Tom Dwan Leads By $1 Million in Durrrr Challenge
After nearly 32,000 hands in the Tom “durrrr” Dwan Million Dollar Challenge, the youngster leads rival Patrik Antonius by well over $1 million. Dwan ended the latest session up $199,000 after a quick 892-hand encounter. Let’s take a look at a few recent hands during January’s play.
In a sizable Durrrr Challenge pot, Antonius raised to $1,200 pre-flop with Ac-Kc-2h-Qc and Dwan came over the top with 5d-Js-8s-6d. Antonius made the call and the flop came 9-7-A with two spades, giving Antonius top pair and Dwan flush and straight draws. Dwan check-raised to $22,000 at the $200/$400 Pot Limit Omaha table on Full Tilt Poker and Antonius called to bring the queen of hearts on the turn. Dwan bet $51,600, Antonius shoved all-in for another $19,000, and Dwan called. The river was a five, filling Dwan’s straight and trumping Antonius’ two pair. The high-stakes pot was worth $193,000.
In another $193,000 pot, Antonius raised to $1,200 pre-flop with Ks-Qs-6h-Kh and Dwan raised to $3,600 with As-7d-9d-Ad. Antonius re-raised to $10,800 and Dwan called. The flop came 3h-2h-7s and fireworks went off. With Dwan both players holding overpairs to the board, Dwan checked, Antonius bet $14,000, Dwan raised to $63,600, Antonius raised all-in to $85,600, and Dwan called the remaining $22,000. Antonius hit lightning in a bottle on the turn, as a king gave him trips. Needing help on the river, Dwan watched as a 10 hit.
In a $160,000 pot, Antonius raised to $1,200 before the flop with Kc-5c-5s-8s and Dwan made it $3,600 to go with Qd-Ac-Jc-10h. Antonius called and the flop came Ah-10c-6s. The action went an uncharacteristic check-check despite Dwan holding top two pair and a straight draw and the five of hearts hit on the turn. Dwan checked, Antonius bet $6,000 with trips, Dwan pushed the price of poker to $25,200, and Antonius called. The river was the six of diamonds, giving Antonius a full house against Dwan’s two pair. Dwan pushed for $53,000 and Antonius called all-in for $51,400, scooping the pot.
Dwan has taken down 17,041 of the 31,912 hands required for completion of the Durrrr Challenge, or 53%. Dwan has reigned supreme over his foe in the last 8,000 hands and the latest burst over the $1 million mark was his second seven-figure lead during that span. If Dwan is up by at least $1 at the end of 50,000 hands, Antonius will owe $500,000. Contrastingly, if Antonius is up by at least $1 at the end of 50,000 hands, Dwan will fork over a colossal $1.5 million. In either case, the victor keeps the spoils of the 50,000 hands of play.
Dwan has won all but two of the challenge’s 10 largest pots. However, Antonius has scooped the competition’s largest, a $477,000 pot that came back on June 19th. Despite the nosebleed-stakes action, some members of the online poker community have grown frustrated with the lack of action in the Durrrr Challenge. On PocketFives.com, one poster claimed, “Who cares about the durrrr challenge anymore! Is this the 3rd year its been going on now?”
Others on PocketFives.com questioned why Dwan, who dropped more than $5 million to mystery Swedish pro Isildur1, receives so much attention in the poker world: “durrrr is a losing player and he is still getting attention. after losing millions there is no reason for him to ever been acknowledged until he somehow accomplishes something in the poker world.” Despite his misfortunes against Isildur1, Dwan has largely had a stranglehold on the Durrrr Challenge, leading for all but a few thousands hands.
The action in the Million Dollar Challenge takes place across four $200/$400 Pot Limit Omaha tables. Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for the latest challenge headlines.
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Joe Sebok Discusses UB.com Leap of Faith Freeroll
On Wednesday, February 17th at 9:00pm ET, the USA-friendly online poker room UB.com is hosting an extra special freeroll in which the winner gets a once-in-a-lifetime skydiving experience with Joe Sebok. In total, $2,000 in cash and prizes will be up for grabs, with the winner plummeting to the ground with the PokerRoad personality.
The jump occurs over the Nevada desert and the top prize also includes quality time with one of the newest members of Team UB. The tournament’s password will be released through UB.com’s Twitter feed just before it begins. Poker News Daily sat down with Sebok to get the inside scoop on this buzz-worthy promotion.
