Poker Hits MySpace Community Through Partnership with World Poker Tour®
21st October 2008
Dedicated WPT Channel Gives MySpace Users the First Fully-Integrated Destination for Poker Games and Content
LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--MySpace, the world’s premier social network, and World Poker Tour ® (WPT), the preeminent poker sports, entertainment and gaming league, have joined forces to create the first fully integrated poker destination with games and content for MySpace members.
The MySpace WPT community (www.myspace.com/ClubWPT) delivers a unique poker experience with must-see content for poker die-hards and casual fans alike, including expert tips and tricks, player profiles, video clips, tournament news, and behind-the-scenes videos from the World Poker Tour and new ClubWPT.com TV series. The community provides a place for poker fans to meet and interact with their favorite WPT superstars and discover new WPT content.
The MySpace WPT hub also offers a free multi-player poker game developed by Oberon, MySpace’s online game partner and a leading innovator in casual gaming. The free poker game allows MySpace members to compete against each other online in real time, putting their poker skills to the test in live or private tournaments. MySpace WPT community members can also experience channel sponsor, ClubWPT.com, which is WPT’s innovative online subscription and sweepstakes-based poker offering. For $19.95 per month, ClubWPT.com members receive VIP perks and the chance to play and win over $100,000 in cash and prizes each month, like seats into WPT main events and the ClubWPT.com TV series.
“MySpace is bringing a new dimension of entertainment to users with this integrated WPT poker hub and providing an easy and fun way for users to play poker with friends on MySpace,” said Angela Courtin, senior vice president of marketing, entertainment and content for MySpace. “MySpace has a balance of a social community base and a global portal platform that allows brands like WPT to create great online entertainment experiences for our users. As the Web becomes increasingly more social, MySpace is at the forefront of innovation and online engagement.”
“Poker and social networking have separately reached and engaged people around the world in ways like nothing we’ve seen before,” said Steve Lipscomb, WPT Founder, President and CEO. “As poker continues to see major growth across the globe, this partnership meets the demand for a poker experience that appeals to enthusiasts of all levels by connecting consumers in one unique, fully-integrated gaming and entertainment environment.”
Poker fans will also see the MySpace WPT community get in the action during WPT Season VII television broadcasts, featured on the final table ring where the remaining six players battle it out for millions of dollars and a WPT title. Premiering on Fox Sports Net later this year, the World Poker Tour follows the pros, newcomers, and all the poker action from Las Vegas to Barcelona, featuring all-new final tables where millions of dollars and a WPT title are at stake.
No purchase is necessary for the ClubWPT.com sweepstakes and the service is void in states where prohibited. To get details on how to join, for information on alternative means of entry or to get a two-week free trial, visit www.myspace.com/ClubWPT or www.ClubWPT.com.
About MySpace
MySpace, a unit of Fox Interactive Media Inc., is the premier lifestyle portal for connecting with friends, discovering popular culture, and making a positive impact on the world. MySpace has created a connected global community by integrating web profiles, blogs, instant messaging, e-mail, music streaming, music videos, photo galleries, classified listings, events, groups, college communities, and member forums. MySpace's international network includes more than 30 localized community sites in the United States, Brazil, Canada, Latin America, Mexico, Austria, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Australia, India, Japan, and New Zealand. Fox Interactive Media is a division of News Corp. (NYSE:NWS)(NYSE:NWS.A)(ASX:NWS)(ASX:NWSLV).
Among the top 2000 domains comScore Media Metrix, September 2008. For more information on comScore Networks, please go to www.comscore.com.
ABOUT WPTE
WPT Enterprises, Inc. (Nasdaq: WPTE) is a company engaged in the creation of internationally branded entertainment and consumer products driven by the development, production, and marketing of televised programming based on gaming themes. WPTE is the creator of the World Poker Tour®, a television show based on a series of high-stakes poker tournaments that has been licensed for broadcast globally. WPT Season VI airs Monday nights at 9pm ET/PT on GSN in the United States, and WPT Season VII will air on FSN in 2009. WPTE also offers real-money online gaming on its website, www.worldpokertour.com, which prohibits wagers from players in the U.S. and certain other restricted territories. WPTE also has operations in mainland China, pursuant to an agreement with the China Leisure Sports Administrative Center where WPTE is developing and marketing the WPT China National Traktor Poker Tour. In January 2008, the company launched ClubWPT.com, an innovative subscription-based online poker club targeted to the estimated 60 million poker players in the United States and is currently offered in 38 States. WPTE currently licenses its brand to companies in the business of poker equipment and instruction, apparel, publishing, electronic and wireless entertainment, DVD/home entertainment, casino games, and giftware. The company is also engaged in the sale of corporate sponsorships. For show information, tools for improving poker play, and other WPT news, fans may log on to www.worldpokertour.com. WPTE is a majority owned subsidiary of Lakes Entertainment, Inc. (Nasdaq: LACO).
WPTEG
The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides a "safe harbor" for forward-looking statements. Certain information included in this press release (as well as information included in oral statements or other written statements made or to be made by WPT Enterprises, Inc.) contains statements that are forward-looking, such as statements relating to the expansion of WPTE's brand licensing, the development of new television and film projects, the development of WPTE corporate sponsors and other business development activities, as well as statements regarding other capital spending, financing sources and the effects of competition. Such forward-looking information involves important risks and uncertainties that could significantly affect anticipated results in the future and, accordingly, such results may differ from those expressed in any forward-looking statements made by or on behalf of WPTE. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the risk that WPTE may not obtain sufficient sponsorship revenues for Season VII programming of the WPT; difficulty of predicting the growth of our online gaming business, which is a relatively new industry with an increasing number of market entrants; reliance on the efforts of CryptoLogic to develop and maintain the online gaming website in compliance with WPTE’s business model and applicable gaming laws; the potential that our television programming will fail to maintain a sufficient audience; the risk that competitors with greater financial resources or marketplace presence might develop television programming that would directly compete with WPTE's television programming; the risk that WPTE may not be able to protect its entertainment concepts, current and future brands and other intellectual property rights; risks associated with future expansion into new or complementary businesses; the termination or impairment of WPTE's relationships with key licensing and strategic partners; and WPTE's dependence on its senior management team. For more information, review WPTE's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
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Thursday, November 13, 2008
CryptoLogic Consolidates Its Market Position by Joining Forces with Top Slot Game Developer - 7th November 2008
CryptoLogic consolidates its market position by joining forces with top slot game developer to broaden distribution of industry leading branded content.
Exclusive deal with NextGen Gaming gives CryptoLogic access to a global online and land based distribution network and cements its position as the leader in branded content provision in the online gaming space.
DUBLIN, IRELAND, Nov 7, 2008 - CryptoLogic Limited, a leading software developer to the global Internet gaming market, has signed an exclusive multi-year agreement with NextGen Gaming, the world's leading independent developer of slot games for the international gambling industry.
Under the deal, CryptoLogic will collaborate with NextGen to develop new branded slot games for the company, and in return, NextGen will provide branded games exclusively to CryptoLogic within the online gaming space. Additionally, the companies will combine their extensive sales and distribution networks to allow CryptoLogic to license these branded games to the world's top online and land-based organisations. NextGen has existing commercial relationships with a great majority of the top operators and suppliers in the industry.
The ultimate goal of the collaboration is to ensure that branded content providers look no further than CryptoLogic when choosing a partner with whom to take their brands into the online gaming space. This will be achieved by continuing to create the best games in the industry and by ensuring that the games are live at as many top operators as possible.
"For CryptoLogic, this is a most significant and unique strategic partnership - one that gives u s new access to one of the industry's broadest, deepest and most successful distribution networks," said Brian Hadfield, CryptoLogic's President and CEO. "This will allow CryptoLogic to deal with the best brands, develop the best games, and deliver the best experiences to players around the world - whether they're on land or online."
"Branded content in gaming is powerful, because it combines a familiar theme with an exciting new experience," said Matt Davey, CEO of NextGen Gaming. "In selecting CryptoLogic as our Internet gaming software partner for branded content, NextGen has chosen a pioneer, an innovator and a leader. It's a powerful partnership that promises both performance and profitability."
In recent years, CryptoLogic and NextGen have worked together and distinguished themselves with highly successful branded slot games, including titles based on the world-famous Marvel Super Heroes, Street Fighter II, and the highly anticipated King Kong. CryptoLogic has also excelled with casual branded games such as Bejeweled, Cubis, and Jewel Quest. As one element of its new strategy, CryptoLogic plans to consolidate its leadership position in this area by aligning with additional content providers to bring the best brands, with the best games to the online gaming market.
"In 2008, CryptoLogic has shown innovation not just with its games, but also with its partnerships," added Justin Thouin, CryptoLogic's Vice President of Product Management and Business Development. "With a partner like NextGen - who knows the industry like very few others, and who has a distribution network like few others - CryptoLogic will take its software to new people and new places. With this agreement, CryptoLogic cements its position as the undisputed leader in the provision of branded content in the online gaming space. We can now offer the best games, and the broadest distribution network with our ability to tap into all of the online and land based partnerships that CryptoLogic and NextGen have established."
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CryptoLogic consolidates its market position by joining forces with top slot game developer to broaden distribution of industry leading branded content.
