Everything Poker Online News
The latest news and happenings on poker, poker games, poker tournaments. Updates on the Circuit Events and WSOP World Championship, WPT, poker players and celebrities, and everything poker.
Tuesday, May 31, 2005
Walter Chambers is New Orleans Circuit Poker Champion
Event #7: No-Limit Texas Hold 'em Championship Event
Date: May 28, 2005
Buy-in: $10,000
Number of Entries: 259
Total Prize Money: $2,460,500
Winner: Walter Chambers, $787,340
What are the odds that the World Series of Poker Circuit's last championship event would produce a final showdown featuring two graduates of Louisiana State University? Walter Chambers (Class of 2000) and Corey A. Bierria (Class of 1998) outlasted a WSOP Cicruit record field of 259 players and carved up over a million dollars in prize money. Bierria earned $433,050 as the runner up, while Chambers collected $787,340, plus the gold ring presented to all WSOP Circuit champions.
The 2005 New Orleans Circuit is the last stop of the WSOP Circuit Events. The poker universe will now revolve in Las Vegas the next few weeks for the 2005 WSOP World Championship, from June 3 to July 15, 2005. Tournaments will be held at Harrah's Rio Casino but the final table will be taped by ESPN at Binion's Horseshoe.
WSOP, WSOP New Orleans, WSOP 2005
posted by selzki @ 6:49 PM
Sunday, May 29, 2005
The 2005 WSOP World Championship Comes to Town
The next few weeks will be like the Super Bowl season for poker players and fans. It's the 2005 World Series of Poker World Championship Event starting June 3rd in Las Vegas.
This year some 8,000 players are expected for the $10 thousand buy-in main event, that's a whopping $80 million in prize money!That could also mean everyone lucky enough to make the final table will instantly become a millionaire with the top prize probably reaching more than $10 million.
The 2005 WSOP championship will have more than 40 tourneys, including the $1500 No Limit Hold'em tournament. The event wraps up with the main event's finale on Friday, July 15th. Most of tournaments will be played at Harrah's Rio Casino Las Vegas, with the final two days of the main event to be played at Binion's Horseshoe.
As we all know by now, the WSOP events could dramatically change a lot of people's lives. In the past, poker pros call amateur players "dead money" because it was considered they don't have a shot at winning the top prize.
But things have changed, especially ever since Chris Moneymaker vistually came out of nowhere to steal the $2.5 million prize pot from everyone else, including the most revered poker pros in town.
Who will win the championship title this year? Will it be a poker pro or another $40 online satellite winner who will worm his way to the top?
Whatever the result may be, expect big names to headline the tournament events--Annie Duke, Phil Ivey, Howard Lederer, Chris Ferguson, Daniel Negreanu, and a lot more.
It's another exciting season of the WSOP World Championship event happening on June 3-July 15, 2005 in Las Vegas.
,
WSOP World Championship,
WSOP 2005
posted by selzki @ 7:51 PM
Thursday, May 26, 2005
Poker Players told to Fold'em in Sydney
Poker Gazette: (SYDNEY, N.S.) The provincial gaming authority is telling bar owners to drop their popular Texas Hold 'Em poker games.
Televised tourmanents featuring Hollywood stars are fuelling a poker craze throughout North America. To meet demand in Sydney, local pubs stepped in because the game isn't offered at the casino.
More than 30 people were showing up at Ardon Moffard's pub every Wednesday night for Texas Hold 'Em games – a much-needed boost for business.
"It's challenging to get people in a pub any night. So it was good to have the revenue generated by the game," Moffard said.
He insists those profits were in food and drink, not from the game. Moffard said money never changed hands and the only thing passed around was free merchandise from breweries and liquor companies.
But the province got involved.
"The liquor board stepped in and decided there wouldn't be any more games, I guess due to ... the fear of money changing hands in the pub," Moffard said.
The executive director of the alcohol and gaming authority, Dennis Kerr, said bars can host card games, including Texas Hold 'Em, for fun.
There are three elements needed to cross the line into gambling: an entry fee, a game and a prize. Kerr's concern is that gambling would happen without the bar owner's consent.
"We just want to make sure they don't get in trouble. There is potential in these tournaments for side bets and so forth and if some of those issues happen, it's the licencee that will be held accountable," he said.
If a bar owner does want to hold a tournament, Kerr said, they should talk to a lawyer first. Until then, poker players should hold 'em.
