Fans of low-stakes PLO in Las Vegas rejoice. The Pokerati Game looks to get back into regular action, kicking off tomorrow, Thursday, 7pm, at The Palms poker room.

We had a good run at the Hard Rock … convincing a Vegas casino that a time-charge isn’t necessary to make running-it-twice work in low-stakes games … and culminating with an NLH/PLO tourney in Matt Savage’s (short-lived?) Detox Poker Series. Good things were happening, but I guess when your CEO offs himself (after dropping $850mil days before worldwide financial collapse) and security escorts your poker director’s corporate big-boss off-premises with Gaming enforcement officials watching … well, it doesn’t matter how many turns and rivers you get to see to recognize it’s time to move on.

In the off-time you’ve probably been jonesing for the action Pokerati provides, and I’ve read seven pages of a new PLO book … also finally figured out how to condense the rules into something less than a page, so we’re back, or at least will be soon — starting with the relaunch prelaunch Thursday eve.

Click here to see how we play it … become a fan of 1/2 NLH/PLO round of each on Facebook for regular updates, and add @PalmsPokerRm to your Twitter follows for, um, I’m not sure yet. I do know @PokerGuyJoeV is the new poker room manager there — charged with reinvigorating an architecturally challenged room with 3/6 limit games that don’t quite jibe with the made-for-MTV vibe felt elsewhere in the casino.

The $550 NL Holdem – $200,000 Guarantee Main Event of the Detox Poker Series concluded Sunday evening with James Wheatley earning his second title of the series, defeating Bryan Watkins in heads-up play. A deal was negotiated when play was five-handed, with Wheatley earning $38,118 for the win along with a seat in the WPT Invitational at the Commerce Casino in February 2011. Watkins earned $32,994 for the runner-up finish, with John Kim third for $25,461, Bona Sar 4th for $18,039 and George Meyer 5th for $20,808. The rest of the results:

6th – Al Carmosino – $9,030
7th – Julian Herbrecht – $7,220
8th – Stefen Starner – $5,420
9th – Ylon Schwartz – $3,610
10th -12th –Jason Romanik, David Chin, Anthony Yeh – $2,700
13th -15th – Joe Brandenburg, Richard Smith, Jennifer Sherry – $2,200
16th – 18th – Lanston Loh, Getty Mattingsley, Venerando Villarino – $1,700

Part of the buzz underlying this week’s Detox Poker activity has been the fate of the Hard Rock Poker Lounge. To be sure, the luxed-out $12 million 18+table poker room that opened in 2008 — nearly two years ago to the day and possibly two-and-a-half years too late — will be closing in about a week.

According to casino personnel, almost immediately upon the conclusion of Detox, Hard Rock cash games will be moving to a more efficient 6-8 table spot connected to the main casino area — something with a smaller electric bill, more in line with plans for expanded sports-book offerings, and in view of the round casino’s famously raucous “center bar”.

The decision to downsize was final before Detox even started — and gotta say … kudos to HR Poker Director Troy Evans for presumably putting his job on the line to keep Detox. New suits above him were supposedly less enthusiastic about keeping the Matt “Savage Rocks!” late-summer mini-series on the calendar. Don’t have any hard dates for transition, but all potentially affected say it will be quick. Here’s a glimpse of what the new space next to Wasted Space will look like:

(Wasted Space is also closing, to make room for the new-and-improved sportsbook.)

The new poker room — about a third the square footage and in an arguably better location — will replace the former “Hell’s Belles” blackjack pit (hot dealers, go-go dancers, $100 minimum bets), which prior to that had been the “Peacock Lounge” (a pimped-out tribute to Jimi Hendrix). It will supposedly still have its own bar (with video poker, of course), a semi-private nook for high-stakes or VIP games, and a separate poker-player’s bathroom. Management says they’ll be bringing over the same tables and chairs, but are unsure whether or not they will keep the name “poker lounge”.

