2009’s International Poker Highlights
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Created:
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1/5/2010 7:30:28 AM
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2009 was a thrilling year in poker. Records were broken, players were commemorated and fortunes were won. Before we enjoy another eventful year, here’s a look at 2009’s defining moments in the world of international poker:
He’s survived years of high stakes cash games (which to many is the mark of a true professional), he’s thrived in tournaments (having earned over $3.8 Million and a World Series Of Poker bracelet) and he’s done his fair share for the community and of course the poker community. Mike Sexton truly deserves to be remembered in the world of poker, which is why it was only fitting that he be indicted into the Poker Hall of Fame.
To win a single WSOP bracelet, is the mark of a talented poker player. To win multiple WSOP bracelets requires an exceptional poker player... And to take down multiple WSOP bracelets in a single WSOP is an accomplishment reserved for truly phenomenal poker player. This is exactly what Jeffrey Lisandro did at this year’s WSOP. Phil Hellmuth is the only other player to have ever done this.
Well known poker professional Annie Duke, abandoned the felt this year to participate in Donald Trump’s ‘Celebrity Apprentice.’ There she outperformed all the other competitors and went up against Joan Rivers. In spite of the fact that she raised more money in the final challenge and handled all sorts of antagonism from Rivers with outstanding finesse, Duke wasn’t chosen by Trump.
As reported before, eccentric online professional poker player Tom “durrrr” Dwan challenged any player brave enough to play 50,000 hands of high stakes online poker against him for jaw dropping stakes. The games would be played on four online tables consisting of either pot limit Omaha or Texas Hold’em and would cost up to $400 per hand!
Dwan promised to pay out $1.5 Million should his competitor lead him by the end of 50,000 hands, while only expecting $500,000 should he be in the lead. Patrik Antonius has already accepted Dwan’s challenge and they are still 20,236 hands away from completing the competition.
Once again Phil Ivey wowed the world when he made the Final Table of the WSOP’s Main Event. With a diminishing chip stack, and the odds stacked against him, he barely avoided the bubble. He secured his seat into the Final Table though and settled for a satisfying 7th place finish. Ivey is the only player to have made it onto the cover of Time Magazine.
Stay tuned for the latest and the greatest news on the international poker scene.
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Piggs Peak Poker crowns their first Online Poker Millionaire.
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Created:
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8/5/2009 12:26:12 PM
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On the evening of 4 August 2009 history was made at the tables of the R2 Million Challenge Tournament, hosted by Piggs Peak Poker…When the final table consisting of Africa’s most determined online poker talent came to a halt and Africa crowned its biggest online poker millionaire to date.
For more than three hours: “devilishis,” “Jack Spade,” “chutzpah,” “Dipper,” “Rhino,” “tyman2,” “Tucker Time” and “CrazyCrab” competed fiercely, in hopes of claiming the largest share of the R2 Million prize pool and the glory that came with winning ONE MILLION RAND.
One by one the seats were emptied until only “devilishis” and “Jack Spade” remained… Jack Spade went all in pre-flop holding: Kc, 2s. devilishis holding: 10c, As made the call of a lifetime. The board was dealt, revealing: Qs, 10h, Ah, 5s, 6h giving devilishis the winning two pair and a very impressive victory.
Piggs Peak Poker would like to extend their congratulations to all 15 players who shared the prizepool of over R2, 000,000.
Remember that Piggs Peak Poker presents a variety of ways for all players to enter their high stakes tournaments, giving virtually anybody the opportunity to become the very next poker millionaire!
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tommyhotspur
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8/5/2009 9:57:29 PM
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lovely! great tourney piggs and may there by many more??
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Next APPT season set to commence in Macau
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7/27/2009 12:07:33 PM
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The next Asia Pacific Poker Tour (APPT), Season 3, is set to kick off at the Grand Lisboa Hotel, Macau, from the 25th to the 30th of August 2009. From there, the tour will expand to locations such as Seoul; Auckland; The Philippines and Sydney.