Poker,
Poker News,
Texas Hold'em
posted by selzki @ 8:12 PM
Final Report for WPT Mirage Poker Showdown
Here is the final result of the 2005 WPT Mirage Poker Showdown, which concluded on Thursday, May 26, 2005:
Gavin Smith - Champion - $1,128,278
Ted Forrest - 2nd place - $579,386
Chris Bell - 3rd place - $289,693
Kido Pham - 4th place - $182,962
Gene Todd - 5th place - $137,223
Mark Ellerbee - 6th place - $ 106,729
The 2005 Mirage Poker Showdown is the first tournament of the WPT season 4. This is also the first regular tournament appearance of the new hostess of the World Poker Tour, Courtney Friel, who took over Shana Hiatt's place.
WPT, WPT Mirage Poker Showdown, WPT 2005
posted by selzki @ 6:34 PM
Tuan Le is WPT's Season 3 Ultimate Champion
Tuan Le is World Poker Tour's Season 3 Battle of Champions winner, and so he will have a $25,000 seat in next year's WPT championship at Bellagio.
The Battle of Champions was a 'specialty' event eleven winners are chosen from the WPT season three, and had them play to see who was the 'best of the best'. The 11 chosen were:
Tuan Le
Eli Elizera
Alex Brenes
Arnold Spee
Carlos Mortensen
Michael 'Grinder' Mizrachi
Surinder Sunar
Danny Nguyen
Michael Gracz
Daniel Negreanu
John Stoltzmann
However, the final table had these players:
Seat 1 - Tuan Le - 1,499,000 in chips
Seat 2 - Eli Elizera - 915,000
Seat 3 - Alex Brenes - 576,000
Seat 4 - Michael Gracz - 1,137,000
Seat 5 - John Stoltzmann - 700,000
Seat 6 - Daniel Negreanu - 673,000
Tuan Le prevailed in the end from his heads-up battle with Eli Elizera. On the final hand, Eli took his pocket Jacks into battle for all his money, Tuan called with Kc Qc. A King came on the flop, and it was all over.
Tuan Le was also the overall Season 3 champion of the WPT.
WPT, WPT Season 3, WPT 2005
posted by selzki @ 2:02 AM
Monday, May 23, 2005
Halfway Thru the 2005 New Orleans Circuit Events
Here are the 2005 WSOP New Orleans Circuit reports:
Event #1: No-Limit Texas Hold'em
Date: May 18, 2005
Buy-in: $200 (+25)
Number of Entries: 833
Total Prize Money: $161,602
Winner: Chris Wehlen, $43,567
Local poker player Chris Wehlen (a.k.a. "The Riverboat Hustler") rips up record tournament field at WSOPC New Orleans' first event.
Event #2: No-Limit Texas Hold 'em
Date: May 19, 2005
Buy-in: $300 (+30)
Number of Entries: 847
Total Prize Money: $246,477
Winner: Jose Jiminez, $66,527
Jose Jimenez wins WSOPC no-limit hold'em tournament in record time - in just 85- minutes, he's $66,527 richer.
Event #3: No-Limit Texas Hold 'em
Date: May 20, 2005
Buy-in: $500 (+50)
Number of Entries: 846
Total Prize Money: $410,310
Winner: Sonny Perry, $110,785
Sonny Perry does his best Moneymaker impression - takes first place and $110,785 at New Orleans WSOPC event.
The last leg of the 2005 WSOp Circuit Events, now ongoing in New Orleans, will last through May 28, 2005 with the fnal table event to be taped and aired at ESPN.
WSOP, WSOP New Orleans, WSOP 2005
posted by selzki @ 12:03 AM
Wednesday, May 18, 2005
Texas Mucks Phil Hellmuth's Hold'em Tourney
Phil Hellmuth's poker tournament for a good cause was shut down by Texas local and state officials.
The poker star was supposed to host the Phil Hellmuth Poker Challenge on May 21 in Houston, TX where 600-1000 players were expected to attend a one-hour seminar with Phil and battle for seats to the World Series of Poker Main Event--all these from their $500 contribution.
But people can choose to pay $100 just to attend the events without playing for the tournament. The proceeds will go to the Houston chapter of the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.
Organizers are now colecting signatures to sign a petition regarding the unfortunate cancellation of the tourney. The greatest irony being Texas Hold'em is not allowed in the place that is its namesake, even if it's for a charitable cause.
