Stampede Poker Classic FreeRolls

Still a few days left to win a $7000
SPC package from The Score.
Sign up at 888poker.com and play
a freeroll (8pm, 9pm, 10pm daily)
$7k prize includes $3k tourny entry,
air fare, Deerfoot Casino accomodations,
and $500 walkin around money.

http://www.thescore.com/contests/888/

2-7 Lowball

I've been practicing my
2-7 Triple Draw over on Poker Stars.
Having fun learning the game.

A few things i've picked up quickly:

Its a game of drawing to the nuts.
(just like omaha).

2-7 lowball is an action game, lots of
people splash around in a lot of pots.
Surprising how many people put money
into the pot without a deuce.

I can also see how reading your
opponents would be super important
in a live game, because you never get to
see any of their cards. I'm still a total novice
at this game, but theres a lot of strategy
to learn and its good practice paying attention
... you have to pay attention in this game !

Full Tilt Freerolls

Poker After Dark, Round 2 Tourny
Tomorrow (Saturday), 3:05pm.
100 Full Tilt Points to enter.
One seat guaranteed to PAD Final
on July 27, where you can win
your way on to an episode of the show.
Warning: This is a Donk-tacular !

The $100 Canadians only was quite
a bit more tame, still slightly donkish,
but not like the PAD one.
(I finished 11th out of 2000 entries)

Tony & Sylvia !

(Sylvia thinking over her next move at the WSOP)

Two former Premier Poker Tour

players from London just got back

from Las Vegas.

Tony and Sylvia Shilyuk
both cashed at the WSOP !!!

Tony came in 5th at Event #9
$1500 Short Handed NL Holdem,
worth a cool $70,860.

He started the final table as the
short stack with 310,000 in chips
Hand 75, Rep Porter on the button
in seat 3 raises to 45,000.
Tony thinks a bit, then moves all in
from the small blind for 138,000.
The others get out of the way & Rep calls.
Tony shows: Kc 8c
Rep shows: 3c 3s
The gallery was on their feet
in the Final Table Area.
Porter has Tony covered so
his tournament life is on the line.
The flop comes Jd 4s 2c.
Porter's legion of fans applaud
while Tony's grow uneasy.
The tournament director explains
that Tony needs to catch a King,
an Eight, running Clubs, or
running double Board Pair to
stay alive in the hand.
The turn comes the 4c ,
the best card that could come
without taking the lead outright.
Now Tony can catch a King, an 8,
a Jack, or a Club to survive and
double up. When the dealer layed
down the river, it was the 5d.
Porter's pocket threes hold up
as he breaks the 2 million chip mark.
Tony went out in fifth and Porter
went on to win the bracelet.


Sylvia came in 40th at Event # 15
$1000 Ladies World Championship
for $3682.

The cutoff, Jody Phillippo, raised
All In preflop with 9d 9h.
Sylvia called from the big blind
with Qc Qh.
The flop was 8s 7c 5d giving Phillipo
a straight draw. The turn gave her
a double gutshot, more outs when
the 10s popped off.
Sylvia had one more card to sweat,
and then boom... the 6d landed as
the last card. Phillippo made a
straight and sent Sylvia to the rail.
Also notable, Sylvia finished ahead
of tourny veterans Kathy Leibert
and Evelyn Ng.

Big Congrats to both of you !

Full Tilt Freerolls

$100 Canadians Only FreeRoll.
Tonight, 8:35pm.
Practice your donkament skills !

Poker After Dark, Round 2 Tourny
Tonight, 10:05pm.
100 Full Tilt Points to enter.
One seat guaranteed to PAD Final
on July 27, where you can win your
way on to an episode of the show.

Heartland Poker Tour in Detroit

The Heartland Poker Tour will be
within easy driving distance over the
next few months.

Soaring Eagle Casino, Mount Pleasant, MI
August 16-24th

Turning Stone Casino, Verona NY
Ocotober 15-19th

Detroits GreekTown Casino
October 19-26th

I watch it on Dishnet satellite all the time,
but for those unfamiliar with it, the HPT
is a "minor league" poker tour with reasonable
buy-ins and relatively large prize pools.
HPT tapes the final table and creates 2
one-hour episodes with full commentary
to be aired on TV at a later date.

HPT usually has 3 events held over a
week at the host casino.
Buy-in's are usually $560, $760,
and $1650 for the televised Main Event.

Starting stack for the ME is $10,000 chips
(5k chips for other events).
Blinds go up every 40 minutes.

I'll probably be giving the GreekTown event
a shot in October.

Anyone interested in attending a rake-free
satellite home-game tournament for a seat ?

