2010 WSOP: Peter Gelencser Wins Event #7 2-7 Triple Draw Lowball

2-7 Triple Draw Lowball is an odd game because the objective of the game is to win with the worst possible hands. Having a pair is no good, and Aces, Kings and Queens are to be avoided. The first time Triple Draw Lowball was first introduced in the WSOP was in 2002, and John Juanda was the first winner. In 2003, Men "The Master" Nguyen won it. It was not included as an event between 2004 to 2006, and returned in 2007, and was won by Rafi Amit. John Phan won in 2008, and Phil Ivey won it in 2009.

For the 2010 World Series of Poker, it is only the sixth time that a Triple Draw Lowball event was played, and the big winner was none other than Peter Gelencser of Budapest, Hungary, who outlasted 291 players to win the coveted WSOP bracelet and a first place cash prize of $180K.

Raphael Zimmerman was the runner-up, and won 110K. Don McNamara came in thrid to earn $73K. David Chiu was the chip leader entering the final table, but busted out at 4th place to win $50K. The $34K for fifth spot went to Jameson Painter while $24K went to Leonard Martin for finishing sixth.

2010 World Cup: Spain To Beat Switzerland

The 2010 FIFA World Cup match of Spain vs Switzerland has yet to take place. Certainly, Spain are the favorites to win against Switzerland, as they are also the top seeds and favorites to win the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

But what kind of score are we talking about? For one - I believe Switzerland doesn't have the talent to get past the top defense of Spain with Sergio Ramos and Carles Puyol, and the number one keeper in the world Iker Casillas. And then, Switzerland will have to deal with the talented strikers like David Villa and Fernando Torres, and the very fast and tireless midfield that includes Andres Iniesta, Cesc Fabregas and Xabi Alonso.

Spain can surely score at least two goals. Placing a three-bet option on the final score could stand to win some big money. A $100 bet on Spain to win by a score of 2-0 could net a profit of $400. A $100 bet on Spain to win 3-0 could win of $600. A bet on Spain to win 4-0 could net a profit of $1300. If you get it wrong, you risk $300. At the very least, a 2-0 win could earn at least $100, making you 30% on your $300 investment. Definitely, a 4-0 win could make big payday with a $1000 gain.

With the talent of Spain, these are good sports betting investments that can certainly return a big profit.

2010 World Cup: Bet On Argentina To Beat Nigeria

Two-time FIFA World Cup winners Argentina are among the top teams expected to go deep in the 2010 World Cup, and perhaps even win it. Undoubtedly, there is a lot of scoring talent in Argentina with the likes of 2009 FIFPro Player of the Year and Barcelona top scorer Lionel Messi, Manchester City striker Carlos Tevez, Real Madrid striker Gonzalo Higuain and Inter Milan striker Diego Milito. Argentina also has a talented midfield with the likes of Javier Mascherano, Maxi Rodriguez and Juan Sebastian Veron. Certainly, these big names for Argentina make them favorites to win against Nigeria.

However, the point spread given by oddsmakers is +2.5 for Nigeria, which means that Argentina would have to win by three goals. That's a tough feat considering it's the World Cup, and Nigeria will certainly have somewhat of a homecourt advantage with the match being played in African soil under the African weather. A straight $100 moneyline bet on Argentina to win outright would win $40, giving a 40% profit. Doesn't sound too exciting, but the investment is better than a bank's interest on a good day.

Predicting the final score of the World Cup match between Argentina vs Nigeria could land more possibilities. Betting on Argentina to win 1-0 over Nigeria could turn your $100 into a $400 profit. Betting on a final result of 2-0 favoring Argentina could profit $500, while betting on a 2-1 result favoring Argentina could profit $700. Betting on those three options could give you the following results. One, if you guess incorrectly, you risk to lose $300. If you hit the least profitable, and profit $400, then you're up $100 for a 30% ROI on $300. If you hit the bigger one, then you stand to profit $400. and more than double-up.

Of course, that's only if you're certain that Argentina will win. Nigeria has the talent to steal it from Argentina with the likes of Obafemi Martins of Wolfsburg, John Utaka of Portsmouth, Mikel John Obi of Chelsea, Kanu of Portsmouth and Peter Odemwingie of Lokomotiv Moscow very capable of some great football. An outright bet on Nigeria to win over Argentina could give you 8-to-1 on your money with a profit of $700 for a $100 bet. That sounds juicy, but to be honest I'd rather put $300 on Argentina to win outright, and book the win with a profit of $120, earning 40% for my sports betting investment. And maybe try a three-option bet on the best odds of the final score.

2010 French Open: Bet on Samantha Stosur To Win Womens Singles

Australian tennis player Samantha Stosur has had a dream run in the women's singles of the 2010 French Open. Samantha Stosur took out former world number one and four-time French Open champion Justine Henin in the fourth round. Then, Samantha Stosur booked an impressive win against world number one Serena Williams in an exciting three-set quarterfinal, and then easily dispatched number four seed Jelena Jankovic in straight sets in the semi-finals to earn her spot in the finals. Samantha Stosur was the 7th top seed for the 2010 French Open, and is looking to be a favorite to win in the 2010 French Open finals, considering the top names she beat.

