The Jack of Clubs

iPhone 3G S Brings High-Powered Poker Applications

// July 3rd, 2009 // Comments Off // Other Poker News

With the release of the new iPhone 3G S, poker players are more excited than ever about the robust hardware and internet features of this amazing device.  There are many poker resources available with the iPhone, including podcasts, training videos, and other applications.

Accessing the iTunes Store will reveal a ton of programs that mainly focus on playing poker against the computer or other players in a play money format.  For many, this is a fun way of satisfying their poker craving on the road or at home, as the application is available for those on the 3G network or connected to the internet via Wifi.  Zynga’s Live Poker 40k is one of the most popular iPhone applications and, at $2.99, the price is easy to swallow.  In terms of games like this that allow you to play live opponents or a friend in the same room, there are literally too many to mention.

For those of you who like to play at home, a fun application might be Poker Tournament Manager, which will turn your iPhone into a command center for your home game. It organizes buy-ins, blind levels, and even monitors performances from tournament to tournament.  This handy application is only $4.99.  You can also find a familiar-sounding application called Poker Tracker (not related to the online tracking tool) that allows you to enter in your progress in live games and save it to your phone.

Also, check out three applications from PokerCruncher: Hold’em Odds Quizzer ($1.99), PokerCruncher ($4.99), and Poker Odds Teacher ($0.99).  The first application is a slick quiz program that helps test players judge equity ranges in a wide variety of Hold’em situations, both pre- and post-flop.  PokerCruncher is basically PokerStove for the iPhone and the Poker Odds Teacher is a great refresher (or introductory) program for learning poker odds.

Podcasts have been all the rage the last few years in getting quality content out to users in a cheap and easy method.  Simply record your podcast (either video or audio), submit it free to iTunes, and people will be able to hear your message.  Full Tilt Poker offers podcasts that center on tips from the pros.  ESPN might have the best podcast around with Phil Gordon and acclaimed columnist Andrew Feldman.  The show constantly has A-list guests for insightful and interesting discussion.  Sites like PocketFives.com also offer up podcasts related to online poker every week.  Since podcasts are almost universally free, they are highly accessible for users.

Many poker training sites including Stox Poker and Deuces Cracked now offer iPhone editions of their popular training videos.  Instead of watching the best training money can buy while at your computer, you can load up the video onto your iPhone and watch it on your lunch break at work.

Given that podcasts, training videos, and applications are available, the technology suggests that the iPhone is ready for poker rooms.  Any site is free to develop an iPhone application.  Cake Poker already has a platform available for the Windows Mobile operating system that lets players play for real money.  Since the iPhone 3G (now $99) and the new iPhone 3G S ($199 and $299) both access the speedy 3G internet network for low-end DSL speeds, there’s no doubt that the hardware and internet capabilities can handle an application to allow people to play poker.

The holdup, as evidenced by feedback from Cake Poker software developers on their feedback forums, are the restrictions that Apple places on applications submitted to their store.  At this point in time, poker rooms believe that Apple would not approve such an application and, therefore, it isn’t worth the time and resources to build.  Once the legal climate is cleared up in the United States, there’s little doubt that all of the major poker rooms would immediately begin production on free iPhone applications to let players battle for real money.  In the meantime, we have plenty of wonderful goodies in the iTunes App Store along with videos and podcasts to satisfy our poker bug.

Matt Hawrilenko Wins Six Handed Event, Main Event Starts Today

// July 3rd, 2009 // Comments Off // World Series of Poker

As thousands of poker players await their fate at this year’s $10,000 Main Event, which starts in a couple of hours, Matt Hawrilenko can enter into the tournament with the satisfaction of having won a World Series of Poker bracelet in Event #56, the $5000 Short Handed No Limit Hold’em tournament.

928 players ponied up the $5,000 buy in to try to take the final championship of the 2009 WSOP (besides the Main Event) and the battle was fierce. As the final day began, sixteen players were still alive and fighting for the championship but, after only a few hours, had whittled their way down to the final six. With over $1 million and the WSOP bracelet on the line, the players began a final table that would last until after midnight.

Hawrilenko was aggressive from the start, maintaining the chip lead over Josh Brikis as the duo proceeded to eliminate the rest of the table. Matt Waxman came to the final table as the short stack and couldn’t push deeper into the tournament when his A-10 was crushed by Brikis’s pocket Kings. Waxman finished sixth and took away slightly over $138,000 for his efforts.

