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Travel Guide: Monaco

Season 8 of the European Poker Tour exceeded all expectations over the past year and will culminate later this month with the PokerStars and Monte-Carlo Casino’s EPT Grand Final in Monte Carlo, Monaco. This marks the event’s return to Monte Carlo after being hosted in Madrid, Spain last season, which saw Venezuelan Ivan Freitez conquer a 686-player field to capture a €1,500,000 first-place prize.

This year’s Grand Final will feature 37 different events, including the second annual Champion of Champions Freeroll on May 1. If you recall, last year’s freeroll brought together 50 past EPT champions who competed for €50,000 in future EPT buy-ins, including Jason Mercier and Galen Hall, who finished as the winner and runner-up respectively. This year even more champions are expect to compete for €100,000 worth of EPT buy-ins.

While that tournament will be exciting, the real attraction is the €10,600 Main Event, a tournament that has made instant super stars out of past winners like Rob Hollink, Jeff Williams, Gavin Griffin, Glen Chorny, Pieter De Korver, Nicolas Chuity and of course Freitez.

The big question is, who’ll add their name to the list?

For a look at the entire EPT Monte Carlo schedule, visit http://www.europeanpokertour.com/tournaments/grandfinal/

Vitals
Time: Central European Time (CET)
Calling code: +377
Language: French (official), English, Italian
Climate: Mediterranean: warm, dry summer & mild, rainy winters
Population (2011 estimate): 35,986
Currency: Euro
Voltage: 220 volts.

Venue Information
Monte Carlo Bay Hotel & Resort
40 Avenue Princess Grace
Monte Carlo 98000
Monaco
Tel. : +377 98 06 25 25
Fax: +377 98 06 26 26
E-mail: resort@sbm.mc

According to the EPT website:

“The Mediterranean Principality of Monaco is surrounded by France but is actually an independent country. Monaco is the second-smallest country in the world, covering only two square miles and has been ruled for more than 700 years by the Grimaldi family. Its present ruler Prince Albert took over the throne in 2005 after the death of his father Prince Rainier. Prince Albert’s mother was the glamorous American film star Grace Kelly who died in a car accident in 1982. Monaco is the home of the famous Grand Prix motor race, and has been synonymous with glamour, elegance – and gambling – since the 1800s.”

Getting There & Around

If you’re EPT Grand Finale bound and coming from afar, you’re more than likely to fly into the Nice Côte d’Azur International Airport, which is located 15 miles from Monaco. That’s the nearest airport and there are plenty of flights to and from Nice to choose from.

Once there, you’ll have plenty of options to chose from to traverse the 15 miles to your destination. The most fun would no doubt be to catch a helicopter, which departs the Nice Airport every 20 minutes. It only takes seven minutes, but the view makes it well worth it. What’s more, the heliport has a shuttle service that connects passengers to various hotels.

If you’d prefer to keep your feet on the ground, there are regular bus connections from Terminals 1 and 2 of the Nice Airport every hour between 9am-9pm, which takes about 45 minutes. If you want to save a little time, you can also take a taxi, which takes about 35 minutes and cost an average of €90.

You may also opt to come to Monaco by train, which is convenient as all international trains stop at the Monte-Carlo Station located at Avenue Prince Pierre. Finally, if you’re coming by automobile, you’ll either drive from France, in which case you’ll want to take the “56 Monaco” exit, or from Italy, where “Monaco-Roquebrune” will be your exit.

Where to Stay

If you won your package on PokerStars, you’ll receive an email with your accommodation arrangements. If not, EPT Hotels is here to help you out. There you will find information on hotels throughout Monaco, such as the Riviera Marriott Hotel La Porte de Monaco, which is just 2.5 km from the venue and has a free shuttle bus. In addition, there is a gym, outdoor swimming pool, room service and free Internet WiFi in all public areas.

You’ll also find information on Le Meridien Beach Plaza, Fairmont Monte Carlo, Novotel Monte Carlo, Adagio Monaco Palais Josephine, Port Palace, Monte-Carlo Bay Hotel & Resort, Hermitage and Hotel de Paris. Needless to say, there is no shortage of luxurious options.

Out and About

Since 1955, the streets of Monaco have played host to the Formula One Monaco Grand Prix, one of the most famous competitions in the world. Unfortunately this year’s race, which takes place from May 24-27, doesn’t quite coincide with the EPT Grand Final, though having two premiere events at the same time might be a little too much.

