The Muck
Card Guards
Bernard Lee
George Lind III
Maverick Movie
Off the Felt
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APR 09
VIDEO: Tony G — Seidel is from the Land of the Walking Dead
Tony G had the pleasure of taking on Erik Seidel at the PartyPoker Premier League. After his time with Seidel, The G has come to an interesting conclusion.
Follow PokerNews on Twitter for up-to-the-minute news.
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APR 09
Seat Open with Faraz Jaka
There is no doubt Black Friday had a huge impact on the poker world. As we approach the year anniversary of this dubious day, PokerNews is releasing special editions of the Seat Open series to focus on individual player experiences.
In this edition Faraz Jaka discusses how his life has changed since April 15, 2011.
Follow PokerNews on Twitter for up-to-the-minute news.
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APR 06
@AsianSpa Blogs: Vince Neil and the Palms, a Chicago Trip Report, and More
Disclaimer: The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of PokerNews.
What a week! I flew back to Chicago on Sunday to spend time with family and friends. It's so nice getting back home and away from the hustle and bustle of Las Vegas. There have been so many things this week I am not even sure where to start.
Daniel Negreanu's Weekly Rant was excellent. Posted and dated with April 4, 2012, I first thought watching it and him saying Howard Lederer called him was an April Fools' joke but thought, it's past April 1, so I intently listened and was flabbergasted by this. Then he took it up a notch by adding Annie Duke to the mix. It’s a #SpaApproved must watch! Daniel, keep them coming.
Following my Twitter feed, I saw Motley Crue front man Vince Neil decided to start blasting the Palms and its restaurant Little Buddha for numerous issues. Thankfully, the Palms did not lay down on his utter-nonsense. The Palms did the right thing and gave Neil the boot and 86’d him from their entire property. Almost a year ago Neil was charged and pleaded guilty in Las Vegas Justice Court to misdemeanor disorderly conduct, avoiding a more serious charge of battery constituting domestic violence against his ex-girlfriend. This chump, as I stated in my Twitter, needs to #GrowTheF*&^Up. I applaud the Palms for standing up and not being abused by a “celebrity” — or as Spa says, an “#AssClown.”
I also heard and read about the Palms poker room closing May 2, and then reopening May 5 under the Cantor Group Management. I hope this works out. Now the employees all have to re-apply for their jobs. I know some of the folks there have been there for 10 years and now will lose their seniority and vacation time, etc. We can only wait and see if the Pokerati NL/PLO game makes the cut. If it doesn’t, return I sure hope Dan moves the game and keeps it going.
Recently I scoured YouTube for some of SrslySirius' [Thomas Keeling] videos and noticed they were unavailable due to a copyright claim submitted by him. I was unaware that Thomas had parted ways with the QuadJacks team. Then early in the week QuadJacks posted a written and video statement denouncing Thomas and saying they were “embarrassed” to have hosted his videos.
I am a big fan of Thomas’ videos and have always enjoyed listening to Marco on QuadJacks Radio, but I have always felt Zak is a #SnakeInTheGrass. I feel that they exploited Thomas and started putting their QJ logo on his stuff like it was their own. I referenced this on Twitter, where Suge Knight of Death Row Records fame on stage at the Source Awards called P.Diddy out from always being up in his stars' videos and being the producer etc.
I feel Thomas was #SnakeOiled into thinking it would help him with their added input, logo, and names on his videos. Bryan Micon of DonkDown Radio announced that SrslySirius would be a guest on his radio show this week to discuss the break-up. I tuned in for a while then Bryan announced Marco would join in. I lost the stream midway through, but loaded it on my iPad to listen to on my flight home. From what I heard, I still side with Thomas, have the utmost respect for Marco, but felt Zak is the ultimate one in the background pulling the strings and he felt Thomas left them high and dry and took his videos back to Texas.
Yes, I agree Thomas “dicked” them on a few of the videos, which he admitted to on the show, that were both of their ideas and collaboration. I can only hope that Thomas and Marco can bury the hatchet and mend the broken fence with each other. I, as a poker fan want the videos back up, to enjoy his work, and I could care less who hosts them.
I ended up having a great time in Chicago, I had dinner with the whole family at Everest and chef Joho always does us right. I told our waiter to tell the chef he is #SpaApproved and he gave me the weirdest look ever, I guess he isn’t following me on Twitter.