Exclusive deal with NextGen Gaming gives CryptoLogic access to a global online and land based distribution network and cements its position as the leader in branded content provision in the online gaming space.
DUBLIN, IRELAND, Nov 7, 2008 - CryptoLogic Limited, a leading software developer to the global Internet gaming market, has signed an exclusive multi-year agreement with NextGen Gaming, the world's leading independent developer of slot games for the international gambling industry.
Under the deal, CryptoLogic will collaborate with NextGen to develop new branded slot games for the company, and in return, NextGen will provide branded games exclusively to CryptoLogic within the online gaming space. Additionally, the companies will combine their extensive sales and distribution networks to allow CryptoLogic to license these branded games to the world's top online and land-based organisations. NextGen has existing commercial relationships with a great majority of the top operators and suppliers in the industry.
The ultimate goal of the collaboration is to ensure that branded content providers look no further than CryptoLogic when choosing a partner with whom to take their brands into the online gaming space. This will be achieved by continuing to create the best games in the industry and by ensuring that the games are live at as many top operators as possible.
"For CryptoLogic, this is a most significant and unique strategic partnership - one that gives u s new access to one of the industry's broadest, deepest and most successful distribution networks," said Brian Hadfield, CryptoLogic's President and CEO. "This will allow CryptoLogic to deal with the best brands, develop the best games, and deliver the best experiences to players around the world - whether they're on land or online."
"Branded content in gaming is powerful, because it combines a familiar theme with an exciting new experience," said Matt Davey, CEO of NextGen Gaming. "In selecting CryptoLogic as our Internet gaming software partner for branded content, NextGen has chosen a pioneer, an innovator and a leader. It's a powerful partnership that promises both performance and profitability."
In recent years, CryptoLogic and NextGen have worked together and distinguished themselves with highly successful branded slot games, including titles based on the world-famous Marvel Super Heroes, Street Fighter II, and the highly anticipated King Kong. CryptoLogic has also excelled with casual branded games such as Bejeweled, Cubis, and Jewel Quest. As one element of its new strategy, CryptoLogic plans to consolidate its leadership position in this area by aligning with additional content providers to bring the best brands, with the best games to the online gaming market.
"In 2008, CryptoLogic has shown innovation not just with its games, but also with its partnerships," added Justin Thouin, CryptoLogic's Vice President of Product Management and Business Development. "With a partner like NextGen - who knows the industry like very few others, and who has a distribution network like few others - CryptoLogic will take its software to new people and new places. With this agreement, CryptoLogic cements its position as the undisputed leader in the provision of branded content in the online gaming space. We can now offer the best games, and the broadest distribution network with our ability to tap into all of the online and land based partnerships that CryptoLogic and NextGen have established."
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AsianLogic Agrees PKR.com Partnership - 12th November 2008
Hong Kong-based online gaming developer and operator AsianLogic Limited has signed an agreement to become the exclusive marketing partner in Asia for Alderney-licensed three-dimensional virtual poker room PKR.com.
Software at PKR.com’s poker room allows players to compete in a truly three-dimensional environment and AsianLogic will be responsible for developing the site’s customer base in Asia. It will also utilise its knowledge of the Asian gaming and affiliate market along with local payment processing solutions to promote PKR.com via strategic affiliate partnerships and programmes along with direct marketing initiatives throughout the region.
'PKR.com is a very innovative and popular online poker brand and to be named their partner in Asia displays PKR.com's trust and confidence in AsianLogic,” said Tom Hall, Chief Executive Officer for AsianLogic.
“With our knowledge of the Asian gaming market, not to mention affiliate marketing in a diversely-cultured region like Asia, we believe the PKR.com brand is destined for rapid growth and success. The PKR.com three-dimensional product is also ideally suited for the huge Asian subscription gaming and play-for-points markets and we see significant opportunities in these sectors.'
Jez San, one of Europe's most respected technology entrepreneurs and the first person to be awarded an OBE for services to the computer games industry, established PKR.com in 2005. The site recently signed up its two millionth player, less than a year after passing the one million player milestone.
'We see huge potential and acceptance of our unique three-dimensional poker product in Asia and for success we need a local partner that understands our needs and possesses the right experience and competency,” said Malcolm Graham, Chief Executive Officer for PKR.com.
“We believe AsianLogic is the best partner for PKR.com.'
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Hong Kong-based online gaming developer and operator AsianLogic Limited has signed an agreement to become the exclusive marketing partner in Asia for Alderney-licensed three-dimensional virtual poker room PKR.com.
Software at PKR.com’s poker room allows players to compete in a truly three-dimensional environment and AsianLogic will be responsible for developing the site’s customer base in Asia. It will also utilise its knowledge of the Asian gaming and affiliate market along with local payment processing solutions to promote PKR.com via strategic affiliate partnerships and programmes along with direct marketing initiatives throughout the region.
'PKR.com is a very innovative and popular online poker brand and to be named their partner in Asia displays PKR.com's trust and confidence in AsianLogic,” said Tom Hall, Chief Executive Officer for AsianLogic.
“With our knowledge of the Asian gaming market, not to mention affiliate marketing in a diversely-cultured region like Asia, we believe the PKR.com brand is destined for rapid growth and success. The PKR.com three-dimensional product is also ideally suited for the huge Asian subscription gaming and play-for-points markets and we see significant opportunities in these sectors.'
Jez San, one of Europe's most respected technology entrepreneurs and the first person to be awarded an OBE for services to the computer games industry, established PKR.com in 2005. The site recently signed up its two millionth player, less than a year after passing the one million player milestone.
'We see huge potential and acceptance of our unique three-dimensional poker product in Asia and for success we need a local partner that understands our needs and possesses the right experience and competency,” said Malcolm Graham, Chief Executive Officer for PKR.com.
“We believe AsianLogic is the best partner for PKR.com.'
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Simone Callahan's not in Shane Warne's league at poker - The Daily Telegraph - 13th November 2008
When it comes to card tricks, looks like Shane Warne's holding all the aces over ex-wife Simone Callahan.
Despite being flown up by Star City to lead a glamour game with a deck of WAGS - including Zoe Foster and Sarita Stella - this token player told Confidential that poker is a game she's never aced.
"(Shane has) tried to teach me but I didn't have the patience. I'm great at snap but I've never actually played poker," she said.
Warne chucked in his cricket career for pro-poker but Callahan fell prey to Manly Sea Eagle Brett Stewart and Sydney Swan Ryan O'Keefe at last night's launch of the Big Game Poker tournament.
(Credit: The Daily Telegraph)
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When it comes to card tricks, looks like Shane Warne's holding all the aces over ex-wife Simone Callahan.
Despite being flown up by Star City to lead a glamour game with a deck of WAGS - including Zoe Foster and Sarita Stella - this token player told Confidential that poker is a game she's never aced.
"(Shane has) tried to teach me but I didn't have the patience. I'm great at snap but I've never actually played poker," she said.
Warne chucked in his cricket career for pro-poker but Callahan fell prey to Manly Sea Eagle Brett Stewart and Sydney Swan Ryan O'Keefe at last night's launch of the Big Game Poker tournament.
(Credit: The Daily Telegraph)
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Wednesday, November 12, 2008
World Series of Poker: Eastgate wins WSOP title, by Jeff Haney - Las Vegas Sun - 10th November 2008
22-year-old becomes youngest champ; pockets $9.15 million
The 2008 World Series of Poker had a fairy-tale ending for a young Danish poker pro who shares a hometown with Hans Christian Andersen.
Peter Eastgate, 22, became the youngest World Series main event champion in the tournament's 39-year-history on the strength of a masterful performance in the heads-up portion of the competition Tuesday morning at the Rio.
Eastgate outlasted runner-up Ivan Demidov to win $9.1 million in first-place prize money and the gold-and-diamond bracelet emblematic of the championship of the richest and most prestigious event in poker.
"It was a great final table ... it was great for me because I won," Eastgate said, not even trying to suppress a wide grin.
Eastgate and Demidov started their head-to-head duel Monday night at the Penn & Teller Theater before a crowd of about 1,000 fans. They were the last two standing from the 6,844 entrants in the $10,000-entry no-limit Texas hold 'em tournament that started in July. They also survived a final table of nine players who reconvened Sunday after an unprecedented 117-day hiatus.
On the hand that clinched the title, Eastgate made a "wheel," or a 5-high straight, to beat Demidov's two pair, deuces and 4s. After a flop of 2-king-3, a 4 fell on fourth street to give Eastgate, holding an ace and a 5, his straight. A harmless 7 fell on the river. Demidov went all-in and Eastgate made the easy call.
Demidov, of Moscow, Russia, collected $5.8 million for second place.
"We'll see a lot more of Ivan," said Eastgate, of Odense, Denmark. "He played great, and that goes for the other guys too. I'm very proud."
Demidov, 27, acquitted himself well at the final table, establishing an image of a fearsome -- and fearless -- competitor before Eastgate pulled away with a late rally.
"I'm not really satisfied with the way I played," Demidov said. "I learned I have some work to do on my heads-up game."
Eastgate surpassed Phil Hellmuth's record as the youngest player to win the World Series championship event. Hellmuth won the 1989 tournament at age 24. Hellmuth wished Eastgate good luck Monday when he advanced to the final two.
