Category: Poker
The fourth season of the Latin American Poker Tour Pokerstars has come to an end, to win the championship this year we thought Daniel Nestola.
The Italian German Nestola Daniel managed to take home the win getting the better of the likes of Daniel Negreanu, after eliminating Vitor Torres and Juan Gonzalez, has fallen to Negreanu who qualified in sixth place followed by Carlos Ibarra. In order to contend for the title were Nestola Gaspernio and Venezuela’s Nicolas who had to bow before the new King
Nestola has received a check amounting to $ 168,421,000, after winning traveled to Brazil to celebrate the famous Carnival of Rio and of course the victory. That said, we can only congratulate him for this well deserved and overwhelming victory, certainly in the course of 2012 there will be other opportunities for other players to make up as you say.
We want share with you the final rank of this event, as you can see the difference from Nestola and Negreanu is much.
2012 LAPT Grand Final payout:
1 Daniel Nestola (GER) $ 168,421
2 Gasperino Nicolas (VEN) $ 145,542
3 Carlos Ibarra (CIL) $ 86,630
4 Felipe Morbiducci (CIL) $ 52,133
5 Jonathan Markovits (ECU) $ 37,567
6 Daniel Negreanu (CAN) $ 28,364
7 Vitor Torres (BRA) $ 20,699
8 Juan Gonzalez (ARG) $ 15,332
The poker room at the Casino Copenhagen would not have been mistaken for Grand Central Station Monday, but that doesn’t mean things won’t eventually get hopping. Just 83 players paid the 35,000 + 2,250 Danish kroner (approximately ,200 + 0 U.S. dollars) to play in Day 1A of the European Poker Tour (EPT) Copenhagen Main Event, though if previous years are any indication, Tuesday’s Day 1B should be quite active. No fewer than 400 runners have participated each year since 2007 and with most EPT stops holding strong compared to last year, chances are this one will resemble a major tournament by the time all is said and done.
Topping the field after the small Day 1A is Las Vegas’ Steve O’Dwyer with 190,975 chips. As blinds and antes are only set to increase to 300/600/75 next level, his more than 35,000 chip lead over second place contestant Lauri Varonen is quite sizeable. But as we’ve all learned, no chip lead, especially those after the first day, is safe in the game of poker.
O’Dwyer has been playing on the live tournament circuit for several years now, but it wasn’t until last year that he really cemented himself as a player to fear. During the first half of 2011, he had several strong finishes, including an 8th place showing in the North American Poker Tour (NAPT) Uncasville stop (,330). It was after the World Series of Poker (WSOP), though, that he started cooking. In July, he won the ,000 No-Limit Hold’em event at the Bellagio Cup VII for over a quarter million dollars, then won the Pro-Am tournament of the first Epic Poker League event in August. Later that month, O’Dwyer placed 5th in the €10,000 No Limit Hold’em Single Reload event at EPT Barcelona for ,568. He followed that up with a runner-up finish in the EPT London Main Event, winning 6,790 and then placed 6th in the €3,000 No-Limit Hold’em Shootout at WSOP Europe, a ,568 cash. Later in the year, Steve O’Dwyer took down the €1,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Re-buy tournament at EPT Loutraki (,439) and placed second in the World Poker Tour (WPT) Venice Main Event (8,063).
It’s not like he was some chump before 2011, either. He had a many five-figure cashes plus a 2,362 score for a 6th place finish in the 2009 WPT Doyle Brunson Five Diamond World Poker Classic. All told, Steve O’Dwyer has won just over million on the live tournament circuit.
Day 1B of EPT Copenhagen kicks off at noon local time Tuesday. The survivors from the two starting days will combine for Day 2 on Wednesday, where after the tournament will continue through the week until the champion is determined on Saturday.
European Poker Tour Copenhagen – End of Day 1A Chip Leaders
1. Steve O’Dwyer – 190,975
2. Lauri Varonen – 165,150
3. Roberto Romanello – 115,475
4. Ilkin Amirov – 105,000
5. Niels van Alphen – 96,325
6. Danny Neess – 95,875
7. Albert Iversen – 94,175
8. Dmitri Tchernykh – 90,525
9. Melanie Weisner – 78,900
10. Anthony Hnatow – 70,500
The attorney in charge of prosecuting a poker bust in Illinois has decided to drop the charges against nearly all of the participants in the game, releasing eleven people but deciding to push misdemeanor charges against the two alleged ringleaders.