Nonetheless, there is still plenty to do in Monte Carlo. Obviously there is the Monte Carlo Casino, which tends to be the number one recommended experience in the city. As pleasingvacations.com says, “Charles Garnier designed the magnificent gold and marble atrium in this famous casino, which was built in 1863. Overlooking the Mediterranean, the Monte Carlo Casino also includes an opera and ballet house called the Grand Théâtre de Monte Carlo, and is the headquarters of the Ballets de Monte Carlo.”

Pleasingvacations.com also put together a convenient must-do list in Monte Carlo, which looks like this:

1. Grand Casino
2. Café de Paris
3. Old Town
4. Metropole Shopping Centre
5. Monaco Cathedral
6. Prince’s Palace
7. Monte-Carlo Thermes Marins
8. The Grimaldi Forum
9. Stade Louis II
10. The Grand Prix Racing Route

If you really want to experience Monte Carlo, you need some glitz and glamour, and there is no better place to get that than enjoying the nightlife. The bar at the Columbus Monaco, one of the city’s classiest hotels, is very enjoyable and more laid back than most hot spots. There you’ll be able to order food, enjoy a drink on the terrace and even catch a boat to nearby Mala Beach.

Another good option is Zebra Square, which is on the top floor of Grimaldi Forum and features a breath-taking panoramic view of the harbor. Plus, it’s the place you’re most likely to run into celebrities and models.

The other recommended club is The Blue Gin, which is part of the Monaco Bay Resort. It’s upscale and caters to the wealthy, meaning it’s a great place to take all your tournament winnings!

Of course you don’t want to forget about the Monte Carlo Casino itself; after all, it is the most recommended destination. There you will find plenty of gaming options to compliment poker including European & English roulette, Thirty and Forty, Punto Banco, Blackjack, Craps, Three card Poker, Ultimate Texas Hold’em, War and many more.

For more information on Monte Carlo, we recommend you check out http://www.visitmonaco.com/en. You could also watch the 2011 film Monte Carlo starring Selena Gomez, but we’re guessing that’s not an appealing option. Also, don’t forget to check out the PokerStars Blog at 12:00 CET on Wednesday, April 25 as our bloggers will be on hand to provide you all the updates from the EPT Grand Final.

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Forty-two survive France Poker Series Day 1A

More than 100 people started Day 1A of the France Poker Series, and at the end of the day, only 42 remained. Today, those people are enjoying the skiing and atmosphere around Lake Geneva in Evian, France as Day 1B play gets underway.

The second day 1 flight of the €1,100 main event drew the famed Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier, Arnaud Mattern, and Eugene Katchalov to the felt today. They’re joined by celebrities Marion Nedellec, Cathy Serrat, Nicolas Lambert, and Celine Bastian.

Nicolas Beker from Switzerland finished Day 1 A with the chip lead and 196,400 in his stack. Team PokerStars Pro Matthias de Meulder is close behind with 186,800. Paul Testud completes the top three with 129,100 chips. Team Pro Julien Brécard has finished Day 1A with 85,000 and is also in the top 10.

Matthias de Meulder

Sponsored by PokerStars, the France Poker Series continues through this weekend. The main event highlights a week-longseries of events, including rhe €3,000 High Roller on March 24.

To learn more about FPS Snowfest, visit the official website of France Poker Series.

Follow the event as if you were there, live on PokerStars Live.

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EPT8 Copenhagen: The final table begins

The final table starts at 12 noon today with the final eight of 299 players back for one more day of action at the SAS Radisson Casino.

Below you’ll find details of all of them, including something about a weather girl, and goalkeeper and at least one player killing it online.

Seat 1: Bjarke “Metalmania” Hansen, 26, Esbjerg, Denmark – 1,497,000
Hansen is from Esbjerg, Denmark, but has been living in Malta for the past seven months. There is a large population of Danes on the island working in the gaming industry and/or playing online professionally.

Hansen actually didn’t plan to play EPT Copenhagen but won his seat after playing in an invitational VIP Sit and Go a month ago, which had a seat to the main event up for grabs. Hansen has been a pro since 2004, initially playing no-limit hold’em but now focusing on heads-up pot-limit Omaha cash games. He also coaches PLO via the Pokernet.dk poker forum.

His best live result to date was runner-up in a tournament in Bulgaria in 2010, for €97,515. He is being supported in Copenhagen by his brother Sune who is here working for PokerNews Denmark. Sune said: “He actually reversed jinxed himself by booking a ticket back home to Malta for yesterday – and then had to cancel it after making Day 4.”

Seat 2: Mickey ‘mement_mori’ Petersen, 22, Denmark – PokerStars Team Online – 1,205,000
Local hero Mickey ‘mement_mori’ Petersen is one of the most successful online poker tournament players Denmark has ever produced, a game he started to master while taking a year off from his studies. Petersen began making so much money online at PokerStars that he ditched University in favour of turning pro. He also started qualifying for live PokerStars events around the world and is now an EPT regular.

