The Muck
Card Guards
Bernard Lee
George Lind III
Maverick Movie
Off the Felt
-
JUN 16
All Mucked Up: 2012 World Series of Poker Day 20 Live Blog
All Mucked Up is a live blog of all the stuff you want to know at the 2012 World Series of Poker, besides hand histories and bad beats. Well, we might add a few in here, everyone loves a good bad beat story — unless it happened to you. Check back often for polls, soundbites, celebrity sightings, and who knows what else!
The Morning Grind
It looks to be a packed day at the Rio as Event #29: $1,000 Seniors No-Limit Championship has already gotten off to a hot start. The Amazon room is filled to the brim with seniors and overflow from Event #31: $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em.
Already this morning we've seen Dennis Phillips, who is still alive in Event #29, Issac Haxton and Jeff Schulman who were both heading to their tables in Event #31. We also saw Robert 'Silly Bands' Croak, who you may remember from the last season of High Stakes Poker, in the registration line.
Speaking of registration, it seems to be the most crowded that it's been for the entire series so far, with a line out the door of the tournament registration room.
The registration line this morningEvent #31 could have a huge field, and that means a killer prize pool, so if you want to get a good price on your money, make sure you head down to the Rio before registration ends.
What's on Your Head: Day 20
It's becoming pretty standard to see Kennii Nguyen in the field. Already he has made a final table, and has a runner up finish in Event #19: $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em. He's at it again today, wearing his trademark jester hat in Event #31: $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em.
Kennii Nguyen in Event #31Seeing as it did him well in his last tournament, Nguyen's hat may take him deep again, but only time will tell. Currently, he's leading the points race in the "Hat of the Year" competition, and he's a nearly a shoe in to win.
Can You See With Those Things On? Day 20
We caught this woman in the field of Event #31: $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em as well. She was wearing a pair of shades with the word "Heat" written across the frame, which begs the question, "Can you see with those things on?"
"Heat"We're going to assume that she's a Miami Heat fan, as game 3 of the Heat and Thunder championship takes place Sunday, tomorrow.
PokerNews Is On The Felt
Uh oh. Everybody watch yourselves. PokerNews has a player in the field once again. Yesterday, Live Reporting Global Manager Donnie Peters decided to play in Event #30: $1,500 2-7 Lowball.
Today it's Editor Chad Holloway who's in the field.
Chad Holloway in Event #31Holloway is wearing his trademark flamboyant bird shirt which he has been caught wearing on multiple occasions. Hopefully his bird shirt will be carrying him to victory. Already it seems as if it may be good luck as Holloway doubled up on his first hand. We'll catch up with Holloway on break and see if he can give us a little taste of what it's like to go from behind the keyboard to on the felt.
This Line is Insane
We mentioned earlier how the registration line was extremely long, even going out of the door and around the corner. If you didn't believe us, here it is again from pro Paul Wasicka:
These lines really make the place feel more magical, like Disneyland almost.
Turing Water into Whiskey
Tony Dunst had an interesting tweet earlier:
Dude on table attempts to order me a whiskey-water as a joke. Asian waiter misses the joke, and brings a glass of half-water, half-whiskey.
June 16 2012FollowWe walked by Dunst's table in Event #31 to see if the drink was still there or if he was drinking it, but unfortunately it was already gone.
Redoutfit of the Day
We caught this gentleman playing in Event #29: $1,000 Seniors No-Limit Hold'em Championship wearing a cowboy hat and an all red outfit. He told us that he wanted to be called "Sweet."
This is Mr.SweetWe asked Mr. Sweet what the occasion was for his all red outfit, or Redoutfit. "This is my very first seniors event," Mr. Sweet said. "I came all the way from Columbus, Ohio, and I plan on getting hot today. It's time to take care of business."
"Make sure you come back and get a picture of him doing a table dance later," a tablemate said. "He does a very good country western table dance."
"Did I qualify?" Mr.Sweet asked us as we were leaving. "Did I qualify to be on PokerNews?"
I'm sure that Tony G would say "You've qualified," Mr. Sweet.
As we were walking away, Mr.Sweet left us with some parting words. "Tell them Mr. Sweet said, it's just like a tower of power. Too sweet to be sour."
What's On Your Head: Day 20, Part 2
Meet Gionni Demers:
Gionni DemersWe caught Demers in Event #31: $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em wearing this ridiculous hat.
We asked Demers what the occasion was for the hat, and this time it wasn't just for SNGs (S***s and giggles). Well, technically it was for SNGs, just not those kind.
"Me and my roommates have a home game, a $100 sit and go," Demers told us. "But this week, we added a little side bet, the first person to bust would have to wear this hat."
Poor Demers. Not only did he lose $100, he's stuck all day wearing that ridiculous hat. Demers' roommates are also in the field today, most likely laughing at their friends misfortune while counting his money.
Long Registration Lines Continue
We’ve been reporting on the long lines of registration today because of Event 31: $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em. Here’s a tweet from Team PokerStars Pro Lex Veldhuis about the lines.
Here’s a video of the exterior of the registration line:
Here’s a video of the interior of the registration windows:
There's over 2,800 players registered at the moment. Would be a good idea for players to register early for subsequent events to avoid the long waits.
Stacks on Stacks on Stacks
Michael Mizrachi is currently crushing Event #30: $1,500 2-7 Lowball. He had 140,000 chips when we went to go see him:
Michael Mizrachi's got stacksOne of our live tournament reporters gave us an interesting tidbit about Mizrachi's stack. With 140,000 in chips, Mizrachi has just below what an average chip stack would be for the final 8 players. With 40 players remaining in Event #30, Mizrachi could just cruise right into day 3. But the game is no-limit, so anything could happen. We don't want to jinx it, so we wont say anything.
Stacks on Stacks on StacksIn the picture above, we counted over 40 twenty stacks of chips, but he doesn't seem to be having a problem maneuvering around them to get to his cards.
The Shark is Sleepy
We caught Team PokerStars Pro Humberto Brenes taking a nap at the table today:
ZzzZzzzZzzzIt's no surprise that he's a bit tired, because Brenes played in 2 events yesterday; Event #28: $2,500 No-Limit Hold'em Four Handed, where he cashed, and Event #29: $1,000 Seniors No-Limit Hold'em Championship. Today he decided to hop into Event #31: $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em, but we're not sure that's such a good idea, as he looks half dead.
Hopefully the Shark regains some of his pep, because the game is just not the same without him making theatrics.
What's On Your Head: Day 20, Part 3
Today must be a day for ridiculous hats. We caught this gentleman in Event #29: $1,000 Seniors No-Limit Hold'em Championship.
He looks sort of "Goofy" to us.
Oh Lovey
We spotted this gentleman in the $1,500 No-Limit Hold’em event. He bears a striking resemblance to Thurston Howell III from the classic TV show Gilligan’s Island. What do you think?
Kling Attracts the Creepers
We saw this tweet from Lauren Kling earlier in the day:
Guy at table asks me to be w him, help raise his daughter, & teach her my morals..also asked if I have tattoos & other weird ?s #SaveMePlz
June 16 2012FollowSo we caught up with Kling on break in Event #31: $1,500 No-Limit Hold’em to get a little follow-up.