Acting on complaints in January, Champaign police conducted what was stated at the time a “peaceful” raid on an establishment in the city. After gaining entrance into the establishment by simply walking in the door, police found a gathering of the thirteen people eventually charged as they allegedly were preparing for a poker tournament. While issuing the participants citations, the police also confiscated 00 in cash, poker tables, cards, chips, two televisions and ledgers that allegedly contained information as to past actions of the game.
When those charged came to court last week, Champaign County State’s Attorney Julia Rietz decided not to prosecute eleven of the participants in the tournament, according to an article in the Champaign-Urbana News-Gazette written by Mary Schenk. “We felt it was appropriate to address those running the illegal operation as opposed to those who may have been playing but were not aware what they were doing was illegal,” Schenk quotes Rietz as saying on Thursday, the day that all the defendants were in court. Two of the people charged, however, weren’t let off the hook.
Charges of keeping a gambling place and running a game of chance were filed against Brian Swinford of Hoopeston and Scott Pettigrew of Danville. Those two men, according to Rietz, were allegedly the operators of the home poker game. If they are convicted, they face a fine of up to 00 and/or a maximum of 364 days in jail. The twosome is expected back in court on March 16 to face the charges.
Schenk also reports that the original statements by police that the raid was “peaceful” have been over-exaggerated, according to those who were participating in the tournament. One of those who had his charges dropped, Thomas Schrepfer, stated that police came in with guns drawn and roughed up some of those arrested that night. “Here are eleven hard-working, peaceful citizens and in they come with their guns pointed at us,” Schenk quotes Schrepfer as saying.
“What are they doing raiding a poker game with guns drawn and putting people in handcuffs, including a very nice lady who comes and cooks us a nice dinner,” he continued. “They cuffed her in such a way as to leave bruises and marks on her wrists. That’s what got me upset.”
For their part, the authorities have stated that they used their SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) for such situations. As to the usage of guns, Lt. Michael Paulus of the Champaign Police Department said that they entered in that manner because “we don’t know what’s on the other side of that door.”
Schenk quotes Lt. Paulus as saying, “We’ve been in gambling raids where there have been weapons and narcotics. Because officers are looking to be safe, we go in, secure the situation, we contain everybody where they are so we don’t have anybody moving around. History has been that it’s better for us to err on the side of caution.” According to previous reports, a handgun and marijuana were also found during the police search following the raid. Paulus also stated that, following the issuance of the citations, people were allowed to leave and no one was arrested that night.
This didn’t appease Schrepfer, however. “Someone on the city council needs to know that people’s lives were put at risk with guns drawn.” He also was critical of the state government and its hypocrisy regarding gambling, saying to Schenk, “Putting your money down for a one in a million shot at the Lotto is gambling. Sitting across the table in an intellectual and psychological contest with your friends and neighbors – that’s poker.”
Pokerstars Mobile has landed on Android with a fantastic app that today we speak, this application allows all poker players to play directly from the tablet or smartphone operating system from Google.
Poker Star is compatible with all mobile devices with resolution 800 x 480 pixels Androidequipped with version 2.2 or higher operating system from Google through the official website you can access the various ways to download the app, then via QR Code , solinks and so on.
Once you have downloaded the app to install you must enable your device to install theexternal content to the official market. Currently the app has not yet been released on themarket so the only way to install it in your device through one of the methods listed on theofficial website.
When you first start you will come to the login screen, after entering your data you areready to go. The app features a unique graphical interface, the main screen there arephotos of Jason Mercier, Vanessa Rousso, Luca Pagano. In the main lobby you candecide whether to play cash games, sit & go’s or tournaments.
Every game has the ability to set the limit of the buyin, the maximum number of players andso on forth. After setting the parameters you can start giocare.Il game turns out to besmooth, fast and realistic.
PokerStars announced Tuesday that its new site, PokerStars.eu, is now live for all players in Sweden and Finland. The site, while fundamentally the same as PokerStars.com, is expected to augment the poker experience for players in both countries as well as other European nations that will gain access to it in the future.
PokerStars.eu was ready for launch once the online poker room obtained a Malta Remote Gaming License, which it did late last week. The licensing in Malta is important because the country is a member of the European Union (EU), a status which comes with special privileges.