Regarded as the richest poker tour in Asia, the AAPT attracts poker players from all across the world. During Season 2, it had 1,772 entrants and accumulated a prize pool of $5,000,000. And this year, organisers anticipate that these figures will even be topped.
This year there are 20 Events scheduled at the Macau stop, including a US $5,200 or HKD $40,000 Buy-In Main Event as well as a US $11,500 High Rollers Event. Big guns on the poker scene such as Joe Hachem have already confirmed attendance.
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WPT Bellagio Cup V
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7/23/2009 8:50:50 AM
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For the Brazilian bracelet holder Alexandre Gomez to win the WPT Bellagio Cup V was not an easy triumph. He outlasted the tough player field (facing players like Mike “SirWatts” Watson, Mike Matusow, 8 time WSOP bracelet holder Erik Seidel and other major league players). He subsequently has a WPT victory to add to his growing list of achievements.
The 268 player field was whisked down to a mere six player final table:
Faraz Jaka with :5,041,000
Justin Smith with :2,992,000
Alec Torelli with :2,623,000
Erik Seidel with :2,170,000
Christoffer Sonesson with :1,671,000
And Alexandre Gomez with :1,586,000
Apart from having the least amount of chips, he somehow had to survive Erik Seidel (who was the most experienced player seated at the Final table) and bridge the 4 million gap between him and the chip leader Faraz Jaka.
The pressure was mounting as the fight for the largest share of the $3,889,400 prize pool began. Seidel got busted by online pro Justin Smith, Smith was eliminated by Jaka and Gomez decimated Torelli and Sonesson.
Jaka and Gomez went heads up and 43 hands later the tournament ended. Here’s how the last hand played out:
Gomez started betting pre flop holding Ac-Jh, a hand he felt deserved a 545 raise. Jaka with his As-7h would not be assuaged and rose to the occasion by going all in. The board came out: 8d-6s-2c-6d-9s and Jaka busted in second place (taking home a $774,870 consolation prize).
Watch this space for the latest news in the poker world.
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2009 WSOP November Nine under a microscope
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7/20/2009 12:46:56 PM
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The poker players that will be speculated about the most over the next couple of months are no doubt the 2009 WSOP Main Event November Nine. Let’s take a closer look at the these 9 players who will soon battle it out for the coveted World Champion Title and that jaw dropping, multi-million first prize….
Darvin Moon: A wood logger and complete newbie to WSOP, the American Moon’s WSOP debut most probably exceeded his wildest expectations. He is already guaranteed of a fat pay cheque and will be going into the final table as the chip leader.
James Akenhead AKA “Mokka:” It looks like this UK- player’s aspirations “to win the world series” could now become more than a mere dream. He has only been playing poker for around 2 years, but already boasts 20 major cashes and around $691,767.
Phil Ivey: The humble but formidable poker pro has been dubbed the “Tiger Woods of Poker” and is currently described by many as “the best poker player in the world.” With 100 cashes, close to $10million in poker earnings and a record 7 WSOP Bracelets, he is a force to be reckoned with.
Kevin Schaffel: The 51-year old American started playing poker for fun at the age of 11 and still only plays part-time, but nevertheless managed 6 major money finishes that amounts to almost $200,000. (Excluding this WSOP’s earnings, of course.) He would love nothing more than winning a major poker tournament so he can retire.
Steven Begleiter: The 47-year old hails from New York and won his 2009 WSOP seat through the Newcastle Poker Tour. Begleiter is also a reasonable newcomer on the poker scene.
Eric Buchman: A regular face at the final tables of major poker tournaments, Buchman has cashed in 22 times already and is a few thousand dollars away from a million in poker earnings.
Joe Cada: The extremely young 21-year old dropped out of college to pursue poker professionally and already cashed in at 2 of the other 2009 WSOP Events.
