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6.24.2010

2010 WSOP: Steven Kelly Wins Event 39 $1,500 buy-in No Limit Hold'em Shootout


1,397 poker players joined Event 39 of the 2010 World Series of Poker A $1,500 buy-in No Limit Hold’em Shootout. The format is that a player has to win his entire table to advance, and the total prize pool reached up to $1.88 Million.

The big winner after 3 days of competitive No Limit Hold'em was 21 year old and barely legal Steven Kelly, who marked his first career WSOP gold bracelet victory and $382,725 in prize money. Steven Kelly is the fifth-youngest WSOP gold bracelet winner in history.

The runner up was Jeffrey King from Colchester, Connecticut, who won $237,327.

The third-place finisher was Derric Haynie from Lincoln, California, who made his second final table appearance this year, getting paid $161,466 for this effort.

The fourth-place finisher was Dustin Dirksen from Las Vegas, Nevada, who marked his eighth time to cash at the WSOP winning $112,455.

The fifth-place finisher was Reagan Leman from San Diego, California, who received $78,530 for his second WSOP in-the-money finish.

The sixth-place finisher was Brett Shaffer, who marked his second time to cash, which paid $56,568.

The seventh-place finisher was Paul Varano from Olympia, Washington, who marked his second cash in the WSOP, making $40,975.

The eighth-place finisher was Michael Cooper from Pacifica, California, who marked his first WSOP cash to get paid $30,183.

The ninth-place finisher was former WSOP gold bracelet winner Justin Scott, who now has nine WSOP cashes. This was his third career final table appearance, and won $22,623 in prize money.

Former WSOP gold bracelet finishers who cashed in this event included – Justin Scott, Annette Obrestad, J.C. Tran, Steve Hohn, Chau Giang, Randy Holland, and Robert Mizrachi.

2010 WSOP: Scott Montgomery Wins Event 36 $1,000 buy-in No Limit Hold'em


3,102 players competed for a piece of a $2.7 Million pot in Event 36 of the 2010 World Series of Poker, a $1,000 buy-in No Limit Hold'em tournament. 324 places got a piece of the prize pool with the biggest piece going to 28 year old poker pro Scott Montgomery of Perth, Ontario, Canada, who won his first WSOP gold bracelet and $481,760. It was the third time for Scott Montgomery to cash in this year's WSOP, and his ninth cash overall, including a big payday when he finished fifth in the 2008 WSOP Main Event. To date, Scott Montgomery has one win, two final table appearances, nine ITM finishes and a moves into the top 25 in career WSOP earnings with over $3.5 Million, surpassing the mark of Dan Harrington.

The runner up was 23 year old student Mick Carlson from Plymouth, Indiana, who marked his first cash in a live tournament, and collected $297,996.

The third-place finisher was Adam “Admo” Richardson from San Diego, California, who received $210,892.

The fourth-place finisher was 37 year old poker pro Daniel Fuhs from Long Beach, California who marked his 12th time to cash at the WSOP, winning $152,655.

The fifth-place finisher was 24 year old poker pro Sebastien Roy from Cap Rouge near Quebec City in Canada, who cashed for the first time in the WSOP for $111,783.

The sixth-place finisher was 24 year old poker pro John Dolan from Bonita Springs, Florida, who made his fifth WSOP ITM finish worth $82,804.

The seventh-place finisher was Peter Dufek from Las Vegas, Nevada, who cashed $62,033.

The eighth-place finisher was Tim Beeman from Chino Valley, Arizona, who won $46,985.

The ninth-place finisher was Michael Michnik from Hollywood, Florida, who cashed for the third time this year for $35,986.

Former WSOP gold bracelet finishers who cashed in this event includedPeter Traply (14th), Svetlana Gromenkova (33rd), Fred Berger, (67th) Mike Carson (230th), and Andre Boyer (252nd).

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2010 World Cup: Germany vs England In Round of 16

 Germany started their 2010 World Cup campaign with a bang, winning their opening group stage game against Australia 4-0. Germany were then stunned when Miroslav Klose was red carded in their match against Serbia, and the 10-handed Germany eventually succumbed to a 1-0 defeat. Germany were able to bounce back in their final group stage match against Ghana, booking a 1-0 win that brought Germany to finish at the top of the group with 6 points. Despite the loss to Germany, Ghana book the second spot edging out Australia on goal difference.

England were expected to breeze through their group, but found themselves drawing twice in matches against the United States and Algeira, and could've suffered elimination had they not won against Slovenia in their last group stage match. Luckily for England, they did enough to get 5 points and finish at second in the group behind the United States. The second place finish of England puts them up against Germany in the round of 16.

Germany vs England

If England topped the group as expected, maybe we would've seen a Germany vs England showdown in a much later stage of the 2010 World Cup, but as it is, these two powerhouse football teams will be facing each other in the Round of 16.

