, maybe not so much!”

One current hotspot in the European poker theater: Hungary. So much so that players are staging protests — peaceful poker tournaments in Budapest subway stations — to express their dismay with recent amendments to Hungary’s Gambling Act.

photo: Veronika Gulyas

Apparently, the Hungarian Poker Association is a bit tilted by new regulations put on poker clubs, and a new tax on poker winnings … that some say are meant to push players out of the clubs and force them into Hungarian casinos. (They’ve already got five, and a new Hard Rock Casino is set to open in 2012.)

Interestingly enough, according to the Wall Street Journal “New Europe” blog linked to above, the one kinda poker you can play tax-free is mobile-phone poker, where it costs just $2/day for the right to play for real money.

UPDATE: A video of the protest (in Hungarian):

(Thanks, PokerString!)

The Poker Beat is back … (attempting) to make sense of all that is going on in the poker world. In this episode, BJ, Huff, and I discuss (at length) PokerStars’ record-setting 149,000 player $1 tourney; the opening of the Aria poker room (and what this may or may not mean over at the Bellagio); the ridiculousness of 17 $1k rebuy tourneys at Bellagio’s upcoming 5-star Classic; everything that is the PCA; PokerStars getting in bed with the Venetian for the new NAPT; and over at Full Tilt, all things Isildur … and, of course, the second red-pro suspension of Brian Townsend.

on PokerRoad

The Poker Beat
Huff, Nemeth, Michalski
1/07/10

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BTW, a little breaking-ish news on this episode — and perhaps an indication of the perceived threat of the NAPT-Venetian, which just so happens to coincide with the LAPC, the usual early-year destination for the LA-LV poker masses … anyone who buys into the $10k WPT-LAPC main event at the Commerce before February 19 now will receive a seat in the televised $200k WPT Invitational. Neato!

On last week’s episode, we took a deeper look at Jeffrey Pollack’s split with the WSOP, discussed what Joe Cada may or may not mean for poker, speculated wildly on WhoTF this Isildur1 character is … and then they turned to the Wolfman for an update on all things UIGEA, where my take was pretty much: Dec. 1 … I dunno … your guess as good as mine! But could Isildur really be Darvin Moon?

on PokerRoad

The Poker Beat
Huff, Caldwell, Nemeth, Wise, Michalski, Stapleton
11/19/09

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A little more leftover podcast action … the not-so-pokery crew over at The Black Whole (”raw, uncensored, urban commentary on sports and life”) wanted to know: What happened to Phil Ivey at the WSOP?

Yours truly stepped in Tuesday eve with SuperDave, Cityslickers, and Moopbrown (as the WSOP aired on ESPN) to try and explain, starting at about 44:30 in:

Also joined by poker-playin’ lawman Ricky Green.

Jim McManus appeared on All Things Considered the morning the November Nine was getting underway, to offer a little cultural (and presidential) history of the game, based on his new book, Cowboys Full.

Not to be a spoiler, but the closing line features a sound clip from Darvin Moon, with weekend host Guy Raz saying, “That is Darvin Moon, and he’s about as far away as you can get from poker royalty.” That is a funnier line than Raz even realizes, considering Moon’s resistance to all things sponsorship.

Raz does a follow-up the next day, just on Darvin Moon:

For more academic intellect surrounding Cowboys Full: The Story of Poker, check out our favorite new older-than-25 Betfair blogger Shamus’ interview with McManus here.

And for a little low-brow historical perspective on McManus from a pre-Darvin Moon era, here’s my interview with the author of Positively Fifth Street from 2004.

(Yikes, 2004!?!)

This week’s episode was all WSOP. Huff spoke about the November Nine as a guy who has seen many a tourney, but never one like this. Caldwell and I offered our thoughts having seen development from freshman to sophomore year, BJ lamented being stuck in Foxwoods, but along with Gary shared how the experience transcended beyond Vegas via the internet and TV.

Oh, plus Phil Ivey, Joe Cada, and Darvin Moon. And maybe a little Antoine Saout.

on PokerRoad

The Poker Beat
Huff, Caldwell, Wise, Michalski, Nemeth, Stapleton
11/12/09

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Wow, awesome. Joan Rivers appears on a sports-talk radio show (790 AM The Ticket) and ends up talking poker, before getting frustrated and hanging up on the guys.

She doesn’t know who Texas Dolly is and says he has no ground to stand on criticizing her until “he’s 76 years old and had a career like I’ve had”. Some truly laughable poker-hating gems.

Joan Rivers on Doyle Brunson

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UPDATE:

Doyle Responds

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Pauly and I size things up on the first break, and are there as a winner is finally declared.