Niagara Satellites SUSPENDED

I got word that all WPT satellites and
any other WPT promotions/advertisings
at both Fallsview and Casino Niagara
are suspended....

Good idea to call ahead if you were thinking
of heading down to play in one of these sats.

There is some financial uncertainty with
WPT Ent. This has a lot to do with
Game Show Network (GSN) not renewing
their contract for World Poker Tour tv show.

WPT Ent. is supposed to be in negotiations
with other networks, and if a deal is going
to happen, it'll likely happen soon since
Season 7 of the WPT is scheduled to get
underway with the Bellagio Cup IV,
July 11-17, 2008 at the Bellagio in Las Vegas.

I'll do my best to keep you updated.

CANADIANS cash in Event #2

Picture of Scott Mongomery at WPT

Congratulations are in order for Aaron "Pacmann" Coulthard of Waterloo, Ontario for finishing 6th, worth almost $212,000.

Also, Scott Montgomery from Ottawa had a great couple days during the WSOP Event # 2 where he finished in 29th spot for a $18,770 pay day.
His only previous major finish was in February at the 2008 WPT L.A. Poker Classic, 5th place for a cool $296,860.00
He plays on Full Tilt as.................. r_a_y_m_a_n_d and on PokerStars as.................... r_a_y sm

...and Josh Engerdahl from BC,13th for $41,296

...and Andre Boyer , 24th for $24,134

...and Michael Lum, Toronto, 33rd for $18,771

...and Alan Lai from BC, 105th for $4,827

...and Arda Fikri from Ontario, 111th for $4827

...and Terrance Chan,Vancouver, 120th for $4827

...and Quentin Krueger Winnipeg, 130th for $4559

...and Dustin Cole, Ontario, 162nd for $4559

...and Roberto Durante, Ontario, 178th for $4290

...and Nghi Van Tran ,Toronto, 179th for $4290

...and Keith Wintermans, Vancouver, 223rd, $4022

...and Brandon Sampson, BC, 258th for $3754

...and Brian Fitzgerald, Ontario, 263rd for $3754

...and Bedard Marcel, from Quebec, 317th, $3218

...and Russ McDonnell, from Ontario, 320th, $3218

WSOP #1 won by Canadian

The first event of the 2008 WSOP
just finished up about a half hour
ago... and score one for CANADA !

Niagara Falls pro NENAD MEDIC won
Event 1, the $10,000 Pot-Limit Hold'em
World Championship and earned $ 794,112.
He beat out 352 of the best pros out there.
No kidding, the final table included big names
like Andy Bloch, Mike Sexton, Phil Laak,
Kathy Liebert and Patrik Antonius ! !

He mostly plays cash games, so he's not a
household name despite some solid fishishes.

In January 2005 at the WPT Caribbean Adventure
he finished 6th out of 461 players, for $100K.
He also had 2 cashes at the '05 WSOP.

In January 2006 he came in 3rd at the Australian
Poker Championshipfor $275K.
In November 2006, Nenad made $1.7 million by
finishing 1st at the WPT Championship at Foxwoods.

Nenad plays on Full Tilt as.... serb2127

08 WPT Niagara Satellites Announced

WPT NAPC Satellites 2008

Step 1:
- $70 ($53 + $17), 24% fees/rake.
[Last year's Step 1 had 19% fees ($73 + $17).]
- 1st place wins seat to $460 satellite.
- 2nd place gets replay in $70 satellite.
- 1000 chips, 10 minutes.
- Casino Niagara only, Thursday-Sunday.
- Patience Factor: 1 Skill Level: 0

Step 2:
- $460 ($418 + $42), 9% fees.
[2007's Step 2 two-table format had 5% fees ($607 + $33).]
- Top 3 gets seat to $1,240 Step Q satellite.
- 4th gets $460 replay.
- 2000 chips.
[Last year's Step 2 had 25% more chips at 2,500.]
- 20-minute levels.
- Saturday at Casino Niagara, Sunday-Friday at Fallsview.
- Patience Factor = 2.7, Skill Level = 1

Step A:
- $170 ($141 + $29), 17% fees.
[$290 in fees will be taken away from the players
for every Step A satellite, or over 20% more than
the $240 last year ($136 + $24).]
- 1st place gets seat to $1,240 Step Q satellite.
- 2nd gets $170 replay.
- 1200 chips.
- 15-minute levels.
- Daily.
- Patience Factor = 1.3, Skill Level = 1

Step Q:
- $1,240 ($1,154 + $86), 7% fees.
[$860 in fees will be taken away from the players for
every Step Q satellite, which is a whopping 72% more
than the $500 last year ($1150 + $50)!]
- 1st place gets NAPC entry. 2nd place gets $1,240 replay.
- 3,000chips.
- 30-minute levels.- Saturday (daily starting on Oct 1).
- Patience Factor = 6.2, Skill Level = 4.