If you want to sign the petition, visit the website houstonpokerchallenge.com.
,
Texas Holdem Poker,
Texas Hold'em,
Phil Hellmuth
posted by selzki @ 1:37 AM
Sunday, May 15, 2005
2005 WSOP Lake Tahoe Circuit Results
Event: No-Limit Texas Hold 'em Championship Event
Buy-In: $10,000
Number of Entries: 173
Total Prize Money: $1,643,500
Top six finishers:
Jeff Lisandro - $542,360
Phil Ivey - $299,360
James Van Alstyne - $164,350
Jonathan Shecter - $131,480
Tommy Reed - $98,610
Salim Batshon$ - 82,175
Next stop for the 2005 WSOP Circuit Events is the New Orleans Bayou Poker Challenge on May May 18-28, before heading back to Vegas for the WSOP World Championship form June 5 to July 15.
WSOP,
WSOP Lake Tahoe,
WSOP 2005
posted by selzki @ 6:14 PM
Thursday, May 12, 2005
2005 WSOP Lake Tahoe Circuit Event Final Table
The 2005 WSOP Lake Tahoe Circuit Event's $10,000 buy-in No-Limit Hold'em main event commenced on Wednesday (May 11) at 2pm, at Harveys Resort and Casino.
Day one ended with 3 Northern Nevada players booted out: Tony Le of Reno, who started the day as the overall chip leader with $136,700, was knocked out early on, as were Carson City's Robert Glenn and Genoa's Tony Prestigiacomo.
Twenty-eight players started the second day and only nine remain, including several of the world's top players. Llast two players eliminated on Tuesday were 33-year-old Sam Von Duhn of Chicago and Alan Goering from Henderson, Nev. Both players took home $23,010 in prize money.
Final table action begins today at 2 p.m. at the Harveys Convention Center and will be taped by ESPN. The event is free to attend. Bleachers were set up for spectators who can watch the event for free.
Among the big-name players vying for the $542,360 first prize are Joe Awada and Phil Ivey. Italian Jeff Lisandro goes into the final table with the overall chip lead. The last two players eliminated on Tuesday were 33-year-old Sam Von Duhn of Chicago and Alan Goering from Henderson, Nev. Both players took home $23,010 in prize money.
WSOP,
WSOP Lake Tahoe,
WSOP 2005
posted by selzki @ 6:13 PM
Wednesday, May 11, 2005
Only 28 players remaining at WSOP main event
News item for the Poker Gazette:
After starting with 173 entries, the World Series of Poker Lake Tahoe Circuit Event's $10,000 buy-in No-Limit Hold'em game was whittled down to 28 players Monday at Harveys in Stateline.
Tony Le of Reno has the overall chip lead with $136,700 in tournament chips. Two other players are holding more than $100,000. Two additional Northern Nevada players are still alive in the tournament, which has a total prize pool of $1,643,500.
Carson City's Robert Glenn has $51,500 in chips and Genoa's Tony Prestigiacomo has $34,100. Prestigiacomo won the opening event at the WSOP but has the 23rd-lowest chip count going into today's third-round action, which begins at noon.
The final table, which is reserved for the final nine players, will be decided following today's play. Among the more notable names eliminated from the tournament Monday were Doyle Brunson and Scott Nguyen. Top professionals still remaining are Phil Ivey, John Juanda and Scott Fischman.
The top 18 finishers will earn money, ranging from $16,435 for last place to $542,360 for the champion. Wednesday's final table coverage begins at 2 p.m. and will be taped by ESPN.
WSOP,
WSOP Lake Tahoe,
WSOP 2005
posted by selzki @ 8:49 PM
Tuesday, May 10, 2005
WSOP Lake Tahoe Circuit Championship on May 11
Only 1 day away before the Championship event of the 2005 WSOP Lake Tahoe Circuit. Event #12, or the No LImit Texas Hold'em is currenmtly ongoing at Harveys Casino, started in May 8 and will culminate May 11 where the final table players will be determined.
The event has a $10,000 buy-in and recorded 173 participants. Prize Money: $1,643,500.
Current chip leaders include Phil Ivey, Eric Cloutier, and David Pam (see complete list of chip leaders here).The final table event will be aired at ESPN. Full event report here soon.