"Save me," she said to us quietly as she was trying to slip away from her table unnoticed. We wanted to hear a little more about the creeper so we asked her what had happened.
"I don't know how it started, but I got moved here and this guy just started talking to me," she said to us. "He asked me if poker was all I did, and I said, No I used to work for Playboy. And he goes, 'Oh, so you're a model?' and I told him, No, I would never take my clothes off."
Kling continued the story, telling us how the creep kept telling her that she was so perfect, and how good her morals were.
"He asked me if I had any tattoos, and I said no, I wouldn't do that either. And he said something like, 'oh wow, you're just perfect aren't you.' Then he asked me to come and live with him, and to help him raise his daughter to have morals like me. And I just wanted him to leave me alone."
Kling continued telling us the story. "Then he asked me what I was doing for dinner. So I said, 'I'm probably going to do something with my boyfriend.' And he just keeps going, 'Oh how long have you guys been together? Do you have any pictures?'"
We asked Kling if this was the creepiest experience that she's had at the poker table, and she told us it was up there. Hopefully things get better for her. She's still alive in event #31 with 7,200 chips.
Luke Schwartz in the Building
One player who we hadn't seen until today was Luke 'Full Flush' Schwartz. Schwartz was coming out of the tournament registration room, so we asked him if we could talk quickly.
"I'm a bit busy," Schwartz said to us. "Do you know where I could get change for one of these $5,000 chips," he said to us showing us a handfull of chips.
We asked Schwartz what he would be playing for his first event at the series. "I'm just registering for the H.O.R.S.E." he told us.
We asked him if he thought the field would be soft, and have lots of fishes. "Oh yeah, loads of them," he said.
We'll keep tabs on Schwartz and see how he's doing for the rest of the series as he is always good for the game.
#JBL
If you follow Jason Mercier and/or Matt Glantz on Twitter, than you've probably seen them use the hashtag #justbadluck or #JBL - it's basically the newer, cooler version of #whenwillitend. We caught Mercier and Glantz in Event #32: $10,000 H.O.R.S.E. wearing these shirts:
Just Bad Luck!We talked to Mercier who was waiting for his table in the event. He told us that Allen Bari actually had the shirts made for them. We also saw pro Chris Klodnicki wearing a "Just Bad Luck" shirt as well.
Here's Matt Glantz wearing one:
Don't Worry Matt, It's Just Bad Luck!"Just Bad Luck" seems to be the twitter fad of this series, which makes us wonder, #whenwillitend?
Baller Kicks
We saw that Daniel Negreanu had posted a picture of his new shoes on his twitter a few days ago:
Negreanu's new kicksThe shoes are a pair made by Christian LouBoutin for men.
A few of us in the PokerNews crew were curious as to how much they cost, so we asked. The actual price of Negreanu's new shoes... -drum roll please- $840. Much less than we expected actually, but still quite high for any pair of shoes.
“No Viktor… You Can Only Raise The Minimum”
We saw on twitter earlier today that Daniel Negreanu was giving fellow Team Pokerstars Pro Viktor ‘Isildur1’ Blom elementary lessons on how to play H.O.R.S.E minutes before Event #32: $10,000 H.O.R.S.E. began.
Giving Viktor Blom a crash course in HORSE starting with the rules... This should be interesting he is playing the 10k!
June 16 2012FollowI can’t imagine Isildur would stand much of a chance in this stacked field if he didn’t even know the rules, so you can thank Negreanu if Blom is in your fantasy draft this summer.
Remember the days when Isildur would viciously berate opponents in chat for min-raising the button? Who knows how tilted he’s going to be after several hours of limit betting…
Don't Call It A Comeback
Mark "P0ker H0" KroonWe caught up with Mark “P0ker H0” Kroon in the Amazon room. A former Ultimate Bet pro, Kroon was a fixture in the “heyday” of online poker, accumulating over $1,000,000 in tournament cashes. We chatted with Kroon about what he’s been up to.
Do you miss online poker?
Yeah, I made so much online. It was great playing from home. When I was with UB I enjoyed playing the events in Aruba too.
How’s the adjustment been Post Black Friday?
I’ve been playing more live. I enjoy traveling and meeting up with people that I know. Even here at the WSOP I run into Rio staff that I know and a lot of PokerNews friends I’ve made. I actually like the lifestyle; 10-12 hours grinding online is tough. I like the social aspect of live play.
I understand you've been absent from the WSOP in recent years. What events do you plan on playing this summer?
Well, I played the Seniors event, but busted yesterday. I’m playing the $1,000 No-Limit Hold’em tomorrow, the $100,000 National Championship Freeroll and also playing every (WSOP) Hold’em event.
If The Poker's Not Exciting Enough
The two sides of the Amazon room are in stark contrast this evening. On one side is Event #32: $10,000 H.O.R.S.E., featuring a huge name pro or three at every single table and with the golf showing on big TV’s in the background.
On the other side of the room are the dregs of Event #29: $1,500 Seniors No-Limit Hold'em Championship featuring dozens of unknown septuagenarians who are currently tuned into ‘Americas Favorite Quiz Show’ Jeopardy.
This is smart management by our friends at the WSOP. A possible idea for next year: For the duration of the senior’s event, why not change the hallway playlist to feature all classic hits from yesteryear? It would really teleport the whole tournament atmosphere back to the 1950’s, and could save this live blogger’s sanity in the process.
There's Something About Maridu
Anytime you pass by Maria “Maridu” Mayrinck’s table you're bound to hear some great table chatter and today was no exception. She’s seated next to Apple executive Scott Young in the $1,500 No-Limit Hold’em event. The topic of discussion was the new MacBook Pro.
“I’m trying to get the new MacBook with retina display but this guy (Scott Young) won’t f**king get me one," Mayrinck said in jest.
Here's another gem; we just came upon this tweet from Kara Scott, who’s playing the same event:
No Gamble No Life
Everyone knows the poker player’s stereotypical lifestyle is late nights, miserable mornings and non-stop gambling. Today on my rounds through the Amazon poker room I got into a debate with an editor from another poker media site over what was a favorite all in pre-flop: the lone
, or 
.To settle our debate we decided to run 20 boards a day and out and give 1.25$ a board to the winner every evening for the rest of the series. After 60 boards, our PokerNews hero is up by 2.
The power of the
is that it doesn’t need to improve to win – the downside is when the improves it’s a virtual lock, and when the flop comes with an Ace, a 4 or a 5 the has tremendous equity to make the last two cards a sweat.Here we are dealing out one of the first boards in the media stand overlooking the Final Table for Event #28: $2,500 No-Limit Hold'em / Four Handed where Timothy Adams takes on Brendon Rubie for a bracelet.
Personally I love my side, and have already sold 10% to a housemate. Another housemate has the over/under on how much will change hands, with the line being 70$. Which side do you think is a favorite,
or ? Which would you want action on?It’s fun bets like this that makes the poker community unique. We’ll keep an eye out for any other interesting prop bets in the coming weeks.
Chip Envy
A huge pot lost for Michael ‘the Grinder’ Mizrachi has seen him plummet to fourth place, while his neighbor Brandon Cantu increases his chip lead over the field, making the castle he’s building look all the more impressive.
Celebrity Look-Alike
While checking out the field for Event #32 $10,000 H.O.R.S.E. we couldn't help but notice that Scott Seiver is a pretty close double of 'Seth' from the film Superbad. What do you guys think?