I think we'll see a lot more rake free satellites
being organized amongst players who think these
rake fees are getting too high.
(I will be running one at some point)

*Thanks to my friend BlondeFish for the comparisons
& patience factor / skill level calculations.

Binion's announced return of the
Binion's Poker Classic. This year's BPC
runs from May 28 through July 8, 2008.

The 41-day series includes 43 events,
the vast majority of which include a
very affordable entry fee designed
for the budget-minded player.
Entries for selected events are as low
as $90+10, with a $10 "bonus buy" for
an extra 2,000 in starting chips available
in the majority of events. The buy-ins
in most cases are designed to be about
one tenth that of corresponding events
going on at the World Series of Poker
at the Rio.

The two largest buy-in events of the BPC
are a June 27 PLO tournament ($950+50,
20,000 in starting chips), and the BPC's
championship event ($1,920+80, 25,000
in starting chips).


Satellites are available for selected events;
starting times and blind levels vary.
Binion's is suspended its normal 2pm
afternoon tourneys for the duration of the BPC.
More information is available on the
www.binions.com site.

The complete schedule:

Date/ Time/ Event /Buy-in/ Starting Chips/ Bonus Chips

5-28 2PM #1 - No-Limit Hold'em (Employees) $90+10 2,000 2,000
5-29 2PM #2 - No-Limit Hold'em $135+15 3,000 2,000
5-30 2PM #3 - No-Limit Hold'em $135+15 3,000 2,000
5-31 4PM #4 - Pot-Limit Hold'em $135+15 3,000 2,000
6-1 4PM #5 - Limit Omaha 8 or Better $135+15 3,000 2,000
6-2 2PM #6 - No-Limit Hold'em $180+20 4,000 2,000
6-3 2PM #7 - Limit Omaha8/Stud8 $225+25 5,000 2,000
6-4 2PM #8 - Limit Hold'em $135+15 3,000 2,000
6-5 2PM #9 - No-Limit Hold'em $225+25 5,000 2,000
6-6 11AM #10 - Ladies No-Limit $90+10 2,000 2,000
6-6 2PM #11 - Limit Omaha 8 $180+20 4,000 2,000
6-7 4PM #12 - No-Limit Hold 'em (Shootout) $135+15 3,000 2,000
6-8 4PM #13 - Pot-Limit Omaha $135+15 3,000 2,000
6-9 12PM #14 - No-Limit Hold'em $460+40 10,000 N/A
6-10 2PM #15 - No-Limit Hold'em $180+20 4,000 2,000
6-11 2PM #16 - Razz $135+15 3,000 2,000
6-12 2PM #17 - No-Limit Hold'em $135+15 3,000 2,000
6-13 2PM #18 - No-Limit Hold'em $270+30 6,000 2,000
6-14 4PM #19 - No-Limit Hold 'em (6Handed) $225+25 5,000 2,000
6-15 4PM #20 - Seven Card Stud $135+15 3,000 2,000
6-16 2PM #21 - No-Limit Hold'em $135+15 3,000 2,000
6-17 2PM #22 - No-Limit Hold'em $135+15 3,000 2,000
6-18 2PM #23 - Pot-Limit Hold'em $180+20 4,000 2,000
6-19 2PM #24 - No-Limit Hold'em $135+15 3,000 2,000
6-20 2PM #25 - Mixed Hold'em $135+15 3,000 2,000
6-21 11AM #26 - Seniors No-Limit $90+10 2,000 2,000
6-21 4PM #27 - HORSE $225+25 5,000 2,000
6-22 4PM #28 - Pot-Limit Omaha 8 $135+15 3,000 2,000
6-23 2PM #29 - No-Limit Hold 'em w/rebuys $90+10 2,000 2,000
6-24 2PM #30 - Seven Card Stud 8 $135+15 3,000 2,000
6-25 2PM #31 - No-Limit Hold'em $180+20 4,000 2,000
6-26 2PM #32 - No-Limit Hold'em $135+15 3,000 2,000
6-27 12PM #33 - Pot-Limit Omaha $950+50 20,000 N/A
6-28 4PM #34 - No-Limit Hold'em $135+15 3,000 2,000
6-29 4PM #35 - Limit Hold'em $135+15 3,000 2,000
6-30 12PM #36 - No-Limit Hold'em $460+40 10,000 N/A
7-1 12PM #37 - No-Limit Hold'em $460+40 10,000 N/A
7-2 2PM #38 - No-Limit Hold'em $135+15 3,000 2,000
7-3 2PM #39 - No-Limit Hold'em $180+20 4,000 2,000
7-4 2PM #40 - Limit Omaha 8 or Better $180+20 4,000 2,000
7-5 4PM #41 - No-Limit Hold'em (Employees) $90+10 2,000 2,000
7-6 4PM #42 - Pot-Limit Omaha 8 $135+15 3,000 2,000
7-7 12PM #43 - No-Limit Holdem (Championship) $1,920+80 25,000
7-8 #43 - Day 2 of Championship Event

