Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi Unpacks The Pounds

Losing weight, motivated by side bets.

“The Grinder” is a big boy, no doubt about it. Perhaps, not for long though as he’s recently booked some action with fellow poker pro and well-known prop bet junkie, Antonio Esfandiari, in an effort to lose some weight. Mizrachi, who tipped the scales at over 240 lbs., needs to be able to show “The Magician” some six-pack abs by the start of the 2014 WSOP Main Event or he’s gotta pay up. According to the Sun Sentinel the pair also booked a push-up bet – who can do more? Can he do it? We’ll know when the pair settle up this summer at the Rio.

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Kara Scott Pumps Up The Jams

Names her favorite songs to grind to.

OK, so the fight is on for the poker-loving hearts and minds of New Jersey residents and it’s safe to say that partypoker has a secret weapon: Kara Scott. The charming sideline reporter for ESPN has been a longtime, loyal advocate of the online site and for this article, she names her current top 5 bands to listen to while putting in serious hours at the table. Check out all five bands after the jump or you can see the entire advertorial over at NJ.com.

Kara’s picks
Cut Copy
Little Green Cars
Alt J
Electric Guest
Lake Street Dive

What are your favorite jams?

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PokerStars LIVE Dealing out job on Hendon Mob

Searching for UK based poker pro - it could be you!

It’s hard out there, but don’t worry we got you covered! You want a job in the industry where you can see every flop, turn and river that there is. Check this out…but act fast!

Spotted: one job posting on the Hendon Mob forums.
Needed: A poker pro with “excellent customer service skills.”

Sound like you? Maybe you’ll be suited up in no time!

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Jason Mercier Taking A Break

Blogs about looking for balance in life.

Team PokerStars Pro Jason Mercier has won millions on the tournament circuit through his determined dedication to the game. As he writes on the PokerStars Blog though, over dedicating yourself to a single cause can come with some life issues. The obsessive Mercier talks about trying to find a poker/life balance and how he’s forcing himself to take break, just for a while, to put his life back into focus.

While looking for that balance, he ran a Twitter contest where the grand prize was…a postcard? C’mon man!

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WSOP.com It’s A Player Pool Party!

With the “soft launch” of online gaming in New Jersey yesterday, brands are rushing to plant their flag in the landscape. As reported by our lord and master site, pokerfuse, there is no fewer than 7 new places to play poker (and far more to degen in the virtual pit) and the World Series of Poker is hoping that they can get at least 150 of you to play on what is, perhaps, the #1 brand in poker. If you signed up early enough, you can get wet with the WSOP tonight.

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US Facing Poker Sites Show Me The Money!

Which US facing sites will get you paid.

Even though online poker is coming back to the United States, one state at a time, there’s still a generation of players who continue to take the risk of playing on rouge US facing sites in order to get their fix. Fact is, when you do, you’re putting your money at risk as time and time again these site fail to pay or take forever to get you the winnings.

But if you’re going to do it, try to use protection – that’s what Poker Affiliate Solution’s Payment Processing Report is. Who’s paying and how fast.? Check out he November report, which tells you which online poker rooms, open to US customers, are making the grade and which ones should we Lock up and throw away the key.

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Antonio Esfandiari Throws Massive Birthday Party

Everyone's invited to celebrate with the millionaire magician.

Of all the professional poker players out there, perhaps Antionio “The Magician” Esfandiari has the most enviable lifestyle. He’s the inaugural winner of the Big One for One Drop for over $18m, he’s an analyst for ESPN and generally considered a playboy with a heart of gold. Who wouldn’t want to hang with Antonio?

Now’s your chance. Watch Antonio from afar in a packed Skrillex-blasting night club with 1000 of his closest friends. Mark your calendars and wish Esfandiari a happy 35th on Dec. 13th (his actual birthday is Dec, 8th).

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Full Tilt Poker Gets Sinful Twin

Online site signs new pro to roster.

Have you heard the name Sinem Melin before? No? Well, you’re not alone but maybe it’s time you learned a little something about this 25-year old European poker pro who recently got signed to a deal with Full Tilt Poker. Read about her longest cash game session, her favorite pros and what it’s like to have an identical twin in poker.

The gang over at Bluff Europe has the full write up of the latest member of Team FTP.

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Malware Alert! Hochgepokert.com Blocked On Browsers

Achtung, Baby!

One of the largest German poker news sites, that often…ahem… “procures” its stories from other sources has been arrested by the Karma Police . Apparently, their “through editing process” was unable to detect the hosting of some nasty stuff that will likely infect your computer. So

So, you know, you get what you pay for and Hockgepokert caught the internets version of a venereal disease. GEFAHR!

