Ivey and Esfandiari Crushing WSOP

With the field whittled down to only 64 players, poker superstar Phil Ivey and Antonio Esfandiari, aka 'the magician' are near the top of the chip stacks and primed for a final table run.

Nothing would be more exciting for poker than to have Phil Ivey and Esfandiari at the final table of this years WSOP. As poker fans and poker as an industry, this would be another great boost that could propel thousands of new poker players into the fray of poker as well as bringing back tons of fish who have been fleeced for their money back in the day.

Phil Ivey is one of the sponsoring pro's of Fulltiltpoker.com and I'm sure they would like nothing more than for one of their own to take down the biggest poker tournament of the year. Talk about a huge boost of marketing power to their budget. And who could forget the UB commercials featuring Antonio shirtless and then jumping into a pool and loosing his shorts.

If those two make the final table, it will be BIG for poker. It could be really big. Personally I think it would make the more recreational poker players play more, maybe re-deposit at one of their favorite online poker sites that they busted out of earlier rather than bring throngs of brand new players to the tables like Chris Moneymaker did when he won in 03.

Regardless, I'm sure ESPN, Harrahs and the whole of the poker world is holding their breath that these guys make the final table.

We can hope, and with Ivey and Esfandiari's talent it looks like a strong possibility.

Jeff Lisandro Steals His 3rd WSOP Bracelet

A couple of weeks ago, we reported that Jeff Lisandro had clinched his second WSOP bracelet at a Seven Card Stud event. Well, the guy is continuing to light up the tables. He took down his third bracelet at the $10k Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo event, walking away with over $430,000 in prize money.



























Along with Phil Ivey and Brock Parker, Lisandro is a multiple braclet winner for the 2009 WSOP.

Frankly, had he not won the $10k Stud event, we're fairly certain he would have walked with the bracelet anyway.
























"Seriously, if you win, I'm just going to take the bracelet from you out in the parking lot."

In all seriousness, good show, Jeff.


The durrrr Challenge Gets Exciting... Finally

Just last week, we were saying how mind-numbingly tedious the "durrrr Challenge" had become. We would rather have listened to the guy on the right tell us bad jokes all night...

















Well, the durrrr Challenge heated up a few days ago. At one point, Tom "durrrr" Dwan was up over $700,000 on Patrik Antonius. It took 4,253 hands and 15 hours, but he did it.














Geez, have we mentioned how white he is?

Anyway, as of today, he's up a half million for the year. That may not seem like a lot for a guy who's used to nosebleed stakes. But, keep in mind he was down $4 million at one point.























Now, if we can only have a few more bouts like the recent one between he and Antonius, we might actually start caring about the durrrr Challenge again.


Doyle Brunson Fights For His 11th Bracelet

Doyle "The Boss" Brunson is practically a staple of the WSOP.
























"What did you call me?"

With 10 bracelets under his belt, he's hoping to take down his 11th this Saturday. To date, Hellmuth holds the record with 11 bracelets.























But, Brunson's aiming to join him at the top of the poker heap. He hasn't won a major bracelet for a few years, but we're definitely rooting for him. C'mon, how can you not like this guy?


























And Speaking Of Phil Hellmuth...

The self-described Poker Brat was hoping to widen the gap between he and Brunson (and Johnny Chan) by locking in his 12th WSOP bracelet. He wanted to take it down at the $2k Limit Hold'em event this past Saturday.
















Alas, it was not to be. We're sure Phil is pretty disappointed since his crown may soon be at stake.


























Update On The U.S. Poker Seizures

The recent poker asset seizures that we told you about have definitely taken their toll. Poker Stars saw their traffic decline 7%. Full Tilt Poker was able to get a few replacement payment processors up and running, so they seem to be doing fine.

Ultimate Bet and Absolute Poker may be on the federal prosecutors' radar soon. But, a lot of folks are switching from checks to bank wires, which seems to be working for now.




















Another week, another wrap. To recap...

1. Jeff Lisandro shows the poker world who the real stud is.
2. The durrrr Challenge shows a brief spark of excitement (and Dwan still needs a tan).
3. Good 'ole Doyle Brunson is battling for his 11th bracelet on Saturday (Go, Brunson!).
4. Phil Hellmuth lets a 12th bracelet slip through his fingers.
5. U.S. federal prosecutors haven't touched wires... yet.

As always, bringing you the poker news that's fit to print.

See you next time...

The Mystery Of The Bouncing Checks... SOLVED!

Last week, the news broke that checks from Full Tilt Poker and PokerStars were bouncing higher than Clonie Gowen's hopes for a FullTilt payout. We blamed the incident on good 'ole Phil Hellmuth because he always looks like he's up to something shifty.

























We're happy to say (sort of) that Hellmuth had nothing to do with the mess. The real story is that federal prosecutors swept down and froze the accounts of the payment processors.

















Boooo! Incidentally, some legal experts are calling foul. A law professor in California says, "It's very aggressive, and I think it's a gamble on the part of the prosecutors."

So, while this guy is fighting for us in Congress...






















... the feds are rattling their sabers. It's still not clear where this mess is going to head. But, we'll keep you posted.


2009 WSOP Updates

Things are still cookin' over at the WSOP and there's no shortage of exciting tidbits to report.

First up... the incredibly alert Johnny Chan.

























We're pretty sure those bottles weren't filled with water.

In any case, those of you keeping score will know that Chan has 10 WSOP bracelets to his name. He's one behind Hellmuth and as of yesterday, was looking to tie him at the top. We're still waiting to hear whether he's done it or not.


Next up... Archie "The Greek" Karas.

If you don't know Archie, you don't know poker lore.























To say he's had a few ups and downs would definitely be an understatement. We'll let you discover the sordid tale of his life for yourself. We mention him because he was at the WSOP gunning for his first bracelet. Sadly, he didn't get it, but we're rooting for him next year. Keep your spirits up, Archie.























Next up... Roland de Wolfe

Yesterday, de Wolfe became the second player to take down the Triple Crown of Poker award. We're not talking about the second player at the 2009 WSOP. We're talking the second player in the history of people wearing crowns.

You're given the Triple Crown after you win the WSOP, EPT, and WPT. Another feather in de Wolfe's cap is the fact that he did it by winning his first WSOP bracelet. Nice goin', Roland!





















Hmmm... he's not actually looking at the camera, is he?


And ending the WSOP news on a high note... Phil Ivey

Phil has already locked down two bracelets for the 2009 WSOP, including his seventh overall.

























That has a few people wondering if he's going to catch Hellmuth one of these days.

Rumor has it that Phil gets bored at the tournaments pretty quickly. To liven things up, he's been making bets with the other players regarding how many bracelets he can take home.

















Oh, we'd say he has a few more left in him. Go get 'em, Ivey.


The Slowest Poker Tournament In The World

After 786 hands, it looks like Tom Dwan has fought his way back to breaking even.


























Frankly, as poker tournaments go, this is like watching paint dry. But, we're here to report the news, not make it.


Another week, another wrap. To recap...

1. The Department Of Justice is playing dirty with online poker players.
2. Johnny Chan needs to lay of the "water."
3. Archie Karas misses his shot at a WSOP bracelet.
4. Roland de Wolfe makes history with his Triple Crown.
5. Phil Ivey cannot stop betting.
6. Tom Dwan is embroiled in the most boring poker tournament on the circuit.