On Wednesday my dad, uncle and cousin hit our favorite little sports bar, Sluggers, tipped back a few and got caught up on the family business “headaches” with the economy. Later that evening my cousin and some friends hit up Scores for some entertainment. Other than that, Monday night we played a $500 sit-n-go, but can say I was the third person felted. All I heard was “I thought you were good,” etc. LOL family. Spent a few hours at the office seeing former co-workers and actually enjoyed being in the office, but going to the office while on vacation in shorts and a hoodie is much easier than having to do it every day in a suit!
Till then I send #SpaRunGood™ & #GoodJuJu™
@AsianSpa™
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APR 06
This is How We Troll: Who Are The Most Famous Poker Players?
We’re back at it again this week, trolling the forums of TwoPlusTwo on your behalf and for your amusement. Three threads piqued our interest on the popular News Views and Gossip forum, but only one is directly related to poker. The other two look at an alleged secret service visit and a rogue parody songwriter.
1. Who are the most famous poker players? These are the most Googled names of 2011
TwoPlusTwo user "Heorot" used Google’s “trends” page to look up more than two dozen professional poker players, and then listed them in order by the percentage of searches relative to Phil Ivey. Ivey’s percentage is obviously 100 percent, and the next most popular player — given the parameters of the research — is Daniel Negreanu with 82 percent. The least most popular players are Dario Minieri (6 percent) and Chris Moneymaker (6 percent).
Much like a previous thread titled “VIEW: Poker Pros aren’t famous…or are they?”, the research here is flawed, but unlike the simple man-on-the-street poll conducted by "BerrySebok", these numbers have merit. One massive flaw is that 2011, the year that the original poster decided to examine, is a tremendous outlier because of Black Friday. Ivey’s searches don’t matter because he’s the measuring stick, but Chris Ferguson and Howard Lederer’s results are inflated because of their obvious connections with Full Tilt Poker. User ArtySmokes compared FTP to PokerStars, Party Poker, and 888 Poker, and there is a clear spike in searches for FTP in early 2011.
The other flaw in this research is that some players have more than one name because of online poker. Tom Dwan and "durrrr" are the same person, but “Tom Dwan” is the only search accounted for. Another great example would be Viktor Blom and "Isildur1." The two have to be combined.
Also, again because the searches are from 2011, there are a few names that are complete outliers. Ben Lamb has been a tremendous cash player for a long time, but if he didn’t have the sickest World Series of Poker of all time and win Player of the Year, he would probably be no higher than 3 percent. Likewise, if Pius Heinz didn’t win the Main Event, he wouldn’t even be an honorable mention on this list.
Nothing about this list surprised me, but I’m happy to see that Stu Ungar (30 percent) is still relevant. Ungar is an absolute legend, and his impact on the game is still being felt today. He was the first “kid” to challenge the old guard in Vegas and paved the way for a younger generation of players to compete seriously at the WSOP. His death was absolutely tragic, and each summer I take a moment and gaze over at his banner in the Amazon Room. There will never be another three-time Main Event champion.
2. Secret Service agents came to my residence today
According to a user named "bmorganonap", he received a call on Wednesday morning from a Secret Service agent regarding identity theft and money laundering. He thought it was a hoax, so he hung up, and the person called back numerous times. Finally, he picked up again, and the agent rattled off personal information, including his social security number, date of birth, and his major in college, requesting to meet with him. The poster obliged, and two agents arrive at his apartment in a black Ford. They discussed wire transfers that he received from Absolute Poker and Ultimate Bet, looking for any evidence of bank fraud or money laundering. They cited that the payment processors he used have helped to fund terrorism and “kiddy porn.”
Upon learning that he is a poker player, the agents allegedly told him that the money he has frozen online has been completely seized and will never be returned. They also told him to advise other people to stop playing on the sites that have yet to be seized by the Department of Justice, because they are going be seized eventually.
Obviously, most of the thread is filled with posters who are questioning the validity of this story, while the other half of the thread is about the rights of poker players. Many posters — including Dantes who provided a link to this long, yet highly informative video — think that, assuming this actually happened, "bmorganonap" shouldn’t have spoken with the agents because he was putting himself in harm's way.
“It’s literally a reverse freeroll as a cop can’t testify on your behalf about what you told him in the 'interview,' that’s hearsay,” Dantes added.
Other posters argue that, again assuming this story is true, "bmorganonap" was safe because the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act and the Wire Act do not target consumers, rather they target money processors and the companies that use them. The posters believe an individual cannot be held responsible for the money they received, nor should they be afraid about telling the truth to an officer of the law.