Tweets Of The Day: Day 20
These two tweets are tied for our Tweet Of The Day : Day 20.
This one is Marc Karam's golden rule about living in Las Vegas.
This one is John D'Agostino's description of the 'banter' between himself and Ivey in Event #32: $10,000 H.O.R.S.E.
Got moved to Ivey's right in the 10k horse, asked him if he remembered the objective at final tables is to win..he was only mildly amused
June 16 2012FollowI think if we had a Bravest Grinder Of The Day award, it would go to John D'Agostino hands down.
Lads, Relax, It’s Only The 10k
After spending some time in the back corner of the Amazon room, where a huge percentage of the game’s top pro’s are playing H.O.R.S.E for the coveted gold bracelet, you can see that to these guys this is just another tournament.
Despite this being a 10k event, where you would expect the atmosphere to be more tense and serious, all the contestants are in jovial form, swapping stories and cracking jokes all the while.
We hung around Scott Seiver’s table for a spell to see why the table was such a constant course of amusement for the rail. Scott was talking to some players on the rail about Chinese poker, comparing playing heads-up and three handed. After a minute or two of discussion he says:
“Having said that, I only learned the rules eighteen hours ago”
To a huge laugh from the rail. Bill Chen sitting next to him say’s he likes Chinese, at which point someone from the rail calls across:
“Yeah, Bill’s Asian, so he loves to gamble”
Seiver leans forward and looks closely at Chen’s face and says “Until you said that I didn’t actually know he was Asian”
Bill ChenMoving around the rail, we see Todd Brunsen’s table having fun and joking about one of the younger players at the table.
“There’s no way he’s 21” Say’s one player. “He just put on the suit to fool the security”
We encourage everyone to get involved with "The Muck." See something you think is Muck worthy? Send it to the muck@pokernews.com. We accept all media including photos and videos.
-
JUN 16
$25K Fantasy League: A Look at the Standings Halfway Through the 2012 WSOP
Believe it or not, the 2012 World Series of Poker Main Event is only three weeks away, and we’ve officially hit the halfway point of the summer. At the beginning of the series, I briefly previewed Daniel Negreanu’s $25K Fantasy League, and at the time, I said that either Jason Mercier or Eugene Katchalov’s team would win. Currently, Mercier’s team is in second, behind Robert Mizrachi’s team, and Katchalov sits in sixth place.
Place Team Points 1 Robert Mizrachi 366 2 Jason Mercier 332 3 Todd Brunson, Frank Kassela & Doyle Brunson 325 4 Brian Hastings 221 5 Daniel Negreanu 162 6 Eugene Katchalov 156 7 Bryn Kenney 130 8 David Bach & Josh Arieh 104 9 Justin Smith 103 10 Cary Katz 72 11 Sorel Mizzi 40 Phil Ivey, who has made three final tables already and leads the WSOP Player of the Year race, has scored 190 points thus far, which is 38 more points than the second-highest scorer — John Monnette (two final tables and one win). This is pretty amazing, especially considering that only 19 of the 88 players drafted have scored 38 points to date, and that only three players scored more than 190 points in 2011. Those three were Ben Lamb (403pt), Phil Hellmuth (278pt), and Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier (204pt).
Brian Hastings, who has scored 113 points for Team Katchalov, used half of his budget to draft Ivey, using the “Stars and Scrubs” strategy. This strategy is the way to go in fantasy poker, because there’s so much talent at the top, and then it starts to even out. However, your “scrubs” have to be carefully selected, or else all of your star’s points will go to waste. Team Hastings, despite having 190 points from Ivey, has only scored 221 points to date.
Hastings is fortunate enough to have a star that’s performing though. Negreanu (37pt), Katchalov (31pt) and Mercier (3pt) were the only other players drafted for $83 or more, and they’ve all underperformed based upon their draft price. Despite only scoring three points for his own team, Mercier is still in second place thanks to Monnette (152pt), Joe Cassidy (78pt), and Brett Richey (51pt). Thursday was a great day for Team Mercier — Cassidy defeated Scotty Nguyen heads up to win Event #24: $5,000 Omaha Hi-Low Split 8-or-Better, and Richey finished runner-up in Event 26: $3,000 Pot-Limit Omaha.
Here are the top 10 scorers thus far:
Place Player Name Points 1 Phil Ivey 190 2 John Monnette 152 3 Brock Parker 124 4 Brian Hastings 113 5 Todd Brunson 98 6 Barry Greenstein 83 7 Ali Eslami 82 8 Joe Cassidy 78 9 Matt Glantz 75 10 Vanessa Selbst 70 Hastings is probably the most surprising name on this list, followed closely by Brock Parker, but Parker is no stranger to success at the WSOP. In 2009, Parker won two bracelets in the same week, banking nearly $800,000 in the process. In 2010 and 2011, Parker made appearances at final tables, and here in 2012, he already has a fourth and a fifth-place finish. What’s so remarkable about Parker’s consistency is that he only has one career WSOP cash in a stud variant. That’s why Mizrachi was able to scoop him up for only $1, making him the most valuable pick in the draft thus far. Parker is not the only $1 player with who has scored double-digit points thus far however — Lee Goldman (37pt), Ben Yu (11pt), and Marco Johnson (11pt) have all contributed to their respective teams.
A total of 18 players drafted have bricked the entire first half of the 2012 WSOP. Four of these players, including Dario Alioto, Joe Serock, Jon Turner, and Richard Ashby, have played six events or more, while a handful of players, most notably Tom Dwan and Alexander Kostritsyn, have skipped the 2012 WSOP altogether. Kostritsyn’s significant other recently gave birth and Dwan is grinding cash games over in Macau.
With so many players struggling, it’s easy to be results-orientated and look at players who have had success, and say, “they should’ve been drafted.” Allen Kessler, who was at the Aria during the auction, claims that he was telling people to draft Andy Frankenberger, who just won Event #17: $10,000 Pot-Limit Hold’em. Had he been drafted, Frankenberger would’ve earned his team 121 points thus far. Going forward however, if there was some kind of free agency, where previous events didn’t count, here would be my top five pickups:
Player Points Scored Adam Friedman 78 Jesse Martin 70 Brendan Taylor 44 Scott Abrams 25 Michael Chow 22 What do all of these players have in common? They’ve all made at least one final table at the 2012 WSOP (momentum is key), and they can all play all of the games. I’ve had a chance to watch all five of these players compete in non-hold’em events, and they certainly have an edge over the field. I’m extremely surprised that Chow, who won a bracelet in 2010, wasn’t drafted back in May — within the industry, he’s renowned as one of the best mixed game tournament players in the world.
With just over 30 events to go, anything can happen, but I still like Team Mercier, especially if Jason himself can get something going. If he finds a way to make a deep run, or even bink bracelet number three, then it could be back-to-back wins for him in the $25K Fantasy League, leaving his competitors to wonder, “when will it end?”
Follow PokerNews on Twitter for-up-to-the-minute news.
-
JUN 15
Team PokerStars Pro Chris Moneymaker Talks 2-7 Lowball Strategy, His WSOP Schedule, and More
We spotted Team PokerStars Pro Chris Moneymaker a few hours ago at his 2-7 Draw Lowball table. We went back to catch him on dinner break for a chat about 2-7 Draw Lowball strategy, his WSOP schedule, and the state of online poker.