“Some markets treat European Union-licensed operators differently than other license-holders,” said PokerStars Head of Business Development Guy Templer. “Offering our online poker on www.pokerstars.eu with a Maltese license provides benefits to players in Sweden and Finland in particular and we are always striving to offer the best product possible to our players, wherever they are located.”
Sweden assesses a 30 percent tax on gross winnings by its residents on poker sites outside the European Union. Similarly, Finland requires its citizens to pay normal income tax on winnings from sites outside the European Economic Area, which includes all EU members plus Iceland, Lichtenstein, and Norway. Prior to the ability to play at PokerStars.eu, customers in Sweden and Finland were playing, like most others, on PokerStars.com, which is licensed in the Isle of Man. The problem there is that the Isle of Man is not a member of the European Union and therefore the players from those two countries were getting hammered with taxes. Now, by playing on PokerStars.eu, an online poker room licensed in the EU, Swedish and Finnish players are free from the burden of taxes.
On the PokerStars corporate blog, Head of Corporate Communications Eric Hollreiser wrote of the new Malta license, “We hope and expect the future will bring more certainty and more uniformity that will help players and companies alike. That’s why we were happy to see the recent reports that France, Italy and Spain are discussing regulatory cooperation and shared liquidity.”
While PokerStars.eu is technically a separate site from PokerStars.com, those who make the switch to the “dot eu” site will continue to play at the same tables with everyone on the “dot com” site.
Despite losing its American players almost a year ago after Black Friday, PokerStars.com remains far and away the largest online poker room in the world. With a seven day average of 26,600 cash game players according to PokerScout.com, it is about 5.5 times larger than its closest competitor, PartyPoker. Additionally, PokerStars.it, the company’s Italian-only site, ranks fifth on the PokerScout.com list with 2,550 cash game players and PokerStars.fr, its French-only counterpart, is the 9th largest online poker room, with 1,700 cash game players.
Upon opening the PokerStars software for the first time since the PokerStars.eu launch, Swedish and Finnish players will see the update process begin, a process which will move all account information, including cash balances and Frequent Player Points (FPPs) over to PokerStars.eu.
In a story that has been brewing since last September, the Nevada Gaming Control Board has stepped in to settle a dispute between the fledgling Epic Poker League and poker player Michael DiVita – albeit not through the tournament organization itself.
As reported by QuadJacks.com, the NGCB mediated the argument between the EPL and DiVita that stems from DiVita not being allowed to play in their September Main Event. If you recall, DiVita was one of the nine players who won their way into the ,000 Main Event through the 00 Pro/Am played prior to the start of the big tournament. Just before the start of the Main Event, however, is where the dispute erupted.
As he prepared to enter the Main Event, DiVita was allegedly met by the EPL Standards and Ethics Committee chairman Stephen Martin and it was (depending on which side you believe) decided that DiVita would not play in the Main Event due to a prior sexual offense conviction. The true issue arose after DiVita requested his ,000 payout for winning his seat into the Main, which was refused by the EPL.
Instead of paying DiVita the K, the EPL decided they would refund his 00 buy in from the Pro/Am and state that DiVita “voluntarily” withdrew from the event. After DiVita refused the deal and stated he wanted to play the Main Event, Martin allegedly said to DiVita, “We will stop you…It will get very public, and probably be very embarrassing for you…We will say that you withdrew.” DiVita, who also alleged that Palms Casino Resort security (the home base of the EPL) was used as “intimidation” to accept the deal, then decided to take the 00, but the end of the issue wasn’t determined yet.
Days after the incident, DiVita threatened a lawsuit against the EPL and its parent company, Federated Sports & Gaming, seeking the full ,000 reimbursement for winning his seat. While DiVita didn’t appear to follow up on this threat, he did file a complaint with the NGCB in October against the Palms Casino Resort. After a full investigation, the NGCB’s findings were revealed late last month.
According to evidence presented by QuadJacks, the NGCB sent a letter to George Maloof, the president of the Palms, with the official decision of the regulatory agency. In that letter signed by Robert Boehmer, the supervisor of the NGCB Enforcement Division, the NGCB states that the Palms – through its affiliates in the EPL and FS&G – wrongfully barred DiVita from playing in the tournament. As a result of their decision, the NGCB ordered the Palms to pay DiVita the remaining ,500 for the seat, which the Palms completed at the end of January and DiVita received.
The reason for the NGCB intervention is due to the fact that the EPL and FS&G are not licensees of the NGCB. The Palms, however, is responsible as a license holder under NGCB regulations.