Brikis also was responsible for the departure of our fifth place player. Jonas Wexler had been one of the most methodical players at the final table but, low on chips, decided to make his stand with a suited K-Q. Brikis was more than happy to make the call with his A-Q and, once the board brought no saving King, Wexler was done in fifth place.

After the elimination of Wexler, Hawrilenko now stepped up his game and assumed command of the table. He eliminated Sean Keaton (fourth place) and Faraz Jaka (third place) as he reached the heads up match with Brikis. Holding a sizeable chip lead, Hawrilenko – known to the online world as “Hoss_TBF” and lauded for his poker mentoring skills – was able to make short work of Brikis.

On the final hand, Brikis moved in with a suited A-9 and Hawrilenko made the call with pocket Jacks. After the board didn’t bring any aid to Brikis, Matt Hawrilenko emerged as the champion of the $5000 Short Handed No Limit Hold’em event. For his efforts, “Hoss_TBF” took home $1,003,163 and the coveted WSOP bracelet.

With the final preliminary event finished and the “Ante Up For Africa” charity tournament completed, the poker world can now set its eyes on the Main Event. The $10,000 No Limit Hold’em tournament, whose winner is recognized as the World Champion, is expected to draw over 7000 players, according to WSOP officials. If it was to draw that many, it would be the second largest live poker tournament of all time, only beaten by the 2006 WSOP Main Event. Peter Eastgate has the arduous task of defending his 2008 victory, where he became the youngest WSOP Main Event champion ever.

The Main Event also brings with it other competitions. The title sponsor of the WSOP, Jack Link’s Beef Jerky, will be holding a competition called “Stacked Jacks Go Wild” and will award special prizes to players who make four of a kind with Jacks during the run of the Main Event. “Four of a kind with Jacks has always been a good hand. With Stacked Jacks Go Wild, it just got better,” said Jeff LeFever, director of marketing, Jack Link’s Beef Jerky. The prize pack, worth an estimated retail value of $100, will contain Jack Link’s jerky products and other premium items.

It is the event that poker players wait an entire year for – the World Series of Poker Main Event starts in just a few hours. Poker News Daily will have all the highlights as poker’s grandest event plays out over the next couple of weeks.

Leo Wolpert (Pechorin) Interview with Poker News Daily

// July 3rd, 2009 // Comments Off // Interviews

It isn’t often you hear that a young 20-something is semi-retired, but Leo “Pechorin” Wolpert is just that.  Wolpert went from being a full-time online poker player to a law school student at the University of Virginia.  Wolpert hasn’t given up on poker entirely, but he has cut back drastically on cards while interning with the Nevada chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and finishing up law school.  One of the events he found time to play in at the 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) was the $10,000 buy-in World Championship of Heads-Up No Limit Hold’em, which he won after four long days and nine individual matches.  Wolpert took some time to discuss his strategy in the event and his plans for the rest of the 2009 WSOP.

Poker News Daily: Congratulations on your bracelet.  You had to get through nine matches to win it.  Which matches were the toughest?

Leo Wolpert: It’s tough to choose.  I would say definitely John Juanda.  He’s at the top of the list.  He’s just amazing all-around.  He really gets tournaments inside and out.  Also, with all of his live experience, he could probably pick up on all my myriad tells.  I had to flip for my tournament life against him and luckily I won.

Jamin Stokes played really well.  He was really tough.  He really trapped me well with pocket kings against his top pair.  I mean he just totally owned me that hand.  He made me think he was floating me and I just spazzed off with the hero call.  Kudos to him for playing that hand really well.

PND: You’re friends with Steve “MrTimCaum” O’Dwyer, who played your final opponent, John Duthie, in the quarterfinals.  Did he give you any tips heading into the finals?

Wolpert:  He gave me a few tips.  One was not to really value bet super thin.  Another was that he suspected, but didn’t really know for sure, that Duthie’s betting range was rather polarized, so I could feel a little more comfortable calling him down light if it was one of those boards where there is the nuts out there and he could be trying to represent it, but just couldn’t have it.

PND: We know you were initially planning to play a limited schedule of events.  Does the bracelet change those plans now?

Wolpert: I haven’t really decided yet.  I might play in a couple more, but I might actually play in a couple less because I am just not as motivated for the $1,500s.  As for other games, I am pretty much terrible at everything but Hold’em and [so playing other events] is essentially burning money.  And I’m not going to play any of the weekday events because of my internship [with the Nevada ACLU].  I’ll probably try to play in a couple more events, like the $5,000 Shootout, and see if I can make the final table again.