England may be seen as favorites with big names, such as Wayne Rooney, Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard and Jermain Defoe on their roster. However, England has only scored 2 goals so far in this tournament, and goals are much-needed if they are to advance. The England team has also been criticized for their lackluster performance, and their lack of drive to want to win. Of course, in their match against Slovenia, England showed exactly what they were capable of, with the kind of aggression and intensity that their players are known for. And although it produced only 1 goal, it was the kind of football that many expect England should be playing in every match.

Germany, on the other hand, have been very consistent. The unfortunate red card of Miroslav Klose left them short-handed with ten men, and allowed Serbia to book the win. Perhaps the outcome of that match might have been different, and Germany could have swept their group. Nevertheless, Germany is ready to play, and they have shown their capacity to bring goals with the commanding 4-0 win over Australia. With star players like Lukas Podolski, Mirsolav Klose, Philip Lahm, Cacau and Mesut Oezil, Germany certainly has a capable squad of getting past England.

Germany vs England will definitely be an exciting match with lots of big named players on the pitch. As much as I like England and their players, I would have to put my money on Germany to win. Germany just show more consistency in their football. Besides, I can't stand English players who diss their fans for boo-ing them, and I can't stand fans who can't be loyal to their team by booing them despite getting a draw. It's not that England lost any match in the group stage, and yet they are booed. So, I'd love to see what happens when they lose to Germany just to see how the drama unfolds.

UFC 116: Brock Lesnar Is Slight Favorite To Defeat Shane Carwin


UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar will be putting his title on the line against UFC Heavyweight Interim Champion Shane Carwin.

Brock Lesnar has not had a fight in the octagon since he kicked the butt of Frank Mir in July 2009 during UFC 100. Brock Lesnar was scheduled to fight Shane Carwin back in UFC 106, but he suffered an illness. The fight was reset for UFC 108, but again Brock Lesnar wasn't healthy. It was then discovered that he needed surgery for something called diverticulitis, which meant that his intestine was leaking fecal matter into his abdomen, causing pain. Meanwhile, since Brock Lesnar could not fight in the octagon, Frank Mir and Shane Carwin were made to fight each other for the UFC Interim Heavyweight championship. Shane Carwin KOed Frank Mir in the first round, and now sits as the UFC Interim Heavyweight champion.

The fight between Brock Lesnar vs Shane Carwin is for the unification of the UFC Heavweight Championship.

While Brock Lesnar may have been out of training and in recovery from his surgery and all his recent illnesses, he is still one mean S-O-B, and he still has the size, the athleticism and the huge lunch box fists to knock anyone out.

However, Shane Carwin is also a big KO artist. In fact, Shane Carwin has 12 MMA fights, which boasts 12 wins and 12 KO's, with all the KOs in the first round. Shane Carwin has KOed the likes of Frank Mir, Gabriel Gonzaga and Neil Wain, and certainly he is eyeing Brock Lesnar to be win No. 13 and KO number 13. Of course, that' s not easier said than done.

Oddsmakers are still putting Brock Lesnar to be a slight favorite to win over the undefeated and much experienced Shane Carwin. It's confusing why, especially since he hasn't been healthy, and certainly he hasn't been in the octagon for a while. And Shane Carwin is a monster who has KOed everyone. If anything - maybe the favorite should be Shane Carwin.

But whatever - I personally think Brock Lesnar is just a HUGE wrestler, and definitely has a size advantage over most MMA fighters. He's also pretty quick, and very athletic. However, even with his physical attributes,  I am hoping his chin can withstand the KO power of Shane Carwin. I like the underdog in this UFC 116 Main Event fight. I'll bet on Shane Carwin to KO Brock Lesnar in the first round and see him maintain his undefeated and 1st round KO streak.

6.23.2010

2010 WSOP: Argentina Favored To Win Over Mexico

Argentina, as expected, won all of their matches in the group stage to top Group B with 9 points, and advance to the round of 16 where they will face Mexico. Mexico had a decent group stage, grabbing a crucial 4 points and edging out South Africa on goal difference to make it through to the round of 16.

Argentina is clearly the more impressive team than Mexico, and with stars like Lionel Messi, Gonazalo Higuain and Juan Veron playing extremely well. Spanish La Liga top goal scorer Lionel Messi may have not yet scored in this 2010 World Cup, but with most of the defense focused on him when he has the ball, it opens up a lot of other scoring opportunities for his teammates, who have benefited from rebounds to put their mark on the World Cup.

Mexico haven't shown their capacity to score goals with only 3 goals scored in 2 matches, and 2 goals scored against them. Mexico also suffered a defeat against Uruguay, and almost missed out on advancing if it wasn't for the goal difference over South Africa. Most definitely, Mexico will have to bring their best game against Argentina, and their starts like Giovanni Dos Santos, Rafael Marquez and Carlos Vela will have to shine.

