According to a recent report by the Associated Press news agency, America’s giant Harrah’s Entertainment Inc could be set to enter the world of online casinos, possibly to extend the reach of its global World Series Of Poker brand through Internet satellite tournaments
The Associated Press stated that Gary Loveman, Chief Executive Officer for Harrah’s, revealed that the Las Vegas-based gambling corporation is taking a close look at entering the European online poker market.
'If you take a look at the legal landscape in continental Europe and the United Kingdom, there are countries where it's demonstrably legal and there's absolutely no encumbrance,” said Loveman.
“Those are areas that are very attractive to us.'
Loveman made his comments this week at the Global Gaming Expo, the largest trade show of the year for the North American casino industry annually held in Las Vegas. Current legal restrictions in the United States prohibit banks and payment processors from handling cash transactions from US-based players to and from online poker sites.
Harrah's Spokesman, Gary Thompson, is also cited as revealing that the company is studying the market and legal conditions before deciding whether to continue with an online European venture. He stated that the company would not enter an online poker market where grey areas exist.
Harrah's bought the rights to the World Series Of Poker in 2004 but attendance this year was hurt as many online poker sites were not prepared to award prize packages to US residents due to the legal climate.
Source: Online Casino News.com
vrijdag 16 november 2007
donderdag 15 november 2007
First Ever Ladies Event at Irish Poker Open
The folks at online poker room Paddy Power Poker are the sponsors of the upcoming European poker festival, the Irish Poker Open, taking place in Dublin over Easter of next year. The site has sent out announcements about their schedule of side games taking place in addition to the three million Euro guaranteed main event, and included on the list is the first ever Ladies Only poker tournament to be played at the Irish Poker Open. This event will be women only, giving the ladies a chance to play without the pressure of having to "beat the guys" at what has long been considered their own game.
Source: Launchpoker.com
Source: Launchpoker.com
The Magician in the World of Poker Antonio Esfandiari
Antonio Esfandiari has earned himself the nickname of The Magician in the world of poker playing professionals. Antonio Esfandiari was born in Iran in 1978 and later moved to California at the age of nine with his family. When Antonio was a teenager, he had a job as a waiter. While Antonio Esfandiari work, the bartender working at the same restaurant where Antonio was employed, introduced him to card tricks. Antonio fell in love with stage magic and began teaching himself tricks. Once he became proficiently skilled, Antonio Esfandiari began to host private parties where he provided magic tricks as entertainment. The former magician, Antonio Esfandiari attended a poker game after an extended invitation. Once he played Texas Holdem, Antonio Esfandiari’s path was set. You to can set your path to poker greatness by starting at Ultimatebet.com .
Antonio Esfandiari studied poker with as much enthusiasm as he studied stage magic. In very little time, Antonio developed enough skills to start bringing home some winnings at the tables. Of course, not every game has proved entirely fruitful for this enthusiastic card player – Antonio has lost a significant amount of cash in more than one game. Antonio Esfandiari has had a total of four money finishes in the World Series of Poker and one World Series of Poker tournament earned him his gold WSOP bracelet. The year 2004 was a significantly successful year for Antonio Esfandiari were he won more than a million dollars at the Commerce Casino. To date, Antonio Esfandiari has managed to win more than 2.5 million dollars in cash.
Source: Points-spreads.com
Antonio Esfandiari studied poker with as much enthusiasm as he studied stage magic. In very little time, Antonio developed enough skills to start bringing home some winnings at the tables. Of course, not every game has proved entirely fruitful for this enthusiastic card player – Antonio has lost a significant amount of cash in more than one game. Antonio Esfandiari has had a total of four money finishes in the World Series of Poker and one World Series of Poker tournament earned him his gold WSOP bracelet. The year 2004 was a significantly successful year for Antonio Esfandiari were he won more than a million dollars at the Commerce Casino. To date, Antonio Esfandiari has managed to win more than 2.5 million dollars in cash.
Source: Points-spreads.com
G2E: Shuffle Master's Five Card Omaha Poker
I'm still here at the Global Gaming Expo (G2E) in Las Vegas, and I just came across Shuffle Master's (Nasdaq: SHFL) Five Card Omaha Poker.
The product may very well be the stepping stone to the table game to end all carnival table games ... yet it will probably end up being the most overlooked product of the entire show.
Now, as I'm sure you are aware, poker-based table games -- particularly those based on Texas Hold 'Em -- have done exceptionally well in recent years on the strength of the poker boom.