PND: Oh that’s right! You have to defend your third place finish from last year.

Wolpert: Yeah, maybe I’ll play that.  Or, maybe I’ll just stay home and grind online (laughs). Maybe I’ll just play the Main Event, though.  Who knows?

PND: If I remember correctly, after you final tabled the Shootout last year, you basically said, “Yeah I’m here for the money.  I don’t care as much about the final tables and the titles.”  Now that you have the bracelet, have you changed your mind?

Wolpert: Not really, I’m still really all about making money by playing poker.  The bracelet’s really nice and I’m proud to get it.  What actually motivated me a little more was almost, like, redemption.  I felt like last year was going to be my one big chance to get the bracelet.  So, even though the bracelet means not quite as much as making a good living from poker, just having the opportunity to go for it and knowing I didn’t blow the opportunity again feels really good.

My How Things Have Changed at the WSOP

// July 3rd, 2009 // Comments Off // Guest Columnists

I walked into the Amazon Room at the Rio Hotel and Casino at 11:59am to play in the $1,500 buy-in Omaha/8 event at the 40th Annual World Series of Poker (WSOP). I’ve participated in 28 out of the 40 years that the WSOP has been in existence, and, as usual, I was filled with excitement at the prospect of winning another gold bracelet.

As play began, I found myself thinking about how much the WSOP has changed since the first time I played in 1980. The first thing that came to mind was how easy the registration process is now. I dropped by the Rio the day before the event to register and was thrilled to be in and out with my tournament receipt in hand in less than 10 minutes. There is a room dedicated for registration with clerks standing by to sign up players using an efficient computerized system. The days of writing and recording everyone’s name by hand like they did in 1980 are gone.

Next, I was happy to see the tournament start on time. Despite the fact that there was a record-setting 918 entrants (I didn’t know that many people even played Omaha/8) and it took a few minutes for speeches, Tournament Director Jack Effel still managed to declare “Shuffle Up and Deal!” at 12:06pm. In the old days, I remember many times asking at 1:00pm or later, “So what time does the Noon tournament begin?”

Other huge differences between the 1980 WSOP and the 2009 WSOP are the starting chip stacks and the structures. This year, all events start with triple chips, meaning, for example, that players get $4,500 in chips for a $1,500 buy-in. I can remember putting up $400 in my first event and getting $400 in chips to start. Today’s structures are extremely player-friendly. Each jump in blind levels is minimal. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many limits!

The number and type of events are obviously different this year than back in 1980. There were 13 events in 1980, including three Seven Card Stud events, a Limit Ace-to-Five Draw event, a Limit Draw High event, and a Mixed Doubles event (male and female team). There were no Omaha, Triple Draw, or Mixed games. This year, there are 57 bracelet events. I know the schedule is printed in a tiny font, but I don’t think I saw any Draw events on the 2009 menu.

There were 62 entrants in the first WSOP I ever entered. This year, Event #4 was capped at 6,000 and it sold out! Where does all of the money come from?

The prize payout structure is quite different today than it was in 1980. In the event I referred to above, I came in fifth out of 62 entrants. Back then, they only paid the top three spots, but I still quit my good job and moved to Las Vegas to become a professional poker player two weeks after the event. In the Main Event in 1980, they paid the top five finishers in the 73 person field. By the way, there was no such thing as the “November Nine” back then.

One item that was actually better in 1980 than it is today is the food. Despite the tremendous improvement in the 2009 WSOP food selections, there still is no comparison to the free, lavish player buffets spread during the WSOP many years ago. Those buffets were legendary; the shrimp were the biggest I’d ever seen, there were lots of exotic meat choices, and the desserts were plentiful and sinful! Of course, they only had to feed a few hundred people back then compared to a few thousand in these times. Don’t take this as a slam on the Rio, though; it still does a good job of feeding the players.

In addition to all of the restaurants at the Rio, they’ve set up temporary food stations that sell snack items, salads, Mexican food, Chinese food, a variety of sandwiches, hot dogs and hamburgers, sushi, fruit, pizza, and a few food groups I am probably forgetting.

The 2009 WSOP has the biggest satellite room I’ve ever seen. There was no such thing as a satellite when I started playing. You had to pony up all the money if you wanted to enter a tournament. Satellites started in 1983 and, today, more than half of the Main Event entrants win their buy-ins through satellites.