In the overall history of Argentina vs Mexico, Argentina have won 11 times while Mexico have won 4. 10 matches have resulted in a draw. Of course, that isn't going to happen in the round of 16, where eventually one will have to advance to the 2010 World Cup quarterfinals.

However, I believe it will be highly unlikely that this the match between Argentina vs Mexico will go to extra time, and definitely not go into penalties.

I believe Mexico could score, considering their speed at the front line that can deliver a dangerous counter-attack. But, overall, I believe that Argentina will walk away with a win, possibly with a score like 2-1, or 3-1.

2010 WSOP: Phil Ivey Wins 8th WSOP Bracelet In H.O.R.S.E. Event

Poker legend Phil Ivey outlasted 478 players at Event 37 of the 2010 World Series of Poker, a $3,000 buy-in H.O.R.S.E. tournament. Phil Ivey won $329,840 in prize money and his  8th WSOP gold bracelet, tying Erik Seidel with the most wins at fifth place. Most impressive about the victory of Phil Ivey was that he had to overcome a final table that included 5 WSOP gold bracelet winners, and they finished 1st to 5th, a first in this year's WSOP.

At the age of 33, Phil Ivey has won more bracelets than all except for Phil Hellmuth, Doyle Brunson, Johnny Chan, and the late Johnny Moss. “I think I can win 30 gold bracelets,” said Phil Ivey  “I think I can reach that if I keep playing and stay healthy.”

Phil Ivey now has $5,213,809 in career tournament WSOP earnings. His overall tournament winnings worldwide now approach the $13 million mark, according to some sources, which is the highest amount won by any player in poker history. Phil Ivey’s 40 WSOP career cashes currently ranks 24th on the all-time list and his22 WSOP final table appearances rank him in a 15th-place tie on the all-time list.

The runner up was two-time WSOP gold bracelet winner Bill Chen, who is one of the most-respected math-oriented players of poker. Bill Chen put up a valiant effort and was the chip leader most of the way and held a 3.5-to-1 chip advantage at one point when play was heads up. Eventually, Bill Chen failed to overcome the prowess of Phil Ivey and settled for a second place finish, winning $203,802.

The third-place finisher was four-time WSOP gold bracelet winner John Juanda, who marked his 54th time to cash, which currently places him in an eighth-place tie with Chau Giang on the all-time list. John Juanda won $129,553. John Juanda also made his fourth final table appearance this 2010 WSOP, making him a strong candidate for 2010 WSOP Player of the Year.

The fourth-place finisher was WSOP gold bracelet winner Ken Aldridge from Pleasant Garden, North Carolina, who won $93,418.

The fifth-place finisher was 2009 WSOP Player of The Year Jeffrey Lisandro from Salerno, Italy, who won $68,417.

The sixth-place finisher was Dave Baker (not to be confused with WSOP gold bracelet winner David "Bakes" Baker) from Katy, Texas, who marked his fifth time to cash at this year’s WSOP, and won $50,871.

The seventh-place finisher was Albert Hahn from Calgary, Alberta, Canada, who marked his first time to cash in a WSOP tournament to win $28,391. Albert Hahn is also a highly-accomplished Scrabble player, having competed in the World Scrabble Championships in 1997, 1999, and 2005.

The eighth-place finisher was Chad Brown from Las Vegas, Nevada, who marked his fourth cash at this year’s series, winning $29,406 for this event. Chad Brown now has 31 career cashes.

Aside the final table players, former WSOP gold bracelet finishers who cashed in this event included – Ryan Hughes (9th), David Benyamine (14th), Dan Heimiller (15th), Scott Seiver (16th), David Singer (17th), Farzad Bonyadi (18th), Steve Sung (31st), Chris Reslock (33rd), Katja Thater (34th), Jason Young (37th), and Max Pescatori (47th).

Dan Heimiller cashed for the fifth time at this year’s WSOP. He how has 2nd, 4th, 9th, 15th, and 27th place finishes so far in 2010. To date, Heimiller is one of only six players with five WSOP cashes this year. The other players are: Pat Pezzin, Shawn Buchanan, Christian Harder, Dave Baker, and Tad Jurgens.

Max Pescatori has more in-the-money finishes than any Italian poker player in WSOP history, with 26 cashes.

Ming Reslock, who finished 13th, and Chris Reslock, who finished 33rd, are married. This is one of the few times in WSOP history a husband-wife duo cashed in the same tournament.
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6.22.2010

2010 WSOP: Ayaz Mahmood Wins Heads Up No Limit Hold'em Championship

Event #35 of the 2010 World Series of Poker is the $10,000 buy-in Heads-Up No-Limit Hold’em Championship, which saw a maximum 256 players play heads up with the top 32 getting a piece of the $2.4 Million prize pool.