Of course, you can only have so many hold 'em games, and Shuffle Master has two successful ones: Ultimate Texas Hold'em and Texas Hold'em Bonus. The latter was recently acquired from Progressive Gaming (Nasdaq: PGIC). However, Shuffle Master has even unveiled more poker table games, including Three Card Draw Poker, Four Card Draw Poker, and Five Card Omaha Poker.
Shuffle Master's appeal
One of the things that all three games have going for them is that they're easy to learn, as the three games are essentially variations of existing games. The draw games are identical to the highly successful Three Card Poker and Four Card Poker games, except that you drop a card and receive a new one in its place. Five Card Omaha is a variation of the Ultimate Texas Hold'em game with an identical betting structure.
But the real key to these games is that they appeal to the casual nickel-and-dime gambler for the same reason that people use wild cards in their home poker games: People like big hands and multiway prospects for bigger hands. Moreover, the anticipation is a big part of the appeal of gambling.
For example, in Four Card Draw Poker, where the object is to make the best four-card hand out of five cards, instead of just getting dealt five cards (as in Four Card Poker) and that's it, you get dealt five cards and get to drop one and receive another one in its place. In contrast, in standard Four Card Poker you would just have the bare pair whatever you got dealt the first time.
Clearly, Four Card Draw Poker is a bit more exciting, which brings us to Omaha.
Omaha
In real-life poker, Omaha is not actually a new game -- it's been around for maybe a few decades. But basically, Omaha is identical to hold 'em except that every player gets dealt four cards and must play two cards from his or her hand and three cards from the board. We end up with some interesting new possibilities, a situation that would be impossible in regular hold 'em. With these possibilities, you can get an idea of what the attraction to Omaha is.
Stepping stone
Now, the reason I said that Five Card Omaha may be a "stepping stone" rather than the actual end game is that in Shuffle Master's version, you only get three total board cards -- a two-card flop and one more "river" card -- rather than the normal three-card flop, turn, and river.
The truth is that hold 'em appeals to tourists because it's easy to learn and it makes for good TV. It's not really a coincidence that the regular Omaha Hi/Lo games on the Strip -- Wynn Resorts' (Nasdaq: WYNN) Wynn Las Vegas, MGM Mirage's (NYSE: MGM) Bellagio, and The Mirage -- consist almost entirely of locals: People who play a lot of poker more naturally find their way to Omaha games. But as the new generation of poker players continues to mature and more and more players start to look beyond hold 'em, I believe that Omaha will play out as poker's next big trend.
At this point, Shuffle Master's Five Card Omaha puts the company well ahead of that trend. And when the company (or somebody else) gets around to mimicking the full Omaha game with five board cards rather than three, we might just have the game to end all carnival games.
The product may very well be the stepping stone to the table game to end all carnival table games ... yet it will probably end up being the most overlooked product of the entire show.
Now, as I'm sure you are aware, poker-based table games -- particularly those based on Texas Hold 'Em -- have done exceptionally well in recent years on the strength of the poker boom.
Of course, you can only have so many hold 'em games, and Shuffle Master has two successful ones: Ultimate Texas Hold'em and Texas Hold'em Bonus. The latter was recently acquired from Progressive Gaming (Nasdaq: PGIC). However, Shuffle Master has even unveiled more poker table games, including Three Card Draw Poker, Four Card Draw Poker, and Five Card Omaha Poker.
Shuffle Master's appeal
One of the things that all three games have going for them is that they're easy to learn, as the three games are essentially variations of existing games. The draw games are identical to the highly successful Three Card Poker and Four Card Poker games, except that you drop a card and receive a new one in its place. Five Card Omaha is a variation of the Ultimate Texas Hold'em game with an identical betting structure.
But the real key to these games is that they appeal to the casual nickel-and-dime gambler for the same reason that people use wild cards in their home poker games: People like big hands and multiway prospects for bigger hands. Moreover, the anticipation is a big part of the appeal of gambling.
For example, in Four Card Draw Poker, where the object is to make the best four-card hand out of five cards, instead of just getting dealt five cards (as in Four Card Poker) and that's it, you get dealt five cards and get to drop one and receive another one in its place. In contrast, in standard Four Card Poker you would just have the bare pair whatever you got dealt the first time.
Clearly, Four Card Draw Poker is a bit more exciting, which brings us to Omaha.