Episode 9: Cutting down Moon

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Episode 10: Cada’s Commencement

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As the November 9->2 comes to a close, Pauly and I evaluate the make-up (TV- and industry-wise) of the Final Three … and when Antoine Saout goes down, a double-crushed Benjo finds himself baffled by Joe Cada yet still tickled that his countryman’s play allowed him to lock himself in a giant room for 17+ hours to witness this final table spectaculaire.

Episode 7: The Final 3

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Episode 8: Wave the Flag

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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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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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We’re back … with the world’s shortest poker podcast … so short, we’ve already got two episodes for you.

Episode 1: Pre-action Action

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Episode 2: Homme-team Advantage

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The usual crew talked a little (new era) poker on TV this week — 2M2MM + PokerStars Million-Dollar Challenge — and then BJ number-geeked out on Daniel Negreanu’s breakdown of WPT performance stats … and a Calling the Clock segment on coaching at the WSOP main event.

on PokerRoad

The Poker Beat
Huff, Caldwell, Wise, Michalski, Nemeth, Stapleton
10/22/09

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ESPN had a little tele-press conference about the upcoming coverage of the WSOP November Nine. ESPN’s chief Flack George McNeilly moderated the call, and on it taking questions were Norman Chad, Lon McEachorn and Doug White, ESPN’s Senior Director of Programming and Acquisitions.

(Jeffrey Pollack bowed out with regrets, apparently claiming “tummy-ache”/swine flu.)

For a little preview of what’s in store — from the perspective of storylines, production, and a wee-bit of Darvin Moon sponsorship business …

ESPN 2009 WSOP Main Event Final Table Media Cattle Conference Call
Oct 29 2009
McNeilly, McEachern, Chad, White, et al.

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download

SPOILER ALERT: More heads-up coverage, table/stage a bit closer to the crowd, welcome to the show ESPN Inside Deal, and play along online at ESPN.com. Go Phil Ivey or Darvin Moon, and really any of the other guys, too! Akenhead is kinda a funny last name. Presented by Jack’s Links Beef Jerky, yum. Let’s dance.

Topics this week include the emergence of Darvin Moon and Phil Ivey in the press, tournament spotlights (Shulman def. Negreanu @WSOPE, Gustafson def. Eastgate @EPT-London, UB’s Aruba-fest), and the demise of PokerPages (feat. former PP EIC Amy Calistri) …

on PokerRoad

The Poker Beat
Huff, Caldwell, Michalski, Wise, Nemeth, Calistri, Stapleton
10/8/09

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Andreas Oscarsson
Photo: PokerListings.com

The father of Andreas Oscarsson, the PokerListings cofounder murdered in Sweden two months ago, says his son was the victim of a professional hit. He spoke on Swedish TV (their equivalent of America’s Most Wanted, I believe) in hopes that the public can help police solve this crime.

Apparently there was almost no evidence left behind.

Oscarsson, of course, was one of the biggest success stories of the international online poker boom — not as a player, but in helping bring players to online sites — and he accumulated vast wealth in a relatively short period of time. The semi-retired poker affiliate kingpin was on a brief holiday to his family home in Sweden this past August when an unknown assailant quietly broke into the house. He was shot six times with what investigators believe was a silencer-capped pistol as his wife, parents, and two-year-old son slept.

Hear Oscarsson’s father in his own (chilling) words:

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download

You don’t need to speak Swedish to kinda-sorta understand what this is really all about …

Click below for two recent stories (Google translations) about the highest-stakes murder the Swedes have seen in a long while … one police do not seem close to solving.

More…

OK, I swear we’re going to stop making this blog PhilHellmutherati. But here’s more of the Champ, speaking to the French media about his concerns that Harrah’s forthcoming online poker site could do damage to the WSOP.

You can find the whole show here.

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http://pokerati.com/podcast/benjo-hellmuth.mp3

(English starts once Hellmuth gets on the phone.)

Beyond his repeated request for more food and cheaper rooms (previously Hellmuth was seeking “free”), he actually raises some good points, which seem to tie in with his November Nine coaching client’s WSOP beefs.

What he states is fact when acknowledging that a Harrah’s online poker site potentially puts the WSOP in competition with money that has really supported the World Series since it became a Harrah’s property.

He also reiterates his love for Jeffrey Pollack and Ty Stewart, while sending a message plea to their corporate overlords:

“Don’t take us for granted, Harrah’s!

If they do, then they’re in for a fight …

Nice job by Benjo.

