Poker Gazette

At 5-year milestone, flashback to a miracle

Sun, 05 Sep 2010 21:10:08 +0000

As tournament poker has exploded in popularity, Herald poker columnist Bernard Lee has enjoyed a prominent place at the table. Lee, who hosts a poker radio broadcast and is also a columnist and co-host for ESPN, this week celebrates the fifth anniversary of his Herald column, The Final Table.SEATING: Small Blind (empty),Big Blind (empty),three empty seats,player – Mr. Limper (Js-Jd),three empty seats,Button (8d-8c)CARDS: Jh-Jc-9c – 7c – 10cIt seems incredible, but it has already been half a decade since we began our weekly journey through the exciting world of tournament poker.To mark the occasion, today we revisit one of the most astonishing and talked-about hands I have ever witnessed.The hand occurred during the $600 No-Limit Hold ‘em Modified Shootout at the 2007 Foxwoods Poker Classic.The tourney was at Level 3 (blinds 100 and 200) when a mid-position player kicked off the action by limping into the pot.After the other players folded, the button decided to raise to 800.As the blinds folded, the action got back around to the original limper. After a moment, Mr. Limper pushed his remaining chips all-in.Mr. Button had to make a critical decision. Since he had fewer chips, a call would be for his tournament life. After some thought, he decided to call, flipping over 8d-8c.

World Series of Poker Officials Release Names Of Hall Of Fame Nominees

Sun, 05 Sep 2010 19:40:08 +0000

September 5th, 2010 – by Glen FarmerEvery year, ten people are selected as nominees to be inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame. Last year Mike Sexton was awarded the honor due to his contributions to the world of poker, this years choices are equally as prestigious.In order to be eligible as a candidate, several criteria must have been met. The player must have played against top competition, as well as played in high stakes. Respect must have been gained, as well as consistently good play. Withstanding the test of time is also a requirement. Should the inductee not be a player, he or she must have contributed to the success of the game of poker.Ten players have been listed this year, and the living members of the WSOP Hall of Fame will vote, as well as a panel of 17 media personnel. The newest inductee will be voted for in November, right before the main event final table is set to reconvene.The ten nominees are Chris Ferguson, Phil Ivey, Dan Harrington, Tom McEvoy, Daniel Negeranu, Scotty Nguyen, Erik Seidel, Jennifer Harman-Traniello, Linda Johnson, and Barry Greenstein. This star studded group of players is likely to give the voters a deep thought process in order to come to a conclusion.The class of 2010 will not be the last, and those who failed to receive nomination this year may try again next year. Tags: online poker, poker hall of fame, usa poker, wsop, wsop poker hall of fame

Start of WCOOP Kicks Off Busy Month of Poker

Sun, 05 Sep 2010 13:30:11 +0000

September 5th, 2010 7:46 am EST In less than 12 hours (6 hours, 36 minutes, 33 seconds to be exact), the 2010 WCOOP (World Championship of Online Poker) will get underway on Pokerstars. This is poised to be the biggest WCOOP ever, as Pokerstars is guaranteeing $50,000,000 in total prize money. Last year’s total prize pool came in at a little over $51.6 million (after the site guaranteed $40 million in prize money), and this year should be even bigger. There are a total of 62 WCOOP events this year, with the first three taking place on Sunday, September 5th. They are:Event #1 – 13:00, $215 NLHE 6-Max, $1,250,000 GuaranteedEvent #2 – 15:00, $10,300 NLHE High Roller, $2,000,000 GuaranteedEvent #3 – 17:00, $215 NLHE, $2,000,000 GuaranteedNote: all of Sunday’s tournaments are one day events–As mentioned, September is going to be a very busy month in the poker world. In addition to the WCOOP on Pokerstars, you have:-2010 Borgata Poker Open-2010 World Series of Poker Europe-2010 EPT London, which gets underway in late September and runs until October 4th–Good luck to everyone who is planning on participating in this year’s WCOOP. Source: Pokerstars.com WCOOP Schedule Filed Under: Other Poker News