Decisions were also still pending (as of last week) about whether or not the Detox Series would be back and held in a Hard Rock ballroom. The current poker space will apparently become a restaurant.

The Detox Poker Series on Saturday Day 1b of the $550 NL Holdem – $200,000 Guarantee drew a field of 228 players on Saturday creating a total field of 433 entrants for a prize pool of $216,500. The final 27 players made the money, with some of the notables who cashed yesterday: Alex Outhred and David Tuthill (both earning $1,200), David “The Maven” Chicotsky and WSOP photographer Rob Gracie (each collecting $800).

The leader from Saturday’s action is Alexander Carmosimo, finishing with 511,000 in chips. The most notable name from Saturday who made the last nine was 2008 November Niner Ylon Schwartz, but he returns with only 73,000 in chips. The 18 returning players are guaranteed $1,700 with the winner earning $60,030. Live streaming of today’s action will be available at www.detoxpoker.com, with the players seated with 34:04 remaining in level 16, blinds at 4,000/8,000 and a 1,000 ante:

The full list of results and payouts are available at the Detox Poker site here.

The final tournament of the series starts at 5pm, the Player Appreciation w/ $50 rebuys tournament with $5,000 added to the prize pool. The tournament is available exclusively to players who present three tournament receipts from the Detox Poker Series. Players start with 2,000 in chips, with $50 rebuys available when your stack is 2,000 or lower. At the end of level three, a $50 add-on is available to add 4,000 chips to your stack.

Be sure to check out www.DetoxPoker.com for updates, videos and more as the Detox Poker Series concludes.

The main event of the Detox Poker Series, the $550 NL Holdem – $200,000 Guarantee drew a field of 205 players for day 1a, with the final 27 players making the money. Play concluded with the final 9 players returning Sunday afternoon to play down to a winner. The current chip leader is James Wheatley with 416,000 in chips. Wheatley won the $350 Scott Fischman 7-Game event earlier in the series. Another player who made it to Sunday was Bona Sar, finishing the day with 195,000 in chips, guaranteed a 3rd cash in the series. Here’s the final nine players and their chip counts:

James Wheatley 416,000
Getty Mattingsley 354,000
Joe Brandenburg 267,000
Bryan Watkins 254,000
Anthony Yeh 208,000
Bona Sar 195,000
Jennifer Sherry 163,000
George Meyer 144,000
David Chin 88,000

Full day 1a results here.

Day 1b of the $550 NL Holdem $200,000 Guarantee starts at 1pm, with any players eliminated yesterday able to return today. More information, live streaming and chat available at www.detoxpoker.com

Really quickly, before today’s poker news starts streaming in and the main event at Detox Poker gets underway … below is the video from the Pokerati tournament earlier this week. It lasted into the wee hours, not unlike this year’s WSOP Final-10-to-November-Nine … yeah, pretty much exactly the same thing.

Perhaps strangely perhaps not, I have little experience on either side of the bustout interview … but the ever-belletristic Marco from QuadJacks was on hand and presumably half-awake to discuss the finale of Detox Event #11, which saw Lev Serzhenko beat yours truly to claim the $5,184 first prize befitting the newest Pokerati (NLH/PLO) Champion.

Final hand, btw: No-Limit Hold’em, outchipped about 4:1 … I check-raise all-in when my Ace pairs the flop … Lev calls semi-quickly with open-ended straight and flush draws, and makes runner-runner trips FTW! (Dammit.)

The first week of the Detox Poker Series at the Hard Rock Hotel closed out two more tournaments Thursday afternoon, here’s the results:

$230 NL Holdem w/ 1 rebuy $50,000 Guarantee

Thursday afternoon brought the remaining nine players to the final table of the $230 NL Holdem w/ 1 rebuy $50,000 Guarantee with poker trainer and online legend Ari “Bodog Ari” Engel defeating Sam “Homeless” Bensinger heads-up to take down the title and $14,000 after a deal was negotiated. Bensinger earned $10,500 for the runner-up finish. Full results and the winner’s photo available at the Detox Poker site here.