The biggest improvement to date is the 2009 no-abuse policy. Not only is it different from the 1980 policy, but it also is different from the 2008 policy. Tournament officials made several announcements that a players’ behavior code is going to be strictly enforced this year. Any violation given is going to be recorded in a logbook and penalties will escalate with repeat infractions. Kudos to WSOP Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack and Tournament Director Jack Effel for leading the charge to make our playing environment friendlier.

Yes, the WSOP has come a long way since 1980. For the frosting on the cake, they have a bracelet award ceremony every day during which the winner(s) from the prior day’s event(s) is brought to center stage and presented with the bracelet. The national anthem of the winner’s homeland is played during the ceremony. It actually brought tears of pride to my eyes to see how far the WSOP has come since I began playing 28 years ago. There is an incredible amount of media on-hand and everything is first class.

A full year of planning and preparation went into making the 2009 WSOP look easy. The systems are terrific, the staff is knowledgeable and friendly, the structures are great, and the experience is incredible. My hat is off to the WSOP. I’m looking forward to playing in many events this year. Now, if I could just figure out a way to win one.

Alex Bolotin Wins WSOP Ante Up for Africa; Mike Tyson Enters

// July 3rd, 2009 // Comments Off // World Series of Poker

The 2009 installment of the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Ante Up for Africa charity tournament brought out Hollywood’s elite and poker’s biggest names. In the end, Alex “Diesel” Boloton emerged victorious, winning $176,000 and donating half of his earnings to the ENOUGH Project and International Rescue Committee.

A total of 137 players took to the felts inside the Amazon Room for the Ante Up for Africa event, one of four tournaments that will be televised as part of ESPN’s coverage of the 2009 WSOP. In 2007, the charity gala attracted 167 runners, while just 88 turned out last year. Prior to the festivities kicking off on Thursday, Ante Up for Africa Co-Founder and Poker News Daily Guest Columnist Annie Duke told reporters, “I knew how effective poker was as a fundraising tool. However, you can throw as much money at a problem as you want, but ESPN will help get awareness of things going on.” The Celebrity Apprentice runner-up added, “Poker players know how fortunate they are. We have a different view of money and what money is for. A lot of poker players are very socially responsible.”

A red carpet entrance preceded the festivities, with a bevy of stars lending their names to the $5,000 buy-in charity event. Among the first entrants down the red carpet was “Everybody Loves Raymond” star Brad Garrett, who told reporters that he’d want his tombstone to read, “I could smell it from here.” Following Garrett was former professional basketball star and current NBA on TNT analyst Charles Barkley, who explained that he was frustrated after poor performances in the Ante Up for Africa event over the past two years. He told People Magazine that the Cleveland Cavaliers acquiring Shaquille O’Neal was “a really good pickup.”

WSOP bracelet winner Jason Mercier, fresh off inking a sponsorship agreement with PokerStars, explained, “This feels really weird. I’m here with celebrities and stars of the poker world.” When asked what celebrity he ogled the most, Mercier responded, “Charles Barkley – I watched him play basketball since I was a little kid.” Mercier then joked, “Watch me take this down.” Others who followed Mercier down the red carpet included comedian Sarah Silverman, NBA on TNT analyst Kenny Smith, actor Dean Cain, “Seinfeld” star Jason Alexander, Ben Affleck, “Rounders” star Matt Damon, and rapper Nelly.

One of the surprise turnouts to the 2009 WSOP Ante Up for Africa charity poker tournament was legendary boxer Mike Tyson, who has recently gained a cult following as a result of his cameo in the box office blockbuster “The Hangover.” Tyson told Poker News Daily that he does not regularly play poker, but was looking forward to competing. A tiger did not accompany him down the red carpet. Media outlets in attendance included US Weekly, the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the L.A. Times, ABC Radio, the Hollywood Reporter, the Associated Press, and a variety of local television stations and Hollywood photo services.

Poker’s elite dominated the final standings, with Rafe Furst, Full Tilt Poker pro Erik Seidel, Chris “Jesus” Ferguson, Phil Gordon, Jennifer Harman, Steve Zolotow, and Ultimate Bet pro Matt “mattg1983” Graham all making the money. Other poker stars that turned out included 2008 WSOP Main Event Last Woman Standing Tiffany Michelle, Andy Bloch, Brandon Cantu, Justin “ZeeJustin” Bonomo, Greg “FBT” Mueller, Barry Greenstein, Greg Raymer, Robert Williamson III, Dennis Phillips, Ylon Schwartz, Peter Eastgate, and Victor Ramdin.