FT announces MINI-WSOP Events

Even if you can’t make it to Vegas for the

WSOP, you can still be part of the action.

With more than $700,000 in guaranteed

prize money spread over more than

50 events, Full Tilt Poker’s Mini Series

of Poker is your chance to share in the

thrill of poker’s most prestigious series

from the comfort of your own couch.

From May 30th through July 5th,

the MSOP will let you play the same

day’s tournaments that will be running

at the WSOP in Las Vegas for anywhere

from $10 to $500 – just 1/100th of what

it would cost you to play at the Rio.

Check out the full schedule to find

all of the events you want to play,

and look for satellites starting for as

little as $2 + $.25 or 50 Full Tilt Points.

And because no poker series is complete

without a special prize, they’ll award each

event winner with a limited edition

Full Tilt Poker Champion’s Watch

in addition to their first-place prize money.

Go deep in as many events as possible

to work your way up our MSOP Leaderboard

and your play can even earn you a $10K

seat at the 2009 Main Event in Las Vegas.

Play for your chance to become an

MSOP champion and see why what

happens in Vegas doesn’t have to stay

in Vegas anymore.

Mini Series Of Poker Schedule

Event/Date/Time (ET)/Game/Guarantee

1/May 30th/15:20/$100 + $9 PL Hold’em/$20,000
2/May 31th/15:20/$15 + $1.50 NL Hold 'em/$15,000
3/June 2nd/15:20/$15 + $1.50 PL Hold’em/$4,000
4/June 2nd/20:20/$50 + $5 Mixed Hold’em/$10,000
5/June 3rd/15:20/$10 + $1 NL Hold 'em Rebuy/$8,000
6/June 3rd/20:20/$15 + $1.50 Omaha Hi/Lo/$3,000
7/June 4th/15:20/$20 + $2 NL Hold 'em/$10,000
8/June 4th/20:20/$100 + $9 Mixed Hold’em/$20,000
9/June 5th/15:20/$15 + $1.50 NL Hold 'em 6max/$7,500
10/June 5th/20:20/$25 + $2.50 OE/$2,500
11/June 6th/15:30/$50 + $5 NL Hold 'em Shootout/$25,000
12/June 6th/20:20/$15 + $1.50 Limit Hold 'em/$3,000
13/June 7th/15:20/$25 + $2.50 NL Hold 'em/$10,000
14/June 7th/20:20/$100 + $9 Stud/$10,000
15/June 8th/15:20/$10 + $1 NL Hold 'em/$5,000
16/June 8th/20:20/$20 + $2 Omaha Hi/Lo/$4,000
17/June 9th/15:20/$15 + $1.50 NL Hold 'em Shootout/$7,500
18/June 9th/20:20/$50 + $5 Razz/$5,000
19/June 10th/15:20/$15 + $1.50 PL Omaha/$3,000
20/June 10th/20:20/$20 + $2 Limit Hold 'em/$4,000
21/June 11th/15:30/$50 + $5 NL Hold 'em/$25,000
22/June 11th/20:20/$30 + $3 HORSE/$5,000
23/June 12th/15:20/$20 + $2 NL Hold 'em/$7,500
24/June 12th/20:20/$25 + $2.50 HA/$3,000
25/June 13th/15:20/$100 + $9 NL Hold 'em Heads-Up/$10,000
26/June 13th/20:20/$15 + $1.50 Razz/$2,000
27/June 14th/15:20/$15 + $1.50 NL Hold 'em/$7,500
28/June 14th/20:20/$50 + $5 PL Omaha Rebuy/$15,000
29/June 15th/15:20/$30 + $3 NL Hold 'em/$15,000
30/June 15th/20:20/$100 + $9 Limit Hold 'em/$15,000
31/June 16th/15:20/$25 + $2.50 NL Hold 'em 6max/$10,000
32/June 17th/15:20/$15 + $1.50 NL Hold 'em/$6,000
33/June 17th/20:20/$50 + $5 Stud Hi/Lo/$5,000
34/June 18th/15:20/$15 + $1.50 PL Omaha Rebuy/$5,000
35/June 18th/20:20/$15 + $1.50 Stud/$2,000
36/June 19th/15:20/$15 + $1.50 NL Hold 'em/$7,500
37/June 19th/20:20/$100 + $9 Omaha Hi/Lo/$15,000
38/June 20th/15:20/$20 + $2 PL Hold’em/$5,000
39/June 21st/15:20/$15 + $1.50 NL Hold 'em/$7,500
40/June 22nd/21:30/$500 + $35 HORSE/$50,000
41/June 22nd/20:20/$15 + $1.50 Mixed Hold’em/$5,000
42/June 23rd/15:20/$10 + $1 NL Hold 'em/$3,000
43/June 24th/15:20/$15 + $1.50 PL Omaha8/$3,000
44/June 25th/15:20/$10 + $1 NL Hold 'em Rebuy/$5,000
45/June 25th/20:20/$25 + $2.50 Razz/$3,000
46/June 26th/15:30/$50 + $5 NL Hold 'em 6max/$25,000
47/June 26th/20:20/$15 + $1.50 Stud8/$2,000
48/June 27th/15:20/$20 + $2 NL Hold 'em/$6,000
49/June 28th/15:20/$15 + $1.50 NL Hold 'em/$5,000
50/June 29th/15:20/$100 + $9 PL Omaha/$20,000
51/June 29th/20:20/$15 + $1.50 HORSE/$3,000
52/June 30th/15:20/$15 + $1.50 NL Hold 'em/$5,000
53/July 1st/15:20/$15 + $1.50 Limit Shootout/$3,000
54/July 5th/18:00/$100 + $9 NL Hold 'em/$250,000

