JoeOE18’s Blog

Poker’s growing presence in the far east was underlined today as the Asian Pacific Poker Tour Auckland got underway and the Asian Poker Tour announced the first stop on their tournament schedule for 2009.

The SKYCITY casino in Auckland is currently hosting one of the few high stakes poker tournaments ever to be played in New Zealand. As is the case in many countries, poker’s popularity is flourishing in NZ, and this visit by one of the regions premier tours allows its up and coming poker players to demonstrate their abilities on home turf.

The main event, which began today and runs until Oct. 12th, will feature at least 285 players, with an estimated prize pool of $794,880 (~$500,000). Although these numbers may swell overnight, with tournament buy-ins permitted until the start of Day 1b, records have already been broken. The APPT Auckland is officially the richest poker tournament ever to be played on Kiwi soil.

Among the throng competing for the minimum $238,464 first were PokerStars World Series of Poker triumvirate: Chris Moneymaker, Joe Hachem and Greg Raymer. Their fellow players no doubt have been gunning for a famous scalp and one lucky player can now boast about ending the tournament of Greg Raymer. Entering a pot with the perennially risky 10-10, he ran into pocket jacks and was powerless to resist his elimination. His hopes of winning top money on Godzone soil still remain alive however, as he is sure to feature in the $10,000 NZD high rollers event on Oct. 11th.

Day 1b begins tomorrow with the lucky few joining the 59 who progressed from day 1a - including current chip leader Nathanael Seet from Singapore.

More exciting news for Asia’s poker players was unveiled today as the Asian Poker Tour (APT) announced that they would be returning to Manilla for the first event of their 2009 season. The APT Philippines 2009 will be held at the Dusit Thani Manilla Hotel in Makati, just as it was this year. With more announcements to follow next week it remains to be seen whether this event will surpass the impressive $1,000,000 guaranteed prize pool it featured last time around.

The world of poker is still fluctuating between states of anger and anxiety after Franklin County Circuit Judge Thomas Wingate delayed his decision on Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear’s attempt to seize the domain names of 141 online gambling sites.  The judge saying that he needed more time to work through the many arguments presented in court yesterday. The hearing was the culmination of a few weeks of heated debate in the media, following Beshear’s claim that the sites were breaching state law.

Lawyers from both sides met in the courtroom yesterday to present their cases before the Judge Wingate. A cadre of non-government lawyers represented the state of Kentucky, who began their arguments by pointing out that none of the sites owners had turned up to court. This, he claimed, was due to their knowledge of their wrongdoing. To counter claims that poker is a game of skill and should not be treated as gambling, he noted that many of the poker websites among the 141 accused refer to poker as gambling themselves. He also referenced a few previous cases to show that there is a precedent for domain names being seized.

There were a whole host of lawyers representing the gaming industry. Some from the sites themselves, some from the owners of the domain names and some from industry groups such as the PPA and iMEGA. They began by arguing that a domain name is not a gambling device and so is not outlawed under Kentucky law. A domain name functions as an address, just like that of your house, and is therefore not the same type of object as those specifically outlawed.

A number of arguments were made against the state having the power to affect international and inter-state Commerce. The domain names in question are based, largely, outside of the US and most of them have sizable business concerns oversees. If Kentucky were allowed to restrict access to these sites it could drastically affect the economies of countries all around the world. It was also noted that, if they were to gain control over the domain names, it might violate the US Constitution’s Commerce Clause.

Steve Beshear has been unapologetic in stating that he is at least partly motivated by his concerns for the Kentucky horse racing industry. To this end, gambling industry lawyers, noted that the horse-betting site TwinSpires.com - which is based in Kentucky - was not included in the 141 long list and provided further evidence of the governor’s hypocrisy.

The vast majority of the sites targeted by the case submitted an objection when the case first came to court a few weeks ago, although a few who did not had their domain names handed over to Kentucky. Late last night that fate befell a few more unlucky companies. GoDaddy, one of the largest domain registrars relinquished control over domain names including DoylesRoom.com, CakePoker.com and UltimateBet.com. Thankfully for players on those sites the judge ruled, during yesterday’s case, that Kentucky were barred from shutting down the domain names until he had declared his final verdict next Wednesday.

Many of the other registrars who own domain names featured in Mr. Beshear’s list, particularly those based abroad, have vowed to ignore the ruling, should it not fall in their favor. The Kentucky Commonwealth came in for more criticism today as the Grand Chief of the Mohawk Council of Kahnawake, Michael, Ahrinhihon Delisle Jr. bemoained the fact that  ” [Beshear’s] actions will also adversely affect the members of our community – and that is not acceptable.” The council is responsible for the Kanhawake Gaming Commision as well as a number of companies that are based within its land.

The audacious assault, orchestrated by Kentucky Governor Steve Bashear, designed to seize control of 141 domain names owned by the industries most prominent gambling organizations has hit a roadblock. All eyes were on Franklin County Circuit Court judge Thomas Wingate as he granted a continuance on the case, with proceedings to resume on October 7th. Calling the case “very complex” he asked both sides to spend more time preparing their case before he made his final decision.