With the apparent resolution of this dispute, both the EPL and DiVita can now move forward. The EPL’s fourth event of its five event inaugural season, which was scheduled to have taken place in January, has been postponed due to the glut of tournament poker events in the first quarter of 2012 and has, as of yet, been rescheduled. DiVita states that he has been contacted by an alleged buyer of the EPL, Pinnacle Entertainment, who has gone on record as saying that DiVita would not be barred from participation in any future events if Pinnacle was responsible for the tournament’s operation. “Alleged” is used because Pinnacle would not comment to DiVita if they had, in fact, already bought or were looking to acquire the EPL franchise.
British pop music icon Robbie Williams recently launched a beta version of a play-for-fun online poker room bearing his name, giving fans an opportunity to test their skills and win “Robbie”-related prizes in the process. Despite the fact that no real money deposits are required to play, Williams is already taking heat from up on high for RobbieWilliamsPoker.com.
Tessa Munt, Member of Parliament for Wells and a member of the Liberal Democrat political party in the UK, had a bit of verbal finger wagging for the 37-year old singer, telling The Daily Mirror, “I’m outraged by this. It directly targets his fans, including children. The money he makes should go to addiction charities.”
Much of her ire stems from Williams’ own personal struggles with addiction. In the early 1990’s, when Williams was in his teens and early twenties as a member of the pop group Take That, he began drinking alcohol to excess and using cocaine. It eventually became such a problem that he almost overdosed in July 1995 the night before Take That was to perform at the MTV Europe Music Awards. As the years went on, his most significant problem became addiction to prescription drugs, many of which he used to battle depression. In 2007, Williams checked into a rehabilitation clinic in Tucson, Arizona to help get himself off of a variety of drugs including Xanax, Seroxat/Paxil, and Vicodin. He has also fought alcoholism and nicotine addiction. Munt feels that Williams is taking advantage of problem gamblers, a group with whom he should easily sympathize.
While many Williams fans are excited to try out the new site, others have similar opinions to Ms. Munt. Interestingly, however, not all who are against the idea of the poker room oppose it because of the potential gambling aspect. Some members of the fan community on Robbie Williams’ official website are upset that special Robbie Williams prizes (including the chance to meet the man himself) are being offered on a poker site, rather than just to the loyal fans at RobbieWilliams.com.
“…I fell [sic] that this opportunity to join a special online community (er hello? don’t we have one of those already HERE) and the potential for that community to have access to special perks and benefits (which by rights should also be offered here at the same time) threatens to alienate and offend the Friends here on RW.com,” one fan wrote on the RobbieWilliams.com forum. “People are bound to want to join up because of the potential benefits and rewards that Chrissie has outlined above. It is human nature to not want to miss out on something special from our favourite singer.”
“If perks are to be made available, the logical place to have made them available first surely must have been here [RobbieWilliams.com],” she added.
Robbie Williams Poker bills itself as a place for “…having fun with your friends and keeping up with the Robbie Williams community.” No real money is required to play, though it is possible to spend money on the site. Every player gets free play money chips every day, which can then be used to play in games like normal. As players win, solve “missions,” and unlock achievements, they collect experience points (XPs). These XPs are used to advance “levels,” which allow users to unlock more content. Poker winnings, in addition to being used to continue to play poker, can also be used to customize player avatars or buy power-ups that temporarily increase XP and chip earnings. Virtual chips have no cash value and cannot be withdrawn from the site.
The other form of currency at Robbie Williams Poker is “gold.” Gold can be purchased for real money and can be used to enter exclusive tournaments and gain access to restricted items in the avatar shop. Gold purchases are completely optional and are not required to play most of the games at the poker room. The vast majority of tournaments are freerolls, most of which reward winners with chips, avatar items, and even gold, while some do offer real prizes.
Robbie Williams Poker essentially follows a similar model as that of many “Free to Play” online games on the market today, except that it is packaged in a gambling wrapper. Typically, “Free to Play” games use some sort of credit system, allowing customers to play as long as they have credits remaining. Usually, free credits are rewarded every day so that everyone can get a decent amount of game time for free. Players then typically have the option to purchase additional credits to extend their play time or purchase a secondary form of in-game currency (compare this to “gold” in the case of Robbie Williams Poker) that offers additional benefits. The players that are able to advance the farthest and acquire the most valuable/powerful items (ex: weapons, armor) are usually the ones who commit real money to the game, but many games often have in-game economies that players can use to buy and sell items and game currency, allowing even those who don’t pay to have a rich gaming experience, albeit at a slower pace than those who do pay.