Most of his biggest online results have been scored in PokerStars’ SCOOP events, including runner-up in a $2,100 No Limit Hold’em event in 2010 for $169,286. Mickey has also cashed in several other SCOOP events, all of which have helped him become one of the highest earners in the history of the series, with more than $500,000 in winnings. He’s also won big in other PokerStars online tourneys, including third place in the Sunday Warm-Up helping him top several online Player of the Year and Leader Board rankings.

Winning an EPT title is high on Petersen’s list of career goals. He’s only cashed in one Main Event before – EPT Barcelona this season – but has ten cashes in EPT side events including fourth place at the EPT Grand Final €5,000 event in Season 6 for €73,400.

Chips chips

Seat 3: Steve O’Dwyer, 29, Pennsylvania, USA – 453,000
Steve O’Dwyer is from the States, but recently moved to Ireland in order to continue his career as a professional poker player.

The communications and broadcasting graduate also does pretty well for himself in live events and has had some astonishing results in the past year. His first big cash came in December 2009 when he finished sixth in the Doyle Brunson Five Diamond World Poker Classic, earning more than $200,000. Then last summer O’Dwyer won a $5,000 NL event at the Bellagio Cup for a further $259,452 and a few weeks later the Epic Poker League’s $1,500 Pro-Am event.

In August, O’Dwyer finished fifth in the EPT Barcelona €10,000 High Roller, earning €46,900, then a month later was runner-up at EPT London for £ 465,000, his biggest cash to date.

O’Dwyer has also made the final of three EPT side events, cashed in two more and was runner-up at WPT Venice in December for €95,530. He has racked up more than $2 million in total lifetime tournament earnings.

O’Dwyer is currently lying in eighth place in the EPT Player of the Year race – and he’ll get at least 320 more points for making the final here in Copenhagen.

Seat 4: Spencer Hudson, 28, Austin, Texas – PokerStars qualifier – 447,000
Hudson took up poker around six years ago while studying business at university in Houston. He was so successful that he eventually abandoned his degree and took to playing online full time.

Like many other American pros, Hudson has had to relocate since Black Friday and is now living in Playa del Carmen – one of the most popular tourist resorts in Mexico and now home to at least 30 poker professionals. Hudson has been playing EPTs for a couple of years including Snowfest, London and Deauville, and has cashed twice at the PCA.

This year he finished 55th for $35,000. He also has several WSOP cashes to his name, but his best results have come online including winning the Sunday Million in 2010 for around $265,000 and also making the final again last month.

Seat 5: Jacob Rasmussen, 28, Copenhagen, Denmark – 1,325,000
Known as “Sasuke” in the poker community, former law student Rasmussen has been playing for six years and is best-known for his performances online where he specializes in high stakes cash games.

Rasmussen doesn’t play that many live events but when he does he tends to do well, especially at EPTs in Copenhagen where he has cashed three times out of four. His biggest cash to date was fifth place at EPT Dortmund in Season 5 for €139,000. At the time, it was the biggest EPT ever held with 493 players. Rasmussen’s girlfriend Celina is a weather girl on Denmark’s largest online news site ekstrabladet.dk.

Seat 6: Pierre ‘Zoutechamp’ Neuville, 69, Belgium – Team PokerStars Pro – 908,000
Pierre started playing poker 50 years ago at university when he and his fellow students used to play every day. He then took 25 years off while working as Vice President of Hasbro. He switched careers in the mid-1990s to become a personal advisor to sports stars and celebrities.

Once he retired, he decided to follow his dream of playing poker around the world. He took his wife to the PCA in 2008 and finished 18th, scuppering his wife’s doubts that he could compete against world-class players. The following season he did even better and finished in ninth place at EPT5 San Remo for €78,800.

But the major turning point in his new career as a poker pro was his runner-up finish at EPT Vilamoura in Season 6. He won EPT Qualifier of the Year that same season, and soon after became a Friend of PokerStars and is now a full-on member of Team PokerStars Pro. Since Vilamoura, he has cashed in eight further EPTs, as well as the World Series in 2010.

Seat 7: Aage Ravn, 26. Narvik, Norway – PokerStars qualifier – 2,458,000
IT consultant Ravn is from Narvik, a small Norwegian town inside the Arctic Circle. He first came to the poker world’s attention when he won a side event here at EPT Copenhagen back in Season 3 – his first ever live event.