Eventually, 38 year old poker pro Ayaz Mahmood originally from Bangladesh became the winner of the $10,000 buy-in Heads-Up No-Limit Hold’em Championship after a gruelling 6 hour heads-up final against German-born poker pro Ernst Schmejkal. Ayaz Mahmood won nine straight heads-up matches spread out over four days and night to win  his first career WSOP gold bracelet and $626,674. Ayaz Mahmood is the first Bangladesh-born player ever to win in the WSOP.


Ernst Schmejkal, who ended up finishing second, collected a nice consolation prize of $386,900.

The top eight  finishers who won six of seven heads-up matches include:

 Jason Somerville from Stony Brook, New York, who made his eighth career cash at the WSOP and was paid $219,969.

Alexander Kostritsyn from Moscow, Russia,a made his ninth career cash at the WSOP and was also paid $219,969.

Poker pro Vanessa "Lady Maverick" Rousso, who has more than $2.6 million in career tournament earnings, finished second in the 2009 NBC Heads Up Poker Championship. For her quarterfinals finish in this WSOP event, Vanessa Rousso won $94,956.

Faraz Jaka from Chicago, Illinois, made his ninth career cash at the WSOP with his $94,956 payout now giving him more than half-a-million in WSOP earnings.

Ludovic Lacay from London, England added another $94,956 in prize money for this performance, marking his second time to cash at the WSOP

Thang Pham from Dallas, Texas, cashed for the second time this 2010 WSOP, and earned $94,956.

Former WSOP gold bracelet finishers who cashed in this event included – Alexander Kravchenko, David Williams, Scott Clements, and Antonio “the Magician” Esfandiari. Other notable names who cashed included Gavin Smith, Phil Gordon and Bertrand "Elky" Grospellier.

2010 WSOP: Harold Angles Wins Event 34 $1,000 buy-in Seniors No Limit Hold'em Championship

3,142 seniors (ages 50 and above) joined the $1,000 buy-in Seniors No Limit Hold'em Championship of the 2010 World Series of Poker, which brought the total prize pool to $2.8 Million with 324 players taking a piece of the pot.

The big winner was 78 year old retiree Harold Angle of Sun City, Florida, who won the biggest seniors poker event in the history of the WSOP, and claimed his first career WSOP gold bracelet, the Gold Eagle Trophy and $487,994. The famous “Golden Eagle” trophy, which is engraved with the winner’s name(s) is a keepsake that is passed forward from champion to champion, similar to the tradition of the Stanley Cup in the National Hockey League.

Harold Angle was the eldest of the nine players at the final table with some of the ones in their 50s "young" enough to be his children.

Harold Angle was nearly eliminated in Day One of the tournament when he showed 400 chips left from his 3,000 starting stack. He event told his son-in-law at the rail that he was going to be out soon. As fate would have it, he would play three days more, and end up as the champion.

The runner up was Michael Minetti from Las Vegas, Nevada. who marked his seventh time to cash in a WSOP event, and won $301,839.

The third-place finisher was John Woo from Henderson, Nevada, who had the chip lead during most of the final table, but suffered a brutal final hour during which he went from chip leader to the rail, busting out at third and winning $213,612.

The fourth-place finisher was casino dealer Eric Stemp from Boulder City, Nevada, who marked his first cash at the WSOP, winning $154,624.

The fifth-place finisher was retired FBI special agent Daniel Camillo from Las Vegas, Nevada, who marked his first WSOP cash, winning $113,225.

The sixth-place finisher was Preston Derden from Houston, Texas, who has cashed 10 times in WSOP-related events, such as WSOP Circuit tournaments, but this is his biggest poker win ever with $83,872.

The seventh-place finisher was Ernest “Jack” Ward from Gulfport, Missouri,  who has several WSOP and WSOP Circuit cashes, winning $62,833 in this event.

The eighth-place finisher was school teacher Carlos Pianelli from Irvine, Califronia, who won the Teacher of the Year award for his outstanding work with children in South Central Los Angeles. In fact, Carlos Pianelli used the $500 prize he was given by the local school board to enter this poker tournament, which gave him a return of  $47,591. 

The ninth-place finisher was Jay Hong from Riverside, California, who made his second WSOP cash and got paid $36,450.

Former WSOP gold bracelet finishers who cashed in this event included Tom Schneider (14th), Fred Berger (42nd), Eddy Scharf (73rd), Susie Isaacs (78th), Dao Bac (199th), T.J. Cloutier (225th), Randy Holland (246th), Howard “Tahoe” Andrew (286th), “Captain” Tom Franklin (312th), and Hoyt Corkins (288th).

One of the most interesting stories at this year’s Seniors Championship was of  60-year old accountant Jeanne Nelson from St. Paul, Minnesota. A year ago, she was diagnosed with cancer, and stated that playing the WSOP was on her "Bucket List." Her husband bought her seat into the tournament as a birthday gift to make her dream come true. Not only did she get to play for the first tine in the WSOP, but she also cashed in 12th place, winning $28,221.