Regardless of what you believe, there is a lot of great, thoughtful banter in this thread about the rights of both a poker player and a U.S. citizen. Personally, I don’t see why "bmorganonap" would make this story up — he’s been a TwoPlusTwo user since 2007, has nearly 400 posts, and his previous posts suggest that he’s not an attention whore. If this story is indeed true, then American players will have to take notice and form their own plan of action in case they are confronted.
This isn’t a warning per say, and American players certainly shouldn’t panic, but they should be aware of what’s happening, and should know their rights.
3. Srslysirius dispute with QuadJacks over Willy Wonka parody video
Thomas “SrslySirius” Keeling became a fan favorite on TwoPlusTwo when he began writing, performing, and posting parody songs about poker on the forums in December 2010. He is very well known within the poker world, and his lighthearted, witty songs have amassed millions of hits on YouTube.
Keeling took his talents to QuadJacks to keep making poker-related content, but recently left the website to pursue his own career. Since his departure, there has been a rift between Keeling and QuadJacks. Marco Valerio argues that the split is because Keeling used “viewbots” to artificially increase hits on a new song, and QuadJacks doesn’t want to be associated with anything illegitimate. Keeling didn’t mention his new song in his response, rather he complains about not getting paid for his contributions to the site.
Only in the poker industry would a separation like this generate a thread with over 10,000 views, but that’s the niche world we live in. Despite what he does with his solo career, Keeling’s poker videos will always be remembered, no matter whose YouTube account they’re listed under.
Stay up to date on all the latest news by following us on Twitter and liking us on Facebook.
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APR 06
PokerNews Jet Set: Monte Carlo
The PokerStars.net European Poker Tour’s eighth season is coming to a close, and it’s going to close in style. The Grand Final is returning to the world’s most glamorous country, Monaco.
Running from April 23 through May 1, the PokerStars and Monte-Carlo Casino EPT Grand Final draws one of the most elite fields in the world to one of the world’s most exclusive destinations. If you have a chance to satellite your way to the EPT Grand Final, you’ll literally find yourself rubbing shoulders with the rich and famous.
Vitals
- Official language: French
- Weather: April has an average high of 17°C (62°F)
- Currency: Euro. 1 EUR = 1.3 USD (please check XE.com for accurate exchange rates)
- Banks: Most banks are open until 7 p.m., Monday to Saturday.
- Visas: Europeans do not need a visa to visit Monaco. North Americans and Australians can stay for 90 days. Other citizens should consult a travel agent.
- Time: Monaco is on Central European Time.
- Tourist information: Visit Monaco
Getting There from Berlin
Most poker players traveling to Europe this month will be taking part in the EPT back-to-back double of Berlin and Monte Carlo, with just a few days off to travel between events.
The easy and fast way to travel from Berlin to Monte Carlo would be to fly into Nice Côte d'Azur International Airport in Nice, France, which is 15 miles from Monaco. You can pick up a cheap one-way flight on airlines like Air Berlin.
From Nice, you then have many options to get to Monaco. Whether you want to arrive like a rich local in a helicopter, which will take just 20 minutes, or keep the budget down with a bus direct from Terminals 1 and 2 every hour between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. which will take 45 minutes. Otherwise, a taxi will set you back 35 minutes and €90.
EPT Venue
Monte Carlo Bay Hotel & Resort
40 Avenue Princess Grace
Monte Carlo 98000
Monaco
Tél.: +377 98 06 25 25
Fax: +377 98 06 26 26
E-mail: resort@sbm.mc -
APR 06
PokerNews Weekly: April 6, 2012
Every week, PokerNews Weekly brings you the latest happenings from the international tournament circuit, player news, and gossip.
This week, Sarah Grant and Kristy Arnett reunite in Las Vegas to discuss the latest Full Tilt Poker rumors, the 2012 PokerStars Spring Championship of Online Poker schedule, the pretty ladies of Team Bodog, and more.
Follow PokerNews on Twitter for up-to-the-minute news.
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APR 05
VIDEO: Tony G's Animal Instincts at the PartyPoker Premier League V
Heat 2 of the PartyPoker Premier League V is under way and Tony G is taking "card protectors" to a whole new level.
Follow PokerNews on Twitter for up-to-the-minute news.
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APR 04
Daniel Negreanu's Weekly Rant: April 4 — Squashing Beefs
Daniel Negreanu's latest Weekly Rant opens with a story about a recent meeting with Howard Lederer. That's all we'll say about that. He then discusses iSeriesLIVE, Zoom Poker, a vegan party at Cyndy Violette's house, and golf and his swing.
Hey Daniel, we can help you with your swing.