The tournament ran for 10 hours, about twice as long as WSOP officials had estimated prior to the event. At the end of the day, $362,000 was raised for charity. The top 10 finishers were as follows:

1. Alex Bolotin - $176,449
2. Adam Richardson - $109,194
3. Rafe Furst - $72,308
4. Erik Seidel - $51,601
5. Chris Ferguson - $38,550
6. Phil Gordon - $30,760
7. John Hennigan - $25,900
8. Matt Kay - $22,970
9. Jennifer Harman - $21,439
10. Phillip Tom - $15,713

Costigan Media Files Suit to Open Warrant in Online Poker Funds Seizure

// July 3rd, 2009 // Comments Off // Featured, Poker Legislation

Amid the fanfare of the 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event in Las Vegas, Costigan Media, the parent company of Gambling911, has filed suit to open warrants in the case involving the seizure of $30 million in online poker player funds by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District. It is the first legal action brought after the Southern District acted in June.

The reason for the Federal Government’s seizure remains a mystery. In the past, media outlets have been authorized to file legal action in matters of public record. Costigan Media’s filing notes, “Resolution of this issue will require the Court to define the scope of the public’s and the media’s First Amendment and common law rights of access to judicial documents.” The Southern District seized well over $30 million last month, adversely affecting more than 24,000 online poker players. Many rooms reimbursed players for difficulties cashing out and, in some cases, awarded an extra 10% cash bonus for any inconvenience.

Costigan Media is seeking the unsealing of the warrant, the affidavit for the warrant, and any other relevant documents that remain under wraps. The warrant in question was used to seize funds from a Wells Fargo branch in San Francisco, California on June 2nd. Magistrate Judge Theodore Katz signed the document, with an affidavit sworn to by Dana Conte, a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agent. Costigan Media’s filing reveals that Katz stated, “I am satisfied that there is probable cause to believe that the property so described is subject to seizure and civil forfeiture.” The parent company of Gambling911 added that the order sealing the warrant is also sealed, further complicating the situation. Funds were held in account 7986104185 under the name Account Services. The case is numbered 09-MAG-1320.

Gambling911 boasts affiliate links for UltimateBet, Players Only, Doyle’s Room, Absolute Poker, and a host of online sports betting sites. Noticeably absent are Full Tilt Poker and PokerStars, two of the heaviest hit sites by the funds seizure. Interactive Media Entertainment and Gaming Association (iMEGA) Executive Director Joe Brennan told Poker News Daily, “The government can’t even make a substantive claim that Gambling911 is acting on its own financial interest because of its own affiliate marketing. Instead, they want the news and opportunity.”

The court filing also questions, “The narrow but important issue presented in this case is whether the well-established First Amendment and common law rights to public proceedings and access to documents that ordinarily apply to judicial documents extend to a civil seizure warrant that has already been executed, but where no criminal charges have been brought.” On the media conglomerate’s chances of successfully opening the seizure warrants, Brennan told Poker News Daily, “It depends on who does the asking and where they do the asking. This is a little different in that there’s not a lot of precedent for new media outlets. It is a little groundbreaking for them to be doing this, but the precedent varies from district to district.”

Costigan Media also questions the reason for document being sealed. It speculates that “secrecy in ongoing investigations to protect confidential sources,” and “concerns of all of the un-indicted parties implicated by the Conte Affidavit” may be to blame. The company explains, “The public’s interest in criminal prosecutions should not be held hostage by a government’s blanket unsupported assertion of confidentiality or privacy concerns.” Brennan noted that the legal matter will take at least 10 days, which may be elongated by the upcoming Fourth of July holiday weekend in the United States.

Costigan Media is represented by Baruch Weiss and Matthew Trokenheim of Arent Fox in New York City. The action is dated July 2nd, just one day before the start of the 2009 WSOP Main Event from the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. The $10,000 buy-in tournament kicks off today with the first of four starting days.

Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for the latest news surrounding the online poker funds seizure.

NBC and Full Tilt Poker gear up to film “Face the Ace”

// July 2nd, 2009 // Comments Off // Online Poker

NBC and Full Tilt announced their joint effort to produce Face the Ace, a new concept for a poker show where players who qualify online get to play heads-up against three Full Tilt pros for a $1,000,000 prize.

This is how NBC described the show’s concept:

If selected to be a participant on the show, the contestant will have to choose between four smoked-glass doors, behind which are four top professional poker players, or the “Aces.”  Once one is chosen, the contestant will play that pro in a heads-up No-Limit Texas Hold’em match.  Should the contestant defeat the pro, they will have the opportunity to take the money they have won and leave or risk it all and choose another door and battle a different pro for a significantly larger sum of money.