We see you’re playing 2-7 Draw Lowball today.
Yeah, I’ve been playing more mixed games recently, but this is actually my first time playing deuce to seven. I just flew in to [Vegas] today and my plan was to just watch a movie but Raymer [Greg Raymer] said I should play the five o'clock (Event #30: $1,500 2-7 Draw Lowball). I hadn’t seen him in over a year so it was nice to catch up.
Did Greg Raymer give you any good tips?
Play tight. Position is utterly the key. Just play pat hands and hands where I don’t draw more than one.
How’s it been going so far?
Well, I made it to dinner break, [laughs], so that’s good. I’ve been three-betting a ton — in position. My table draw is tough but they’ve been playing pretty straightforward. I got [Erik] Seidel on my table and a tough opponent on my left.
What WSOP events do you plan on playing this series?
The $1,500 tomorrow (Event #31: $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em). If I don’t make day two of this one (2-7 Draw Lowball). The $1K on Sunday (Event #33: $1,000 No-Limit Hold'em). The $5K Pot-Limit Omaha (Event #34: $5,000 Pot-Limit Omaha — Six-Handed). The $3K shootout (Event #36: $3,000 No-Limit Hold'em Shootout) and the mixed game (Event #37: $2,500 Eight-Game Mix). Then I’ll fly home back to Tennessee and come back for the Main Event (Event #61: $10,000 No-Limit Hold'em Main Event).
What are your thoughts of being a Team PokerStars Pro in light of Black Friday?
When April 15 happened my biggest concern was about all the money and the potential future of the game, especially with Full Tilt going the way it did. PokerStars is run by business people more than by poker players. They do get consulting by poker players but at its core its run by business people. PokerStars also listens to their players.
Follow PokerNews on Twitter for up-to-the-minute news.
-
JUN 15
All Mucked Up: 2012 World Series of Poker Day 19 Live Blog
All Mucked Up is a live blog of all the stuff you want to know at the 2012 World Series of Poker, besides hand histories and bad beats. Well, we might add a few in here, everyone loves a good bad beat story — unless it happened to you. Check back often for polls, soundbites, celebrity sightings, and who knows what else!
Like A Fine Wine
Today is the day we’ve all been waiting for: Event #29 $1,000 Seniors No-Limit Hold'em Championship. The powers that be have made it clear that this is a 50s+ only event, and that no exceptions will be made.
With that out of the way, it’s going to be one of the friendliest and most interesting events of the summer. There are over 4 thousand runners, the most ever for a one day event. Adding to the intrigue, lots of big name pros love nothing more than to buy their parents in to Event #29 under the guise of father days, and then put big bets on them. It all adds to the madness. We’ll try to catch up with any father and son duos throughout the day – we know that some of Phil Galfond’s relatives are running!
A taxi driver told us earlier this morning that he had already dropped 6-7 seniors to the event, and one told him that:
"The key to winning the WSOP Senior Event is bladder control"
Predictably, on the first break the queue for the bathroom is 30 metres in both directions.
On that note lets start the day.
Happy Centennial
Today marks the 100th PokerNews Podcast. Here's a behind-the-scenes look at our high-tech set up at the World Series of Poker. Tune in later to find out some of our favorite moments in 100 episodes.
From left to right: Danielle Barille, Matthew Parvis, Rich Ryan, Kristy ArnettCelebrity Look-Alike
We spotted this character in the field for Event #29 $1,000 Seniors No-Limit Hold'em Championship who we think looks just like Jurassic Park proprietor John Hammond. It probably won’t be the first time we make that comparison today either.
Revenge Of Toy-Man
There’s going to be no shortage of interesting and amusing runners in today’s event. We’re in the process of putting together some of the summers best ‘Who Wore It Betters. For now, we’ll hit you with this picture of the popular player ‘Toy-Man’ who turns out every year for this tournament in outrageous garb. We'll keep you updated on what he pulls out of his bag of tricks!
Who Wore It Better: Gangster Edition
New York Style, Columbia StyleWe spotted some gentlemen in the field today that have clearly had another life as gangsters in their tenure. On the one side we have the old school, Godfather-style suited-up New York Gangster, and on the other side we have a Columbian drug-lord, white on white, panama hat, carefully cultivated mustache-style Gangster.
Tennis Prop Bet
We spoke to Lex Veldhuis on his break from Event #28: No-Limit Hold'em / Four Handed to talk about his possible tennis bet he’s trying to plan. Lex is no stranger to these prop bets, setting up a boxing match between himself and Elky last summer and streaming it live online.
“Well I just put out an open challenge on Twitter. It’s always fun to have a reason to train, I play a lot of tennis right now but if I put some money down then it might really push me. It’s less about the money and more about the motivation it provides”.
We asked Lex about Brandon Adam’s reply to his challenge.
“Brandon straight away said he would play me, and even though Patrik [Antonius] destroyed him in their own tennis bet, he’s still really good and he’s been training for a long time to play Patrik. For him to just come out and say he would play me on July 7th is ridiculous. Now he wants to push it back to October some time, so I may consider that. I will have to see him play and decide how good he is”.
Finally, we asked Lex if there was anyone else he knows that might be interested.
“Well, I know Andre Akkari plays a lot of tennis so I’m going to speak to him about it. There’s also a chance I’ll play Patrik since he plays everyone. We might work out a deal where I have 2 years to train and Patrik can only play for on week per year or something, some deal like that to even up the match”.
Senior Event: Break Two
There's been a lot of talk on twitter about the monster lines for the bathroom at break time in the Seniors Event, so we decided to snap a pic of the corridor for you. Getting around on these breaks is an absolute nightmare, and getting caught in the stampede for the bathroom as the clock strikes for break time is taking your life in your hands.
In the spirit of things, the announcer right before each break reminds all the players of exactly where the closest bathroom is, and suggests that players take care to remember their seat number, lest they get lost
Old Enough To Shake Sinatra’s Hand
We spoke to a real Vegas old timer on his break from Event #29 $1,000 Seniors No-Limit Hold'em Championship this afternoon. Bobby ‘Speedy’ Briggs caught our eye because of his baseball cap with Jack Binion’s signature on it, among others. We asked him for the story behind the hat and who else had signed it.
“Well Jack Binion is one I’m proud of. I used to go down to the HorseShoe all the time in the 80’s when Jack owned it” Bobby reminisced.
“There’s lots of others too; Doyle Brunsen, Vanessa Rousso… Chris Ferguson there” He points out sheepishly. “ I got all these signatures in the last few years, from being around the Rio and playing this event. I came 121st two years ago, that’s the best I’ve done”.
As we’re leaving Bobby calls us back to point out his favorite signature.
“I’m most proud of this one. You know who that is? Jennifer Tilly” He tells us with a grin. “She’s a very nice lady”
There’s life in the old boy yet.
Race For POY
Not surprisingly, Phil Ivey is out in front of this years POY standings.
The current WSOP Player of the Year leader is @PhilIvey. Check out the standings on our 2012 POY page: http://t.co/a9K61jL1
June 15 2012FollowDespite not winning a bracelet yet this year, Phil has made 3 final tables already, and his hunger doesn't seem to have bounds as he prepares for Event #30 $1,500 2-7 Draw Lowball (No-Limit). Ivey won this event in 2009 and must feel his chances are good with only around 100 entrants today.