$350 NL Holdem

The final preliminary event, $350 NL Holdem drew a field of 49 entrants with the remaining five players scheduled to make the money. When play was down to seven-handed, a deal was made to have everyone earn $1,800 with the top two players earning a bit more. Eugene Castro and Matthew Klein would get heads-up when they decided to split the remaining money (each earning $2,850) with Castro earning the title by having the chip lead when the deal was made. Results and the winner’s picture available here.

$550 NL Holdem $200,000 Guarantee

The main event of the Detox Poker Series starts this afternoon at 1pm with day 1a the $550 NL Holdem – $200,000 Guarantee tournament. Each day 1 will play down to 9 players with the survivors returning Sunday afternoon to play down to a winner. Players who bust out Friday can re-enter the tournament Saturday afternoon at 1pm, even if you cash today. There may also be another mega satellite Friday night to give players one more chance to earn a seat into the Main Event.

More information including chat, streaming video, schedules and structures available at www.detoxpoker.com.

Wednesday’s tournament action at the Detox Poker Series at the Hard Rock Hotel was good for those who like overlays in guaranteed tournaments, while the founder of the Pokerati Game almost won his own tournament.

$230 NL Holdem w/ 1 rebuy $50,000 Guarantee

Event #10, $230 NL Holdem w/ 1 $200 rebuy drew a field of 122 players with 106 rebuys, falling short of the $50,000 guarantee by about $5,000. The final 18 players made the money, with the final table of nine returning this afternoon. Among the notables making the money included Event #1 winner Joe Tehan and 2010 November Niner Joseph “subiime” Cheong, each earning $650. Here’s how the final table looks when play resumes at 3:30pm with 45:45 left in level 14: 1,000/2,000 blinds and a 500 ante:

Seat 1: Steve Frederick 38,700
Seat 2: Amir Sandy 180,800
Seat 3: Jason Eldridge 81,400
Seat 4: Sam “Homeless” Bensinger 129,700
Seat 5: Warren Fraleigh 26,400
Seat 6: Bona Sar 85,500
Seat 7: Ari Engel 172,100
Seat 8: David Tuthill 47,500
Seat 9: Chris Lindh 43,000

Full results and pictures can be found at the Detox Poker site here.

$230 Pokerati Game w/ 1 rebuy

Event #11, the $230 Pokerati Game w/ 1 $200 rebuy, consisting of 9 hands of NL Holdem followed by 9 hands of PLO, drew a field of 31 entrants, with the final five making the money. In what surely was a surprise to all involved, Pokerati.com founder Dan Michalski nearly won his own tournament, finishing 2nd to Lev Serzhenko in heads-up play. Serzhenko collects $5,184, along with sash for the win. Michalski earned $2,880 for the runner up finish with Darryl Dauenhauer (3rd $1,728), Aria poker room manager Adam Altwies (4th for $1,152) and Carol Kline ($576) completing the list of players making the money. More pictures of the winner and Michalski here.

Thursday’s tournament

One tournament takes place at 1pm this afternoon with another $350 NL Holdem event, with two $140 Mega Satellites scheduled for 5 and 9pm, each with 5 seats added for Friday and Saturday’s $550 NL Holdem – $200,000 Guarantee tournament. To watch the final table of the $50,000 guarantee, find more pictures from the Pokerati game and more stuff, be sure to hit www.detoxpoker.com.

Yeee. A little giddy like a school girl here … registration is open at the Hard Rock Poker Lounge for Event #11 of Matt Savage’s Detox Poker Series:

$230 Pokerati NLH/PLO (with single $200 rebuy) – 5 pm

Registration will stay open until, I believe, 7 pm.