Had a brief little run-in with Ivan Neville (of the Neville Brothers, and now Dumpstaphunk), who’s a low-stakes poker regular at Harrah’s New Orleans, any casino town he plays music in, and online. Not only did he sing the National Anthem at the USO/PPA charity event last night, but also he’s gone to some meetings with Congresspeople representing Louisiana and Texas … and in at least one case, his presence helped poker win out on a double-booked sked. Oh, and in addition to inspiration for further political involvement, he got an education on how the rebuy period really changes tournament action.

Says Neville: “Poker’s a friggin’ American pastime!”

Neville Brother on Poker+Politics

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I just busted out of the wild-n-crazy USO/PPA charity tourney benefitting wounded vets. Jordan Morgan clearly doesn’t respect my play … how else could he, with monster stack, call my M=3 all-in UTG with only A-9? Crap … though I did flop runner-runner outs, alas my 2-4 didn’t get there.

Anyhow, might be for the best, as I’ll be making an appearance in about a half hour to talk Phil Ivey, poker, and the WSOP on a show called The Black Whole:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/TheBlackWhole

Tune in live at 10:15 Eastern, or listen to the podcast later. (I’ll be the white guy.) Should be good, barber-shoppy times + poker.

UPDATE: Here’s the podcast. Poker talk starts about 34 minutes in … but honestly, all the good stuff on this show comes before then:

Pauly and Benjo are on site in the Amazon room to discuss what really may or may not have gone down on Day 1d. It wasn’t pretty, but at the same time, kinda a beautiful thing, no? On to Day 2a (and 2b), where the real carnage begins.

Tao of Pokerati at the 40th WSOP
Las Vegas, NV

Episode 11.30: The Day 1d Debacle (feat. Benjo)
5:51

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Union talks with Benjo are going well — we still haven’t come to complete resolution, but it’s good we’re still all at the table — and thus, to the tune of the Star-Spangled Banner on American Independence Day / La Quatrième de Juillet, he joins Pauly to give a report from Day 1B as Doyle Brunson gets cards in the air … But not before the sometimes-Angry Frenchman is put on self-loathing tilt by a fucking wanker someone wearing a Zidane jersey and America’s insistence on calling soccer football.

Tao of Pokerati at the 40th WSOP
Las Vegas, NV

Episode 11.29: Poker de la Liberté (feat. Benjo)
3:06

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It’s the first episode without the Wolfman, but you should still listen as the WSOP media-osos gather outside the Amazon room to discuss $50k HORSE, late registration policies, WSOP parties, PokerPalooza, the big question of whether or not the WSOP is polarizing into varsity and JV divisions, and … the best and worst ideas in play at the 2009 World Series of Poker.

Special pass-bys by Charles Barkley, Mike Tyson, and Oliver Tse … plus the Insider and the Tight Laydown. Dr. Pauly sits in with the crew … and gotta say, as the first episode I’ve ever heard just as a listener, this Poker Beat thing is a pretty good show!

on PokerRoad

The Poker Beat
Caldwell, McGwire, Wise, Nemeth, Stapleton
7/2/09

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One of the great WSOP traditions is fast becoming the Bluff/Sapphire party (3rd year?) … where hundreds of Amazon-entrenched pokerers — from pros to media to dealers — who have lived for more than a month in a pen mostly void of conjugal relief gather to collectively release steam before hunkering down for the main event … and what a perfect night when the other big party is the “elitist” Ante-Up for Africa afterparty. There’s something delightfully egalitarian about being entertained by 98-percent naked aspiring starlets making money while having a grand-ole beglittered time … personal degeneracies be damned.

AlCantHang fills in for yours truly to record the first ever Tao of Pokerati episode mid-lapdance — an “event” joined by DrizzTDJ and (briefly) Calfornia Jen. Change100 gives the (awesome) play-by-play. Plus Kathy Liebert … and is that Tom McEvoy?

Tao of Pokerati at the 40th WSOP
Las Vegas, NV

Episode 11.27: The Best Party of the Year (feat. AlCantHang)
1:27

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Episode 11.28: Grindcore Poker (feat. Change100)
2:51

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(Interlude …)
0:05

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$50k HORSE starts late with a smaller field than hoped for, but the final “Donkaments” are selling out — leaving some players, known and unknown, shut out. Is it all a twitter-based conspiracy spearheaded by Harrah’s? (And if so, who’s on the inside?)

presented by:

Tao of Pokerati at the 40th WSOP
Las Vegas, NV

Episode 11.26: DonkTwit Conspiracy
4:54

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For those who missed it live … here’s this week’s episode of The Poker Beat, where the topics of the day include Jeff Lisandro, the Lindgreanu / Greensandro bet, National Poker Week, and Miami John coverage.