His biggest score to date came when he made the final – finishing sixth – at the 2010 PCA for $450,000 after winning his seat on PokerStars in a $100 rebuy satellite. He cashed at the PCA the following year as well and also went deep at the Aussie Millions this January for AUS$ 35,000. He doesn’t play many big tournaments, but EPT Copenhagen marks a successful return. His fellow countryman Johnny Lodden describes his playing style as “a new invention of poker”.

Seat 8: Niels van Alphen, Westkapelle, Netherlands – PokerStars qualifier – 644,000
Dutchman Van Alphen, 21, earned the nickname “The Alpha Male” on his first European Poker Tour tournament here in Copenhagen by crushing opponents from the start.

Van Alphen is still in college – in his second year of Aquatic Ecotechnology at Hogeschool Zeeland, and plays poker as a lucrative hobby. He finished second in a WCOOP event in 2011, for $171,500, and has had several other big scores online under his nickname ‘fisherman903′.

He played his first big live tournament back in Macau but failed to book any success there. He had his eyes on this EPT because he could combine it with studying and his other big hobby: soccer. He is a goalkeeper for local Zeeland team Noormannen 1. Van Alphen lives in Westkapelle and is supported here by his girlfriend.

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PCA 2012: Eating sand, short sleeves and tension mounting

The tournament floor seems to be getting busier, even as the number of players gets fewer.

As the clock ticks down, just three tables are in action beyond the two feature tables, and the first hints of crowd trouble are brewing; curious railbirds fluttering forward to catch glimpse of the players making a run for the final.

*****

We say goodbye to Jan Heitmann, who departs in 38th position. The German Team PokerStars Pro, who also coaches a number of celebrities, has been absent with leave over the past 12 months, becoming a father and enjoying the rigours associated with, dypers, midnight feeds and softening the edges of anything sharp in the house.

His family, including his now one-year-old daughter (“She’s eating lots of sand”) are here and Heitmann looks a contented man. Even with his lack of chips he looked like he was enjoying himself.

Is playing a tournament like this more fun once you reach the money, I asked. Heitmann thought about it, then said that it grew more pleasurable the more days there were behind you, then of course when you reach the money. He paused again and then boiled it down to having more chips.

Jan Heitmann

Alas, Heitmann’s event was to end soon after. A solid return to the international tournament fray.

*****

If you’re Russian poker player you probably know Ilya Gorodetskiy. If you listen to WCOOP Radio you’ll also know him. He is himself a solid player with a sharp wit and an uncanny ability to use the British idiom “it’s not my cup of tea.”

He’s currently talking Russian into a camera while on a flying visit to the Bahamas as one of the front men of everything Russian on PokerStars.tv.

“I’m spending two days on a plane and four days here,” said Gorodetskiy in his typically sardonic way. “I’m missing the zero degrees in Moscow.”

This is true, it is cold in Moscow, but, as Gorodetskiy pointed out, that’s unseasonably warm for January. Usually the people in Moscow have to venture outside in minus ten degrees right about now. Or more accurately, stay in. It’s a wonder he even owns a short sleeve shirt.

As for Gorodetskiy, like the rest of us, he’s a Bahamian whilst he’s here, prohibited from playing, and he eyes the 8-Game tournament which started today with a longing that other working poker players can fully understand. We agreed that, despite being told we were Bahamian, neither of us felt Bahamian, nor did we look like one. Goroedtskiy is perhaps the only man in this room paler than me.

For info it’s currently 25 degrees in the Bahamas.

*****

Back at the tables and a few more wives and girlfriends have found seats close to the tables. Janene Lewin is still there, although finding it tough to sit. Having mastered how to dodge cables and cameras she watches Danny Chevalier on the feature table before returning to put her camera away. The look on her face says it all.

“I’m gonna need a lot of medication after his,” she joked.

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Zombie Poker Apocalypse

By Pauly
San Francisco, CA

The public’s fascination with zombies is rooted in an underlying irony. Hollywood recycles genres every couple of decades or so, including zombie-themed films. In the 1950s and 1960s, movie houses across America featured a plethora of B-flicks including zombie films by Edward Cahn. In the late 1970s, a slew of low budget zombie flicks entered the consciousness, many of which found a second life as home rentals in the 1980s courtesy of the VCR. And now as 2012 approaches, all-things zombie are kitschy again.

Zombieland. World War Z. Walking Dead. 28 Days Later. Zombies. Zombies. Zombies.