Omaha
In real-life poker, Omaha is not actually a new game -- it's been around for maybe a few decades. But basically, Omaha is identical to hold 'em except that every player gets dealt four cards and must play two cards from his or her hand and three cards from the board. We end up with some interesting new possibilities, a situation that would be impossible in regular hold 'em. With these possibilities, you can get an idea of what the attraction to Omaha is.
Stepping stone
Now, the reason I said that Five Card Omaha may be a "stepping stone" rather than the actual end game is that in Shuffle Master's version, you only get three total board cards -- a two-card flop and one more "river" card -- rather than the normal three-card flop, turn, and river.
The truth is that hold 'em appeals to tourists because it's easy to learn and it makes for good TV. It's not really a coincidence that the regular Omaha Hi/Lo games on the Strip -- Wynn Resorts' (Nasdaq: WYNN) Wynn Las Vegas, MGM Mirage's (NYSE: MGM) Bellagio, and The Mirage -- consist almost entirely of locals: People who play a lot of poker more naturally find their way to Omaha games. But as the new generation of poker players continues to mature and more and more players start to look beyond hold 'em, I believe that Omaha will play out as poker's next big trend.
At this point, Shuffle Master's Five Card Omaha puts the company well ahead of that trend. And when the company (or somebody else) gets around to mimicking the full Omaha game with five board cards rather than three, we might just have the game to end all carnival games.
woensdag 14 november 2007
Online Casino Launches Globet Poker
Gibraltar-based Globet Casino.com has launched a new online poker room on the Microgaming Poker Network at GlobetPoker.com.
Allegedly owned by a Uruguayan group, Globet recently switched from Chartwell Technology to the Microgaming software platform for casino operations and is targeting Central and Eastern Europe.
Globet Poker.com features the latest additions to Microgaming’s poker software including a new lobby designed to get players to the right tables quickly. The latest version includes a ‘quick lobby' to provide a speedy solution for single table tournaments and an ‘advanced Lobby' for more experienced players allowing them to see many games in the same view and spend more time at a table.
'We switched to Microgaming's casino platform in June 2006 and, since then, we have been incredibly impressed with the company's comprehensive game portfolio and account management team,” said Jonathan Thomson, Head of Casino and Poker for Globet.
“When we decided to launch poker earlier this year, our experience with the company together with its proven expertise made Microgaming a natural choice for us.'
Microgaming’s platform also includes lobby menus with a ‘rabbit cam' and a ‘fold and show' feature that allows players to show lay-downs.
'We are delighted to see yet another operator add poker to their offering following a successful casino partnership with Microgaming,” said Roger Raatgever, Chief Executive Officer for Microgaming.
“Globet will benefit from Microgaming's ability to provide poker in up to 19 languages, more than any other network.'
Source: Onlinecasinonews.com
Allegedly owned by a Uruguayan group, Globet recently switched from Chartwell Technology to the Microgaming software platform for casino operations and is targeting Central and Eastern Europe.
Globet Poker.com features the latest additions to Microgaming’s poker software including a new lobby designed to get players to the right tables quickly. The latest version includes a ‘quick lobby' to provide a speedy solution for single table tournaments and an ‘advanced Lobby' for more experienced players allowing them to see many games in the same view and spend more time at a table.
'We switched to Microgaming's casino platform in June 2006 and, since then, we have been incredibly impressed with the company's comprehensive game portfolio and account management team,” said Jonathan Thomson, Head of Casino and Poker for Globet.
“When we decided to launch poker earlier this year, our experience with the company together with its proven expertise made Microgaming a natural choice for us.'
Microgaming’s platform also includes lobby menus with a ‘rabbit cam' and a ‘fold and show' feature that allows players to show lay-downs.
'We are delighted to see yet another operator add poker to their offering following a successful casino partnership with Microgaming,” said Roger Raatgever, Chief Executive Officer for Microgaming.
“Globet will benefit from Microgaming's ability to provide poker in up to 19 languages, more than any other network.'
Source: Onlinecasinonews.com
National League of Poker Sponsoring
National League of Poker Sponsoring TechCrunch/IDG Ventures Meetup 11 Event at Popular Boston Locale
National League of Poker Sponsoring TechCrunch/IDG Ventures Meetup 11 Event at Popular Boston LocaleFRAMINGHAM, Mass.MA-NATL-LEAGUE-OF-POKER
The National League of Poker (http://www.nlop.com/) the leading social media platform for free, US-legal online poker, today announced that it has been selected as one of the product sponsors at the exclusive TechCrunch/IDG Ventures Boston networking event at The Estate on November 16. The sold-out event will be open to some 700+ Boston-area technology executives from 6-11 p.m. ET. NLOP is a wholly owned subsidiary of US-publicly traded Power Play Development (OTC: PWPY.pk).