Despite Robbie Williams Poker’s status as a non-gambling site, it still adheres to the same rules as many real-money poker rooms, such as no chip dumping, no collusion, and no bots.
The following events are organized by hour, day and obviously channels, most of them as you can see which are proposed by PokerItalia24, the number one television program in Italy dedicated to the world of poker. In this week have provided a number of tournaments, interviews, and how much more.
Do not miss the opportunity to see challenges to the last hand of the greatest champions of the Italian poker! We wish you a good view.
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Time 19:00 Event: World Poker Tour Story 3 (Ep.17) Channel: PokerItalia24
Time 20:00 Event: World Series of Poker 2008 (Ep.26) Channel: PokerItalia24
20:45 Opening Event: World Open VI (Ep.10) Channel: PokerItalia24
Time 21:30 Event: Sunday Special 2012 (Ep.5) Channel: PokerItalia24
Time 22:30 Event: Aces of PokerClub (Ep.3) Channel: PokerItalia24
Time Event 23:15: Snai Cup 11 Channel: Sky Sports 2
23:20 Opening Event: World Series of Poker 2010 (Ep.14) Channel: PokerItalia24
Time 00:00 Event: WPT Series 5 Channel: Sky Sports 2
Time Event 00:05: Poker Grand Prix 2011 (Ep.3) Channel: PokerItalia24
00:50 Opening Event: Night of Poker 6 (Ep.4) Channel: PokerItalia24
Time Event 01:40: High Stakes Poker 3 (Ep.5) Channel: PokerItalia24
Wednesday, February 8
Time 19:00 Event: World Poker Tour Story 3 (Ep.18) Channel: PokerItalia24
Time 20:00 Event: World Series of Poker 2008 (Ep.26) Channel: PokerItalia24
Time Event 20:45: Poker Grand Prix 2011 (Ep.3) Channel: PokerItalia24
Time 21:30 Event: Night of Poker 6 (Ep.3-4) Channel: PokerItalia24
Time Event 23:20: Aces of PokerClub (Ep.4) Channel: PokerItalia24
Time Event 00:05: High Stakes III (Ep.5) Channel: PokerItalia24
00:15 Opening Event: WPT Series 5 Channel: Sky Sports 2
Time Event 00:50: Premier League III (Ep.4) Channel: PokerItalia24
01:40 Opening Event: National Heads Up 2007 (Ep.5) Channel: PokerItalia24
Thursday February 9
Time 19:00 Event: World Poker Tour Story 3 (Ep.19) Channel: PokerItalia24
Time 20:00 Event: World Series of Poker 2008 (Ep.28) Channel: PokerItalia24
Time Event 20:45: European Poker Tour 7 (Ep.9-10) Channel: PokerItalia24
Time 23:00 Event: European Tour Channel: Eurosport
23:20 Opening Event: World Open VI (Ep.11-12) Channel: PokerItalia24
00:50 Opening Event: World Series of Poker 2010 (Ep.14) Channel: PokerItalia24
01:40 Opening Event: National Heads Up 2007 (Ep.6) Channel: PokerItalia24
Friday, February 10
Time 19:00 Event: World Poker Tour Story 3 (Ep.20) Channel: PokerItalia24
Time 20:00 Event: World Series of Poker 2004 (Ep.1) Channel: PokerItalia24
20:45 Opening Event: World Series of Poker 2010 (Ep.14) Channel: PokerItalia24
Time 21:30 Event: National Heads Up 2007 (Ep.7) Channel: PokerItalia24
Time 22:30 Event: Aussie Millions 2007 (Ep.6) Channel: PokerItalia24
Time Event 23:20: High Stakes III (Ep.6) Channel: PokerItalia24
Time Event 00:05: Aces of Pokerclub (Ep.4) Channel: PokerItalia24
00:15 Opening Event: WPT Series 8 Channel: Sky Sports 2
00:50 Opening Event: The Big Game (Ep.14) Channel: PokerItalia24
Time 01:00 Event: Tournament Poker Channel: CNBC (Sky Channel 518)
Time Event 01:40: European Poker Tour 7 (Ep.9) Channel: PokerItalia24
Saturday, February 11
Time 19:00 Event: World Poker Tour Story 3 (Ep.21) Channel: PokerItalia24
Time 20:00 Event: World Series of Poker 2004 (Ep.2) Channel: PokerItalia24
20:15 Opening Event: World Open Channel: GXT (Sky Channel 146)
Time Event 20:45: European Poker Tour 7 (Ep.9) Channel: PokerItalia24