2010 WSOP: Jose Luis Velador Wins Event 33 $2,500 buy-in Pot Limit Hold'em & Pot Limit Omaha


482 poker players joined Event 33 of the 2010 World Series of Poker, a mixed game that included the variants of Pot Limit Hold'em and Pot Limit Omaha. The buy-in was $2,500 and total prize pool reached up to $1.1 Million, with 45 places getting to share a piece of that pie.

The biggest piece, of course, went to 46 year old poker pro Jose-Luis Velador from Corona, California, who won his second career WSOP gold bracelet and $260,552 for first place. It was his second final table at the WSOP, and twice he has ended up as a WSOP gold bracelet winner and champion. Jose-Luis Velador now has nine career WSOP cashes, and over $900K in prize winnings.

The runner up was four-time WSOP gold bracelet winner David Chiu, who collected $160,902 and now has $2.8 million in career WSOP earnings.

The third-place finisher was another former WSOP gold bracelet winner Rob Hollink from Groningen, Holland, who marked his 23rd career cash in the WSOP, and received $116,358.

It was the first time in the 2010 WSOP that a 1-2-3 finish was made by former WSOP champions and WSOP gold bracelet winners.

The fourth-place finisher was Craig Gray from Portland, Oregon, who cashed for the 12th time in the WSOP with $85,029.

The fifth-place finisher was EPT Berlin Champion Kevin MacPhee from Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, who won $62,791.

The sixth-place finisher was Annand “Victor” Ramdin from New York, New York, who cashed for the 16th time in his WSOP career and got paid $46,860.

The seventh-place finisher was 21 year old poker pro James Mitchell from London, England, who cashed for the second time at this year’s series. He collected $35,331.

The eighth-place finisher was Gavin Cochrane from Welwyn, England, who marked his first time to cash at the WSOP by winning $26,905.

The ninth-place finisher was  28 year old poker pro Matt Sterling from Brownstown, Indiana, who marked his ninth time to cash at the WSOP and his second final table appearance. He collected $20,697 for a fine effort.

Aside from Jose-Luis Velador, David Chiu and Rob Hollink, who made it to the final table, former WSOP gold bracelet finishers who cashed in this event included – Burt Boutin (10th), Joshua Tieman (11th), Phil Ivey (12th), John Kabbaj (17th), Steve Zolotow (33rd), Jeffrey Lisandro (42nd), and Chris Reslock (43rd).

Phil Ivey markd his third cash this year, and places him in the top 25 all-time in WSOP career cashes with 41, and is currently tied with Allen Cunningham for 23rd place. 

Steve Zolotow celebrates his 40th cash for his career, which places him in 25th place all-time.

 2009 WSOP Player of the Year Jeffrey Lisandro cashed for the second time at this year’s WSOP.
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2010 APT: Ray Serion Wins Resorts World Manila Satellite Series


The 2010 Asian Poker Tour will be coming to Manila this August 23 to August 29 at the Resorts World Manila. As early as now, online satellites and live satellite tournaments are being held for those who wish to win a seat worth $2,700 - the buy-in for the 2010 APT Philippines Main Event.

Just recently, the first Resorts World Manila Satellite Series was held this June 13, 2010 with a guaranteed prize pool of PHp500,000, with first place winning a seat to the 2010 APT Philippines Main Event plus Php40,000 in cash. The big winner was Ray Serion.

"You have to be able to play many styles and be thoughtful about when the best time is to change gears," said Ray Serion about his play that won him the tournament.


Players can still qualify for seats online at PKR, or just wait for announcements of live tournaments at the offiial site of the Asian Poker Tour.

2010 WSOP: Jeffrey Papola Wins Event 32 $5,000 buy-in No Limit Hold'em Six-Handed

568 poker players signed up for Event 32 of the 2010 World Series of Poker, a $5,000 buyin No Limit Hold'em Six-Handed tournament. The prize pool went over $2.6 Million with 54 places paid, and a first prize of over $650K.

The big winner was 25 year old Jeffrey Papola, a third year law student from Pace University in White Plains, New York. Jeffrey Papola flew in from New York to Las Vegas, and upon arriving, signed up for Event 26, a $2,500 buyin No Limit Hold'em Six-Handed tournament. In that tournament, he placed second to win $391,068. He got a few hours of sleep, and then signed up again for Event 32, a $5,000 buy-in No Limit Hold'em Six-Handed tournament - similar strcuture, but a bigger buy-in. And this time, he won it - winning his first WSOP gold bracelet and a first place cash prize of $667,433. The 1-2 finish of Jeffrey Papola in Six-Handed events is a first in WSOP history. Overall, Jeffrey Papola now has four WSOP cashes with two of the biggest happening just within a week of each other in this year's WSOP. With that one-two finish, Jeffrey Papola becomes a contender for WSOP Player of The Year. A few hours following his win, Jeffrey Papola flew back to New York City, and said he expects to come back to the WSOP in another week or so to play some more.