NLOP will be demonstrating its online poker technology with several computer stations located around a room at the Estate. This dedicated venue space will allow the networking executives to come in and experience online poker play through the NLOP system. Winners of the mini-tournaments will win prizes from NLOP and the TechCrunch site will be host to an online tournament series from NLOP in the near future.
?We offer high-quality, legal, online poker play at no risk to the player,? said Michael Clebnik, CEO of NLOP. ?Our site?s social media capabilities also offer a unique way for people to connect through a high strategy gaming experience. The attendees of the TechCrunch Meetup event are the same highly-technical, engaged users that we see on our site so it made perfect sense for us to sponsor this event.?
About TechCrunch
TechCrunch, founded on June 11, 2005, is a weblog dedicated to obsessively profiling and reviewing new Internet products and companies. In addition to covering new companies, we profile existing companies that are making an impact (commercial and/or cultural) on the new web space. The site hosts impromptu events in various venues for in-person networking opportunities. The weblog can be found at http://www.techcrunch.com.
About IDG Ventures Boston
IDG Ventures Boston is an independent partnership that enables entrepreneurs to grow innovative, global companies. With $280 million under management, the firm is focused on investing in early stage information technology and life sciences companies and is affiliated with the IDG Ventures network of funds, a global network of independently managed funds spanning Asia and North America. For more information visit: http://www.idgvb.com.
About National League of Poker
National League of Poker (NLOP) is the leading social media platform for free, US-legal online poker. There were 30,000,000+ Americans who played poker online before recent legislation banned wagering money and left these players with no options for prize-based play. NLOP allows players to win cash and prizes hourly, daily and weekly with no financial risk -- players never lose money. NLOP has a desirable demographic of highly engaged players. With an average user session of 55 minutes, NLOP is one of the ?stickiest? websites on the internet and delivers 22+ million minutes of poker play per month. NLOP allows advertisers to immerse their brand in the poker playing experience through customizable messaging, ad delivery, and timing. Additionally, NLOP offers portals a turnkey, fully outsourced promotional poker platform. NLOP is a division of publicly traded Power Play Development Corporation (PWPY.PK) and headquartered in Framingham, Massachusetts.
Source: Ad-hoc-news.com
National League of Poker Sponsoring TechCrunch/IDG Ventures Meetup 11 Event at Popular Boston LocaleFRAMINGHAM, Mass.MA-NATL-LEAGUE-OF-POKER
The National League of Poker (http://www.nlop.com/) the leading social media platform for free, US-legal online poker, today announced that it has been selected as one of the product sponsors at the exclusive TechCrunch/IDG Ventures Boston networking event at The Estate on November 16. The sold-out event will be open to some 700+ Boston-area technology executives from 6-11 p.m. ET. NLOP is a wholly owned subsidiary of US-publicly traded Power Play Development (OTC: PWPY.pk).
NLOP will be demonstrating its online poker technology with several computer stations located around a room at the Estate. This dedicated venue space will allow the networking executives to come in and experience online poker play through the NLOP system. Winners of the mini-tournaments will win prizes from NLOP and the TechCrunch site will be host to an online tournament series from NLOP in the near future.
?We offer high-quality, legal, online poker play at no risk to the player,? said Michael Clebnik, CEO of NLOP. ?Our site?s social media capabilities also offer a unique way for people to connect through a high strategy gaming experience. The attendees of the TechCrunch Meetup event are the same highly-technical, engaged users that we see on our site so it made perfect sense for us to sponsor this event.?
About TechCrunch
TechCrunch, founded on June 11, 2005, is a weblog dedicated to obsessively profiling and reviewing new Internet products and companies. In addition to covering new companies, we profile existing companies that are making an impact (commercial and/or cultural) on the new web space. The site hosts impromptu events in various venues for in-person networking opportunities. The weblog can be found at http://www.techcrunch.com.