Poker News Daily: Thanks for joining us. Where did the idea for the skydiving freeroll come from?
Joe Sebok: I had always wanted to do something like that. This was one of the reasons I wanted to get involved with UB.com in the first place, so I could do cool things. If you aren’t having fun, then what’s the point? Each UB.com pro will have a unique experience. I had about 50 things that I thought would be cool.
PND: What were some of the other ideas you had?
Joe Sebok: Jumping out of a plane is my style or maybe going down to San Felipe and racing dune buggies. It really comes down to how much stuff UB wants to do. Hopefully, this will be the first of many unique experiences. We got to do the Twitter tournament and now this. I want to get through the negative stuff with UB so we can get to the fun stuff.
PND: What’s your skydiving background?
Joe Sebok: I love it. I have been about four times now. Thomas Wahlroos is an incredible skydiver and I wanted to go with him. I’ve always gone tandem, but for this one, I’d like it to be a solo jump. It’s terrifying to think of. There’s a class and you have to sit down and go through the techniques. You can imagine how scary it is. When you’re on someone’s back, there’s nothing for you to do other than fall. Everything’s different when you’re responsible for pulling the chute.
PND: Tell us about how the process of distributing hand histories relating to the Russ Hamilton-led cheating scandal is going.
Joe Sebok: It’s going well. In my recent blog, I asked people to get in touch with me with any issues. I probably had around 15 to 20 people do so. The bigger hand history orders, which mainly belong pros, are still being compiled. The main thing for people to understand is that UB had to pick a formula. It was all of the money you won versus cheating accounts minus money lost versus cheating accounts and if it was negative, we gave it back. Some people are angry with that formula and some are grateful. You have to pick a way to go and be consistent. Some will be stoked to get a refund and some won’t be.
The main thing I try to get people to understand is that everyone thinks I’m lying to them or won’t help. It’s just not true. Ever since I signed, I’ve spent a ton of time on this. People need to understand that I’m on their side. I’m trying to make things better and make sure we get this information out.
PND: Give us a quick recap of the first season of the UB.com poker news show “Poker2Nite,” which airs on Fox Sports Net on Wednesdays at 11:00pm ET.
Joe Sebok: The transformation since the first show has been great. In a short amount of time, we’ve improved a lot. We like to think we do that with all of our projects. We just want to continue to improve it heading into Season 2.
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ECJ Upholds EU Law Over State Regulations in Online Gaming Case
A recent decision by the European Union’s Court of Justice (ECJ) offered clarification as to how EU law affects online gaming regulations in individual states within the Union. The ruling in the Winner Wetten v. Mayor of Bergheim case earlier this month stipulated that any national gaming laws needed to be consistent with EU law and denied Germany an exception to preexisting EU regulations that allow for free trade and fair competition.
The case at the heart of the decision involves German company Winner Wetten, which was placing sports bets on behalf of the Maltese company Tipico. While Tipico retains a Maltese gambling license, Winner Wetten was ordered by the mayor of its hometown of Bergheim to cease betting operations because it lacked its own gaming license issued by the Land of North Rhine-Westphalia, one of the 16 states within Germany. Winner Wetten then took the matter to court, claiming, among other things, that it violated EU treaty law promising companies the freedom to establish a business and provide services.
The case was referred to the EJC and Advocate General Bot issued his opinion on the matter on January 26th. Bot ruled in favor of Winner Wetten, stating that the Land of North Rhine-Westphalia’s existing laws regarding sports betting were in violation of EU law. It is worth noting that North Rhine-Westphalia has only issued one gaming license in the territory, to the Westdeutsche Lotterie, one of a number of state run lottery ventures in Germany.
Bot also commented on the German government’s argument that the country should be granted an exception to EU treaty laws because the matter pertained to online gaming versus some other type of business. In Bot’s eyes, EU law does not allow for such exceptions and he went so far as to say that it would not be in the best interest of European consumers to make exceptions that do not allow for consistent rules and regulations, even in the online gaming sector. Ultimately, Bot ruled that state laws must be consistent with existing EU treaty laws without exception.
The European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) was quick to comment on the landmark ruling. In a statement posted on its official website, EGBA Secretary General Sigrid Ligné offered the following insight on the case: “This opinion is crucial for developments in Germany. The AG has made clear that EU law prevails and that unjustified restrictions are not admissible even for a transitional period. Today’s opinion will further fuel the current political debate on online gaming in Germany.” Ligné went on to add that the EGBA agrees with Bot’s ruling and hopes it will lead to more consistent and systematic regulation of online gambling across the Union.