The action was originally brought on behalf of the Commonwealth of Kentucky by their Secretary of Justice and Public Safety, Michael Brown. Gambling on games of chance is outlawed in the state, and those sites that were offering such services to the populous of Kentucky made up the contents of the 141 strong list. Bashear had damned these organizations as “leeches on our community,” seeking to divert the millions of dollars spent every year by residents of the state into Kentucky’s ailing horse racing industry.

Although the vast majority of the sites targeted filed objections there were two that neglected to do so. Both highrollerslounge.com and luckypyramidcasio.com failed to act before the hearing and had their domain names handed over to Kentucky state authorities. Although the state’s government claims not to have shut down the sites, neither website has been accessible over the past week. Other, higher profile, domain names under threat should Steve Bashear have his way include BodogLife.com, FullTiltPoker.com and PokerStars.com.

Over 20 attorneys, representing a variety of gambling industry organizations, were present on behalf of the defense - including staff from the Poker Players Alliance (PPA). Their attempts to absolve poker from any wrongdoing challenge the very foundation of Kentucky’s case - that poker is a game of chance. The PPA’s State Director for Kentucky, Rich Muny, said of the case:

“The actions by the Commonwealth of Kentucky are not only extreme, but groundless in that it can be clearly proven that poker is indeed a game of skill and not chance and thereby poker Web sites should not be part of the state’s action.”

He also revealed that a continuation had been the aim of the hearing from the get go.

“We wanted to get a continuance so that they couldn’t enact the order. We wanted to get more time to prove our case.”

Onlookers have suggested that the break will provide time for both sides to hash out a deal. The recent decision of a small number of the 141 sites targeted to stop offering services to Kentucky residents may add credence to this suggestion. Although the likelihood of 141 separate companies coming to an agreement with the state over the next 5 days is still an outside bet. More insidious is the precedent the case may set for the seizing of domain names by government organizations.

The momentum that has been building behind the anti-UIGEA movement in Washington generated even more steam yesterday with the introduction of the ‘Internet Skill Games Licensing and Control Act of 2008′ by New Jersey Senator Robert Menendez. The new bill seeks to officially declare poker, and other games of skill, legal in the online arena. It also sets out detailed provisions for the legislation and regulation of online gambling, two issues which are key to any new laws being passed.

What marks out S.B. 3616 from the similar bills that have preceded it is, not only its depth, but that it is the first of its kind to be introduced in the Senate. Previous bills having always come from the House of Representatives. This new precedent seems to indicate that the tide is slowly but surely shifting in favor of the return of online poker in America.

Stoking the fire of this new dawn have been the PPA. Always quick to advise, commend and pressure those politicians who surround the bills. True to form they were quick to heap praise upon Menedez and S.B. 3616. PPA Chairman Alfonse D’Amato commented that the bill was ” a means to protect vulnerable communities, such as children and compulsive gamblers, and provide appropriate controls to thwart consumer fraud and abuse.”

Those Americans who had been robbed of their favorite pastime will be most heartened by the bills attempts to officially define online games of skill. The bill declares an “Internet skill game” as “an Internet-based game that uses simulated cards, dice, or tiles in which success is predominantly determined by the skill of the players, including poker, bridge, and mahjong.” This sort of clear and precise language will allow the financial institutions to once again begin dealings with the online poker sites, after 2 years of confusion.

Less thrilling, but just as important, are the details the bill provides on how best to regulate and legislate the murky world of online gambling. In order to operate within the U.S. companies would first have to have an application approved by the Secretary of the Treasury. A stringent vetting procedure would involve assessing the current owners of the company for a sold business reputation and checks to ensure that the company had, in the past, obeyed online gambling laws in other countries.

After passing the legislation process companies would officially approved by the U.S. government, but would still have to ensure that they followed the agreed regulations. These include laws to prevent money laundering and tax avoidance as well as the mandatory implementation of software to detect underage gamblers and those whose habits have developed into addiction. The sites would then be periodically monitored by the Treasury to ensure that they continued to comply with the letter of the law. The bill would also give individual states the right to ban its residents access to these organizations, if they see fit.

Both the House and the Senate will have to agree to the legislation before it can become law, with the deadline for a vote set at January 3rd 2009. Senator Menedez may have to overcome the bad feeling he has cultivated by his blocking the renewal of U.S. immigration laws. But with the PPA’s backing, and perhaps a pinch of common sense, we will see online poker officially returning to American shores with the full backing of the new U.S. government.

With the obligatory opening hold ‘em event out of the way it was time for the big guns to make their way to the Empire Casino in Leicester Square for the WSOPE £2,500 H.O.R.S.E tournament. The ultimate mixed game format is well known for attracting the best of the best and keeping away the amateurs intimidated by the prospect of playing 6 different games over the course of one tournament.

The field was an understandably modest 110 players, but included the likes of Doyle Brunson, Phil Ivey, Daniel Negraenu, John Juanda, Mike Matusow and Phil Hellmuth (who was late again). The high concentration of stellar talent was most evident at the start of the tournament, as one of the tables featured Erick Lindgren, Mickey Wernick, Joe Beevers, Daniel Negraenu, Bruno Fitoussi and Barry Greenstein. A prize pool of £275,000 gave them all plenty to play for.