Zombies are everywhere and I’m not talking about the lifeless zombies you’ll see in Las Vegas hunched over a slot machine, nor am I talking about the Aussie zombies sitting in the dark in Oz grinding away at online pokies. Nope. I’m talking about those rancid, flesh-devouring cannibalistic monsters who hunt down and devour the few remaining humans in a post-apocalyptic world.

Although the zombie genre features the un-dead feasting upon the living, there’s a deeper socio-political message embedded in each film — the real world is cluttered with dead souls corrupted by materialism, sucking out the life force and destroying every iota of individuality. In the parlance of our snarky times, the sheeple are the zombies. For those among us that are enlightened, we must fear the herd because the herd of zombies will eventually trample us, eat us, or infect us with their affliction.

What do zombies love to eat? Brains. Human brains. Highly symbolic if you ask me, because zombies eat brains to eradicate intelligence. The zombies don’t think. They just consume. More. And more. And more.

So where’s the irony? The sheeple love zombie movies. Zombie movies are subversive movies about sheeple. Therefore, the sheeple are really in love with movies about themselves becoming brainless monsters, yet their collective reality is too distorted to realize what is really happening.

Zombie flicks are hot today, but all of this will change in a couple of years, when the public loses interest in brooding teenage vampires and zombie-strewn dystopia. Eventually the suits in Hollywood will recycle another genre. In the meantime, I shall tolerate zombie flicks and snicker at the absurdity of their popularity, yet I eagerly await the return of erotic, campy women-in-prison flicks and Blaxsploitation films. Seriously, when the hell are they gonna re-make Superfly?

I often wonder if the American public will ever become interested in poker-themed entertainment again? Will poker ever get recycled? Can poker, during online poker prohibition, become a centerpiece of popular culture?

Unless one of the Kardashians starts banging Phil Ivey, I doubt the sheeple will give a damn about poker.

During the gravy years of the glorious poker boom, it was hard to keep up with the over-saturation of poker programming on the boob tube. Even with a thousand cable stations, there still isn’t 24-hour poker channel in America. That omission is stunning, but the bean counters in Hollywood only care about the bottom line. And the current bottom line is this… only hardcore poker enthusiasts and degenerate gamblers will watch anything poker-related. Sure, the WSOP on ESPN might attract a small stream of curious non-poker people, but until Americans develop an appetite for more poker programming, we won’t see any new shows — especially since Poker Stars and Full Tilt aren’t around to fund new poker-themed entertainment projects.

But, I have a brilliant idea that I revealed to a studio exec during a recent meeting in Burbank. Here’s my three second pitch: washed-up celebrities playing poker.

Think about it. Who wouldn’t want to see a bloated David Lee Roth check-raise a strung-out Dustin Diamond (aka Screech from Saved By the Bell)? Wouldn’t you want to see an angry Vanilla Ice go on mega-tilt after getting sucked out by Gary Coleman?

Here’s another mind-blowing pitch… it’s a Vegas-based reality show comprised of bankrupt former child stars who live at Panorama Towers and receive daily tutorial sessions by Matt Stout and Tony Dunst. The former child stars compete in a weekly tournament in which the winner gains “immunity” and a free comp to the Bellagio buffet, while the rest of the child stars argue incessantly over which one of them gets kicked out of the Towers. Former Hollyweird child stars in Vegas is 100% pure comedy gold. Think about all the juicy B-roll you can obtain while following them around Sin City… hustling paid appearances on the Strip to take photos with tourists from the Midwest, then blowing their paychecks on an over-priced 8-ball that they scored in the parking lot of Olympic Gardens from a one-eyed pimp named Rummy.

Or better yet, here’s one more high-concept pitch… lock up any eight D-list celebs in a penthouse at the Palms, feed them booze, pills, and enough speed to keep the entire state of Wisconsin up for a month… then film the ensuing surreal trainwreck as the schwilly D-listers attempt to play low-stakes PLO. We’ll hire Gabe Kaplan and Gary Busey to do the color commentary and have Shana Hiatt conduct side-line interviews with hysterical celebs after they get bitch-slapped by the chick who played Six on Blossom.

Ah, just call me cynical. We’re waiting on a ghost train. Poker’s gravy train arrived at the turn of the century, then abruptly departed the night before the UIGEA was tacked onto the Port Security Bill. The gravy train, fueled by online poker rooms quest for domination, might never return in my generation, which is why I spend many of my waking hours writing up half-baked pitches so I can justify scoring a free lunch at Mo’s with desperate development execs seeking the next big reality show.

Okay, I have one last brilliant pitch… strip poker featuring coked-up 20-something starlets and botox-riddled cougars. Meg Ryan has not cashed a big paycheck in a while and we know Lindsay Lohan is looking for work.