As always, bringing you the poker news that's fit to print.

See you next week...

Full Tilt Poker And PokerStars Bouncing Checks?!

Say it ain't so!

A couple of weeks ago, folks began noticing their Full Tilt Poker and PokerStars checks were bouncing. Making matters worse, Instant eChecks (the company that processes deposits and withdrawals for a ton of poker players) was down.

The rumors are flyin' and FullTilt.com and PokerStars haven't released any official comments yet. We're certain they'll get the mess sorted out soon. Most folks seem to be blaming the US Attorney General’s office. But, if you're a conspiracy nut, blame it on this guy...

























For the record, Hellmuth's probably not involved. We just enjoy pinning stuff on him.

Okay, let's get this party started with some WSOP updates...


Phil Ivey Scores A Sixth Bracelet

We're a little behind in getting this news to you.

Our man Phil Ivey sat down at a $2,500 NL Deuce-to-Seven game at the WSOP. Even though he went to the final table a few chips short, he managed to claw his way to a sixth bracelet.


























We're not sure what's going on with the cat, but our hats are off to Phil. Good show. Slightly creepy picture, but good show.


Lisandro Lights Up The Tables

Jeffrey "The Iceman" Lisandro took the $1,500 Seven Card Stud event yesterday, claiming his second WSOP bracelet in the process. For those of you with short memories, Lisandro took the same event back in 2007. The year before, he went deep in the Main Event (17th), but had a minor "disagreement" with Prahlad Friedman along the way.

Quick note to Friedman: this is not the man you want to mess with...

























Seriously, we'd actually be afraid to win against him.

In any case, congrats to Lisandro. We're looking forward to seeing him at WSOP 2010.


Negreanu Misses His Fifth Bracelet

We we're definitely pulling for Daniel and wanted to see him win his fifth WSOP bracelet. Alas, the cards were not kind. He was doing pretty well for awhile in a $2,500 Limit Hold'em heads up with Brock "t_soprano" Parker. In the end, Parker got the best of him.

Of course, KidPoker's always a good sport.

























Even though he barely missed his bracelet, Negreanu's been collecting a few dollars at the tournament. Four events, four cashes. It may not be "Tom Dwan" money, but $200,000+ can buy a few beers.


durrrr Sprints Back In May

Despite having a phenomenal 2008, Tom "durrrr" Dwan dug himself into a pretty deep hole this year (pink ostrich hat notwithstanding).

























He was literally down millions of dollars. (cough, cough)

Lo and behold, May turned out to be his month. Dwan swiped just over $2 million in profit and started June down less than $650,000.















Nice going, Tom. You're too young to go broke (but definitely lose the hat).


Another week, another wrap. To recap...

1. Something fishy is going on with Full Tilt and PokerStars (and we're not ruling Hellmuth out).
2. Jeffrey Lisandro could work as a capo for the Gambini family. Just kidding, Jeff (don't hurt us).
3. Daniel Negreanu just missed his fifth WSOP bracelet, but he ain't starvin'.
4. Tom Dwan is climbing his way back into the red.

As always, bringing you the poker news that's fit to print.

See you next week...

The KickAssPoker 2009 WSOP Edition

It's time to take a brief sabbatical from the usual shenanigans erupting throughout the poker world. The 2009 World Series of Poker has officially launched. It seems like the entire poker community has dropped what they're doing to watch or participate.

No emotional outbursts from Phil Hellmuth.

No boxing matches between Hansen and Jorgensen.

We can't even find a good reason to post a shot of Vanessa Rousso in a bikini.

So, let's shift attention over to the WSOP. Here's a recap of what's been happening in the tournament...


Jack Binion Gets His Due

For those of you who don't know Jack Binion, he's the guy that gave us the WSOP in the first place.


















40 years ago, Binion created the WSOP. Today, it's arguably the juggernaut of professional poker tournaments. As WSOP President, Jeffrey Pollack said yesterday before Binion kicked off Event #4, "Jack, on behalf of everyone here, thank you. Thank you for the World Series of Poker... You wrote the song, Jack. We merely cover it."

Nicely said. Our hats are off.


Lunkin Who?!

One of the big surprises so far is the upset by Vitaly Lunkin during Event #2, a $40K NL holdem tourney. He vaulted past Tom Dwan, Phil Gaffond, Phil Ivey, and Doyle Brunson himself to clinch a $1,800,000 purse. Surely, Lunkin is wondering how he'll spend the cash...

















If you haven't been keeping count, this is the second WSOP bracelet that Lunkin has won. He took one down in 2008.


Daniel Negreanu Goes For A Fifth

Negreanu has been a contender since becoming the world's youngest bracelet winner in WSOP history back in 1998. He's been pushing for a fifth bracelet and hopes this year's tournament does the trick.




















Is it us or does Daniel never take good pictures? Let's try again...

























Nope. It's not us. Daniel's great on the tables, but he's not very photogenic. Still, it's hard not to like the guy, so we're hoping he locks in his fifth bracelet.


It Ain't No Thang

In the "Names That Are Fun To Say" column, Thang Luu sprinted ahead of the pack a few days ago to win a $1,500 Omaha Hi/Lo bracelet.

























It's not a fluke. Luu took that event in 2008 and barely missed winning it in 2007. You might say, it's his Thang.

His total tournament winnings haven't hit the $1,000,000 marker, yet. But, we're keeping an eye on him and think you should, too.


Online Tournaments Still Going Strong

And just in case you think that the WSOP has siphoned all of the action from the online tourneys, Bluff Magazine reports different.

























Even though PokerStars (read our PokerStars review) didn't hit their Sunday Million $1,500,000 guarantee a week ago, they came cranking back this past Sunday. Over 8,700 people entered their Sunday Million, which shot the pool to over $1.7 million.

Obviously, there's still a lot of action online if you're not in Las Vegas for the WSOP.

Another week, another wrap. To recap...

1. The 2009 WSOP has taken the stage (and the spotlight).
2. Vitaly Lunkin left a few poker stars scratching their heads.
3. Daniel Negreanu should never, ever shave his head again. Seriously, did you SEE that picture up there?
4. Thang Luu has a name that's impossible to say without smiling.
5. Bluff Magazine has some very nice covers.

As always, bringing you the poker news that's fit to print.

See you next week...

Annie Duke Attacks Joan Rivers For Charity

When Duke and Rivers squared off on the last season of Celebrity Apprentice, the two butted heads. Rivers had a few "not so nice" things to say about the good-natured Duke, including a subtle comparison between her and Hitler (yes, that Hitler).


























But, wait... there's more. Good 'ole Joan went further in saying that any money that poker players donated to charity was "blood money."

The poker world gasped and the Sucking Out On The Rivers charity poker tournament was created. The proceeds from the event will go to Refugees International, a group that helps folks who have been displaced throughout the world.

Gosh Joan, that doesn't sound like something a Nazi would do (we don't know any).

To kick off the charity event and poke a little fun, Duke is inviting over 20 Rivers impersonators. If you're in Las Vegas tomorrow (Wednesday, May 27th), drop by the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino to enjoy the fun. It starts at 6:00 p.m.

Way to go Annie!