Phils Ivey and Hellmuth may share a Christian name, but their temperaments couldn’t be more distinct. One thing they did have in common however, was their position at the top of the Day 1 leaderboard. Earlier in the week both men had competed in a special Full Tilt Million Dollar Cash Game, held in London to coincide with the WSOPE. Playing along side fellow pros such as Mike Matusow and Patrick Antonius, Ivey was reported to be up over $500,000. By all accounts, Hellmuth was less significantly successful.

Ivey may have maintained his high position on the leaderboard during day 2, but it was Phil Hellmuth’s catastrophic collapse that would be the talk of the casino floor. The slow decline of his chip stack was accompanied by the berating of players and staff. At one point he even reduced a dealer at his table to tears, prompting the tournament director to intervene and issue him with an official warning. Moments before the end of the 14 hour day his tournament would come to and end.

Another player who just missed out on making the final day was “Kid Poker”, Daniel Negraenu. After sitting on Day 1’s table of death he may have been cursing his luck to find himself beside Joe Beevers, David Williams, Woody Deck, Patrick Antonius, Robert Williamson III and, November Nine member, Kelly Kim. Although he would survive that killer table he found himself unable to topple Phil Ivey when the two locked horns. Another poker great was at the top of the chip count when play was called to a halt on Day 2, Howard Lederer, staking his claim to the WSOPE’s first ever American bracelet winner.

The final day began with 11 still remaining and took yet another 14 hours to come to a close. Lederer didn’t waste time narrowing the field, eliminating the short stack in the very first hand. Before long the last 8 were ready to begin the final table. The chip stacks going in were:

Seat 1: Sherkhan Farnood 88,000
Seat 2: Phil Ivey 139,000
Seat 3: Spencer Lawrence 113,500
Seat 4: Jeffrey Lisandro 165,000
Seat 5: Ivo Donev 65,000
Seat 6: Jeff Duvall 136,000
Seat 7: Howard Lederer 283,500
Seat 8: Mark Gregorich 104,000

Spencer Lawrence would make an early exit during Stud Hi/Lo after finding himself all-in against Jeff Duvall, Howard Lederer and Phil Ivey. Although Ivey was out of the hand before the final street, Lawrence’s 9’s and 3’s were not enough to beat the higher two pair of Duvall. With no qualifying low, Duvall scooped the pot and eliminated Lawrence in 8th.

Aussie bracelet holder Jeff Lisandro entered the final table second in chips, but he would end his tournament in 7th place. He moved all-in against the chip leader Lederer in a hand of hold ‘em where the board read 6-4-K-8. Howard revealed 7-5 for the turned straight, way ahead of Lisandro’s pocket Jacks. An Ace on the river helped no one and put Jeff out of the event.

The player with the best form, and the biggest reputation, coming into Day 3 was undoubtedly Phil Ivey. Alas, his run at the bracelet came to an abrupt halt after a hand of 7 Card Stud against Mark Gregorich. Ivey was showing 10-K-8-2, compared to the 10-6-6-9 of Gregorich. Betting in the dark before seventh street enticed Ivey into calling for all his chips, but he was helpless against the Queens Gregorich was hiding in the hole to accompany his 6’s up.

Despite this success it was Gregorich who would be the very next player eliminated. Afghan Sherkhan Farnood showed remarkable ability to call Gregorich’s all-in on the turn with only pocket 5’s - despite their being 3 overcards on the board. What could have been a disaster turned out to be a brilliant play as Gregorich was forced to reveal that he was holding only Ace high. A blank river meant that his gamble had cost him the tournament.

Following shortly after this was the elimination of Jeff Duvall, during a level of Omaha hi/lo. All three of Duvall, Sherkhan and Lederer saw the flop of Kd-Jc-7c and all three checked the 2s that arrived on the turn. A 6d on the river brought the threat of the flush and Lederer lead out with confidence. Farnood got out of the way as Duvall called all-in for his last few chips. Lederer flipped up Ad-5d-4c-9h to show that he did in fact have the nut flush, as well as a 7 low. Duvall mucked and exited in 4th place.

The craft and guile of the final three was evident as they tussled for over 3 hours following Duvall’s elimination. With Howard Lederer the final big name remaining many might have picked him to take the title, but as is so often the way it was not to be. He finally relinquished the chip lead to Donev and took a further hit against Farnood while playing Stud. Despite the fact that neither player was showing many dangerous cards there was betting on every street up until the final card. Farnood again showing his ability to predict his opponents weakness, revelead two 8’s in the hole for a single pair that was enough to take down the pot. This left Lederer extremely low and he was out in 3rd just a few hands later.

Despite having taken that large pot just previously, Farnood found himself trailing by a substantial margin as the players entered heads up. He wasted no time in making up the difference, winning a big hand of Razz. Once the final cards had been dealt, Donev revealed a J-7 low to put him marginally behind Farnood’s J-6 low. His ability to predict the cards of his opponent may have taken a back seat to luck, although with his previous performance in mind you would not put it past him to have known the outcome.

