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Alan Goehring Wins LA Poker Classic
Published: 2006-03-05
 March 5 - At $2.4 million it was the biggest prize in the history of the World Poker Tour at The L.A. Poker Classic and former junk bond trader, Alan Goehring, reigned supreme. Not bad for someone who plays professional poker for fun....
Alan Goehring is well respected by other poker pros, and even feared by some, but he is not considered a poker celebrity by the general public. Alan came second in the '99 WSOP main even, losing out to Noel Furlong, one of the loosest players around.
Goehring at one time built up a reputation as someone who came second often, but just could not crack the big payoff. but he completely put that myth to rest when he won the WPT Tournament of Champions in 2003. Having won the LA Poker Classic he will once again have the opportunity to compete in the Tournament of Champions in April 2006.
Previous winners of the L.A. Poker Classic included famous poker names "The Magician" Antonio Esfandiari and "The Grinder" Michael Mizrachi.
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EXTREME CARD GAME BY ONLINE POKER ROOM INTERPOKER
Published: 2006-03-11
 Caribbean poker champ gets to select the next venue - and makes a cold and calculating choice
Online poker room InterPoker's Extreme Poker championship 30 feet beneath the waves in the Caribbean attracted a great deal of media and player attention through it's innovative nature, and this year the online poker site has an equally intriguing venue.
Just months after winning the Caribbean competition, Finnish poker pro Juha Helppi was given the option to select the venue for the next Extreme event. Opting for "home field advantage," Juha is taking the tournament to his own backyard in the arctic ice fields of Finland at the world's largest snow castle in Kemi on March 29.
Deep inside the massive ice edifice, three online qualifiers will take on poker pros Rob Varkonyi, Juha Helppi and Pete "The Beat" Giordano, as they shuffle up and deal in one of the harshest climates the arctic has to offer.
"By opening up the tournament to Internet qualifiers, we are giving online players a chance to make poker history, as well as the celebrity status of achieving the title 'Extreme Poker Champion,'" said InterPoker spokesperson Peter Marcus. "While Juha undoubtedly has the home field advantage in this tournament, there is always the possibility that a competitive and talented US professionals or one of our InterPoker online qualifiers will take his title."
Constructed in December 2005, the Snow Castle is made up of approximately 60,000 cubic feet of snow and ice, and maintains a constant internal temperature well below freezing. Enormous snow towers, intricate ice sculptures and a spacious (and extremely chilled) dining hall are trademark elements of the newly raised world landmark.
"The snow castle is very beautiful and very cold -- just like the city where I grew up. I will be right at home in the castle, and aim to take advantage of home field advantage in every way possible," said Helppi.
In addition to battling the frigid temperatures, players will encounter new rules in the arctic tournament that will make play more challenging. For example, when a player takes a major hit in his or her chip stack, they will be given the option of buying back their chips in exchange for an article of clothing, such as their coat or shirt. Players leave the competition when they run out of chips (and all non-essential clothing), or are forced to leave after succumbing to the cold. Medical personnel will be present at all times to monitor the health of all participants.
"Poker is an endurance sport and we have just made it harder, no one can doubt that playing poker in subzero temperatures, with very little light, requires the utmost concentration, patience and mental stamina," said Marcus.
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