WSOP,
WSOP Lake Tahoe,
WSOP 2005
posted by selzki @ 10:31 PM
Thursday, May 05, 2005
Place Your Bets Now!
No, this post is not about poker, hehe. Let's take a break from the card game for a while...
I'm not sure if there are bets going around on who will be the poker champion this year. But i know of a betting frenzy ongoing right this very moment. And all those bets are headed for Louisville, Kentucky where the 131st Kentucky Derby will take place this Saturday.
Forgive me for this abrupt change of topic. But I've got some boisterous boys around here who can't stop talking about this. Everybody's talking about the Triple Crown and if there'll be a winner this year. According to a survey at BODOG though, more people think there won't be a Triple Crown champ again this year. It's been a long time since the last horse won the Triple Crown, in 1978!
Well, Smarty Jones came close last year after winning both the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes, but he failed in the Belmont Stakes. This year, the names Afleet Alex, Bellamy Road, and High Fly are cropping up as among the favorites to win in Churchill Downs and, hopefully, theTriple Crown.
If you want to place a bet, or if you want to know more about horse racing and the Triple Crown, don't ask me haha! Instead you can go to Horses Wild. It's a pretty cool site full of picks and predictions on who will win. Horses Wild is maintained by at least 10 handicappers so you can trust their picks ;) or you can also check out the Horse Betting Tips site. I also got a nudge here to promote a couple of blogs for all of you to check: Horse Racing Triple Crown and Sportsbetting Tips blogs. There.
Ok, ok, place your bets now because you don't have much time left before the Kentucky Derby kicks off.
posted by selzki @ 8:41 PM
Are Amateurs Taking Over Poker?
Along with the growth of poker prominence, especially among online gamers, has resulted to the inevitable. There are more "unknown" or amateur players today than poker pros. And the unknowns have been stealing the pots away from these pros more and more lately.
Yes, we already know that people get ideas from the televised poker events. Seeing non-pros turn to instant millionaire sure isn't fairy tale. So what used to be your Friday night social get-together has become more of a practice sessions in hope of hitting the big-time.
Major tournaments like the WPT and WSOP are attracting a record number of participants this year. Many of them worked their way up from satellite tournaments in different online poker rooms. And the best of them do reach the final tables and even win. The last couple of years of the WSOP saw virtually unknown players winning the world championship events: Chris Moneymaker (2003) & Greg Raymer (2004). Will the real pros have a better chance this year? We'll know in July.
On the other side of the fence, big names like Doyle Brunson, Chris Ferguson, Annie Duke, Jen Harman, Phil Ivey and a lot more are sure to see action in Vegas this June-July. Amateurs will have really tough competition out there, this one's for sure.
So what's your bet? Will it be a pro or an amateur who will bring home the biggest pot this time 'round?
posted by selzki @ 8:32 PM
Monday, May 02, 2005
Online Poker to Dominate the Corporate World?
As if it's not enough that poker has grabbed the attention of the TV and movie world, a recent research conducted by a major organization says that online poker is the future of corporate America...and the world.
Researchandmarkets.com has released a report called: Online Poker--Driving Gambling to New Heights. It says that online gambling is constantly reinventing itself and poker is getting the most attention, thus, it seems that the card game is the guanrantor of the online gambling industry's future.
You'll have to pay 412 Euros to get a copy of the full report. Of course for common folks who just like the game, it would be utterly useless to pay a fortune for this research. But for businesses already involved in online gaming, and those looking for possible ventures, this report will come real handy.
According to the report, online poker is the symbiosis of two major trends -- online gambling and poker. And what began as a successful expansion in the US is now taking over the Internet and major businesses are ready to cash-in. It also mentioned that major contributors to poker's popularity are successful TV coverages like the WSOP at ESPN, Celebrity Poker at Bravo, and the Europen Poker Tour on Eurosport.
This already billion dollar industry will see more expansion in Europe and Asia with the involvement of huge investments from global corporations, Reasearchandmarkets.com said. And many industry insiders are predicting that more than $60 billion will be spent on online poker gambling in 2005. For more info on this report, you can visit Researchandmarkets.com.
posted by selzki @ 7:33 PM
Online poker games are a good way to start practicing your favorite poker game. Simply choose from the numerous online poker sites, enter the site and then click on Texas Hold'em, Omaha, 7 Card Stud, or 5 Card Stud poker. Play for real money or for fun! 