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

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2011 WSOP Day 11: Social Media in Poker and Tex Dolly Blows Chunks

By Pauly
Las Vegas, NV

I love the fact that Doyle Brunson, aka old Texas Dolly, uses Twitter. And he’s not one of these clueless celebs who has a staff do everything for him — like driving a car, wiping asses, or tweeting chip counts. What makes Texas Dolly unique is he tweets his own stuff — the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Case in point: On Day 11, Tex Dolly ate some bad food in the poker kitchen. As a result, he blew chunks and had to leave the tournament.

If it weren’t for Twitter (and Lance Bradley catching it at the moment Dolly tweet’d it), I would have been running around the Rio trying to verify the rumor that Dolly was sick. As is, Dolly confirmed it to everyone who followed him via Twitter.

And how could we forget about Phil Ivey’s bizarre “press release” on his intentions to sue Tiltware? He posted it on his “wall” via Facebook. His crack PR team suggested he inform his loyal fans first, which is why he went with Facebook. Full Tilt responded with a traditional press release, albeit the angriest poker press release I’ve seen in some time.

Social media and poker have been going hand-in-hand ever since I dove head first into the fracas. The progression or time line of social media’s integration into poker looks something like this:

blog > MySpace > podcast > videoblog > Facebook > Twitter > live streaming

Technology and bandwidth have both vastly improved over the last few years, which made video blogs and live streaming possible. Long-form writing in blog form has been replaced by podcasts, video blogs, and Hemingway-esque tweeting in 140 character or less. Some pros actually still have a MySpace page, which at this point is just a bastion for depressed, suicidal singer/songwriters, creepy stalkers and potential child molesters. MySpace was hip for a year or so before the backlash swallowed it up and all the cool kids fled to Facebook, and the sheeple followed.

I resisted FB for the longest time because 1) FB doesn’t give a shit about your privacy, 2) at some point FB was going to become obsolete like MySpace, so I wanted to wait until the “next big” social media site popped up and I could become an early adopter, and 3) I dig Twitter much better.

Integrating something like Twitter and the WSOP seems almost perfect because as a pro, Twitter is the perfect vehicle to deliver small, yet instant nuggets of information like chip counts so pros can inform their friends, fans, and fantasy poker nerds.

In the bigger picture of social media, Twitter allows the public to glimpse into the daily life of friends, celebrities, and total strangers. In the poker realm, Twitter usually falls into a few categories: 1) what you see is what you get, 2) Self-masturbatory and self-indulgent praise, or 3) PR arm of said poker pro.

Texas Dolly falls into the first category, which is extremely entertaining at times, but we also get inside his raunchy, chauvinist, old-school head a little bit. Dolly also tweets off-color jokes and snide remarks, something that would make PR people’s collective heads spin. Instead of the thuggish Godfather image projected by poker media (I’m to blame), at other times you see a loving, cuddly, grandfatherly persona. If you follow @TexDolly, you also see a great man dealing with the grips of aging and health issues. That’s something the public never would have been able to discover five years ago unless an investigative reporter or journalist write a scathing expose, thereby knocking said god off its pedestal.

These days, we info straight from the horse’s mouth. On Day 11 of the WSOP, the horse’s mouth puked up something from the Poker Kitchen.

I’m not going to lie…I don’t eat in the Poker Kitchen. I’ve been boycotting them because of the ridiculous prices. Sure, they can bilk pros or tourists with disposable income, but as a working member of the press, we don’t make enough money to afford lukewarm pizza that tastes like cardboard. But, I’ve also heard plenty of horror stories from friends and colleagues. If you eat at the Poker Kitchen, you run the risk of getting sick. Last year, some of the salads made people ill. This year, the trend continues. Proof is Texas Dolly’s pukefst.

And, I won’t mention my colleague’s name, but he almost shit himself from eating something foul. As I tweeted, “No one wants to shit themselves at the WSOP.” That tweet applies to life. Unless you’re filming some sort of fecal fetish video, no one wants to deal with a spontaneous ass explosion.

* * *
The most stacked event since the 25K had to be Event #16 $10,000 Deuce to Seven Lowball. This was often considered one of the events where you could try to “buy” a bracelet, but I completely disagree because of the high-caliber talent in the field.

