PokerWhack

PokerStars European Poker Tour Grand Final Returns to Monaco in 2012

2012-02-06T17:00:00+00:00

The European Poker Tour Grand Final will return to Monaco in 2012 after a one year visit to Madrid.

Gunman shoots 3 brothers at Houston poker game

2012-02-06T16:02:03+00:00

The Harris County Sheriff's Office said several people were gathered at a Houston home for the game.

Seat Open with Celina Lin Part Two

2012-02-06T16:00:00+00:00

Team PokerStars Pro Celina Lin discusses poker's recent growth in Asia and offers her advice for any difficulties women may have in such a male-dominated industry.

Mike Caro Today's Word is... Momentum

2012-02-06T15:22:09+00:00

by Mike Caro - The Mad Genius of Poker

We hear it in sports frequently—an announcer telling us which team has the momentum. Momentum can apply in poker, too. But does the concept really make sense? Let’s use today’s self-interview to investigate.

Question 1: Is momentum as important in poker as it is in sports? Wait! Stop assuming things with your questions. Sometimes momentum isn’t even important in sports.

Often it’s an illusion. A sequence of coin flips can seem to show momentum. But there is no momentum whatsoever. There’s only the observation that, recently, either heads or tails landed at a pace considerably greater than the expected 50 percent. You can call that momentum, so go ahead. But actually it isn’t. That’s simply because the previous series of outcomes has no bearing whatsoever on whether the next coin flip will be heads or tails. Assuming a perfectly balanced coin and a fair toss, it’s exactly 50 percent likely that the next toss will bring tails. Same for heads.

State considers legalizing online gambling to fatten coffers

2012-02-06T13:57:10+00:00

Illegal online gambling is an estimated $30-billion dollar business worldwide. Now, lawmakers in cash-strapped Calif.

PartyPoker Weekly: Magical Venice Experience, Card Rush Promo, Tony G Trash Talk and More!

2012-02-06T12:00:00+00:00

This week's PartyPoker Weekly brings you news on a star performance at WPT Venice, the Card Rush promo, Tony G talking trash and more!

Nicholas Crisp Wins Dusk Till Dawn 500 Deepstack

2012-02-06T11:17:00+00:00

Nicholas Crisp has won the DTD 500 Deepstack event after a four-way deal saw him walk away with almost £40,000

Online Poker Site Co-Founder Enters Guilty Plea

2012-02-06T09:52:34+00:00

A cofounder of the Absolute Poker website entered a guilty plea to federal criminal charges in December.

Victoria follows Fed Govt with pokies policy pause

2012-02-06T07:52:54+00:00

ELEANOR HALL: The Federal Labor Government has walked away from its guarantee of mandatory pre-commitment technology for poker machines but the Victorian Government is also attracting criticism for changes to its policy on poker machines.

PartyPoker Weekly: Magical Venice Experience, Card Rush Promo, Tony G Trash Talk and More!

2012-02-06T07:00:00+00:00

This week's PartyPoker Weekly brings you news on a star performance at WPT Venice, the Card Rush promo, Tony G talking trash and more!

2012 PokerStars.fr EPT Deauville Day 5: Guichard Leads Final Table; Pagano in the Hunt

2012-02-06T04:00:00+00:00

A recap from Day 5 of the PokerStars.fr European Poker Tour Deauville where the Main Event final table has been set and Paul Guichard leads the way.

Pagano Slips but Holds On for 7th EPT Final Table

2012-02-06T04:00:00+00:00

Still, it wasn’t necessarily the day Pagano hoped.

The esteemed Italian pro had a huge Day 4 on Friday as he rocketed himself to 3.5 million in chips and a one million-chip headstart over the pack heading into today.

Things didn’t go quite as smoothly, however, and Pagano ended up droppping 1.5 million in chips and slipping to sixth to enter the final table with 2.010,000.

Instead of a commanding lead, Pagano will be chasing the frontrunners topped by Frenchman Paul Guichard, the new chip leader with 5,955,000.

Guichard is followed closely by Vadzim Kursevich, EPT Berlin final-tablist and part of a five-way chop for last year’s WCOOP Main Event, who sits second with 5,670,000.

Pagano’s seventh EPT final table is still a new record, as is his 20th EPT cash, and he'll be looking to add to his $1.9 million in career live earnings tomorrow.