Wicked Cheap Laptop Deals

Here's a new offer from www.Dell.ca
for Ontario and Quebec residents.

If you sign up for a new 1-year
high speed internet contract with Bell,
you can receive a $450 rebate on select
laptop and desktop systems (4 total),
including:

Inspiron Laptop 1525 - $99 after $450 Rebate !
- Intel Celeron 550 (1MB cache/2.00GHz/533Mhz FSB)
(T5550 upgrade available for $100)
- Genuine Windows Vista Home Basic Edition
- Midnight Blue
- 1GB Shared Dual Channel DDR2 at 667MHz
- 120GB SATA Hard Drive (5400RPM)
- 4-cell Battery
- 8X CD/DVD Burner

XPS M1330 Laptop
- $599 after $450 rebate
- Intel Core 2 Duo T5750
(2.0GHz/667Mhz FSB/2MB cache)
- Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium
- Standard Display w/ 2.0 Megapixel Webcam
- 2GB Shared Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 667MHz
- 160G 5400RPM SATA HDD
- Intel Integrated Graphics Media Accelerator 3100
- 8X CD/DVD Burner (DVD+/-RW)
- 6 cell battery

You receive a valid e-coupon after you
complete the sign up for the 1 year of
internet service. This offer is good in Ontario
and Quebec for new customers only,
and is valid from May 16 to May 22.

Sarnia now has No Limit !

POINT EDWARD CHARITY CASINO
now has 1-2 NL $100 max buy in.

I have heard that the size of your bet is
capped at $100 (have not confirmed personally).
May effect how you structure your bets if you
cant move all in to protect your hand, only
bet a max of $100.

My source said the action is great, very juicy.
1 or 2 good players and everyone else is
a limit player. The casino has only had fixed limit
holdem for the last 8 years the games are full
of people who have neverplayed NL cash before.

WestJet Wynn LV deal

WestJet Vacations is offering a
3-night stay at the luxurious
5-Diamond Wynn Las Vegas.
Deal includes air, accommodations & taxes.
Fly from Toronto: July 6,13,15,20 & 22...$694
(per person including taxes)

http://www.westjetvacations.com/content/deals/las-vegas-0163.html?WVID=travelzoo_top20_20080507

Spirit Vegas Deals

Spirit Airlines has some good
all-incl. deals going on right now.

Eg: Fly Non-Stop Detroit to Las Vegas
and stay at Circus Circus for 3 days
for $306 per person incl. all taxes & fees!!
(Price varies by date obviously)

http://www.spiritvacations.com/top_picks.asp?cmpid=EMC-TopPicks#LASALDA

WSOP Final Table Delayed 4 Months

A Comprehensive Look at the WSOP Final Table Delay – Part One
May 06, 2008 by BJ Nemeth

By now, everyone in poker has heard about the new format for this year's WSOP Main Event. The final table will be delayed several months to be shown "nearly live" on ESPN. It's a bold and controversial proposal, surrounded by rumors and wild theories.

This article aims to separate the facts from the fiction. The primary reason for the new change? In a word, ratings. The demographics for televised poker have been dropping in recent years, and that affects everyone in the poker world, from Harrah's and ESPN to PokerStars and Full Tilt to the grinders in the cash games who have fewer fresh fish to feed on. This change is designed to increase the buzz around the final table of the WSOP Main Event in an attempt to put it on par with other major "sports" championships. (While poker isn't actually a sport, the fans watch it in much the same way.) If the TV ratings for poker continue to fall, we face the possibility of losing poker on TV, except for late-night paid-for specials. The proponents of this plan claim that it will reinvigorate televised poker, draw new fans to the game, and potentially create another Moneymaker-style poker boom that would boost the entire industry. (Is there anyone in poker who didn't benefit from the post-Moneymaker boom?)

The detractors of this plan claim that this delay could kill the WSOP — or worse, kill some of the final nine players.

THE NEW SCHEDULE

Event #1 of the World Series of Poker starts at the end of this month, and the first 46 days of the WSOP will proceed on the original schedule. The only change is on the last day of the last event, and it will only directly affect the final nine players. (In last year's field of 6,358, they represented 0.0014% of the total.) When the biggest bubble boy in poker history is eliminated in tenth place on July 14, the remaining nine players will take a 117-day break before returning to play the final table. That's nearly 17 weeks, or about four months. Okay, so ratings are important. But why is the delay so long? Why 4 months? Why not two days, two weeks, or two months? For the answer, let's take a look at the full schedule for the Main Event and ESPN's coverage (all of ESPN's WSOP episodes are two hours each, except for the one-hour Final Table Preview on Nov. 4).

July 3-6: Days 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d of Main Event

July 7: *Off Day* July 8-9: Days 2a, 2b

July 10-14: Days 3-7 (down to final 9 players)

July 22 - Aug. 26: ESPN airs prelim events for 6 wks

Sep 2 - Oct 28: ESPN airs Main Event for 9 wks

Nov. 4: ESPN airs 1 hour final table preview

Nov. 9: Final Table played, 9 players to final 2

Nov. 10: Heads-up for the WSOP Championship

Nov. 11: ESPN shows final table at 9:00 pm ET

Why is the delay is so long? ESPN needs that time to show the prelims and the early days of the Main Event to build the viewing audience for the final table. To maximize the ratings (which, after all, is the primary goal), the early days of the Main Event have to air before the final table to build the storyline and introduce the players. So even if ESPN dropped covering prelims entirely, the delay would still be two and a half months.

WHAT HAPPENS TO THE 'NOVEMBER NINE ?

A source at Harrah's referred to the nine final tablists as the "November Nine," and I'm going to use that label to describe these 9 final tablists going forward. It's catchy, clear, and concise, and it's much easier than saying the "nine final tablists in the WSOP Main Event." As a bonus, it not only refers to the players, but the day they'll be returning to play the final table (Nov. 9th). As soon as the final table is set, the November Nine will immediately be paid 9th-place money. (Last year, ninth place paid $525,934; the average over the past four years was $890,798.) The remaining prize pool will be placed in an interest-bearing account, and the interest will be added to the prizepool.

The November Nine will be encouraged to stick around the next day (July 15) for a photo shoot, but according to WSOP Communications Director Seth Palansky, "Nothing is mandatory." The Player Release Form for all Main Event entrants is the same form used in prior years, and the November Nine will have no additional responsibilities forced upon them. There are no "reality TV" scenarios, and if the players don't want any ESPN cameras following them home, that is their choice. While the final nine are the ones most inconvenienced by the new schedule, they also have the potential to gain the most. WSOP Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack said, "We think the effect on those [final nine] players will be overwhelmingly positive, and we think it's going to do a lot to further mainstream this game."

They'll likely pick up at least 15 minutes of fame in their hometowns/home states/home countries, and receive some broad attention from the mainstream media as a group. Because anyone can win (a chip and a chair), even the player with the fewest chips will likely receive more media exposure than last year's third-place finisher. The potential to win poker's biggest prize, even as the underdog, is a compelling story that the mainstream media can run with. Finishing third in something that has already happened is not.