About IDG Ventures Boston
IDG Ventures Boston is an independent partnership that enables entrepreneurs to grow innovative, global companies. With $280 million under management, the firm is focused on investing in early stage information technology and life sciences companies and is affiliated with the IDG Ventures network of funds, a global network of independently managed funds spanning Asia and North America. For more information visit: http://www.idgvb.com.
About National League of Poker
National League of Poker (NLOP) is the leading social media platform for free, US-legal online poker. There were 30,000,000+ Americans who played poker online before recent legislation banned wagering money and left these players with no options for prize-based play. NLOP allows players to win cash and prizes hourly, daily and weekly with no financial risk -- players never lose money. NLOP has a desirable demographic of highly engaged players. With an average user session of 55 minutes, NLOP is one of the ?stickiest? websites on the internet and delivers 22+ million minutes of poker play per month. NLOP allows advertisers to immerse their brand in the poker playing experience through customizable messaging, ad delivery, and timing. Additionally, NLOP offers portals a turnkey, fully outsourced promotional poker platform. NLOP is a division of publicly traded Power Play Development Corporation (PWPY.PK) and headquartered in Framingham, Massachusetts.
Source: Ad-hoc-news.com
dinsdag 13 november 2007
World Poker Finals - Player Profiles
Two Former Champions Attempt to Make WPT History at Foxwoods
In a tournament that started with 575 players, the final six are split between two generations -- three players are under 25, and three are over 40. But don't write off these youngsters as inexperienced, because two of them just happen to be defending champions here at the World Poker Tour World Poker Finals at Foxwoods.
Nick Schulman became the youngest WPT champion in history when he won this event two years ago at the age of 21, and Nenad Medic was 23 when he won last year. If either player wins tonight, it will be the first time in WPT history that a player has won the same WPT tournament twice. Keep in mind that neither was old enough to play in casinos when the WPT began playing in 2002.
When play began on day 5, Schulman was in strong shape with more than a million in chips, and he quickly moved into the top spot, seeming to coast for the rest of the day. Medic, however, had a much tougher road to the final table, struggling to stay alive near the bottom of the leader board.
With 19 players remaining at the start of the day, two long-time poker pros were in control -- WPT titleholder and World Series of Poker H.O.R.S.E. champion Freddy Deeb was the chip leader, and the legendary poker Hall of Famer T.J. Cloutier was in second place. Deeb reached the final table of 10 players, but Cloutier busted in 12th place.
Deeb spent most of this tournament near the top of the leader board, but things took a turn for the worst on Monday. In the most dramatic hand of the day, Deeb laid down pocket kings preflop with nine players left, saying, "In all the years I've been playing tournament poker, I've never been in this situation." Mike Vela had limped under the gun, Deeb raised, John Myung reraised behind him, and Vela moved all in for nearly 2 million. Deeb, certain that Vela had aces, folded his pocket kings. Unfortunately for him, it turned out to be the wrong play, as Vela also had pocket kings, and went on to win a huge pot against Myung's pocket tens. Deeb was eliminated about an hour later in ninth place.
Here are the official chip counts for Tuesday night's WPT final table, along with the remaining prize pool:
Seat 1 -- Nenad Medic -- 555,000
Seat 2 -- Mike Vela -- 4,155,000
Seat 3 -- Mark Weitzman -- 855,000
Seat 4 -- Mike White -- 2,455,000
Seat 5 -- Nick Schulman -- 4,395,000
Seat 6 -- Tom "Durrr" Dwan -- 4,875,000
First -- $1,704,986 (plus a $25,500 seat in the WPT World Championship); second - - $864,652; third -- $486,367; fourth -- $324,244; fifth -- $243,184; sixth -- $189,142
Now for a deeper look at the six players who make up this WPT final table.
- - - - - - - - - -
Seat 1
Nenad Medic
555,000 in chips
Nenad Medic
Nenad Medic (online name: Serb) is the defending champion of this event, outlasting 608 players last year to claim the first prize of $1.7 million. If he wins tonight, Medic will be the first player in history to win back-to-back titles in the same WPT tournament. As the short-stack headed to the final table, Medic definitely faces an uphill battle.
This is Medic's ninth cash in WPT events, and his third WPT Final Table -- he also finished sixth in the Season IV PokerStars Caribbean Adventure. Medic has more than $2.3 million in career earnings, and a victory tonight would take him over $3.6 million, moving him up to seventh place on the all-time earnings list for the WPT.