The 2009 WSOP Is Starting Tomorrow!
















Duke's charity tournament isn't the only event kicking off tomorrow. The 2009 WSOP launches! Technically, it begins on May 28th with a $40k No Limit Holdem tournament. But, there's an opening tourney for casino employees on Wednesday.

This long-anticipated affair is bound to keep a lot of us on the edges of our seats. We're looking forward to seeing a few surprises and bad beats.

If you're going to be in town, take a quick look at this list of the local Las Vegas restaurants to guide your taste buds.


durrrr Vs. Ziigmund: The Battle Heats Up

We like the $2/$4 tables. When we're really feeling aggressive, we'll hit the $10/$20 games. Well, that's not nearly spicy enough for Tom Dwan and Ilari Sahamies. They recently went for each others jugulars at $3,000/$9,000 Pot Limit Omaha.

At first, Sahamies didn't want to play (chicken). But, at Dwan's behest, he jumped on the table for an hour and came out ahead. Is it us or does Ziigmund always look as if he wants to sucker punch someone?




















In other "durrrr" news, the young poker phenom cleared over $500,000 on High Stakes Poker during one hand.

That's a drop in the bucket compared to what we're used to, but good for Dwan.
















With half a million burning a hole in his pocket, surely he can afford a mild tan (boy, he's white).

Another week, another wrap. To recap...

1. Annie Duke gets the last laugh on Joan Rivers. Actually, everyone at the event will have the last laugh after seeing the impersonators.
2. The first official event of the 2009 WSOP is kicking off Thursday.
3. Ziigmund and durrrr have more guts than most of us. (And durrrr is a lot whiter.)

As always, bringing you the poker news that's fit to print.

See you next time...

Ziigmund Demolishes durrrr In 2-Day Upset

Tom Dwan has been having trouble keeping his head above water lately. He was riding high into 2009 after crushing the competition during 2008. This year has been a different story.

For awhile, it seemed as if he were racing to purge as much cash as possible on the Full Tilt tables (see our Full Tilt review). He busted out of the gate at the beginning of 2009 and spent no time hemorrhaging nearly $4 million.

As of the first part of this month, Dwan had miraculously managed to recoup a major chunk of his losses. That was until Ilari "Ziigmund" Sahamies got ahold of him. In a heads-up $500/$1000 PLO match, Ziigmund dismantled durrrr and swiped at least $1.5 million from him.























Dwan is no stranger to major moves of cash across the table. But, the cash usually moves toward him, no away from him.


Paris Hilton: Cars And Poker Don't Mix

Good thing Paris Hilton has a few bucks in her bank account. With her taste in Bentleys matched only by her inability to hold onto them for long, she'll need the cash.

























Or, a little charity from PartyPoker (read our PartyPoker review).

The poker site offered her a deal back in 2006 when Hilton lost her Bentley in a poker game: Beat company spokesman Mike Sexton in a NL Hold'em heads-up match and PartyPoker will buy her a new one.

























She passed on the deal at the time. Apparently, she had things to do, people to meet, and hard-to-see home videos to make.

But Hilton's current Bentley was recently egged while she played in a private game. So, PartyPoker took the opportunity to remind her that their offer was still on the table.

Frankly, seeing as how she's mostly famous for being famous, it couldn't hurt her image.


Phil Hellmuth Immortalized... Sort Of

What can we say about Phil Hellmuth that he hasn't said himself? He's obviously a fantastic poker player with a "small" dose of chutzpah and personality.

















A brand new book called "Deal Me In" is in production to celebrate the 20th anniversary of his victory at the 1989 WSOP. The book will let Hellmuth and 19 other poker stars (including Annie Duke) describe their rise on the circuit.

It will be sold at PokerBrat.com, which is an oddly fitting domain name given its star.

Another week, another wrap. To recap...

1. Tom Dwan continues to ride the poker roller coaster. At this point, it's impossible to tell whether he'll end the year as a star or casualty, but it'll be fun to watch either way.
2. PartyPoker throws Paris Hilton a bone.
3. Phil Hellmuth rides high with a new book that features his sparkling personality.

As always, bringing you the poker news that's fit to print.

See you next week...

Daniel Negreanu's Big Swing

Say what you want about Daniel Negreanu - and many people have - the guy has an enormous heart. On June 25th, he's holding a charity golf event for the Lili Claire Foundation.





















The event will blend Negreanu's passion for golf and poker, and bring together 30 teams. A celebrity poker pro will be assigned to each foursome though it's unknown which pros will be participating. Also, it's worth noting that the poker pros will be assigned by live drawing. So, you might hope to be paired with...
























... only to discover you're paired with...















We're just sayin'.

Anyway, each foursome will pony up $3,000 to participate and the proceeds will go to a fantastic cause. You can find out more info by visiting http://www.bigswing.org/.


The durrrr Chronicles

It's time for a quick check on our friend Tom "durrrr" Dwan. You might remember that he's been having a little trouble on the tables lately. And by "little trouble," we mean he had thrown it into fifth gear and was giving money away faster than the federal government.

Well, the roller coaster ride continues. He took on a trio of superstars (Gus Hansen, Sami "LarsLuzak" Kelopuro, and Ilari "Ziigmund" Sahamies) and brought in over $1.5 million. Then, he proceeded to lose a cool $1 million to Ziigmund before pinching Phil Ivey for $300,000. Interestingly, Ivey doesn't look too bothered by the loss...


















As for the infamous durrrr Challenge, it continues to crawl along at a snail's pace. Seriously guys if you need a break I can suggest blowing a few grand playing roulette online, you never know you might hit it big.


The River(s) Busts The Duke

We've been avoiding The Apprentice for awhile even with Annie Duke going deep into the show's competition. Frankly, Trump's hair scares the crap out of us (as oddly mesmerizing at it is).

























But, the season finale recently aired with Annie Duke and Joan Rivers battling for the top prize, so we felt obliged to mention it. Rivers won. Now, we want to be happy for Rivers. After all, she's been around forever (seriously... forever).















Then, she called poker players "trash" and called Duke a Nazi. Now, c'mon. That's uncalled for and seems far lower than the high standards of etiquette for which Rivers is known.

As for Duke, we would have loved to see her beat Rivers (in more ways than one), but we're proud of her all the same, and here is a comparison of Annie Duke vs Hitler.

























Another week, another wrap. To recap...

1. Negreanu has a heart and will be showing it off June 25th.
2. Tom "durrrr" Dwan continues to battle his way up from the poker poorhouse.
3. Annie Duke proves she can go head-to-head with a mouthy rant-prone Joan Rivers.

As always, bringing you the poker news that's fit to print.

See you next week...

Clonie Gowen Lawsuit Dismissed!

This just in...

The case between Clonie Gowen and Full Tilt Poker has been officially dismissed. If you're just joining the poker world (where have you been?!), let's get you up to speed.

Former Full Tilt player and sexy promoter Gowen said she was promised 1% of the company a few years back. That little slice of the pie was estimated at $40 million.





















Of course, the promise wasn't written down. Because, y'know... getting it in writing would be silly, right? Full Tilt predictably said, "Clonie who?" and they were off to the races.