The last person standing in the way of Samantha Stosur is Francesca Schiavone of Italy. Francesca Schiavone ranked 17 in the world had to get past tournament 2nd seed Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark in the quarterinfals, and then was gifted a place in the finals when fifth seed Elena Dementieva had to retire in the semifinals due to a calf injury, following a tightly contested tiebreaker in the first set won by Schiavone.

Both Samantha Stosur and Francesca Schiavone are gunning for their first career grand slam title. For Francesca Schiavone, it could be a bit more historic since there hasn't been an Italian grand slam champion since 1976 when Adriano Panatta won the French Open. Francesca Schiavone could also be the first player outside of the top ten seeds to win a grand slam since 1993.

However, making history is a tough call against the streaking Samantha Stosur, who enters the 2010 French Open Finals as a favorite over Francesca Schiavone. Samantha Stosur was seeded 7th, and Francesca Schiavone was seeded 17th. Those are the odds right there. Go figure.

2010 NBA Finals: LA Lakers Dominate Boston Celtics In Game 1

The Los Angeles Lakers easily cleared the +5.5 point spread given to the Boston Celtics, winning Game 1 of the 2010 NBA Finals at the Staples Center with a score of 102-89. Kobe Bryant socred 30 points, going OVER the 29.5 mark that oddsmakers gave him. Ron Artest had 15 points and 4 rebounds to go OVER the 15.5 mark in total points and rebounds set by the oddsmakers. Rajon Rondo had 13 points and 8 assists, and went UNDER the 26.5 mark for total points and assists assigned by oddsmakers. I guess my picks were right after all in all those bets!

However, I did fail in the total number of three point shots made. I expected that with all the quality three-point shooters out there, they would make OVER 12 total three pointers. However, the Boston Celtics shot a poor 1 of 10, and the Los Angeles Lakers had 4 of 10, but concentrated on attacking the basket. 5 three pointers throughout the game is way off the mark.

Four bets right, one bet wrong. Three bets winner. Not bad. Let's see what the oddsmakers throw us for Game 2 of the 2010 NBA Finals.

2010 WSOP: Joshua Tieman Wins Event #6 $5,000 No Limit Hold'em Shootout

Six players had conquered their tables in Day 1, and in Day 2 to enter into the final table of Event #6 $5,000 No Limit Hold'em Shootout of the 2010 World Series of Poker. Eventually, it was poker pro Joshua Tieman from Kildeer, Illinois, who finally bagged his first WSOP bracelet and a first place cash prize of $440K. Joshua Tieman had a 7-to-1 chip lead over Neil Channing during heads-up play, and it only took a dozen hands before Tieman cracked Channing to win the event.

Neil Channing of the UK started the table with the short stack, but managed to make his way to second place to earn $270K for his efforts. Stuart Rutter of the UK finished at third to earn $179K. Joseph Elpayaa ran a marathon seven hours heads up the day before to get his spot at the final table, but fell at fourth place to earn $125K. Nicolas Levi busted at 5th to win $92K, and Brent Hanks was the first man out at 6th place to win $71K.

It Gets Sick At The UFC Poker $4500 UFC 115 VIP Event Package

The Ultimate Fighting Championships may be known for its fighting, but they also have a poker room at UFC Poker. Nice thing about UFC Poker is that everything is for free. When you open an account, they give you points which you can play either in tournaments or ring games, and convert your points winnings to cash or to prizes. They have tourneys giving out BluRay DVD Players, Tapout gift certificates, Nintendo Wii, UFC DVD collections, and event tickets and a VIP package for UFC events.

One particular tournament UFC Poker hosted was a chance to win a $4500 VIP Event Package to the already sold out UFC 115: Franklin vs Liddell in Vancouver, Canada. Only first place will win the package which includes tickets to the UFC event, two nights hotel stay, and even a budget for a plane ride, depending on where you're coming from.

1949 players signed up for the event. 270 would be considered in the money and would earn points credited to their account. But, of course, the prize to play for would be the UFC 115 VIP Event package.

I joined the tournament and did pretty well. I got some lucky hands on my SB and BB that paid off well, including a 72 on my BB that flopped a full house, and a 68 diamonds that made straight flush to 9. My statistics were also pretty impressive, winning 68% on showdowns, and folding preflop 52% of the time. Tight, aggressive and getting paid when hitting it.

I was sitting on 50K+ in chips, ranked somewhere in 16th overall and a bit above the average, and the blinds at 800/1600 with antes of 200.

I raised from the button to 6K with AQ suited clubs, and the small stack BB pushed 12K all-in. I made the call, and he showed Q4off. I had him dominated. But the unkind flop flashed 244, giving him a set, and crippling my stack to around 40K. "Nice hand," I say. And to myself, I whisper - "Ill get you later." SICK!

The following hand I had KK at the cutoff with one caller before me, and I pushed all-in. SB folds, BB folds, and the one caller went into the tank and eventually called me with 27K in chips, probably thinking I was trying to make a play after losing the hand. He had K9 off. Obviously, I am a dominating favorite. The flop came KJ10, giving me a set against his top pair, and looking good. A 2 on the turn made me 90% to win it, but a Q on the river gave him a straight and put my chips to around 12K. "Nice hand," I say. But deep inside - SICK!