World Series Of Poker Ready To Wrap Up 2005 Main Event

Sat, 04 Sep 2010 18:20:16 +0000

Huh?In their ongoing attempt to drag out each World Series of Poker as long as possible, officials have announced that in the next week, all of the paper work will be completed from the 2005 WSOP. That also means the final bracelets will be given out live on ESPN.The network and the WSOP have worked hand in hand for the past several years to ensure that no fan would be able to watch any of the exciting action live. In order to accommodate ESPN, the WSOP has moved the final table of the main event back by four months.The delay in the process of completing the WSOP actually began back in 2001. Organizers felt that they needed to keep the brand name out in the public for as long as possible, so they started handing out bracelets from late events six months from the end of the tournaments.The paper work from the WSOP can be completed in two days, according to one employee that wished to remain anonymous. If that occurred, however, that would end the WSOP for that year, so officials have delayed the signing of the final results papers by five year for each event. That means that the paper work from 2005 has just been completed.Starting in 2014, the paper work will take even longer to process. With the main event in 2009 not ending until November, it may take six year and not five to sign the final document because many of the staff members are off in late November and do not return until December.If you are confused by all of this, don’t worry, you are not alone. We here at Craps Online are still trying to figure out why nine players have to wait four months to complete the main event. Only when that is figured out, can anyone begin to understand anything else that the WSOP does.Disclaimer: All news articles published on this online craps site are spoofs, parody, orsatire. None of the information contained in these articles should be taken seriously.

Lady Gaga sexes up Lady Liberty for magazine cover shoot

Fri, 03 Sep 2010 01:50:05 +0000

By Daily Mail ReporterLast updated at 2:45 AM on 3rd September 2010 Lady Gaga isn’t known for being shy when she hits the dressing up box but she’s outdone herself this time.The controversial singer wore her Poker Face and little else as she struck a pose in the style of the symbolic American figure.The pop superstar put her edgy spin on the famous pose by wearing a black lacy bra and knickers, showing off her toned stomach.Feeling free: Lady Gaga wearing her underwear and fabric draped around her hips poses as the iconic Statue of Liberty for V magazineShe sculpted her long, blonde hair into the Statue’s famous crow and draped fabric around her hips while holding a burning paper torch. Fashion designer Marc Jacobs also features on the front of the latest V Magazine – billed as The New York Issue.Acclaimed photographer Mario Testino, who has photographed the likes of Diana, Princess of Wales, Cameron Diaz, Madonna and Kate Moss, captured the imaged.Resting her feet: Gaga poses in a shopping cart while fashion designer Marc Jacobs pushes her along. It’s unlikely she would have been able to walk far in those shoesV Editor Stephan Gan says that Gaga is an icon and a gift to us all.’Just as the Statue of Liberty was France’s gift to America, Gaga is, to us, New York’s greatest gift to pop culture and fashion. ‘She has become a bonafide genius and we can safely declare her our muse.’Hailing a cab: Shirtless Scissor Sisters front man Jake Shears poses with singer Debbie Harry with the door of a NYC taxiThe interpretation of the iconic V using bubble gum was done by artist Dan Colen who is one of 4 artists doing their creative takes on the magazine.Other New Yorkers that will be featuring in the city’s issue are Mark Ronson, Chloe Sevigny, Debbie Harrie and The Scissor Sisters front man Jake Shears.Big Apple moments: Mark Ronson and Chloe Sevigny pose alongside other iconic figures in this month’s V magazineShare this article:

3Par Battle: Bids Raised, HP Still Leads [Update: Dell Bows Out]