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Rob Yong Looks To Liven Up Online Poker

Dusk Till Dawn maverick wants to change the game.

Rob Yong is not afraid of taking risks. Remember this is the guy who jumped in to support the woefully run International Stadium Poker Tour (ISPT). Now, he talks with Poker Player Magazine about the sad state of online poker and what he’s planning on doing to fix it. Yong wants to do away with tracking software and protect the new players by making his DTD client feel more like a real live cash experience than a button clicking video giame.

Add to that, he vows if he can’t change the game – he’ll leave the industry in 6 months time.

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Senior Poker Tour Goes Old School

Poker Players Over 50 Have a Tour Of Their Own

Linda Johnson, Mark Kroon and 2013 inductee into the Poker Hall Of Fame, Tom McEvoy are all part of the team bringing the power of poker back to the over 50 set. It’s the brand new Senior Poker Tour where it’s illegal to 3-bet without Kings or better. The fledgling tour is out of it’s Cocoon stage and is preparing to spread it’s wings when it takes off in January of 2014.

Here’s the kind of action we have to look forward to: NSFW

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Ultimate Poker Goes Soft in New Jersey

Test period set to start for legal online poker in NJ.

Today is a historic day for online gaming in the state of New Jersey as invited guests will get to take part in the “soft launch” of legal online poker. The site operators need to test everything from the software and user interaction to geolocation services, in an incredibly short window of time before live real-money iGaming is set to start on November 26.

Witness some of the hard work of the Ultimate Gaming team as they prepare to bring online poker back to the East Coast.

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Daniel Negreanu IS PUMPED UP!

Daniel Negreanu is all about self-improvement. From books to seminars, Daniel is pretty public about his quest to be his best. Clad in some pretty sweet gloves, Daniel and his personal trainer defy the “haters” and show off some hefty reps, bro!

We assume this is all in preparation to help hang that massive World Series of Poker Player of the Year banner in the halls of the Rio next year.

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Matt Affleck No Bad Beat, No Cry

McMatto finds victory at LAPC side event.

Matt “McMatto” Affleck is probably best known for taking one of the most vicious televised bad beats in history when his pocket aces sent him packing against eventual 2010 World Series of Poker Main Event Champion Jonathan Duhamel – and then weeping in the halls of the Rio soon thereafter.

Affleck, of course, has since moved on to happier days. Take for instance last night: there were no tears in sight as Matt notched another 5-figure score in one of the side events of the Los Angeles Poker Classic (LAPC). Clad in one of his trademark Seattle sports jerseys, Matt celebrated his new found $20k+ by downing a Corona in his winners photo. How many beers would it take you to forget this:

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Rafal Nadal Hopes to get Aces of a Different Kind

Tennis pro working on his poker game.

The original video was served up a couple months ago, but PokerStars has opted to place Rafal Nadal’s poker journey “back in theaters.” Nadal is set to join his fellow PokerStars sponsored pros at EPT Prague next month and while he may be the biggest star in the room, he’s going to need that Grand Slam competitive drive if he wants to hold his own.

Watch the James Hartigan narrated version of Rafa’s New Game – Episode 1.

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Joe Stapleton Answers Your Questions

Broadcaster sits In for an Ask Me Anything session with Flop Turn River.

One of the best in the business, European Poker Tour (EPT) color commentator and former host of PokerRoad Radio, Joe Stapleton (@stapes) is sitting in with the Flop Turn River forums today and answering all of your questions. If history is any indicator, Stapes is an open book and never one to shy away from the hilariously embarrassing truth so you can truly Ask Him Anything and be assured that Joe will give it to you straight and make you laugh in the process.

ICYMI: Here is the summary of the entire event.

The AMA at Flop Turn River starts at 4pm EST – so log on and ask away.

Classic Stapes from the PokerRoad days showing off his fantastic tan.:

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Jake Cody Wants Your Xmas Selfies

Giving away free equity for best holiday costume.

Triple crown winner and Team PokerStars Pro, Jake Cody is looking to get you in the holiday spirit. Knowing that it’s always better to give than receive, the World Series of Poker Heads-up Champion is giving 3 social media followers a shot at a free 2% of anything he wins at EPT Prague this December.

All you need to do is snap a photo of yourself in a holiday shirt, jumper or costume and get it to Jake. He’ll “like” his three faves and give them a free Xmas sweat(er) when he hits the felt in Prague. For all the details on Cody’s #Jakesjumpers promotion, go check out his blog.