“Interestingly enough, I flew in here the day of the Six-max. I got in just as the tournament was starting. It was noon, and by 2 pm I was here playing. I ended up getting second in that tournament. Within 10 hours, I was playing in this tournament. So, I have been playing for six straight days. I have not had more than 12 hours of rest at a time. It feels really good. It’s exactly the story I was writing in my head,” Jeffrey Papola said.

Of course, his two-for-two record so far in the 2010 WSOP is a bit dreamy. Jokingly, Jeffrey Papola said he feels like he was 0 for 50 in the WSOP before.

The runner up was Men “the Master” Nguyen, who was shooting for WSOP gold bracelet number eight. Instead, he had to settle for a bittersweet payout amounting to $412,746. With first and second-place finishes in this year's WSOP, Men "The Master" Nguyen is also a top contender for WSOP Player of the Year honors.

The third-place finisher was Mark Radoja from Ariss, Ontario, Canada, who earned his eighth WSOP in-the-money finish, collecting $262,902 in prize money.

The fourth-place finisher was 23 year-old poker pro Bruno Launais from Mauguio, France, who marked his second time to cash at this year’s WSOP, winning $173,123.

The fifth-place finisher was Orlando De La Cruz from Folsom, California, who cashed for the first time ever at the WSOP and winning $117,595.

The sixth-place finisher was former gold bracelet winner Erick Lindgren from Las Vegas, Nevada, who busted out with pocket queens against the pocket kings of Men "The Master" Nguyen. Erick Lindgren now has 25 career cashes at the WSOP with this one paying out $82,303.

Former WSOP gold bracelet finishers who cashed in this event included – Men "the Master" Nguyen (2nd), Dave “Devilfish” Ulliott (19th), Matthew Graham (26th), Toto Leonidas (46th), Eric Baldwin (50th), and David Singer (54th-tie).
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6.21.2010

2010 WSOP: Konstanin Puchkov Wins Event 31 $1,500 buyin H.O.R.S.E.

828 players signed up for Event 31 of the 2010 World Series of Poker, which made the total prize pool a whopping $1,117,800. 80 places would get paid with the first place winning over $250K. Event 31 is a H.O.R.S.E. event, which means that it includes the variants of poker, such as Hold'em (H), Omaha High Low Split Eight or Better (O), Razz (R), Seven Card Stud (S), and Stud Eight or Better (E).
 
The event winner was Konstantin Puchkov of Moscow, Russia, who won his first career WSOP gold bracelet victory and over $250K for the first place cash prize.  58 year old Konstantin Puchkov actually enjoys racing horses, and owns a stable of races which he names after poker terms. And it's just a bit fitting that he joined a H.O.R.S.E. tourney and won!

The final table clocked over 10 hours with Konstantin Puchkov overcoming a huge chip disadvantage in heads-up play to emerge victorious.

The runner-up was  Al "Sugar Bear" Barbieri, a Los Angeles native who has been active in the poker scene for the past 10 years, but has yet to win the coveted bracelet. He came so close this tournament, but squandered his chip lead to finish second and win $158,647.  

The third-place finisher was Dustin Leary of San Mateo, California, who had the chip lead part of the way, but ran card dead and had to settle for $107,979 to finish at third place, and mark his first WSOP cash.

The fourth-place finisher was Ken Leonard from Norrtalje, Sweden, who has13 career cashes dates back to 1998. Ken Leonard now has nearly $600,000 in career WSOP earnings after pocketing $75,149 in this event.

The fifth-place finisher was Hani Awad from Las Vegas, Nevada, who cashed for the fifth time at the WSOP, and was  paid $53,386 

The sixth-place finisher was Andrew Revesz from Toronto, Ontario, Canada, who cashed for the first time at the WSOP and got  paid $38,698.

The seventh-place finisher was 23 year old Blake Cahail from Kansas City, Missouri, who won $28,604 and has cashed six times in the WSOP.

The eighth-place finisher was former WSOP gold bracelet winner Robert Mizrachi from
Miami, Florida, who earned $21,551. It was the second final table appearance of Robert Mizrachi this 2010 WSOP.

The ninth-place finisher was Las Vegas poker pro Chip Jett, who has now cashed every year at the WSOP dating back to 2003. Chip Jett won $16,543.

Former WSOP gold bracelet finishers who cashed in this event included – James Van Alstyne (14th), Cliff Josephy (19th), Linda Johnson (29th), Jason Mercier (44th), Cyndy Violette (46th), Brandon Cantu (47th), Mary Jones (52nd), Robert Williamson III (53rd), and Vasili Lazarou (58th). The defending champion was James Van Alstyne. His 14th-place finish in this event was the highest finish achieved by any defending champ so far this year.

The 13th-place finisher Allen “Chainsaw” Kessler cashed for the fourth time at this year’s WSOP, which gives him a decent shot at becoming WSOP Player of The Year. 