Active tweeter Christian Harder has full faith in Ivey during todays 2-7 Lowball event, booking some action with Brandon Barnes that Ivey will cash yet again. I'm surprised he even got those odds the way Ivey has been running over fields!
Want to bet that Ivey cashes in the 2-7 tonite. I want 5-1. Someone bet me 300-1500$ #teamivey
June 15 2012FollowWe just had current runner-up for POY Andrew Frankenberger in the studio for The 100th PokerNews Podcast where we spoke about playing with Phil Ivey. Frankenberger maintains that playing with Ivey focusses him more than scares him. Pretty clear that Frankenberger's trading career has set him up for the high pressure moments of a Heads-Up match with the best in the world.
Deuce – Seven Atmosphere
Despite a very stacked and professional field in the Amazon room for Event #30 $1,500 2-7 Draw Lowball (No-Limit), the atmosphere remains relaxed and fun just as it is throughout the Rio today.
Pictured above is TwoPlusTwo author David Sklansky and Daniel Negreanu, sharing a laugh over a joke made at another table – Sklansky was at the rail talking to a young girl and a player shouted over:
“Hey David, can you get your grand daughters number for me?”
“David’s such a horrible human, I had to give him some hassle” The heckler explains to the rest of his table.
At a nearby table, Phil Ivey is in deep concentration mode, quietly reading some papers he has brought in with him.
Moneymaker In The Building
We spotted 2003 WSOP Main Event Champ Team PokerStars Pro Chris Moneymaker in Event 30: $1,500 2-7 Draw Lowball.
Apparently it's his first event in this year's WSOP series. We'll do our best to catch up with Moneymaker to see what he's been up to.
Who Wore It Better: Beard Edition
We came across some interesting facial hair in Event 29: $1,000 Seniors No-Limit Hold'em Championship, which begs the question, who wore it better?
Player A
Player B
Player CGet Your WSOP Souvenirs
One of the first things you’ll notice as you approach the poker area in the Rio is the WSOP souvenir shop. Whether its hoodies, key chains, pens, or card protectors you’ll find it here.
According to the sales person the best-selling item are the WSOP hoodies, followed by the card protectors. Makes sense since it can get quite chilly at the tables.
Who's The Most Dapper?
In this day and age of hoodies, shades and ball caps it’s refreshing to see players dressed in dapper attire. We came across “The Duke of Fremont Street,” and Team PokerStars Pro Max Martinez looking very stylish. Which begs the question, who’s the most dapper?
The Duke of Fremont Street
Team PokerStars Pro Max MartinezThe Flying Dutchman Is Flying High
The $1,000 Seniors No-Limit Hold’em event is down to 700 players from its original 4128 entries. Team PokerStars Pro Marcel Luske is second in chips at the moment. The gregarious “Flying Dutchman” asked us what we were up to when we snapped this shot of him.
We responded with a little ribbing of our own with regards to the Netherlands slow start in the Euro Cup Championship.
"You’re gonna be smart now, huh,” Luske said, jokingly.
He’s known for his charm at the table and affinity to break out in song as well. We’ll be sure to keep tabs on his table.
The Dutch have lost their first two matches and face a must-win versus Portugal on Sunday.
Catching Up With Chris Moneymaker
We mentioned earlier today that we spotted Team PokerStars Pro Chris Moneymaker playing in his first event of the series. We caught up with Moneymaker at dinner break and talked about 2-7 Draw Lowball strategy, his WSOP plans, and more. Check out the interview here.
Midnight Run
It’s just past midnight in Vegas, still early by Sin City’s standards however, but that didn’t matter to this gentleman who was railing the H.O.R.S.E. final table.
It’s been a long final table match but hard to give this person a pass considering the Seniors event is still going.
We encourage everyone to get involved with "The Muck." See something you think is Muck worthy? Send it to the muck@pokernews.com. We accept all media including photos and videos.
-
JUN 15
@AsianSpa Blogs: Rethinking Hellmuth's BadJuJu, Phil Ivey, and More
Disclaimer: The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of PokerNews.
It was a huge week for the media at the World Series of Poker. Phil Hellmuth (aka #C#ckS#ckerOfPoker™) scored #12 despite my #BadJuJu and praying to the poker gods for a cold deck. I have to admit his interviews so far were very humble. Glad to see that he finally won a non-holdem bracelet and maybe he is changing his way as being the Poker Brat. If that is the case, I might rethink my view of him, but don’t hold your breath.
Then Phil Ivey does the unthinkable — three final tables so far at the WSOP. This is truly amazing to say the least. He does need to sharpen up his game and learn how to close the deal. But still very impressive! On my Ivey observations; I did not see the Humphreys on the rail with their signs and buttons.
I asked around and speculation was that they didn’t have the travel money to make the trip due to the fact that their bankrolls are still frozen on Full Tilt. I also noticed at every break the players all head to the hallways to hit the restroom, make calls, grab something to eat, ect., but Ivey always goes out the back entrance. I asked a TD if Ivey was aware that segregation was over and he could in fact use the public hallway. His response was non-verbal and gave me a sh*t-grin.
I enjoyed watching the final table and always see Ivey checking his phone and had to ask myself, “is he waiting on a text from Howard Lederer or is it his ex-wife asking for more money,” (and I thought I had headaches lulz). I guess we will never know. Maybe with his scores this year he too, like Durrrr, will offer to repay the players on Full Tilt somehow.
I enjoyed watching the $5k Omaha high-low split 8 or better. I railed this event Tuesday for a few minutes and had to root for Bart Hanson. Even though Bart has a hard time acknowledging #TeamSpa™, I know a lot of us were rooting for him. Even after busting the final table Bart was kind enough to join Dave Tuchman doing commentary in the booth. Tuchman is absolutely doing a great job. FYI, Bart is killing the $75/$150 and $150/$300 cash games at the Rio.
With so many events starting and continuing each day it's almost hard to keep up with the action. I played two events over the last week and cashed in one. I played the DeepStacks at Venetian. Yesterday I played the $1,500 #HorseCockAMent™ and lasted till about 6 p.m. before going out. I am done playing tournaments until Monday when I will play the $2,500 mix hold'em event at 5 p.m. I will keep grinding the cash tables at the Rio because it seems like the games are getting softer by the day.
I railed the $5k limit hold’em — Event #20. I railed two #TeamSpaLoyalist™ members, Daniel Negreanu and PokerFraudAlert.com CEO Todd “Dandruff” Witteles. Todd made a deep run only to bust out on the bubble! It was nice to chat it up with Todd on break.
Last but not least I have to give a shout out to Kevin Mathers (aka @Kevmath) he is by far poker's own Google™ for all things poker. Whatever anyone, either a top pro or fan asks, he always has the answer.
Till Then I Send you #GoodJuJu™ and #SpaRunGood™
Spa
-
JUN 15
First Five with 2012 World Series of Poker Bracelet Winner Austin Scott
Third time’s the charm for first-time bracelet winner Austin "Gabe" Scott. Last year Scott placed eighth in a $3,000 WSOP pot-limit Omaha event. Scott will be taking home a $361,797 payday for his first-place finish in Event #26: $3,000 Pot-Limit Omaha at the 2012 World Series of Poker.