on PokerRoad

The Poker Beat
Huff, Nemeth, Wise, Michalski, Stapleton
6/25/09

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A mid-tourney Phil Hellmuth piss break catches no one’s attention but Dan’s and Pauly’s … whereupon we explore the role of VIP bathrooms at the WSOP — and how the need for private urination is only going to increase in coming days.

presented by:

Tao of Pokerati at the 40th WSOP
Las Vegas, NV

Episode 11.23: Poker VIPees
3:02

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A $2,250 Mega-Sat for the $50k HORSE breaks out right in front of us, where suddenly the seasoned pros are kicking it old-school — playing with jovial intensity and the hope that their real poker dreams can be bought at a bargain. It’s the poker economy, the regular economy, and backer variance in play … with satellite sponsorship deals, backing syndicates, and a question about what kinda team Russian backers will deploy. Special appearances by Michael Mizrachi, Allan Kessler, Bill Chen, et many medium-higher-rolling al.

presented by:

Tao of Pokerati at the 40th WSOP
Las Vegas, NV

Episode 11.21: HORSE Hunting
4:09

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Episode 11.22: The Satellite Economy
5:06

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The “hardest working man in poker” takes a three-week Appalachian vacation in the middle of the World Series (really, how important is mid-June anyway?) but comes back rested, revived, and totally seeing tracers …

presented by:

Tao of Pokerati at the 40th WSOP
Las Vegas, NV

Episode 11.20: Pauly Returns
5:07

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Did we say it? We did … watch out for Jeff Lisandro to make a mad dash for that previously elusive Player of the Year title.

The back-to-must-read Dr. Pauly and special Tao of Pokerati guest BJ were there when it happened — seeing Lisandro beat author/writer/real-player Michael Craig heads-up in $2,500 Razz. And in analyzing his relatively quick victory, they declare him arguably one of the best international players in the game, and the best 7-stud player in the world. BJ also breaks down the WSOP Player of the Year race, which is not mathematically locked up so long as Phil Ivey is still alive in any event (like he is right now), and Ville Wahlbeck also has a chance but not really, they say. No word yet on which anthem the Aussie-Italian-semi-American will dedicate this gold bracelet to.

UPDATE: Australia.

presented by:

Tao of Pokerati at the 40th WSOP
Las Vegas, NV

Episode 11.19: Lisandropalooza
3:49

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Just earlier today, Benjo was delivering his Angriest Frenchman scorn, telling me essentially to suck-it, because “You are never in zee bahd mood, Dahn Meehowskee!” But that was before Miami John Cernuto suffered a medical emergency in the $2,500 Razz tourney (he’s mostly OK now, or at least in stable condition), and yours truly tried to cover it Pokerati-style … only to end up in a scuffle with security. Major tiltage ensued, and Pauly, of course, is right there to capture my fiery journo-righteous ire as I totally misidentify my antagonist, and Dr. P, not on tilt, reports truer facts of this unusual tournament situation.

presented by:

Tao of Pokerati at the 40th WSOP
Las Vegas, NV

Episode 11.18: The Angry Michalski Episode
5:00

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Oh, and … brought to you by Dream Team Poker.

For those who missed it live … here’s yesterday’s Poker Beat podcast to get you through “the grind”, the hump, the “dog days”, whatever you wanna call the Series in mid-June. In this episode, we discuss what a bracelet really means to a guy like Greg Mueller, just how good really is JC Tran, and, in this Year of apparent Multiples, what’s a guy like Roland deWolfe all about? Also … “Full Tilt’s” lawsuit (via Kolyma) vs. an Aruba-Aussie payment processor run by 25-year-old Crocodile D-bag … and “celebrity” tournament director Matt Savage joins us to discuss the TDA Summit — and specifically rule changes related to texting at the table.

on PokerRoad

The Poker Beat
Huff, Caldwell, Michalski, Nemeth, Wise, Stapleton + Savage
6/18/09

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Sorry for the slowdown in getting podcasts to you. For those who can’t always handle semi-informed snarky banter for more than 2-4 minutes at a time and need more vulgarity and shticked-up grit, Tao of Pokerati (brought to you by Dream Team Poker) will also be back very soon.

Bring it!

Recording now … tune in live or get your podcast on:

http://www.pokerroad.com/the_poker_beat/live/

Benjo and I put in the extra-long hours to bring you a show when almost nothing’s going on at the Rio — you know, save for some big cash games, tired cash games, masseuses, cocktail waitresses, satellites, logistics maneuvers, etc. Not another media soul in site to witness the late-nite mayhem.