The next hand - and yes, these are all in succession. Two callers before me, and I'm sitting on black rocket AsAc and push all-in. This time I deserve to win. The table thinks I'm tilting. The BB calls and one caller before me calls. Flop comes Ks7dAh. With my set, I'm thinking triple up finally. BB makes a play and puts his remaining 9K in, and the other calls the pot odds. BB shows KcJh off and the other guy shows Ad3d. Turn 8d and river 2d. The ass-wipe with the Ad3d makes the nut flush. "Wow" is all I could say. SICK!

I bust out at 33rd, making around 3000+ points, but still SICK! Those are the hands that are supposed to make me win these tournaments.

Everyone at the table is just overwhelmed at how unlucky I was, losing all those chips in three hands with what was clearly the best hands preflop. All I can say is - SICK! I must've pissed off the poker gods for them to treat me that bad. But whatever.

I've already accepted that there are sick things in poker, and there are idiots who get lucky, and there are those of us who know better and have the composure to still be a gentleman at the table and say "nice hand" and "good game" and stay away from tilting. I leave the table calmly, wish luck to the other players, shake their hands, but maybe somewhere in the parking lot, I flick a finger to the sky.

2010 NBA Finals: Bet On Total Points and Assists of Rajon Rondo To Go UNDER 26.5

Another prop bet for Game 1 of the 2010 NBA Finals between the Boston Celtics vs Los Angeles Lakers made by oddsmakers is if the total points and assists of Rajon Rondo will be OVER or UNDER 26.5.

Rajon Rondo averaged scoring 16.7 points per game and dishes out an average of 10 assists per game throughout the duration of the 2010 NBA Playoffs. Those stats may look good, but the recent performance of Rajon Rondo at the Eastern Conference Finals only had him scoring an average of14.3 PPG and making an average of 8 APG. Unless he steps up his game a notch, I'll bet on the total points and assists of Rajon Rondo to be UNDER 26.5.

2010 NBA Finals: Bet on Ron Artest's Total Points and Rebounds To Go OVER 15.5

An NBA Prop Bet for Game 1 of the 2010 NBA Finals between the Los Angeles Lakers vs Boston Celtics is if Ron Artest's Total Points and Rebounds will go OVER or UNDER 15.5.

In the Western Conference Finals against the Phoenix Suns, Ron Artest averaged 14.3 points per game and 4.7 rebounds per game. When playing against the Utah Jazz in the Western Conference semi-finals, Ron Artest averaged 12.3 PPG and 3.30 RPG.

Based on those stats, it looks certain that Ron Artest's total points and rebounds will go OVER 15.5.

2010 NBA Finals: Bet On Total Three Point Shots Made In Game 1

An interesting prop bet for Game 1 of the 2010 NBA Finals between the Los Angeles Lakers vs Boston Celitcs is the total number of three point shots made.

Oddsmakers have put a prop bet if the total number of three point shots made will be OVER or UNDER 12.

The Boston Celtics averaged 6 three-pointers made in a game as seen in the Eastern Conference Finals series against the Orlando Magic. Definitely, shooters like Ray Allen, Rasheed Wallace, Paul Pierce and Nate Robinson can drain it from beyond the arc.

Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Lakers are hot from three-point territory, averaging 8 three pointers a game in the Western Conference Finals versus the Phoenix Suns. Kobe Bryant, Jordan Farmar, Ron Artest, Derrick Fisher, Lamar Odom and Shannon Brown are capable of raining threes.

Most definitely, you can bet on the total number of three point shots made to be OVER 12.

2010 NBA Finals: Bet on Kobe Bryant To Score OVER 29.5 Points In Game 1

There's more to betting on the 2010 NBA Finals between LA Lakers vs Boston Celtics than just picking out a winner. In fact, there are quite a number of prop bets to choose from.

For example, in Game 1 of the 2010 NBA Finals held at Staples Center, you can bet on Kobe Bryant to score OVER or UNDER 29.5 points. Personally, I think Kobe Bryant can make 30 points against the defense of the Boston Celtics. Kobe Bryant is averaging 29.4 points per game throughout the 2010 NBA Playoffs. He was low in the scoring average against the defense of the Oklahoma Thunder, but Kobe Bryant averaged 32 PPG against the Utah Jazz and an even better 33.7 PPG against the Phoenix Suns, scoring 30 plus points in 5 of the 6 games against the Phoenix Suns.

Ray Allen might be able to keep up with Kobe Bryant in defense, but there is no one off the bench that will be able to guard Kobe Bryant. Michael Finley is too old, and Tony Allen is just going to get baited with fouls that will send Kobe Bryant to the freethrow line.

If the Boston Celtics opt to double-team Kobe Bryant, it might hinder him from making 30 points, but certainly it will add to his assists as open options like Lamar Odom, Ron Artest, Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol can do damage.

2010 WSOP: Eli Elezra vs Tom "durr" Dwan for $1 Million

Poker pros Eli Elezra and Tom Dwan aren't going heads-up against one another. Instead, Tom Dwan made a $1 Million bet with Eli Elezra that he will a WSOP bracelet.

Tom Dwan was seeking an opportunity to win a bracelet at Event #6 $5,000 No Limit Hold'em Shootout. He managed to win his table in Day 1 to make it to round 2. However, his unlucky KK went all-in against the 10-10 of Blair Hinkle, with Hinkle spiking a 10 on the river to bust out Tom Dwan.