The delay also gives the November Nine an advantage in sponsor negotiations. Rather than signing a sponsor agreement late at night while exhausted and euphoric, players can negotiate contracts that are examined by a lawyer, and pursue additional sponsors outside of the usual online poker sites, since WSOP rules now allow players to wear multiple logos. (Last year, Robert Williamson III sported at least five different sponsor logos.) Also, if the ratings increase as expected, the November Nine should be able to earn more from their sponsorships. Some of the non-professional players are expected to hire poker coaches to help them improve their game during the delay, and all nine will undoubtedly be watching ESPN's coverage to get a feel for their opponents. Most people see this as a negative, saying that it disrupts the natural flow of the tournament, allowing players to dramatically improve their skills and potentially change the outcome. Others hope that it will improve the overall play at the final table, making it more entertaining and skill-based than years past. Regardless, 117 days is not enough time to turn Richie Cunningham into Allen Cunningham. When it's time to resume play in November, each player will receive an all-expenses paid trip for two back to the Rio in Las Vegas for the final table.

Check back tomorrow for part two, as we explore how the final table will differ this year, and what some of the issues are that are fueling some of the criticism toward this big change in the World Series of Poker.

Poker After Dark

The repeats are getting pretty
thick, with more on the way.

The only good news is that there will
be a few new shows intermixed with
more repeats. Keep an eye for:


Week of May 12 - New Show
(Love at First Raise)
Jennifer Harman, Marco Traniello,
Jennifer Tilly, Phil Laak,
Erica Schoenberg, David Benyamine

Week of May 19 - New Show
(Commentators Week)
Mark Gregorich, Chad Brown,
Oliver “Ali” Nejad, Robert Williamson,
Phil Gordon, Howard Lederer

Full Tilt Tournament Hand

click to enlarge

As a testiment to how g-didi
continues to run, here's a
screen shot of how she was
eliminated from the final table
of a 90 player Bounty Tournament
on Full Tilt last night.


She is "Devosleeps" in the
bottom seat, 2 under the gun.
Four way all-in preflop
with pocket Aces.

Vegas

Random Notes from Las Vegas

* Trucks spewing dirty diesel fumes drive

up and down the strip with the sole purpose

of advertising strippers, hookers & casino shows.

* People here put $4000 rims on a $1000 car.
(As opposed to back home where they

put a $4000 STEREO in a $1000 car)

* Cigarettes $2.49 -$3.79 per pack

* Gas $ 3.45 a gallon (approx. $0.90 cents a Litre !)
Shocked to see $1.20/L when I got back.

* Gas Station Sale: 12 bottles of Corona $5.99,
bottles of "fine" wine $3.99 each.

* Oasis Motel where Stu Ungar died,
rooms available for $33 / night.
Room #16 is currently occupied.

* Food is cheaper down south,
Junk food is WAY cheaper, is there a
connection to the larger % of overweight people ?

Vegas Monday

Stayed out of trouble the entire trip

and did not require their services.

Sunday late

1:30am
Headed back to the Sahara for a nap.
Didnt want to admit the trip was coming
to an end, but long travel day ahead.

The tired is kicking in, sitting on the
hotel bed, couldnt help but laugh
hysterically at this woman on CNN,
mother of " Texas Polygamy Kids"
who had the most perfect UNI-BROW
that I've ever seen. The hair-doo
makes it just that much more priceless.
Things seem so much more funny when
you havent slept much.

Havent laughed that hard in a while







Woke up 4:30 am, shower, coffee, and checkout.
Headed to Car Rental Center (all car rentals are at
same place several miles away from airport) to
return P/T Crapper. Leave yourself good
20-25 minutes to catch the free shuttle from the
car rental building to the airport.
Made our flight out at 6:15am
and were on our way home.

Sunday Night

It would be wrong to visit Margaritaville and
order beer, so I ordered a Red Bull Margarita
and Gina had some fruity margarita that I cant
remember the name of.. Off to see the Lizard
Margarita ?, Who's to Blame Margarita ??
She was disappointed that the margarita
came in a regular glass, not a margarita glass.
Was very yummy though.

The Nacho plate ($10.95) was all I expected
and more, lots of real melted cheese, ground beef,
jalapeno peppers and sour cream. (Not sure
the picture shows how massive this thing was).
Two hungry people had a tough time finishing it,
and we didn’t. Cool atmosphere, giant 7ft
margaritas by the bar, flying bridge fishing boats
turned into tables, good music & great margaritas,
although a little pricey ($8ea)

Wandered next door to the FLAMINGO poker room.
No waiting, seated immediately. Up to 6 tables
of $1/2. Best action of the trip. Wish I found this
room earlier in the week. Very soft play, a few
very loose donkeys. All tourists, no locals.
Great drink service in the poker room itself
(lousy out on the floor).