The ruling in the Winner Wetten case stands in stark contrast to another gambling-related EJC decision issued last fall. The case stemmed from online gaming group bwin sponsoring a Portuguese soccer team even though bwin did not have a license to offer gambling services within the country. Portugal, which has a statewide monopoly on online gaming, ordered the sponsorship deal to cease immediately. The EJC ruled in favor of Portugal, claiming the country’s gaming restrictions were reasonable and legal.
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PartyPoker Starts New Hit Or Run Promotions
One thing PartyPoker has done extremely well in its history is provide some of the best promotions for its customers. With its popular Cash Machine set to end on January 31st, PartyPoker had to come up with another promotion that would continue to capture the interest of its players. That new promotion, called Hit Or Run, will start on February 1st.
The Hit Or Run promotion gives players an opportunity to earn over $10,000 per day throughout the month of February. Players on PartyPoker already earn PartyPoker points that can be used to enter tournaments, buy items in the PartyPoker Store, and turn the points into cash. The Hit Or Run promotion is offered as another way that players can use their PartyPoker points.
For every 20 PartyPoker points a player earns on their real money tables, PartyPoker will give players $1 that they can take to play Hit Or Run. Once a player enters into the Hit Or Run arena, they are dealt two hole cards to play heads-up against the PartyPoker system. If a player wins the first hand, that $1 is doubled and the player is given the option of playing again, or taking another “Hit.” The game continues until the player is beaten in the game or the player decides to “Run” with what they have won.
Players can earn up to ten entries per day to play the PartyPoker Hit Or Run game. If a player is able to win ten straight heads-up hands, they will take away $1,024. If a player does this ten times per day and wins every hand, that player would walk away with $10,240. Of course, a player can, at any time, opt to take whatever money they have earned by hitting the “Run” button.
The new Hit Or Run promotion is simply the latest offering that PartyPoker has for its players. Currently, PartyPoker is also running satellites for entries into February’s World Poker Tour (WPT) L. A. Poker Classic and Celebrity Invitational. PartyPoker also offers its popular $1 million Guaranteed the first Sunday of each month and has a $300,000 Guaranteed every other Sunday when the Million Guaranteed isn’t running.
PartyPoker continues to reign among one of the leaders in the online poker industry. Up until 2006, it was the largest poker room in the industry, but the passage of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) in 2006 forced the parent company of PartyPoker, Party Gaming, to pull the plug on players from the United States. Since that time – and catering to players outside of the U. S. only – PartyPoker has slipped behind such sites as PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker, which still continue to accept American action. PartyPoker vies against the iPoker Network for third place in the online poker industry, according to PokerScout.com.
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Phil Bellante is “All In” With Poker Themed Song
“You got to know when to hold ‘em, know when to fold ‘em.” Thanks to Kenny Rogers and his hit song, “The Gambler,” those words will forever be ingrained in the game of poker. The song is more than 30 years old, but its popularity has maintained throughout the years as a staple in the ever-expanding poker community.
Phil Bellante hopes his new poker-themed song will have the same impact on the new crowd of poker players. The musician, songwriter, and producer from Cleveland released a new album in 2009 and on it is the track “All In,” a catchy tune that he’s attempting to market as the new theme song of poker. He’s already receiving rave reviews from the poker media. (The song can be heard at http://philbellante.com/)
Bellante has been busy promoting “All In” and Poker News Daily had a chance to speak with him about the song, his poker history, and his friendship with a well-known poker pro.
Poker News Daily: So Phil, can we assume that you’re a poker player and fan?
Phil Bellante: Absolutely, a poker player and a huge fan!
Poker News Daily: How long have you been playing and what game(s) do you prefer?
Phil Bellante: I have been playing for at least 10 years and I would have to say that No Limit Texas Hold’em is my game of choice.
Poker News Daily: You recently did an interview with your friend and Full Tilt Pro Phil Gordon on ESPN Radio’s “Poker Edge”. How did you become close with Phil?
Phil Bellante: Phil is my good friend’s brother-in-law, so every year for the past several years, we all get together at their place for Thanksgiving and have a poker tournament. It’s a lot of fun, especially when Phil doesn’t win and somebody that hardly knows what they are doing wins the whole thing. Part of the mass appeal, I think, of the game is the ability for anyone to win at any time because of the luck factor and getting dealt the right hand.