Eli Elezra was seated at another tournament nearby, and started chuckling when he saw Tom Dwan step away from the felt disgusted and busted, and probably smirking back at Eli Elezra.

Tom Dwan still has over 50+ events to grab a WSOP bracelet, including the 2010 WSOP Main Event from July 5 to July 17 with the buy-in of $10,000.

2010 WSOP: Final Eight Remain For Event #7 2-7 Triple Draw Lowball (Limit)

291 poker hopefuls paid the $2,500 buy-in to take part in Event #7 2-7 Triple Draw Lowball of the 2010 World Series of Poker. 87 were able to make it to Day 2, but eventually that field went down to just the final table of 8 players.

Among some notablepoker names busting out, but in the money were David Singer (30) Andrew Black (24), Hoyt Corkins (22) Greg Mueller (20), Eli Elezra (15), Ted Forrest (12), David Baker (11) and Fazrad Bonyadi (9).

Remaining in the eight-handed final table are Jameson Painter, Shunjiro Uchida, Leonard Martin, Tad Jurgenz, Raphael Zimmerman, Don McNamara, Peter Gelencser and tournament chip leader David Chiu.

8th place wins at least $17K while first place bags $180K and a WSOP Bracelet.

2010 WSOP: Praz Bansi Wins Event #5 $1,5000 No Limit Hold'em

2,092 each paid $1,500 to buy in to Event #5 No Limit Hold'em of the 2010 World Series of Poker with 53 making their way to Day 2.

Eventually 23 players made it to Day 3, and ten were eliminated within the first hour. It didn't take long before a 10-handed final table was in play.

In the final table, it was Praz Bansi of the United Kingdom who won his second WSOP bracelet and $515K to go along with it. Vincent Jacques was the runner-up who earned $320K for his efforts. Calvin Kordus finished third and won $223K. David Tuthill won $160k for his fourth place finish. Tomer Berda won $117K for finishing fifth. Donald Offord won $86K at sixth. Hugh Bell won $65K at seventh. David Sands won $67K at eighth. Kyle Knecht won $37K for ninth. Santiago Nadal won $29K for his tenth place finish.

2010 WSOP: Six Players Make Final Table of Event #6 No Limit Hold'em Shootout

Joshua Tieman, Stuart Rutter, Nicolas Levi, Neil Channing, Brent Hanks and Joseph Elpayaa conquer their tables and move on to the final table of Event #6 No Limit Hold'em Shootout of the 2010 World Series of Poker.

Nicolas Levi arrived at his table late, but managed to still outlast Tom Dwan, Chris Bell, James Akenhead, Dario Mineri and knocked out Blair Hinkle heads-up to earn his seat at the final table.

Joshua Tieman won his table that included Chris Ferguson, Will Molson, Aaron Gustavson, Danny Estes and Heather Sue Mercer to advance to the final table of the shootout.

Brent Hanks outlasted the likes of Justin Smith, Faraz Jaka, Josef Monro, Maxim Lykov and Joseph McGowan on his way to the final table.

Neil Channing outlasted Chris Moore, Christian Harder, Pablo Fernandez, Chad Brown and Max Pescatori to get his spot.

Stuart Rutter outplayed the likes of Aaron Been, John Duthie, Eugene Katchalov, Julien Nuitjen and Benjamin May to make a final table.

Joseph Elpayaa eventually got the win after five hours of heads-up play against Cary Katz, and winning over others like David Rheem, Keven Stammen, Brent Wheeler and Tommy Vedes.

Each player is already assured of $70K with the winner of the shootout getting a WSOP bracelet and $440K in cash.

2010 WSOP: Aadam Daya Wins $1,000 No Limit Hold'em Event #3

Canadian poker player Aadam Daya had the chip lead entering the final table, and although the chip lead exchanged, he eventually made a big double up from third placer Gabe Costner, and he never looked back from there, sealing the deal with QQs against Deepak Bhatti's K5.

Aadam Daya wins his first WSOP bracelet and $652,872 for first place.

Deepak Bhatti entered the final table with the shortest stack, but managed to finish at second place, winning $385K. Gabe Costner finished third and won $279K. William Mark Davis won $206K for his fourth place finish. Nicholas Mitchell won $154K for his fifth place finish. Cory Brown took down $116K for finishing at sixth. Isaac Settle won $88K for finishing seventh. Dash Dudley won $67K for his eighth place finish, and Rich Rice took down $51K for finishing ninth.

2010 WSOP: Michael "The Grinder" Mizrachi Wins The Poker Players Championship

Michael "The Grinder" Mizrachi outlasted the 116 top poker players who bought in for $50K to win The Pokers Players Championship in the 2010 World Series of Poker. They call it the Pokers Players Championship because it includes a variety of poker games - Seven Card Stud, Razz, 2-7 Triple Draw Low Ball, Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo, Pot Limit Omaha, Omaha Hi-Lo, Limit Hold'em and No Limit Hold'em - and certainly you have to be a poker master to play this tournament.

