And we have a bonus late episode — the Micros’ pitch for people to vote for them in the 2011 Bluff Readers Choice Awards, where Rose, Chase, and Tommy somehow got lumped in with all the podcast/video/live radio newsy shows (in the category The Poker Beat always dominated) and cleaned up.

Enjoy, if you haven’t already.

Surely a newsbrief for the next episode … words coming directly from the WSOP champ himself via his PokerStars keepers … Peter Eastgate is Isildur1 back on some sort of probationary re-entry deal, obv. Rumor has it from unconfirmed unverifiable sources that he turned down inclusion of a WSOP ’11 main event buy-in in exchange for starting a Danish “home game”:

“Sometimes in life a person can feel lost and wake up one morning not recognizing who he is. Last summer that was how I felt. Prior to winning the WSOP in 2008, my life was very much a good solid routine of playing online poker and hanging out with my friends and family. Winning the WSOP changed that. I relocated to London and started a new life, the life of a high profile poker pro. For almost 2 years I was in a constant spotlight, travelling from poker tournament to poker tournament, doing thousands of interviews and never had a chance to catch my breath. In the whirlwind that followed winning the WSOP I lost track of the most importing thing in my life, myself.

Last summer I decided that I wanted to stop playing poker and catch my breath and find out who I am and what I want to do with my life. Over the last 8 months I have had a chance to reconnect with my friends and most important, my family. I have spent quality time with my family and really had an opportunity to figure out who I am and what I want to do with the rest of my life. When there is no financial pressure it can sometimes be hard to get motivated to move forward as a person.

I truly enjoy playing poker. I love the competitive element and the mental challenges of tournament poker. I feel it is important to constantly grow as a person and for a while I didn’t feel I was moving in the right direction. Having had time to think about my life and future I feel I have figured out how I can combine playing poker with a healthy life outside of poker.

I do not consider this a comeback, as I always knew there was a good chance I would play poker again. During my hiatus from poker, PokerStars have been very supportive. Therefore, I am pleased that I will start out with playing two events where I will be sponsored by PokerStars. First, I will be playing the PokerStars.com EPT Copenhagen which of course means a lot to me, since it is on my home ground. Then I will play the NBC Heads Up Championship. I am fortunate that PokerStars have the best online tournaments, so I have an opportunity to get back in tournament shape.

There have been some questions about the sale of my WSOP bracelet. I was not trying to devaluate the WSOP name. It was not sold to make any kind of statement. It was sold to raise money for UNICEF and I am very proud and thankful that the sale raised £100,000 to UNICEF.”

- Peter Eastgate

Interesting + cool … now the first ever November Nine winner can be more like all the rest who have come since then, but different because two months ago he became the only November Nine-era champion old enough to rent a car in Vegas.

NOTE: Turns out “devaluate” is a real word. Who knew?

The now two time fan voted “Favorite Web-based Poker Show” award winning Poker Beat is going out on top with their 95th episode being their last one.

The Poker Beat: February 9, 2011

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• Ashton Griffin Runs 70 Miles.
• The Federated Poker League.
• Multi-Entry Tournament on Full Tilt Poker
• High Stake Poker’s New Host.
• All-Time Money List.
• BLUFF’s Player of Year Points Restructure.

The panelist discuss the new UB and break down 2010 in the latest episode of The Poker Beat.

The Poker Beat: January 4, 2011

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• Sorel Mizzi Bluff Magazine POY
• WSOP days will end after 10 levels.
• Annie & Phil part ways with UB.
• Prahlad Friedman to sell out?
• Top Poker Stories of 2010.

Vote vigorously and/or repeatedly for The Poker Beat
for Favorite Web-based Show in Bluff magazine’s 2010 Reader’s Choice Awards.

The panel breaks down PokerStars most recent signing and handicaps the Bluff Magazine Readers Choice Award Nominations

The Poker Beat: December 15, 2010

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• Antonio Esfandiari wins WTP Five Diamond.
• Reid Bill AGAIN…
• Pokerstars signs isildur1.
• Bluff Magazine Reader Choice Awards Votes?

Vote vigorously and/or repeatedly for The Poker Beat
for Favorite Web-based Show in Bluff magazine’s 2010 Reader’s Choice Awards.