We imagine a few phone calls, screaming matches, and insults about the respective parties' mothers ensued. Finally, a lawsuit was filed by Gowen against Full Tilt Poker, its sister companies, a bunch of people including Phil Ivey (hey, leave our guy alone!). Full Tilt filed a motion to dismiss it.

And that brings us to today. The case has been dismissed, but it's still alive in a smaller form. Gowen's still going after Tiltware and a couple of the principles, including poker pro Howard Lederer.


The EPT Grabs The Spotlight

The European Poker Tour has taken center stage, knocking the WPT off the 2nd place block to line up behind the juggernaut WSOP. We're mentioning this for two reasons. First, it's our job to keep you informed about the poker circuit. Second, it's another opportunity to mention lovely Vanessa Rousso...

























Whoa. Uhhh... where were we? Oh yeah...

Rousso nudged out Randy Dorfman (who is not nearly as lovely) this past weekend to become the EPT High Roller Champion. She walked away with the €720,000 top prize for that event.

Our congrats to Rousso.


Hansen Continues His Surge

Last week, we mentioned that Gus Hansen is a hard guy to track on the tables. The way he wins and loses truckloads of money, his bank must think he launders cash through his account.





















True to form, he turned in a $3 million bump for the last week in April. You can see some of the hand details here. We'll say one thing for the guy... he ain't boring.

Another week, another wrap. To recap...

1. Clonie Gowen must be bummed these days. Of course, the Full Tilt folks must be pretty jazzed.
2. When Vanessa Rousso isn't curing poverty, she's kicking ass at the EPT (and making it look easy).
3. Gus Hansen continues to show us that he has a pair (figuratively speaking, thank goodness).

As always, bringing you the poker news that's fit to print.

See you next week...

Is Gus Hansen Up Or Down?

Gus Hansen, one of the high-fliers of the poker circuit, is a hard one to track. In the course of a few months, the guy makes and loses more money than the GDP of small countries.






















As of April 20th, he was down $3.3 million for the month. However, 8 days have passed since then, so it's anybody's guess where he's standing now. For example, in just 24 hours on April 24th, Hansen banked $1.1 million.

Is it any wonder why fans love to watch this guy?


Poker Personality Roundup

Hansen isn't the only player making news. A few other notables have been rising (or falling) in the ranks. First up... Patrik Antonius.

He's been cranking on the tables all year with a $4.5 million profit through yesterday (625). In April so far, he's up $1.5 million which means he's leading the pack. Our man Phil Ivey, along with Ilari "Ziigmund" Sahamies and Di "Urindanger" Dang, are also up past the 7-figure mark in April.

Spiraling the drain, Phil "OMGClayAiken" Galfond has hemorrhaged $1.3 million, Gus Hansen has leaked $1.5 million, and Sami "LarsLuzak" Kelopuro is down just under a $1 million.

Wrong way guys.

On a brighter note...


Yevgeniy Timoshenko Wins The 2009 World Poker Tour

Despite having an unpronounceable first name, Ukranian poker star Yevgeniy Timoshenko walked away with the 2009 WPT title recently. He also walked away with $2.1 million in prize money. Not bad for a few days' work.

















In case you're thinking Ukranians look young for their age, he's 21. That's right... barely old enough to drink (here in the U.S., anyway). Though he's plenty old enough to kick ass at the WPT.

He had this to say after the event: "I wasn’t expecting to win. I hoped to win, but in tournaments you can’t expect anything. Especially at a final table as rough as this one. I just hoped to play my best and come out ahead and luckily that’s what happened."

Apparently, he's been trained at the Bull Durham School Of Interviewing.

Good for him. Way to go Timoshenko!

Another week, another wrap. To recap...

1. Gus Hansen continues to be one of the most exciting poker players on the circuit (and it's not for Hansen's crack boxing skills).
   
2. The ranks of poker winners and losers have been shifting in April.
3. The poker circuit has a new contender to watch: Yevgeniy Timoshenko. Young, rich, and and media savvy.

As always, bringing you the poker news that's fit to print.

See you next week...

Is Bodog.com Back?

Here's some poker news that's hot off the presses...

The domain Bodog.com may once again be in the hands of the Morris Mohawk Gaming Group. If you've been around the online poker circuit for awhile, you might remember that Bodog, marketed in the U.S. by Morris Mohawk, lost a bunch of property domain names in 2007. It was due to a patent infringement case filed by 1st Technology, LLC.

Apparently, everyone made nice and ownership of the bodog.com domain (and all of the other bodog.com domains like bodogfight.com and bodoggirls.com, have transferred back to Mohawk.

Alwyn Morris of Morris Mohawk had this to say...

"We are pleased to have worked constructively with 1st Technology and its principals to bring an end to this protracted dispute."






















Which we take to mean...

"We hope 1st Technology quietly implodes."

Meanwhile, Calvin Ayre, reclusive billionaire founder of Bodog, had this to say...

"..."

Actually, Ayre is living on some Caribbean island nation sipping drinks with little umbrellas in them. Chances are, with a cool billion dollars in the bank, he couldn't care less about the "small stuff."


























WPT To Poker Community: "Anyone Out There?"





















The WPT Championship launched this past Saturday and one question is on everyone's mind...

"Where the hell is everybody?!"

On the first day, only 126 people showed up. That's down from last year (and not by a little). A few more folks have trickled in since. The field grew to 338 players, down 38% from last year.

If you'd like to follow to event, CardPlayer.com is keeping a good daily rundown.


When Will The Online Gambling Ban Be Lifted?

A couple weeks ago, we mentioned that our pal and yours, Barney Frank, was trying to pull some legislative strings by April 20th to remove the online gambling ban.


















Well, here we are on April 21st and the ban is still here. According to some industry insiders, there's little reason to think the ban will be eliminated in the near future. Apparently, Congress has other things on its plate (the economy, health care, a couple of wars, etc.).

Frankly, we think their priorities are slightly out of whack. C'mon, Barney! Get it together.

Another week, another wrap. To recap...

1. Bodog gets its groove back with Bodog.com (while Calvin Ayre gets his groove on in the Caribbean).
2. The WPT Championship flickers to life... barely.
3. Legalized poker betting may have to wait a little longer.

As always, bringing you the poker news that's fit to print.

See you next week...

The Clonie Gowen / Full Tilt Battle Continues

According to Poker King, a few tongues have been wagging about Clonie Gowen's case against Full Tilt Poker being thrown out.

That hasn't happened... yet. A judge will listen to FullTilt's motion to dismiss on the 27th of this month.

Astute readers might remember that Gowen claims she was offered 1% of the company. She accepted because... y'know, she'd be crazy not to. With some folks speculating that FullTilt's value is around $4 billion, her 1% stake would be worth a cool $40 million. She's looking to collect.

By the way, we're not saying Clonie ain't crazy...





















But, if FullTilt offered us $40 million, we'd take it, too.


j.thaddeus SCOOPs The Big Game

PokerStars recently held their Spring Championship of Online Poker (SCOOP) tournament series. Buy-ins ranged from $5.50 up to $25,500 across 3 categories (low, middle, and high stakes). Over 500 players bought into the Main Event to take a shot at the guaranteed $5 million prize pool.

When the smoke had cleared, Jude "j.thaddeus" Ainsworth was the last man standing, clearing $963,338.