Antoine Saout: Another newbie, the 25-year old who hails from Saint-Martin-des-Champs has won his seat to the WSOP through a satellite tournament. He has made a bit of poker history by being the first French player to be seen at the WSOP Main Event final table since 1998!
Jeff Schulman: Renowned poker professional, as well as CEO and Editor of Card Player Magazine, Schulman grew up playing poker.
With a fearsome contender such as Phil Ivey at the final table, one has to wonder whether the World Champion title will for a first time in many years finally go to a pro……?? For more updates on the upcoming final table of the 2009 WSOP final table, keep your eye on this spot.
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Zackey returns from the 2009 WSOP
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Created:
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7/16/2009 10:44:59 AM
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The Piggs Peak crew would like to congratulate Warren Zackey on finishing in a brilliant 22nd position at the Main Event of the 2009 WSOP. For his efforts, Zackey earned a grande $352,832 which equates to around R3,5 million!
The players who made it to the final table, who will from here on forward be known as the November Nine, are as follows: Darvin Moon; James Akenhead; Phil Ivey; Kevin Schaffel; Steven Begleiter; Eric Buchman; Joe Cada; Antoine Saout and Jeff Shulman.
As was done at last year’s WSOP, these players will only return to battle it out for the jaw dropping first prize in November 2009. Keep your eye on this spot for more updates and information about the upcoming final table of the 2009 WSOP.
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Warren Zackey well on track to the final table
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7/15/2009 9:00:57 AM
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We are very pleased to announce that Warren Zackey is still holding up at the 2009 WSOP Main Event brilliantly. One of the only 25 players in the running, Zackey is only 18 places away from the final table and already guaranteed of at least $352, 832 in prize money!
Heading towards the final stages of play, the Piggs Peak Poker crew would like to wish Zackey all of the best. “Keep it up Zackey. We are all rooting for you!”
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Hunta
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7/15/2009 9:44:15 PM
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Go for it Warren !
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Warren Zackey ahead of the pack at the 2009 WSOP Main Event
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Created:
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7/13/2009 11:02:06 AM
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It is with the utmost pride that we announce that Piggs Peak Poker regular Warren Zackey is currently ahead of the pack at the 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event which is currently taking place in Las Vegas. With only 185 out of 6,494 players remaining, Zackey is now well on the money and will be going into the final stages of the tournament with a chip advantage of around 5:1. Still in the running, are poker luminaries such as Phil Ivey; Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier and Joe Hachem.
Zackey, a plumbing supplies business man from Honeydew, has been a keen follower of the poker action on the All Africa Poker Channel on DSTV, but have mostly been playing online poker tournaments for the last three and a half years. He then won his seat to his first WSOP Main Event by placing 2nd at the All Africa Poker Tournament which was held at the Piggs Peak Hotel & Casino, Swaziland, in May 2009.
We would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Warren Zackey on his spectacular performance and wish him all the best as he enters the last phase of the WSOP. “Go Zackey, we are all rooting for you!”
For a blow by blow account of how Zackey is progressing, you can follow the blog updates and video footage on the All Africa Poker website follow All Africa Poker on Twitter and become an All Africa Poker fan on Facebook. Alternatively, keep your eye on this spot for the latest news on Warren Zackey.
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Online poker whiz busts Daniel Negreanu at 2009 WSOP Event
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Created:
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6/9/2009 8:59:01 AM
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Online poker whiz Brock “t soprano” Parker just busted Daniel Negreanu in the 2009 WSOP Event #14: $2,500 6-handed Limit Hold’em. With this victory, Parker, who is reasonably new to live poker tournaments, has just claimed his first WSOP Bracelet as well as a very cool $223,688.
Brock Parker, who uses 2 online aliases, “t soprano” or Maria Nuccia”, is renowned for being one of the most consistent online poker players, who rather plays for smaller Buy-Ins, but cashes in frequently. And this tendency of him to grind out smaller wins, certainly paid off when he went heads up with Daniel “Kid Poker” Negreanu. Negreanu was in the chip lead when they commenced with heads-up play, but Parker soon clawed his way to the top.