Poker News Daily: Are there any other poker players you like or admire?
Phil Bellante: I admire people like Annie Duke, who has also heard the song and given it a nice review on my site. She is a forerunner for women poker players who are now becoming more involved in the game. That takes some fortitude and guts when it’s a male-dominated sport. I also think the old timers like Doyle Brunson are to be admired, as they started playing the game when very few people could make a living at it like they do today. I think now the appeal is more the big winnings for people rather than a true love for the game.
Poker News Daily: What was your influence for creating the song “All In” and what are your aspirations for it?
Phil Bellante: To be honest, it wasn’t planned, which is usually the underlying ingredient to a great song because it comes from something beyond the intellect and usually connects with people on a deeper level. I was sitting around watching a tournament one afternoon and just put myself in the mind of one of the players who went all-in with his hand and then managed to write the song in less than 10 minutes. I then produced the song with a Grammy Award winning engineer a few months later.
While writing the song, I just pictured myself at a tournament performing it. It would be great to be the entertainment for some of these upcoming poker tournaments and really see it catching fire. I have many people working around the clock in various capacities to get maximum exposure for this song. We are looking at movies, video games, TV programs, Poker Tournaments, etc. I guess you can say, I am going “All In” with this song.
Poker News Daily: Is this going to be “the” poker song for the next generation of poker players to latch onto?
Phil Bellante: “All In” has great potential due to the size of the poker market and its very catchy chorus. Andrew Feldman said during my recent ESPN Poker Radio show interview that the song had been stuck in his head all day. I just received the same comment from some of the top people in Nashville who are very interested in it and choose hit songs for the platinum country artists.
I really feel the song speaks to the poker community. It has that emotional and intense build leading up to a huge swelling chorus that kind of releases all the tension. Every player knows what that adrenaline rush feels like, so they can definitely relate. That is why I think it would be so perfect to sing at a poker tournament.
In the end, only time and the fans/players will be able to determine whether this is the case. The last generation had Kenny Rogers’s song’ “The Gambler,” so I wouldn’t mind him passing the torch to me for the next generation. I think I am holding a good hand with this song and so do a lot of the higher ups in the music world so time will tell.
The song can be downloaded at www.thepokersong.com
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Pam Brunson to Oversee DoylesRoom Brunson 10
Like father, like daughter. Doyle Brunson’s daughter, Pam Brunson, will manage the Brunson 10, according to officials from DoylesRoom. The stable of up-and-coming poker pros numbers four, with six men and two women yet to be named.
A press release distributed by DoylesRoom in recent days notes, “As Manager of the Brunson 10, Pam Brunson will be responsible for overseeing PR requests, handling scheduling and managing the Brunson 10 internally. As the world’s biggest poker legend continues to fill spots on his team of poker professionals, Pam Brunson will be tasked with managing their relationship with one of the fastest growing online poker sites and its players.” The younger Brunson is a regular in the online poker site’s weekly Bounty tournament, which offers a refund of the $27.50 buy-in for first-time players.
Amit “amak316” Makhija, Dani “ansky451” Stern, Zachary “CrazyZachary” Clark, and top online poker pro Chris “moorman1” Moorman currently comprise the Brunson 10. Stern is the group’s newest addition, having joined the clan during final table play in the 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event in Las Vegas. A press conference was held at the Wynn for Stern’s introduction, with “2 Months, $2 Million” housemate Jay Rosenkrantz on-hand to witness the festivities.
Meanwhile, former Brunson 10 member Alec “traheho” Torelli departed the online poker site to join Victory Poker, whose roster of pro players includes Antonio Esfandiari, Andrew “good2cu” Robl, and Full Tilt Poker defects Paul Wasicka and Lee Markholt. The site is set to debut on February 1st on the merged Everleaf/UPN network, with a launch party to occur after the Trash Talk Championship of the World Straddle Tournament at the Hard Rock on February 6th.
On replacing Torelli, DoylesRoom officials told Poker News Daily that a fifth member of the Brunson 10 will be named no later than mid-March. In addition, the forthcoming announcement may include the introduction of two new faces to the Cake Poker Network site that welcomes action from the United States. The newest additions will fall under Pam Brunson’s wings.