The winner, of course, will earn not just the lion’s share of whatever semi-phat prize pool coagulates, but also his or her place among this website’s honored, heralded, and sometimes ballyhooed victors.

Scroll down to see who already has earned their lifetime spot in this special stratum of Team Pokerati.

(It was a tough call, but the P-board decided a few years ago that no matter how grievous an offense… you are, and always will be, a Pokerati Champion — entitled to at least a fractional percentage of the rights and privileges bestowed therein. Seriously, lifetime … like emeritus. You could be a cracked-out porn star caught disemboweling an illegal immigrant or colluding online while being blown by Russ Hamilton … and you still retain the title!)

It’s been too long … but not-so-incidentally, 2010’s $230 NLH/PLO w/1×200 Rebuy winner will be the first Pokerati Champion crowned outside of Texas, and the first to be recognized for something other than just Texas Hold’em.

More…

Two more tournaments of the Hard Rock Hotel’s Detox Poker Series are now in the books, with the defending CardPlayer Player of the Year making one the final tables.

$350 NL Holdem 6-Max

Event #8, $350 NL Holdem 6-Max, drew a field of 59 players, and when poker curmudgeon Sam Grizzle finished on the bubble, leaving the remaining six players in the money. In a two-way deal, Joseph Neiman was declared the winner over James Hoeppner, with Neiman earning $6,308. Full results and the winner’s photo available at the Detox Poker site here.

$350 NL Shootout

Event #9, $350 NL Shootout, started with 34 players surrounding four tables, with the winners making the money. Notables who entered the tournament included Gavin Smith, Layne Flack, Jess Welman, Justin Young, Ylon Schwartz and Brian Micon. However, it was 2009 CardPlayer Player of the Year Eric Baldwin who won his table, guaranteed $1,020. Baldwin ran into the buzzsaw that was Derek Payne, eliminating the other three players to earn $5,100. Craig Doyle finished in 3rd for $1,530, while Dustin Lytle was runner-up, earning $2,550. The winner’s photo and the final hand can be found here.

Wednesday’s tournaments

Two more tournaments get underway today, starting at 1pm with the $230 NL Holdem w/$200 Rebuy event. Players will start with 2,000 chips, with the rebuy giving you an additional 4,000 chips. There’s also a guaranteed prize pool of $50,000 for this event, with ~250 buyins/rebuys needed to reach the guarantee.

Pokerati NLH/PLO Championship

The 5pm tournament is the $230 w/$200 Rebuy Pokerati Game NLH/PLO Championship. Like the 1pm tournament, players start with 2,000 in chips, with the optional rebuy giving players another 4,000 chips. Like the Pokerati cash game at the Hard Rock, it’s nine hands of NL Holdem, followed by nine hands of PLO.

Be sure to check out www.detoxpoker.com for structures, chat, streaming video and more later today.

Though not so sure it’s the sexiest table ever, guess I’m glad to see the Hard Rock design team moving away from Ed Hardy styles in favor of something akin to … um, an Excel spreadsheet?

Still, fancy lines aside … as something of a new guy in the attaching-blog-names-to-Nevada-tournaments racket, kinda cool to leave one’s mark at least in a small way on the fabric of licensed-and-regulated corporately overseen real-money Vegas.

Tomorrow is the second guarantee @DetoxPoker … $50k assured, for a $230 buy-in with a single $200 rebuy. That makes the math pretty hard to do for how many runnin’ rebuyers they need to avoid putting up an overlay … and potentially having one of the new suits chopping heads from the Poker Lounge staff willy-nilly. But gotta think they’ll make that small one.

Of course the real event everyone’s talking I’m thinkin’ about is tomorrow’s big Pokerati event at 5 pm. While there’s no guarantee in play beyond good times, lots of action, and a little PLO tourney experience — and its still unclear how CardPlayer intends to interpret their own rules for POY points — Event #11 is the one tournament at Detox offering a true World Championship.