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 15:50:17 +0000

Image via WikipediaUpdate: The champagne corks are popping at Hewlett-Packard headquarters this morning after Dell decided a $33 per share bid for 3Par was too rich.The computer maker will receive a $72 million breakup fee. This morning’s story detailing the endgame of the bidding war follows below.———————————I thought the World Series of Poker took place in Vegas, but apparently this year the new locale is the tech sector.Hewlett-Packard made the latest strike in its bidding war with Dell over data storage firm 3Par, upping its offer to $33 per share in cash, or just under $2.1 billion.That comes after Dell had raised its offer to $32 per share. From the 3Par press release:Dell’s revised acquisition proposal also included an increased termination fee of $92 million payable by 3PAR to Dell as a condition to accepting a “superior proposal,” and a multi-year reseller agreement with Dell, which would by its terms be assumed by an acquirer of, or successor in interest to, 3PAR in the event of a change in control of 3PAR (including the acquisition of 3PAR by HP or another third party), and which contained fixed pricing and other terms that the 3PAR board of directors determined to be unacceptable.Under the terms of its initial Aug. 16 offer for 3Par, Dell is granted a three-day window to match any superior proposal.With the offer price climbing, it becomes more and more likely that the eventual winner will overpay, but for a pair of companies that are facing increased shareholder scrutiny the cost of losing out could be greater. (See “Dell, HP Risk Black Eye In Bidding War.”)Who do you think is going to win out in the fight for 3Par? Let us know in the comments.Follow my blog Exile On Wall Street, or Twitter @SchaeferStreet.

Phil Hellmuth, The Poker Brat: Short stack slow play

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 23:50:09 +0000

A couple of years ago, I was in Los Angeles to play in the $10,000 buy-in World Poker Tour L.A. Poker Classic at the famous Commerce Casino. On the second day of the tournament, with the blinds at $300/$600 plus a $75 ante, I only had $6,400 chips remaining when I looked down at Kh-Qh from early position. It was decision time: Do I move all-in, raise it up to $1,800 to go, or just limp in? The standard play was to move all-in as I only had about ten times the big blind in chips. My objective would be to force another player to fold a hand like A-10 or a small pair, allowing me to increase my stack size by about 20 percent. Even if I got called with a hand like pocket tens, I’d only be a small underdog to win the pot, but I’d be in a heap of trouble if someone called with A-K behind me. Or, I could make the traditional three-times-the-big blind raise. I dismissed this option because it wouldn’t provide an easy opportunity for me to fold if another player reraised behind me. Folding Kh-Qh for $4,600 more with $8,500 already in the pot would have been pretty hard to do. My third option was to limp in and call for $600. While this play would provide me with some added flexibility later in the hand, it’s just not a reasonable option for beginners or intermediate players. In fact, most professionals shouldn’t attempt this play either. I decided to limp in. I wanted to trap one of the players behind me, either before or after the flop. Also, by slow-playing my hand, I’d have a way to save most of my chips if I ran into a hand that had me crushed. The key skill to make this play work is a great reading ability. I had to be prepared to move all-in if someone behind me decided to raise with what I thought was the worse hand, or be able to fold if I thought I was dominated. And it gets even more complex on the flop. I’d then have to decide to either slow-play a huge hand or play it fast depending on the texture of the board, my read of my opponents’ holdings, and my sense of their ability to fold their hands. Okay, so I limped in pre-flop as did another player behind me. The flop came 10h-7h-3h. Yes, a big flush for me! Hopefully, someone else also hit a piece of that juicy flop. All of us checked and the 2h fell on the turn. I hated that card but not for the reason that you might suspect. Sure, I was beat if someone had the Ah, but I was more concerned that the four hearts on the board would kill the betting action meaning a smaller pot for me. As expected, the players in the blinds checked to me. I continued slow-playing my monster hand and also checked. Then, the guy behind me fired out $2,000. The small blind called and the big blind folded. Man, I was licking my chops! I raised it $3,000 making it $5,000 to go. My opponents quickly folded and I won a decent-sized pot. By the way, had I decided to move all-in pre-flop instead of limping in, I would have won a much smaller pot. My tricky pre-flop limp in netted me a cool extra $4,900. But again, this isn’t a play that I’d recommend to anyone but a top professional. Learn more at PhilHellmuth.comandPokerBrat.com.