53 other players were also in the money, including Niklas "ragen70" Heinecker who took home a paltry $715,350 consolation prize. Yes, we feel very badly for him.

























durrrr Challenge Update

Last item on the agenda: the durrrr Challenge.

This challenge has really been creeping along. To review, Tom "durrrr" Dwan and Patrik Antonius have been squaring off for the past few weeks. The goal is to play 50,000 hands. At the end, if Antonius is up at least $1, Dwan will pony up $1 million. If Dwan's up $1, Antonius has to give him $500,000.














As of today, they've played 12,114 hands and Antonius is up $84,544.

This kind of thing doesn't bother Dwan. He's used to big ups and downs on the tables. In fact, he dropped $4 million during the first two months of the year only to come back $3.5 million since the beginning of March.

Sheesh. Kids today.

Another week, another wrap. To recap...

1. Clonie Gowen hasn't given up her case against Full Tilt ("possibly crazy" and "lots 'o gusto" go together).
2. j.thaddeus wins the big prize at the PokerStars SCOOP tournament.
3. The durrrr Challenge is putting much of the online poker world to sleep.

As always, bringing you the poker news that's fit to print.

See you next week...

PartyGaming Gives The Feds $105 Million

Some of you may remember a little poker room called PartyPoker a few years back. I'm sure you remember the PartyPoker.net TV Commercials they used to play on TV They used to accept players from the U.S. and basically controlled the majority of the online poker market.











Then, right before the government passed the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA), they bailed. They gathered their stack of chips and left for more hospitable ports.

Of course, the Feds weren't quite done with them and threatened legal action for some shenanigans they were allegedly involved in. We won't bore you with the details, but suffice to say, PartyGaming CEO Jim Ryan just agreed to pay the U.S. government $105 million.

It probably didn't help his case when co-founder Anurag Dikshit (seriously, that's his name) admitted stepping all over the Wire Act of 1961. For the past couple of years, the poker industry has been waiting to see how the case would turn out.

Well, now we know. (Nice going, Dikshit.)












Apparently, PartyGaming shareholders were excited by the news. They pushed the stock up 13% on the London Stock Exchange.

On a semi-related note...


Barney Frank Wants Your Poker Chips

Barney Frank has always liked the idea of online gambling in the U.S. We like to think that he's been skulking around the low stake tables on Full Tilt as "MaryJaneXXX" or something similar. In any case, he's promised to deliver legislation by April 20th that will remove the U.S. online gambling ban.

We'll believe it when we see it.
















"Seriously guys. My stack was like... this high. No, I'm serious."


Rousso Playing Poker For Poverty

Last year, Vanessa Rousso wanted to feel useful. "Being a poker player can sometimes feel like a selfish way to make a living," she said. So, Rousso created the No Limit No Profit Initiative (that doesn't actually roll of the the tongue, does it?).

Her mission? Cure worldwide poverty.


















Actually, she just wants to make a little dent in it. And she's hoping to convince others to pony up some cash through charity tournaments.

If you're interested in learning more about it, visit NoLimitNoProfit.org. This is what could be waiting for you...
















Just kidding, of course. Way to go Rousso!

Another week, another wrap. To recap...

1. PartyGaming and their shareholder let out a major sigh of relief as they finally negotiated an agreement with the U.S. Feds.
2. Barney Frank (who may be "MaryJaneXXX" on Full Tilt) wants to lift the ban on internet gambling. Go Barney!
3. Rousso wants to fight poverty. She also looks great in red.

As always, bringing you the poker news that's fit to print.

See you next week...

Smart Poker Player Or "Scum Of The Earth?"

Is Mark Vos a smart player or merely "scum of the earth," as Jonas "Nebuchad" Danielsson so eloquently put it recently?

Actually, the quote was "...when I look up 'Scum of the Earth' in my book I find rats, cockroaches, parasites, Mark Vos, in that order."
















And just to make sure that nobody misunderstands how he feels about Vos, Danielsson adds that he's not sure how Vos can live with himself.

Where does all of this blustery ire come from? Vos likes to short stack it. A lot of folks, including Danielsson apparently, don't like the strategy and think that players who use it are... well... scum. In reality, some of the biggest poker players (for example, Chris Ferguson) used it to get their start. Either that or they make sure they use a FullTilt Bonus Code before making a deposit.

We actually think it's a smart strategy if you know what you're doing.


A Rising Star In The Poker World

We may be hearing more about Shaun Deeb in the near future. He's not very active on the live tables, but he's been burning it up online at Full Tilt and PokerStars. At 23, he's already played in 10,000 tournaments and raked in over $2,000,000.

























So far in 2009, he's up over a quarter million.

While Tom "durrrr" Dwan drops that much in one $500/$1,000 hand, we have a feeling Deeb's going to making a bigger mark soon.

And speaking of "durrrr"...


durrrr Challenge Update

The Challenge picked up steam over this past weekend as Patrik Antonius and Tom Dwan battled it out over several hundred hands. This past Friday, Antonius had managed to capture a $100,000+ lead over Dwan. Unfortunately, he had to bail out early due to a bad internet connection. We suspect he just wanted to enjoy his lead a little longer.

























Sure enough, by yesterday, that $100,000 lead had evaporated. By the way, we're not sure who the old guy is in the right corner, but he's creeping us out, too.

As it stands, nearly 6,600 hands have been played. Dwan is up $1,392.




















They have about 43,000 hands left before Phase 1 is over. Remember, the player who comes out on top after the rake (even by $1) wins. For Dwan, that means collecting $500,000 from Antonius. Otherwise, Antonius takes a cool $1 million from Dwan.

We know... chump change.

Another week, another wrap. To recap...

• Jonas "Nebuchad" Danielsson thinks Mark Vos is right up there with cockroaches and rats on the food chain.
• Shaun Deeb is starting to turn a few heads on the online tournament circuit.
• Patrik Antonius was $100,000 richer... for one night.

As always, bringing you the poker news that's fit to print.

See you next time...

Is The "durrrr" Challenge Losing Steam?

A few of you have probably been wondering the same thing we have about the "durrrr" Challenge. Namely, why does it seem to be moving at a snail's pace, especially given the amount of press attention it received?

To give you an idea of where the challenge stands, 3 pros accepted the offer: Patrik Antonius, Phil Ivey, and David Benyamine. Antonius is the first one up the bat and each match goes at least 50,000 hands.


















As of yesterday, just over 5,000 hands have been played. And we're still on Phase 1: durrrr vs. Antonius. Geez, at this pace, it'll be 2014 before the challenge is over.

Some folks are speculating that poor 'ole Tom "durrrr" Dwan is trying to recoup some of his 2009 losses by hitting the $500/$1,000 tables. That might be true. Especially since Antonius pinned Dwan for another $87,000 yesterday (Monday).


















With the 2009 WSOP coming around the corner (it starts May 27th), time is going to get even more limited for these guys. We'll be lucky if they finish Phase 1 this year.


Phil Hellmuth Talks Trash

Ah, Phil Hellmuth, one of the gentlemen of poker. An ambassador of tact and poise. True believer in the "never let 'em see you sweat" ideology.

















Of course, everyone has moments of lapse and our good man Hellmuth is no exception.

