In another great interview from Thomas Keeling over at Bluff Magazine, 3-time bracelet winner and champion of the World Series of Poker's $25k Mix Max talks about the heads-up finale against rival Jason Mo.

A more mature Selbst talks about her history, or lack thereof, with the trash-talking Mo and what it means for her to win this, and potentially many more bracelets to come.

Along with the prestige, money and his fancy wardrobe, Matt Salsberg, the World Poker Tour 2013 Player of the Year, also won a very unique prize: A one of a kind handcrafted “All In” poker table.

Sure, you’ve sat at a bunch of different poker tables over the years, but probably not one like this. Built out of fifteen pieces of exotic wood it took over 600 man hours to hand craft specifically for the WPT POY.

Check out a bunch of great photos of the table: The Unique 'All In’ World Poker Tour Table’s Unusual Success Story

With her victory today in the $25k Mix Max, Vanessa Selbst makes history. Not only does she soar into the $10M+ club, putting her 13th All Time, but she becomes the first female to win 3 WSOP bracelets in open events.

It’s an accomplishment that leaves no doubt about her taking her place in history, not to be footnoted by the adjective “female”, but as one of the absolute best poker players of all time.

In the above video she talks with PokerNews' Sarah Grant about how she excels when the competition is at it’s toughest and what the turning point was against runner-up finisher, Jason Mo.

Here is one of many in the cast of colorful characters that you may run into while roaming the halls of the Rio.

Macau high-roller, Alec Torelli, takes a seat in front of the camera to retell a hand he played against Phil Hellmuth in the World Series of Poker Event 2, the $25k Mix Max event (which wraps up today).

In it, Torelli needs to fight fire with fire when The Poker Brat is on the attack in back-to-back hands but Torelli has both a monster hand and a big decision in front of him. Strategy nerds, check this out.

More Alec: Tom Dwan Sitting With Millions In Macau Super High Stakes Game

Ultimate Poker pro Jason Somerville is on a high. We’re not sure what it is – perhaps it’s just the excitement of going deep in the $1k PLO (he busted in 18th for $7553) or the fact that his #RunItUp campaign is taking off. Either way, he cannot slow down in this video where he says he’s is a much better headspace in 2014 than he was last year and that he’s “ready to fire off” at the World Series of Poker.

Taking the summer as it comes, Jason has assembled a team to really show his fans what it’s like to grind all summer at the Rio

We hope that John Juanda had a big breakfast yesterday…

We can’t tell if he’s kidding or not but poker pro John Juanda, who is confirmed to be at the WSOP from his participation in the $25k Mix Max, apparently did not register for the $10K 2-7 Triple Draw so he could partake in a little Choice Center emotional intelligence work.

As you may know, Choice Center is the controversial self-help institution that’s making the rounds in the elite poker professional community, endorsed early and often by Daniel Negreanu.

Juanda, who is considered one of the best in the world at 2-7, has had a ton of success in $10k 2-7 bracelet events in the past, including winning a World Series of Poker bracelet in the discipline back in 2011.

Perhaps this was one big amazing angle shoot from Kid Poker himself! Follow if you will: Daniel, who has a massive bracelet bet going, convinces Juanda, the best 2-7 player in the world to skip a small field event where he’s a heavy favorite and get secret tips from him on how to win…easy game indeed.

More on the Choice Center controversy:

Watch: Brian Rast – Tearing People Down, Lack Of Food All Part Of Choice Center Process

Watch: Daniel Negreanu – “Ate Tons” While Attending Choice Center

The final table for the 2014 PokerStars Canada Cup was dragging on at a snails pace when out of nowhere, this crazy hand took place to cleanly wrap everything up. It’s a four way all-in where the chip leader, Robert Notkin, who had qualified for the event online, raised with pocket kings and everyone decided it would be a good idea to ship their stacks thereafter.

It’s must watch poker TV.

David “Devilfish” Ulliott stops his hard partying ways for 3 minutes to talk with PokerNews reporter Sarah Grant about all the partying he just stopped to do in order to do this interview. A ten hour flight to Vegas, followed by pool parties and all-nighters finds the UK poker legend a little out of his mind and ready to…rap.

Brett Richey, Jeff Madsen and Prahlad Friedman had better look out there’s a new MC in the poker game.