With the chip lead in hand the bracelet was almost in Farnood’s grasp, and from then on in it seemed a foregone conclusion. The final hand came in seven card stud as Donev drew hopelessly for the flush draw that would put him back in the game. The club he was looking for failed to materialize and Farnood took the pot and the title with two pair Queens and Eights.

What may be most astounding about the victory is that he is not a professional poker player. Overcoming one of the toughest fields ever assembled as an amateur player surely makes him fulling deserving of the £76,999 top prize for WSOPE Event #2.

The final table cashes were:

1. Sherkhan Farnood £76,999
2. Ivo Donev £48,125
3. Howard Lederer £30,250
4. Jeff Duvall £22,000
5. Mark Gregorich £17,188
6. Phil Ivey £13,750
7. Jeffrey Lisandro £11,000
8. Spencer Lawrence £8,938

The second annual World Series of Poker Europe began on Monday with the start of the £1,500 No Limit Hold ‘em event. A total of 410 players contributed to the £615,000 prize pool, including many of the poker worlds brightest stars. Those famous faces gracing the Empire Casino in Leicester Square, London included Barry Greenstein, Daniel Negreanu, Phil Ivey, Chris “Jesus” Ferguson, Mike Matusow, Howard Lederer and Allen Cunningham to name but a few.

At the end of Day 1a it was one of those marquee names who sat atop the leaderboard, Kid Poker, Daniel Negreanu.  He lead the field after a day of play that ended early due to the sheer volume of eliminations. Day 1b was a busier affair, which saw the arrival of feared internet maestros Sorel Mizzi, Shaun Deeb, Isaac Haxton and Adam Junglen. As well as a predictably late Phil Hellmuth.

One female player who attracted attention early on was Annette Obrestad, the winner of last years WSOPE main event. Despite high hopes of becoming the first ever WSOPE double bracelet holder she got caught at the wrong end of a 3-way pot and was sent to the rail close to the start of proceedings. The runner up at last years main event, John Tabatabai, also had a torrid time - primarily at the hands of Shaun Deeb. After losing countless pots to him, his tormentor finally finished the job, eliminating him before the end of day 1b.

Day 2 saw the field cut by 90% from 90 to 9 players, who would comprise a Day 3 final table. One constant throughout the day was the presence of young American whizz Adam Junglen. Both beginning and ending the day as chip leader made him the firm favorite to take down the whole event.

Although there were no superstar names at the final table, a close look revealed a wealth of poker playing talent. Yevgeniy Timoshenko, in seat 2, was the victor at the APPT Macau main event just last month, winning $500,000. Neil Channing and Ian Woodley were winner and runner up respectively in one of Europe’s most prestigious tournaments, the Irish Open, earlier this year. And last, but by no means least, Jesper Hougaard won a bracelet at this years WSOP in a $1,500 No Limit Hold ‘em event. The chip stacks going in to the final table were:

Seat 1: Fuad Serhan 61,000
Seat 2: Daniel Nutt 207,000
Seat 3: Yevgeniy Timoshenko 345,000
Seat 4: John Dwyer 511,000
Seat 5: Ian Woodley 153,000
Seat 6: Jesper Hougaard 89,000
Seat 7: Linda Lee 121,000
Seat 8: Neil Channing 199,000
Seat 9: Adam Junglen 795,000

It did not take long for the players to start dropping, Daniel Nutt and Yevgeniy Timoshenko tangling early on. The two got involved in a straight preflop race, with K-Q suited and 9-9 respectively. The board failed to change the situation and Timoshenko’s pair eliminated Nutt in 9th.

Londoner Ian Woodley was the next to fall, this time at the hands of Jesper Hougaard. The victim of yet another race, the Dane with 6-6 and the Englishman with A-Q. Although the pocket pair triumphed again, this time the board made sure of it - Hougaard holding a full house by the time the river fell. The hometown boy received a warm reception from the crowd and will be pleased with his performance at London’s most high profile event.

Linda Lee was the only female player at the final table, and for all her efforts she could not make it further than 7th place. All in pre-flop with K-5, she had the slight edge over Fuad Serhan and his Q-9, although a board of A-Q-3-5-10 would soon change that. There was a hint of retribution on the turn, a 5 of diamonds giving Linda a flush draw, but a black 10 cut short any hope.

Adam Junglen had hoped, with good reason, to become the first American to win a WSOPE bracelet, but a surprising final table collapse brought an end to that dream. Neil Channing moved all-in preflop, with Junglen moving over the top all in. The Irish Open champion was the happier of the two when the cards were flipped, holding an A-K, compared to Junglen’s A-Q. The board brought no help to either player and a healthy chunk was taken out of the American’s stack. It would all be over two hands later after he moved all in with A-5 and was called by John Dwyer. Junglen was way behind with A-5 against 5-5, although a A-K-3 flop did momentarily put him ahead. It was not to be, however, as a 5 on the turn gave Dwyer the set and brought proceedings to a close for America’s young hopeful.

Despite having recently collected Junglen’s remaining chips, it was John Dwyer who next made the trip to the rail. Yevgeniy Timoshenko was delighted to call Dwyer’s all-in with his K-K, even more so when Dwyer flipped his 5-5. The board missed both players and it was all over for the Irishman.