Medic is definitely a player on the rise, breaking into the poker scene with his final table in the Caribbean before finishing third in the 2006 Aussie Millions, and winning this event later that year. Regardless of his finish here, this Canadian player looks to remain a force on the tour for a long time to come.
- - - - - - - - - -
Seat 2
Mike Vela
4,155,000 in chips
Mike Vela
If asked what he considers to be his home casino, Mike Vela will tell you it's Foxwoods. (I know, because I asked him.) He's done well here -- earlier this year he made back-to-back prelim final tables during the Foxwoods Poker Classic.
While this is Vela's first WPT final table, he's reached the final two tables twice, finishing 13th in this event last year and 18th at the WPT Borgata Poker Open two months ago.
Vela is currently making the most of a single $1,100 entry into a Borgata supersatellite several months ago. He won a $40,000 package that included $10,000 in cash, entry into the WPT Borgata Poker Open (where he finished 18th), entry into the WPT Borgata Winter Poker Open (in January 2008), and entry into this event at Foxwoods -- where he's guaranteed to finish sixth or higher. If he can cash in all three events, it will be an amazing trifecta, and if he can take first in this one or the next one, he'll further parlay it with an entry into the Season VI WPT World Championship in April, 2008.
Vela is the senior vice president of an investment company, and he's been playing poker for four years. Between work and poker, this native New Yorker still sets aside time for his two kids, and coaches his son's baseball team.
- - - - - - - - - -
Seat 3
Mark Weitzman
855,000 in chips
Mark Weitzman
Mark Weitzman has been a professional poker player for 21 years, with six World Series of Poker final tables under his belt (four of them in variations of deuce-to-seven lowball). This is just the fourth WPT tournament that Weitzman has entered, but he has already reached his second final table. Perhaps he shouldn't have waited until season six to enter WPT events.
Weitzman finished fourth at the WPT Borgata Poker Open two months ago, earning $380,000 for the biggest cash of his career. His career tournament earnings come to more than $750,000, and if he finishes fifth or better, he'll cross the coveted million-dollar mark.
Born in Israel and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Weitzman currently lives in Las Vegas. After two decades as a professional poker player, Weitzman would like to return to school for a Ph.D. in physics.
- - - - - - - - - -
Seat 4
Mike White
2,455,000 in chips
MIke White Mike White is a local player from Hartford, Connecticut, so you might say he represents the home team -- in more ways than one. He actually earned his entry by winning a $1,200 satellite among friends, and he's making the most of the opportunity.
White has more than $150,000 in live tournament winnings, including a cash in the 2006 WSOP main event and an 18th-place finish in the 2004 U.S. Poker Championship. This WPT final table represents the highlight of his poker career -- even a disappointing sixth-place finish would more than double his career earnings. Of course he's hoping to do far better than that.
White owns a commercial construction business, and he actually has to be at work at 5:00 am before this final table -- he didn't plan to make it this far and didn't make arrangements for someone to cover for him. But White promises to make it back to Foxwoods in time to hear Mike Sexton say, "Shuffle up and deal."
- - - - - - - - - -
Nick Schulman Seat 5
Nick Schulman
4,395,000 in chips
Nick Schulman is another former winner of this event. He was less than two months past his 21st birthday when he won this event two years ago, making him the youngest WPT champion in the show's history -- a record that still stands.
Since then, Schulman has continued to build his poker résumé, adding a victory in the WPT Battle of Champions IV, a fourth-place finish in a WSOP Tournament Circuit championship, and a WSOP final table. With more than $2.2 million in WPT earnings, a victory here would catapult him into fifth place on the all-time WPT list with just under $4 million.
It should come as no surprise that the youngest WPT champion honed his chops by playing online poker (under the name "TheTakeover"), though Schulman first started playing the game live in pool halls.
- - - - - - - - - -
Tom Dwan Seat 6
Tom Dwan
4,875,000 in chips
Tom Dwan is a well-known online player who goes by the name "Durrr" (though the number of r's in "Durrr" varies from site to site). He has entered several WPT events since turning 21 years old a little more than three months ago, and this will be his first televised final table. (For those keeping track, Dwan is a few weeks too old to break Schulman's record as the youngest WPT champion.)
Dwan starts the final table as the chip leader, but his lead is hardly safe with two players close behind him -- Schulman and Vela. Dwan is no stranger to the chip lead, because he's been near the top of the leader board for most of this tournament.