For the final show of the year, Chops is joined by Attorney and poker writer, Dave ‘F Train’ Behr and Dan Michalski of Pokerati.com as they discuss and analyze the latest on the Reid bill and poker legalization in America. Jess Wellman provides the poker headlines where one thing is dominating the poker world. Tune in for the latest poker news, debate and the occasional Duhamel. For more information, show notes and an upcoming schedule, go to http://thisweekin.com

Released Dec 15, 2010

BJ and Dan go heads up on the implications of the proposed Reid Bill + Who is the Best Canadian Athlete in the World?

The Poker Beat: December 6, 2010

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• Jonathan Duhamel the best athlete in Canada?
• The WPT’s Season 9 preview + Royal Flush girls
• Harry Reid online poker bill WTF?
• More Harry Reid bill and industry implosion
• Even more Harry Reid bill brick-a-brack
• Affiliate remodeling

Vote vigorously and/or repeatedly for The Poker Beat
for Favorite Web-based Show in Bluff magazine’s 2010 Reader’s Choice Awards.

Huff, Dan, Jess, BJ, and even Stapleton (with the return of the Tight Laydown?):

The Poker Beat: October 24, 2010

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• Poker Hall of Fame inductees Harrington and Seidel, age-minimum debates, and comparisons to Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
• Anonymous tables at Ladbrokes
• Crespo’s Illinois online poker lawsuit — significant or frivolous?
• More on WSOP-C’s new power and purpose?
• WPT-Festa al Lago FT, Randall Flowers, and the Jess & BJ Show
• Phil Ivey is gay? Craps + multi-phallus fellatio promises at the Wynn

The Poker Beat: October 17, 2010

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• Rush Poker in your pocket – and the perks of Full Tilt’s Black Card
• Russian spy Anna Chapman – and the wisdom of a poker dalliance with black ops
• Nick Schulman on MTV’s World of Jenks
• Weeds poker TV
• Regional COOPing in the USA
• WPT-Festa al Lago and WSOP-Indiana
• WSOPC on Versus TV

I think that … a Tournament at Palm Beach Kennel Club on February 17 – March 1 would be a great Idea. Maybe its not a rumor?!! I would gamble and book a room.

Ah yes, it all makes so much sense now, doesn’t it? (That is, of course, assuming Sommerfeld doesn’t get canned before WSOP-Choctaw, in January 2011, for running his yap ahead of any official press release.

Not only would a WSOP-Florida series further support America’s favorite citrus-bearing peninsula as the juiciest destination in poker since France, but also, it would confirm Harrah’s willingness to take unprecedented steps in an effort to keep up with the new-and-improved WPT/Party/Bwin.

The above dates, if true, would run it right up against the WPT-LAPC, btw.

Florida, as we know, is in the early stages of a mini-boom thanks to sensible new poker laws (allowing higher stakes play) that emerged after five years of legislative tweaking. On a recent episode of The Poker Beat, we were discussing the new Florida market … and specifically the WPT’s deal with the Seminoles to put their brand in casinos and card rooms throughout the state.

I suggested (flippantly?) that we’d obviously be seeing a WSOP-Circuit event there soon … but BJ brought up a good point (lol): Harrah’s owned no property in Florida, and all other Circuit events had been at Harrah’s locales. Hmmm, I was not aware … off-air we had a good chortle about whether or not we might see Harrah’s buy up old rundown jai alai frontons.

But lo and behold our self-inflated windbaggery would turn out to be all for naught. (BJ was wrong, I was right, what’s new?) … with Harrah’s making their plans to venture into new territory plenty clear in a subsequent press release announcing WSOP-Choctaw. Check it out … 5th graf down:

The Choctaw Casino Resort stop also marks the first time the WSOP has stepped outside the Harrah’s-affiliated properties to offer a WSOP-branded event.

That was the real hedline in that WSOPress Release. With maybe a snarky subhed about challenging claims to NAPT sovereignity.

So again, no official confirmation about the a WSOP-Circuit event in Florida at the Palm Beach Kennel Club February 17-March 1 to be TD’d by Jimmy Sommerfeld … but we do know for certain now that Harrah’s is willing to take unprecedented steps — whether it be with Indian tribes or brick-and-mortar non-Harrah’s card rooms — to take the battle for tour dominance to new places.

The Choctaw announcement — surely not coincidentally, right? — came in the middle of the big annual River series at Winstar, an event hosted by PokerStars patch-wearing pro-dot-net Greg Raymer. PokerStars also established a small presence in the northern part of OK with the Heartland Poker Tour event at the Downstream Casino in Quahpah.