What was your first thought after winning?
My first thought was watching all my friends jumping over the rail.
Who’s the first person you’re going to call?
My dad.
Who was the first person who congratulated you?
It was the whole rail at once.
What’s the first thing you’re going to buy?
I don’t know. I really haven’t had a chance to think about it.
What’s the first thing you’re going to do to celebrate?
I don’t know. My friends might have something planned for me.
Follow PokerNews on Twitter for up-to-the-minute news.
-
JUN 15
First Five with World Series of Poker Bracelet Winner Brian Meinders
We spoke to Brian Meinders shortly after he won Event #25: $1,500 Limit-Hold’em Shootout. Meinders placed second in a WSOP event, $2,500 Limit Hold’em-Six Handed, in 2010 for $144,650. This time he’ll be taking home his first WSOP bracelet along with a $116,118 payday.
What was the first thought that went through your head after winning?
Cool!
Who’s the first person you’re going to call?
My brother.
What’s the first thing you’re going to do tonight to celebrate?
Sleep!
Who was the first person to congratulate you?
It was a simultaneous congratulation from a bunch of people over there. [Meinders pointed over to the Rio staff and PokerNews’ Sarah Grant].
What’s the first thing you’re going to buy?
Nothing, money comes and goes.
Follow PokerNews on Twitter for up-to-the-minute news.
-
JUN 15
The Micros: Poker's Most Exclusive Club
The latest web comic from The Micros depicts a certain scene from the World Series of Poker — the daily bracelet ceremony. Enjoy.
Visit The Micros' Facebook fan page for more photos, including some teaser posters for the web comic.
Follow PokerNews on Twitter for up-to-the-minute news.
-
JUN 14
All Mucked Up: 2012 World Series of Poker Day 18 Live Blog
All Mucked Up is a live blog of all the stuff you want to know at the 2012 World Series of Poker, besides hand histories and bad beats. Well, we might add a few in here, everyone loves a good bad beat story — unless it happened to you. Check back often for polls, soundbites, celebrity sightings, and who knows what else!
Four by Four with Terrence Chan
We caught up with Terrence Chan this morning and asked him for four answers on a few questions in honor of today's Event #28: $2,500 No-Limit Hold'em Four Handed.
What are four things that tilt you?
1. Players who play slowly.
2. Players who are abusive to other players.
3. The price of a salad in the poker kitchen.
4. Ten handed hold'em.Who are four players you don't want to see at your table today?
1. Ivey.
2. durrrr even though that seems pretty unlikely right now.
3. Hellmuth, because I don't want to have to listen to him all day.
4. Anyone who plays slowly.What are four tips you have for an amateur coming in to today's event?
1. Be observant.
2. Re-raise a lot.
3. Don't play slow.
4. Have fun.We'll catch up with some players on break and get some more fun answers for even more questions so make sure you stay tuned to All Mucked Up.
We Love Four-Max!
All the buzz at the Rio today is about Event #28: $2,500 No-Limit Hold'em Four Handed.
Here's what some of the players are saying:
One of the sickest events of the summer today @WSOP - 2500 4-Max. #therewillbeblood #Idrinkyourmilkshake
June 14 2012FollowFirst ever WSOP 4 handed event! Tough field and tough starting table but should be fun!
June 14 2012FollowWe over heard one of the older gentlemen in the field talking to a tablemate at the start of the tournament. "We already agreed that there would be no bluffing for the first two hours of the tournament." The tablemate grinned and laughed. Unfortunately sir, I don't think that's going to fly.
We'll catch up with some of these players on break and see if they will let us do a four by four interview with them.
Excuse Me Sir, We Have Some Money For You
Daniel Negreanu went to pick up a cash today from earlier in the 2012 World Series of Poker, and this is what he had to say about it:
Went to cash my 45th place finish lady says "about time" and informs me that I never picked up $25k from 2010 TOC! Score! Running good!
June 14 2012FollowYes I know that sounds absurd and humble braggish but I was so excited I feel like I won something!!!
June 14 2012Follow#mustbenice
A Sicko At Every Table
We've been perusing the Brasilia room to see if we could find some sick tables, and trust us, there's at least one sicko at every table. This table had three sickos:
Faraz Jaka, Noah Schwartz, and Shawn Buchanan at the same table in the four-maxIn seat 1 was Shawn Buchanan, in seat 3 was Faraz Jaka, and in seat 4 was Noah Schwartz. There was no seat 2, but we feel sorry for the poor sap who gets sat down at this table.
So Many Wizards
We found this gem on twitter. Lauren Kling and Brian Hastings have apparently been texting back and forth during Event #28: $2,500 No-Limit Hold'em Four Handed. Here's what they're saying:
And here are the texts:
The Box Game
Bracelet winner Sean Getzwiller and Josh Evans have been playing heads up for an entire level over on Table 70 in Event #28: $2,500 No-Limit Hold'em Four Handed.
"I want to play heads up," Chance Kornuth said from an adjacent table.
Shaun Deeb, who was at a third table, agreed.
"One of them has an edge," Deeb said. "I'm not going to say who though."
Getzwiller and Evans were playing the popular "box game" as well. To win, you have to fold your two cards into the box designated for the flop, turn, and river, without touching the lines. The two were playing for $20 a toss.
Sean Getzwiller and Josh Evans playing the "box game"."Hey," Deeb piped up again. "Are you guys just folding and taking that guys stack?"
There was a third stack at the table that was blinding out, but Getzwiller and Evans weren't just folding every hand.
"Why are you even thinking of that?" Kornuth shouted to Deeb. "Just because you have no integrity...and no shoes..."
We didn't understand the latter part of that statement until we looked down at Deeb's feet, and saw that they are bare.
Four by Four in the Four Max, Part 2
We caught up with Joe Cada and Lex Veldhuis during break in Event #28: $2,500 No-Limit Hold'em Four Handed for another set of "Four by Fours."
Joe Cada
Who are four players you don't want to see at your table today?
1. Phil Ivey
2. 'Doc' Sands
3. Tom Marchese
4. William ReynoldsWhat are four things that tilt you?
"Oh jeez. I don't know," Cada said.
1. Traffic
(That's the only answer Cada could come up with.)
Who are four people you want to see in the WSOP commentator box?
1. Joe Stapleton
2. Phil Ivey, although I don't think that would ever happen.
3. Some of the better ranked online players.(Joe couldn't think of a fourth answer.)
"Man, I suck at this," he said.
What are four tips you can give to amateur playing this event?
1. Open up your game. You can't play the same way you play in a nine handed tournament.
2. Pay attention and adjust to your opponents.
3. Pay attention to stack sizes. I wouldn't do a lot of calling with a stack under twenty big blinds.
4. Mix it up and be aggressive. It will help to throw your opponents off.Lex Veldhuis
Who are four players you don't want to see at your table today?
1. Viktor Blom
2. Viktor Blom (Veldhuis decided Blom was worth two spots on his list.)
3. Scott Seiver
4. Dario Minieri, I don't actually know if he's here, but he can be pretty annoying to play with."When I give players, does that mean I don't respect them?" Veldhuis joked.
What are four things that tilt you?