2010 World Cup: Who Are The Next 16

With two matches played and one more match to go in the group stages of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, it seems we're getting some kind of semblance of who will advance to the round of 16 knock out stages.

In Group A, France and South Africa have a point each, and Uruguay and Mexico both have 4 points to lead the group. France plays South Africa, and both will be looking to win. However, if Uruguay and Mexico just draw their match, then both will advance with the goal difference to decide who sits on top. Lot of math left, should Mexico or Uruguay lose a match, but I'm thinking both will advance anyway.

In Group B, Nigeria is definitely out, and Argentina have their foot in the door with 6 points. South Korea and Greece both have 3 points, and South Korea can snag the spot if they win against Nigeria. If Greece beat Argentina - highly unlikely, but you'll never know these days - then, it'll go down to goal difference. Argentina have that base covered, but it could get tricky for South Korea and Greece. I think it could be South Korea and Argentina.

In Group C, it is all up for grabs. Slovenia may have 4 points to lead the group, but the US and England have 2 points each while Algeria has a point. England must win against Slovenia in their last match of the group stage, and the US must win against Algeria to advance. Slovenia just need a draw to secure their spot in the round of 16 while the US will need better. If the England and US are still tied in points, England will lose on goal difference. From the way the trend plays out - it looks like Slovenia and US to top the group.

In Group D, Ghana lead with four points, Germany and Serbia have three points, and Australia have a point. Ghana will face Germany and will need to book the win to hold on because if they lose to Germany and Serbia win against Australia (which is most likely), then it could be Germany and Serbia advancing. Serbia can top the group with a win if Ghana and Germany settle for the draw. Germany can't have that, and they'll need to produce a big win to advance.

In Group E, the Netherlands are certain to advance with 6 points, and Cameron will surely be taken out with zero points. The big question lies in the crucial match between Japan vs Denmark, who each have three points. Denmark are behind on the goal difference, so they cannot settle for a draw. It's either win or go home. If there are no drastic changes, it looks like Netherlands and Japan.

In Group F, Paraguay lead with 4 points, New Zealand and Italy have 2 points and Slovakia has one point. Paraguay will have to deal with New Zealand while Italy will clash with Slovakia. It's anyone's ball game, but Paraguay will just need at least a draw to advance. New Zealand cannot settle for a draw, and must win or go home. Most certainly, the winner of Italy vs Slovakia will have a shot if New Zealand loses.

In Group G, North Korea are out. Brazil definitely has their spot, and it's left to play for Portugal and Ivory Coast. Portugal has 4 points while Ivory Coast has 1 point. Ivory Coast can even up the points if Portugal lose to Brazil, but it might not be enough to overcome the goal difference, especially with Portugal scoring 7 goals to beat North Korea. From the way it looks, it's Brazil and Portugal to move forward.

In Group H, Chile leads with 6 points, Spain and Switzerland have 3 points while the Honduras has nothing. Spain will be facing Chile in their last match which is a win or go home match. Switzerland will look to ascertain their spot with a win against Honduras

From what I predict - the 16 teams who will advance will be Uruguay, Mexico, Argentina, South Korea, Slovenia, USA, Ghana, Germany, Netherlands, Denmark, Paraguay, Italy, Brazil, Portugal, Chile, Spain.

2010 World Cup: More Blues For Les Bleus

What's up with the French? Well, one thing's for sure - the French national football team has taken center stage in the 2010 FIFA World Cup, and it's not because of their success in the games. France is making headlines because of their controversial behavior.

First, Nicholas Anelka was sent home back to France after he refused to apologize for his expletive-loaded remarks to coach Domenech.

Following that controversy, Team France went to the training grounds in Knysyna in their bus, but they led by  refused to begin their training session. France team captain Patrice Evra then had a shouting match with their fitness coach Robert Duverne. French head coach Raymond Domenech tried to intervene, but he himself became agitated and threw down his stopwatch in full view of the media.

The players prepared a letter to be addressed for the media, and it read that "All the players in the French squad without exception wish to affirm their opposition to the decision taken by the French Football Federation to exclude Nicolas Anelka."

Disgusted by the behavior of the team, French Football Federation official Jean-Louis Valentin declared that he would now resign from his post and return immediately to Paris. It was the job of Jean-Louis Valentin to serve as a liaison between the players and the management and the federation.

In his own words, Jean-Louis Valentin said, ""I am ashamed, I am leaving immediately for Paris. What has happened is a scandal for the federation, for the French team and for the whole country. They do not want to train, it is unacceptable."

Once again - France has shown the world their capacity for big headlines in the World Cup due to controversy.

In 2006, Zinedine Zidane - then, the captain for France - headbutted Marco Materazzi of Italy in the finals of the 2006 World Cup. Zidane was sent off the finals with a red card, and Italy went on to win the World Cup.

Earlier this year in World Cup qualifying, star striker Thierry Henry had a controversial hand ball that led to a goal, which put France past Ireland and gave them their chance to qualify in the 2010 World Cup final tournament in South Africa. Maybe there should've been a ruling, and Ireland should've been sent to South Africa instead of France. Maybe the games would've been better, and there would be no need for all this drama from France.

In regards to all these French controversies, Zinedine Zidane did not apologize to Marco Materazzi for what he did. Thierry Henry didn't exactly apologize for his hand ball either. And certainly, Nicholas Anelka refused to apologize, and he got sent home.

Perhaps there is no word for "apology" in the French vocabulary. After all, "pardon" in French is more used as "Excuse me" and not really "sorry."

France - United we stand, and united we fall!

6.20.2010

2010 WSOP: Phil Ivey Leads Fan Votes In All-Star Tournament of Champions

The 2010 WSOP Tournament of Champions is the very first fan-voted event in the history of the WSOP, and perhaps in the history of poker. Look at it as the all-star game of poker. 355,081 votes were cast online through WSOP.com from March 15 to June 15, and the top 20 players would be included in the Tournament of Champions along with previous TOC Champions, the 2009 WSOP Main Event Champ, 2009 WSOP Europe Main Event Champ, the WSOP Academy Playoff Winner and the WSOP.COM UK Qualifier.

The tournament of champions was started by the WSOP in 2004 and was an invitational for the top ten names in poker in a winner-take-all competition. The first winner was Annie Duke.

In 2005, the Tournament of Champions was expanded to 114 players, all of whom were WSOP gold bracelet winners. Mike Matusow was the champion of that event, while 9 others were also paid.

In 2006, 27 of the most accomplished WSOP poker players were invited to play with final table players walking away with prizes. The champion then was 2009 Poker Hall of Fame inductee Mike Sexton.

This year, the WSOP decided to make the entrants voted in to the $1 Million Guaranteed pot. First place would win $500,000 while the runner-up would win $250,000, third place would win $100,000 and fourth through ninth would each earn $25,000.

After the votes, the biggest vote-getter was Phil Ivey, who just beat runner-up Daniel Negreanu by a margin of 28 votes from all 355,081 votes cast. The qualified players for the 2010 Tournament of Champions by rank in votes are:

1. Phil Ivey - 16,267
2. Daniel Negreanu - 16,239
3. Doyle Brunson - 13,796
4. Phil Hellmuth - 12,673
5. Chris Ferguson - 11,585
6. Allen Cunningham -10,486
7. Johnny Chan - 10,434
8. Scotty Nguyen - 9,834
9. Barry Greenstein - 9,806
10. John Juanda - 8,835
11. Erik Seidel - 8,802
12. Jennifer Harman - 8,206
13. Huck Seed - 8,180
14. Dan Harrington - 7,342
15. TJ Cloutier - 6,281
16. Sammy Farha - 6,085
17. Howard Lederer - 5,596
18. Greg Raymer - 5,404
19. Joe Hachem - 5,272
20. Antonio Esfandiari - 5,129

Entries are automatically given to 2004 TOC Champion Annie Duke, 2005 TOC Champion Mike Matusow, 2006 TOC Champion Mike Sexton, 2008 WSOP Main Event Champ Joe Cada, 2009 WSOP Europe Main Event Champ Barry Shulman, WSOP Academy Playoff Winner Bertrand "Elky" Grospellier, and WSOP.COM UK Qualifer Andrew Barton.

Should any of the 20 cannot play, then the next highest vote-getter would be eligible to play.

Personally, I'm hoping for John Juanda to win it. He's just been having a more successful run than most throughout the 2010 WSOP.
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2010 World Cup: France vs South Africa

I was a big fan of France. One of my all-time favorite football players in the world is Zinedine Zidane. Taking a look at their recent record, you'll find that France were 1998 World Cup Champions, 1984 European Champions, 2000 European Champions, 2003 Confederarions Cup Champions and then finalists in the 2006 World Cup.

But lately, France hasn't been living up to their reputation as a solid team. They've lost all their matches so far in the 2010 World Cup, and then Nicholas Anelka was just fired from the team for saying bad things to their coach.

What can I say - France just doesn't have it together, and it's all been downhill since their loss int he 2006 World Cup. They haven't been contenders in anything since - not in the Euro Cup, and almost not even qualifying for the 2010 World Cup.

And the big stars of France - Thierry Henry, Zinedine Zidane, Nicholas Anelka - it's just sad that they've been subject to controversy. Just look at it - Zinedine "headbutt" Zidane, Thierry "handball" Henry, Nicholas "bad mouth" Anelka.

Karma is definitely a bitch, and certainly they don't deserve to win even one game in the World Cup. In their last game against South Africa in the group stages - my money is on South Africa. If I were you, I'd bet on South Africa to beat France!