Playing with "2006 World Series of Poker"
cards. They looked so well used that they
may have been actually used in the 2006 WSOP.

I did get a Crown Royal & Coke that
actually had real Crown Royal and
Coca-Cola in it. The dirty ol' Flamingo
got it right but Bellagio didn’t…go figure ?

One memorable hand comes to mind.

Seat 7 (JJ) open raises to $15.
Me Seat 10 (QQ) calls the $15.
Seat 4 (KK) moves all in for $95.
Seat 7 (JJ) calls.
Me Seat 10 (QQ) Folds.
Board comes rainbow and raggy.
KK Doubles up.
(Seat 5 says he folded 88 as well)

I really enjoyed playing in this room.
The main floor of the Flamingo was
really smoky, but since the poker room
is at the far end by itself, the smoke wasn’t
much of a factor. Played until the game
started to thin out.

Vegas Sunday Eve

Getting hungry, we went up the strip to the FLAMINGO Casino. I had heard good things about JIMMY BUFFETS MARGARITAVILLE and the ridiculously huge Nacho Plate.

Vegas Sunday

I really like the MGM poker room.
"Mike" the poker room manager always

got us seated quickly, no waiting, very friendly

dealers who work quickly, have good control

of the game and are very competent overall.

Good action at the tables I played at.

Decent play overall with enough weak players

to make it worthwhile.

Unfortunately I wasn’t running well enough
to take all their money. I was playing well,
my reads were really good, the cards were
just not working for me.

I was on the wrong side of 'set over set' 3 times
during this session. Was able to fold 2 of them
because of good reads (thank you Joe Navarro
– see Caesars Palace entry) and on the 3rd one,
I only had to pay $60 on the river to see the guy
had made a set of 9’s on the turn to beat my
flopped set of three 7’s.

I also flopped the King high flush
vs. an Ace high flush vs. a flopped straight.
Flopped straight raises, Ace high flush

moves all in, I folded. Flopped straight calls

and goes broke.

This is pretty much how I’ve been running

at holdem since the beginning of March,

but thankfully my reads and instincts have

saved me from destruction for the most part.

A little tip if heading to MGM, park across

the street at the TROPICANA (or NYNY),

either self park or valet, then walk across

the bridge which will bring you directly

into the poker room. If you park at the MGM
self park lot, you’re in for a very very long walk.

Vegas Sunday Afternoon

Headed over to the BELLAGIO to check out
the $25k WORLD POKER TOUR Championship.
Got to see lots of big name pros.
Gus Hanson, Phil Ivey, Joe Hachem,
Antonio Esfandiari, Phil Laak, Andy Bloch,
Dan Harrington, T.J. Cloutier, Alex Brenes,
David The Dragon Pham, Howard Lederer,
Jenn Harmon, Marco Traniello, Gavin Smith,
Men the Master Nguyen, Scotty Nguyen,
Mike Matusow, Ted Forest, Allan Cunningham,
Brandon Cantu and others.

Sorry, no pictures to share with you,
the WPT is super strict about photos
for some reason.

Won a whopping $0.42 at the Bellagio slots.
They seem to be very very tight. As I
remember, they quickly ate my $20
the last time I was there, so I think
they’re just tight-ass slots.

Ordered a Crown Royal while sitting
at the slots. Took a very long time, and
what I got, was NOT Crown Royal. It was
nasty gut rot whisky. Not even sure if you
can buy such low quality swill in Canada.
Shame on you Bellagio !

The urge to play poker was overwhelming
so we drove back over to the MGM GRAND
around 5pm.

Vegas Sunday

Check out this dessert bar

at the Gold Coast buffet.

This is one of 3 sides to it !

Sunday Morning

SUNDAY April 20th

Up at the crack of noon, guzzled some

coffee and ate the last of my protein bars,

which was enough to get the cob webs out.

Off to the GOLD COAST Casino for some food.

Made it in time for the Sunday Brunch Buffet.

Used an ACG 2 for 1 coupon.

Came to $9.64 for both of us !

Really wide selection. Breakfast staples like

omelets, pancakes, bacon, eggs benedict,

hearty lunch choices, pepper steak, pizza,

tacos, enchiladas, lasagna, smoked salmon,

crawfish (tasty !), clams, fruit and salad bar.

Really good food, Excellent Value.

Food: B+ Service: C

The Gold Coast casino itself was quite clean,

newer looking (newer than I expected anyway),

very easy parking, and not that smoky at all.

Good location, close to the Rio and The Palms.