Mixed Bag in Final Eight

Rounding out the final eight with Pagano, Guichard and Kursevich are a quintet of players all looking to make a big splash.

Frenchman Olivier Rogez, owner of a cleaning company and among the leaders for the past two days in Deauville, will come in third in chips with 4,415,000.

Bruno Jais, another Frenchman and a 20-year poker vet, will enter fourth with 3,450,000 while 21-year-old Parisian computer science student Vuong Than Trong sits fifth with 2,570,000.

After Pagano in sixth comes Frenchman Yorane Kerignard, an EPT San Remo final-tablist, in seventh with 1,680,000.

Sitting on the short stack is Mick Graydon, the first Irishman to make Supernova Elite, winner of over $1.2 million online and pal of Irish PokerStars pro Jude Ainsworth.

Graydon will have 960,000 chips to start the day.

Bustouts, Big Day Tomorrow

Among the notable players to hit the bricks today were Chris “NigDawG” Brammer, Kevin Vandersmissen, Marc Inizan, and Ignat Liviu.

Action will start up again at noon in snowy Deauville on Monday.

Each player is now guaranteed at least €67,200 with €875,000 earmarked for the winner.

As an interesting side note, French gaming law actually restricts any deal-making at the final table so players will be claiming the prizes as they are listed.

The official final eight and their chip counts, care of the PokerStars blog.

1. Paul Guichard 5,955,000

2. Vadzim Kursevich 5,670,000

3. Olivier Rogez 4,415,000

4. Bruno Jais 3,450,000

5. Vuong Than Trong 2,570,000

6. Luca Pagano 2,010,000

7. Yorane Kerignard 1,680,000

8. Mick Graydon 960,000

Watch the action on the live stream at PokerStars.tv.

Visit www.pokerlistings.com

The way to Make 'Em Pay

2012-02-06T03:48:22+00:00

Isaac Brekken / The Associated Press archives Jonathan Duhamel can take comfort from the millions he won in the WSOP main event, but an amateur bluffed him big time in a TV game.

2012 PokerStars.fr EPT Deauville Day 5: Guichard Leads Final Table; Pagano in the Hunt

2012-02-05T23:43:48+00:00

PokerStars.net European Poker Tour Prague Day 2: The Field Will Have to Scale Richter's Mountain of Chips Going into Day 3 It took a little more than six hours to reduce the field from 24 players to eight, and set Monday's final table for the PokerStars.fr European Poker Tour Deauville.

The More You Learn, the More You'll Earn with Poker770 Academy

2012-02-05T23:43:47+00:00

In order to be successful in poker, you must constantly work to improve your game.

Shire fury at pokies verdict

2012-02-05T22:43:50+00:00

Her comments came after the state's gaming regulator approved an application to bring 65 new poker machines to Castlemaine.

2012 PokerStars.fr EPT Deauville Day 5: Guichard Leads Final Table; Pagano in the Hunt

2012-02-05T22:00:00+00:00

Luca Pagano is still in the hunt for an EPT title. Find out who else made the final table in our Day 5 recap.

1 man killed, 3 other injured after poker game fight

2012-02-05T18:39:02+00:00

HOUSTON One man was fatally shot, and three others injured Sunday after a dispute took place during a poker game at a home in northeast Harris County, investigators said.

The Weekly Turbo: Full Tilt Poker Owed Millions by Pros, 2012 WSOP Schedule, and More

2012-02-05T18:39:01+00:00

Miss any of the top poker news stories this week? We're here to get you caught up on everything from Full Tilt lending millions to well-known poker players, to the release of the 2012 World Series of Poker schedule, and much more.

The Weekly Turbo: Full Tilt Poker Owed Millions by Pros, 2012 WSOP Schedule, and More

2012-02-05T17:00:00+00:00

The Weekly Turbo has the week's top poker news stories including Full Tilt lending millions to well-known poker players, the 2012 World Series of Poker schedule, and much more.

1 dead, 3 injured in poker game shootout

2012-02-05T14:39:25+00:00

According to the Harris County Sheriff's Office, there was a gathering of people at the home while a poker game was going on.

Sam Trickett Discusses High Stakes Cash Game at Aussie Millions

2012-02-05T13:00:00+00:00

Sam Trickett takes some time to discuss his participation in the big Aussie Millions cash game and his rise to poker stardom.

The More You Learn, the More You'll Earn with Poker770 Academy

2012-02-05T12:02:00+00:00

Want to be join the Pro 770 team? Here's your chance.

A casino on your computer?

2012-02-05T10:30:16+00:00

If the experience of Nevada casinos during the online poker boom of the early 2000s repeats itself, the poker tables at Dover Downs would see an influx of new gamblers if online poker were legalized in Delaware.

The More You Learn, the More You'll Earn with Poker770 Academy

2012-02-05T09:15:00+00:00

By joining the Poker770 Academy, you’ll earn diplomas in your preferred game types (Sit & Go, MTT, or Cash Game) & have a chance at a $5,000 jackpot.

Brammer And Stain Through To Last 24 of EPT Deauville

2012-02-05T08:00:00+00:00

Chris Brammer and Rob Stain are flying the Union Jack in the EPT Deauville Main Event where only 24 players remain!

Costello slams state on pokies U-turn

2012-02-05T06:15:12+00:00

Long-time anti-gambling campaigner the Reverend Tim Costello has savaged the Victorian government's broken election promise on voluntary pokies pre-commitment, saying he has given up on state governments.

Iowa Will Attempt to Follow Nevada and D.C. with Online Poker

2012-02-05T02:10:30+00:00

Jody Miller played online poker for three to four years before the government cracked down on the practice a couple of years ago.

In and Out List: Stars Hits 75 Billion, Kid Poker Loses a Million

2012-02-05T01:00:00+00:00

This week’s List features 75 billion hands on PokerStars, Devo’s latest win and the end of an independent poker website, along with Jamie Gold, Daniel Negreanu and the Global Poker Index.

Buckle up. This is the In and Out List.

Poker’s In List: January 30 – February 5, 2012

Chopping the 75 Billionth Hand on PokerStars: IN

Earlier today PokerStars hit its latest milestone, hand 75 billion. And to celebrate they gave away $140,000.

And it gets better. The milestone pot was chopped, meaning two players had their prizes doubled!

edroqui07 and acer2831 both made the same seven-high straight and took $42,810 and $34,600, respectively.

Here are the payouts for the 75 billionth hand and their chat box reactions, courtesy of PokerStars Blog.

edroqui07: $42,810... "yeeeaaaaaaaaaa" acer2831: $34,600 i-268: $19,450... "awesome, ty" ant_poker: $19,010... "ooooh" Sebastfrz: $16,970 pavl007: $16,970... "enough for a sandwich" (but presumably a very big one)

We really like the sound of a $16,000 sandwich.

tcash777 for Live Updating his $2/$5 Game Against Jamie Gold: IN

Two Plus Two forum poster tcash777 sat down in a $2/$5 game at the Trop in Las Vegas and found the poker room’s namesake Jamie Gold sitting to his left.

"No one's live updated me since the 2006 Main Event"

He’s In this week because instead of sitting starstruck, or the much worse ask-for-a-picture, he started a thread about it.

Drawing on the vast number of bored slackers knowledge and experience available in NVG he asked for help. The feedback wasn’t exactly helpful, and his cell phone ran out of batteries before he could get much of a dialogue going, we're still commending him for taking the initiative.

Check out the thread right here.

Bryan Devonshire for Winning a Second WSOPC Ring: IN

The man known in the poker world as Devo has won a second WSOP Circuit ring, and a spot on this week’s In List.

Bryan Devonshire defeated the venerable Paul “Eskimo” Clark heads-up and pocketed $55,291. In total 228 players bought into that $1k event at Caesars Las Vegas.

Devonshire narrowly missed the 2011 November Nine, finishing 12th in the Main Event for over $600,000. He’s now got close to $2 million in lifetime earnings.

Get the full story from the amazing Nolan Dalla right here.

Poker’s Out List: January 30 – February 5, 2012

Subject: Poker for Closing its Virtual Doors: OUT

Subject: Poker, the website that has become synonymous with secret-source Full Tilt Poker news, has packed up shop and will no longer be publishing new articles.

Site founder NoahSD announced that he was getting into the online poker security consulting game, and would therefore be unable to present the kind of independent news for which the site was revered.

Feature writer Diamond_Flush has started a new blog, however, and will continue to follow the Black Friday debacle as it develops.

Daniel Negreanu for Bubbling the $250k Down Under: OUT

Some might call it cruel but we’re putting Daniel Negreanu Out this week for nailing one of the biggest bubbles in poker, the $250k Super High Roller at the Aussie Millions.

Maria Ho is one of 11 players bumped off the GPI this week.

Negreanu posted yesterday about what it’s like to go out in fourth and lose $250,000, instead of finishing third and winning $800k.

To make matters worse Negreanu spent the next evening with Patrik Antonius, the one who busted him out of the Super High Roller with jacks against A-8. Antonius, his wife Maya, plus Jason Mercier and his fiancée all went to the Aussie Open finals for that epic Nadal/Djokovic finale.

Click through here for Negreanu’s latest blog post.

11 Players from the Global Poker Index: OUT

Earlier this week 11 players were knocked off the weekly Global Poker Index ranking. The GPI ranks the top 300 live tournament players in the world.

Among those bumped off the list was Maria Ho, who has been in the top 300 since the 2011 WSOP, and Cornel Cimpan, who earned over $3 million in 2009 but hasn’t done a whole lot lately.

Still in the number one spot is Erik Seidel whose 2011 was among the greatest in poker history. Seidel has been number one 14 of the 32 weeks the GPI has been in existence. That’s more than any other player.

Click here for the full ranking.

Visit www.pokerlistings.com

2012 PokerStars.fr EPT Deauville Day 4: Team PokerStars Pro Luca Pagano Leads

2012-02-04T22:30:00+00:00

Day 4 of the 2012 PokerStars.fr EPT Deauville Day 4 belonged to Luca Pagano.

2012 PokerStars.fr EPT Deauville Day 4: Team PokerStars Pro Luca Pagano Leads

2012-02-04T21:51:03+00:00

PokerStars.net European Poker Tour Prague Day 2: The Field Will Have to Scale Richter's Mountain of Chips Going into Day 3 The PokerStars.fr European Poker Tour Deauville Main Event resumed on Saturday with 54 players remaining from the starting field of 889.

British Magic Sensation To Perform at WPT Venice Grand Prix

2012-02-04T21:44:00+00:00

The British magician Dynamo is going to perform live in for the players and staff at the WPT Venice Grand Prix

2012 PokerStars.fr EPT Deauville Day 4: Team PokerStars Pro Luca Pagano Leads

2012-02-04T20:30:00+00:00

Day 4 of the 2012 PokerStars.fr EPT Deauville Day 4 belonged to Luca Pagano.

Lou Harry's A&ECelebrity poker relatively celeb free

2012-02-04T19:46:12+00:00

Yes, you've found Lou Harry's A&E, IBJ 's home for opinion, debate and discussion on arts and entertainment matters in Indy and beyond.

Pagano Dominates on Day 4 at EPT Deauville

2012-02-04T18:00:00+00:00

Starting the day with just 344,000 in chips and on the wrong side of the average stack, Pagano went on a fantastic heater to build his chip stack to over 10x what he had to begin with.

Seizing the chip lead in the first level alone, Pagano most notably pillaged the chip stack of Day 3 leader Samphane Phomveha in a huge hand to distance himself from the field.

Pagano flopped a set with sixes, filled up on the turn and got big calls from Phomveha, who held trip aces, all the way down.

When the dust settled, Pagano bagged up 3,561,000 in chips to grab the outright lead heading into Day 5 and a one million-chip advantage over second-place Olivier Rogez (2,688,000).

Pagano had already secured a record 20th EPT cash and is now in pole position to make yet another EPT final-table appearance.

Brammer, Inizan Still Lurking in Final 24

With just 54 players to start the day and a target of 24, things moved quickly on Day 4.

Brit Chris “NigDawG” Brammer, who began the day in third with just over a million chips, tread water for most of the day but still finished up in 8th with 1,262,000.

Fellow Brit Martins Adeniya, also in the top five to begin the day, wasn’t so lucky as he busted fairly early.

France’s Yorane Kerignard (1,124,000) and Marc Inizan (481,000), two of the more established players in a local-heavy field, are also still in contention.

Play Down to Final Table Begins

Play is scheduled to resume tomorrow at noon in France with a final table of eight the target number.

Remaining players have assured themselves of at least €23,000 with six-figures guaranteed for making the final seven.

A solid €875,000 is reserved for the winner.

The top 10 and their chip counts, care of the PokerStars blog.

