Some stuff I meant to write about until I got distracted from poker by pictures of Vanessa Hudgens nude. I didn\’t even know who this Hudgens girl was … but now I do! (She\’s the star of Disney\’s \”High School Musical 2,\” which apparently has all the kids going crazy.)
From a Bollywood Newspaper:
The raunchy pictures depict the 18-year-old posing in various states of undress, including completely naked.
Poker forums are talking about it, but have their facts wrong.
So anyhow, yes, poker …
The MAIN EVENT of WSOP-E is underway in London — where £10,000 = $20,000 — at three different casinos. Test-drive for the concept of multiple Harrah\’s properties\’ hosting simultaneous Day 1s of the Las Vegas main event? Just a guess …
The Inaugural European Big One consisted of 350-ish (no exact number available yet) in the field.
PHIL HELLMUTH was one of those players. Grand American entrance for him, with 12 Eurobabes in police-chick vinyl:
POT LIMIT OMAHA turned out to be a much bigger deal over Euro-yonder, with 750 players buying in for £5,000.
Oh right, and The Commish … JEFFREY POLLACK is bringin\’ it semi-live from the rail as well.
The $5,000 main event of the WSOP-Circuit in Tunica is also underway. You can find coverage of it … um, er, uh … nowhere?
Just here, I guess.
Over in WPT-ville, the BORGATA in ATLANTIC CITY has gotten started — $10k main event will be Sep. 20.
The Gulf Coast Poker Championship finished up this weekend in BILOXI at the BEAU RIVAGE, with BILL EDLER taking down the $748k first prize. With that win, he passes TOM SCHNEIDER in the baddest-ass nice-guy Player of the Year competition.
Article in the New York Times about the intriguing concept of WSOP and WPT boot camps.
GUS HANSEN has opened his own educational poker academy for players in DENMARK. Expect hyper-aggressive play from future generations of Danish players.
Did you know that ROBERT WILLIAMSON plays as a woman on Full Tilt? Heard it directly from the mouth of RW3, aka MISS LULU: \”Everybody plays as a woman online!\” he insists.
Here\’s a video of SEATTLE comedienne COURTNEY CRONIN talking about her interactions with other women players on PARTYPOKER.
Speaking of catfights … Premier League Poker is like High Stakes Poker with a distinctly Ab Fab civilty. Check out the battle between TONY G (of course) and DEVILFISH.
Devilfish thinks Tony G sucks and gets on TV just because he\’s a blowhard. Tony says Devil is a washed-up olde phart, living in the past. And VICKY COREN = the BILL BUCKNER of Poker?
TONY BLAIR\’s Gambling Act of 2005 went into effect on Sunday, making online gambling fully legal in the UK. But not everyone\’s happy with it … less to do with moral issues than it does with spam and taxes.
Speaking of differing international internet laws … the CHINESE GOVERNMENT has nabbed 32 people in an online gambling bust to shut down what\’s reported to be a $773 million operation.
And the AMERICANS (officially, as in the government) are finally responding to the WTO\’s ruling that the UIGEA violates free trade restrictions. Our defense: we didn\’t mean for that treaty to apply to gambling.
FRANCE also faces some international legal challenges to its approach to online poker … but the EU was kind enough to extend the deadline for France to change its protectionist ways.
BENJO is like the Dr. Pauly of France, and he\’s at WSOP-Europe, too. Here\’s what he has to say, as translated by Babelfish:
Kirk Morrison was him also large chip-leader in medium of part. It then concenscieusement let spin its tokens, soaking gradually with the cocktails which arrived in flow tended to the table. Damage, damage. This known as, it is an impressing player who reconsidered the front of the scene of manner spectacular after exile a five years in Zealand News.
There\’s a poetic beauty to it — damage, damage! — even if you\’re not on drugs.
In other news …
While two police officers running an underground poker room in NEW JERSEY pled guilty last week, two cops in PHOENIX were hosting a charity tournament to benefit the families of their fallen 5-0 brethren. They seem to have more free tournaments for donated prizes in the works.
WSOP Europe held a non-bracelet charity tournament … another Ante Up for Africa joint by DON CHEADLE and ANNIE DUKE. This high-society affair is not free — and noted British crazy-coot JOHN MCCRIRICK, oft-chided for his obtuse misogyny on Celebrity Big Brother, threw a fit when he was expected to pony up the £500 charitable buy-in on his own.