1. When players are obnoxious to their dealers.
2. Players forgetting to put their antes in every time.
3. Players who smell like dead rats.
4. Players who don't recognize personal space.Who are four people you would like to see in the WSOP commentary box?
1. Olivier Busquet is really good at that.
"Is it ok if I just don't give any more names?" Veldhuis asked. "I don't really watch all that much."
We decided to let him off the hook and move on to the next question.
What are four tips you could give to an amateur playing this event?
1. Don't play too loose out of position.
2. Don't get annoyed by aggressive players.
3. Don't try to take revenge for lost pots.
4. Don't register for this event if you don't want to go home early.We'll see if we can get a few more players to do a "four by four" interview on the next break.
Late Much?
There was a little controversy last night over whether to stop the heads-up match in Event #24: $5,000 Omaha Hi-Low Split 8-or-Better, but with Scotty Nguyen tired, the tournament directors suspended play for the night and sent the players home.
Maybe it was a revenge play, but Joe Cassidy, who was frustrated with the decision to stop play, showed up 14 minutes late for his own heads-up match today. Here's what Jason Mercier had to say about it:
2:14 pm. Joe Cassidy shows up 14 minutes late to his own heads up match. 4 to 1 chiplead too. Not a care in the world ... #boss
June 14 2012FollowPoker T-shirt of the Day
We got this one courtesy of Karina Jett:
What's Your Handle, Sir?
Quality things happen when youth meets experience. Adam Junglen has provided us with a quality tweet regarding one of the older gentlemen at his table:
Stinger: No Omaha 8 fish
Brian ‘Stinger’ Hastings may have some action on his hands after issuing a twitter challenge to Mike ‘The Mouth’ Matusow late last night. Matusow, while commentating on Event #24 $5,000 Omaha Hi-Low Split-8 or Better, called Hastings a ‘stone idiot’ when it came to playing Omaha hi-lo split-eight or better.
Hasting obviously heard rumors of this comment, and asked his twitter followers to clarify just what was said. After getting some responses, Stinger said:
Alright plenty of quick responses lol. @themouthmatusow can we play HU O8 soon? Bellagio or Aria, stakes negotiable but not for peanuts.
June 14 2012Follow. @themouthmatusow Assuming you come back with the "HU is not FR" argument, we can just play a FR game and crossbook. Soon please!
June 14 2012FollowWe’ll try catch up with Hastings or Matusow today to see if any heads-up grudge match will go down during this years World Series Of Poker.
Is that Erik Seidel?
An older gentleman was on the rail and he turned to one of our live tournament reporters and asked, "Excuse me, can you tell me, is that Erik Seidel?" The man pointed to someone in the field, and it was not Erik Seidel at all. In fact, it was Allen Cunningham.
We kindly informed the man that it was not Erik Seidel, but we want to know, do you think Erik Seidel and Allen Cunningham look alike?
Do Allen Cunningham and Erik Seidel look alike?Another Four by Four with Matt Matros
We caught up with three time bracelet winner Matt Matros on break in Event #28: $2,500 No-Limit Hold'em Four Handed, to do one more "four by four" interview.
Who are four players you don't want to see at your table today?
1. Jonathan Jaffe
2. Phil Ivey
3. Mark Darner
4. Vanessa SelbstWhat are four things that tilt you most?
"Oh man, I almost never tilt," Matros said.
1. Abbreviations
2. Bad music
3. Rudeness
4. Feeling sorry for yourselfWho are four players that you want to see in the WSOP commentary box?
1. Shaun Deeb
2. Antonio Esfandiari
3. Vanessa Selbst
4. Andy BlochWhat are four tips that you can give to an amateur playing this event?
1. Don't go too crazy.
2. Defend your blinds.
3. Don't over value the antes, there is only four players.
4. Focus, focus, focus.The Boy Is Back In Town
Photo Courtesy Of SpadeSocialWe met up with Dubliner Eoghan O’Dea right after he busted Event #27 $1,500 H.O.R.S.E. just after making the money. O’Dea told us how his day went:
“I actually got pretty lucky. I had a really low stack coming up to the money, but I made it in. I had a rough hand a short while back where I ‘misclick’ called with AQ and my opponent flopped a flush with J4s. I was pretty tilted after that, and I was on life support”.
O’Dea is best known for his appearance on the 2011 Main Event Final Table. We asked him how it felt to be back in Las Vegas a year on, and what his plans were.
“Yeah it’s cool to be back. This is only my second event so I’m just getting going. I plan to play 8 or 9 more events, mostly Hold’em but some PLO too. I’m definitely going to play the Main Event again too”.
“I’m staying over in Vdara at moment. A few of the Dublin lads have a house here together, but it would be too mad staying there. It would be too messy” laughs Eoghan “My dad [Donnacha O’Dea] is here too, he’s not around the Rio today, but he’s playing some cash in the Bellagio I think”.
We’ll keep tabs on O’Dea in the coming weeks, and see how he’s preparing for the monster grind that is the WSOP Main Event this year.
The Michael Godard Art Booth
Two of Michael Godard's paintingsWe got a chance to stop by the Michael Godard art booth today, which had just set up today. An employee at the booth gave us a little run down on the artist, Michael Godard, and what's for sale at the booth.
Godard is an artist living in Las Vegas. He attended the University of Las Vegas. His paintings are strong influenced by his life, and living in Las Vegas. Godard, the employee told us, is the number one selling artist in the United States. Many of Godard's paintings are gambling themed, since he likes to play craps, but Godard doesn't play poker.
Many pros have come to the booth and to the gallery upstairs in the Rio to buy paintings. In the gallery, there is a painting selling for $100,000, the employee told us.
Godard also paints pictures of Nascar and children.
The most expensive painting at the booth is currently selling for $4,500 and is titled "The Olive Cash." Here is a picture of the painting:
"The Olive Cash"Godard usually sells anywhere from 60 to 80 paintings a month, and some pros have even bought paintings from the booth. If you're interested in seeing more of Godards work, you can visit his website, or visit the art booth set up right across from the Amazon room.
When In Doubt, Check Out The DeepStack
Today has been a slow day - in terms of players wearing fabulous hats. With Event #28 $2,500 No-Limit Hold'em / Four Handed full of serious internet kids and Event #27 $1,500 H.O.R.S.E. in the money and choc-full of big name pros too, this is no surprise.
In times like these, we on the PokerNews team like to wander through the Daily Rio DeepStack tournament in the Pavilion room to see what we can find. They’re never short of cowboy outfits, untamed facial hair or shiny tracksuits in there. Today we spotted these two players in nice straw boater hats…
Check out that big field!
It’s definitely worth noting how much value is in these fields. There were over 1,000 entrants today as there has been many days so far. Check out this tweet from AlCantHang:
Fun @WSOP fact: 1st place prize in today's $235 Deepstack ($49,381) is more than 7th place in the $3,000 PLO ($46,117).
June 14 2012FollowOn The Rail
The Amazon room seems eerily quiet as the break for Event #26 $3,000 Pot-Limit Omaha begins. For the last hour or so, there’s been a tremendous amount of support coming from Khiem Nguyen’s cheering section. Nguyen’s sweaters are wearing Germany football jerseys, are all drinking cocktails and have a custom chant for Nguyen – which is one word, 'KHIEM!'.