1. Luca Pagano 3,561,000

2. Olivier Rogez 2,668,000

3. Vadzim Kursevich 1,815,000

4. Paul Guichard 1,700,000

5. Andre Corredoira 1,316,000

6. Ignat Liviu 1,303,000

7. Christian Togsverd 1,271,000

8. Chris Brammer 1,262,000

9. Artem Litvinov 1,193,000

10. Yorane Kerignard 1,124,000

Visit www.pokerlistings.com

21 Pros Collab on Poker E-Book for Charity

2012-02-04T17:30:00+00:00

Benefitting the Green World Campaign, Poker with a Purpose brings big name poker pros like Annie Duke, Isaac Baron, Sorel Mizzi and Tom Marchese together for the first time to tackle core poker strategy concepts.

The book is available for just $9.99 on Amazon and covers seven essential topics, including Cash Games vs. Tournaments, Board Textures and Three-betting. Three pros tackle each topic to give you some serious perspective on what it takes to win at poker.

All the money raised by Poker with a Purpose will go straight to the Green World Campaign, an organization seeking to raise living standards for the rural poor through reforestation and sustainable agriculture projects.

From the GWC’s website:

The Green World Campaign has been cited by OnEarth, the magazine of the Natural Resources Defense Council, for its bold agenda: Turn degraded lands green again. Raise the living standards of the rural poor. Combat climate change. Create holistic ways to work for the health of our shared biosphere and the harmony of our global village.

The GWC connects those who want to help create a more sustainable world with on-the-ground projects that benefit people and planet. We focus on providing ecological and social benefits where they're most needed. We seek out effective grassroots partners, then finding the simplest, most direct ways we can all contribute to their success.

Our work centers around tree-planting. We ally with local experts who best know the problems and opportunities in their country. Our trusted, ground-level partners work with villagers who are motivated to work for the benefits our programs bring. Contributions from the GWC get planted right in the ground. We always learn from our partners, and collaborate with them on creative solutions.

The poker players featured in Poker with a Purpose include:

Alex Kim Andre Akkari Annie Duke Dan Colpoys David Sands Erika Moutinho Greg Shevach Isaac Baron Jared Vengrin Jason Koon Jason Young John Tabatabai Mark Herm Matt Vengrin Mike McDonald Perry Friedman Sorel Mizzi Stephen Chidwick Steve Gross Tom Marchese Tony Dunst

Get your electronic copy on Amazon for $9.99 and you can improve your poker game, while helping improve living conditions for people in need.

Visit www.pokerlistings.com

Sam Trickett Discusses High Stakes Cash Game at Aussie Millions

2012-02-04T17:00:00+00:00

Sam Trickett takes some time to discuss his participation in the big Aussie Millions cash game and his rise to poker stardom.

Female poker star

2012-02-04T15:41:35+00:00

Adrienne Rowsome, an Edmonton-based female poker player, talks about playing poker with Team PokerStars Online.

Poker world series schedule posted

2012-02-04T14:41:46+00:00

I was happy to see The World Series of Poker posted its 2012 schedule. I've been checking every day.

Anger as former drug addict Robbie Williams launches poker site

2012-02-04T10:37:14+00:00

He is no Angel, but former drug addict Robbie Williams has enraged fans once again by launching an online poker site.

Last Chance to Qualify for the Unibet Poker Million!

2012-02-04T10:00:00+00:00

Unibet is giving its customers the chance to win €1 million in The Poker Million promotion.

Last Chance to Qualify for the Unibet Poker Million!

2012-02-04T10:00:00+00:00

Unibet is giving its customers the chance to win €1 million in The Poker Million promotion.

Poker Night Success

2012-02-04T09:37:08+00:00

Michael O' Connor, Portroe, Nenag,h would like to express his thanks to everyone who supported his recent Poker Classic in the Thatched Cottage, Ballycommon, in aid of his charity climb on Kilimanjaro.

British Trio Still In EPT Deauville Main Event: Chris Brammer in Top 3!

2012-02-04T08:35:00+00:00

There are a trio of Brits still in the EPT Deauville Main Event, each with a chance of the €875,000 first place prize!

2012 PokerStars.fr EPT Deauville Day 3: Phomveha Leads

2012-02-04T08:25:00+00:00

A recap of Day 3 of the PokerStars.fr European Poker Tour Deauville where Samphane Phomveha leads the final 54 headed into Day 4.