Time 21:30 Event: National Heads Up 2007 (Ep.8) Channel: PokerItalia24
Time 22:30 Event: The Big Game (Ep.15) Channel: PokerItalia24
23:20 Opening Event: Night of Poker 6 (Ep.5-6) Channel: PokerItalia24
Time Event 00:50: Poker Grand Prix 2011 (Ep.3) Channel: PokerItalia24
01:15 Opening Event: WPT Series 8 Channel: Sky Sports 2
Time Event 01:40: European Poker Tour 7 (Ep.10) Event: PokerItalia24
Time Event 01:40: Poker1Mania Event: Italy A
Sunday, February 12
Time 19:00 Event: World Poker Tour Story 3 (Ep.22) Channel: PokerItalia24
Time 20:00 Event: World Series of Poker 2004 (Ep.3) Channel: PokerItalia24
20:10 Opening Event: World Open Channel: GXT (Sky Channel 146)
Time Event 20:45: European Poker Tour 7 (Ep.10) Channel: PokerItalia24
Time 21:30 Event: The Best Of Poker Club Race (Ep.6) Channel: PokerItalia24
Time 22:30 Event: Premier League III (Ep.5) Channel: PokerItalia24
Time Event 23:20: Poker Grand Prix 2011 (Ep.4) Channel: PokerItalia24
Time 00:00 Event: WPT Series 8 Channel: Sky Sports 2
00:05 Opening Event: World Series of Poker 2010 (Ep.14) Channel: PokerItalia24
00:50 Opening Event: World Open VI (Ep.11) Channel: PokerItalia24
Time Event 01:35: Poker1Mania Channel: Italy A
01:40 Opening Event: World Open VI (Ep.12) Channel: PokerItalia24
Just three tables were filled with players as the European Poker Tour (EPT) Deauville Main Event headed into its fifth day Sunday. While all 24 players seated were guaranteed at least €23,000, much more was just a few hours away, if they could survive that long. Those three tables had been trimmed to one by the end of the day as the final table of EPT Deauville was set. Leading the field of eight by a slim margin is Paul Guichard with 5.955 million chips. Close behind is Vadzim Kursevich with 5.670 million, followed by Olivier Rogez with 4.415 million. Now everyone is guaranteed at least €67,200, but that’s nothing compared to the ultimate goal: the EPT Deauville title and €875,000.
Guichard’s road to the chip lead hinged on two big hands. The first occurred with just 15 players left and Guichard already at the top of the leader board with about 3.83 million chips. He opened the betting pre-flop with a raise only to watch both Denis Cheremisin and Chris Brammer move their short stacks all-in. As he had pocket Kings, Guichard couldn’t call quickly enough. Cheremisin held Jh-Th and Brammer showed As-Ks, so Guichard was in good shape, but he still needed to dodge an Ace and a couple flushes and straights. The flop of Qd-3d-Tc eliminated those flush chances, but the two underdogs were still alive. The 9h on the turn gave Cheremisin a little more hope, but the 4d on the river locked it up for Guichard, eliminating the other two players. That pot sent Guichard up to 5 million chips.
Fast forward to the final table bubble, with nine players left and just one more knockout needed to end the day. Now back in 3rd place with 4.71 million chips, Guichard re-raised pre-flop to 290,000 after Mick Graydon originally raised to 110,000 and Olivier Rogez called. Graydon folded, but Rogez stuck around. Both players checked after the flop of Kd-Tc-8s, but the Jc on the turn prompted Guichard to bet 325,000 chips. Rogez thought a bit and then made the call. Upon seeing the 6h on the river, Guichard bet another 345,000 chips and again, Rogez called. Guichard flipped over Kh-Qd for top pair to take down the 1.27 million chip pot. With that, he was up to almost 6 million and grabbed the chip lead.
If he were to ride his chip lead all the way to victory, it would be far and away Guichard’s biggest score of his live tournament career. The Frenchman has just five cashes to his name (including one small win) for ,680.