Some of the poker pros rumored to stand at some point or another behind the doors are Gus Hansen and Phil Ivey (both of whom feature prominently in the show’s advertising,) Chris “Jesus” Ferguson, Jennifer Harman, Erick Lindgren, Phil Gordon, Erik Seidel, Allen Cunningham, Andy Bloch, John Juanda, Mike Matusow, Patrik Antonius and Howard Lederer. The show will be hosted by Steve Schirripa, star of the popular series “The Sopranos.”

The best part of the Face the Ace promotion is that it’s completely free: the classification tournaments are all freerolls, which will progress as follows:

• Face the Ace – Round 1 Freerolls are available around the clock; the winner of each Round 1 Freeroll earns an entry to a Face the Ace – Round 2 Freeroll
• The winner of each Round 2 Freeroll advances to a Face the Ace – Final Qualifier tournament
• The next Face the Ace – Final Qualifier tournament takes place at 9:15 p.m. ET on Monday, July 6; the top ten finishers in each Final Qualifier win a free prize package, which includes a trip to Las Vegas and an audition for Face the Ace.

All winners will be flown to Vegas with one guest, and lodged at the iconic Golden Nugget for 5 days and 4 nights, where they will get $500 spending money and their chance to audition for NBC’s new poker show.

Filming is expected to start next week, and Face the Ace will premiere on NBC on Saturday, August 1st at 9:00 pm ET. Seven one-hour episodes of Face the Ace are currently booked, and they will show from the prime-time August 1st debut through January 2nd, 2010.

There is still time to catch a seat in the Face the Ace satellites and show Phil Ivey and Gus Hansen who’s boss. For more information visit www.face-the-ace.com

Tony Veckey and Abe Mosseri Claim Bracelets in Events #54 and #55

// July 2nd, 2009 // Comments Off // Featured, World Series of Poker

The preliminary events of the 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) are winding down and with the completion of Events #54 and #55 Wednesday there is only one more bracelet to give out before the Main Event kicks off on Friday. While the crowds at the Rio may have been smaller than usual yesterday, there was still plenty of excitement to go around as backgammon player turned poker pro Abe Mosseri and Illinois software engineer and recreational player Tony Veckey each picked up their first WSOP gold bracelets.

Mosseri earned his bracelet in the last non-Hold’em event of the Series, a $2,500 Limit Deuce to Seven Triple Draw event. Over the course of the first two days the field whittled down from 258 players to nine who would return on the final day. Included among them were a couple of big name pros like Full Tilt Pro John Juanda and Kill Phil co-author Blair Rodman. There was also another pro paying very close attention to this event: 2007 WSOP Player of the Year Tom Schneider was on the rail for much of the day rooting his wife, Julie Schneider, on her first ever WSOP final table.

Schneider, Juanda and Rodman all made the seven-handed final table of the event. Rodman, who was always in the middle or towards the bottom of the chip counts lost most of his chips to Mosseri and was subsequently eliminated in 5th place. Juanda followed suit shortly thereafter going out fourth, and Schneider was the next to fall. The final two players standing were Mosseri, who has been a cash game presence in the New York card room scene for several years now; and Masayoshi Tanaka, an online player from Japan who specializes in Lowball games. The two battled back and forth for a while, but Tanaka could not overcome Mosseri’s run of good cards and settled for second place while Mosseri won his first career bracelet and $166,651. This is the second final table appearance for Mosseri this WSOP. He also final tabled the $10,000 Stud Hi Championship event, finishing in sixth place.

Wednesday’s other bracelet winner, Veckey, won his bracelet after navigating through the 2,818-person field of the final $1,500 buy-in No Limit Hold’em preliminary event. The tournament was the tenth event out of the 56 preliminary events to fill to capacity and sell out. According to a press release from the WSOP, this is the first time in the 40 year history of the Series that many events saw players turned away from registration because there was simply no place to put them.

Twenty-eight players returned for Day 3 of the final $1,500 event including WPT winner Vivek “psyduck” Rajkumar who fell short of the final table in 15th place. The first batch of eliminations to get down to the final two tables came in a rush at the beginning of the day, but action slowed and it took until around 8PM to get down to the unofficial 10-handed final table. Perhaps as a result of the relief of making it to the top nine and the pay jumps that come with such an accomplishment, play loosened up and it didn’t take long at all for the final ten to pare down to just two.