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Kevin “BeL0WaB0Ve” Saul Gets Off The Hook

In what may be the feel-good story of the morning, poker professional and World Poker Tour Champion Kevin “BeL0WaB0Ve” Saul tells the tale of how he got out of a speeding ticket using the only thing he had at his disposal: donuts.

Lesson to be learned: Keeping donuts in the car is a +EV decision.

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Lee Jones Takes A Stand

Publicly states he's done with the Venetian.

The Venetian poker room is considered one of the nicest in all of Las Vegas. The political viewpoints of 80 year-old anti-online poker advocate Sheldon Adelson, not so much. Yesterday, Lee Jones, took to Twitter to basically announce that he’s done paying the rake at a place that benefits someone who is looking to put the kibosh on US players rights to playing poker online.

Boycotting the Venetian poker room seems like a snap call for those who enjoy the game of poker, have self-control and enjoy civil liberties. Will you be playing at the Venetian in the future? Let us know in the comments section!

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Premiere League VII Locks In Dan “Mrgr33n13” Coleman

Heads-up beast finally completes line-up.

It took a while, but, finally, on the same day that the prestigious event is set to start, the partypoker Premiere League found their man. After the departures of Tony G and Greg Merson...and Greg “FBT” Mueller...and not being able to lock in Jesse Sylvia, they nabbed the up-and-coming, heads-up specialist Dan ‘Mrgr33n13’ Coleman

With under $500k in worldwide live winning, he may be the most inexperienced live player in the field. That said, according to the partypoker blog, Coleman won over $2m online in the last year and is a force to be feared. Will the upstart rise to the occasion or will these “live pros” view him as the spot? The Premiere League VIIwhich has no live stream – starts today at 6pm EST.

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Aussie Millions Reaches Deal With Asia Pacific Poker Tour

Main Event now part of PokerStars' regional tour.

Regarded as one of the last major independent tournaments, officials for the Aussie Millions announced that they have reached a deal to make the Main Event of their event part of PokerStars’ Asia Pacific Poker Tour (APPT).

The Crown Melbourne will still play host to the massive Main Event, which is set to get underway February 2nd. Fun fact – you can register for the main event, as well as all side events, online with your credit card. This includes taking your shot at the $250k Challenge.

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Greg “FBT” Mueller Stayin’ Home

Passes Up On Premiere League VII

First Tony G, then Greg Merson and now, the night before it’s set to start, Greg “FBT” Mueller opts out of the Premiere League VII line up…who will replace him? Who do you think should hop a flight right this very second???

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Ultimate Poker Road Trip

Poker journalist Marco Valerio joins the UCasino first responders into NJ.

Columbus came to North America, Neil Armstrong walked on the moon and now, the fantastic tale of Ultimate Poker arriving on the hallowed ground of the Garden State to launch internet gambling. Former frontman for QuadJacks, Marco Valerio, documents his trip from the Philadelphia airport to the halls of the Trump Taj Mahal where you can hear him declare the historic statement:

“Do you think the rooms are going to be sweet so we can bring bitches over and stuff?”

New Jersey internet gaming starts in one week.

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Daniel Negreanu You Asked, He Answers!

Daniel responds to Twitter followers questions in latest vlog.

Questions about poker, relaxation, his competitive spirit and which well-known pro does Daniel considers his toughest opponent.

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PartyPoker Premiere League VII No Live Stream!

PartyPoker blog to keep you updated

If you want to watch the PartyPoker Premiere League VII, which starts tomorrow, you’re just going to have to wait. It looks as if the event will NOT have a live stream and so, while you can get updates on the action, it won’t be until 2014 that you can actually see any poker being played.

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On His Bike – Tony G Pulls Out Of Premiere League VII

With no public explanation as of yet, the only man to have played in all 6 previous Premiere Leagues, Tony G, will NOT be attending Premiere League VII which starts tomorrow. Even though was was previously confirmed, and still is a participant according to the partypoker blog, the potential politician is not expected on the felt.

Not qualified? Lost his heart? Or just got a new bike? Either way, Tony G will be missed this year.

Looking for a full list of who is putting up the $125k? Our sister site, pokerfuse has the whole story.

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Luck In Poker New statistics can show us who the “luckboxes” really are.

Sure, you may know the odds to flop a set or what percentage you are to win a hand when you are all-in preflop, but the team at OneBillionHands.com are coming up with new ways to quantify just how lucky you are in any given situation.

Using a vast collection of previously played hands in sortable situations they’ve developed new metrics that showcase both the skill and the luck involved in poker – it’s called the Situation Score. The team can take live hands, apply similar situations to them and apply a score to let you know who outplayed who and who just got hit over the head with the deck.

Check out this very cool article on Deadspin which showcases the luck factor in the never ending “luck vs. skill” argument.

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Dale “Daleroxxu” Philip Bringing Balance to Poker and Life

Team PokerStars Online Pro finds time for himself.

Poker can be all consuming, every grinder knows this. That includes Dale Philip, aka Team PokerStars Online team member “Daleroxxu”. Dale used to spend his time holed up in his hovel, grinding both for fun and profit, letting life pass him by. In his latest piece for the PokerStars blog, Dale talks about how sometimes surrounding yourself with purely poker is a -EV life move.

Is poker both your hobby and your job?

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Call The Clock!

Whether you are tanking on every hand or just looking for your Hollywood moment, well-known poker reporter Lee Davy (@Chingster23) wants you to hurry it up! If you’ve got a tournament defining decision, then fine – take your time. But if you find yourself unable to call or fold in unremarkable pots then Davy thinks you should GTFO, you know?

Check out his rant over at Pokerlistings on why more people should call the clock and call it often. Do you think calling the clock is bad etiquette? Sound off in our comments!

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Mike “Little Man” Sica Tribute Video

While Mike Sica may not have been a household name, it’s clear that the poker world lost a true ambassador of the game last week when Sica succumbed in his fight against cancer. Cited as one of the nicest players to ever pull up a chair, the 69 year-old World Series of Poker bracelet winner loved the game of poker (and the occasional toothpick) and was an advocate of respect for everyone who put their ante in. Take a minute and check out a video collage of the big smile of the “Little Man”.

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Sam Trickett Plays High Limits From Dusk Till Dawn

UK high roller gets high stakes room named after him.

Arguably the UK’s top professional poker player, Sam Trickett has it all. The former footballer has amassed nearly $20m in lifetime earnings, sits at #2 on the All Time Money List and legions of worldwide fans.

Now, he joins the elite group of players to have his name adorn a private poker room. The Sam Trickett Suite is now open at UK casino Dusk Till Dawn. Complete with a massive mugshot of the multi-million dollar man, the new room is decked out in style and ready for high-roller action, much like the man himself.

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Brian Rast Joining Premiere League VII??

WSOP Bracelet Winner tweets that he's headed to Montreal.

Brian Rast, the 2011 WSOP 50k Poker Players Champion, let the cat out of the bag when he tweeted that he was headed to Montreal to participate in the partypoker Premiere League VII before it was announced on the partypoker blog.

If true, Rast joins the already stacked lineup that includes Tony G, Antonio Esfandiari, Phil Laak, Jeff Gross, Vanessa Selbst, Jonathan Duhamel, Sam Trickett, Dan Shak, Daniel “Jungleman” Cates and 2012 WSOP Main Event Champion Greg Merson.

The latest Premiere League starts this Wednesday, November 20 and features a $125k buy-in.

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Sheldon Adelson Plays the Don’t Pass Line on iGaming

80 year-old doubles down on his effort by forming the "Coalition to Stop Internet Gambling"

Sheldon Adelson, the 80 year-old Chairman and CEO of the Las Vegas Sands Corporation is betting that he can stop you from playing poker online.

By recruiting politicians with similar misunderstandings of civil liberties and armed with an agenda to strengthen the Wire Act, Adelson is targeting January as the start date for his campaign.

GET INFORMED: our sister site, pokerfuse, has the whole story!

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Philipp Gruissem Goes Back-To-Back

German pro conquers another Alpha8 for over $1m

Watch out Layne Flack because you’re not the only one who can go back-to-back. This weekend number 4 ranked Global Poker Index pro Philipp Gruissem took down the World Poker Tour Aplha 8 tournament in St. Kitts for a cool $1,086,400 less than a month after having won the Alpha 8 event in London for over $1.3m.

Sure, there were only 23 unique players (28 total entries) but at a buy-in of $100k, Gruissem still had to fade some of the very best in the game, including Mike “Timex” McDonald, Jason “Guns” Koon, Scott Seiver, Sorel Mizzi and more, to reach his 2nd 7-figure score.

Looking for a full wrap up of who won what? Check out all the results on the World Poker Tour Live Updates.

  • Jason Koon’s nickname is not “Guns”, but it should be.
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