Follow PokerNews on Twitter for up-to-the-minute news.
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APR 03
Five Thoughts: Hellmuth Wins PokerNews Fan Bracket
Phil Hellmuth, who was ranked 64th in the Global Poker Index when we created the PokerNews Fan Bracket, was the last player to make it into the field. Now, after defeating Daniel Negreanu in the championship matchup, he is also the last player standing. There was a little controversy in the Round of 4 and the Championship, however, and we'd like to address some issues for next year’s bracket.
1. Bracket Recap
The 2012 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament is over, and after last night’s shenanigans in Lexington, Kentucky, so is the madness. The echoes of “One Shining Moment” can still be heard — though there weren’t many shining moments this year — and we will soon forget about what John Calipari and the University of Kentucky Wildcats accomplished — until next year’s brackets are released.
The same can be said about the PokerNews Fan Bracket, which was won handily by Hellmuth. More than 7,000 “people” voted in the championship matchup, and at tip off last night, Hellmuth had received over 70 percent of the votes. If you watched the pool as actively as I did, though, you would’ve noticed that on Sunday, thousands of consecutive votes poured in for Hellmuth over a short time. The same thing happened in the Round of 4 when Hellmuth squared off against Jason Mercier. Mercier was really sweating the vote — just read his tweets — but with just over two hours to go, Hellmuth started receiving votes at an unnatural, rapid rate. By midnight, Hellmuth had gone from down 2 percent, to winning by 20 percent.
Strange.
The polls on our site aren’t too technical because they’re there for fun. This, too, was supposed to be a fun experience for the fans, and, unfortunately, one or more individuals took advantage of it. Congratulations to them. They wasted a few hours clicking buttons to sabotage a contest with no prize. Cool story, bro.
Hellmuth does deserve some credit, though, because he legitimately reached the Round of 4, despite being a No. 16 seed. I thought he could go somewhat deep, but I didn’t think that he could beat Vanessa Selbst in the Round of 8, which he did, and before the skullduggery kicked in, he was neck-and-neck with Mercier. All in all, it was really fun to run the bracket, but some changes will be made next year.
First, there needs to be a selection committee. The GPI was a great because everybody was easily seeded, but it should be used as a barometer like the Ratings Percentage Index (RPI) in college. Some very popular players like Phil Galfond, Viktor “Isildur1” Blom, Tom Dwan and Phil Ivey didn’t have great tournament success over the last few years, so they were excluded. This needs to be addressed. Second, we need to ensure that the voting is more fair. We could make you have an account to vote (you should already have one!), but then when players post the link on their Facebook or Twitter accounts, their friends and family members who don't play poker will be less likely to vote.
For now, I’d like to thank everyone who voted, and all the players who participated in the bracket. Again, this was done purely for entertainment purposes, so I hope you enjoyed it.
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APR 02
Off the Felt with Christina Lindley
Off the Felt is interviewing your favorite people in the poker industry to find out more about their lives — you've got it — off the felt. We recently sat down with Christina Lindley to talk a little poker, fitness, and making people laugh.
How did you start playing poker?
I was acting and modeling professionally my entire life, and three years ago there was a writer's strike in Hollywood. It completely shut down the industry for an entire year. During my hiatus, I went home to visit my father, who took me to a casino in Tunica to play poker. It was literally love at first sight. For the first time in my life, I found something that I was more passionate about than acting.
Where is your favorite tournament spot?
I think I would actually have to say Legends of Poker at the Bike is my favorite tournament spot. The first $10k I ever played in was literally six months after I had gone home to visit my Dad when he made the original introduction of poker to me. I lived in L.A., and went to the Bike to try to win a seat into Legends. I was successful, and it was one of the most exciting days I had ever had up to that point in my life because I was so psyched about poker.
I know all of the players in L.A., and got my start there. Ironically in August of 2011, I had the deepest run of my professional career to date in a major live poker tournament, at WPT's Legends two years later, finishing 15th.
What is your poker schedule like the next few months before the WSOP?
My poker schedule is all over the place. I recently came back from living in Mexico for two months, living abroad to play online. That really broadened my horizons, perspective wise. The last few weeks I have been grinding cash in Vegas, which I love. Cash has dramatically improved my post flop game.
As far as my pre-WSOP schedule, I will be playing the $10k WPT Ft. Lauderdale stop mid April. I am flying with my Vegas roommate Lauren Kling, and we are both really looking forward to the tournament. In May I am going to Ireland for almost the entire month, where a friend has a house on the beach just outside of Dublin, to grind SCOOP online.