There were no recognizable names at the final table, but there were several avid amateur players from both the live and online poker worlds. Players at the table ran the gamut from online grinders like Joe Chaplin and Jason Wheeler to live tournament players with success on the Latin American and Heartland poker tours like Christopher Demaci and Christopher Bonita to players making their first substantial live score like Sergey Konkin, Andrew Malott and the eventual winner Tony Veckey.

Heads-up play came down to Veckey and Wheeler, with Wheeler holding a slight chip advantage over his opponent after Chaplin was eliminated in 3rd place. Wheeler started the day 6th/28 and spent the majority of Day Three at or near the top of the leaderboard. Veckey was in the middle of the pack for much of the final table, but he was able to slowly chip away at his opponent to pull back to even.

On the final hand of play Veckey and Wheeler got it all-in on a Q-10-8 flop with Veckey holding J-9 for a flopped straight while Wheeler was drawing slim with A-Q for top pair. The straight held and the amateur Veckey staked his claim to one of the last available bracelets of 2009. After winning the second largest tournament of the Series thus far, Veckey remained level-headed about his future plans. “I am going to go back to work. That is what I am going to do,” Veckey explained. “But if I win the Main Event next year, that will be a tougher decision.” He will be going back to work with an additional $673,276 in his pocket for his first place finish.

There is still one more bracelet to award on Thursday and it will come in Event #56, a $5,000 buy-in 6-Handed No Limit Hold’em event. Sixteen players will return at 1PM to play down from the final three tables to a bracelet winner and there are still a couple of notable pros alive and kicking in the event even though Raymond Davis, Phil Hellmuth and Full Tilt Pro David Chiu all saw their chances at the bracelets extinguished yesterday. Former World Poker Tour winner Eugene Katchalov, Full Tilt Pro Peter “Nordberg” Feldman and online cash game specialist Matt Hawrilenko all remain in contention for the bracelet.

WSOP Winner’s Responsibility?

// July 1st, 2009 // Comments Off // Strategy

I know you may find this hard to believe, particularly after all the sage advice I have doled out on this website, but I have never won a World Series of Poker bracelet. I came close to a bracelet when I watched a final table from the bleachers, but never have been named the rightful owner of one. I understand you may be shocked to hear this and if you need a moment to catch your breath, by all means, go ahead.

Since I have never won a WSOP event, I have also never experienced anything that goes along with it, such as the swollen bank account, permanent smile, and dozens of new friends and family members. I actually have something in common with Richard Austin, who won the $5,000 Pot-Limit Omaha event this summer, as we both haven’t had the usual experiences of a WSOP bracelet winner You see, just as I have never been interviewed by the media after a WSOP victory or been presented with my bracelet in front of a packed Amazon Room at the Rio, neither has Richard Austin.

You see, Austin declined both the post-game interview and the following day’s formal bracelet presentation, something that nobody has ever done, at least by choice. His actions have sparked a lively debate in the poker community on whether or not he has a responsibility to do these things. Some people feel like the snubs were slaps in the face to the WSOP, while others believe that Austin has the right to do whatever he pleases, that he doesn’t owe anyone anything.

While I would love to be controversial and pick one extreme on the spectrum or the other, I am sad to say that I fall somewhere in the middle. In short, while I feel that granting the interview and participating in the bracelet ceremony are somehow the “right” things to do, at the same time I believe each of us is free to do what makes us happy.

Personally, I think the interview would be fun, but then again, nobody ever wants to interview me, so it would be a novel experience. I wouldn’t go as far as to say it is a responsibility you owe to the WSOP, but without an excuse, I think refusing to do it is kind of a jerk move. The WSOP just afforded you the opportunity to win a bunch of money and would appreciate a few quotes so that a nice story can be written about the final table and the WSOP can promote itself. Plus, those members of the media in attendance are trying to do their jobs. They have articles to write. The least you can do is give a few minutes of your time.

Of course, some people might have extreme cases of shyness or have some sort of social anxiety disorder which would make a public interview difficult. If this is the case, and it is rumored that it might be with Austin, then do what you need to do.

I do understand the reasons people give for not liking the bracelet ceremony. It takes place the following day while other people are playing in tournaments. The last thing other players want is to have their tournament interrupted by a big announcement and silly presentation of a bracelet to a person of whom most people in the room are jealous. It can come off as a bit tacky and very annoying. Plus, from the winner’s point of view, he might not want to come back to the poker room the next day, especially when he is potentially going to be awkward standing up in front of people who either don’t care about you or who hate you for winning.