Tao of Pokerati at the 40th WSOP
Las Vegas, NV

Episode 11.17: Graveyard Shift
4:18

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presented by …

Before Pauly skipped town to go all hippy on the leeward side of the Appalachian Trail, he and I had a little chat about the press setup at the WSOP (with an unintentional guest appearance by TD Steve) in which he gives off a tell that he might be serious about blowing this joint … And then we have another chat about what goes into backing bloggers in bracelet events and the general strategy employed by guys like Tony G putting players into a donkament.

presented by:

Tao of Pokerati at the 40th WSOP
Las Vegas, NV

Episode 11.15: Press Badgered
3:05

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Episode 11.16: Blogger Backing
4:14

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For those who missed our debut special-for-the-WSOP Monday episode live, here’s the podcast … where The Poker Beat crew waxes poetic about Phil Ivey’s bracelet, Daniel Negreanu’s non-bracelet, non-Finnish national anthems, Ladies events, what makes an “online” player, and Joe Sebok’s lie detector prop bet over his knowledge of Beth Shak’s marital status or lack thereof. Also, Chops shows up to declare this World Series the “Year of the Brother” … or maybe it’s the Year of “tha Brothah” … but either way, leave it to the Entities to celebrate poker in all its multicultural greatness.

on PokerRoad

The Poker Beat
Caldwell, Michalski, Nemeth, Chops, Stapleton
6/08/09

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This episode, btw, marks my personal umpteenth appearance on The Poker Beat — making me the “last man standing” amongst hosts and panelists (Go free labor!) and the only guy to appear on every episode since the show’s inception. While that factoid may mark a certain pathos, I’d also like to point out that I am the only one — even with all those extra minutes — who has yet to be called out by the Insider for a factual misstatement.

That’s not to say I haven’t made any errors — made a big one about something really important a month ago, but I guess it just slipped by our wheezey, phlegmy ombudsman.

Oops, Pauly goes out of town and the show turns to pot … can you say irony? Got a couple of episode posts out of order, so catch up with what you missed as we explore the differences between a “donkament” and a big buy-in “small field” event — with a touchy-feely cameo appearance by Tiffany Michelle and a passby from a Wicked Chops sub-entity. Meanwhile, in the $40k, it’s about old dogs vs. new dogs and online player backing pools greg raymer chris moneymaker paris hilton boobs naked.

Tao of Pokerati at the 40th WSOP
Las Vegas, NV

Episode 11.12: Donkey Shows
2:01

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Episode 11.13: Big Game Jack
3:56

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As you may or may not know, Dr. Pauly skipped town for a few days to go “see a band” (WTF?) … That left Benjo and me to report on the final table of the Champions Invitational: Tom McEvoy beats Dan Harrington and Robert Varkonyi to win himself a Corvette and, of course, the plausibly coveted Binion Cup … providing him sellable items should he ever need a little bankroll stimulus. And we hear about Phil Hellmuth’s oddly graceful 10:1 hands-shaken to hands-played ratio as he, like Pauly, makes an early but not-so-unexpected exit at the WSOP … temporarily derailing an Angry Frenchman’s plans to stage a potentially violent coup.

Tao of Pokerati at the 40th WSOP
Las Vegas, NV

Episode 11.14: Early Exits
5:00

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Brought to you by Phish Coventry and psilocybin.

A patch-wearing Team Pokerati player goes almost-deep in the $1k Stimulus Special, and Pauly seizes on his own feint connection to the player by becoming an dirty-rotten-scoundrel agent to potentially exploit his winnings. That’s my take on it … Pauly sees things a bit differently, however, and contends he’s the one looking out for players, because he’s the one sweating their action and making sure they get appropriately paid for their torso real estate. All I know is that Pauly claims to now be first-time WSOP casher Cliff Fisher’s representative, and Cliff busted out of the tourney shortly after Pauly started hounding him.

Tao of Pokerati at the 40th WSOP
Las Vegas, NV

Episode 11.11: Donkey Agents
5:05

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It’s a special moment as Vitaly Lunkin, from Moscow, receives his bracelet for the $40k, and Benjo and Pauly are there to hear the first ever playing of Gosudarstvenny Gimn Rossiyskoy Federatsii, aka the “State Hymn of the Russian Federation” — while contemplating what a European bracelet and Harrah’s diamond card means for international relations. Meanwhile, yonder down the Rio hallway, two elderly Texans race their scooters on what reliable sources say is a $50,000 prop bet. But with Amarillo Slim on his comeback tour, did Doyle Brunson take a dive?

Tao of Pokerati at the 40th WSOP
Las Vegas, NV

Episode 11.9: Ruskies Win
3:03

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Episode 11.10: Scooter Race Action
6:51

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