Michael Mizrachi wins his first WSOP Bracelet, and $1.55 Million. Vladimir Schemelev of Russia was the runner-up and earned $963,375. David Oppenheim came in at third with $603,348 to his winnings. John Juanda finished fourth and earned $436,865. Robert Mizrachi, the older brother of Mike, finished at fifth and earned $341,429. David Baker finished sixth and won $272,275. Daniel Alaei finished seventh and won $221,105. Mikael Thuritz finished at eighth and won $182,463. Nick Schulman finished ninth and took home $152,730 for his efforts.

It's a great result for "The Grinder" who had the US government foreclosing his home just a week ago. It's also somewhat historical. His brother Robert has a WSOP bracelet and Michael winning one puts them in the list with Blair and Grant Hinkle, and Annie Duke and Howard Lederer as among the sibling to each win WSOP bracelets.

Incidentally, Michael busted out his brother Rob in the final table.

2010 WSOP: Michael Chow Wins Omaha Split Hi-Lo Event #4

The 2010 WSOP $1,500 Omaha Split Hi-Lo 8 or Better Event #4 began with 818 entrants on Day 1. By Day 2, the field started with 274 players, but only 26 survived to make it to Day 3. 81 players made it into the money, but of course the big payoff is the WSOP bracelet and around $230K in cash for first place.

The 9 players that played at the final table were Fred Koubi, Scott Epstein, Sasha Rosewood, Joe Leibman, Todd Barlow, Michael Cipolla, Ylon Schwartz, Michael Chow and Dan Heimiller.

Todd Barlow was the first to bust out, and earned himself $17K for his 9th place finish. Joe Leibman went out at 8th place $22K richer. Sasha Rosewood earned $29K for finishing at 7th. Michael Cipolla made $38k for finishing 6th. Scott Epstein won $51K for finishing 5th. Fred Koubi won $69K at 4th. Ylon Schwartz won $94K for his 3rd place run.

Dan Heimiller and Michael Chow had a very intriguing battle heads-up, but as time reached 12 midnight, it was officially Michael Chow's birthday, turning 33 years old. And I suppose the birthday wish to win a bracelet was granted as Michael Chow of Honolulu, Hawaii, prevailed and won the WSOP Bracelet and more than $230K in cash. Dan Heimiller took $140K for his second place finish, and missed his chance at a second WSOP bracelet.

2010 WSOP: 36 players Advance To Round 2 of NLHE Shootout

From 358 players starting the 2010 WSOP $5,000 No Limit Hold'em Shootout, 36 have topped their table and will continue on to Round 2, where 6 players will fill 6 tables and the remaining 6 winners will go on for the final table.

Among the more familiar poker names advancing to Round 2 and are assured of at least $16,000 inculde: Dario Mineri, Max Pescatori, Tom "durr" Dwan, Chris Ferguson, David Rheem and Heather Mercer.

2010 WSOP: Prop Bets On Andy Bloch Eating Cupcakes

The 2010 WSOP $5,000 No Limit Hold-Em Shootout kicked off with 358 entries. 10 players seated at 36 tables with the ONE winner per table advancing to a redraw and Round 2.

At the start of the tourney, Erik Seidel and Howard Lederer each put $12,500 for a total of $25,000 if Andy Bloch could eat 24 cupcakes in 90 minutes without throwing up during or ten minutes after completion.

Phil Hellmuth recorded Andy Bloch's cupcake eating attempt.

The prop bet started because Andy Bloch was given two boxes of massive cupcakes for his 41st birthday today.

Eventually, Andy Bloch busted out at the felt when his 99 ran into the KK of Blair Hinkle. Andy Bloch offered the remaining cupcakes, and his cupcake count officially ended at 6.5.

2010 WSOP: Final Table Set For $1,000 No Limit Hold-Em Event #3

4,345 poker hopefuls entered into the 2010 WSOP $1,000 No Limit Hold-Em Event #3. Two day ones were played, a Day 2, 41 came into Day 3, but eventually only 9 make it the final table. There are no big names here, but then some of these guys might become the poker stars of tomorrow, especially for the one who will win the WSOP Bracelet and the $625,872 first prize cash.

The final table seating and chip stacks are as follows:

Dash Dudley -- 1,355,000
Bart Davis -- 1,355,000
Nicholas Mitchell -- 1,280,000
Deepak Bhatti -- 400,000
Gabe Costner -- 1,830,000
Richard Rice -- 700,000
Aadam Daya -- 2,855,000
Isaac Settle -- 970,000
Cory Brown -- 2,315,000

APT Philippines 2010 Event Schedule Released

The Asian Poker Tour will be hosting a series of poker events from August 23 to August 29, 2010 at the prestigious Resorts World Manila in the Philippines. Of course, the highlight of this is the 2010 APT Philippines Main Event which guarantees a $2 Million pot for a $2500 +$200 buyin.

Some of the other featured poker events include a Battle of The Teams Event, A Celebrity Charity Event, A Head Hunter Event, A High Rollers Event, A Greed Event, A Seven Handed Event, A Pot Limit Omaha-Hi Event, A Six Handed Event, A Shootout Event plus Main Event Mega Satellites, and SNG Games and Ring Games all throughout.

The 2010 APT Philippines Main Event will have 3 starting days, beginning at August 25 and will play until the final table on August 29.

For a peek at the entire schedule and the buy-ins for each event, click here.