With an Irish national gone it was the turn of the Irish Open champion to face the music. Hougaard moved all-in with A-6 and Channing called from the big bling with 8-8. The flop came down J-J-10 and things were looking good for Channing until a 10 on the turn made a heartbreaking counterfeit. Another 8 failed to materialize on the river and Hougaard’s Ace was enough to take it down.

Three handed play continued for some time without any major shifts, until Jesper Hougaards pushed all-in and was called by Yevgeniy Timoshenko. Races seemed to be the theme of the day, as Hougaard flipped A-J, followed by 4-4 from Timoshenko. The board was again kind to the Dane as an ace hit the flop. With no more help on it’s way for the ATP champion, it was Yevgeniy Timoshenko who finished in 3rd place.

Hougaard and Serhand had started the day 8th and 9th in chips respectively, so it’s safe to say that both were an outside bet for the title. With heads up play getting underway however, Hougaard’s 5:1 chip lead made him the clear favorite. And it was this advantage that proved to be decisive, the final elimination occurring after only 5 hands. The WSOP bracelet holder would need a little more help from the board trailing, preflop to Serhan’s A-K suited with his A-J suited. A spectacular all diamond board handed the first bracelet of this years series to Jesper Hougaard and made him the first person ever to win bracelets on either side of the Atlantic.

The payouts for the final table were:

1. Jesper Hougaard, Denmark, £144,218
2. Fuad Serhan, UK, £89,175
3. Yevgeniy Timoshenko, USA, £55,350
4. Neil Channing, UK, £44,588
5. John Dwyer, Ireland, £36,285
6. Adam Junglen, USA, £28,598
7. Linda Lee, USA, £22,448
8. Ian Woodley, UK, £17,835
9. Daniel Nutt, UK, £13,222

Event #30 of this years bumper WCOOP was one for the Omaha purists. Although there has been a healthy selection throughout the series, this was the first Omaha event that came with no added extras. Merely a simple Pot Limit tournament that was sure to separate the fish from the sharks in the Omaha ocean.

The entry fee came in at the higher end of the WCOOP’s price range, outside of the marquee events, at $1000 + $50. While that may have put some players off the promise of $500,000 added to the prize pool may have soon changed their minds; a field of 742 runners seems to suggest that it did. The players bumping the prize pool up to a total of $742,000.

Of all the Team PokerStars pros who sat down at their computers for event #30, the one who drew the most focus was former World Champion Greg Raymer. Already the proud owner of a WCOOP Omaha bracelet, from last years event #6, he was on the lookout for more silverware.     His day may have started well, but alas it was not to be. His two pair all-in against an opponents set meant that he was eliminated in 118th place - a meagre 10 spots from the money.

Joining him at the virtual felt were a host of other Team PokerStars members including:  Barry Greenstein, Vanessa Rousso Steve Paul-Ambrose, Andre Akkari, Vicky Coren, Isabelle Mercier and Marcin Horecki. Of this troupe four would break the money bubble (Akkari, Paul-Ambrose, Horecki and Mercier), with Isabelle the highest professional finisher. Mercier, who has 6 WSOP cashes to her name as well as a victory in the 2004 WPT Ladies’ Night tournament, ended her night in 42nd place.

The dubious honor of being the final table bubble went to GRinDer444, who got his last few chips in the middle against the already pot committed salamandra24. GRinDer444 looked to be on top when the flop came, his pocket 5’s finding a match on the flop to give him a set, ahead of salamandra24’s J-T two pair. However the turn would not be so kind, a T fell to give both players a full house - but with salamandra24’s Tens full of Jacks well ahead of GRinDer444 and his Fives full of Tens. Only the case five could prevent his elimination and, predictably, it was nowhere to be found.

The chip stacks going into the final table were:

Seat 1: potstabber10 618,172
Seat 2: salamandra24 743,997
Seat 3: styroben33 59,647
Seat 4: iggymcfly 1,420,506
Seat 5: phatman 410,925
Seat 6: Skjervøy 123,211
Seat 7: DAVIDOXXX 994,129
Seat 8: Tmay420 447,265
Seat 9: u_dirty_dog 747,148

Styroben33 entered the final table with less than half the number of chips of his nearest opponent, so it was no surprise to see him exit the table first. All in with K-Q-2-K he was called by potstabber with 8-4-6-4. A flop full of rags suited potstabber just fine, as the 5-7-9 on the board gave him a straight and brought an end to styroben33’s tournament.

This left Skjervøy as the shortest stack at the table, and it was not long before he followed in the footsteps of his predecessor. DAVIDOXXX put in a raise pre-flop to force out potstabber and tempt in Skjervøy. The flop of Q-4-6 seemed to suit them both, as DAVIDOXXX shoved his sizable chip stack in the middle, closely followed by Skjervøy’s more modest total. Skjervøy may have been less happy with the board once he revealed his pair of Queens, only to discover that DAVIDOXXX was holding not only a pair of Queens, but also a pair of sixes. The remaining cards failed to hit anyone and Skjervøy was eliminated in 8th.