Read more Devilfish antics: Devilfish Rips Into EPT’s Stapes – “What A Muppet!!”

The good folks over at Vegas Chatter have compiled a list of some of the best hotels in Las Vegas that offer some reduced rates for poker players. The Wynn, Aria and yes, even the Venetian can help you get a reduced rate on your hotel room is you grind out some time on their local poker tables.

Ranging from 4-6 hours of play, which is nothing for you degens out there, you can get some killer rooms for as little at $50 a night. So, if you are still looking for a place to lay your head in between hands check this article out and see if there’s something that you can use.

Read: WSOP Players Get Special Hotel Rates And You Can, Too

The Rational Group, parent company to both PokerStars and Full Tilt, ran deep in a tournament of sorts of their own this past week. The company was ranked 14th on the Best Workplaces list in the UK for the Great Place to Work Institute.

PokerStars Hangs The Help Wanted Sign

There are over 100 companies on the list (in the money) and yearly over 6000 companies worldwide are surveyed (runners).

So, if you are in the UK and looking for a job in the super sexy poker industry*, check out the job listings over at PokerStars.

*nothing super sexy about it

Daniel will do anything to get his golf game off the ground and that includes taking a shot from inside the pond. Will he make it back on to the green? Check it out.

Poker is an expensive hobby sometimes. Case in point: the arrest of 55 year-old Bill Jordanou, an Australian Poker Pro, who was nabbed for 142 counts of fraud resulting in collecting $100M AUD.

Jordanou, according to a report from Victoria’s The Age, bilked the Commonwealth Bank (and more) for over a decade by getting home loans or electronic deposits based on falsified documents. In short, the guy was bluffing about who he really was and what he was worth in order to get paid.

Read: Poker pro faces 142 charges over $100m fraud

What’d he do with the money? Well, we know for sure that he played in a bunch of big buy-in tournaments in Australia, including the 2010 $100k Aussie Million Challenge and the $25k Victorian Poker Championship. But in general, it’s thought he used the cash to live the baller lifestyle and to use on property developments.

To add insult to injury, the defendant is also facing a count of “perverting the course of justice” for allegedly “interfering” with a witness in the case. Bad stuff all around.

As of now, Jordanou is out on bail and is facing a court date in September.

Take 30 seconds to see some of the people who are #BraceletHunting at the tables of the Rio.

One of the stars of Poker Game Of Thrones – Aaron Massey

We snuck up on our pal Jimmy Fricke.

Allen Cunningham Googling “Just For Men”.

Daniel Negreanu can guess your cards with his eyes closed.

Badass shot of The Champ Greg Merson.

The World Series of Poker let F5Poker get pretty close to the action and before they changed their minds, we wanted to bring you some looks from the tournament floor. Enjoy!

Matt Marifioti wonders where SrslySirius is…

It’s been 25 years since Phil Hellmuth won his WSOP Main Event bracelet…

Even when Ivey's sippin’ he’s starin’

Dan Cates looks happy here, but his mood is about to “turn” sour. With Matt Gianetti and Alec Torelli.

Barry Greenstein plays on his iPad because he is bored by the young guns.

Dominik Nitsche riding low in his chair.

Maria Ho is downplaying her talent in PLO.

and Miss Erik Lindgren herself – the Hit Woman, Erica Schoenberg – trying to keep a low profile.

More pics in an hour or so….

Daniel Negreanu stepped into the media lounge during the 2014 World Series of Poker to provide a rebuttal to Brian Rast's breakdown at to what he thinks goes on at Choice Center.

Watch: Brian Rast – Tearing People Down, Lack Of Food All Part Of Choice Center Process

Choice Center, the “in” self-help courses that have been making its way around the professional poker circuit, isn’t the overbearing cult you may think it is, according to Daniel. They fed him plenty! He ate tons! And if he wanted to he could have left whenever he wanted to…but for Daniel, with all due respect to Rast, you can’t speak on a topic if you haven’t been through the whole thing.

Want more? There’s a healthy Two Plus Two thread to wade through if you want to hear all sides of the argument.

Look, there’s a lot of poker to be had this summer and that means we’re all going to be spending a lot of time together. It’s also hot and sweaty out. So if we can agree to a few basic simple principles while we are trying to take each others money, doing the walk of shame will be just a little less frustrating. Cool? Cool.