Where is your favorite place to play in Vegas?
My favorite place to play cash in Vegas is actually Red Rock. The games are really soft, and not reg infested. Although, that may change after this interview. [Laughs]. I love tournaments at Bellagio and the Venetian. On certain nights, I go to grind cash at Aria, as the weekends are really good there.
What is the best part of living in Vegas?
The best part of living in Las Vegas are the shows. I can not tell you how many hilarious world class comedians I have seen in person here. I am a huge music fan, and every great comes through Vegas for a show at one time or another. The restaurants are a sick range merge of the best east and west coast restaurants, all of which have a chain or version here.
What are some of your hobbies away from the table?
My hobbies away from the table are diverse, and completely mood dependent. I work out almost every day. I love going hard running, and training with weights. It was ingrained in me with my fitness modeling background, and has really just become a way of life. I hike at Red Rock quite a bit. I am a bit of a wine connoisseur. I enjoy art immensely, and frequently visit all of the museums everywhere I travel. My best friend Lolo Siderman is a sick artist, and she has recently taken up teaching me how to paint. We'll see how that goes. Anything involving spending time with animals, I am there.
Can you tell us about the most ridiculous prop bet you’ve participated in?
The only prop bet I have ever participated in is with my neighbor and good friend Sorrel Mizzi. During the WSOP this year, we had a standing bet that for every day we were playing in a tournament, we had to do cardio for a minimum of 45 minutes. The penalty was paying $100 dollars per day that we missed. Needless to say, I won. Although he has since really taken to fitness, and I am very proud of him for that.
What would who rather have: A closet full of clothes or a closet full of shoes/purses?
A closet full of purses and shoes wins hands down. I am a huge fan of both. I don't really spend much money on clothes, but I have a weird obsession with Giuseppe Zanotti shoes, and python handbags. My mom would never let me have a pet snake as a kid, so now I collect snake bags. Take that mom!
Do you have any hidden talents?
I was a member of the Groundlings, in Los Angeles. They are an all improv sketch comedy group that the majority of the alum from Saturday Night Live comes from. Performing there taught me to think quickly on my feet. Making people laugh when they least expect it is my favorite hidden superpower. There are a few more, but if I told you they wouldn't be hidden now would they.
What’s the most memorable moment in your poker career so far?
My most memorable moment in poker is when I banged off a $127k score in the $320 USA COOP in November of last year on PokerStars. I'll never forget that day. I had been running on no sleep, and decided at the last moment to jump into it when I found out the levels were 20 minutes, which is forever for an online tournament.
I must have drank two pots of coffee. I was wired out of my mind on caffeine, and played all night from 4 p.m. in the afternoon until noon the next day. Some of my friends who were sweating me actually went to bed, then woke up the next morning around 11 to rail me. I was getting tons of needles via Skype and AIM about what a great night of sleep they had. Heads up began at noon, against the other most aggressive player at the final table. When I finally won, I couldn't even sleep because I was so excited.
What's the most interesting story you’ve ever heard at the poker table?
The most interesting story I ever heard at a poker table was by a well-known pro at a WSOP event. He told the entire table, basically saying that the first time he ever was intimate with a girl in his life, at a very early age (12), she got pregnant with his first child. The whole table was laughing and pretty amazed at his candor, and he just laughed saying he must be very fertile.
What would you be doing if you weren’t playing poker?
If I wasn't playing poker, I would be performing with the Groundlings, and continuing to do film and television in L.A., with a focus on comedy. Saturday Night Live was always a destination I had my eye on, until my true love, poker, snap-derailed me. The best things in life always seem to happen that way. "The road of life can only reveal itself as it is traveled" is one of my favorite quotes. It has been one hell of an adventure.
Follow PokerNews on Twitter for up-to-the-minute news.
PokerNews Podcast
This week's Strategy with Kristy podcast features the audio of three PokerStars.tv interviews with PokerStars Team Online members Randy Lew and Mickey Peterson, as well as... more
2006 World Series of Poker Main Event winner Jamie Gold becomes latest player to auction off championship bracelet.
- 2 Strategy With Kristy: Hand Analysis with Daniel Negreanu, Randy Lew and Mickey Peterson
- 3 WSOP Releases the 2013 Carnivale of Poker Schedule
- 4 Benny Spindler, Sami Kelopuro and Ana Marquez All Capture SCOOP Titles
- 5 WPT on FSN Five Diamond Part I: Negreanu's Six Bullets & Esfandiari's Final Table Magic
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