Three Toyotas To Be Awarded In Metro Triple Treat Freeroll

Three cars - a Toyota Fortuner for first place, a Toyota Corolla Altis for second place, and a Toyota Vios for third place with Php 1 Million in the prize pool for the rest who make it in the money. All this in The Metro Triple Treat Freeroll.

Is there a catch? Well, of course, there's a catch. The catch is you have to log in an accumulated 300 hours of poker play at the Metro Card Club between June 1, 2010 and August 31, 2010 to earn a free seat at the Metro Triple Treat Freeroll.

So far, it's the biggest freeroll tourney ever in the Philippines. Only in The Metro.

2010 WSOP: Final Table Set For The Poker Players Championship

Event # 2 of the 2010 World Series of Poker is called The Poker Players Championship, and has an impressive buy-in of $50,000.

116 entrants joined the event, which featured several types of poker games - Seven Card Razz, 2-7 Triple Draw Lowball , Limit Hold'em, No Limit Hold'em, Pot limit Omaha, Omaha Hi-Lo Split 8 or better, Seven Card Stud, and Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo Split 8 or better. Sounds confusing to you? Well, that's the reason why they call it The Poker Players Championship because only the real true poker players who are experts in these games have the balls and talent to play, especially with a $50K buyin. If you're going to sit in this event, then you better be a master of 8 kinds of poker games.

Of the 116 entrants, 16 players made it into the money with the final table of the remaining 8 players to be played on 3PM June 2, 2010 PST at the Rio in Las Vegas for a first prize of $1.55 Million, the Chip Reese Memorial Trophy and a WSOP bracelet.

Of the 8 hopefuls, there is the brother tandem of Robert Mizrachi and Michael 'The Grinder' Mizrachi. It is only the second time in the history of the WSOP that a pair of brothers will be at the final table. The first time it happened was in the 2002 Pot Limit Omaha event where Ross and Barny Boatman were in the final table. Robert Mizrachi will hope to add another bracelet from the one he won in the 2007 $10,000 World Championship Pot Limit Omaha Event while brother Michael is looking for his first.

Also gunning for their first bracelets are David Baker, Mikael Thuritz, David Oppenheim and Vladmir Schemelev. Daniel Alaei won his first bracelet last year in the $10,000 Omaha Hi-Lo World Championship, and will look to add a second. Meanwhile, veteran poker player and four-time bracelet winner John Juanda is looking for his fifth bracelet.

The seating assignments and chip stacks are as follows:

David Baker - 3,095,000
Mikael Thuritz - 2,300,000
Vladimir Schemelev - 1,925,000
John Juanda - 2,620,000
Daniel Alaei - 1,705,000
Michael Mizrachi - 2,620,000
David Oppenheim - 460,000
Robert Mizrachi - 3,125,000

$2M Guaranteed at Asian Poker Tour Philippines Main Event

The Asian Poker Tour (APT) will have its 2010 Main Event at the Resorts World Manila, Philippines, from August 23 to August 29, 2010. The buy-in for the Main Event is $2,500 + $200, and the prize pool is a whopping $2 Million guaranteed, so far the biggest pot ever to hit the Philippine shores.

I’ll hope to get in the money.

I'm also hoping that they start throwing satellite tournaments for this big event because the buy-in is pretty steep by Pinoy standards. It's already June APT, let's get moving!!!

NBA Finals Betting: Los Angeles Lakers vs Boston Celtics +5.5

Defending NBA Champions Los Angeles Lakers host game 1 of the 2010 NBA Finals in the Staples Center.
The last time the Los Angeles Lakers hosted the Boston Celtics was on February 18 of the 2009-10 regular season. The Boston Celtics were able to steal a 87-86 victory. That time the Los Angeles Lakers were without their all-star Kobe Bryant.

While the Los Angeles Lakers are favorites to win the 2010 NBA Finals, you have to remember that it was the Boston Celtics who beat them the last time the two met in the 2008 NBA Finals.

For Game 1 of the 2010 NBA Finals, the Boston Celtics are given a +5.5 by the oddsmakers. I think that's pretty generous, considering that their games have been close and down the wire throughout this season. But can the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Boston Celtics at home by 6 points?

Well, if it all goes as planned, I suspect that the Los Angeles Lakers will have a two-possession single digit lead in the last two minutes, and the Boston Celtics will have to resort to fouling in the penalty to try and trim the lead. And as long as the Los Angeles Lakers make their free throws, then it should be easy enough to end the game up by six.

Yes, the Los Angeles Lakers can win by 6 points!

2010 World Cup Betting: Spain Favorites To Win 2010 World Cup

Euro 2008 champions Spain are the favorites to win the 2010 World Cup. Spain has never won the world cup, but if there's a chance for them to win it, then definitely this is the squad that can make it happen. The Spain roster includes top strikers David Villa and Fernando Torres. Spain also has a very talented midfield with Andres Iniesta, Xabi Alonso, David Silva and Cesc Fabregas. Spain has a remarkable defense with the likes of Carles Puyol, Sergio Ramos and Raul Albiol. Of course, the number one goalkeeper in the world Iker Casillas is also there. Spain are 4-to-1 favorites to win the 2010 World Cup.