"It's a great accomplishment," Eastgate said. "Beating Phil Hellmuth makes it even better."
Eastgate takes commanding lead (2:20 a.m.):
Peter Eastgate snapped off a bluff by Ivan Demidov to win a huge pot and take a commanding lead of $108 million to $28 million in tournament chips.
With a board reading 10-king-7-jack-3 with three diamonds, Demidov bet $12 million on fifth street and was called by Eastgate. Demidov had only ace-9 for a hand of ace high. Eastgate, holding the 4-7 of diamonds, won a pot of more than $40 million with his flush.
Moments later Eastgate put Demidov deeper into the hole when the Dane turned a full house, 3s full of 8s, and coaxed Demidov into calling bets of $2.5 million and $4.5 million on fourth and fifth streets.
Two hands later, a scheduled 20-minute break was announced. The crowd groaned, correctly sensing a massive shift in momentum in Eastgate's favor.
Eastgate went into the break holding a chip lead of $120.4 million to $16.4 million, a ratio of 7.5 to 1.
Demidov fights back as blinds escalate (2:00 a.m.):
The blinds increased to $500,000 and $1 million with an ante of $150,000 at 1:18 a.m. Tuesday. In other words, $1.8 million goes into the pot on each hand before a card is dealt. That amount represents about 1.3 percent of the $136 million in tournament chips in play.
The size of the blinds marks a record high in the history of the World Series of Poker.
Demidov has narrowed his chip deficit as the blinds have escalated, demonstrating he won't go down without a fight, and rebuilding his chip stack to $52 million in tournament dollars. Eastgate, whose chip total had exceeded $100 million, dropped to $84 million.
Picking his spots to show aggression, Demidov challenged Eastgate with a couple of crucial preflop re-raises that could have led to the building of a big pot. Each time, the Dane elected to back off and allowed Demidov to take down the pot.
The two finalists have been playing heads-up poker at its highest skill level, treating the fans at the Rio to a taut and cerebral duel. Regardless of the outcome, both men figure to be major forces in tournament poker for years to come.
Setting a new record (1:15 a.m.):
Just before 1 a.m. Tuesday the final table, which began Sunday morning, broke the record for the longest main event final table in the 39-year history of the World Series of Poker.
The 2008 final table surpassed the old mark of 14 hours, 2 minutes set in 2005, when Joe Hachem won the championship.
Tournament director Jack Effel's announcement of the milestone drew only lukewarm applause from the crowd despite his gallant attempts to sell it: "Always breaking records. It's all about the numbers."
The timekeeping includes short breaks but excludes longer interruptions such as dinner breaks.
Meanwhile Peter Eastgate, playing textbook big-stack tournament poker by applying consistent pressure on his opponent, had opened a chip lead of approximately $107 million in tournament chips to Ivan Demidov's $29 million. Eastgate won a series of small pots, causing a look of frustration to flicker across the face of Demidov, who otherwise had been virtually unreadable to the point of stoic.
Play resumes with Eastgate in control (12:35 a.m.):
Play resumed at 12:25 a.m. Tuesday after a brief break with Peter Eastgate holding the chip lead against Ivan Demidov, $86.3 million to $50.5 million in tournament chips.
Eastgate proceeded to stretch his lead by winning a couple of key hands, including a large pot in which he caught Demidov bluffing. With a dangerous board reading 6-7-9-jack-queen, Demidov made a $7 million bet holding nothing but ace high. Holding 8-jack, Eastgate "insta-called" without even taking a moment to think it over and took down the pot with his pair of jacks.
Final two playing for national pride (12:20 a.m.):
An hour and a half into the heads-up portion of the World Series of Poker final table, Peter Eastgate has maintained his chip lead against Ivan Demidov in a closely contested match marked by tactical yet selectively aggressive play by both men.
The two finalists contested a pot exceeding $30 million in tournament chips, but ended up splitting it because they both had a straight. Ivan, holding the 6-8 of clubs, flopped his straight when the first three community cards came 5-7-4 with two diamonds. The flop gave Eastgate, holding 4-6 offsuit, an open-ended straight draw, and he completed it when an 8 fell on fourth street. A third diamond, the 3, put the brakes on the betting. Both players checked and chopped the pot.
Just before the players left to take a short break, Eastgate won a sizable pot when he made two pair, aces and queens, on the river and Demidov mucked his hand at showdown.
Eastgate is attempting to become the second Dane to win a World Series of Poker bracelet. Jesper Hougaard won his in a $1,500-entry no-limit hold 'em tournament at the Rio in June, and followed that victory by taking down a 1,500-pound-entry tournament at the World Series of Poker Europe in London three months later. Hougaard, of Copenhagen, is sitting with Eastgate's cheering section at the final table.
If Demidov wins, he'll join 2008 World Series women's tournament winner Svetlana Gromenkova as a Russian reigning champion. Gromenkova, a Russian national who lives in New York, won her bracelet in June.
Former champs in the house (11:00 p.m.):
Between hands, tournament director Jack Effel has introduced former world champions Chris Ferguson, Chris Moneymaker and Jamie Gold, who are on hand to watch the match between Demidov and Eastgate. Ferguson and Gold are sitting in the front row with fellow popular pros Erick Lindgren and Daniel Negreanu, just in front of Barry Greenstein.
Also stage-side are Madeline and Stephanie Ungar, widow and daughter of poker great Stu Ungar, who won the World Series main event in 1980, 1981 and 1997. This month marks 10 years since Stu Ungar's death at the age of 45.
Final table underway (10:50 p.m.):
Michael Buffer, the famed boxing ring announcer also known for his haunting performance in the role of Walbridge in "You Don't Mess with the Zohan," introduced the two finalists and intoned, "Let's get ready ... to shuffle up and deal!"
Play resumed with the blinds at $300,000 and $600,000 with an ante of $75,000. Eastgate entered heads-up play with an official count of $80.3 million in tournament chips to Demidov's $56.6 million, slightly different figures from the estimates posted early Monday morning just after the final table of nine had been pared to two players.
The first hand, which began at 10:35, went all the way to the river. With two 10s and three kings on the board, Eastgate folded to Demidov's bet after fifth street.
The big pile of cash and the bracelet remain on the table as the players compete.
Nine minutes into play, the blinds were raised to $400,000 and $800,000 and the ante to $100,000.
Electric atmosphere fills Rio (10:30 p.m.):
Spectators were still filing into the Penn & Teller Theater at the Rio at 10 p.m. Monday, the scheduled starting time for the final night of the 2008 World Series of Poker main event.
A capacity crowd of about 1,000 fans was expected for the heads-up match between Ivan Demidov and Peter Eastgate, with a top prize of $9.1 million and poker's world championship at stake.
On stage, millions of dollars in cash and the gold-and-diamond championship bracelet sat on the final table itself awaiting the players' arrival.
In a promotion in the Rio casino Monday afternoon, both finalists showed they did not regard the treasured bracelet with superstition, the way hockey players do with the Stanley Cup. Demidov and Eastgate each hoisted the bracelet in the air for photographers during the appearance on the Rio's Masquerade Stage to hype the final showdown. (Hockey players, by contrast, famously refuse to handle the Cup unless they have won it on the ice.)
Boxing ring announcer Michael Buffer is milling around on stage. Predictably, his appearance has generated more than one impersonation of his signature phrase, "Let's get ready to rumble!" from the audience.
Tournament director Jack Effel is preparing to wish the players good luck in their native languages. In Danish, it's "held og lykke." The Russian version involves foreign characters but phonetically it roughly translates as "udachee."
World Series of Poker commissioner Jeffrey Pollack presented Erick Lindgren with the 2008 World Series player of the year award. Lindgren, of Las Vegas, won the World Series $5,000-buy-in mixed hold 'em tournament and cashed in four other events, including a third-place showing in the $50,000-entry world championship HORSE mixed-games tournament.
Lindgren offered the two finalists his congratulations, then passed along a message from former world champ Doyle Brunson: There will be a big cash poker game in progress on the Strip after the final table, and Demidov and Eastgate are more than welcome to join in.
Demidov, Eastgate play for poker’s biggest prize (3:30 p.m.):
Having secured at least second-place prize money of $5.8 million, both World Series of Poker main event finalists said they'll be competing Monday night for the prestige of winning the game's most revered tournament.
Ivan Demidov of Moscow, Russia, and Peter Eastgate of Odense, Denmark, will square off head-to-head for the no-limit Texas hold 'em world championship beginning at 10 p.m. at the Rio.
First place in the $10,000-buy-in tournament, which drew 6,844 entrants, pays $9.1 million. The winner also receives a gold-and-diamond championship bracelet, considered the most coveted prize in poker.
"It's about the bracelet and about winning the biggest poker tournament in the world," Demidov said Monday at the Rio.
Demidov enters heads-up play at the Penn & Teller Theater with $57.7 million in tournament chips to Eastgate's $79.5 million. Spectators are welcome, with doors scheduled to open to the general public at 9:30 p.m.
"We already know we're getting the paycheck, so it's pride that's on the line," Eastgate said.
As players were eliminated from the final table Sunday, which reconvened after an unprecedented 117-day hiatus, nearly every one of them mentioned Demidov, Eastgate or both as the toughest competitors in the event's endgame.
Both finalists became professional poker players after honing their skills online, moving up through the ranks to high-stakes play as they conquered each succeeding level.