Having entered the final table second in chips, and with an knock-out already under his belt, you might have expected DAVIDOXXX to be making inroads towards the coveted WCOOP bracelet. However in the hands following his elimination of Skjervøy he squandered his chips and soon found himself with a less than reputable chip stack. In a contest against iggymcfly, the table chipleader, he found himself all in pre-flop with Jd-Ad-9s-Kd against Ks-Kh-5s-3d. The flop landed in iggy’s favour, Kc-Qd-5d giving him two pair. DAVIDOXXX’s hopes rested on a diamond flush draw and two hearts on the turn and river meant that his tournament was over in 7th place.

Next to head to the rail was Tmay420, after a nasty suck out scuppered his chances of any WCOOP silverware. He looked to be well ahead of u_dirty_dog with a set of aces, after he drew his opponent into making the all-in bet on the flop. However u_dirty_dog hit a backbreaking runner-runner backdoor heart flush to send Tmay420 home in 6th place.

After beginning at a respectable pace the table now entered a period of relative calm. This, however, proved only to be the eye of the hurricane, with the next big pot triggering a landslide. Iggymcfly, had valiantly held onto the chip lead for most of the final table, but it was finally wrestled away from him by u_dirty_dog. All in on the flop, dog’s set of 8’s held up against the open ended and double gutshot straight draws of iggymcfly. This mammoth pot left u_dirty_dog with more than double the chips of his closest opponent.

Shortly after this iggymcfly was involved in another momentous hand. The flop arrived showing 2d-Ts-Jh and both iggy and phatman put all the money in the middle. Phatman could only muster a open ended straight draw, behind to iggy’s pair of Jacks. The turn and river missed both players and phatman had played his last hand, exiting in 5th.

Most players would have had enough excitement at this point, but not iggymcfly. This time he faced off against potstabber10, who was all-in on the flop with Ac-Ad-7d-Tc against iggy’s Qs-7h-8h-Js. The flop read 3h-5h-4c, leaving potstabber’s pocket AA at the head of the pack. However a heart on the turn brought iggy the flush he had been searching for and ended potstabber10’s night in 4th place.

With only three players remaining a deal looked on the cards as players entered discussions. Two of the three were happy to split the money according to chip stacks, leaving $10,000 and the bracelet still to play for. Iggymcfly, however, wasn’t ready to let things finish that smoothly. Insisting that he had an edge over the other two players he demanded more money than his chip stack warranted. Eventually a compromise was reached as u_dirty_dog graciously agreed to give up $2K of his own prize money to satiate iggy’s lust for dollars. The money was split:

u_dirty_dog: $110,000
iggymcfly: $106,203.72
salamandra24’s: $87,291.28

Perhaps it was karma, or perhaps he was just satisfied with his sizable cut of the prize money, but it was iggymcfly who would be eliminated next - losing two out of five hands to salamandra24. In the first salamandra was way ahead with full house against iggy’s QQ second pair, although in the second tussle iggy started with the advantage. All in preflop with A-A-Q-4 and K-K-9-8 for iggy and salamandra respectively, left iggy in a good position. His good work would soon be undone however, a King on the flop left him looking for a recovery which never came.

This left the two heads up combatants with very similar chipstacks:

salamandra24: 2,976,604
u_dirty_dog: 2,588,396

Despite their numerical proximity the bout lasted only 13 minutes. The battle started at pace with salamandra taking down 1,700,000 on one single pot. Rather than sealing the victory for salamandra it was u_dirty_dog who reclaimed the lead ten hands later after he rivered a flush to pull ahead of salamandra’s two pair.

Just when things looked as if they might tip backwards and forwards all night the tournament came to an end with a bang. It all ended with a straightforward race. Salamandra24 made a set on the flop, and was up against the flush and gutshot draws of u_dirty_dog. The draw was dodged successfully, leaving u_dirty_dog down and all but out - with only 24,484 chips. An impossible fight back attempt began after dog doubled up on the next hand, but the blind all in move that followed would be his last play of the night. A high pair enough to give salamandra24 victory in WCOOP event #30.

Final prizes were:

The second World Series of Poker Europe opens its doors tomorrow as poker’s elite descend on London. The hub of European poker will stage the prestigious event at the Empire Casino, and promises to be an even greater success that last years inaugural event. The hosts are looking to improve upon last years efforts with better organization and a brand new event.

Last years main event awarded £1,000,000 to young Annette Obrestrad, better known online as “Annette_15″. Already a prolific online player she not only became the youngest ever person to win a WSOP event, the day before her 19th birthday, she also edged the record for the highest ever single event payout - at just over $2 million.

The cream of the European and American poker scene were out in force last year, and those select few conspicuous by their absence have confirmed their attendance this year. The U.S. contingent, especially, will be looking to improve on last year, after they failed to take home any bracelets. The woman who came closest to ferrying some European WSOP gold over the Atlantic was Jennifer Harman, who finished second in the £2,500 H.O.R.S.E event.

The series begins tomorrow with the newly added £1,500 No Limit Hold ‘em event and continues all week. The three events to follow are: £2,500 H.O.R.S.E, £5,000 Pot Limit Omaha and the £10,000 No Limit Hold ‘em.