At the end of Day 2, nine players remained. You might recognize a few of them…

Event #16 – End of Day 2 Chip Counts:
1. Richard Ashby – 700K
2. Joe Cassidy – 540K
3. David “Bakes” Baker – 492K
4. Steve Sung – 441K
5. Hasan Habib – 437K
6. Greg Raymer – 345K
7. Phil Hellmuth – 339K
8. Nick Schulman – 306K
9. John Juanda – 177K

Ave Maria, gratia plena, Dominus tecum
I’m actually looking forward to Day 3 of this event. Richard “Chufty” Ashby is seeking another bracelet for the Brits. David “Bakes” Baker is attempting to win this event in consecutive years. Phil Hellmuth is chasing for elusive bracelet #12, in a non-hold’em event too. Greg Raymer made a bunch of final tables since he won the 2004 WSOP Main Event, but he has yet to capture bracelet #2. Speaking of the 2004 Main Event, the runner-up — David Williams — is also in the mix. And then you have John Juanda, who is trying to become the first Full Tilt red pro to ship a bracelet amidst cash-out controversy. Let’s not forget a couple of young guns in Steve Sung, Joe Cassidy, and Nick Schulman.

Lastly, there’s Hassan Habib. Hey KevMath, how many Hassan’s have shipped a WSOP bracelet?

* * *
Two noobs won bracelets on Day 11. Andrew Badecker shipped Event #13 $1,500 NL Shootout bracelet, much to t he dismay of the Dutch media covering their native son Robbie Verspui. Change100 described the newest champion, Badecker, as “a man who looks like he got lost at the Rio on the way to Comic-Con.” Meanwhile in Event #14 $3,000 Limit Hold’em, Happy Shulman advanced to the final table, but bowed out in 9th place. Tyler Bonkowski took down Event #14 for his first bracelet. Too bad his last name wasn’t “bong” instead of “bonk,” because he’d be getting sponsorships from High Times and Graphix. Then again, “bonk” is great slang for banging hookers or women with loose morals.

Here’s a quick list on 2011 WSOP bracelet winners:

Event #1: $500 NL (Casino Employees) – Sean Drake ($82,292)

Event #2: $25,000 Heads-Up NL Championship – Jake Cody ($851,192)

Event #3: $1,500 Omaha 8 – Francesco Barbero ($262,283)

Event #4: $5,000 NL – Allen Bari ($874,116)

Event #5: $1,500 Seven-Card Stud – Gene Katchalov ($122,909)

Event #6: $1,500 Limit Hold’em – Harrison Wilder ($205,065)

Event #7: $10,000 Pot-Limit Hold’em Championship – Amir Lehavot ($573,456)

Event #8: $1,000 NL DONKAMENT – Sean Gertzwiller ($611,185)

Event #9: $1,500 NL 2-7 Draw Lowball – Matt Perrins ($102,105)

Event #10: $1,500 NL 6-Handed – Geffrey Klein ($544,388)

Event #11: $10,000 Omaha 8 Championship – Viacheslav Zhukov ($465,216)

Event #12: $1,500 Triple Chance NL – David Diaz ($352,808)

Event #13: $1,500 NL Shootout – Andrew Badecker ($369,371)

Event #14: $3,000 Limit Hold’em – Tyler Bonkowski ($220,817)

For a complete list of who cashed in every event, head over to WSOP.com.

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WSOP Required Reading…

I might have to chance the sub-header to “Required Reading and Viewing”, but here’s a few items of note that will help you catch up on the daily happenings…

WhoJedi is doing an awesome job with the WSOP Photo Blog. Take a peek. (WSOP)

I’m digging the latest creation by Jess and the gang at Bluff called By the Numbers. Check it out. (Bluff Magazine)

For a run down of all of Day 11′s events, don’t forget to check out Change100′s Day 10 recap Badecker and Bonkowski Make it 14 for First timers. (RISE Poker)

Also, check out the end of day video from the crew at Bluff Live, especially my favorite segment “Where’s Ivey?”

* * *

That’s it. Follow @taopauly for Twitter updates throughout the day. Also, help support indie writers and buy my books: Lost Vegas and Jack Tripper Stole My Dog.

Photos courtesy of Benjo.

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

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What a month of March!

The last month has been hectic for me with a long trip planned on the United States west coast. To refresh your memory, I finished my last blog by talking about the bet I lost against Matt Jarvis. He finished in a better position than I in our last tournament and therefore, when the next World Series of Poker starts, I will wear the Vancouver Canucks jersey with Jarvis’ name on it for the first three tournaments. I console myself saying that at least it’s not the Boston or Toronto jersey!

I spent a few days in Montreal before leaving for the west coast. The first stop was at the Commerce Casino in Los Angeles for an invitation-only tournament: the WPT Celebrity Invitational. This tournament features several celebrities and raises money for various charities. I was sitting next to a former football player who had arms bigger than my head. Ultimately, an actress and now poker player Jennifer Tilly knocked me out of the tournament.