According to the traffic ranking site PokerScout.com, the Cake Poker Network is the 10th largest worldwide, offering a seven-day running average of 2,100 real money ring game players. During its peak hours, which occur in the evening across North America, nearly 3,000 cash game players call the network home. Besides DoylesRoom and Cake Poker, other sites on the network include City Poker, Lock Poker, PlayersOnly, Poker Host, Red Star Poker, Stryyke, and Phil Laak’s Unabomber Poker, which was added to the family this week.
The 2010 calendar year also saw DoylesRoom unveil its very own online store, which offers unique items like a limited edition Doyle Resitol Cowboy Hat. Other goods available in the DoylesRoom Store include DoylesRoom apparel, laptop bags, Brunson autographed merchandise, GPS systems, iPod accessories, digital cameras, Nintendo Wiis, and “the hottest lifestyle enhancing accessories.” Gold Chips are the currency of the DoylesRoom Store, which can be accessed from the online poker room’s website.
The recent World Poker Tour (WPT) Southern Poker Championship featured DoylesRoom pro Hoyt Corkins coming out on top to claim his second WPT title. Corkins earned $739,000 for his efforts and defeated a final table that also included Jonathan Kantor (second place for $366,00), Jerry Vanstrydonck (third place for $197,000), Jared Jaffee (fourth place for $135,000), James Reed (fifth place for $106,000), and Tyler “Tydean” Smith (sixth place for $87,000). The Southern Poker Championship marked Corkins’ sixth WPT final table appearance. The tournament will air as part of Season 8 on Fox Sports Net.
Pam Brunson finished 364th in the 2007 WSOP Main Event for $34,000. That year, she won a ladies’ event held during the Legends of Poker for the same amount.
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Poker2Nite Welcomes Mike Matusow
The Fox Sports Net poker news show “Poker2Nite” welcomed the always outspoken Mike “The Mouth” Matusow this week. The franchise airs at 11:00pm ET every Wednesday night and can also be seen on The Score at 3:00pm ET on Sundays.
This week’s installment began with a discussion of the $335 buy-in re-entry event that kicked off the L.A. Poker Classic. The tournament was the brainchild of Matt Savage and allowed players to buy back in on a later starting day should they be knocked out. On top of the unique formula, the tournament also guaranteed $1 million. Interviews were shown with David “Chino” Rheem, Amnon Filippi, Thor Hanson, and Andreas Hoivold. Filippi commented, “It’s so hard to get so many people in one place at one time. You have to have a 100-table room and you have to have the players. L.A. has both.” Darrell Cain ultimately took down the kickoff event for over $300,000.
Attention then turned to Betfair front woman Annette “Annette_15” Obrestad, who won an Omaha event held during the Aussie Millions this month for $40,000. Obrestad, who won the inaugural World Series of Poker (WSOP) Europe Main Event, became the first female ever to win an Aussie Millions tournament. “Poker2Nite’ co-host Joe Sebok explained, “She’s an absolute beast. She’s going to be a force at the Rio.” The 2010 WSOP will mark Obrestad’s debut in the annual U.S. series.
Matusow then joined the show and explained that his fortunes turned for the worst last year: “2007 and 2008 were the best years of poker I’ve ever had in my life. It spiraled downward starting with the $40,000 event in the WSOP [last year]. That beat led to another beat and another beat and the next thing you know, I was catching no cards and [recording] no cashes.” Matusow admitted that he made just $2,200 off of poker in 2009 after recording seven-figure years in 2007 and 2008.
As to what led to his dramatic downfall, Matusow explained that not working out every day and stiff competition contributed. His goal is to drop back to 185 pounds and run eight miles per day by the time the 2010 WSOP rolls around. He added, “Players have gotten better. There are so many great players.” One of those top minds in the game is its all-time money leader, Phil Ivey. Matusow commented on his fellow Full Tilt Poker pro: “I think that Phil Ivey, when he’s playing well, is probably the best all-around poker player I’ve ever played with.”
A new segment called “Mikey’s Meltdowns” featured Matusow against UB.com’s Phil Hellmuth during a taping of GSN’s “High Stakes Poker.” A 7-2 rule was in effect and any player who scooped the pot with the worst starting hand in Hold’em was paid $500 by each of their opponents. Hellmuth led out for a pot-sized bet of $40,000 on the river with 7-2 for air against Matusow, who had pocket kings. After much deliberation and a “This sucks,” Matusow folded his overpair face up. Hellmuth turned over 7-2 and the table exploded in commentary.