In the Heartland event, Stars (dot net) only sponsors the TV show, not the tournament. Likewise at WinStar, Raymer is just a player who happens to wear PokerStars gear.

But think Harrah’s isn’t essentially saying in Oklahoma and probably Florida to the NAPT/PokerStars, nuh-uh, don’t even think about it!?!

We can see now that the WPT and the WSOP have a new heads-up battle on their hands, and with both ops showing up in two different states with the bulk of their poker in Indian-controlled territories, you gotta think both have a strong corporate interest in doing whatever possible to keep PokerStars from establishing a foothold on American soil … even if they were thinking they could just change the N in NAPT from North to Native.

Though we have no proof of actual collusion, the similar interest of both Harrah’s/WSOP and WPT/Party/Bwin suggests the fight to keep out the NAPT — even in non-Harrah’s locales now — is pretty much two against one.

Here’s her first bustout interview with Marco from QuadJacks … and naturally she credits all her great play + rungood recently to skills acquired in the Pokerati Game:

(At least that’s what I heard … no?)

Big ups to the best red-headed co-panelist on The Poker Beat … who also happened to be the only player in Event #1 to show up with muffins.

The Poker Beat: July 22, 2010

Rookie twitterer @GaryWise1 took his turn in Capt. Huff’s chair as @BJNemeth and @JessWelman panel-bantered about:

• The pre-markup hearing in DC with Annie Duke
• Make-up of the 2010 November Nine
• The value, if any, of poker agents — and how the WSOP accommodates them during the main event
• BJ’s philosophical non-dilemma over coverage of Matt Affleck’s emotional bustout *
• The difference between poker media and poker journalism
• The Year of Mizrachi and the accidental WTF? of the current WSOP Player of the Year scoring system
• Annette Obrestad’s B- performance
• The 3-headed Monster of Team WSOP without @JeffreyPollack
• WSOP numbers and final table times

* great explanation, BJ. But question … Is there any discernable line where the “field of play” in poker begins, and ends?

Other episode-relevant links:

The Redemption of Matt Affleck by Gary Wise
The Long, Lonely Walk of Matt Affleck by Howard Swains (with photos by Joe Giron)

Next ep coming tomorrow. Play along in the PokerRoad forums.

With @JessWelman, @BJNemeth, and new-to-twitter @GaryWise1 providing analysis and reality checks, we got into Israel’s sudden crackdown on online gambling, the WSOP-Circuit revamp, and of course, the latter stages of the 2010 WSOP Main Event … along with the WPT Season 9 overhaul, which happened to be getting underway across the highway at Bellagio, in rather star-powered fashion.

July 15, 2010

More tales from Rio in the summertime … where 90 percent of all who enter are inherently destined to lose … making for an environ of compelling pathos and magnetic despair speckled with moments of joy, happiness, exuberance, and occasionally even redemption-via-bling … which is all it takes to keep people coming back despite the mathematical obstacles to anything more than flitting thrills, let alone life-long success. Oops, I think I mighta just given away the beginning, middle, and end of Pauly’s soon-to-be-released book, Lost Vegas. Meant to be writing about a mystery on-air kiss:

While recording an episode of his other podcast, The Poker Beat, in the Amazon hallway, Dan was interrupted by a phantom beauty kissing him on the forehead before she slipped into the Amazon poker fray. Dan’s not-so-good peripheral vision prevented him from properly IDing his fawning female admirer. During this episode of Tao of Pokerati, Pauly gives him advice on finding out the identity of the kissing bandit, who gave him false brief hope that he may some day find love and meaning — or at least quick-n-hot nookie — at the WSOP.

The Poker Beat
6/3/10
TPB (and skilled technician John V) won’t let interstate technical snafus get in the way of award-winning deliverables. With BJ at the helm and Huff watching from the booth in LA, Jess and Wolfman discuss what may or may not be going on as the WSOP and the post-hardened UIGEA era get underway almost simultaneously … all while Michael Mizrachi takes down the first big bracelet of the Series, the Nevada Gaming Control Board clamps down on dot-net poker relationships, a thieving player tries to palm a stack of chips, and Joran van der Sloot allegedly kills again while hitting the Latin American poker circuit.

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5/27/10
Jess, BJ, and I arrive at the Rio, and kick it a little more freeform to trade notes on what we’re hearing, what we’re seeing, and WTF the masses were thinking on American Idol, which is obviously rigged.