Demidov, 27, entered play at the final table with a burgeoning reputation for "live" (that is, live and in person) tournament play as well. During the 117-day break, he finished third in the World Series of Poker Europe main event in London.
Eastgate, 22, became serious about poker in 2006 when he went on a major "heater," or winning streak, in online play. He was asked Monday at the Rio what he did before he embarked upon his lucrative career as a poker pro.
"Before that," Eastgate said, "I was in high school."
Greg Tingle comment...
Congratulations to Peter Eastgate. He earned it. Eastgate is going to need a stage name now. How about Mr WSOP? Phil "The Brat" Hellmuth took a grand spanking from Eastgate, and word on the street is that the sponsor of "The Brat" is potentially going to cop a hiding in both the news media and regarding some legal matters. Eastgate's backer, PokerStars, is a very professional and well run operation I hear. The WSOP is great for the sport, or pastime, whatever one's perception. This news will also be hot on the lips of those attending the CAP Down Under in Sydney, Australia, coming up later this month. With huge prize money up for grabs in poker, and government regulation changes well on the way for land based and online casinos, the stakes have never been higher. Good on the Las Vegas Sun for bring this news to the world.
(Credit: Las Vegas Sun)
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22-year-old becomes youngest champ; pockets $9.15 million
The 2008 World Series of Poker had a fairy-tale ending for a young Danish poker pro who shares a hometown with Hans Christian Andersen.
Peter Eastgate, 22, became the youngest World Series main event champion in the tournament's 39-year-history on the strength of a masterful performance in the heads-up portion of the competition Tuesday morning at the Rio.
Eastgate outlasted runner-up Ivan Demidov to win $9.1 million in first-place prize money and the gold-and-diamond bracelet emblematic of the championship of the richest and most prestigious event in poker.
"It was a great final table ... it was great for me because I won," Eastgate said, not even trying to suppress a wide grin.
Eastgate and Demidov started their head-to-head duel Monday night at the Penn & Teller Theater before a crowd of about 1,000 fans. They were the last two standing from the 6,844 entrants in the $10,000-entry no-limit Texas hold 'em tournament that started in July. They also survived a final table of nine players who reconvened Sunday after an unprecedented 117-day hiatus.
On the hand that clinched the title, Eastgate made a "wheel," or a 5-high straight, to beat Demidov's two pair, deuces and 4s. After a flop of 2-king-3, a 4 fell on fourth street to give Eastgate, holding an ace and a 5, his straight. A harmless 7 fell on the river. Demidov went all-in and Eastgate made the easy call.
Demidov, of Moscow, Russia, collected $5.8 million for second place.
"We'll see a lot more of Ivan," said Eastgate, of Odense, Denmark. "He played great, and that goes for the other guys too. I'm very proud."
Demidov, 27, acquitted himself well at the final table, establishing an image of a fearsome -- and fearless -- competitor before Eastgate pulled away with a late rally.
"I'm not really satisfied with the way I played," Demidov said. "I learned I have some work to do on my heads-up game."
Eastgate surpassed Phil Hellmuth's record as the youngest player to win the World Series championship event. Hellmuth won the 1989 tournament at age 24. Hellmuth wished Eastgate good luck Monday when he advanced to the final two.
"It's a great accomplishment," Eastgate said. "Beating Phil Hellmuth makes it even better."
Eastgate takes commanding lead (2:20 a.m.):
Peter Eastgate snapped off a bluff by Ivan Demidov to win a huge pot and take a commanding lead of $108 million to $28 million in tournament chips.
With a board reading 10-king-7-jack-3 with three diamonds, Demidov bet $12 million on fifth street and was called by Eastgate. Demidov had only ace-9 for a hand of ace high. Eastgate, holding the 4-7 of diamonds, won a pot of more than $40 million with his flush.
Moments later Eastgate put Demidov deeper into the hole when the Dane turned a full house, 3s full of 8s, and coaxed Demidov into calling bets of $2.5 million and $4.5 million on fourth and fifth streets.
Two hands later, a scheduled 20-minute break was announced. The crowd groaned, correctly sensing a massive shift in momentum in Eastgate's favor.
Eastgate went into the break holding a chip lead of $120.4 million to $16.4 million, a ratio of 7.5 to 1.
Demidov fights back as blinds escalate (2:00 a.m.):
The blinds increased to $500,000 and $1 million with an ante of $150,000 at 1:18 a.m. Tuesday. In other words, $1.8 million goes into the pot on each hand before a card is dealt. That amount represents about 1.3 percent of the $136 million in tournament chips in play.
The size of the blinds marks a record high in the history of the World Series of Poker.
Demidov has narrowed his chip deficit as the blinds have escalated, demonstrating he won't go down without a fight, and rebuilding his chip stack to $52 million in tournament dollars. Eastgate, whose chip total had exceeded $100 million, dropped to $84 million.
Picking his spots to show aggression, Demidov challenged Eastgate with a couple of crucial preflop re-raises that could have led to the building of a big pot. Each time, the Dane elected to back off and allowed Demidov to take down the pot.
The two finalists have been playing heads-up poker at its highest skill level, treating the fans at the Rio to a taut and cerebral duel. Regardless of the outcome, both men figure to be major forces in tournament poker for years to come.
Setting a new record (1:15 a.m.):
Just before 1 a.m. Tuesday the final table, which began Sunday morning, broke the record for the longest main event final table in the 39-year history of the World Series of Poker.
The 2008 final table surpassed the old mark of 14 hours, 2 minutes set in 2005, when Joe Hachem won the championship.
Tournament director Jack Effel's announcement of the milestone drew only lukewarm applause from the crowd despite his gallant attempts to sell it: "Always breaking records. It's all about the numbers."
The timekeeping includes short breaks but excludes longer interruptions such as dinner breaks.
Meanwhile Peter Eastgate, playing textbook big-stack tournament poker by applying consistent pressure on his opponent, had opened a chip lead of approximately $107 million in tournament chips to Ivan Demidov's $29 million. Eastgate won a series of small pots, causing a look of frustration to flicker across the face of Demidov, who otherwise had been virtually unreadable to the point of stoic.
Play resumes with Eastgate in control (12:35 a.m.):
Play resumed at 12:25 a.m. Tuesday after a brief break with Peter Eastgate holding the chip lead against Ivan Demidov, $86.3 million to $50.5 million in tournament chips.
Eastgate proceeded to stretch his lead by winning a couple of key hands, including a large pot in which he caught Demidov bluffing. With a dangerous board reading 6-7-9-jack-queen, Demidov made a $7 million bet holding nothing but ace high. Holding 8-jack, Eastgate "insta-called" without even taking a moment to think it over and took down the pot with his pair of jacks.
Final two playing for national pride (12:20 a.m.):
An hour and a half into the heads-up portion of the World Series of Poker final table, Peter Eastgate has maintained his chip lead against Ivan Demidov in a closely contested match marked by tactical yet selectively aggressive play by both men.
The two finalists contested a pot exceeding $30 million in tournament chips, but ended up splitting it because they both had a straight. Ivan, holding the 6-8 of clubs, flopped his straight when the first three community cards came 5-7-4 with two diamonds. The flop gave Eastgate, holding 4-6 offsuit, an open-ended straight draw, and he completed it when an 8 fell on fourth street. A third diamond, the 3, put the brakes on the betting. Both players checked and chopped the pot.
Just before the players left to take a short break, Eastgate won a sizable pot when he made two pair, aces and queens, on the river and Demidov mucked his hand at showdown.
Eastgate is attempting to become the second Dane to win a World Series of Poker bracelet. Jesper Hougaard won his in a $1,500-entry no-limit hold 'em tournament at the Rio in June, and followed that victory by taking down a 1,500-pound-entry tournament at the World Series of Poker Europe in London three months later. Hougaard, of Copenhagen, is sitting with Eastgate's cheering section at the final table.
If Demidov wins, he'll join 2008 World Series women's tournament winner Svetlana Gromenkova as a Russian reigning champion. Gromenkova, a Russian national who lives in New York, won her bracelet in June.
Former champs in the house (11:00 p.m.):
Between hands, tournament director Jack Effel has introduced former world champions Chris Ferguson, Chris Moneymaker and Jamie Gold, who are on hand to watch the match between Demidov and Eastgate. Ferguson and Gold are sitting in the front row with fellow popular pros Erick Lindgren and Daniel Negreanu, just in front of Barry Greenstein.
Also stage-side are Madeline and Stephanie Ungar, widow and daughter of poker great Stu Ungar, who won the World Series main event in 1980, 1981 and 1997. This month marks 10 years since Stu Ungar's death at the age of 45.
Final table underway (10:50 p.m.):
Michael Buffer, the famed boxing ring announcer also known for his haunting performance in the role of Walbridge in "You Don't Mess with the Zohan," introduced the two finalists and intoned, "Let's get ready ... to shuffle up and deal!"
Play resumed with the blinds at $300,000 and $600,000 with an ante of $75,000. Eastgate entered heads-up play with an official count of $80.3 million in tournament chips to Demidov's $56.6 million, slightly different figures from the estimates posted early Monday morning just after the final table of nine had been pared to two players.
The first hand, which began at 10:35, went all the way to the river. With two 10s and three kings on the board, Eastgate folded to Demidov's bet after fifth street.