Tapie Confirms Unpaid Debts May Block Full Tilt Deal

2012-02-04T06:00:00+00:00

Responding to a recent interview with BTG lawyer Behn Dayanim, Tapie confirmed to iGamingFrance that the unpaid debts of 19 poker pros, including Phil Ivey, Erick Lindgren and David Benyamine, could threaten the impending deal to purchase Full Tilt Poker's assets.

The unresolved debt of $16.5 million is not something the Group is willing to take on, Tapie says, especially since the overall financial situation at Full Tilt is "worse than expected."

Still, Tapie says they have reached out to all of the pros and some have even signed repayment contracts already. Some have yet to respond.

Tapie also specifically said Full Tilt players will only be refunded if GBT completes the takeover, which will require "the bulk" of that money returned.

If it isn't repaid, Tapie says it is true it could block the deal.

Said Tapie, roughly translated:

"The poker community, and particularly that made up of former Full Tilt players waiting to recover their funds, deserves to know the reality of the behaviour of some major poker figures who say they are ‘sorry for the situation of Full Tilt players and want to do everything they can to help them get their funds back, blaming the old management, but also refrain from saying how much they have borrowed from Full Tilt, and lost, playing on the site.

"However these losses represent some of the funds owed to the players who are waiting to be reimbursed. When you are a poker player, a great player at that, recognised and admired, the basic rule, it seems to me, is to honour your gambling debts.

"Fortunately, among the 19 players we have attempted to contact, some have immediately called back and worked with us on a repayment plan to clear their debts, and we are already finalising contracts to that effect."

Read the rest of Tapie's comments at iGamingFrance.

Visit www.pokerlistings.com

Utah man to be arraigned in illegal gambling sting

2012-02-04T05:22:44+00:00

A Utah man is expected to be arraigned next week on charges that he ran high-stakes poker games out of rental homes in the Salt Lake City area.

Paddy Power Poker offering free Irish Open package

2012-02-04T01:08:16+00:00

Paddy Power Poker today launches Paddy's Iron Man III, the popular online poker promotion which rewards loyal players at the site with tons of added value including a free Irish Open 2012 package worth a 4,600 up for grabs.

2012 PokerStars.fr EPT Deauville Day 3: Phomveha Leads; Adeniya, Vandersmissen in Top 10

2012-02-04T01:00:00+00:00

A recap of Day 3 of the PokerStars.fr European Poker Tour Deauville where Samphane Phomveha leads the final 54 headed into Day 4.

The Nightly Turbo: Romney Opposes Online Gaming, Florida Denied Casino Bill, and more

2012-02-04T00:00:00+00:00

Presidential candidates Ron Paul and Mitt Romney gave their thoughts about online gaming, and a casino bill to bring three Vegas-style casinos to Florida was withdrawn.

Brammer, Adeniya Chase Lead at EPT Deauville

2012-02-03T23:00:00+00:00

Brammer, known online as NigDawG and one of the top ranked players in the world, had a huge day at the felt aided by rivering an ace against Winamax pro Ludovic Lacay and finished up in third with just over 1 million in chips.

Adeniya, the Day 2 chip leader, continued to build his stack over the course of the day and bagged up 893,000 to sit fifth heading to tomorrow.

Both, however, are chasing Frenchman Samphane Phomveha, who scooped a huge pot near the end of the night to take the chip lead into Day 4 with just under 1.5 million.

France’s Olivier Rogez (1,098,500) and Yorane Kerignard (979,000) round out the top 5.

Few Big Names Manage to Survive

With just 54 players still alive from the 170 or so that started the day and a very local-heavy field, big names are scarce with only a few managing to hold on through the day.

EPT Berlin final-tablist Marc Inizan is perhaps the most threatening, with just under $1 million in career earnings and 514,000 in chips to end the day.

PokerStars pro Luca Pagano also held on to some chips to secure his record 20th EPT cash and give him a shot at a bigger payday tomorrow.

Pagano finished with 344,000 in chips.

Making Money But Making Their Exit

Several notable players looked in position to make a big move on Day 3 but ended up crashing right out of the tournament instead, chief among them Lacay.

Bringing in a top five chip stack from Day 2, Lacay soared to the chip lead early on but fizzled out soon after Brammer hit the river ace against his jacks and busted in 58th place for €13,000.

Joining Lacay on the rail were Brits Toby Lewis and James Dempsey plus French rap icon Bruno "Kool Shen" Lopes.