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5/20/10
Gary, BJ, and Jess Welman preview what to expect at and from the 2010 WSOP. A week in, were they right?

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5/13/10
A political shit-storm is brewing … and though Wolfman was supposed to do the “ranting”, Gary and Huff went hardcore nuts while addressing the most recent Cereus security issues, and Gary (at about 28 min in) gives what might be the best explanation of why all in poker should be angry at all things Ultimate Bet and Absolute, including those who still play on either site.

Time for some Friday recapping:

Casino Employees Cashing

The first bracelet event, $500 Casino Employees , finished play at the end of level 10 with 53 players remaining. The chip leader is Kent Washington, from Oakland, California with 168,300 in chips. Jonathan Kotula, who won this event in 2008, is in 2nd (108,700). The only other recognizable name remaining is Bellagio tournament director Jack McClleland (19,700). The tournament is scheduled to resume at 2:30pm today, although the 1k donkament may delay that start. The schedule notes they’re playing down to a winner today, but circumstances may prevent that. If they play down to a winner today, it may put a damper on the plans looking to take part in Bluff’s Streak 2 Seven contest to win a 2010 or 2011 WSOP me seat, as mentioned on this week’s episode of the award-winning Poker Beat.

Players’ Championship Moves to Day 2

Day 1 of the $50,000 Players’ Championship concluded earlier this morning with 105 of the 116 players remaining. Chip counts haven’t been finalized, but it appears Erik Sagstrom will be the chip leader at 329,100. Other notables in the top 10: David Oppenheim (313,800), “Miami John” Cernuto and Joe Serock (265,000), Justin Bonomo (255,000), Barry Greenstein (240,100), and early chip leader Daniel Kelly (223,000). Tom Dwan, Brian Townsend, and 2009 dual bracelet winner Greg Mueller started off down $50,000 at the WSOP, eliminated on Friday. The remaining field will return at 3pm today as the field is scheduled to play six 90-minute levels.

Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting

For those who get eliminated early enough, you can watch guys trying to beat the shit out of each other at the MGM Grand Garden area for UFC 114 tonight. The highly anticipated main event features Rashad Evans v Quinton “Rampage” Jackson topping an 11-fight card. For those looking for a preview of the fights, or looking for some good betting tips, check out www.mmafix.com and www.rawvegas.tv.

More later today, but in the meantime be sure to check Pokerati, on Twitter and hit up the official WSOP site over at www.wsop.com

Over on Tao of Poker, Pauly’s posted the complete Tao of Pokerati archives from the 2009 WSOP. Worth a listen without a doubt. I’m always amazed when checking traffic stats to see how much these short, 2-4 minute episodes continue to suck bandwidth play in reruns.

I know that other show I’m on is “award winning” and was named the “Top Poker Podcast” of 2009 in the Bluff Magazine Reader’s Choice Awards … and I love The Poker Beat, for sure. But Tao of Pokerati is different — and it’s more than just my little Porno for Pyros kinda side project.

Can’t really explain … but it’s way less slick, way more unplugged and unfiltered, and imho brings a whole new perspective to the summertime festivities as two seasoned, hardened WSOP vets give their instantaneous perspectives on what they are witnessing at the moment. And considering all the unforeseeable possibilities the 2010 WSOP promises to bring … well I just can’t imagine a better way for the cube-dwellers out there to understand what is really going on at the Rio.

Again, click on over to the Tao side of the equation to get your pre-WSOP juices flowing.

UPDATE: Oh right, and Benjo, too.

The Poker Beat
5/6/10

But before we even get to that, we break down all sorts of poker buggerings … Daniel Tzvetkoff denied bail, poker recognized as a mind sport, Adam Junglen’s prosthetic leg, Cole South bowing out of CardRunners, PokerStars buying up abandoned poker blogs, Harrah’s selling the Rio, a new right-wing poker+politics show, and a study saying online gambling leads to jobs.

It was one of those episodes where so much was going wrong before we even got started that the crew just had to rely on shooting the shit about what we may or may not know … all while Huff attempted to keep the ship from running aground. I think it worked!

The Poker Beat
4/29/10

The arrest of Daniel Tzvetkoff had something to do with that.

Also BJ and Gary look at actual numbers in comparing/contrasting the WPT to the EPT. All while assessing whether or not PokerStars is taking over the world. Plus Liv Boeree kicking arse as Huff celebrates the glorious life of Gang Starr.

The Poker Beat
4/22/10