“All in Blind” featured Sebok and co-host Scott Huff debating a series of topics, including the aforementioned L.A. Poker Classic re-entry event, U.S. President Barack Obama being invited to play in the Irish Poker Open, and UB.com pro Eric “basebaldy” Baldwin donating $200,000 to his alma mater’s baseball program. Then, Dana Workman’s “Weekly Misdeal,” which provides a satirical look at the week’s headlines, poked fun at a topless home game raid, the Rio’s 20th birthday celebration, T.J. Cloutier selling a WSOP bracelet on eBay, and the popular video game system Sega entering the online poker marketplace.
Finally, “Poker2Nite” saluted Mike Hofer, the winner of the Absolute Poker College Challenge. Hofer earned $10,000 in college tuition and told “Poker2Nite” cameras, “The competition surprised me. They were all very competent players. Hats off to them. They played a great game.”
Catch “Poker2Nite” next Wednesday at 11:00pm ET on Fox Sports Net. Check your local listings for more information.
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The iPad and its Potential With Online Poker
Although most online poker players use Windows PCs, there has been a growing swell of players using Apple Mac computers like MacBook Pros and iMacs. The Mac-centric poker niche is growing, with four major sites having native software clients: PokerStars, Full Tilt Poker, UB.com, and Absolute Poker. The popular hand history tracking utility PokerTracker 3 came out recently with a Mac OS X beta edition of its software. With the release of Apple’s tablet computer, the iPad, there has been plenty of speculation about the machine’s future with online poker.
When thinking about the iPad and its potential for being used for online poker, we need to keep the following questions in mind:
- What are the hardware specs of the iPad?
- Is the interface going to be applicable to an online poker software program?
- Will the screen quality and resolution level make online poker practical?
- Does the iPad have enough bandwidth to have a lag-free online poker experience?
- Is the iPad OS something that a poker site can work with to create an App?
- Will the legal environment allow a poker site to release an App?
The iPad is a high-resolution 9.7-inch LED-backlit computer that weighs just 1.5 pounds. It’s touted as being perfect for web browsing, watching movies, and viewing photos. The unit works in either portrait or landscape mode, very similarly to an iPod Touch or iPhone. The multi-touch screen on the iPad is based on the current iPhone technology, but has been totally re-engineered for the larger surface to be more precise and responsive. The battery life is said to last up to 10 hours by using a special lithium-polymer technology. The iPad uses an A4 chip that was custom designed by Apple engineers to be extremely powerful, but at the same time very power efficient. Units will have an option for 16, 32, or 64 GB of internal flash storage.
All iPad units will have built-in WiFi with 802.11n, which is currently the fastest wireless protocol available. In addition, there will be 3G models with data speeds up to 7.2 MB per second on the AT&T network for coverage anywhere without a WiFi network, but with a 3G signal. Units are expected to start shipping at the end of March and the base version costs just $499.
The iPad interface is the multi-touch screen that has been made more precise and responsive to help counter the potential problems it would face with a much larger screen. The resolution of the iPad’s 9.7-inch screen is 1024×768, which is a bit inferior to what most experts predicted it would be.
With all the glitz and glamor of the iPad now out in the open, as poker players, we’re wondering about its capabilities for online poker. The unit, on the surface, seems like a great little online poker machine. The touch screen appears to be perfect for interfacing with a poker table. You could use the bet slider with the flick of a finger, fold or check by tapping the appropriate button, and even muck your cards by flicking them into the middle of the table. Interface-wise, there’s no question that the touch-screen of the unit will work splendidly.
The next question for whether or not the iPad would be feasible for an online poker player is how a table would look on the screen. There’s plenty of screen available for a single poker table to load up in the 1024×768 space. In fact, it’s probably feasible to have four tables load up at the same time. The graphics capabilities of the unit were rather impressive during Apple CEO Steve Jobs’ presentation with a few video games, so we know it can handle the minimal graphics required by many of the poker rooms.
Another question we have to answer is about the iPad bringing the necessary bandwidth to play one or even four tables at the same time. Since most poker rooms only require a dial-up connection, which is surpassed in spades by both WiFi and 3G connections, there’s absolutely no concern about the unit not having enough bandwidth to handle the rigors of playing online poker.
The iPad uses a new operating system that works very similar to the iPhone OS, with more capabilities to take advantage of the unit’s more robust power. Because the development kit is already available to software developers, there wouldn’t be much of a stumbling block to developing a solid iPad version of the software.
With the all of the questions answered fairly positively when asking the question whether or not the iPad will work with online poker, we’re down to our final one: Will the current legal environment allow it? Since Apple is based in California and controls the App Store, the worldwide distribution of Apps for the iPad will be based on U.S. laws. The legal environment in the United States is murky at best with online poker, with virtually no chance of Apple approving an App created by a major poker site for real money poker play. With that being the case, it would seem foolish to expect a poker site to invest money and resources toward a project that would only meet failure.
The potential future of the iPad and real money online poker is bright. The unit is perfect for those who want to sit on their couch, relax, and play a few hands of poker. Maybe you’re stuck at the airport or who knows where and you want to log on and play a few hands. The iPad certainly has the technological power to handle the task. The only stumbling block is left up to the legal environment. For now, we’ll probably just enjoy whatever random Texas Hold’em video games Apple approves in the iPad App Store to satisfy our poker craving.
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Victory Poker Launches February 1st
One day prior to Super Bowl XLIV between the Indianapolis Colts and New Orleans Saints, officials from Victory Poker will celebrate the site’s launch at a party at the Hard Rock in Las Vegas. The online poker room will open for business on February 1st.
Victory Poker will make its home on the merged Everleaf/UPN network, which has yet to take on an official name. According to PokerScout.com, the newly created network will boast traffic similar to that of Betfair, which has a seven-day running average of 610 real money ring game players. A press release announcing the Trash Talk Championship of the World Straddle Tournament at the Hard Rock in Las Vegas on February 6th revealed that the Victory Poker launch party would occur at 10:00pm following the festivities.
UFC’s Randy Couture will be sporting a Victory Poker logo when he takes to the ring in UFC 109 against Mark Coleman. The bout emanates from the Mandalay Bay Events Center near the Hard Rock and will also feature Nate Marquardt facing off against Chael Sonnen and Matt Serra fighting Frank Trigg. The first brawl takes place at 4:45pm, while televised matches start at 7:00pm. Couture will don a dot-net logo for the new online poker room.
Antonio Esfandiari headlines the Victory Poker stable of pros. A World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet winner, Esfandiari has become widely known for his insatiable appetite for prop bets. He even co-starred with his close friend Phil Laak on the MOJO show “I Bet You,” which ran for two seasons on the cable station. Esfandiari has three WPT final tables to his credit and one title, which came in the Season 2 L.A. Poker Classic. At the tender age of 31, Esfandiari is one of the veterans of the game.
Jumping over from DoylesRoom to be a part of Victory Poker is Alec “traheho” Torelli. The Cake Poker Network site and Torelli severed ties two weeks ago. Torelli has made two WPT final tables, finishing fourth in both the Bellagio Cup V and Solvakia events. The former will air its finale at 11:00pm ET on Fox Sports Net this Sunday in a one-hour episode. Poker Hall of Fame member Mike Sexton and actor Vince Van Patten will once again provide commentary for Season 8 of the WPT.
Coming over from Full Tilt Poker are Paul Wasicka and Lee Markholt. The latter was removed in recent days as a Full Tilt Red Pro and finished fourth in the WSOP Circuit Championship in Tunica four years ago for $183,000. In addition, Markholt won the WPT Season 6 World Poker Challenge in Reno for $493,000 and owns $1.3 million in career earnings from the roving tournament series. Wasicka was the runner-up to Jamie Gold in the 2006 WSOP Main Event, earning a colossal $6.1 million.
Also appearing in the Victory Poker pro lineup is Chinese Poker sensation Danny Wong. Owning the moniker “Chinese Poker Wizard,” Wong learned to play the game’s variation at age five. Despite his success in Chinese Poker, he’s also excelled in No Limit Texas Hold’em, making three WPT final tables. Joining Wong will be online poker pro Brian “tsarrast” Rast.
Those who watched the 2009 WSOP Main Event on ESPN will recall the deep run of the “Flying” Bilzerian brothers. Dan Bilzerian, who finished 180th, will become part of the Victory Poker cast. In his final hand of the $10,000 buy-in feature tournament, Bilzerian committed his stack with A-6, but could not best Jonathan “driverseati” Tamayo’s pocket tens. His brother, Adam Bilzerian, renounced his U.S. citizenship and is now a passport holder of St. Kitts and Nevis.