Thankfully, the guys over at Betfair have laid out a few basic guidelines, in case we need a refresher. Like don’t slow roll, try to act in turn and the essential…don’t be smelly.

If you’re planning on playing live poker at any point please ensure you have had a wash and put some clean clothes on. In the live arena you are often sat very close to your opponents and the game is hard enough without having to stop your gag reflex because someone at the side of you smells like an old Shire horse. The same goes for bad breath, if you have the breath of a thousand lizards either don’t talk or chew some gum. Thanks.

Of course let’s not talk about hands in progress, be cool to the dealer and try not to physically attack others at the table.

The smelly guy who has been talking about the hand in progress and over-celebrate may deserve a smack in the face but you’re not the person to give him it. Likewise, remember that despite the money aspect of poker, poker is still a game and if you have to bray someone when you lose a hand then maybe poker isn’t the game for you.

Check out all the Etiquette tips over at Betfair.

World Poker Tour Alpha8 commentator Olvier Busquet is pumped up about the World Series of Poker and with a can’t miss event like the $25k Mix Max on Day 1, he worked it out so he could arrive at the Rio earlier than he would have normally.

Bluff Magazine's Thomas Keeling talks with Ivey Poker Pro Aaron Jones on break in the WSOP $25k Mix Max where Jones admits that he was actually pretty happy with the softness of the field in the big time buy-in event.

Jones seems to think that well-known players like Phil Hellmuth and Jean-Robert Bellande are more like celebrity poker players that feel compelled to play based on status and that gives a pro like him an edge.

Aaron also talks Ivey Poker, of course, and how happy he is with how involved Phil Ivey has been in the company and making himself more available to the media.

Not such a big deal (yet) but poker pro Peter Jetten spotted a possible marked card or a potential manufacturer defect on a deck at his table in the WSOP $1k PLO. While it was a pretty card, the King of Spades, Jetten didn’t think too much of it, writing it off as an improperly cut or frayed card.

More Jetten: Kevin “Phwap” Boudreau Hanging With Friends, Making Strides In Recovery

PokerNews catches up with Vanessa Selbst as she describes the hand that made Jungleman Dan swear like a sailor on his way out of the World Series Of Poker $25k Mix Max.

More: Dan “Jungleman” Cates: Takes a high-stakes beating, goes ballistic

A poker legend in his own right, Barry Greenstein, tells tales of 7-card stud superstar turned born-again Christian, Danny Robison at Robison’s memorial service.

If you have a few minutes to spare to remember a guy who helped build the foundation of today’s poker landscape, you should definitely check this out.

Read: Danny Robison, Poker Legend, Dies

Sit back, relax and enjoy another episode of the popular PokerStars European Poker Tour Season 10 London broadcast. James, Joe, hole cards and highlights from the penultimate day of the tournament where only 8 of the final 16 are allowed to make it to the end of the day.

Miss the last episode? We’ve got you: PokerStars EPT 10 London Main Event – Episode 6

Our pals over at Borgata Poker want you to join them for the biggest East Coast poker series of the summer. The Borgata Summer Open starts on June 10 with a $300k guaranteed and a $350+ $50 buy-in. But you can get in for cheaper…way cheaper.

For you lucky dogs in New Jersey, check out the BorgataPoker.com Summer Open Kickoff where the online site is giving away 16 seats to Event #1 of the BSO over the course of 8 days, for as little as $5.

It’s super simple – log on, register and take any one of these Seat Guaranteed tournaments down. Next thing you know, you’re in the air conditioned hallways of the Borgata playing for your share of that $300k+

Live in NJ but don’t have an account? No probs. They’ve got signup bonuses and freerolls for new depositors .

You know, all the enticing promotional stuff.

So, if you are an East Coast grinder and you are planning on taking a shot at the BSO – download, signup and go get some.

We grab a very busy Ty Stewart as the World Series of Poker sets prepares for a historic day of Pot Limit Omaha.

From the halls of the Rio at the 2014 World Series of Poker, Bluff Magazine's Thomas Keeling talks candidly with high-stakes poker pro Brian Rast about self-improvement and the sometimes controversial Choice Center.

Brian Rast, who currently sits 2nd in chips in the Event #2 of the WSOP, takes a few minutes out to talk with Thomas Keeling from Bluff Magazine about his strategy for having a more balanced year at the World Series. Rast decided to decrease his stress by not having a bracelet bet in place and basically only play events when he really feels like it.

He also talks about his experience with the self-help institute Choice Center. Choice Center has been getting a lot of credit in poker, specifically from Daniel Negreanu, with both improving once’s quality of life and as a result…results.

Rast isn’t so fast to hop on the Choice Center bandwagon and doesn’t exactly think that it’s “self-replicating virus” like style of aggressive recruitment and break-you-down to build-you-up style of assistance is necessarily the best thing for a person. It’s an interesting insight into how people can help themselves and an insider look into Choice.

The biggest names in the game were in the Amazon room on Day 1 of the World Series of Poker for Event #2, the prestigious $25k Mix Max. Somehow, they let us get close enough to snap some pretty awesome photos. Enjoy.

We caught up with Bryan Micon while hanging around the WSOP to talk about the “human that was around” that was the anonymous AsianSpa.

Submitted by a loyal reader, check out this photo taken last week at the Venetian.

It doesn’t look like there’s a lot of money in the pot (although there’s some action at the edge of the photo) and there’s actually no bad beat jackpot at the Venetian (insert Sheldon Adelson joke here) but still a pretty sick pic.

If anything it’s a good chance to remind you to try to stay away from the Venetian, not because it will hurt Adelson’s pocketbook – just on principle.

More Bad Beat Diaries: Figiel’s Fortuitous WPT Bustout & Some Hands Play Themselves

With the departure of Kristy Arnett, the official reporting team of the WSOP, PokerNews, is forced to go through a rebuilding stage by bringing a few newly drafted rookies onto the video team. Led by quarterback Sarah Grant, the “real presenters of PokerNews” provide any number of innuendos to get you interested in following the ins and outs of what’s up at the Rio.

Jennifer Robles, who made her official debut in Europe covering the EPT is joined by Caitlyn Howe in this introduction to a new crop of charming ladies who will show you some of the happenings at the Rio.

It’s been a year and a half since poker’s face punching badass, and all around super nice guy, Terrence Chan jumped sides from pro poker player to corporate entity for Ultimate Poker. Today though he’s back on the felt representing UP, talking with Bluff Magazine's Thomas Keeling about how he’s happy to be back in the halls of the Rio participating in his 10th (or 11th) World Series.

Read More: Ultimate Poker Puts Out The “Help Wanted” Sign

Matt Matros is no dummy so when he gives advice on how to best go about playing in the World Series of Poker you’d best listen up. The Washington Post reached out Matros to the 3-time WSOP bracelet winner at the start of the series to get the lowdown on how one can best experience the spectacle of the summer.

Get Backed

The best way not to lose your own money gambling is to play with someone else’s.

Play A Wide Variety of Events

Since it’s unlikely one player, no matter how good, will win every huge event he or she enters, smart poker players who want to maximize EV mix it up.

Take Care of Yourself

Try to eat healthy at least occasionally. Try not to party too hard.

Go Heads Up!

The small field gives the competent heads-up player (and I consider myself competent) a realistic chance at a bracelet, and the high buy-in offers pretty good value.

Get More Matros: Matt Matros: 75% of players are losers, don’t be one of them

Finally, play the Main.

Going to the WSOP and not sitting down at the main event — a $10,000 buy-in no-limit Texas Hold ‘Em tournament — is like going to Churchill Downs on Kentucky Derby day and not wagering on the big race.

There other great advice embedded in his advice so before you make sure you check out The Washington’s Post article: The World Series of Poker (WSOP) begins today. Here’s how you should play it.

When all was said and done, no one got hurt. That’s a good thing since the Brazilia Room was sent into a tizzy when WSOP Executive Director Ty Stewart held off shouting the customary “Shuffle up and deal” for a few extra minutes at the start of the day to ask the crowd of Event 1 participants: “Do you like money?!”

Boom!

The canons went off, $10K in $1 bills rained down upon the crowd and once everyone realized it was real cash and not Disney Dollars – the cash grab was on.

Just about everyone was moving fast but still being polite. One canon in the back of the room malfunctioned though and security was spotted taking a few armloads of $1 bills out of the back of the room.

Still it was a big surprise and one that got the 2014 WSOP off with a bang.

Here’s the plan – this week we’re going to be bringing pics and stories from the ground floor of the World Series of Poker. We’re also going to be bringing you all-around coverage of the stories and people that make the WSOP great by doing what we do best – aggregating the best, weirdest, funniest, most salacious articles, interviews and videos from all over the poker world.

So if you are like us, a fan of the game and the people that play it, we want you to jump in so we have someone to talk to:

FOLLOW F5POKER on TWITTER

No Twitter? No problem – you can Like us on the Facebook too if you want. No Facebook? Problem.

We’ve said it before, we’ll say it again: The World Series of Poker is the motherland for all true fans of poker. The 2014 version of the ultimate summer series looks like it may be the best yet with massive guarantees, massive fields, massive star power and massive lines for the men’s room.

We set out earlier this morning, right at they let the general public in, to snap some pics and poke around. Here’s a little of what we found:

This was Tia the Dealer. Super sweet to let us take her photo, she was the first dealer in the cash game section at the 2014 WSOP.

There is a huge push for people to play online poker while not playing live and here is a small support center to help you to take advantage of the massive bonuses that WSOP.com is offering while you are here.

The light is really low, but the WSOP Spaceship still looks amazing. It’s not 100% operational, but it feels more open this year.

Sure, there’s a nice, soft new carpet in the Pavilion, but you can’t beat the dim lighting and old school poker feel of the Amazon Room.

They are really straining to push the WSOP.com message through.

Finally (for now) dead center of the main hallway are the gigantic WSOP light. Here’s our lonely editor snapping a selfie right next to them.

Make sure you follow @f5poker so you don’t miss anything. Or don’t and just keep checking the website. Or miss some stuff, it’ll be ok if you miss a thing or two.

Interested in the start of the World Series of Poker but just have too many things to focus on? Well, once again, we’re here to help. We’ve done the dirty work and compiled a list of the lists that list the items you should keep an eye on.

Read: The top 25 things to watch at the 2014 World Series of Poker

From players to stories the Las Vegas Sun counts down the compelling headlines headed into the beginning of the 2014 WSOP.

Read: Five Predictions for the 2014 WSOP

Steve Preiss over at Wicked Chops Poker not only has his eye on some specifics about the series but also goes out on a limb and calls his shot on a few including how many ladies will win open bracelet events and what the Main Event Final Table will look like. Good read.

Read: 2014 WSOP stories to watch

ESPN's Andrew Feldman partners up with Bluff Magazine's Lance Bradley to bring you this list of what they think could be the big stories of 2014. Will *Howard*and Jesus play at the WSOP? How big will the fields be? Can Daniel Negreanu go back-to-back as Player of the Year? All of these topics and more are speculated on at ESPN.

Kick off the short week with James, Joe and live poker action.

Some of the most fun you can have with the World Series of Poker you have by guessing/prop betting ON the World Series of Poker.

How many runners will be in the Main Event? Will Ivey and Negreanu win their bracelet bet? It’s fun to take a flyer on some of the randomness that we can’t control. Over at RGT Online, columnist turned-bookmaker, Aaron Todd, created 10 of his own pro bets that you can use as a guide to getting a little sweet side action to keep things interesting this summer.

Over/under on events with fewer than 100 players.
How many plays in the Big One For One Drop?
Players DQ’s for taking chips off the table.
Will a former ME Champ win a bracelet?
Will Daniel/Ivey win a bracelet?
What level will the $1500 Monster Stack End?
Which will have more runners: The Millionaire Maker vs. The Main Event?
Who is the Anonymous Asian Businessman (Big One For One Drop)?
Will 2nd place in the Main Event pay $5M or more?
Over/Under 6352 in the Main Event.

These are his specific categories and he’s laid odds for all of them. You can use this as a guide for your own side wagers with your pals or hit him up on Twitter and place a fictitious bet.

Read: Top-10 World Series of Poker prop bets

Looking for some real prop bets? Read: Countdown to Vegas – 2014 WSOP Betting Odds Published

Here’s one UK amateur poker player that stalled as long as he could.