Second place in last years main event was 23 year old UK pro John Tabatabai, and  those Londoners who deigned to gaze skywards as they strolled along the Thames may have caught a surprising glimpse of the Welshman. Acting as the celebrity dealer for a unique poker event held for members of the media, Tabatabai and his compatriots were strapped into a special poker table suspended 45 meters above the ground. The floor-less contraption was the scene for a unique Sit and Go, orchestrated by Betfair, the sponsors of this years WSOPE.

An even more extraordinary event has been taking place these last few days in another part of the UK. Just over 24 hours ago the (land based) professional Dave Cain broke the record for the longest poker game ever played by one player. The previous record had been held by the American Larry Olmsted, who played for 72 hours and 2 minutes in a full ring game at Foxwoods Casino in 2004. What makes Dave’s attempt all the more impressive is that he playing only heads up. The massive weight of concentration may well have been the toughest barrier Dave has had to overcome.

Those of you not yet impressed may well be when you hear that Dave is still going strong at the Library Bar in Lincoln, UK. Reportedly so that he does not have to come back and break the record again, Dave is aiming for a total of 100 hours continuous play and will reach his target in just over 2 hours. The Guinness approved world record attempt is to raise funds for the Barnabas Lincolnshire Hospice and Louth & District Hospice charities. To held Dave reach his sponsorship target, and to congratulate him on his fantastic achievement, visit his website.

As reported here the Payment System Protection Act , designed to limit the scope of the UIGEA and refine what it is that constitutes illegal online gambling, was passed through the House Financial Services Committee yesterday. Seeing as this is a potentially groundbreaking issue for the poker world there follows a more detailed look at the history and potential ramifications of the bill:

Since it’s introduction the vague nature of the UIGEA has been a cause of some concern throughout government, the banking industry and the online gaming world. Although it is quite clear, as was it’s original intention, sports betting is to be prohibited under the act, the position of poker and other skill games is hazy. This has lead to the fractured market we experience today, were some companies have chosen to withdraw from the U.S. while others have continued to operate.

The key idea behind HR 6870 is to ensure that the UIGEA only legally applies to those activities that have already been banned under federal law. Namely: Sports betting. To avoid further confusion it also called for the Federal Reserve and the U.S. Treasury to provide a clear guide as to what is and what is not considered illegal under those existing laws. The UIGEA’s other major sticking point, which this bill also hopes to address, is the shifting of legal responsibility away from the government and on to the financial institutions. The banks are reluctant to accept the job of punishing those who transfer money to and from gambling websites and are unlikely to make any significant action without strict guidelines to limit their culpability.

The bill did not have a smooth ride to the vote, a last minute protest from American sports leagues attempted to derail proceedings. Their behavior was generally greeted with derision by supporters of the bill. Rep. William Clay pointing out that the bill makes explicit that sports betting is outlawed under current law and that “if that doesn’t satisfy major league sports, nothing else will.”

The House Financial Services Committee is responsible for overseeing the entire financial services industry in America, as well as the Federal Reserve and the United States Department of Treasury. It’s approval of a bill that would see the potential legalization of online poker is a significant step in restoring health to the poker industry.

The lobbying group, the Poker Players Alliance, were plainly delighted that the bill had been so successful. PPA Chairman Alfonse D’Amato said that “The PPA is pleased that the House Financial Services Committee today recognized the need to provide necessary clarification to what constitutes ‘unlawful Internet gambling’ under the [UIGEA] by passing H.R. 6870.”

The bill will go before committee in congress in 2009 and discussion of it may well delay full implementation of the UIGEA.

Yesterday evening saw the conclusion of one of the most important events in this years WCOOP Calendar. The $1000 + $15 No Limit Hold ‘em tournament, otherwise known as Event #20, holds the honor of having the biggest guaranteed prize pool outside of the main event. A fantastic $3,000,000 was added in advance of any buy-in money, meaning that the finest of the finest of the Poker Stars crop were out in force to compete for a prestigious WCOOP bracelet.

As you might expect, among this stellar field were a cavalcade of Team PokerStars Pros. Barry Greenstein, in particular, showing laudable dedication to the cause - competing in the Event #20 despite having completed his 9th place run in the H.O.R.S.E tournament just that morning. Other pros who turned out to accompany him included: Chris Moneymaker, Dario Minieri, Bertrand “ElkY” Gosspellier, Greg Raymer, Humberto Brenes, Joe Hachem, John Duthie, and Vanessa Rousso.

These recognizable names contributed to a final tally of 3,467 players, meaning that the prize pool came in at a massive $3,467,000. All the players were given plenty of time to work their magic, with deep stacks starting at 15,000, relative to the blinds of only 25/50 in level one. The tournament was scheduled to run over two days.

Despite arriving in force there were only two Team PokerStars members left in the running once Day 1 had come to an end. Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier and Humberto Brene were left to fly the flag for their fallen professional compatriots. ElkY’s progress in particular is commendable, given that in the previous event (#19), the $25,000 High-Roller Heads-Up No Limit Hold em’ tournament, he finished in second place.