This is how the final hand went down: Parker raised pre-flop and Negreanu called. The flop showed Ah-10s-6d. Negreanu, who was on the short stack, simply checked but then check-raised after Parker bet out. Parker then three-bet, Negreanu raised again, and Parker called. When the turn brought a 4s, Negreanu went All-In, holding a Kh-10d, and Parker called with his Ad-Js. But Parker’s bullets held up when the board finally rivered an 8s and Negreanu was sent to the rail in second place, with a nevertheless handsome prize of $138,280.
For more news and updates on what’s happening at the 2009 WSOP, keep your eye on this spot.
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What happens in Vegas… stays down under
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Created:
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1/14/2009 12:33:09 PM
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It seems as if all the poker action that is usually pre-dominantly taking place in Vegas, has now moved down under. The Circuit Events of the 2009 Aussie Millions are well under way and already it appears to be attracting the whose who on the poker scene.
Event #1, $1,100 NLHE had a record number of 731 entrants, including big guns such as Tony Hachem; Jamie Pickering; Jason Gray as well as online poker gurus such as Annette Obrestad; Tony G and Michael “TheBigSiCKO” Guzzardi, to name but a few. But it was Germany’s Christian Heich who nabbed the first 2009 Aussie Millions victory and walked away with a swell AUD$150,000.
Event #2, $1,050 PokerPro NLHE is not for the faint-hearted and only around 80 players dared to play at these computerised, dealerless tables. Amongst the bold were Tony “Bonds” Dunst; Jamie Pickering and Annette Obrestad who admitted that this was a first timer for her. But the man who finally beat the machines was Mitchell Carle, who received $25,000 for his efforts.
Event #3, an inaugural $1,100 Limit Omaha Hi-Lo Event drew just over a hundred players such as defending Aussie Millions Champion Alexander Kostritsyn; Ivan Demidov and James Potter. But finally it was Mel Judah, a former hairdresser who has since become a poker force to be reckoned with, who triumphed after a tough 17-hour poker marathon.
Event# 4, $1,100 NLHE saw 140 players took to the felt, including the likes of Tony Dunst; Grant Levyl David Saab; Jesse Maguire; Billy “The Croc” Argyros and once again the young online poker prodigy, Annette Obrestad, who seemed to try out a number of different formats that she has never played before. In the end, it was Zach Gruneberg though that took the honours and walked away with that first prize.
Event #5, a H.O.R.S.E Event has kicked off in the meantime and a host of Hollywood actors; famous musicians; sports stars and poker celebrities are already flocking to Crowne Casino for the 2009 Aussie Millions Media & Celebrity Charity Challenge, which is due to take place tomorrow, on Thursday the 15th of January 2009.
For more updates and the latest news on what’s happening at the 2009 Aussie Millions, keep your eye on this spot.
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2009 Aussie Millions officially kicking off
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Created:
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1/9/2009 12:35:32 PM
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The much-awaited 2009 Aussie Millions is finally kicking off at the Crowne Casino in Melbourne, Australia today, with a jaw-dropping expected prize pool of around AUD$17 Million! As reported before, a number of Piggs Peak Poker players are set to participate in this illustrious poker event, such as Melanie Banfield; Andrè “The Shuffle” Johnstone; rising poker star Ryan Dreyer and also our very own poker legend Ray Rahme.
To grab a share of all that cash, our players will have to flex their poker muscle against more than 800 players from around the world, including some of the most established international poker professionals. This includes the likes of Joe Hachem; Chris “Jesus” Ferguson; Phil Ivey; Gus Hansen; Phil Laak and many more. In addition, they will rub shoulders with famous stars and celebrities such as Michael Vartan; Shannon Elizabeth and Brendan Fevola.