Other Victory Poker pros include Andrew “good2cu” Robl, Keith Gipson, David “The Maven” Chicotsky, Sander Lylloff., and 2007 Playboy Playmate of the Year Sara Underwood. The site is scheduled to launch on February 1st and will accept players from the United States.
The Trash Talk Championship is a $1,000 buy-in charity poker tournament benefiting the Sharon Osbourne Colon Cancer Program and Cedars-Sinai.
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Hoyt Corkins Wins WPT Southern Poker Championship
With his win in the World Poker Tour’s (WPT) Southern Poker Championship, “The Alabama Cowboy” Hoyt Corkins claimed his second WPT title. The DoylesRoom pro banked $739,000 for his efforts at the Beau Rivage in Biloxi, Mississippi.
Donning an all-black outfit with a bright green DoylesRoom patch, Corkins told WPT Live Updates Hostess Amanda Leatherman following the win in the Deep South, “It’s been so frustrating. I’ve finished second twice, third once. It is frustrating to get down there and finish second or third.” Corkins’ last WPT title came during Season 2, when he brought home the bacon in the Foxwoods World Poker Finals for $1.1 million. He was the runner-up in the Season 2 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure and Season 6 Gold Strike World Poker Open.
Tyler “Tydean” Smith was the first casualty of the WPT Southern Poker Championship final table. After doubling up Jonathan Kantor, Smith committed the rest of his chips with J-3 and was up against Jonathan Jaffee’s A-Q. With the hometown favorite on the cusp of elimination, the crowd watched as the flop fell K-10-6, keeping Jaffee out in front. The turn came a four and, needing to catch a three on the river, Smith saw a six instead fall. He earned $86,000 for his second straight final table appearance in the $10,000 buy-in tournament. Smith lives ten minutes from the casino, an easy commute.
James Reed hit the skids in fifth place for $106,000. Reed shoved with 7-5 pre-flop and received a call from Jaffee, who held pocket eights. The flop of A-Q-5 paired Reed, but a running 6-4 sent him packing. Jaffee pushed his way to third in chips as a result, with Corkins, who had entered as a massive chip leader, continuing to pace the field. The WPT Southern Poker Championship marked Reed’s first WPT in the money finish.
Twenty-two hands later, Jaffee was eliminated in fourth place. Jaffee pushed with K-Q pre-flop over the top of a raise by Corkins, who came along with pocket jacks to set up a race. The flop came a benign 7-6-3, while a four on the turn left Jaffee calling for a king or queen on the river to stay alive. However, the final card was a nine, dashing his WPT Southern Poker Championship title hopes.
In a key pot three-handed, Corkins doubled up with A-J against Jerry Vanstrydonck’s pocket kings. The board of 9-8-8-5 was looking grim until Corkins spiked a three-outer on the river to stay alive and the pot once again made him the chip leader. Vanstrydonck could not withstand the blow to his stack and was ousted shortly thereafter. Vanstrydonck’s 9-8 was up against Corkins’ K-Q pre-flop and the board blanked out for both players. Corkins was a 3:2 chip leader entering heads-up play against Kantor.
Kantor battled to even after shoving on the river on a board reading 8-5-3-4-3. Corkins tanked before folding and Kantor turned over 10-6 for “nuclear squadoosh,” as the legendary ESPN announcer Norman Chad would say. Corkins then won a 1.7-million chip pot before the final hand of the WPT Southern Poker Championship occurred. Kantor pushed with K-10 and Corkins made the call with A-7. The flop came ace-high, preserving Corkins’ lead in the hand. By the river, Kantor was rooting for a club to remain in the hunt for the $739,000 first place prize, but the five of hearts hit to give Corkins his second WPT title. Here are the payouts from the final table in Biloxi:
1. Hoyt Corkins – $739,486
2. Jonathan Kantor – $366,643
3. Jerry Vanstrydonck – $196,829
4. Jared Jaffee – $135,079
5. James Reed – $106,134
6. Tyler Smith – $86,837
The WPT Southern Poker Championship will air as part of Season 8 on Fox Sports Net. Next up for the WPT is a cross-country flight to Los Angeles, site of the WPT Celebrity Invitational and L.A. Poker Classic. The tournaments kick off on February 20th and 26th, respectively, from the Commerce Casino.
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