His good form looked to be continuing after he doubled up early, A-A against Q-Q, and with half of the day 2 field eliminated both pros were still in the hunt. Although Brenes days looked to be numbered when his A-K rain into the K-K of the unpronounceably named VuaXi`Tô, a lone bullet on the flop saved him from elimination. Lady Luck, however, would not shine on Humberto another time. Again finding himself in the same situation, A-K against K-K, he was unable to track down another Ace. Taking the spoils was eventual final tabler Mary 717, who keen minds may remember was the victor in Event #7. It was left up to another future member of the final table to eliminate the last remaining Team PokerStars player. NYC P.I.M.P got himself in behind with A-J against ElkY’s A-Q, but a Jack on the board soon put him on top and eliminated ElkY in 16th.

By the time the remaining nine players were ready to commence the final table the tournament had been running for 15 hours. The players and their chip counts were:

Seat 1: Mary 717 11,817,844
Seat 2: Sumar07 1,223,614
Seat 3: JSchnett 2,093,726
Seat 4: henri72 3,150,664
Seat 5: CamoJr 6,325,276
Seat 6: VuaXi`Tô’ 1,096,544
Seat 7: QuasiFiction 17,614,385
Seat 8: C.K. 4,630,228
Seat 9: NYC P.I.M.P 4,068,719

Predictably it was the two shortest stacks who were the first to vacate the table. Estonian player Sumar08 was all-in on a race against the 9-9 of JSchnett with his A-Q. A blank board meaning that his tournament was over in 9th. Following shortly after was VuaXi`Tô’, who’s J-T suited all-in was called by CamoJr with an A-Q suited. A glimmer of hope arrived on the turn, with VuaXi`Tô’ having both flush and gutshot draws, but a lame duck on the river was not what he had been looking for.

After the shortest stacks had been dealt with the play became all the more cagey. Only NYC P.I.M.P was able to take advantage of the lull, securing a double up which left him with $6,600,000. His pocket eights streets ahead of the 3-3 that Mary 717 was holding.

The next elimination occurred when Mary 717 was all in preflop against henri72. The two were holding Q-7 and A-Q respectively and henri looked set for a double up until the board came 6-5-3-4-8 - making Mary an unlikely straight. As if to compensate for the quiet period that had just passed the 6th place elimination followed only five minutes after the 7th. JSchnett was all-in with his pocket Jacks preflop, but was helpless after he ran into the AA of C.K. The board blanked everyone and time was called on JSchnett’s run at the bracelet.

With only 5 remaining the idea of a deal was floated. A few players seemed skeptical at first, but before too long all the players were willing to enter discussions and the tournament was paused. Despite some last minute wrangling a deal was thrashed out, with $60,000 and the all important bracelet left to play for. The chop meant that, excluding the remaining $60K, the final table payouts were:

1. NYC P.I.M.P $197,953
2. QuasiFiction $340,000
3. CamoJr $230,388
4. C.K. $226,965
5. Mary 717 $288,155
6. JSchnett $107,477
7. henri72 $72,807
8. VuaXi`Tô’ $45,071
9. Sumar07 $31,203

Contrary to expectations, play following the deal was relatively sedate. However, once the players had finished counting their winnings it was back to business as usual. WCOOP bracelet holder Mary 717 got herself all in with A-Q and was thoroughly dominated by QuasiFiction’s A-A. The board was no help and the former champion bowed out in 5th place. The first post-deal knockout seemed to open the floodgates as C.K. was eliminated in the very next hand. Down to his last few chips, C.K. made his final stand with K-6 and had the misfortune of competing against NYC P.I.M.P’s 66. A board of blanks meant that NYC’s pocket pair was good enough to take the pot and end C.K.’s tournament. It wasn’t long before another player fell victim to an NYC pocket pair. CamoJr had his own 7-7, but he was looking up at the 10-10 of NYC. Another uneventful board put CamoJr out in 3rd.

That left just the heads up battle between NYC P.I.M.P and QuasiFiction to decide who would pocket the extra $60,000, as well as the coveted WCOOP bracelet. Under the terms of the deal, QuasiFiction was already guaranteed the biggest share of the prize money, and it was he who entered started the contest with a 2-1 chip lead over his opponent. It was not to last. The chip lead shifted back and forth over the course of a tumultuous  few hands, but in the end it was NYC who emerged with the advantage.

With both players at full steam the heads up contest took only 16 minutes to reach a conclusion. On the final hand NYC P.I.M.P limped in on the button for 300,000 with QuasiFiction checking behind. The flop came Qd-9c-6h and, following a check from QuasiFiction, NYC led out for 550,000. His adversary called and the turn brought a 4c. QuasiFiction quickly led out for a 1,200,000 bet, but NYC trumped him by moving all-in over the top. It had been a long and difficult contest, and QuasiFiction had all but exhausted his time bank. Forced to make a quick decision he pushed his remaining chips in for the call and revealed his Ks-9h. To his dismay he found himself behind NYC’s Qh-2h. An unhelpful 4c on the river sealed the victory for NYC P.I.M.P and left QuasiFiction without the bracelet, but with the lions share of the cash.

Full List of Cashes: