Bluff Magazine

SCOOP 2012: Mr-G450 is A-Number-1 in Event 28-Low, $27 Razz

SCOOP logo.gif Down to one big bet on sixth street of the final table bubble in a limit poker tournament and facing a bet, what would you do if things seemed hopeless? Would you toss that bet into the pot and pray? Or would you fold your chance at a stack-redeeming pot and hope that something good would come your way?

That was the choice facing TheGame131 in 2012 SCOOP Event 28-Low, $27 Razz. And although TheGame131 would not go on to win the tournament – an honor that went to Mr-G450 – TheGame131 would parlay the more unorthodox option into a runner-up finish.

Yes, it was razz day for the 2012 SCOOP. If there were one tournament on the SCOOP calendar where the guarantee might not be met, you’d be forgiven for thinking it would be razz. But once again PokerStars players proved PokerStars wise. But don’t take it from me; take it from BLUFF Magazine editor-in-chief Lance Bradley:

@Lance_Bradley: Playing #SCOOP-28-L and can’t believe there are 2,184 people who know how to play Razz.

That’s right, 2,184 players registered for Event 28-low. 288 of them would make the money (though no word on Twitter whether Bradley was among them). Four members of the Red Spade Bridge counted themselves among the ranks of the 288. Team PokerStars Pros Marcin “Goral” Horecki (249th) and Liv Boeree (115th) had minor success. PokerStars Team Online players Roy “GodlikeRoy” Bhasin (35th) and Mickey “mement_mori” Petersen made it much deeper.

Petersen, in fact, was one of eight players at the final table.

Seat 1: Mr-G450 (3222610 in chips)
Seat 2: Ambullanz (2143155 in chips)
Seat 3: goldendevil1 (694200 in chips)
Seat 4: Mickey “mement_mori” Petersen (1144822 in chips)
Seat 5: baffana (1033236 in chips)
Seat 6: marodon (1358369 in chips)
Seat 7: TheGame131 (78458 in chips)
Seat 8: rolfgal (1245150 in chips)

Level 34: stakes 60k-120k, ante 12k
Average: 1,365,000

The chip average to start the final table was “standard” for a limit tournament, at 11 big bets. But one player had significantly fewer bets. TheGame131 came into the final table with 78k, less than a single big bet. But two quick double-ups on the first two hands pushed TheGame131 back up to 505k and a fighting chance.

When the stakes went up to 80k-160k, several players were one bricked hand from the precipice of ruin. roflgal suggested a straight 8-way chop that nobody seriously entertained – especially with baffana and Petersen on the short stacks. Petersen bricked out several hands in a row, finally making a stand with 8-2 / 3-Q against Mr-G450′s 5-3 / 6-J. Petersen finished with a 10-8, a hand barely pipped by Mr-G450′s 10-6. Petersen had entered the final table 5th in chips, but at late stages of a limit razz tournaments it doesn’t take much to find yourself on the rail.

Petersen, in happier times on the EPT

baffana’s fortunes improved; goldendevil1′s did not. baffana threatened to climb back to an average stack even as goldendevil1 ended the tournament in 7th place. 470k was looking awfully small with stakes up to 100k-200k-20k. A few antes and bring-ins later it was even smaller. Down to 172k, goldendevil1 three-bet all in with 10-4 / A. Mr-G450 had opened with 5-4 / 8 and called. By the river, Mr-G450′s three-card eight turned into an 8-7; goldendevil1 only improved to a 9-4 and was eliminated in 7th place.

Limits went up again to 120k-240k as chips continued to fly around the table. TheGame131 wound up as the chip leader with more than 4 million chips. This, after folding a huge pot near the money bubble with just one big bet behind. That fold did not go unnoticed by rolfgal.

“61000 chips left in a big pot, on 30-60k and u folded, game, made u so far 1200$ more, WP!”

But TheGame131 wasn’t finished. After sitting on the sideline while baffana eliminated marodon by running down marodon’s three-card wheel, TheGame131 took care of Ambullanz the very next hand:

RSS readers click through to see replay

That hand pushed TheGame131 to more than 5 million in chips, double the nearest competitor. Quite a remarkable turnaround for a player down to a single big bet with 10 players to go. The question now: could TheGame131 complete a monumental comeback from a single big bet to become a SCOOP champion?

One thing quickly became clear: baffana could not. baffana suffered several second-best hands and wound up in the unenviable position of calling all in on fourth street holding 7-2 / K-J. Mr-G450 was baffana’s opponent and showed a better hand, 2-3 / 7-7. That three-card 7 turned into a 10-7 by the river, while baffana barely improved to a Q-J. It wasn’t enough to avoid a 4th-place finish.

As three-handed play began, rolfgal was the definite short stack, with about 1 million chips Mr-G450 and TheGame131 were both pushing 5 million. They played 3-handed for ten or fifteen minutes but rolfgal was unable to mount any serious challenge to the chip dominance of the other two players – especially after the limits climbed to 200k-400k. A three-card eight was too good to pass up at that point; rolfgal was all in by fifth street showing 8-5 / 3-10-6, a 10-8. TheGame131 had that beat with 9-6 / 7-A-4. Neither player improved by the river. rolfgal’s tournament ended in 3rd place.

The chip stacks were almost dead even at the start of heads-up play. TheGame131 had a slight chip lead over Mr-G450, but that lead was less than one big bet. There was no talk of a deal.

Heads-up play lasted exactly 11 minutes. The big blow came after Mr-G450 ground out an 8-to-3 chip lead. TheGame131 raised over Mr-G450′s bring-in, then put in a third raise after Mr-G450 raised back. Each player put 600k into the pot on third street. Fourth street saw Mr-G450 pair 6s, x-x / 6-6, while TheGame131 showed x-x / 5-9. Mr-G450 called all the way down from there, drawing into a board of 5-8 / 6-6-3-10 / 7 for and 8-7 low, while TheGame131′s board came 6-A / 5-9-A-7-9 for a 9-7.

Losing that pot left TheGame131 with only 843k, or two big bets. From there it was six hands to the end, and ending no less bitter for TheGame131. An 8-5 low wasn’t good enough to climb back into the match after Mr-G450 rivered a 7-6.

The ending had to be disappointing for TheGame131, but the $6,633.90 prize for finishing as the runner-up had to sit better than the $409.50 it seemed TheGame131 was destined to receive on the final table bubble.

And for Mr-G450, a self-professed razz regular? How about $9,377, a Movado watch, and the title of 2012 SCOOP Event 28-Low champion.

2012 SCOOP Event 28-Low, $27 Razz results:

Number of entrants: 2,184
Places paid: 288

1st: Mr-G450 (United Kingdom) ($9,377.42)
2nd: TheGame131 (Germany) ($6,633.90)
3rd: rolfgal (Norway) ($5,187.00)
4th: baffana (Russia) ($3,822.00)
5th: Ambullanz (Sweden) ($2,730.00)
6th: marodon (Moldova) ($1,638.00)
7th: goldendevil1 (Russia) ($1,092.00)
8th: Mickey “mement_mori” Petersen (Denmark) ($546.00)

Looking for more SCOOP reporting? Visit our special SCOOP 2012 coverage section.

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APPT Seoul: By the numbers

During the course of tournaments, we bloggers often come across little factoids that never make it into the blog for a variety of reasons. Having collected several of those factoids during the first two days of the 2012 APPT Seoul Main Event, I decided to take a page from my colleague Jess Welman at BLUFF Magazine and organize them into their own post.

Without further adieu, I give you the 2012 APPT Seoul, “by the numbers”:

268: size of the combined Day 1a and Day 1b field for the 2012 APPT Seoul Main Event. Although 268 isn’t close to a record for the APPT, it does smash the previous Seoul record of 186 players set back in Season 1.

21: percentage of the field that hails from Japan. Tokyo and Osaka are short two-hour flights from Seoul, making it easy for the Japanese players to make the trip. 57 players did so, including Masa Kagawa, Yasuhiro Waki, and Mayumi Kaneko. The more degenerate among them have spent the last two days slamming the baccarat table as hard as they can and shouting excitedly at natural nines.

Mayumi Kaneko

37: countries from which the 268 players hail. The most unique country on the list? Qatar.

194,000,000: Korean Won to be received by the winner of the tournament. It works out to roughly $176,000.

55: survivors from Day 1a. They were led by an American, Christopher Park, who was the only player to reach six figures in chips yesterday (119,800).

73: players remaining on Day 1b at the end of Level 6.

0: number of Asia Player of the Year points that the winner of the event will receive. Because Korean players cannot take part in this event, APPT staff have decided that no Asia Player of the Year points will be awarded for any of the results here in Seoul so as not to put Korean players at a disadvantage in the POY race.

5: players all in after the flop in a hand of 5-10 PLO last night that took place just as Day 1a was wrapping up. The best hand showed down was two pair.

50: pizzas delivered to the tournament floor during Level 6 to feed hungry players and staff.

31: age in years of APPT staff member Dom Choi, who celebrated his birthday today on the tournament floor. APPT President Danny McDonagh coaxed some applause for Dom out of the field, but there was no singing of the traditional “Happy Birthday”.

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PCA 2012: So, what’s Isildur1 doing TODAY?

When it came time to square up the table for nine-handed play, the dealer told Viktor “Isildur1″ Blom he had to move directly in the center of the felt. It must be exactly how he’s felt for the past 24 hours: at the center of the poker world. Known almost entirely for his nosebleed cash games, Blom showed everyone he had tournament chops as he defeated everyone in the PCA $100,000 buy-in Super High Roller event.

Famous among fans and infamous among the media for his reticence, Blom nearly escaped after his victory without saying a word. Instead, he gave a rare on-camera interview during which he said, in part, “It feels good to succeed.”

Viktor Blom in the main event

Today one would expect every aspect of Blom’s tournament game to be under close scrutiny. People would examine how he looks at his cards one at a time, immediately as he receives them; or how he seems so eager to fold out of the small blind; or how many times he check-calls an opponent out of position. Instead, it seems as if nobody is watching at all. Over the past couple of hours, we’ve learned this: there is nothing interesting about what is happening at Table 13, which could be one of the most interesting things about it.

Table 13 at the PCA main event

It should be the most interesting tables in the room. After all, the mischievous hands of fate made sure the last two people to win the $100,000 buy-in Super High Roller were at the same table. How it happened will be water cooler talk in the Official Office of Randomness. What it means is still something we’re trying to figure out. What it is, without question, is the toughest table on Day 1B of the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure.

Among the notables at the table: Eugene Katchalov, Viktor Blom, Noah Boeken, and Nick Schulman. How could it not be interesting?

Katchalov across from Blom

Katchalov is last year’s Super High Roller winner, a Team PokerStars Pro, the 2011 Bluff Magazine Player of the Year, and recently won his first WSOP bracelet.

Blom, also a Team Pro, might be the most famous high stakes poker player in Europe today. Just yesterday he won his first major tournament, which just happened to be the 2012 PCA Super High Roller for $1.25 million.

Boeken is Team PokerStars Pro and an EPT champion with dozens of major event cashes over his eight-year live poker career.

Schulman is a world-class pool player who started playing against adults at age 13. Also, for what it’s worth, he has nearly five million in lifetime poker winnings.

Nick Schulman

Normally, this would be the table that had three TV cameras, three still cameras, five bloggers, two massage therapists, and 40 railbirds. Instead, for a great while today, there was only me (and then photographer Joe Giron who happened to appear, as usual, at just the right moment).

In all seriousness, how could this not be interesting?

Exhibit #1: Gadgets–Half the people playing at the table have allowed their faces to absorb into their iPhones, iPads, and related technology. For his part, Boeken is working with both an iPad and a Blackberry.

Exhibit #2: Headphones–Four of the players, most notably Blom, are blissed out on whatever music is pumping from their iPods into their heads via giant over-ear headphones.

Exhibit #3: The buy-in–98% of this room believes the $10,000 they put up for the buy-in is a lot of money. At least two of the people at Table 13 put up 10x that to play another event a couple of days ago.

Meanwhile, nobody at the table is speaking to each other. Blom is immersed in his music and looks frustrated with the current state of his stack (sub-15,000 at the moment). In fact, the only real excitement at the table came when David “Viffer” Peat showed up at the table to get Schulman’s opinion on a recent $50,000 bet that involved the odds of a six appearing when a player squeezes a three-across…well, you know, it was really confusing and I’m going to get it wrong no matter how I type it. In any case, Viffer soon wandered off to get in some tense tête-à-tête with Greg DeBora.

The point is this: on Day 1B of a massive main event, even some of the most interesting players in the world are just trying to make sure their 30,000 stack doesn’t turn to dust before Day 2.

Even Viktor Blom.

Update: Shortly after this was published, Blom’s day ended unceremoniously. That is to say, we guess he’ll have to settle for just that $1.25 million win.

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PCA 2012: Behind the castle walls with the kings of poker

The people who buy in to a $100,000 poker tournament are used to being treated differently. Daniel Negreanu has a personal assistant who makes him vegan Big Macs. Eugene Katchalov is a Bluff magazine cover boy. ElkY is…well, he’s ElkY. They are people who routinely earn seven figures a year playing poker. Cameras and reporters follow them down hallways. They lead lives of which we commoners can barely conceive let alone understand.

Still, these poker players spend most of their working lives around normal people–or as normal as people who spend $10,000 on a tournament ticket can be. The kings of the castle earn their bread at the same bakery as the town jester. It’s the nature of their business. The high rollers have to get their hands dirty with the unwashed if they want to buy boutique $100 hand sanitizer.

But every once in a while there is a blessed January day in which the kings can cloister themselves away, sit on their stacks of money, and battle in private. This is that day.

***

The main tournament room of the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure is a cavernous place. It’s almost frighteningly large. It must be to handle the crowds who will arrive here tomorrow in advance of the 2012 main event. Today it is empty save a polite security guard, a few tournament organizers, and hundreds and hundreds of chairs.

Still, the $100,000 kings play on. They do so in a place that has been set aside just for them. Few of the PCA players will see in the inside of the High Roller Room. It’s open only to the big dogs, to the $100,000 Super High Roller players, and the people who will play the biggest of the cash games at the PCA. These guys have it good.

At the near end of the small room, a large PokerStars façade stretches to the ceiling. In front of it stands a bartender in crisp white dress. Bottles of wine, liquor and beer surround him. There are crispy snacks along another wall, five private dealers in the middle, and signs displaying the Shamballa jewels bracelet the Super High Roller event players are fighting.

Jonathan Duhamel

“That’s the nicest carpet I’ve ever seen at the PCA,” said PokerStars Blogger Stephen Bartley.

He’s right to be impressed. As the Super High Roller event kicked off this afternoon, that room filled with the richest of the rich and the people who serve them. Five beautiful massage therapists crack their knuckles on the sidelines and stand at attention waiting for someone who needs their touch. Meanwhile, the players–who pretend to be mortal even though we know they are not–take stacks of 250,000 chips and do their job in private.

This is something new for the PCA. Over the course of the PCA’s nine-year history, the stakes have risen, the cash games have grown, and the people who come here need special backpacks just for their buy-ins. At some point, a little extra pampering was bound to happen. And so it was revealed today that for the duration of the PCA, the High Roller’s Room will cater to the wants and needs of the biggest players in the world.

“I think they’ll be happy,” said Neil Johnson, a man who spends his working life making sure the people who play PokerStars events are satisfied.

Today the High Roller’s Room home to people like Negreanu, Katchalov, and Masa Kagawa. Before the end of next week, those walls will see the biggest pots of the entire PCA. It’s already something to behold. Stay tuned to the PokerStars Blog for stories from inside the castle. Given that the kings will let us stick around, we jesters will do our best to report on how the 1% lives and plays.

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Tao of Poker – 2011 Year in Review

By Pauly
New York City

Time flies, eh? Hard to believe that 2012 is around the corner, but I’m kinda glad that 2011 is over. This year was one of the roughest, saddest, and most excruciating that I experienced since I ventured into the poker world. I can only be optimistic about the future, because it can’t get any worse… right?

Without further ado, here’s the best of the Tao of Poker…

* * *

January 2010

God’s Cell Phone Number – Things got a little crazy while betting on the NFL playoffs and I successfully pulled off a Band of Brothers reference…

Sometimes I refer to God as Gretzky. At least, that’s what I have him labeled on my cell phone. I’d hate for someone to steal my phone and than have a direct number to God. Hence, why He’s coded as GRETZKY. He doesn’t gives those out to anyone. It’s one of the perks of attending a Jesuit high school. You learn Latin, Greek, and get God’s cell phone number… MORE

Dispatches from the PCA: You Enjoy Myself – My lovely girlfriend won a satellite to the Ladies Event, so I flew down to Paradise Island in the Bahamas to attend the PCA as a civilian and professional railbird. I also drunk a shit-ton of rum and gambled at the sports book.

The cabbie pulled into Atlantis and I tipped him fairly decent, enough that he tried to sell me a bag of blow. I politely declined. Do you know the six words that aptly describes cocaine from the Caribbean? Clumps together, but only cut once… MORE

Dispatches from the PCA: Divided Sky – I spent a lot of time watching the Dead People Channel and then hung out on the rail to sweat Change100 during her victorious run in the Ladies Event.

It’s no secret that I feel uncomfortable and unwelcomed at any Ladies Only events because I’m getting thousands of daggers shot at me from evil glances from the players, many of whom on principle hate men, not to mention a slew of female players who think I’m an asshole because my writing glorifies misogyny and the poor treatment of women by condoning prostitution and promoting stripping… MORE

Tao of Pokerati Podcast: Bahama Mama – Change100 Scores Ladies PCA Title – Listen to a super quick podcast that I recorded with Change100 after she beat Lauren Kling heads-up to win the PCA Ladies event.

Looming Municipal Debt Crisis the Key to Online Poker Legislation? – The majority of the states in the union were faced with severe budgetary problems at the start of 2011. I hypothesized that some states will look to legalize online poker in order to make a dent into their ginormous debt obligations.

The future is grim no matter how you look at it. That’s why there’s very little chatter in the media about the looming municipal debt crisis. It’s sort of like an asteroid ready to crash into Earth — it’s much easier to be the ostrich with its head buried in the ground, and let everyone go about their daily lives, rather than clue them in on the reality of the situation and that the end of the world could be right around the corner…MORE

Dan Shak’s Hedge Fund Nearly Blows Up the Gold Market – Speaking of finance… did you hear the one about Dan Shak nearly causing a financial tsunami?

Talk about a trader who has a set of titanium balls! That’s what I love about Dan Shak — he made a ballsy trade, it went south, he cut his losses, shrugged it off, and wants to get back in the game… MORE

Eight Voices and a Sea of Trouble – I broke down the eight different voices inside my head that often get me into gambling trouble.

Accessing the future for my own financial gain is an unattainable pipe dream. I meet people all the time in Vegas and in poker circles who claim that have foolproof systems for blackjack, roulette, the horses, stock options, etc. I’ve met lots of shit-talkers, but I’ve never crossed paths with a legitimate psychic who can accurately predict the future. Believe me, I scoured the world for a seer and found lots of charlatans, but came up empty…MORE

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February 2010

Your Hands and Feet Are Mangos, Part 1 – For one week, I conducted an experiment — do nothing except drink rum and bet on sports.

In the last few years, what used to be a ravenous love affair with sports betting had become a coarse, listless, co-dependent relationship. Each bet used to be like riding a rollercoaster for two hours while jacked up on cocaine. But not anymore because watching each game was more like being prisoner on a cruise ship adrift in stormy seas that’s inducing you to puke your nads out….MORE

Your Hands and Feet Are Mangos, Part 2 – Here’s the second and final installment of my rum-inspired sports betting diaries, which started out as a social experiment but over a long weekend, I nearly lost my shirt on college hoops and had an accident that left our kitchen floor all… sticky.

“Good news and bad news,” I barked and then inspected my soaked jeans. “Bad news is that the kitchen floor is pink and sticky. Good news is that thanks to the supreme technological advances in developing plastics, the shatter-proof bottle prevented the rum from exploding.”…MORE

Syracuse Point-Shaving Rumors Debunked; Major College Basketball Betting Scandal Averted? – The Syracuse point-shaving rumors blew up overnight and what would have just been whispers among paranoid bettors, until it became a national scandal.

College athletes have become pawns for corporate entities. All of those annoying redundant commercials during March Madness made you nauseous, but it’s a clear indication at the significant money that is thrown around by major advertisers. Someone is making a buck on college athletes, everyone except the athletes themselves….MORE

Tao of Pokerati Podcast: Exotic Betting on the Super Bowl with Change100 – I recorded a quick podcast with my girlfriend, who was excited to bet on how long it was going to take Christina Aguilera to sing the National Anthem.

Live Sumo Is Rigged – If you didn’t know, the national sport of Japan has a shady past of rigging matches.

Taking a dive was a dishonor yourself, let alone a sincere dishonor to the entire Sumo community of wrestlers, trainers, promoters, fans, and even the guy who gets paid to wipe the arses of ginormous wrestlers…. MORE

The Bluff Power 20; Howard Lederer Has the Juice – Howard Lederer was named the most powerful person in poker.

Deadhead. Former bookie. Poker pro. Online poker visionary. Top dog. Top gun. King of the Hill. The Godfather… MORE

* * *
March 2011

Closing the Sahara – I took a walk down memory lane when I found out that the Sahara Casino in Las Vegas was closing its doors.

Las Vegas rose up out of the nothingness of the sand. A former Mormon missionary outpost had transformed into a gambling Mecca by gangsters, real estate developers, and bankers. Mecca is actually an inappropriate word to describe Las Vegas because there’s nothing religious about a pilgrimage to modern day Sodom and Gomorrah — the epicenter for the orgy of consumption… MORE

Orphaned Cards – I cannot explain why, but sometimes I find random cards in the middle of the street.

Rolling Out the Magic – If I was a TV exec and I could rig a final table, I’d pick nine specific personality types.

Television executives in poker are faced with two rigorous obstacles: 1) inaction at the tables, and 2) lack of stimulating dialogue. Both are detrimental to ratings. Lackadaisical ratings gave poker a blemish, which is why the suits in charge of programming banished poker to uncoveted late night slots, where stoners and insomniacs alike watched with an indifferent glaze. The few remaining programs were lost in the shuffle at the farthest ends of the satellite spectrum, embroiled in fierce competition against 1,000 other stations…. MORE

Sweating Sachin Tendulkar – New low as a degen gambler… I bet on cricket.

Despite being plagued with a short attention span, an 8-hour sporting event like cricket is a definite commitment, both physically and mentally, but due to medical breakthrough and advances in technology, 8-hour long cricket matches are conductive if you have proclivities to specific time-released pharmaceuticals…. MORE

* * *
April 2011

Down With Diseased Monkeys – I began the month betting on baseball and went on a horrid losing streak.

Sports betting is a huge life leak, but it’s also a life sweetener, or a bottle of hot sauce that spruces up mundane aspects of daily life, which is why it’s inherently dangerous. Finding the perfect balance between entertainment, merriment, stroking the ego is essential to healthy lifestyle. It’s when you cross over the proverbial demarcation line in the murky, cloudy grey area that you takes strides away from the light and rush toward the dark…. MORE

Black Friday, Vampire Squids, and 1,000 Masturbating Monkeys – I was in Lima, Peru when Black Friday hit and waited until after I finished climbing Machu Picchu before I wrote about my take on the worst day in the history of online poker.

What was the point of even sending the PPA to Washington? Instead, we should have sent a hundred masturbating chimpanzees to lobby for online poker — they would have accomplished the same fucking thing as the PPA, but at least we’d have some cool YouTube videos of monkeys jerking off on the steps of the Capitol…. MORE

* * *
May 2011

Aunt Emma – Another installment of the infamous Pai Gow Diaries.

A disheveled woman sat down next to me. She wore a green terry cloth jacket. For a second I thought she walked into the casino wearing her bath robe. But she smelled like she had slept in her car, woke up, blew a snot rocket, smoked the ends of three week-old cigarette butts, then walked over to the Pai Gow table…. MORE

PokerStars Offices Raided in Costa Rica – I just happened to know a few friends in Costa Rica who were around when the federales raided the San Jose offices of online poker rooms.

Black Friday Fallout: Offshore Sportsbooks Fleeing U.S. Soil – The sportsbetting industry also took a hit when they experienced residual fallout from Black Friday.

14 Fun Moments from the 2010 WSOP and 14 More Fun Moments at the 2010 WSOP – I was reminiscing about some fun times I had in the summer of 2010.

Fading the Rapture – I love betting against Jesus Freaks, especially those predicting specific dates for Armageddon.

Glow in the Dark Dragons – And what’s the WSOP without kicking it off by going on dealer tilt at a Pai Gow table?

The new line of Pai Gow bots will not arrive until late in 2011, which means I only have to deal with older version, which are prone to glitches and the occasional error. I guess that’s the only good thing to come out of the Japan quake. Sure, Japan is drowning in radiation soup while traces of radioactive material flutter its way toward North American airspace, but at least I won’t have to worry about an upgraded version of the Pai Gow bots…. MORE

* * *
June 2011 and August 2011

Thanks to Alexander, I got to be on the cover of The Circuit. here’s my interview…

I covered my 7th World Series of Poker on Tao of Poker. Here’s the index of coverage…

Let’s start with a couple of posts that were published before cards went in the air on Day 1. Among those were a few tidbits about the Ivey/Full Tilt lawsuit.

2011 WSOP: Before the Madness Begins – A prelude to the seven-week fiesta of poker.

WTF? Phil Ivey Suing Full Tilt Poker – In one of the most peculiar news stories since Black Friday, Phil Ivey announced he was leaving Full Tilt, suing Tiltware, and sitting out of the WSOP. All of these important announcements were made on his Facebook fan page. Whaaaaa?

Full Tilt’s Angry Response to Phil Ivey’s Lawsuit – The drama-filled start to the WSOP continued with an angry response from Full Tilt’s HQs. That’s the fastest they ever responded to anything in the wake of Black Friday.

Finding Pil Ivey and the Doctor Is In – The video crew at Bluff Magazine did an awesome job with their videos this summer, especially the bit Finding Ivey. I got tapped to tape an interview and you can see a teaser in this video.

The Circuit Cover and Interview – I was fortunate that Alexander asked me to be a part of his amazing photo project — The Circuit. Check out what went down behind the scenes during the photo shoot, including a candid interview about what life is really like on the road following around the tournament circuit.

Okay, and now here are the daily recaps from the 2011 WSOP…

Day 1: Welcome to the Jungle and Phil Ivey’s Titanium Balls – The 2011 WSOP kicked off with lots of questions swirling around about which pros would toe the company line and support Full Tilt Poker, and which red pros would ditch the patches and other FT branding. Phil Ivey fired the first shot with his lawsuit (announced via Facebook), but did he incite a mutiny with other red pros following his lead?

Day 2: Ivey’s Hippodrome and Bare-Chested Scandis – Gus Hansen wandering around with his shirt undone and the ongoing saga between Phil Ivey and Full Tilt were among the more dramatic topics on the second day of action.

Day 3: Moneymaker and Johnny Fucking Chan Win Grudge Matches and Men the Master Cheating Accusations – A Made-for-TV event occupied the Mothership with Chris Moneymaker and Johnny Fucking Chan winning their Main Event “grudge matches”. Meanwhile, in the real WSOP, Men the Master was the center of hurricane of shadiness when he hypocritically accused Hollywood Dave of shorting a pot. A shouting match ensued and both were on the verge of being disqualified.

Day 4: Jake Cody’s Emos, Hooligans, and Hat Tricks – Jack Cody, the latest British wunderkind made history when he became only the third member of the Triple Crown club. His victory did not come without a little rail rowdiness along the way.

Day 5: Apocalypse Now (Guest Post by Change100) – Yes, I had the day off and Change100 stepped up to pen an atmospheric piece on the tension in the air at the start of the 2011 WSOP — the first series in the wake of Black Friday and “money getting stuck on Full Tilt” fiasco.

Day 6: Ho-most for Maria Ho – The lovely Maria Ho went deep in the 5K NL event and came within one spot of winning her first bracelet.

Day 7: British Invasion, Vampire Squids, and the Devil – After the first week of nonstop poker, the first zombie begin to appear at the Rio. The zombies in turn attract the Devil along with treacherous vampire squids.

Day 8: The Marked Cards Conspiracy and the Last 5 Pros I Pissed Next To – It’s not the WSOP unless there’s a controversy involving the cards. There’s always something wrong with the decks. At the 2011 WSOP, a couple of the decks had a printing error that was only visible underneath the groovy purple grow-lights inside the Mothership.

Day 9: Cocking Blocking the Brits – The Brits launched an all-out assault on Las Vegas once again as they threatened to win another bracelet but the bloody 10-level rule was the only thing that prevented them from shipping another bracelet.

Day 10: Banning Booze, World Series of Mormons, and Sweating the Mavs – Despite the financial woes bringing America to the brink of ruin, the WSOP continued to thrive in the face of external adversity on both the political and financial fronts. The influx of players always brought with it a wave of fervor on the rail during final tables. The powers to be did not anticipate a Mardi Gras-like atmosphere inside the Mothership that is a fragile TV set and not a country-western bar. As a result, booze was officially banned at the final table.

Day 11: Social Media in Poker and Tex Dolly Blows Chunks – The poker world has changed for the better (or worst) because of the heavy influence of social media. Oh, and we found out through Twitter that Texas Dolly got ill during the middle of a tournament because of something he ate.

Day 12: Hellmuth Chokes and Prohibition Ends at the Mothership – Phil Hellmuth was on a mission to win his 12h bracelet, yet his attempt was thwarted. Meanwhile, much to the delight of the alkies in Vegas, booze was permitted to be consumed inside the Mothership. Yes, the short-lived prohibition was over.

Day 13: Tweaker City, USA – I experienced a rather sketchy encounter in the parking lot at the Gold Coast while hanging out with Benjo.

Day 14: Subterranean Homesick Alien and Brits Snag Third Bracelet – By the end of the second week of the WSOP, everyone is ridden with homesickness. Despite the malaise, another Brit won a bracelet, meanwhile, we decided to pay homage to old school Vegas with a trip downtown to where it all began — Binion’s.

Day 15: Triple ElkY and The Mark is the 22nd Best PLO Player in the World – The French surged during the beginning of the third week of the series. They won three bracelets in a short period of time and ElkY became only the fourth player to win the Triple Crown. Meanwhile, a close friend of the Tao of Poker went deep in a PLO event. Yeah, The Mark fell short of his first WSOP final table.

Day 16: Le Deux; French Snag 2 Bracelets in 24 Hours – The French surge continued with their second bracelet within a 24-hour period.

Day 17: Mike Sexton Heads-Up for Bracelet and Liquidating the Sahara – The Ambassador of Poker, Mike Sexton, went deep in the Stud 8 event, only to have it suspended due to the 10-level rule. Sexton was heads-up when his tournament was halted. Meanwhile, the big liquidation sale at the Sahara kicked off. Jerome and Camille shot a stunning video of that dreary sale day.

Day 18: No Country For Old Men; Barry Greenstein and Mike Sexton Denied Bracelets – Two poker greats came very close to winning bracelets, yet they fell short of the mark. In addition, the Senior’s Event kicked off with everyone standing to attention when the Stars and Stripes were played.

Day 19: The Donkenator and Eating Death – Dominating a donkaments are never an easy task. Woever wins that bracelet damn well deserves it. I delve a bit into Milton’s Paradise Lost in this recap. Enter at your own risk.

Day 20: The Egregious Case of the $9 Pizza and Stein Shines – It was a matter of time before I went off on an old-fashioned anti-food rant because of the horrendous $9 pizza that the Poker Kitchen tries to pass off as a culinary delight.

Day 21: A Day in the Life; Hellmuth Denied 12th Bracelet (Again) – This is my favorite piece of the summer, mainly because most of the hijinks happened outside the Amazon Ballroom that eventually morphed into my first Memento moment of the WSOP. Anyway, I went on a classic bender at the Gold Coast while Phil Hellmuth went deep once again and tried to win bracelet #12.

Day 22: Slowdown, Rocky Mountain High, and Chau Giang Confirmed Alien – The WSOP caught its breath at the start of the fourth week of play, while I determined that Chau Giang is really an alien.

Day 23: Timex Flashback, Jason Mercier Wins PLO Bracelet, and More Sordid Tales About Chasing the Dragon – I squeezed in a little personal Pai Gow degeneracy in between a recap about Jason Mercier’s victory in the PLO event along with a flashback about the origins of Timex.

Day 24: Dwan Song, Revelry, and Hooligans – Whenever Tom “durrrr” Dwan makes a final table, the entire poker world stops to watch. With a few million in prop bets on the line, Dwan’s final tables always have an added element of excitement. Alas, it was the Brits who sucked up all of the attention in the Amazon Ballroom as they railed their boy Middy and even drank Jager bombs out of their shoes.

Day 25: Rubber Soul, Electric Daisies, and Two-Tabling Pai Gow – The Electric Daisy Carnival swept through Vegas and a quarter million ravers invaded Sin City. Fabrice Soulier shipped a bracelet and became the third Frenchie to win one in 2011. Ah, and I also engaged in a live session of Pai Gow again and two-tabled it. I’m lucky I didn’t get 86′d.

Day 26: The Sickness – If you’ve spent a significant amount of time in Las Vegas, then you’ve seen those afflicted with The Sickness. I spoke about some of my experiences with the dreaded disease.

Day 27: Shaking Down Ravers; November Niner Snags Bracelet – I had a situation when I should’ve rolled a couple of schwasted ravers in the elevator, but I couldn’t cross over to the dark side and take advantage of the party people on the last day of the Electric Daisy Carnival.

Day 28: The Glass Onion; Lamb Leads POY – Donkey slayers, Brazilians, and Ben Lamb seizing the top spot in Player of the Year race.

Day 29: Carnival at the Mothership; Akkari Wins Bracelet – I went to cover a final table and a Brazilian soccer match broke out. The Mothership was transformed into a World Cup final when Brazil’s native son Andre Akkari advanced to the final table and was heads-up for a bracelet.

“Vamooooooooooooooo!”
Days 30-33: OFF

Day 34: Happy Birthday, America – On the Fourth of July, America celebrated with its annual Hot Dog Eating Contest at Coney Island. Only in America can we boast about binge eating to celebrate our creation and independence from British tyranny.

Day 35: Catching Up - After a brief holiday away from the Vegas grind, it was time to catch up on everything I missed.

Day 36: Don’t Stop Believen‘ – Hellmuth and the 50K hit a hard stop. Grumbles ensued.

Day 37: Another Runner-Up Finish for Hellmuth; Whiffs on Three Flush Draws to Lose Bracelet#12 – Hellmuth had another disappointing evening after he whiffed on three big flush draws only to lose to Brian Rast, who won his second bracelet in 2011.

* * *

2011 Main Event Coverage

Prelude to the Killing Fields – The 2011 Main Event
With a Little Help From My Friends: The Michael Stevens Story by Change100
Day 38- Main Event Day 1A: Dolly’s Abyss
Day 39 – Main Event Day 1B: Luck Rack of Lamb
Prope Bets with Remkos and Micros WSOP Episode
Day 40 – Main Event Day 1C: One More Saturday Nite
Day 41 – Main Event Day 1D: Spiderman Big Records, Perma-Bans, and 6,865
Day 42 – Main Event Day 2A: Torturing the One-Eyed Clown, Hellmuth Awakes, and the Euro Surge
Day 43 – Main Event Day 2B: Lamb Lies Down on Broadway
Day 44 – Main Event Day Off; Annie Duke Wins Media Tournament
Day 45 – Main Event Day 3: Poirier and Jace Are Million Men and Tilt-A-Scandi
Day 46 – Main Event Day 4: Soft Bubbles, Zombie Apocalypse, and the Reincarnation of JRB
Day 47 – Main Event Day 5: There Must Be Some Way Out of Here
The Skinny: Day 6
Day 48 – Main Event Day 6: House of the Rising Sun; NOLA’s Ryan Lenaghan Leads with 57 Remaining
The Skinny: Day 7
Day 49 – Main Event Day 7: Buy the Ticket, Survive the Ride
2011 November Nine Set

* * *

And here’s the Best of Tao of Pokerati… which are some of my favorite episodes of the Tao of Pokerati podcast that Michalski and I recorded from the 2011 WSOP featuring special guests Benjo, Snoopy, KevMath, Remko, and AlCantHang.

Episode 6: Ivey’s Lawyer (4:17) – Dan and Pauly chat about the Ivey drama that transformed the opening days of the WSOP into the “World Series of Phil Ivey.” Dan also shares some inside info on Ivey’s lawyer, renown criminal attorney David Chesnoff.

Episode 7: Sahara Liquidation with Remko and Benjo (6:12) – Benjo and Pauly discussed the Sahara Casino liquidation sale/auction with one of the members of the Dutch press, Remko. Both Remko and Benjo expressed a keen interest in acquiring a slot machine for super cheap, while Pauly has his eyes set on a Pai Gow table. Meanwhile, Benjo and Remko try to figure out how to ship a slot machine from Vegas to France and Holland.

Episode 12: The Tweaker Edition with Benjo (4:02) – Benjo and Pauly hang out at the Gold Coast and watched a tweaker get 86d by security. They later encounter the tweaker in the parking lot, and Benjo asks Pauly for a quick tutorial about the seedy Las Vegas meth scene.

Episode 14: Old School Cheats with Johnny Hughes (6:02) – Pauly sat down and chatted with a special guest — the legendary Johnny Hughes — who has been in poker circles for 50+ years. Pauly asks Johnny to share some stories about old school poker cheats and the “fear” of getting caught, which kept a lot of shady characters in line.

Episode 16: Brickless Cash Games Reprise (3:22) – Dan and Pauly recorded a quick follow-up to their previous episode while they hang out on the rail of the high-stakes cash games. They spot Eskimo Clark, “Cowboy”, and other broke dicks lingering around seeking handouts from the high rollers.

Episode 17: WSOP Fashion Report with KevMath (5:10) – Pauly chats with KevMath, who is a self-described “fashion expert.” The two compare and contrast the different styles of clothing worn by members of the media. KevMath also reveals why he won’t wear shorts.

Episode 19: KevMath Keno System with KevMath (6:01) – Pauly and KevMath hang out at the dive bar in a bowling alley at the Gold Coast. KevMath was in the middle of crushing a video Keno game, when Pauly asked him to share a couple of his big secrets to beating the game.

Episode 20: Adieu, Benjo (8:40) with Benjo – After almost a week of speculation and rumors, Benjo confirms that he’s leaving Las Vegas and heading home to France. His brief stint at the WSOP is officially over. One chapter ends, and a new one begins. Dr. Pauly, Dan and Benjo hang out in the dive bar inside the bowling alley at Gold Coast to listen to Benjo bid his farewells.

Episode 21: New Dynamic Duo with Snoopy (5:59) – Pauly holds auditions for a new sidekick with only one requirement — a outrageous accent. Snoopy, a writer from London, nails the audition. In this episode, they discuss modeling their new dynamic duo on the Batman & Robin television series, in addition to re-locating the Bat Cave to England and installing bat poles in the press box.