I know this because I declared it so myself … and I’m pretty sure that’s how it works in poker! So as of right now, until someone declares otherwise, tomorrow’s late Detox event will be the 2010 Pokerati NLH/PLO Championshi … check that … make it the 2010 NLH/PLO World Championship!

More…

Jess Welman only finished in 8th place in Event #1 of the Detox Poker Series for a $3k score. But it was the biggest of her career thus far, came with an ROI of infinity having won her seat in the media freeroll, and already she’s gotten more press than the 8th place finisher of the November Nine will likely get.

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.

Day 4 of the Detox Poker Series at the Hard Rock had the unique distinction to see a Pot-Limit Omaha event draw a larger field than a NL holdem event.

$350 NL Holdem

The first tournament on Monday was the $350 NL Holdem event, which drew a field of 46 entries, with the top five making the money. David Rodriguez defeated Kyle Carston in a brief heads-up battle, taking down $6,210 and the championship trophy. Full results and the winner’s photo can be seen here.

$350 PLO 8

The 5pm tournament was the $350 Pot-Limit Omaha 8 or Better event, drawing a field of 60 players with the top six picking up cash. The final hand of the tournament came when play was three-handed, as Neil Legerski made a full house against Gary Bolden and Carol Lynn Kline’s low draws to take down the title along with $7,560. Full results and the winner’s photo here.

Tuesday’s tournaments

The 1pm tournament is the $350 NL Holdem 6-Max event, followed at 5pm by the $350 NL Holdem shootout. For those who go to the Hard Rock for cash game action, entries into Wednesday’s $230 NL Holdem $50,000 Guarantee and this weekend’s $550 NL Holdem $200,000 Guarantee are being awarded in high-hand bonuses and splash pots. A reminder, the 5pm tournament on Wednesday is the $230 Pokerati Game (1/2 NL Holdem, 1/2 PLO). Schedules, structures and other stuff at www.detoxpoker.com

The Hard Rock Hotel’s Detox Poker Series, lead by tournament director extraordinaire Matt Savage had four tournaments playing down to a winner on Sunday. The tournament that drew a lot of attention to the live streaming at the Detox Poker site featured a popular member of the poker media making the final table, but a former WPT winner who held all the chips in the end.

$350 NL Holdem

The final day of the $100,000 Guarantee $350 NL Holdem started with 18 players quickly making their way to a final table, which featured Bluff/WPT/Poker Beat reporter Jess Welman and 2006 WPT Mandalay Bay Championship winner Joe Tehan. Welman took her short stack into an 8th place finish, earning $3,140. Tehan maintained his chip lead until a deal was made three-handed, with Tehan collecting $31,943. The full results of the final table can be found here.

$350 HORSE

Event #3, the $350 HORSE wound up with Benjamin Yu and Colby Pitt making a deal heads-up with Yu earned the victory and $5,930. While Pitt was runner-up, he won more money, collecting $6,168. Full results available here.

$350 NL Bounty

Event #4, the $350 NL Bounty tournament, drew a field of 60 players, each with a $100 bounty on their head. Kent Frampton started heads-up down 5 to 1 in chips against Veerachai Vongxaiburang, eventually picking up the win good for $5,040 while Vongxaiburang earned $2,640. Blake Bluffington finished 3rd for $1,680 and Sam Grizzle finished 4th, earning $1,200. Full results and a winner’s photo here.

$350 7-Game

A field of just 28 participated in event #5, Scott Fischman 7-Game Mix with James Wheatley earning the title for $4,620. Brian Kim was runner-up for $2,520, Ryan Hullerman finished 3rd for $1,260.

Monday’s tournaments

Two more tournaments on the schedule, starting at 1pm with event #6, $350 NL Holdem, while at 5pm it’s Event #7, $350 Pot-Limit Omaha 8 or Better. Be sure to check out DetoxPoker.com for updates, interviews and streaming video.