Short stack slow play

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 16:50:17 +0000

Strip casino to host Amateur championship

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 14:40:07 +0000

The World Poker Tour’s Amateur Poker League (APL) and the Tropicana in Las Vegas last week announced a partnership in which the Las Vegas casino will host the APL’s Amateur Championship.”We are very excited about the partnership between Tropicana Las Vegas and World Poker Tour Amateur Poker League,” said Tom McCartney, president and COO of the Tropicana Las Vegas. “It is an exceptional combination of best-in-class brands and Tropicana is honored to be considered the home to the thousands of Amateur Poker League members.”The Amateur Poker League, a licensee of the World Poker Tour, sanctions more than 30,000 No Limit Hold’em tournaments annually in a variety of host locations across the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico.The events are conducted by sanctioned leagues who submit their results to the Amateur Poker League for inclusion in their advancement structure.The results qualify members for opportunities that include online freeroll tournaments, live special events and, of course, their seat in the Amateur Championship.The Amateur Championship hosted by the Tropicana will offer more than $160,000 in cash and prizes.”The World Poker Tour Amateur Championship will be the largest event of its kind making Tropicana Las Vegas a truly unique destination for poker lovers and Amateur Poker League members,” said Shane McCullough, executive vice president of the Amateur Poker League.McCullough added that the Amateur Championship will award multiple World Poker Tour main event entries, WPT boot camps, APL cruises and much more to the winners.The Tropicana and Amateur Poker League will qualify players from participating leagues and venues around the world, all hoping to advance into this event.The new partnership between the League and Tropicana will also allow for a host of special offers, including discounts and special tournaments offered to members throughout the year.For more information on this partnership and how to qualify for the event, visit WPTAPL.com.

Facebook Says Guilty

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 20:40:12 +0000

We have a big race in Anne Arundel County for Circuit Court that is getting surprisingly little attention in the media. Alison Asti is challenging sitting Circuit Court Judges Laura Kiessling and Ronald Jarashow.The problem with this election is that most people – I think most people – make a reasonably informed vote when voting for president, Congress, state legislatures and other elected offices in this Country. But I don’t think the majority of people, even Anne Arundel County lawyers, are in a position to make an informed call on judges. Our law firm tries a lot of personal injury cases and we have not tried a case in front of either Judge Kiessling or Judge Jarashow. So there are probably 11 lawyers in Maryland who are in a position to have been in front of these judges and know Ms. Asti well enough to thin slice who would be the best judge. And I wouldn’t even defer to those 11 people.What are the issues in the campaign? No one is suggesting the other side is not qualified to be a judge. (Actually, I’m making that part up because it makes my argument flow better. I think proponents of the sitting judges have argued that while Ms. Asti may be a fine lawyer, you need to have been a trial lawyer to be an effective judge. I’m not unmindful of this point. Having supported Justice Kagan, I feel a little hypocritical suggesting drawing the line between an appellate judge and a trial judge for who needs to have been a trial lawyer.) Assuming all of the candidates are qualified, what are we deciding in this election? Who would be the fairest of the fair? How do you debate that? And if you can’t have a debate, should you have an election? But we have one. So I think the best rule for voting in judicial elections is to vote for the incumbent judges unless you have a compelling reason not to do so. Important point: compelling should not be defined as a sentence you did not like in a criminal case when you really do not even know the facts of the case, how the witness presented, and so forth. Anyway, the sitting judges are good judges and good people by reputation. Judge Kiessling and Judge Jarashow both made it past the Anne Arundel County Judicial Nominating Commission and were nominated by Governor O’Malley. Even Bob Ehrlich would admit under sodium pentothal that Governor O’Malley has been apolitical in the judicial nomination process and has appointed good judges to the bench. The Republicans in the Maryland Senate have certainly thought so. (Dear Republicans: It is okay to concede your opponent has not been awful at everything. It actually enhances your credibility. I promise.)It is not that I do not think Ms. Asti would not make a good judge. I also do not oppose her right to run. She is availing herself to the political process that is currently in place (even if I disagree with the premise of electing judges). But she has not suggested a reason why these well thought of judges should be removed from the bench and I think that is because there isn’t one. Accordingly, my law firm made a donation yesterday to the campaign of the sitting judges Laura Kiessling and Ronald Jarashow. More importantly, they have earned the highly sought after, much anticipated and ballyhooed Maryland Injury Lawyer Blog endorsement. Post from 2006 on why I disagree with judicial elections in MarylandSitting judges Facebook pageAllison Asti’s election Facebook pageWashington Post editorial from February on why contested elections in Maryland are a bad ideaTestimony to the Maryland Senate on judicial elections

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