He was recently playing Limit Hold'em against Matt "Hoss_TBF" Hawrilenko over at UltimateBet. Things weren't going well for Phil. A few bad beats down the road and his normal genteel sophistication gave way to a rolling rant. Here's an excerpt:

PHILHELLMUTH: u morons cannot even play LH right, how U gonna beat

PHILHELLMUTH: raise and bet every street

PHILHELLMUTH: what a joke

PHILHELLMUTH: this ***cin moron turn firing OP [over playing] MF

PHILHELLMUTH: OP everyhandPHILHELLMUTH: brutal

PHILHELLMUTH: I never hit vs the moron

PHILHELLMUTH: fuyck

PHILHELLMUTH: RWGHwwshnjEDTYuj

PHILHELLMUTH: 35WR

Hawrilenko tries to calm and console Phil with sage advice...

HOSS_TBF: there is a program called mavis beacon teaches typing which

HOSS_TBF: i found very useful and you may as well

You can enjoy a nice transcript of the courtly exchange between Hellmuth and Hawrilenko at Hawrilenko's blog.

In the aftermath of the emotional trainwreck, Phil had this to say...

"Why should I have any negativity in my life at all?" Hellmuth wrote. "I am already super super positive, but why not kick it up another notch? The 'New Phil' will try his hardest to never berate another player again. It hurts them, and it hurts me when I get that emotional."















Hmmm... be wary of anybody who refers to themselves in the third person.

We're just sayin'.

Another week, another wrap. To recap...

1. We may never see the end of the "durrrr" challenge.
2. Phil Hellmuth could probably use some anger management classes. Of course, trainwrecks are far more entertaining.

That's us bringing you the poker news that's fit to print (or upload).

See you next week...

Pounding The Juice And Taking Flack

When he didn't turn up at the 2009 National Heads-up Poker Championships, people started wondering Layne Flack was. He was scheduled for a first-round match against Vanessa Selbst.

Most folks figured hard-partying Flack simply had one too many drinks the previous night.



















Good guess.

Las Vegas PD had "invited" Flack to enjoy a free night's accommodations at their local "hotel." Apparently, he was speeding and failing to move out of the way of an emergency vehicle. Oh, and they booked him for a DUI, too.














Of course, they may have been miffed when Flack refused to submit to a breathalyzer test. But, we're just taking a wild guess.

In any case, he's denying the drunk driving charge. To Flack's credit, the LVPD later took a test of his blood alcohol level and came up with bumpkus (according to Flack).


Clash Of The Titans

Tom Dwan and Ilari "Ziigmund" Sahamies faced off last week for a slew of $500/$1000 Pot Limit Omaha hands. Things started relatively slow but quickly heated up. At one point, Dwan poached a $430,000 pot with a full house. Sahamies turned around and swept a $351,000 pot with a straight on the turn.












Then, Dwan pulled a boat at the river to Sahamies's straight and stole the biggest pot of 2009: $594,000.

Hell. What's a few hundred thousand dollars per pot? Pikers.


Clash Of The Titans Part II

Dwan, apparently bored stiff from the low pots he was pulling with Sahamies, went up against our man, Phil Ivey.

















They began battling it out across 4 high-stakes tables ($500/$1000 Pot Limit Omaha and HA). When the dust cleared, Ivey had "durrrr" by the throat (figuratively speaking), sending Dwan further into the red.

We're not clear on how much money Dwan has lost this year. But, we're pretty sure the picture isn't pretty.














That's another wrap. To recap...

1. Layne Flack may have slept one off (allegedly) in a cozy Las Vegas jail cell.
2. Tom Dwan and Ilari Sahamies must be playing poker with ice in their veins.
3. Dwan has been hemorrhaging so much cash in 2009, he may need a transfusion soon.

See you next week...

Poker Survivor Or One Hand From Homeless?

"It's amazing how much joy my misfortunes seem to bring folks."














So says Jean-Robert Bellande, one-time contestant on reality show, Survivor. Those of you following the poker beat also know Bellande as the player who can't seem to manage his bankroll. The guy's broke more often than not.
























On the Survivor set or at home? You decide.

However, he is planning a return to the reality show circuit with "Broke and Living Like a Millionaire." As you might suspect, that has a few tongues wagging and not all of it is praise.


Dang!

Hac Dang, otherwise known as "trex313" at Full Tilt Poker (read our Full Tilt Poker review) has been heating up the tables so far this year. During the first two months, he has amassed over $2.6 million in winnings.

















That puts Dang ahead of some high-profile players like boxer/player Gus Hansen and WAY ahead of another high flyer (yes, we're talking about you Tom Dwan).

And speaking of Tom "durrrr" Dwan...


February 2009: Who's Up And Who's Down?

You might remember that Dwan hemmoraged over $3 million on the poker tables in January. Fortunately, he made a comeback during the first two weeks in February, bringing in about $2 million. The last two weeks of last month were not as kind to Dwan. He gave up most of his February profit and ended the month up approximately $300,000.

For those of you without calculators, that means he's still down around $3 million.


















As they say, misery loves company. So, it might console Dwan to know that a few other notable poker players joined the losing ranks last month.

Our man, Phil Ivey, was down nearly $1 million in February and Patrik Antonius lost over half a million. Seriously guys, take some of that cash and our Rushmore Casino Bonus Code and try some online craps, it's awesome.















Meanwhile, February saw Sami "LarsLuzak" Kelopuro sprint ahead of the pack with a $1.5 million take last month. And __FullFlush1__ (who?!) surprised everyone by collecting over $800,000 in winnings.

Money flows quickly in poker. And we're here to follow the trail.

That's another wrap. To recap...

1. Jean-Robert Bellande can't get any respect.
2. Hac Dang had a big month (not to mention having a name that's fun to yell).
3. Dwan, Ivey, and Antonius have a lot of ground to make up for the year.

See you next week...

Theo Jorgensen: "Let's Get Ready To Rumble!"

We promised to keep you informed about the title fight between Theo Jorgensen and Gus Hansen. And by "title," we mean "Best Fighter Between 2 Guys Who Should Wear Shirts."
















Despite Hansen's smack-talk and bravado, Jorgensen showed him who was boss.












The word on the poker circuit was that both "fighters" were immersed in training under the expert tutelage of professional boxing coaches. They climbed into the ring, squared off into their respective corners, and came out swinging.

... sort of.

What actually happened was a boxing match that looked like two dogs fighting over a piece of meat.

... if the dogs were poker players who had never lifted a weight in their lives.

... and the piece of meat was their collective dignity.

In the end, the judges gave the bout to Jorgensen, who won $35,000. But, if you ask us, all of us lost a little something during that bout.

And Speaking Of Hansen...

As if losing a well-publicized boxing match to this guy weren't enough...

























New reports out of highstakesdb.com suggest that Hansen may be one of the biggest high-stakes fish online. Even Phil "OMGClayAiken" Galfond, who has been known to drop a few dollars in the poker rooms claims poor Gus is like chum to the high-stakes sharks.




















That's not very charitable in our opinion, especially since Gus's pride just took a beating in the ring (see above). To his credit, Hansen basically said highstakesdb.com is wrong. He's doing fine. Of course, the extra $25,000 that he would have won by knocking Jorgensen's block off would have come in handy.

But, he ain't starvin'.

Money For Nothing

A quick update on the durrrr challenge...