This year, the Aussie Millions will also feature the biggest cash game ever, with a Buy-In of AUD$100,000! To catch a share of all that action and get all the updated news on what’s happening at the 2009 Aussie Millions and how our local players are performing, be sure to keep your eye on this spot.
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Pamela’s poker club folds
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Created:
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1/6/2009 10:14:59 PM
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Pamela Anderson’s steamy online poker room (pamelapoker.com) is the latest poker site forced to shut down following stringent enactment of the anti-gambling legislations in the USA. The online poker site which the Hollywood celebrity described as an attempt to make a “quick buck,” promised fans and members revealing photo shoots (amongst others) on her online diary. Poker legend and “grandfather of poker” Doyle Brunson who runs a successful online poker room already, will apparently now take over and try to salvage pamelapoker.com…
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David “Chino” Rheem claims 5 Diamond Classic title
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12/22/2008 11:17:31 AM
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David “Chino” Rheem managed to win the World Poker Tour Doyle Brunson’s 5 Diamond Poker Classic just a few weeks after his exceptional performance in the 2008’s WSOP. The November Nine finalist played his way effortlessly through a final table comprising of WPT titleholder Justin Young - $936,760; Evan McNiff - $540,440; Steve Sung - $396,206; Amnon Filippi - $288,235 as well as WSOP Bracelet holder Hoyt Corkins who kicked off final play with $216,175.
But it ended up being Young who got decimated during head’s up play. Rheem’s victory earned him a $1,538,730 sized contribution to his treasury. Seems like this is one player that we can expect to see a lot more of…. Keep your eye on this spot for all your latest news on what’s happening on the international poker circuit.
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The EPT Warsaw Results
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Created:
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12/2/2008 10:04:03 AM
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Joao Barbosa is the latest in line for European Poker Tour titleholder after claiming victory in Warsaw. This triumph is a significant improvement to the 26th place finish the relative newcomer has managed, when he played in a prior EPT Event in Prague.
This is what the final table looked like:
Dario Minieri with 359,500
Sergey Shcherbatskiy with 349,000
Nico Behling with 343,500
Ludovic Lacay with 296,500
Arnaud Mattern with 238,000
Atanas Gueorguiev with 186,500
Joao Barbosa with 123,000
Andrea Benelli with 100,000
And Michael Muheim with 89,000
Barbosa went into Heads Up play against Behling with a significant chip lead. The final hand saw Behling (with Js 7s) call Barbosa (who was holding 10h Ah) pre-flop. The board revealed As 7c 3h 6h 6d, which provided Barbosa with the winning two pair. Barbosa went home with a handsome €367,141 reward.
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Will Demidov bring poker glory to Russia?
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11/10/2008 9:22:18 AM
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Yesterday the November Nine sat down for the last time behind this year’s Final Table of the World Series of Poker. Play is still in progress and only four of the Nine are still standing. Here’s a look at the remaining four and their most recent chip stacks:
Ivan Demidov with 51,325,000
Peter Eastgate with 46,325,000
Ylon Schwartz with 19,800,000
Dennis Phillips with 18,775,000
Russian poker fanatics will be holding thumbs for current chip leader, who is very close to becoming the first ever Russian WSOP bracelet holder. Stay tuned to see who is crowned 2008’s WSOP winner.
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World poker champion to be crowned this weekend
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Created:
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11/7/2008 9:12:26 AM
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One of the most anticipated poker moments is finally here. All eyes of the world will be on the November Nine this weekend, as the final table of the 2008 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event, is set to kick off this Sunday, the 9th of November 2008. This will also mark the first time that the final table concludes several months after the actual Main Event. These nine players have therefore had the benefit of preparing in advance and getting to know the playing styles of their various opponents beforehand.