The big pile of cash and the bracelet remain on the table as the players compete.
Nine minutes into play, the blinds were raised to $400,000 and $800,000 and the ante to $100,000.
Electric atmosphere fills Rio (10:30 p.m.):
Spectators were still filing into the Penn & Teller Theater at the Rio at 10 p.m. Monday, the scheduled starting time for the final night of the 2008 World Series of Poker main event.
A capacity crowd of about 1,000 fans was expected for the heads-up match between Ivan Demidov and Peter Eastgate, with a top prize of $9.1 million and poker's world championship at stake.
On stage, millions of dollars in cash and the gold-and-diamond championship bracelet sat on the final table itself awaiting the players' arrival.
In a promotion in the Rio casino Monday afternoon, both finalists showed they did not regard the treasured bracelet with superstition, the way hockey players do with the Stanley Cup. Demidov and Eastgate each hoisted the bracelet in the air for photographers during the appearance on the Rio's Masquerade Stage to hype the final showdown. (Hockey players, by contrast, famously refuse to handle the Cup unless they have won it on the ice.)
Boxing ring announcer Michael Buffer is milling around on stage. Predictably, his appearance has generated more than one impersonation of his signature phrase, "Let's get ready to rumble!" from the audience.
Tournament director Jack Effel is preparing to wish the players good luck in their native languages. In Danish, it's "held og lykke." The Russian version involves foreign characters but phonetically it roughly translates as "udachee."
World Series of Poker commissioner Jeffrey Pollack presented Erick Lindgren with the 2008 World Series player of the year award. Lindgren, of Las Vegas, won the World Series $5,000-buy-in mixed hold 'em tournament and cashed in four other events, including a third-place showing in the $50,000-entry world championship HORSE mixed-games tournament.
Lindgren offered the two finalists his congratulations, then passed along a message from former world champ Doyle Brunson: There will be a big cash poker game in progress on the Strip after the final table, and Demidov and Eastgate are more than welcome to join in.
Demidov, Eastgate play for poker’s biggest prize (3:30 p.m.):
Having secured at least second-place prize money of $5.8 million, both World Series of Poker main event finalists said they'll be competing Monday night for the prestige of winning the game's most revered tournament.
Ivan Demidov of Moscow, Russia, and Peter Eastgate of Odense, Denmark, will square off head-to-head for the no-limit Texas hold 'em world championship beginning at 10 p.m. at the Rio.
First place in the $10,000-buy-in tournament, which drew 6,844 entrants, pays $9.1 million. The winner also receives a gold-and-diamond championship bracelet, considered the most coveted prize in poker.
"It's about the bracelet and about winning the biggest poker tournament in the world," Demidov said Monday at the Rio.
Demidov enters heads-up play at the Penn & Teller Theater with $57.7 million in tournament chips to Eastgate's $79.5 million. Spectators are welcome, with doors scheduled to open to the general public at 9:30 p.m.
"We already know we're getting the paycheck, so it's pride that's on the line," Eastgate said.
As players were eliminated from the final table Sunday, which reconvened after an unprecedented 117-day hiatus, nearly every one of them mentioned Demidov, Eastgate or both as the toughest competitors in the event's endgame.
Both finalists became professional poker players after honing their skills online, moving up through the ranks to high-stakes play as they conquered each succeeding level.
Demidov, 27, entered play at the final table with a burgeoning reputation for "live" (that is, live and in person) tournament play as well. During the 117-day break, he finished third in the World Series of Poker Europe main event in London.
Eastgate, 22, became serious about poker in 2006 when he went on a major "heater," or winning streak, in online play. He was asked Monday at the Rio what he did before he embarked upon his lucrative career as a poker pro.
"Before that," Eastgate said, "I was in high school."
Greg Tingle comment...
Congratulations to Peter Eastgate. He earned it. Eastgate is going to need a stage name now. How about Mr WSOP? Phil "The Brat" Hellmuth took a grand spanking from Eastgate, and word on the street is that the sponsor of "The Brat" is potentially going to cop a hiding in both the news media and regarding some legal matters. Eastgate's backer, PokerStars, is a very professional and well run operation I hear. The WSOP is great for the sport, or pastime, whatever one's perception. This news will also be hot on the lips of those attending the CAP Down Under in Sydney, Australia, coming up later this month. With huge prize money up for grabs in poker, and government regulation changes well on the way for land based and online casinos, the stakes have never been higher. Good on the Las Vegas Sun for bring this news to the world.
(Credit: Las Vegas Sun)
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WORLD SERIES OF POKER: The Final Table - Las Vegas Review-Journal - 8th November 2008
DENNIS PHILLIPS, 53 ST. LOUIS position 1: $26,295,000
BACKGROUND
• Phillips, an account manager for a commercial trucking company, won his seat in the World Series of Poker through a satellite tournament at Harrah's St. Louis. He has parlayed that opportunity into a shot at $9.1 million.
• Phillips has been playing live poker for almost three years and has won less than $5,000.
HOW HIS LIFE HAS CHANGED
Phillips has become a celebrity in St. Louis, thanks to wearing a St. Louis Cardinals baseball cap while playing in the main event. He threw out a pitch at a Cardinals game in September with his family on the field. "Other than absolutely no free time, everything is positive."
PREPARING FOR FINAL TABLE
Phillips played in tournaments in Atlantic City and London during the break. He hired a couple of coaches and has been playing poker with friends in St. Louis to evaluate his game.
KEY HAND THAT LANDED YOU AT THE FINAL TABLE
On the fourth day, he doubled up on poker professional Mike Vos' to move into the top 10 chip leaders. Phillips remained in the top 10 from that point. "Twice earlier in the tournament I had to lay down aces. That was hard, and in one case, the wrong move. My concern was advancing day to day with an above average chip count and I did that. If I threw away the best hand a few times, so be it. I think the end result was worth it."
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ESPN POKER ANALYST NORM CHAD:
"Perhaps no player could be more negatively affected by the 117-day final-table delay. When play was halted in July, Phillips was in a zone. He was running hot and reading well, getting all the right cards and pushing all the right buttons. Poker is a streaky game, and he was on a weeklong streak. Heck, 31/2 months later, he might not even be able to find his St. Louis Cardinals baseball cap."
Greg Tingle comment...
It's always great to see someone come from nowhere to go onto fame and fortune. It gives all the punters hope that lady luck might favor them in a big way also. It's all great news media exposure and PR for the game of poker and gives a real story line to the rich history that is The World Series of Poker. Congratulations Dennis Phillips. It will be interesting to learn of Texas Dolly's thoughts on the current crop in the WSOP. Doyle Brunson will always be the king in the opinion of many, but all respect to Phillips. Your throw of the dice.
(Credit: Las Vegas Review-Journal)
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DENNIS PHILLIPS, 53 ST. LOUIS position 1: $26,295,000
BACKGROUND
• Phillips, an account manager for a commercial trucking company, won his seat in the World Series of Poker through a satellite tournament at Harrah's St. Louis. He has parlayed that opportunity into a shot at $9.1 million.
• Phillips has been playing live poker for almost three years and has won less than $5,000.
HOW HIS LIFE HAS CHANGED
Phillips has become a celebrity in St. Louis, thanks to wearing a St. Louis Cardinals baseball cap while playing in the main event. He threw out a pitch at a Cardinals game in September with his family on the field. "Other than absolutely no free time, everything is positive."
PREPARING FOR FINAL TABLE
Phillips played in tournaments in Atlantic City and London during the break. He hired a couple of coaches and has been playing poker with friends in St. Louis to evaluate his game.
KEY HAND THAT LANDED YOU AT THE FINAL TABLE
On the fourth day, he doubled up on poker professional Mike Vos' to move into the top 10 chip leaders. Phillips remained in the top 10 from that point. "Twice earlier in the tournament I had to lay down aces. That was hard, and in one case, the wrong move. My concern was advancing day to day with an above average chip count and I did that. If I threw away the best hand a few times, so be it. I think the end result was worth it."
SPONSOR
PokerStars.net
ESPN POKER ANALYST NORM CHAD:
"Perhaps no player could be more negatively affected by the 117-day final-table delay. When play was halted in July, Phillips was in a zone. He was running hot and reading well, getting all the right cards and pushing all the right buttons. Poker is a streaky game, and he was on a weeklong streak. Heck, 31/2 months later, he might not even be able to find his St. Louis Cardinals baseball cap."
Greg Tingle comment...
It's always great to see someone come from nowhere to go onto fame and fortune. It gives all the punters hope that lady luck might favor them in a big way also. It's all great news media exposure and PR for the game of poker and gives a real story line to the rich history that is The World Series of Poker. Congratulations Dennis Phillips. It will be interesting to learn of Texas Dolly's thoughts on the current crop in the WSOP. Doyle Brunson will always be the king in the opinion of many, but all respect to Phillips. Your throw of the dice.
(Credit: Las Vegas Review-Journal)
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Monday, November 10, 2008
Final nine meet in Las Vegas again for US$9.12M poker crown - 9th November 2008
LAS VEGAS — The wait is over for nine men to settle a US$9.12 million bet.
The final players at the World Series of Poker resumed play Sunday at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas to determine the champion at this year's no-limit Texas Hold 'em main event.
Seven players were to be eliminated Sunday, with the last two scheduled to play heads-up Monday night for the title and top payday. The nine players will split $32.6 million - the lion's share of a pool built on the $10,000 entry fees of 6,844 players who began play in July.
The last nine players return to the table Sunday after a break to build up interest in the event with vastly different sized chip stacks. Chips don't have monetary value, but they tell players where they stand compared with their opponents and significantly affect how they can manoeuvre in the game. A player who loses all his chips is eliminated.
Dennis Phillips, 53, a trucking account manager from suburban St. Louis, leads the way with 26.3 million chips. Phillips won his $10,000 buy-in and trip for the main event in a $200 satellite tournament at Harrah's St. Louis Hotel & Casino.
"I think I have these guys pegged pretty well," Phillips told The Associated Press. Phillips hired a professional poker coach but did not quit his job at Broadway Truck Centers in St. Louis.
He did say he spent weekends and other spare time studying his opponents and poker.
"You're always learning, you're always perfecting, you're always trying to improve," he said.
Ivan Demidov, a 27-year old semi-professional poker player from Moscow, trails Phillips with 24.4 million in chips.
Next in line are poker professional Scott Montgomery, 26, of Perth, Ont., with about 19.7 million chips, and Peter Eastgate, a 22-year-old professional poker player from Odense, Denmark, who holds 18.4 million chips. Eastgate, the youngest player at the poker table, could become the youngest main event champion ever.
Ylon Schwartz, 38, of New York, is next with 12.5 million chips. The Brooklyn native has been hustling games since age 13 and said the only difference between the World Series of Poker final table and other poker games is the "public spectacle."
Schwartz said he would try to not let the pressure of the money stand in the way of winning.
"It is $9 million, but I have no understanding of what that means," Schwartz said.
Schwartz is slightly ahead of Toronto accountant Darus Suharto, who won his main event entry through a $650 online satellite tournament on gambling site PokerStars.
"I'm an online donkey," Suharto said, billing himself as the least skilled player left in the tournament. Suharto won $26,389 for finishing 448th in the 2006 main event.
David "Chino" Rheem, a 28-year-old pro from Los Angeles, is in seventh place with 10.2 million chips, just 20,000 chips ahead of Craig Marquis, 23, of Arlington, Texas. Marquis also is trying to become the tournament's youngest champion.
In last place is Kelly Kim, a 31-year-old professional from Whittier, Calif., who believes serious play won't start until he doubles his stack or busts out. With 2.6 million chips, Kim holds about two per cent of the chips in play.
Kim said he was looking to get lucky after a bad day nearly eliminated him before the final table was set in July. He held on as the last players busted out, and said afterward that just making the final nine was of paramount importance.
"After getting there, now you're free-rolling into placing farther," he said.
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LAS VEGAS — The wait is over for nine men to settle a US$9.12 million bet.
The final players at the World Series of Poker resumed play Sunday at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas to determine the champion at this year's no-limit Texas Hold 'em main event.
Seven players were to be eliminated Sunday, with the last two scheduled to play heads-up Monday night for the title and top payday. The nine players will split $32.6 million - the lion's share of a pool built on the $10,000 entry fees of 6,844 players who began play in July.
The last nine players return to the table Sunday after a break to build up interest in the event with vastly different sized chip stacks. Chips don't have monetary value, but they tell players where they stand compared with their opponents and significantly affect how they can manoeuvre in the game. A player who loses all his chips is eliminated.
Dennis Phillips, 53, a trucking account manager from suburban St. Louis, leads the way with 26.3 million chips. Phillips won his $10,000 buy-in and trip for the main event in a $200 satellite tournament at Harrah's St. Louis Hotel & Casino.
"I think I have these guys pegged pretty well," Phillips told The Associated Press. Phillips hired a professional poker coach but did not quit his job at Broadway Truck Centers in St. Louis.
He did say he spent weekends and other spare time studying his opponents and poker.
"You're always learning, you're always perfecting, you're always trying to improve," he said.
Ivan Demidov, a 27-year old semi-professional poker player from Moscow, trails Phillips with 24.4 million in chips.
Next in line are poker professional Scott Montgomery, 26, of Perth, Ont., with about 19.7 million chips, and Peter Eastgate, a 22-year-old professional poker player from Odense, Denmark, who holds 18.4 million chips. Eastgate, the youngest player at the poker table, could become the youngest main event champion ever.
Ylon Schwartz, 38, of New York, is next with 12.5 million chips. The Brooklyn native has been hustling games since age 13 and said the only difference between the World Series of Poker final table and other poker games is the "public spectacle."
Schwartz said he would try to not let the pressure of the money stand in the way of winning.
"It is $9 million, but I have no understanding of what that means," Schwartz said.
Schwartz is slightly ahead of Toronto accountant Darus Suharto, who won his main event entry through a $650 online satellite tournament on gambling site PokerStars.
"I'm an online donkey," Suharto said, billing himself as the least skilled player left in the tournament. Suharto won $26,389 for finishing 448th in the 2006 main event.
David "Chino" Rheem, a 28-year-old pro from Los Angeles, is in seventh place with 10.2 million chips, just 20,000 chips ahead of Craig Marquis, 23, of Arlington, Texas. Marquis also is trying to become the tournament's youngest champion.
In last place is Kelly Kim, a 31-year-old professional from Whittier, Calif., who believes serious play won't start until he doubles his stack or busts out. With 2.6 million chips, Kim holds about two per cent of the chips in play.
Kim said he was looking to get lucky after a bad day nearly eliminated him before the final table was set in July. He held on as the last players busted out, and said afterward that just making the final nine was of paramount importance.
"After getting there, now you're free-rolling into placing farther," he said.
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Sunday, November 09, 2008
After a Golden Era, Poker’s Stack Is Down, By Steve Friess - The New York Times - 7th November 2008
In a few days, the multimillion-dollar set would begin to take form, the players and their posses would arrive in town, and the hype machine surrounding one of the biggest gambles in the history of card games would kick into high gear.
But before then, a small thin man who wears pinstripe suits and paisley ties and doesn’t look anything like a gambler peered out from a barren stage at the empty 1,000-seat theater in early November and nodded his approval.
“We’re a long way from Benny’s Bullpen, huh?” said Jeffrey Pollack, 44, the commissioner of the World Series of Poker, referring to the squalid smoky room at a dump of a Las Vegas casino where, in 1970, seven grizzled card players held a little tournament to crown one of them a world poker champ.
“This is a lot different.”
But as calm and collected as Mr. Pollack and his team appear — these are poker people, after all — they have a problem. Poker’s status as pop phenomenon, a game that burst from insular casinos to become a fixture of cable television and attracted Hollywood card sharks like Ben Affleck and Tobey Maguire, is in trouble.
Poker is drawing fewer television viewers, and it is drawing fewer low-stakes players inspired by the big names to visit Las Vegas. Television ratings for the poker world series on ESPN peaked in 2005, with last year’s event drawing 32 percent fewer viewers than the previous year. The number of players entering the world series, the game’s most prestigious tournament, hit a high of 8,773 in 2006. Only 6,844 entered this year, a 22 percent decline. (The championship is to be played on Monday.)
Poker’s golden era of growth was highlighted here by the $7-million refurbishment of the poker area at the Bellagio hotel and casino in 2005. But now poker rooms around Las Vegas are contracting; the one at the Las Vegas Hilton was replaced last year by 36 Wheel of Fortune slot machines, and the one at the Excalibur was replaced with dealerless electronic poker tables.
“Poker became this cultural phenomenon, and since then it’s certainly leveled off,” said Jeff Haney, a gaming columnist for The Las Vegas Sun. “I don’t think I’d call it a crash, but there were clear signs the market was oversaturated with goofy poker shows on TV.”
Enter Mr. Pollack, an executive with experience promoting Nascar and the National Basketball Association, who decided that this year the World Series of Poker would halt midway through the tournament to allow for four months of building suspense before the finals. So in July, once the thousands of entrants were whittled down to nine players, those finalists left to promote themselves as poker ambassadors. They have now returned here for a two-day finale to compete for a $9.1-million top prize.
In years past, the tournament was completed all at once and broadcast on ESPN in the fall, by which time most enthusiasts already knew who had won. This time, the so-called November Nine are to play down on Sunday to two competitors, who face off Monday.
ESPN plans to edit a two-hour show about the final two days of play, which will be broadcast on Tuesday at 9 p.m. Eastern time. (Nevada law prohibits broadcasting live gambling events in progress.)
“I don’t know how it winds up being received, but I think they’re really smart,” said Steve Lipscomb, chief executive and founder of a competing poker series, the World Poker Tour, which puts on high-stakes tournaments around the world. “I don’t think it’s a market changer — that all of a sudden everyone does it,” he said, referring to the four-month timeout in the world series. “Then it gets silly. But any innovator has to cringe and do something different.”
Mr. Pollack learned much of what he knows about developing sporting franchises at the knee of the N.B.A.’s legendary commissioner, David Stern, for whom he worked in marketing. He later spent five years as chief of broadcast and new media for Nascar.
“The goal is to make the World Series of Poker more popular than ever and more relevant,” said Mr. Pollack as he gave a tour of the trailers backstage, where, he said, 90 ESPN technicians will handle the final feeds.
This year’s schedule has been controversial. Explaining the logic behind it, Mr. Pollack said of the event: “It was developing a level of awareness in the pop culture that was very significant. But we stopped to ask, ‘If this were taking place on a basketball court or football field, how would we grow it?’ ”
The pause is aimed in part at turning the final nine players into poker-world celebrities, which has not been the case in recent years. The starting field of players is now large, and it has been seven years since a well-known poker star has made it to the Final Table, leaving poker fans without a Tiger Woods or Michael Jordan to root for.
“You’ll never see a real pro win the tournament again — a recognized pro, let’s put it that way,” said poker’s elder statesman, Doyle Brunson, 74, who has won more than $5.3 million in tournaments, including 10 different world series events. “I just go in and try to play well. But the magnitude of the numbers makes it impossible. It’s like I got a bull’s-eye on me. Every one of those players wants to break me. I have to overcome so many obstacles that it’s not realistic to think I can win.”
The nine finalists this year have each approached their break differently. All have landed sponsorships from Internet poker sites and the like, with the chip leader, a 53-year-old truck salesman named Dennis Phillips, of St. Louis, also landing a deal with Ford. The company is believed to be the first automotive sponsor of poker. Mr. Phillips and his opponents, four of whom are from foreign countries, have all been profiled by their local newspapers and TV stations and have been invited — expenses paid — to play in tournaments around the world.
For making it this far, they have each won at least $900,670, which they have already received. One of the final group is Kelly Kim, currently in ninth place with such a low number of chips that he acknowledged he is likely to be knocked out early when play resumes. He said the four months in limbo have been nerve-wracking but also financially rewarding because he is enjoying attention that usually comes only to the champion.
“I understand why they’re doing this, and I’ve probably benefited more than anyone considering where I am, but I’m really sick of my situation,” said Mr. Kim, 31, a poker pro from Whittier, Calif.
Mr. Pollack views the lack of transcendent poker stars at the Final Table as the charm of the tournament, not a problem. “You can’t buy your way onto an N.B.A. court,” he said. “You can’t buy your way onto an N.F.L. field. You can, however, enter the World Series of Poker and potentially walk away as a world champion.”
His organization recently wrapped up its second year of a European edition, with offshoots planned for Latin America and Asia. The World Poker Tour, too, is expanding overseas, having recently struck a deal with the Chinese government to produce a televised nongambling version of tractor poker, a popular Asian card game, as “a means of getting people comfortable to do card games on TV,” Mr. Lipscomb said.
“It’s a big world,” he said. “An awful lot of places are exploding right now. Just not as much in the U.S.”
(Credit: The New York Times)
Media Man Australia Profiles
World Series of Poker
Poker News
Casino News
In a few days, the multimillion-dollar set would begin to take form, the players and their posses would arrive in town, and the hype machine surrounding one of the biggest gambles in the history of card games would kick into high gear.
But before then, a small thin man who wears pinstripe suits and paisley ties and doesn’t look anything like a gambler peered out from a barren stage at the empty 1,000-seat theater in early November and nodded his approval.
“We’re a long way from Benny’s Bullpen, huh?” said Jeffrey Pollack, 44, the commissioner of the World Series of Poker, referring to the squalid smoky room at a dump of a Las Vegas casino where, in 1970, seven grizzled card players held a little tournament to crown one of them a world poker champ.
“This is a lot different.”
But as calm and collected as Mr. Pollack and his team appear — these are poker people, after all — they have a problem. Poker’s status as pop phenomenon, a game that burst from insular casinos to become a fixture of cable television and attracted Hollywood card sharks like Ben Affleck and Tobey Maguire, is in trouble.
Poker is drawing fewer television viewers, and it is drawing fewer low-stakes players inspired by the big names to visit Las Vegas. Television ratings for the poker world series on ESPN peaked in 2005, with last year’s event drawing 32 percent fewer viewers than the previous year. The number of players entering the world series, the game’s most prestigious tournament, hit a high of 8,773 in 2006. Only 6,844 entered this year, a 22 percent decline. (The championship is to be played on Monday.)
Poker’s golden era of growth was highlighted here by the $7-million refurbishment of the poker area at the Bellagio hotel and casino in 2005. But now poker rooms around Las Vegas are contracting; the one at the Las Vegas Hilton was replaced last year by 36 Wheel of Fortune slot machines, and the one at the Excalibur was replaced with dealerless electronic poker tables.
“Poker became this cultural phenomenon, and since then it’s certainly leveled off,” said Jeff Haney, a gaming columnist for The Las Vegas Sun. “I don’t think I’d call it a crash, but there were clear signs the market was oversaturated with goofy poker shows on TV.”
Enter Mr. Pollack, an executive with experience promoting Nascar and the National Basketball Association, who decided that this year the World Series of Poker would halt midway through the tournament to allow for four months of building suspense before the finals. So in July, once the thousands of entrants were whittled down to nine players, those finalists left to promote themselves as poker ambassadors. They have now returned here for a two-day finale to compete for a $9.1-million top prize.
In years past, the tournament was completed all at once and broadcast on ESPN in the fall, by which time most enthusiasts already knew who had won. This time, the so-called November Nine are to play down on Sunday to two competitors, who face off Monday.
ESPN plans to edit a two-hour show about the final two days of play, which will be broadcast on Tuesday at 9 p.m. Eastern time. (Nevada law prohibits broadcasting live gambling events in progress.)
“I don’t know how it winds up being received, but I think they’re really smart,” said Steve Lipscomb, chief executive and founder of a competing poker series, the World Poker Tour, which puts on high-stakes tournaments around the world. “I don’t think it’s a market changer — that all of a sudden everyone does it,” he said, referring to the four-month timeout in the world series. “Then it gets silly. But any innovator has to cringe and do something different.”
Mr. Pollack learned much of what he knows about developing sporting franchises at the knee of the N.B.A.’s legendary commissioner, David Stern, for whom he worked in marketing. He later spent five years as chief of broadcast and new media for Nascar.
“The goal is to make the World Series of Poker more popular than ever and more relevant,” said Mr. Pollack as he gave a tour of the trailers backstage, where, he said, 90 ESPN technicians will handle the final feeds.
This year’s schedule has been controversial. Explaining the logic behind it, Mr. Pollack said of the event: “It was developing a level of awareness in the pop culture that was very significant. But we stopped to ask, ‘If this were taking place on a basketball court or football field, how would we grow it?’ ”
The pause is aimed in part at turning the final nine players into poker-world celebrities, which has not been the case in recent years. The starting field of players is now large, and it has been seven years since a well-known poker star has made it to the Final Table, leaving poker fans without a Tiger Woods or Michael Jordan to root for.
“You’ll never see a real pro win the tournament again — a recognized pro, let’s put it that way,” said poker’s elder statesman, Doyle Brunson, 74, who has won more than $5.3 million in tournaments, including 10 different world series events. “I just go in and try to play well. But the magnitude of the numbers makes it impossible. It’s like I got a bull’s-eye on me. Every one of those players wants to break me. I have to overcome so many obstacles that it’s not realistic to think I can win.”
The nine finalists this year have each approached their break differently. All have landed sponsorships from Internet poker sites and the like, with the chip leader, a 53-year-old truck salesman named Dennis Phillips, of St. Louis, also landing a deal with Ford. The company is believed to be the first automotive sponsor of poker. Mr. Phillips and his opponents, four of whom are from foreign countries, have all been profiled by their local newspapers and TV stations and have been invited — expenses paid — to play in tournaments around the world.
For making it this far, they have each won at least $900,670, which they have already received. One of the final group is Kelly Kim, currently in ninth place with such a low number of chips that he acknowledged he is likely to be knocked out early when play resumes. He said the four months in limbo have been nerve-wracking but also financially rewarding because he is enjoying attention that usually comes only to the champion.
“I understand why they’re doing this, and I’ve probably benefited more than anyone considering where I am, but I’m really sick of my situation,” said Mr. Kim, 31, a poker pro from Whittier, Calif.
Mr. Pollack views the lack of transcendent poker stars at the Final Table as the charm of the tournament, not a problem. “You can’t buy your way onto an N.B.A. court,” he said. “You can’t buy your way onto an N.F.L. field. You can, however, enter the World Series of Poker and potentially walk away as a world champion.”
His organization recently wrapped up its second year of a European edition, with offshoots planned for Latin America and Asia. The World Poker Tour, too, is expanding overseas, having recently struck a deal with the Chinese government to produce a televised nongambling version of tractor poker, a popular Asian card game, as “a means of getting people comfortable to do card games on TV,” Mr. Lipscomb said.
“It’s a big world,” he said. “An awful lot of places are exploding right now. Just not as much in the U.S.”
(Credit: The New York Times)
Media Man Australia Profiles
World Series of Poker
Poker News
Casino News
Ryan Fee Wins LAPT San Jose - Poker News Daily - 8th November 2008
In San Jose, Costa Rica, 20 year-old American Ryan Fee emerged victorious from a pack of 219 players to win the Latin American Poker Tour (LAPT) San Jose event. Players made the pilgrimage to San Jose from five continents and 33 countries around the world, manifesting the unique flair of the tournament series. Let’s check out all of the action from the Ramada Plaza Herradura Conference Center, which played host to the event.