The money has been moving back and forth between Patrik Antonius and Tom "durrrr" Dwan. Tom was up over $100,000. Then, Patrik came back with a huge win (nearly $200,000). As of yesterday, Tom had taken Patrik for a $200,000 run.
















And we're a long way from over!

That's a wrap for this week. To recap...

1. Jorgensen and Hansen prove that they'll do anything for the spotlight (and we do mean anything).
2. Hansen's pockets have developed a leak (according to highstakesdb.com).
3. Antonius and Dwan have never heard of the word "recession."

See you next week...

PokerStars Celebrates 25 Billion Served

Poker Stars.com has been having an outrageously good streak lately. They've vaulted from the pack this year and dealt their 25 billionth hand (yes, with a "b") yesterday. It was quite an event and took place at a $1/$2 Limit Omaha Hi-Lo table.

Unfortunately, there was a bit of chaos due to a knucklehead named "Confedrate." He came into room, opted out of the big blind, and wasn't dealt in. There was a ton of money on the line, so "Confedrate" threw up a flag and protested.

His luck wasn't any better than his attention span and he'll forever be remembered as this guy...



















Speaking of PokerStars, they're having a great year so far, you may have noticed how busy they've gotten lately. It's probably due to the run-up to their 25 billionth hand. According to reports, they logged 46,800 simultaneous real cash games last Thursday. Whew!

Let's move on to a few poker items with a personal flair.

Gus Hansen Ain't No Fighter

As you know, Gus Hansen and Theo Jorgensen are slated to slug it out to settle some personal differences. There's some bad blood between the two of them due to Hansen's shadowboxing moves and some troubles on the squash court.

If you remember from a couple of weeks ago, Hansen was sure he was a better fighter than Jorgensen. In fact, he was so confident that he refused a straight bet.

Apparently, the odds makers don't agree. They've pegged Hansen as the 40-60 underdog which must make him feel like this...


















We're looking for Hansen to take the gloves off. Because, seriously, look at this guy...



















The fight is happening on February 21st (this Saturday).

Luzak Is Doing Better Than Musak

Just a quick note here. Sami "LarsLuzak" Kelopuro has sprinted from the pack with a $2 million haul over a 3-day period.



















Not a bad take, especially since he coughed up $2 million during the first 6 weeks of 2009. That about makes him even so far.

That's another wrap. To recap...

1. PokerStars has a new village idiot (that'd be "Confedrate").
2. Hansen may be better at shadowboxing than real boxing.
3. Kelopuro has good reason to be thanking his lucky stars.

Tune in next week...

Phil Ivey Circles The Drain

It's been a sad, depressing trek for our man Phil Ivey. After clearing over $7 million last year while playing at Full Tilt Poker, he's been hemorrhaging cash faster than MC Hammer. So far, Ivey is down $2 million in 2009. Tell us, can you see the gloom on his face? Hey Phil, I have a list of great online casino coupon codes for you if you're looking to try your luck at an online casino! Bodog's offering a 10% instant deposit up to a grand. :)















It's almost as if he looked over at Tom Dwan and said to himself, "Ha! I'll bet I can even beat him at losing!"

Fortunately, the news is not all bad for Ivey. You might remember that he put a massive pile of money on the Super Bowl. It turns out that he put 2 huge bets on the Cardinals. The first bet was a +3.5 spread at the half. The second was another spread at the end.

He lost $800,000 when the Cardinals slipped from the spread. But, picked up a cool $1 million when they kept the spread at the end. So, the end tally from the game? $200,000 to the positive.

It's a drop in the bucket compared to how much he's lost on the Fulltiltpoker.com tables this year. But, that's still a pretty big drop.

Clonie Revisited

We've been waiting to see what comes from Clonie Gowen's lawsuit against Full Tilt Poker. If you haven't been keeping score (that's what we're here for!), she sued Full Tilt and said they owe her a ton of cash.

And by "ton," we mean $40 million. Whew!

At this point, the next stage is for Full Tilt to either open their books (which we're damn sure they don't want to do) or pay Gowen off. If they pay her off, here's how we're expecting Gowen to look...




















The "durrrr" Challenge Is About To Launch

Seems like we have a few stories in the hopper to catch up on this week. Bringing up the rear is Tom Dwan's Million Dollar Challenge. Several weeks ago, "durrrr" had offered to go head-to-head with anyone willing to put up $500,000 to his $1.5 million. A few players threw their hats in the ring, including Ivey, Patrik Antonius, and David Benyamine.











Antonius is slated to test Dwan's mettle first. We haven't heard exactly when it's happening, but it's soon.

That's another wrap. To recap...

1. Phil Ivey needs to get his head back in the game.
2. Clonie Gowen may not be able to wipe the grin off her face soon.
3. Tom Dwan, given his disastrous beginning this year, has balls of steel.

See you next week...

Throwing Down With... Gus Hansen?!

Welcome back to the party. News travels fast in the poker world and we're here to keep you up to speed.

Enough chit chat. Let's get started.














Apparently, Theo Jorgensen is just about fed up with Gus Hansen. They've always had a little rivalry going. The thing that finally pushed Jorgensen over the edge was Hansen's shadowboxing escapades after each win on the tables (yeah, that would piss us off, too).

So, Jorgensen and Hansen are planning to settle the matter in the boxing ring on February 21. The purse is supposed to be $35,000. But, Hansen said he's in far better shape and he'll only take $25,000 when he wins.

Them's fightin' words!



















As it stands right now, Hansen is the underdog at +155.

Frankly, we'd much rather see them get into the MMA Octagon. But, hell... a couple of right hooks are better than nothing.

C'mon... who doesn't want to take a swing at this smile?




















Next on the poker docket...

Tom Dwan's Losing Streak Continues

As of a few days ago, Dwan had managed to amass over $3.5 million in losses.




















He doesn't look too happy, does he?

If anyone has had their fingers in Dwan's pockets, it's gotta be Gus Hansen (yes, the boxing dynamo) and Patrik Antonius. Hansen's is up over $2 million so far in the year while Antonius is closing in on $3 million.

At this rate, poor 'ole Dwan is going to need his own federal bailout.

We're pulling for you, Tom. But, you might want to rethink those $1 million challenges in the future.

The $1 Million Bet Heard Around The World

Phil Ivey made a call from the floor of the Bellagio a few days ago. At the time, he was waiting to see whether someone would pick up a $1 million bet on the Super Bowl.














Well, we know how that game turned out, but nobody seems to know (yet) who Ivey wanted to bet on. For those of you who are keeping score out there, you might remember that Ivey lost a huge bet (rumored at over $1 million) on the NBA Finals last year.

So, even if you did find out which team Phil wanted to back, would you throw your chips in behind him?

Not with that track record.

Another week, another wrap. To recap...

1. Gus Hansen thinks he's a skinny Mike Tyson.
2. Tom Dwan is about to blow right through his take from 2008.
3. Phil Ivey has more confidence in his NFL team picking than we do.

Until next time...

Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?

Gus Hansen has been on quite a streak this month. Even as Tom "durrrr" Dwan has been hemorrhaging on the Full Tilt tables, Hansen has been earning enough to put a small village through college.














Last we heard, he's up $2.6 million. Apparently, that's not enough to seduce Phil "OMGClayAiken" Galfond. He was asked whether he considered Hansen a "good player." He responded, "Yes."