The EPT Deauville final table will commence at noon local time on Monday as the final eight battle it out for glory in the “Parisian Riviera.”
2012 European Poker Tour Deauville – Final Table Chip Counts
Paul Guichard – 5,955,000
Vadzim Kursevich – 5,670,000
Olivier Rogez – 4,415,000
Bruno Jais – 3,450,000
Vuong Than Trong – 2,570,000
Luca Pagano – 2,010,000
Yorane Kerignard – 1,680,000
Mick Graydon – 960,000
In a recent interview with a British poker magazine, Canadian poker pro Daniel Negreanu appeared to fan several of the hottest flames in poker. Once the article appeared, however, Negreanu claimed that there were several instances where he was “misquoted” by the author.
The interview with Poker Player UK, written by Alun Bowden and entitled “What’s Wrong With You?” for its January issue, covered a wide range of subjects including the current state of the poker world, improving his online game and the ongoing Full Tilt Poker debacle. True to his nature, Negreanu didn’t pull any punches as, in the first few paragraphs, Bowden states that Negreanu believes that the game of poker is in “big trouble.”
In discussing the current state of the game, Negreanu is quoted as saying, “I think we’re heading in the wrong direction. The WSOP was much more serious and boring this year. It was much more fun with guys in chicken suits being jerks.”
“When poker became popular you had people like Devilfish, Sammy Farha, Doyle Brunson and Phil Ivey,” Negreanu continues. “Today the story is: ‘I dropped out of college and I grinded 20 tables to build my bankroll.’ The story isn’t sexy…they don’t want to hear, ‘Well, he’s raising UTG+1 and polarizing his range with a 31BB effective stack.’”
Daniel allegedly addresses how to fix the current state of the game during the interview, stating, “Televised poker needs to address it. If you want to create the best show you need to create poker personalities. Audiences like Phil Laak and Antonio (Esfandiari)? Then okay you invite them. Daniel Cates? Okay you’re a great player, but nobody gives a s**t. You may be a better player, but who cares?”
Poker Player UK also touches on the subject of Full Tilt Poker, where Negreanu unleashed a few more barbs. Bowden asks the Team PokerStars Pro member his impressions of the ongoing saga and Negreanu doesn’t hold back, stating, “They were running the company like buffoons.” When asked if he had been in touch with any of the former Full Tilt pros, including his good friend Phil Ivey, Negreanu allegedly responds, “I’ve spoken to all of them. They are embarrassed and have disdain for their leaders. They trusted Howard (Lederer)…I didn’t. I don’t trust that family. It’s a family of scoundrels.”
When pressed by Bowdon as to his impressions of Lederer, Negreanu is quoted as saying, “I don’t think he’s evil, but he’s arrogant. He talks to people like they are stupid. I don’t think he set out to defraud people, it’s just negligence, arrogance and incompetence.”
Finally, Negreanu discusses the improvements in his online game, giving credit to his improvement through his usage of poker software and strategy discussions with other players. Perhaps most interesting during this discussion, however, was when Bowden asked Negreanu about his deal with PokerStars.
“If I hadn’t signed with PokerStars I would be a much better player today,” Negreanu reportedly said. “I would be infinitely better. It sounds really bad, and I really enjoy working for PokerStars, but look at the paths me and Ivey took. We were on a similar level and he just played poker non-stop and I started doing a lot more media work. It’s no coincidence that he became the best player in the world and I fell off the map a little. I still think I am one of the best, but I need to work a lot harder on my game.”
Naturally, Negreanu’s alleged statements during the interview were like chum in the water for sharks when it comes to the message boards. Negreanu seemed to have started it himself when he Tweeted on Wednesday, “Just read my article in Poker Player mag and it set a new record for the number of misquotes. Pretty impressive! They twisted everything.”
On the Two Plus Two message boards, the discussion escalated between not only the posters on the site but also Negreanu and Bowden. “Let’s nip this one in the bud,” poster ‘InsidePoker’ (apparently Bowden) wrote yesterday. “There is nothing in that article that is misquoted. It’s all on an audio file if he has any specific points he would like to address.” In the thread, Bowden also apparently releases the audio file after several requests by posters.
Negreanu and Bowden discuss their issues through the 2+2 thread and reach a form of détente, with Negreanu contributing an article to the online arm of PPUK where he clarifies the interview, while the discussion continues to rage on the message board.