Episode 23: Brazil’s Mothership Invasion with AlCantHang (2:50) – Pauly and AlCantHang are on the rail inside the Mothership watching the heads-up battle between American Nachman “The Landlord” Berlin and Brazil’s native son Andre Akkari. Al and Pauly record a quick episode moments after Akkari won a decisive pot to cripple Berlin, and the Brazilians went berserk.

Episode 26: Main Event Begins! (6:34) – The Main Event is upon us and before the cards went in the air, Pauly is hanging out and listening to TD Jack Effel’s long-winded introduction and a quick rundown of the rules to all Main Event players. Jack then introduces Texas Dolly to utter the famous phrase, “Shuffle up and deal!”

Episode 27: Almost Famous with Snoopy (3:32) – While players return to their seats after the dinner break, Pauly and Snoopy notice Jason Alexander posing for pictures with fans. Snoopy explains why Seinfeld wasn’t a big hit in England and Pauly discovers someone dressed as Snow White in the crowd. Pauly also wonders if Snoopy would ever dress up in a costume for the Main Event.

Episode 29: Media Mania and Golden Toilets with Change100 and AlCantHang (3:08) – Pauly is still in the media event, so Change100 takes the opportunity to chat with AlCantHang. They both busted rather early, especially AlCantHang, who won a dubious honor of being the first player to bust out. His reward? A Golden Toiler trophy for last place.

Episode 33: Two Brits, One Irishman with Snoopy (5:09) – Snoopy gives Pauly the latest British report with three tables remaining in the Main Event. Snoopy clues us in on the two Brits (Sam Holden and JP Kelly) still alive along with Eoghan O’Dea from Ireland. Even though O’Dea is Irish, Snoopy and Brits are still keeping an eye on their “adopted” player.

Episode 36: KevMath WSOP Exit Interview with KevMath (8:50) – Kevin “KevMath” Mathers is officially done with his WSOP assignment, but he stopped by the Rio to watch the action on Day 8. He bumped into Pauly, who sat him down to discuss his favorite moments (and least favorite) during his first ever WSOP. Pauly also quizzes him on any strange “fan” encounters along the way.

Episode 37: Pseudo-Final Table (6:02) – Dan and Pauly are on the rail of the Mothership as action resumes for the pseudo-final table of ten, otherwise known as the November Nine bubble. Plenty of tension in the air because the final table will be set with just one more elimination.

Episode 39: Bruno’s New Toy (4:20) – Fun Warren brought a batch of dolls to the WSOP. The dolls, resembling famous poker pros, were custom made in London . He left a couple behind for Pauly and Dan. Pauly got Phil Hellmuth, while Dan seems a little disappointed with Daniel Negreanu. Dan suggests that he’ll probably give the Negreanu’s doll to his dog Bruno, so Bruno will now have a new play toy.

If you want to listen to more episodes from the 2011 WSOP, visit Tao of Pokerati podcast archives.

* * *
August, September, and October 2011

I took three months off and moved to San Francisco. I only posted 19 times in that stretch. Less is more, eh? Here’s a few gems from the hiatus months…

Hot Sauce
A Brief Letter to Full Tilt Poker: Fuck You, Pay Me
Full tilt Ponzi Poker
Rocketman and Welcome to the Ice Palace
The Degen Market
I Didn’t Know I Was That Far Gone
Superstitions, Jinxes, and River Rats

* * *
November 2011

I returned to semi-regular poker writing with the November Nine on the agenda and the conclusion of the 2011 WSOP Main Event Championship.

Betting guide to the 2011 November Nine
2011 November Nine – Sunday LIVE Blog
November Nine Down to Three; Germany’s Pius Heinz = Chip Leader
2011 WSOP November Nine – Tuesday Live Blog
Pius Heinz Wins 2011 WSOP Main Event

Michalski and I also recorded a few special Tao of Pokerati podcasts….

Tao of Pokerati Podcast – 2011 November Nine Edition
Episode 1: Evolution
Episode 2: Naming Names
Episode 3: Betting on Belize
Episode 4: Non-Silence of the Lambs
Episode 5: Giannetti Lives
Episode 6: Quad Lambs
Episode 7: Poker Hall of Fame Ceremony
Episode 8: First Hand Fireworks
Episode 9: Heads-Up Outfits
Episode 10: The Final Hand
Episode 11: Hooker Bar Farewell

* * *
December 2011

The year ended with the annual blogger gathering to Vegas, which inspired a three-part trip report and as the year ended and I began to reflect on 2011, I sounded off on a few topics.

Four Haikus – Lost Vegas
Ocho – WPBT, Part 1
Ocho – WPBT, Part 2
Ocho – WPBT, Part 3
Zombie Poker Apocalypse
Puppeteers of America

* * *
That’s it. The highlights from 2011. I hope you have a happy new year.

And if you like what you read, I encourage you to vote Tao of Poker for Best Poker Blog in Bluff’s Readers Choice Awards. Thanks for your support.

Support indie writers by buying Pauly’s book Lost Vegas.

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Bluff Videos: Finding Phil Ivey and The Doctor Is In

By Pauly
Las Vegas, NV

The gang shooting the videos for Bluff Magazine are killing it this summer. Kudos to Marty, Sueann, and Michel for their stellar work. Check out the latest installment of BLUFF Live @ the WSOP, especially the hysterical segment of Finding Phil Ivey.

Oh, by the way, because I’m a columnist at Bluff Magazine, they interviewed me about my latest article about the hallways at the WSOP in the current issue. There’s a snippet of my interview appearing at the 4:44 mark.

Watch it here:

And you have to head over to Bluff to view the entire interview that I recorded yesterday. Check out… BLUFF Cover Story: The Doctor Is In.

Support indie writers by buying Pauly’s book Lost Vegas.

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