Certainly, Spain are favorites to dominate their group which includes teams like Switzerland, Honduras and Chile.

Also 4-to-1 favorites are five-time World Cup champions Brazil. Brazil are always heavy favorites, considering their record-setting World Cup success. The Brazil roster includes talented players like Kaka, Robinho, Maicon, Julio Baptista, Dani Alves, Luis Fabiano and so much more. Brazil though will have a tough time in their group, which includes Korea DPR, the Ivory Coast with 2010 Premier League Golden Boot champion Didier Drogba, and Portugal with 2008 FIFPRO Player of The Year and FIFA World Player of The Year Cristiano Ronaldo.

Argentina are 13-to-2 favorites to win the 2010 World Cup. Certainly, they have a lot of scoring power up front with the likes of 2009 Ballon D'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year Lionel Messi, Carlos Tevez, Gonazalo Higuain and 2010 Champions League Finals MVP Diego Milito. However, their midfield might be a bit shaky, and their defense could be questionable. Nevertheless, they have the capacity and talent to score goals, and that just might give them the edge.

England is a 7-to-1 favorite to win the 2010 World Cup. England's talented roster includes the likes of Wayne Rooney, Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard, Jermain Defoe, Ashley Cole and John Terry.

2006 World Cup Champions Italy are 14-to-1 favorites to win. 1998 World Cup Champions France are 16-to-1 to win.

Surprisingly, the Netherlands are a 10-to-1 favorite to win, even better than Italy, France and Germany. Germany are 16-to-1 to win the 2010 World Cup.

Personally, I will be cheering for Spain. I also believe that it would be Brazil vs Spain in the 2010 World Cup Finals.

Free WSOP Main Event Seat At ESPN Poker Club

I was browsing around qualifiers for a 2010 WSOP Main Event seat, and came across the promotions of the ESPN Poker Club.

On a daily basis, you are given $1,200 (play money), which you can use to play in the ESPN Poker Club poker room for a chance to win a seat to the 2010 WSOP Main Event. In order to qualify, you have to play the Sunday qualifier for a chance to win a seat. Before you get to the Sunday qualifier, you must accumulate 60 points, which you can do by: (1) playing 1,500 hands in any ring game; (2) winning 10 single table tournaments; (3) win one multi-table tournament; or (4) finish in the top 20 of the Daily Big Play tournament.

Hopefuls will have an entire week to accumulate their 60 points to enter in the Sunday qualifier.

In the Sunday qualifier, the top 25 will be entered in the Final Tournament, which will be held on Sudnay, June 20, 2010 at 8PM ET (June 21, 2010 8AM, Manila Time). The top winner in the Final Tournament will then get a chance to win a grand prize package to the 2010 WSOP Main Event.

It's not that easy, but if your poker is good enough, then you'll definitely have a chance.

Beatboxtakbo Is A Moron

Yup. I'm complaining again about some idiot poker player when I played the Filipino Poker Tour 14 phase on qualifier at Pokerstars. This time the idiot is beatboxtakbo from Pasig City. This asswipe should be shot!

This is what happened:
PokerStars Game #44872132535: Tournament #266611038, Freeroll Hold'em No Limit - Level XVI (1250/2500) - 2010/05/31 13:08:22 ET Table '266611038 60' 9-max Seat #3 is the button

Seat 1: JJ Duque (91970 in chips)
Seat 2: Arvic27 (12165 in chips)
Seat 3: beatboxtakbo (68802 in chips)
Seat 4: benedicto_jv (54786 in chips)
Seat 5: dfsanchez (6134 in chips)
Seat 6: qtmc01 (83842 in chips)
Seat 9: FPT.PH (70193 in chips)
JJ Duque: posts the ante 250
Arvic27: posts the ante 250
beatboxtakbo: posts the ante 250
benedicto_jv: posts the ante 250
dfsanchez: posts the ante 250
qtmc01: posts the ante 250
FPT.PH: posts the ante 250
benedicto_jv: posts small blind 1250
dfsanchez: posts big blind 2500
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to JJ Duque [Qd Kc]
qtmc01: calls 2500
FPT.PH: folds
JJ Duque: raises 7500 to 10000
Arvic27: folds
beatboxtakbo: calls 10000
benedicto_jv: calls 8750
dfsanchez: folds
qtmc01: calls 7500

At this point, there is 40K in the pot already with 4 callers to my raise.

*** FLOP *** [8h 2s Kh]
benedicto_jv: checks
qtmc01: checks
JJ Duque: bets 81720 and is all-in
beatboxtakbo: calls 58552 and is all-in
benedicto_jv: folds
qtmc01: folds
Uncalled bet (23168) returned to JJ Duque
** TURN ***
[8h 2s Kh] [Ah]
*** RIVER ***
[8h 2s Kh Ah] [Qh]
*** SHOW DOWN *** JJ Duque: shows [Qd Kc] (two pair, Kings and Queens) beatboxtakbo: shows [8s Ac] (two pair, Aces and Eights)
beatboxtakbo collected 161354 from pot

The moron called my all in with a midpair 8!!! WTF!!! And in the chatbox, he had the gall to say "buti nga!" Aw man, he pissed me off and sent me on a tilt spree, and I lashed out at him all night. My remaining stack was at 23K, and it even went as low as 16K with the blinds at 2000/4000 and antes of 400. Eventually, I managed to get lucky with some shoves, and climbed my way back to 60K thanks also to the moron who called my A9 all in with a mediocre A7.