... and then followed it up with, "in a game of World Class players."




















That's not nice, Phil. Of course, with $2.6 million in his pocket for January, we doubt Hansen is crying about it.

Let's Go Aussie!

Those of you who have kept your ears to the ground already know that this year's Aussie Millions has launched. Nearly two dozen players have each ponied up AUD$100,000 for a chance to take home the AUD$1.2 million first prize.

Ever the high-rollers, both Dwan and Patrik Antonius strolled up to the table. Antonius coughed up $1.5 million for the buy in. Dwan, not to be shown up by a bald guy, bought in for $2 million.




















They battled it out for awhile at $1,000-$2,000 blinds before other players joined. When Dwan finally took his hands away from his eyes, he was [luckily] stuck at $1.5 million while Antonius added another $300,000 to his bank.

All in a day's work.

WSOP 2009 Schedule Released!

To get us lickin' our chops, Harrah's released this year's World Series of Poker schedule. It kicks off on May 26th and the winner will be crowned in mid-November.



















A couple changes from last year...

• no rebuys. We're not sure what happened here. Some folks speculate that the Harrah's officials thought the bracelets would eventually end up on eBay (our words, not theirs).
• $1,500 and $5,000 Mixed Hold’em tournaments are gone
• a $40,000 No Limit Hold’em tournament has been added to the docket. For you fans out there, the WSOP is in its 40th. The addition of the new tournament is to to commemorate the occasion.

Well, that's another wrap. To recap...

1. Gus Hansen is a whole lot richer.
2. Phil Galfond has a dark side...sort of.
3. Dwan dodged a bullet.
4. Antonius can buy another house or three.
5. WSOP 2009 is ON... (in May)!

See you later in the week.

Poker Ain't Gamblin' (And More!)

The next time someone looks at you and asks, "You're a gambler?" look 'em right back in the eye and say, "No, sir. I'm a **skilled professional.**"

So says a Pennsylvania judge. A couple of guys were running a $1-$2 no-limit game out of their garage. Apparently, someone wasn't invited and called the cops. Eventually, charges were filed and the case landed on the desk of Columbia County Judge Thomas James.















We'd like to picture the honorable Judge James looking over his glasses at the prosecutor, disgust in his eyes, as he said, "Texas hold’em poker is a game where skill predominates over chance." We also like to imagine the Good Judge had just won a huge pot the night before at his own neighborhood poker game.

So, poker is a game of skill. Case closed. Of course, Tom Dwan probably wasn't too happy to hear the judge's ruling...

C'mon Dwan

After logging a $5.4 million year in 2008, Tom "durrrr" Dwan has endured a bone-shattering $3 million loss so far in January.

Ouch.




















So, who's been cleaning his clock? Well, Patrik Antonius is a pretty good bet. He's up $3 million in January. Gus Hansen isn't far behind with a $2.4 million take so far in 2009.

Dwan's a damn good player, of course. So, we're thinking he'll ride the storm out and come back swinging.

"I'll Flip You For It."

Recently, Phil Ivey and Ilari "Ziigmund" Sahamies showed us what it feels like to not worry about the global economy circling the drain. On a Full Tilt Poker table, they agreed to flip over $400,000.

They had been going back and forth when "Ziigmund" suggested they both go all in for their banks. Always up for a challenge, our man Ivey agreed.

Unfortunately, it wasn't his day. He looked good through the flop, but the turn killed him.











Well, that's a wrap for this week. To summarize...

1. We're all skilled professionals
2. Dwan may need a loan soon
3. Ivey and Sahamies have way too much money

See you next week.

Poor Clonie Gowen

Let's get this party started.

You might remember back in November (before we took our sabbatical), Clonie Gowen had gone "full tilt" on Full Tilt Poker and a few other companies. She threw the gloves off and sued 'em. Never one to shy away from the big game, Gowen had a nice round dollar figure in mind: $40 million.



















Back then, we had no idea what happened. For all we knew, a VP at Full Tilt might have asked her if she was pregnant.

Well, fast forward to the present. It turns out that Gowen somehow got it into her head that she owned 1% of the company. She says she was promised the stake in 2004 as compensation for promoting them.

Her lawsuit basically said:

1. The Full Tilt empire is worth $4 billion.

2. A 1% sliver equals $40 million.

3. Gimme my money.

4. Seriously, give me my money.

Full Tilt Poker probably had the same reaction as we did...

"Say WHAT?!"

And get this... apparently, it was an oral contract. Now, we don't know about you, but if our company were worth $4 billion (it's not, by the way), we sure as HELL would not make an oral contract for a stake.

In the lawsuit, Gowen further claims that she was never compensated for representing Full Tilt. Who knows if that's true or not. What we DO know is this...

Full Tilt's lawyers have filed a motion to dismiss the case. Which we assume is their way of saying to Gowen, "Yeah, right."




















We suspect this tasty morsel of poker news isn't over yet. We'll keep our eyes on it.

A Follow Up On The "durrrr" Challenge

Last week, we mentioned that Thom Dwan had issued his Million Dollar Challenge. That chest-beating affair lit up the poker world like the Strip on Fight Night.











Three people have stepped forward to accept:

• Phil Ivey (that was an easy one to call)
• David Benyamine
• Patrik Antonius

Benyamine's starting, Ivey's following, and Antonius is bringing up the rear. It should be an interesting event. We're rooting for Ivey.

That's it for now. Stay tuned, because there's a lot happening in the world of poker.

Let's Catch Up On The Poker Gossip

Time flies. It's been several weeks since we've posted, but that's going to change. There's way too much juicy poker gossip slipping through our fingers. So, let's get to it.

First up: Tom "durrrr" Dwan.



For those of you who haven't been following the circuit news, check this out. At the end of 2008, the guy was up over $5 million at Full Tilt.com It took him over 220,000 hands, but we think you'll agree it was time well spent.

A little background on Tom for those of you who aren't in the know. He's been at since he was 17. Last year, he launched out of the gate with a little over $225,000. He started at the Borgata Winter Open and moved on to the 2008 WPT World Championship where he came in 9th place.

He attended the WSOP during this past summer and battled off tons of other players, taking 8th in a couple of events. Then, he poured it on through the rest of the year.

Now, he's up $5 million. Not a bad stretch.

And it gets better...

Good 'ole Dwan, surely feeling quite pleased with himself these days, recently issued a simple challenge to the poker world. He'll put up $1.5 million to someone else's $500,000 for a 4-table, 50,000-hand, $200/$400 minimum tournament. If the challenger is up a $1 at the end, they get Dwan's stake.

Damn, where did we put that extra $500,000?

Doesn't matter. Phil Ivey announced today that he's stepping up to the plate (we had a feeling he'd be interested). Frankly, we're a little surprised that Tom threw the gauntlet down to Phil. Phil's damn good. We're talking "top of his game" good.

















Publicly, Phil says that Tom's got an edge on him. That's because he usually only plays 2 tables at a time (Tom's challenge is for 4 tables heads-up at a time).

We'll see. Phil and Tom have been playing against each other quite a bit over at Full Tilt. No doubt that's given him the chance to get used to Tom's style. So, he's definitely not going in blind.

Let's keep our eyes on this one, folks. It's gonna be exciting...