Dwan attended Boston University as an English major, but he dropped out after one year, and has been playing poker for the past four years or so. He has impressive results online, but this final table shows he can also hold his own with the best live tournament players in the world.
- - - - - - - - - -
Will this final table bring the first repeat champion (Medic or Schulman) in WPT history? Or will chip leader Dwan have a breakout performance on TV the way that Schulman did two years ago? These youngsters will have to get past two local players sure to have plenty of fans in the audience (White and Vela), and a 20-year professional . As you can see, there's plenty to root for.
The WPT final table is scheduled to begin at 5 pm ET, and will continue until a champion is declared -- possibly a repeat champion. Return to CardPlayer.com for complete live coverage of every check, bet, call, raise, and fold.
Source: Cardplayer.com
In a tournament that started with 575 players, the final six are split between two generations -- three players are under 25, and three are over 40. But don't write off these youngsters as inexperienced, because two of them just happen to be defending champions here at the World Poker Tour World Poker Finals at Foxwoods.
Nick Schulman became the youngest WPT champion in history when he won this event two years ago at the age of 21, and Nenad Medic was 23 when he won last year. If either player wins tonight, it will be the first time in WPT history that a player has won the same WPT tournament twice. Keep in mind that neither was old enough to play in casinos when the WPT began playing in 2002.
When play began on day 5, Schulman was in strong shape with more than a million in chips, and he quickly moved into the top spot, seeming to coast for the rest of the day. Medic, however, had a much tougher road to the final table, struggling to stay alive near the bottom of the leader board.
With 19 players remaining at the start of the day, two long-time poker pros were in control -- WPT titleholder and World Series of Poker H.O.R.S.E. champion Freddy Deeb was the chip leader, and the legendary poker Hall of Famer T.J. Cloutier was in second place. Deeb reached the final table of 10 players, but Cloutier busted in 12th place.
Deeb spent most of this tournament near the top of the leader board, but things took a turn for the worst on Monday. In the most dramatic hand of the day, Deeb laid down pocket kings preflop with nine players left, saying, "In all the years I've been playing tournament poker, I've never been in this situation." Mike Vela had limped under the gun, Deeb raised, John Myung reraised behind him, and Vela moved all in for nearly 2 million. Deeb, certain that Vela had aces, folded his pocket kings. Unfortunately for him, it turned out to be the wrong play, as Vela also had pocket kings, and went on to win a huge pot against Myung's pocket tens. Deeb was eliminated about an hour later in ninth place.
Here are the official chip counts for Tuesday night's WPT final table, along with the remaining prize pool:
Seat 1 -- Nenad Medic -- 555,000
Seat 2 -- Mike Vela -- 4,155,000
Seat 3 -- Mark Weitzman -- 855,000
Seat 4 -- Mike White -- 2,455,000
Seat 5 -- Nick Schulman -- 4,395,000
Seat 6 -- Tom "Durrr" Dwan -- 4,875,000
First -- $1,704,986 (plus a $25,500 seat in the WPT World Championship); second - - $864,652; third -- $486,367; fourth -- $324,244; fifth -- $243,184; sixth -- $189,142
Now for a deeper look at the six players who make up this WPT final table.
- - - - - - - - - -
Seat 1
Nenad Medic
555,000 in chips
Nenad Medic
Nenad Medic (online name: Serb) is the defending champion of this event, outlasting 608 players last year to claim the first prize of $1.7 million. If he wins tonight, Medic will be the first player in history to win back-to-back titles in the same WPT tournament. As the short-stack headed to the final table, Medic definitely faces an uphill battle.
This is Medic's ninth cash in WPT events, and his third WPT Final Table -- he also finished sixth in the Season IV PokerStars Caribbean Adventure. Medic has more than $2.3 million in career earnings, and a victory tonight would take him over $3.6 million, moving him up to seventh place on the all-time earnings list for the WPT.
Medic is definitely a player on the rise, breaking into the poker scene with his final table in the Caribbean before finishing third in the 2006 Aussie Millions, and winning this event later that year. Regardless of his finish here, this Canadian player looks to remain a force on the tour for a long time to come.
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Seat 2
Mike Vela
4,155,000 in chips
Mike Vela
If asked what he considers to be his home casino, Mike Vela will tell you it's Foxwoods. (I know, because I asked him.) He's done well here -- earlier this year he made back-to-back prelim final tables during the Foxwoods Poker Classic.
While this is Vela's first WPT final table, he's reached the final two tables twice, finishing 13th in this event last year and 18th at the WPT Borgata Poker Open two months ago.