Play is scheduled to resume tomorrow at noon in France with 24 the target number for players remaining by the end of the day.

Remaining players have assured themselves of at least €15,000 with €23,000 guaranteed for hitting the top 24.

Follow along with the live updates on the PokerStars blog.

Visit www.pokerlistings.com

William Hill Takes Aim in €20k Dogfight Giveaway

2012-02-03T22:00:00+00:00

The Dogfight, Will Hill’s latest promotion, is open to all players on the site and all you have to do to participate is play.

By battling at online poker cash tables and entering tournaments to accumulate Dogfight points, players will compete for three Irish Open packages and €8,400 in cash.

Points can be earned across all limits and game types, but depending on the stakes you play they’ll count towards one of two Dogfight leaderboards.

When you play cash games with a big blind of at least $1, £1 or €1, or tournaments with a buy-in of at least $20, £20 or €20, points will go towards the High Stakes Leaderboard. Anything less will count towards the Low Stakes Leaderboard.

Points are awarded at a rate of 10 for every $1 in rake or tournament fees you pay.

At the end of February the top 20 players in each category will get a piece of the cash. A €4,600 Irish Open package will go to the winner of the High Leaderboard and a €3,500 package to the first-place finisher on the Low.

At time of publishing Brosunited is leading the High Leaderboard with 20,840 points, while Rhomyr is in the number one spot on the Low Leaderboard with 6,525.

Click through to our comprehensive William Hill Poker review to see if it’s right for you. If you’re already a Will Hill player, just hit the tables and start earning Dogfight points!

Here are the full prize structures for the William Hill Dogfight promotion.

High Stakes

Low Stakes

1st

€4,600 Irish Open Package

1st

€3,500 Irish Open 'Ticket Only'

2nd

€3,500 Irish Open 'Ticket Only'

2nd

€ 1,000

3rd

€ 1,500

3rd

€ 500

4th

€ 900

4th

€ 300

5th

€ 500

5th

€ 250

6th

€ 400

6th

€ 200

7th

€ 350

7th

€ 175

8th

€ 300

8th

€ 150

9th

€ 250

9th

€ 125

10th

€ 200

10th

€ 100

11th

€ 160

11th

€ 80

12th

€ 140

12th

€ 70

13th

€ 120

13th

€ 60

14th

€ 100

14th

€ 50

15th

€ 80

15th

€ 40

16th

€ 60

16th

€ 30

17th

€ 50

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€ 25

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PokerNews Debate: Should the WSOP Continue the November Nine Concept?

2012-02-03T21:00:00+00:00

The WSOP made it seem as if they were doing away with the November Nine concept, only to reveal it was moved up a week. Should they abandon the concept?

Daily 3-Bet: ElkY to Brazil, Robbie in Heat, Bo Don’t Know Hellmuth

2012-02-03T21:00:00+00:00

Any suggestions for a future 3-Bet, feel free to drop a note in the comments.

Today in the 3-Bet we find ElkY heading for the heat in Brazil, UK superstar Robbie Williams taking heat and Phil Hellmuth showing exactly how popular he is.

1) Brazil Recognizes Poker as a Sport, ElkY Shopping for Sunscreen

Two big pieces of poker news to report from Brazil this week.

ELKYYYYYYYY!!!!!!

One, the Brazilian Sports Ministry has officially recognized poker as a sport and named the Confederação Brasileira de Texas Hold'em (CBTH) as the official governing body.

According to a statement on the Brazilian Sports Ministry’s website:

“Poker is a competitive discipline, which requires the participant to have intelligence, ability, and intellectual and behavioural skills in order to succeed.

“The CBTH represents the most extended definition of poker, Texas Hold’em and all the other variants of this game including but not exclusively Omaha, Omaha High / Low, 7 Card Stud, 7 Card Stud High / Low, Razz and Mixed Games.”

Two, big-name players are making plans for the upcoming LAPT Grand Final in Brazil.

Among the big names committed to play so far: Daniel Negreanu, Eugene Katchalov, Humberto Brenes, Jose Barbero and Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier.

Brazilian PokerStars pro Andre Akkari, for one, is very excited about hosting ElkY at Carnival:

“ELKYYYYYY IS INDA HOUSEEEE!!!! O Monstro Elky está vindo para o Carnaval no Brasil! Mais um dos gênios do poker na nossa terra!”

More on the LAPT Grand Final and how to qualify at PokerStars.