Eventually I lost most of it to a KK vs AJ showdown, and struggled again with 21K and the blinds at 2500/5000 with antes of 500. I shoved from the button with 45 trying to make a play, and beatboxtakbo made the call with a lousy Q8, which busted me out at 14th spot, and the moron getting the last laugh in the chatbox.

The top 5 places will qualify for a Phase 2 qualifier. I'm happy enough that the stupid beatboxtakbo moron finished the tournament at 11th, squandering his huge stack most probably with the same lousy calls he'd been making the entire tournament. At least, there's some retribution from the poker gods by not allowing some stupid schmuck to earn a spot in the winners circle. Asswipe!

Maybe The Fourth Time

I was hoping that the third time I'd play The Filipino Poker Tour 14 Phase 2 tournament at Pokerstars, it would be the charm, and I'd win the seat. Well - it didn't happen.

I did well to double up early with my AK busting out an A10. However, that was the only good hand that I got that gave me good money. In between, I won a few small pots, but then the cards went dead, and I couldn't make calls with all the raising and re-raising going on. Eventually, with the blinds at 75/150, and my stack at 1,200 and pretty small compared to the stacks at my table, I pushed all in with A10 off, and got called by KQ suited. The Q hit the turn, and that was the end of it. Better luck next time.

Out of the 102 players that registered, I made it as far as 60th which is not very successful considering that only 2 players would win the seat. I can play better than that. But then it's hard to play when I'm not catching cards.And without much ammo to make a decent move against all the raises going before me.

Anyway - back to phase one. Maybe the fourth time.

UFC 115 Betting: Rich Franklin Over Chuck Liddell

I'm a fan of Chuck Liddell. And personally, I do hope he wins against Rich Franklin in the main event of UFC 115 to be held in Vancouver, Canada on June 12, 2010. Chuck Liddell really needs to book this win if he still wants to keep a career in the UFC.

In the recent fights of Chuck Liddell in the UFC, he's gotten his ass kicked. He's lost 4 of his lasts 5 UFC fights, and gotten his ass knocked out in the last two by Rashad Evans and by Shogun Rua. The only win of Chuck Liddell was a unanimous decision win over Wanderlei Silva, which won Fight of the Night honors.

Rich Franklin has lost 2 of his last three fights, losing to Dan Henderson in a split decision and losing by TKO to Vitor Belfort. His only recent win was to Wanderlei Silva, winning by unanimous decision and also getting Fight of the Night honors.

These near identical records - at least with the wins over Wanderlei Silva and the recent losses - make the Rich Franklin vs Chuck Liddell a pretty even match. However, talk to the MMA bookies, and they'll tell you that Rich Franklin is a favorite to win over Chuck Liddell.

For one - Rich Franklin has been the busier fighter, and has fought three times in 2009 while Chuck Liddell has had his fights spaced over 9 months. Perhaps also because Chuck Liddell is pretty brittle at age 40 as to the 35 years of Rich Franklin. Maybe also because the severe knock outs that Chuck Liddell has suffered in 4 of his last fights might also do something to his confidence.

I'm a fan of Chuck Liddell, but if I were to put money on this fight, I'd go with the clear favorite on Rich Franklin. And the odds aren't too bad. Each dollar bet wins x1.69 for Franklin. $69 profit for every $100 put in.

As for the other fight cards on UFC 115, my picks are: Mirko Filipovic over Patrick Barry, Paulo Thiago over Martin Kampmann, Gilbert Yvel over Ben Rothwell, Rory Macdonald over Carlos Condit, Tyson Griffin over Evan Dunham.

Winning A Seat To The 2010 WSOP Main Event

I don't have the luxury to spend $10,000 plus travel expenses just to buyin for the 2010 WSOP Main Event. Instead, I have to grind out for my seat, and win it online. For me - it starts with a freeroll.

Full Tilt Poker hosts a Main Event Race daily. They have a Main Event Race Round 1 freeroll qualifier, where out of 450 players max, one talented poker player gets a free tournament ticket to the Main Event Race Round 2. In Round 2, the top two players then get a seat to the Main Event Final Race where the top 10 finishers win a $10,000 seat plus a travel package and bonuses to represent Full Tilt Poker in the 2010 WSOP Main Event.

It sounds indeed like a long hard climb. Climbing Mt. Everest might even be easier. But nonetheless, if it is an opportunity to make a dream come true, then it's an opportunity I'm happy to take.

So far, it's been difficult getting past the first round. 450 players on a freeroll is not too difficult. There are the idiots who hope to get lucky by pushing all-in on the first hand, and it gets a bit tricky. Sometimes there are bad beats, and well - you just have to try again. I've reached the final table on a number of tries, but have yet eluded the first place finish in order to make the Main Event Race Round 2. But I'm still trying. And hopefully, in upcoming posts of this blog, I can write about a Round 1 triumph, and maybe even a Round 2 triumph, and eventually about winning my spot in the 2010 WSOP Main Event.

I'll keep you posted. In the meantime, I have to grind it out.

If you want to qualify, just go to Full Tilt Poker.