Going into final play, Dennis Phillips has the chip lead, with his $26,300,000. But most of the players are short on his heels and anything can still happen. Here’s what the remaining chip stacks look like:
Ivan Demidov with $24,400,000
Scott Montgomery with $19,690,000
Peter Eastgate with $18,375,000
Ylon Schwartz with $12,525,000
Darus Suharto with $12,520,000
David Rheem with $10,230,000
Craig Marquis with $10,210,000
And Kelly Kim with $ 2,620,000
So who will be crowned the new World Poker Champion and walk away with that $9million first prize…?? Keep your eye on this spot for updated news.
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2008 WSOP Darus Suharto features at WPT North American Poker Championship
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Created:
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10/15/2008 3:51:09 PM
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Darus Suharto, member of the November Nine who will be battling it out for the world’s most coveted poker title at the 2008 WSOP soon, is currently chip leader at the World Poker Tour North American Poker Championship. There are now 166 players left at the event that kicked off with 454 players, all vying for a share of an estimated prize pool of around $4,4 million.
Day 1c delivered many surprises, with some of the biggest guns on the poker scene, such as John Juanda; Carlos Mortensen and Erick Lindgren busted quite quickly. Daniel Negreanu has survived the day, but did not feature amongst the chip leaders. It was rather Darus Suharto who impressed by finishing top for the day, and who is now overall runner up to Jamie Rosen who came out top in Day 1b.
Darus has been playing online poker for around three years when he won his seat to the 2008 WSOP Main Event through an online satellite. He has won a number of online poker events, but by outplaying more than 6000 players and reaching the final table of the 2008 WSOP, he has finally made his mark on the live poker scene as well. And considering how he held it up against some of the world’s best at the WPT to date, his performance wasn’t just another fluke… Will he continue this quality of play at the final table of the WSOP in November….?? Keep your eye on this spot for updated news.
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Will the young Annette Obrestad triumph at the 2008 WSOPE again?
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Created:
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9/15/2008 12:32:30 PM
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At the 2007 WSOPE, the young Norwegian online poker prodigy, Annette Obrestad (Annette_15), broke more than one poker record. Not only was she the youngest person to ever win a WSOP Bracelet, but she became the first ever lady to win a WSOP Main Event title, and that at the largest buy-in Main Event! Annette outwitted a number of top poker pro’s from around the world and claimed the victory as well as a hefty £1,000,000 in prize money.
With the 2008 Word Series of Poker Europe events set to commence at the end of this week, on the 19th of September 2008, the question on everybody’s lips is: “Will she be able to do it again, or will her youth be defeated by experience this time??” This year’s playing field will once again comprise some of the most seasoned professionals such as Erick Lindgren; Jennifer Harman; Chris “Jesus” Ferguson; the Poker Brat Phil Hellmuth as well as the members of the November Nine. So who do you think will take the title this time?? For updated news on this esteemed international poker event, keep your eye on this spot!
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20-year old Timoshenko takes the title at APT Macau
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Created:
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9/1/2008 11:57:44 AM
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20-year old Yevgeniy Timoshenko nabbed the title of the Main Event from 257 entrants at the Asian Poker Tour (APT), Macau, which concluded this past weekend. Entering the final table, most rooted for Casey Kastle, who started out as chip leader and is much more experienced than his younger opponent. In spite of the apparent drawback though, Timoshenko defeated all odds and walked away with that grande first prize of $500,000!
As a matter of fact, Kastle was nowhere to be seen during the final heads-up play. Timoshenko faced his last opponent Joon Hee Yeah, with a back up of an enormous chip advantage of 10:1. Although he played his short stack admirably well, it did not take long for him to fold under the pressure of Timoshenko’s strong play. This is how the final hand played out:
Timoshenko raised pre-flop, after which Yeah re-raised. Holding a pair of ladies, Timoshenko moved all in. Yeah called, but was drawing thin when he tabled Kd Qd . The crowd was on its feet when the flop brought a Jd Ad 6c , putting Yeah on a draw for a royal flush! No luck for him on the turn though, as it flipped an 8h and the misfortune continued when a 3h landed on the river. In spite of his loss, Yeah still took home a handsome $250,000.