I flew the next day to Las Vegas to shoot an episode of the popular series PokerStars: The Big Game. The show is a cash game where each player must sit with a minimum of $100 000 in front of him–$100.000 in real money, my own money. There was plenty of action throughout the day! Great players were at the table and wild hands were on the menu. I love the concept of this show where PokerStars is paying $100 000 for an amateur to play with us. If he wins, he keeps the profits. If he loses, he actually loses nothing and PokerStars pays. It’s a format that brings a lot of action, which shows how an amateur can comepete against the best in the world. Unfortunately, I can’t tell you the results, but I can already share that the game involves crazy action. You can see this yourself on your TV this summer.

I then played one of the most prestigious tournaments in the world, the NBC Heads Up event. Only 64 players had the chance to play and pay the $ 25,000 entry buy-in. Among them, the world’s best players were present. I won my first three duels and then had to face the biggest winner in heads-up online poker, Olivier Busquet. This was by far the most difficult match, but I finally won that heads-up too, letting me advance to the semifinal match against Chris Moneymaker, the 2003 World Champion. Several strange hands took place, and I finally lost the match. I’m still very happy with a 4th place finish against 64 of the best players in the world, and another invitation for the same tournament next year!

I then left for the Bicycle Casino in Los Angeles and arrived just in time to play the Bounty Shootout tournament–$ 10,000 buy-in, nine tables of nine players. It is important to finish first on the table to move to the next. Indeed, the 2nd place finisher doesn’t win anything. Moreover, whenever a player is eliminated, a certain amount of money is allocated to the one who eliminated him. Again, everything went very smoothly. Chris Moneymaker was at my table and as Lady Luck sometimes do the things for the best, we got to the heads-up. This time, however, it was I who took the top spot so I could move to the final table. I was eliminated in 6th position. Again, no victory, but I finished in 6th position out of 81 players.

After this tournament and a long journey, I finally returned to Montreal.

I made a few appearances here and there, such as spoke person for the foundation ”United in perseverance for excellence”, a project that Olympic medalist Nancy Drolet created. It is a program to raise funds for various elementary and high schools.

I then went to the “Casino de Montreal” to play in Vincent Damphousse’s charity poker tournament to raise funds in the fight against the ALS disease, which affects more and more people in the world. It was a very emotional day for me because my uncle who is himself afflicted with this disease was present.

I was then present for the Quebec Poker University Championship sponsored by PokerStars.net, a 100% free competition which allowed 90 students from the 15 universities of Quebec to have a free poker weekend in Montreal. The winner, Pascal Turcotte, will fly next January to go compete in the prestigious PCA main event tournament, a package valued at $20,000.

My next few weeks bring me in Asia, specifically in Macau, and in Mohegan Sun to play in the PokerStars North American Poker Tour. Europe will follow next, but one thing at a time please!

For more news, you can follow my twitter @jonathanduhamel or my facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/DuhamelJohn

Thank you very much for reading!

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Greek Poker Cup: FIrst ever poker tournament in Greece kicks off

“Advance delay than never” is a quite well-notorious byword that becomes quite the incipient of the Greek Poker Cup , the mere initial poker contest that deducts, officially, parlor on Greek Blacken.

For years, sum the Greek groupies of poker permit been intent to win bit in a magnanimous poker contingency in Greece. Manifold of them decisive to voyage astray in the over further steal slice in several of the numerous poker competitions opposite the ball. Today, Pokerstars gave them the stumble to snatch ingredient in second huge Poker happening – this clock, truly imminent to their possess residence!

Age 1a of the Greek Poker Cup saw 136 poker entertainers taking their posteriors at the poker room of Clique Hostelry Casino Loutraki, in explore of suitable the alpha Greek Poker Cup assert. This stint was border to be laborious, still, from the truly commencement : the playing sphere included part of the most scared Greek Poker Thespians, renowned for their online or offline thriving ends . Moreover, might I prompt you – this is but Age 1a!

Coterie Roadhouse Casino Loutraki Poker Auditorium full to capability

Greece is arrogant to receive trio “Challengers” for a dispose in Club Pokerstars. Sole of them, Georgios Kapalas, could be constitute in alone of the delays of the Greek Poker Cup today. Hellos sustain , indisputable. Having earlier participated in sole WSOP Decisive desk furthermore united EPT Last sideboard, he is always a violence to be reckoned accompanying at a poker contest. Alas, this date he had to ridge us farewell in the 7th cloak tier, during hellos Flyer-Ruler failed to “interstice” the sinus eights of hellos competitor. Perceive you immediate schedule, Georgios.