On the final hand, Fee defeated Joel Micka in a coin flip. Fee held A-10 offsuit against Micka’s pocket fours in a classic race situation. The K-7-Q-8 board looked promising for Micka, but Fee hit lightning in a bottle and spiked an ace on the river. After taking home the $285,773 first place prize, Fee commented to LAPT tournament officials, “I want to be home for Thanksgiving. But after that, I am going to play as many LAPT events as I can. This victory feels just great.” Amazingly, Fee and Micka were first and second in chips, respectively, when play began at the final table.
The LAPT San Jose boasted a buy-in of $3,700, which was $1,000 more than the cost to enter in 2007. Tournament officials claimed that the increased price tag meant that the Costa Rican tournament “was one of the highest buy-in events ever held in Latin America.”
The eight-handed LAPT San Jose final table played out as follows:
1st Place: Ryan Fee (United States) - $285,773
2nd Place: Joel Micka (United States) - $148,993
3rd Place: Brent Sheirbon (United States) - $109,913
4th Place: Jesus Bertoli (Venezuela) - $80,603
5th Place: Andrew Chen (Canada) - $61,063
6th Place: Jeff Patronack (United States) - $43,965
7th Place: Claus Rasmussen (Denmark) - $34,195
8th Place: Maria Stern (Costa Rica) - $24,425
Glenn Cademartori, President of the LAPT, commented in a press release distributed after the event, “Ryan Fee is a great young champion and was quite taken aback having won our biggest first prize to date. He is a sharp guy and has certainly made his mark in the poker industry with this win. We look forward to seeing him in Mexico next month.”
The San Jose stop was the first on Season 2 of the LAPT. Last year, the tournament series attracted 1,063 players in just three events. PokerStars, which is the presenting sponsor of the LAPT, expects the total number of tournaments to double during Season 2, including additional events in Chile, Brazil, and Argentina. Only two more events are listed on the LAPT’s website for Season 2:
LAPT Nuevo Vallarta (Mexico): Marival Resort & Suites Main Event
December 5-7, 2008
$2,500 + $200 buy-in
LAPT Punta del Este (Uruguay): Mantra Resort
March 18-20, 2009
$3500+200 buy-in
The Main Event of the Nuevo Vallarta stop is capped at 500 players. A second chance tournament is maxed out when the number of entrants reaches 300. Qualifiers on PokerStars will allow members of the online poker room to compete for an LAPT prize package that includes a Main Event buy-in, four night’s accommodation, and money for expenses.
(Credit: Poker News Daily)
Media Man Australia Profiles
PokerStars
Poker News
Casino News
In San Jose, Costa Rica, 20 year-old American Ryan Fee emerged victorious from a pack of 219 players to win the Latin American Poker Tour (LAPT) San Jose event. Players made the pilgrimage to San Jose from five continents and 33 countries around the world, manifesting the unique flair of the tournament series. Let’s check out all of the action from the Ramada Plaza Herradura Conference Center, which played host to the event.
On the final hand, Fee defeated Joel Micka in a coin flip. Fee held A-10 offsuit against Micka’s pocket fours in a classic race situation. The K-7-Q-8 board looked promising for Micka, but Fee hit lightning in a bottle and spiked an ace on the river. After taking home the $285,773 first place prize, Fee commented to LAPT tournament officials, “I want to be home for Thanksgiving. But after that, I am going to play as many LAPT events as I can. This victory feels just great.” Amazingly, Fee and Micka were first and second in chips, respectively, when play began at the final table.
The LAPT San Jose boasted a buy-in of $3,700, which was $1,000 more than the cost to enter in 2007. Tournament officials claimed that the increased price tag meant that the Costa Rican tournament “was one of the highest buy-in events ever held in Latin America.”
The eight-handed LAPT San Jose final table played out as follows:
1st Place: Ryan Fee (United States) - $285,773
2nd Place: Joel Micka (United States) - $148,993
3rd Place: Brent Sheirbon (United States) - $109,913
4th Place: Jesus Bertoli (Venezuela) - $80,603
5th Place: Andrew Chen (Canada) - $61,063
6th Place: Jeff Patronack (United States) - $43,965
7th Place: Claus Rasmussen (Denmark) - $34,195
8th Place: Maria Stern (Costa Rica) - $24,425
Glenn Cademartori, President of the LAPT, commented in a press release distributed after the event, “Ryan Fee is a great young champion and was quite taken aback having won our biggest first prize to date. He is a sharp guy and has certainly made his mark in the poker industry with this win. We look forward to seeing him in Mexico next month.”
The San Jose stop was the first on Season 2 of the LAPT. Last year, the tournament series attracted 1,063 players in just three events. PokerStars, which is the presenting sponsor of the LAPT, expects the total number of tournaments to double during Season 2, including additional events in Chile, Brazil, and Argentina. Only two more events are listed on the LAPT’s website for Season 2:
LAPT Nuevo Vallarta (Mexico): Marival Resort & Suites Main Event
December 5-7, 2008
$2,500 + $200 buy-in
LAPT Punta del Este (Uruguay): Mantra Resort
March 18-20, 2009
$3500+200 buy-in
The Main Event of the Nuevo Vallarta stop is capped at 500 players. A second chance tournament is maxed out when the number of entrants reaches 300. Qualifiers on PokerStars will allow members of the online poker room to compete for an LAPT prize package that includes a Main Event buy-in, four night’s accommodation, and money for expenses.
(Credit: Poker News Daily)
Media Man Australia Profiles
PokerStars
Poker News
Casino News
Casino News And Online Casino Business Booming Says Media Man
Despite the worlds financial crisis, the casino news reporting and online casino business is booming, at least that's the word from Sydney based media and gaming entrepreneur, Greg Tingle.
Tingle, founder and director of both Media Man Australia and Casino News Media, says that the worlds financial crisis has resulted in a number of positives for his enterprises.
Tingle said, "Primarily we are a media, publicity and portal development company and in times of crisis, companies often seek positive news media attention and wish to maintain and build their reputation. We do a lot of work in the casino, resort and lifestyle sector and in the past few years we're ramped up our casino news and online casino b2b operations. We've experienced a positive cumulative effect in recent months where companies seek positive news and gamblers are spending more time at online casinos, as apposed to frequenting bricks and mortar casinos. We recently made the finals of the Hitwise Australia Top 10 Awards again and this is further evidence of the popularity of casino and online casino themed websites. This past month we experienced record revenues from the b2b online casino side of the business. Some of the online casino and online betting operators who are impressing us the most include Virgin Games, PKR, TAB Sportsbet and JackPotCity.com".
Many industry analysts say that the Australian betting and casino sector has never seen so many changes in such a short span of time. For the record:
James Packer steps down from PBL Media to primarily focus on casino businesses, including Crown Casino, Burswood Casino and Crown Macau.
Star City Hotel and Casino, based in Sydney, announces $475 million expansion.
Lasseters Online Casino, based out of the Northern Territory, closes its doors.
EzyBet teams up with the Gold Coast Titans to create TitanBet, online betting on Australia's NRL.
Family First, InterChurch Gaming Task Force and Senator Nick Xenophon, pro actively lobbying Kevin Rudd about the effects of problem gambling on Australia.
and
CAP Down Under (a Casino Affiliate Programs entity) which is hosting its casino and gaming forum in Sydney from 26th to 27th November 2008.
Websites of reference:
Media Man Australia
Casino News Media
CAP Down Under
Despite the worlds financial crisis, the casino news reporting and online casino business is booming, at least that's the word from Sydney based media and gaming entrepreneur, Greg Tingle.
Tingle, founder and director of both Media Man Australia and Casino News Media, says that the worlds financial crisis has resulted in a number of positives for his enterprises.
Tingle said, "Primarily we are a media, publicity and portal development company and in times of crisis, companies often seek positive news media attention and wish to maintain and build their reputation. We do a lot of work in the casino, resort and lifestyle sector and in the past few years we're ramped up our casino news and online casino b2b operations. We've experienced a positive cumulative effect in recent months where companies seek positive news and gamblers are spending more time at online casinos, as apposed to frequenting bricks and mortar casinos. We recently made the finals of the Hitwise Australia Top 10 Awards again and this is further evidence of the popularity of casino and online casino themed websites. This past month we experienced record revenues from the b2b online casino side of the business. Some of the online casino and online betting operators who are impressing us the most include Virgin Games, PKR, TAB Sportsbet and JackPotCity.com".
Many industry analysts say that the Australian betting and casino sector has never seen so many changes in such a short span of time. For the record:
James Packer steps down from PBL Media to primarily focus on casino businesses, including Crown Casino, Burswood Casino and Crown Macau.
Star City Hotel and Casino, based in Sydney, announces $475 million expansion.
Lasseters Online Casino, based out of the Northern Territory, closes its doors.
EzyBet teams up with the Gold Coast Titans to create TitanBet, online betting on Australia's NRL.
Family First, InterChurch Gaming Task Force and Senator Nick Xenophon, pro actively lobbying Kevin Rudd about the effects of problem gambling on Australia.
and
CAP Down Under (a Casino Affiliate Programs entity) which is hosting its casino and gaming forum in Sydney from 26th to 27th November 2008.
Websites of reference:
Media Man Australia
Casino News Media
CAP Down Under
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