After he “beat off” the competition of 100 players to become the Redtooth Poker national Pub Poker Champ, 34-year old Gareth Tomlinson is taking his £5k in prize money and doing something crazy with it— he’s getting married.

“We’ve been engaged for a while and the kids have been on at me to marry their mum, so now I’ve won the title we’ve agreed to set a date!

That’s right, now that’s he a champ there’s nothing he can’t do – including marrying the mother of his 3 kids! Now is the perfect time as in addition to his prize money comes a week-long trip to Las Vegas.

“It’s a huge amount of money to win and I’ll be able to put it to a new car, treat the kids and now for the wedding.”

Feel good story or bad beat diary entry – you decide: Poker champ

It’s finally here: the start of the 2014 World Series of Poker. A time when all the stars of the world of poker flock to Vegas in search of their share of the roughly $200 million dollars in prize money that will be given away as well as the most prestigious prize in poker – a WSOP bracelet.

One of the grand traditions that accompany the start of the WSOP is the poker media making their picks on who might be the next big name or emerging superstar to hit the big time.

Read: The Best Players In Europe Without A WSOP Bracelet

Barry Carter from PokerStrategy spotlights some of the brightest young poker minds that Europe has to offer including “Mad” Marvin Rettenmaier, Everest Poker's Sam Trickett and Ole “Barely Legal” Schemion who is traveling to the WSOP for the first time.

Read: 10 Brits To Watch At The 2014 World Series

Not to be outdone, Matthew Pitt over at PokerNews UK thinks that the Brits will have another massive year in Las Vegas and he’s picked 10 that could really make an impact. Chris Moorman, David Vamplew and GPI darling Stephen Chidwick grace this list along with some others of the Queen’s best.

Read: Seven Rookies To Watch At The 2014 World Series of Poker

More lists! Brett Collson over at PokerNews picks seven who will be losing their “WSOP card” this summer by attending the series for the first time. Of course there’s Ole, but also PCA Main Event Winner Dominik Panka, German high roller Christoph Vogelsang and Jordan Westmorland will all be looking to shed their rookie titles for that of champion.

We know what you are thinking…where are all the big names – the REALLY big names. Don’t worry, ESPN's Andrew Feldman has you covered.

Watch: World Series of Poker Players To Watch

ESPN knows how to highlight the superstars and they’ve collected some photos of those you need to keep an eye on. Daniel, Phil, Phil, Vanessa, Timex and more.

On the eve of the return of the World Series of Poker we though it would be nice to pass along this photo that poker pro Peter Jetten shared of an up-and-about Kevn Boudreau.

Kevin’s story was the most difficult of stories to report on during the 2013 WSOP and we’re happy to see him making such strides in recovery. We look forward to writing the post of his return to the World Series of Poker.

Read: Kevin 'Phwap’ Boudreau’s Condition Continues To Improve

It had to happen sometime, it seems as though that time is now. The identity of the prolific, hilarious account of the anonymous trash-talking “@AsianSpa” has allegedly been discovered but not yet leaked.

The account holder, supposedly having been found out, has deleted the @AsianSpa account from Twitter.

Bryan “The Icon/The Chairman” Micon broke the news earlier today:

A quick look at the link shows the account is no longer active.

Micon feels that he’s sure that Spa’s identity will leak in a matter of days as secrets like this hard to keep under wraps.

AsianSpa was/is well known for his hatred of Phil Hellmuth, his feud with Jeff Madsen, coining the term #SnakeInTheGrass and always having a take on the personalities of poker. He became so popular at one point that he landed a gig with PokerNews to write an anonymous blog for the Muck.

It seems that now it’s all behind him.

The pros are flocking to Las Vegas for the start of the WSOP. When do you get here?

Vegas bound with @kindacoolky 25k fantasy draft + Heat/Pacers game 4 tonight #PartyTime

The World Series of Poker hype machine is in full swing and we love it.

Check out this photo-filled article by John Mehaffey over at USPoker which shows off some of the Rio's and WSOP’s preparations for tomorrow’s start of the series.

Look at the new felt tables commemorating the Rio’s 10th year hosting the WSOP, new carpeting in the Pavillion room and the ESPN MainStage being constructed in the Amazon room.

Read: Behind the Scenes as Rio Prepares for WSOP

Just over 24 hours away.