But seriously, those who win a bracelet at the WSOP should just participate in the bracelet ceremony. Other players know it’s not the winner’s fault that their game is getting interrupted. The idea behind the bracelet ceremony is an admirable one – rather than handing the winner the bracelet right when the tournament ends, which is often in the wee hours of the morning in front of maybe a dozen remaining tired fans, let’s award the bracelet in the light of day (in a poker room with no windows) in front of everybody, so that the winner gets the recognition he deserves. And while it may be a little cheesy, there is no harm in it.

One recurring argument I heard in Austin’s favor (and again, he may have a legit reason for declining the interview and presentation) was that he has no obligation or quasi-obligation to do these things until Harrah’s or the WSOP’s sponsors put up some of the prize pool. He has already benefitted them by contributing to the prize pool, a prize pool from which house fees were taken. Why should he do the WSOP any more favors?

Well, because it’s just the cool thing to do. Life is full of battles. This one is not one that needs to be fought.

Poker Stars adds Marcel Luske and Jason Mercier to Team PokerStars Pro

// July 1st, 2009 // Comments Off // Online Poker, Poker Tournaments

The largest online poker site around keeps adding to its all-star stable of pros, and they seem to be shopping both ends of the poker world this time, as they add beloved veteran Marcel Luske and hot discovery Jason Mercier.

“The Flying Dutchman” is easily recognized at the tables for his sharp suits and upside-down sunglasses, but looks are not everything when it comes to this Dutch poker professional, who was recognized as the top poker player in Europe at the European Poker Awards in 2001 and 2003, and honoured with the European Poker Awards ‘Life Time Achievement Award’ in 2008 at the Aviation Club in Paris.

Like many old-school pros, Luske started out playing poker informally in Amsterdam while hanging on to several day jobs, until he eventually opened his own poker club and decided to enter the European tournament scene. He made his first big splash in 2001, winning 3 tournaments in a two-week span. The $85,000 he collected over those two weeks were a good motivation to quit the day job and focus on poker.

His 2001 run was so successful it earned him his first “Player of the Year” title at the European Poker Awards. Two years later, Luske made an even bigger splash internationally in the 2003 WSOP, where he finished 14th at the Main Event and caught the public’s imagination with his classy outfits, outgoing personality and penchant for singing at the poker tables.

Luske’s career has seen him score big in many international events, most notably winning at the Five-Star World Poker Classic for $212,000 in April 2005; taking down the Hall of Fame Poker Classic in Paris for $143,000 in July 2005 and winning at the Five-Star World Poker Classic in April 2006 for $316,000.

A human dynamo, Luske finds time for plenty more besides his successful poker playing: he has famously mentored WSOP bracelet holder David Williams (who was runner-up for the Main Event in 2004,) as well as noted pros Noah Boeken and Kirill Gerasimov. Luske also founded the Federation Internationale de Poker Association (FIDPA), which aims to even the field by implementing standard rules all over the tournament trail; he is a valued member of the World Poker Federation Advisory Board; he support several charity projects and he is even considering a singing career, a long time ambition of his.

Next to Luske’s extended career, Mercier may seem a mere shooting star, but make no mistake: this 22-year-old is here to stay as one of the top players of his generation. In his short time in the poker spotlight, Mercier has already accrued over $3.2 million in live cashes since his first major tournament, the 2008 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure.

Mercier was already a top VIP at PokerStars, having earned the status of SuperNova Elite for his level of play, and he is naturally enthusiastic about becoming a sponsored pro: “Becoming a member of Team PokerStars Pro means a lot to me. I’m so excited to be playing for the site I first started playing on. I feel like this solidifies my standing as one of the top poker players’ around.”

In spite of his relatively short career span, Mercier already has a number of major scores to his name, such as winning the Season Four PokerStars EPT San Remo (a $1,372,893 prize;) finishing sixth at the PokerStars EPT Season Five event in Barcelona, earning $324,946; and shortly afterwards taking down the PokerStars EPT London £1 Million Showdown High Roller tournament for £516,000 ($944,847). In this last one he faced a terrifying final table, squaring himself against notables such as John Juanda, Scotty Nguyen, David Benyamine and namesake Team PokerStars Pro Isabelle Mercier.

For the cherry on top, Mercier has already cashed four times at this year’s WSOP and he won his first bracelet on June 1st after besting 808 players in the $1,500 Pot Limit Omaha event for $237,415.