Vela is currently making the most of a single $1,100 entry into a Borgata supersatellite several months ago. He won a $40,000 package that included $10,000 in cash, entry into the WPT Borgata Poker Open (where he finished 18th), entry into the WPT Borgata Winter Poker Open (in January 2008), and entry into this event at Foxwoods -- where he's guaranteed to finish sixth or higher. If he can cash in all three events, it will be an amazing trifecta, and if he can take first in this one or the next one, he'll further parlay it with an entry into the Season VI WPT World Championship in April, 2008.
Vela is the senior vice president of an investment company, and he's been playing poker for four years. Between work and poker, this native New Yorker still sets aside time for his two kids, and coaches his son's baseball team.
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Seat 3
Mark Weitzman
855,000 in chips
Mark Weitzman
Mark Weitzman has been a professional poker player for 21 years, with six World Series of Poker final tables under his belt (four of them in variations of deuce-to-seven lowball). This is just the fourth WPT tournament that Weitzman has entered, but he has already reached his second final table. Perhaps he shouldn't have waited until season six to enter WPT events.
Weitzman finished fourth at the WPT Borgata Poker Open two months ago, earning $380,000 for the biggest cash of his career. His career tournament earnings come to more than $750,000, and if he finishes fifth or better, he'll cross the coveted million-dollar mark.
Born in Israel and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Weitzman currently lives in Las Vegas. After two decades as a professional poker player, Weitzman would like to return to school for a Ph.D. in physics.
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Seat 4
Mike White
2,455,000 in chips
MIke White Mike White is a local player from Hartford, Connecticut, so you might say he represents the home team -- in more ways than one. He actually earned his entry by winning a $1,200 satellite among friends, and he's making the most of the opportunity.
White has more than $150,000 in live tournament winnings, including a cash in the 2006 WSOP main event and an 18th-place finish in the 2004 U.S. Poker Championship. This WPT final table represents the highlight of his poker career -- even a disappointing sixth-place finish would more than double his career earnings. Of course he's hoping to do far better than that.
White owns a commercial construction business, and he actually has to be at work at 5:00 am before this final table -- he didn't plan to make it this far and didn't make arrangements for someone to cover for him. But White promises to make it back to Foxwoods in time to hear Mike Sexton say, "Shuffle up and deal."
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Nick Schulman Seat 5
Nick Schulman
4,395,000 in chips
Nick Schulman is another former winner of this event. He was less than two months past his 21st birthday when he won this event two years ago, making him the youngest WPT champion in the show's history -- a record that still stands.
Since then, Schulman has continued to build his poker résumé, adding a victory in the WPT Battle of Champions IV, a fourth-place finish in a WSOP Tournament Circuit championship, and a WSOP final table. With more than $2.2 million in WPT earnings, a victory here would catapult him into fifth place on the all-time WPT list with just under $4 million.
It should come as no surprise that the youngest WPT champion honed his chops by playing online poker (under the name "TheTakeover"), though Schulman first started playing the game live in pool halls.
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Tom Dwan Seat 6
Tom Dwan
4,875,000 in chips
Tom Dwan is a well-known online player who goes by the name "Durrr" (though the number of r's in "Durrr" varies from site to site). He has entered several WPT events since turning 21 years old a little more than three months ago, and this will be his first televised final table. (For those keeping track, Dwan is a few weeks too old to break Schulman's record as the youngest WPT champion.)
Dwan starts the final table as the chip leader, but his lead is hardly safe with two players close behind him -- Schulman and Vela. Dwan is no stranger to the chip lead, because he's been near the top of the leader board for most of this tournament.
Dwan attended Boston University as an English major, but he dropped out after one year, and has been playing poker for the past four years or so. He has impressive results online, but this final table shows he can also hold his own with the best live tournament players in the world.
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Will this final table bring the first repeat champion (Medic or Schulman) in WPT history? Or will chip leader Dwan have a breakout performance on TV the way that Schulman did two years ago? These youngsters will have to get past two local players sure to have plenty of fans in the audience (White and Vela), and a 20-year professional . As you can see, there's plenty to root for.
The WPT final table is scheduled to begin at 5 pm ET, and will continue until a champion is declared -- possibly a repeat champion. Return to CardPlayer.com for complete live coverage of every check, bet, call, raise, and fold.
Source: Cardplayer.com
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