Other players that featured at the final table, were:
Rober Karian who finished in the 3rd place with $126,000
Casey Kastle who finished in the 4th place with $90,000
Julio Diaz who finished in the 5th place with $67,500
Quang Nguyen who finished in the 6th place with $52,000
Chong Wing Cheong who finished in the 7th place with $37,500
Michael Pedley who finished in the 8th place with $26,250
Although Timoshenko has had several money finishes at a number of major poker events such as the Crown Aussie Millions 2008, National Poker Leaugue Paris Open in 2007, etcetera, this is the first time that he triumphs at a Main Event. For all your latest updated news on poker around the world, keep your eye on this spot.
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Ben Affleck- from pretty face to poker face
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Created:
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9/1/2008 11:35:31 AM
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Ben Affleck proved that he is more than just a pretty face when he outsmarted some of the top poker professionals, to claim the 1st prize at a recent poker fundraiser which took place in Denver. Affleck’s victory raised a handsome $60,000 for the Paralyzed Veteran’s of America. Runner up of the event was Andy Bloch, and some of the other well established players that were busted in this tournament, include the likes of Barry Greenstein; Richard Dreyfuss and Montel Williams.
Interestingly enough, Affleck was originally responsible for the birth of the poker term “to gigli.” He was the first to be knocked out of a WSOP Tournament some years ago, and ever since then, when a person is sent to the rails first, it is called “to gigli.” This obviously has some relationship to the movie he starred in, together with Jennifer Lopez, which was criticised for poor performance as well.
No doubt he has come a long way since, as Affleck is now an accomplished player in his won right, with an impressive number of victories and money finishes behind his name. so watch out for this pretty face around the poker tables, who has now developed a formidable poker face!!
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Hold thumbs for Rahme
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9/1/2008 10:49:12 AM
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We are thrilled to have learnt that regular Piggs Peak player and local poker legend Ray Rahme has now been nominated for “Best Overseas Player”, which is one of the categories of the inaugural European Poker Tour’s Award.
Rahme’s recent success in the EPT’s Monte Carlo Grand Final has landed him a nomination along with the following handful of top poker professionals who all will be waiting in anticipation to see who will take the award home next month in Barcelona.
The three American nominees include: 1st place finisher at the EPT’s Scandinavian Open Tim Vance, 4th place finisher in the EPT’s Monte Carlo Final Isaac Baron and the multi EPT Title holding player Danny Ryan.
Canada’s 1st place finisher in the EPT’s German Open and over a million in total live earnings… Not accolades you’d expect from an 18 year old player. The history making young poker prodigy Mike McDonald certainly makes for a very interesting nominee.
Keep your eye on this spot for further developments, on whom of these well-deserved nominees will return home with the esteemed honor, and if it is indeed our very own Ray!
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Phelps fancies poker too!
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Created:
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8/20/2008 11:28:12 AM
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Olympic star fancies online poker too.
14 times gold medal winner and new Olympic Golden boy Michael Phelps, has joined the long league of sport stars who love the game of poker! His fellow U.S. Olympic swimmer Amanda Beard, spilled the beans on him: “He sits on his computer for like ten hours a day, playing online poker. That’s all he does!”
The 23-year old Phelps told reporters from the Baltimore Sun, that he aspires to play in the World Series of Poker. He admitted that he is obviously not as skilled around the poker table as he is with swimming, but by the sound of things, he seems to think that there is something cooler than a pool… “… it would be cool to meet some of those poker guys,” he said. Of course, following his performance at the Olympics in Beijing, Michael will have no trouble at all with raising the Buy-In for any major poker event!!
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Jonas
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9/1/2008 10:10:18 AM
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They should make Hold 'em an olympic sport
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Poker - an official sport
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8/19/2008 11:19:28 AM
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Once again attesting to the boom of poker, the Russian Government has recently officially declared poker as a sport. This is a major development for poker fans, not only in Russia, but across the globe, as it might very well be the beginning of a revolution of the perception of the game, in many other countries as well.