2) Robbie Williams Taking Heat Over New "Free" Poker Site

Take this, poker haters.

Former Take That member and multi-platinum singing icon Robbie Williams is taking heat in the UK as he launched a beta version of a new “sort-of-real-money” poker site.

Players who sign up can win Robbie-related merchandise, tickets for future gigs and the chance to meet their idol.

It’s mostly free to play, but you can also buy extra chips and some tournaments have real buy-ins.

As the site says, "Many tournaments require a buy-in to participate...because if you aren't risking anything then why are you playing!?"

Given Williams' past troubles with addiction, several fans and activist groups are already calling him out for his "lack of sensitivity," going so far as to say it's "deplorable" and "awful."

None, however, have taken issue with the real human suffering caused by his music career. Hiyo.

3) Bo Don't Know Hellmuth

Everybody in poker knows Phil Hellmuth is a notorious name dropper, both in person and on Twitter.

In the past week alone Hellmuth has dropped almost 20 celebrity friends into his tweets in his unwavering quest to share his baller lifestyle.

Poker pro Gavin Smith finally responded by tweeting the question on everyone's minds about the tweet-dropping:

Does anyone else think @phil_hellmuth drops way to many fucking names, think any (of those) guys tweeter about meeting phil?

The answer:

Amy Tan does. Everybody else, not so much.

Names dropped by Hellmuth in the last week and their tweet reciprocation:

#celebrityrehash

San Francisco 49ers owner Jed York (no) Oakland Raiders owner Mark Davis (no Twitter) Golden State Warriors owner Joe Lacob (no Twitter) Bo Jackson (no) Rob Dibble (no) Joe Carter (no) Gary Sheffield (no Twitter) Trevor Hoffman (no Twitter) Harold Baines (no Twitter) Randy Johnson (no Twitter) Ozzie Smith (no) Former Facebook VP Chamath Palihapitiya (no) Joe Montana (no Twitter) Sabina Gadecki (no) David Lee (no) Writer Amy Tan (Yes! And gave him a retweet!) Nobel Laureate Burton Richter (no) Producer Tim Kring (no)

Follow Phil and his celebrity friends here.

Visit www.pokerlistings.com

Robbie Williams news: Take That star slammed by anti-gambling campaigners over poker website

2012-02-03T20:58:44+00:00

The Take That star, who has battled addictions to drink and drugs, has been slammed by Lib Dem MP Tessa Munt after putting his name to the official Robbie Williams Poker site.

The Online Railbird Report: Negreanu's PokerStars Account Hacked

2012-02-03T20:00:00+00:00

It was a relatively quiet week on the virtual felt . . . except for a hacking situation involving Daniel "KidPoker" Negreanu that cost him $46,000.

Pigskin Diaries: A Super Rematch

2012-02-03T19:00:00+00:00

It's Super Bowl Sunday, which means we have one more game to pick, and a lot of prop bets to make.

PokerNews Exclusive: Barry Greenstein -- I Want to Make it Clear I Owe This Money

2012-02-03T18:00:00+00:00

Barry Greenstein discusses the recent developments regarding reports that he owes $400,000 to Full Tilt Poker.

FairPlayUSA to Continue Push on Educating Public on Need for Online Poker Regulation

2012-02-03T17:00:00+00:00

FairPlayUSA has been quiet in its first six months of operation, though that doesn't mean the organization funded by Las Vegas casinos to make the case for federal legislation to regulate online poker, has been ineffective.

WSOP Unveils 2012 Schedule - New Events and New Name for Main Event Final Nine

2012-02-03T16:56:59+00:00

By Shari Geller

The World Series of Poker released its schedule for 2012 and it has the most events and widest range of buy-ins of any WSOP to date. The 2012 WSOP schedule features 61 WSOP bracelet events running from May 27 through July 16 at the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino. From the $500 Casino Employees’ event to the exclusive $1,000,000 buy-in tourney, the WSOP has something for every bankroll and every player.

New events for this year include the first-ever $1,500 NLHE re-entry event (Event 9) where players eliminated on the first day of play may re-enter the following day. Another new event is the $5,000 Mix-Max (Event 6) which debuted at the 2011 WSOP Europe and gave Michael Mizrachi his second WSOP bracelet. This summer, the Mix-Max will play nine-handed on Day 1, six-handed on Day 2 and heads-up from that point on.