Nguyen has had several cashes in the WSOP before, all in No-Limit Hold’em, but this will be his first bracelet if he can battle through this tough final table. We hope Nguyen goes deep tonight, because the atmosphere at final table is as exciting as it’s been this series.
Car Of The Day
Roaming through the valet parking lot we came across this Aston Martin.
We don't know whom it belongs to. It still has the dealer plates on it thought. It’d be nice to take it out for a test drive.
Lunch With Mickey Petersen
We sat down briefly with Mickey ‘MementMori’ Petersen while he was on his dinner break from Event #28 $2,500 No-Limit Hold'em / Four Handed. We had a casual discussion that touched on Mickey’s table, his flawless American accent and tomorrow’s senior’s event.
‘I’m doing ok in the 4-max at the moment” MementMori tells us. “ But man my table is so tough. Just loads of internet guys that I know from online but don’t know in real life. It’s aggressive and shows no sign of breaking just yet”.
Regarding his flawless English, Petersen told us:
“It comes from watching too much American TV and films I suppose. I did English in school, all through school, so that’s where the language comes from. The accent is from watching TV”.
We asked Mickey what the next event he was playing would be:
“I don’t think there’s much going on tomorrow? The senior’s event? No I can’t play that, I’ll be back in a few years though. You write the muck? Good luck getting stories tomorrow then” Petersen called after us, as we left him to finish his apple and get back into the fray.
Four By Four With Annette Obrestad and Team PokerStars Pro Mickey Petersen
We caught up with Annette Obrestad and Mickey Petersen for another round of four by four, as they were coming back from dinner break in Event 28: $2,500 No-Limit Hold'em - Four-Handed
Annette Obrestad
Who are four players you don't want to see at your table today?
1. Phil Ivey
2. Sorel Mizzi
3. Team PokerStars Pro Lex Veldhuis
4. Team PokerStars Pro Vanessa SelbstWhat are four things that tilt you?
1. People who take forever
2. People who don’t win gracefully
3. Berating dealers
4. Asking dealer to reshuffle deckMickey Petersen
Who are four players you don't want to see at your table today?
1. Chris Moorman
2. Andy Frankenberger
3. Jason Koon
4. Galen HallWhat are four tips you can give to amateurs playing this event?
1. Defend blinds more
2. Three bet more
3. Hand rankings go up (For example
in a 4max has higher value than at a full table)
4. Play more handsCastle Building: Joe Tehan Edition
Joe Tehan appears to be building a pretty huge stack in Event #28 $2,500 No-Limit Hold'em / Four Handed. Here is a pic from 40 minutes ago, and one from just now. If it keeps growing at this rate he will have a castle in no time!
Mother Knows Best
We ran into Shirley Williams, mother ofTeam PokerStars Pro David Williams, in the Amazon room. She was railing David who’s still in the $1,500 H.O.R.S.E. event. We wanted to know what she’s been up to lately.
Are you playing any WSOP events this year?
I’m playing the Seniors Event tomorrow. I cashed in it the last two years.
Are you playing the WSOP Main Event this year?
No. I use to get sponsored from the Internet sites. I tired some satellites but no luck.
What are you most proud about with David?
When people tell me what a good person he is. I had a dealer tell me how well he behaves at the table.
What are some of the best poker tips you’ve received from David?
1. Don’t drink (alcohol) at the table (laughs).
2. Don’t worry about bad beats, it’s a long term game.
3. Play tight in a sit-n-go satellite.
The sit-n-go advice paid off; she's chopped two satellites this summer.
Tweet Of The Day: Day 18
Check out this priceless tweet from Clayton Newman. If you don’t read The Muck daily and aren’t up to date on the latest WSOP gossip, this is a play on the ‘popular’ hallway song ‘Call Me Maybe’, replaced with lyrics that reference David Williams having his All American Dave meal stolen by a hungry villain! If you do read The Muck every day, then don’t read this paragraph and just check out the tweet!
Hey I just met you / And this is crazy / But I'm David Williams / And that's my sandwich baby
June 14 2012FollowFour By Four With Team PokerStars Pro Humberto Brenes and Jeff Madsen
We caught up with two more pros in the $2,500 4-handed tournament that agreed to play our four by four game.
Jeff Madsen
Who are four players you don't want to see at your table?
1. Phil Ivey
2. John Juanda
3. Erick Seidel
4. Patrick AntoniusWhat are four things that tilt you at the table?
1. Players taking too long to make decisions.
2. When I make mistakes.
3. People who smell bad.
4. People who berate my play that aren’t thinking at the same level as me.We asked Humberto Brenes what players he didn't want to see at his tables, but he turned the tables on us and told us what players he wants to play with:
1. Phil Hellmuth. He cries too much but he's a great person off the felt.
2. Team PokerStars Pro Viktor Blom
3. Phil Ivey
4. Team PokerStars Pro Bertrand "ElkY" GrospellierWhen asked why he would want such a tough table draw, Brenes replied,"I like playing with the best."
Happy Hour With Gavin Smith
We happened to eavesdrop on some fun table chatter at Gavin Smith’s table in the $2,500 4-handed tournament.
“Where’s my waiter,” Smith yelled.
A few moments later his waiter appears. “There’s my waiter,” said a relived Smith.
He then points to his empty glass, wanting a refill. The waiter obliged, but not before Smith belted out the opening lyrics of the 80s TV show The Facts of Life.“You take the good, you take the bad, you take them both and there you have the facts of life…the facts of life.”
The table, which included Moshin “ChicagoCards” Charania, broke out in hysterics. Charania then added, “I should just write a blog about Gavin Smith.”
Smith fires back, “Rast [Brian Rast] wrote about me in a blog.”
Rast, seated at an adjacent table, replies in a puzzled tone “I have a blog!?”
We’ll be sure to update on any further banter.
We encourage everyone to get involved with "The Muck." See something you think is Muck worthy? Send it to themuck@pokernews.com. We accept all media including photos and videos.
-
JUN 13
First Five with 2012 WSOP Bracelet Winner Michael Gathy
We spoke to Michael Gathy, the winner of Event #21 $1,000 No-Limit Hold'em, just after his final table victory over Jamie Armstong. Breathless with joy and surrounded by his friends, the Belgian national gave us a good humored interview about some of his first actions as a bracelet winner.
What was your first thought after you won?
No thoughts. Honestly, nothing. Just disbelief. I just thought ‘OMG I can’t believe this.’
Who’s the first person you’re going to call and tell?
My mother. [Friend shouts over, “His Girlfriend”] No, no, I will call my mother [laughing], not girlfriend.
What is the first thing you’re going to do as a bracelet winner?
Drink a lot! I don’t know where, this is my first time in Vegas, I’m listening to suggestions.
First person you hugged or high fived?
I don’t know which one, I hugged my friends. [One of his friends says it was him] Yes, it was my friend Olivier, from home.
First thing you’re going to buy?
I’m going on vacation with my friends, straight after Vegas. I have no idea where. [Author suggests Ireland] Ireland? No, certainly not Ireland. I don’t think I will ever go to Ireland. Somewhere where the weather is good.
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
Travis Makar released audio tapes of a meeting that implicates former Ultimate Bet owner Russ Hamilton and others in the theft of more than $50 million from players.
Interesting Topics
PokerNews App