Subsequently, since this announcement, the Zavidovo Open which is due to take place from the 16th of August 2008, will be the first government sanctioned poker competition in Russia. The Main Event with its $10,000 Buy-In, will occur at the posh Zavidovo Resort, around 60 miles outside of Moscow and is anticipated to attract just under a hundred players. This could very well result in a record breaking prize pool for an official tournament in this country.
With the excitement running high, the event will enjoy television coverage and will be shown in millions of Russian Homes. Many of the big names on the poker scene have already registered to participate, such as Phil Ivey, Tony G and Patrik Antonius, as well as Russian poker professionals who are WSOP Bracelet winners too: Vitaly Lunkin and Alex Kravchenko. They will be joined by Ivan Demidov who made the 2008 WSOP final table, as well as Nikolay Evdakov who holds a record too, for cashing in six times at the WSOP!
Considering such formidable poker opponents, the Zavidovo Open is anticipated to be a poker battle of note. Keep your eye on this spot, for updated news on all the snippets and thrill of this event.
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EPT announces awards
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Created:
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8/19/2008 11:17:29 AM
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The European Poker Tour (EPT) has announced its first ever Awards Ceremony, set to take place at the Opium Mar in Barcelona, on the 9th of September 2008. At this historic event, people who have performed exceptionally during the fourth season of the EPT, will be honoured for their achievements.
There will be seven categories, of which two will be open for voting by EPT-accredited media members, as well as the general public. They are “The Poker Writer’s Award” and “The People’s Choice Award,” and all parties that are interested in casting a vote, can visit the website at www.europeanpokertour.com. The other five categories, will be judged by a panel of poker experts.
This panel will consist of:
- John Guthrie: He was the first player to ever win a televised poker tournament and launched the EPT
- Lee Jones: Lee is an established poker player and renowned as a poker author
- Victoria Cohen: She is a poker player of note, TV- and radio presenter and published author
- John Caldwell: He is the Editor-in-Chief of PokerNews.
For more information on role players and achievers on the European poker scene, keep your eye on this spot.
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Who is the best player of all?
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Created:
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8/4/2008 9:23:36 PM
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At the end of this year one poker player will receive the most prestigious Award of all, the Bluff Magazine Poker Player of the Year. This can most probably be regarded as the most esteemed poker achievement, for poker players from around the world, reason being that it is based on consistent top performance in the major international poker events. These events are the WSOP Las Vegas, WSOP Europe; the circuit events of the WSOP; the Wynn Classic Tournaments; The World Poker Tour (WPT); European Poker Tour (EPT); Asia Pacific Poker Tour; the Monte Carlo Millions as well as the Aussie Millions.
Points are awarded for participation in any of these events, according to a formula which is based on a combination of the following elements: the position finished in (the player has to finish in the money though); the amount of the Buy-In; the number of competitors participating in the event.
With some noteworthy major poker events still due to take place before Year End, anything can still happen to change these statistics, but currently, the top ten players that are at the forefront of this high-status race, are:
1. J.C Tran with 1, 903.46 points
2. David “Dragon Pham with 1,903.46 points
3. Shannon Shorr with 1,784.98 points
4. Michael Binger with 1,204.71 points
5. Men “The Master” Nguyen with 1,202.23
6. David Singer with 1,195.08 points
7. Danny Wong with 1,191.48 points
8. Erick Lindgren with 1,167.30 points
9. Allen Cunningham with 1,157.31 points
10. Erik Seidel with 1,144.35 points
But the story is not over until the fat lady sings! So for updates on the Bluff Magazine 2008 Poker Pro of the Year, keep your eye on this spot.
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Karon
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8/18/2008 9:36:29 AM
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"Jesus" is God!
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JaJaJa
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8/18/2008 9:32:27 AM
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Its always been Hellmuth! There can be no other
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