iPhone Proves Live Poker Is Rigged…(But Not Really)

New product claims to help players win every time...

Consider us skeptics to this technology that can, simply by “seeing” the deck, tell you which hand in the rotation will win during a hand of Texas Hold’em. Flash the lens of the camera and then, using your earpiece, the iPhone will scream out which hand will win…even if the cards look unlikely.

Here the purveyors of cheating demonstrate how you can be sure you are winning every single time in Hold’em, but be forewarned this “poker analyzer” requires a marked deck, so don’t go promising people a share of the $10 million WSOP first place prize just yet. This is for home game trickery and likely for the worst human being out there to cheat their friends out of money.

published 10 years ago • by permalink

World Poker Tour Alpha8 Concludes With A Wild Ride

Top pros go on a post-game safari.

Lynn Gilmartin and the World Poker Tour Alpha8 crew capture some amazing footage of the African landscape as the high-roller event concludes with a one-in-a-lifetime safari.

Just about all of the wildlife one would hope to see, and shirtless pro you wouldn’t mind missing, all show up in the video finale of the Johannesburg stop of the inaugural Alpha8 season.

published 10 years ago • by permalink

Global Poker Index Hangs The “Help Wanted” Sign

Bounty edition.

Alexandre Dreyfus, the head honcho of the Global Poker Index (which owns The Hendon Mob) and the man smart enough to hire tournament stats whiz kid Eric Danis, is looking for more brilliant people to join his quest to empower the poker industry.

It’s like a bounty tournament for talent. If you know someone that Alex can hire and put to work, he’ll pay you cash. Not even weak-ass US dollars but Euros! So check out what he’s looking for and if it’s YOU, then tell them you referred yourself, take the bounty as a bonus and buy F5 a beer at the WSOP, cool? Cool.

Absolutely no one in the poker industry calls Mr. Dreyfus “A-Dre”...yet.

published 10 years ago • by permalink

Danielle “dmoongirl” Andersen Gets To Work, Rolls Around With Terrence Chan

Easy contest for ladies to win tickets to UFC 170.

That didn’t take long…

One day after signing up to be a sponsored pro for Ultimate Poker, Danielle Andersen is already getting into fights around the office. Looking to giveaway a pair of tickets to UFC 170, she grabs former professional poker pro, and fellow UP team member, Terrence Chan and slap one on him….an armbar that is.

If you are in Vegas and want to watch UFC Woman’s Bantamweight Champ Ronda Rousey in action, watch the video and submit your armbar and “dmoongirl” will pick her favorite.

#UltimateArmbar

Here’s your competition (NSFW):

published 10 years ago • by permalink

Jean-Robert Bellande Goes On The Record With Pal Steve Aoki

Bellande, Aoki and Fleyshman pose at the Aria.

Your boy Jean-Robert Bellande can name drop with the best of them. Here he was kicking it at the Aria in Las Vegas with his crew – former Victory Poker head honcho Dan Fleyshman and Dim Mak Records label boss and electro house musician/producer Steve Aoki.

Playing a lil 5-10nlh w my boys Dan fleyshman and mega-producer SteveAoki @ariapoker #brokefamily

For what it’s worth, if you are not familiar with Aoki, he’s the founder of one of the sickest indie record labels around – Dim Mak – home to Atari Teenage Riot, Battles, Gossip and more.

published 10 years ago • by permalink

Dwan, Selbst, Negreanu Get Analyzed On A Scale of 1To5

Training site breaks down big hands to teach you the game.

There’s a lot of ways to approach learning the game of poker. Most people pay their dues, never get good and subsequently have the word “rigged” tattooed on their neck.

Others study. They read books, watch videos, pour over hand histories and talk with friends who may be better than they are. Here’s another way to get some poker knowledge into your dome: 1to5.com

It’s an interactive replaying of big time TV hands from some of the most well-known players on the planet. The free samples include hands played by Tom Dwan, Daniel Negreanu, Vanessa Selbst, Phil Hellmuth and more. You watch the first part of the action, help the pro make a decision with a multiple choice question, get to see what others chose and then watch the hand play out. Finally, once you see it in action, you can listen to in-depth analysis of why the pro did what they did.

For those of you who like to identify with top tier pros, this may be for you. 1to5 has samples on their site so you can see if it’s for you. If so, you can join and get 2 new hands per week.

published 10 years ago • by permalink

World Series of Poker Main Event Min Cash Chances

Table explains what it's going to take to make the money this summer.

We thought this was an interesting document you might want to take a look at. With the 2014 World Series of Poker under 100 days away and offering a guaranteed $10,000,000 first place prize, you might think that will effect how deep you need to get just to grab a little piece of that pie – and it does, just not as much as you might think.

Let’s look at last year: 6352 runners and in order to make the min-cash—which was $19,100—you needed to be in the top 666 players. Seems appropriate. Should the same numbers occur in terms of entrants for 2014 it looks as if you’ll need to be in the top 657 to get $18,098.

The WSOP is hoping that the big “up top” advertised guarantee, along with legalized online poker in Nevada and the satellite winners that come with it, will bolster numbers from what has been a steady decline in Main Event entrants since 2010. In fact the 2013 participation, while still very healthy, was at it’s lowest point since 2005.

While this would never, ever happen in 2014 – one of the cool possibilities displayed by the chart would be if only 1063 people entered. Then it would become the largest “winner take all” of all time with only first place officially getting paid.

If you are interested in this ahead of time, here’s the the *WSOP Main Event Payout Table.

published 10 years ago • by permalink

Jonathan Duhamel Mugs For The Camera

PokerStars Pro promotes #SupportYourCountry campaign.

So here, you have 2010 World Series of Poker Champion Jonathan Duhamel being as all Canadian as he can be: winter clothes, hockey gear and pouring maple syrup on french fries (is that French Canadian?). You get the picture. Sure, maybe he could have gone a step further by adding a moose and Chad Kroeger from Nickleback but the fact remains he’s taking a photo of national pride.

If you do this too, or something like this, you could win tickets to the Sunday Million! (Americans need not apply)

PokerStars is a big proponent of national pride. In a game filled with individual achievement they often look to bring people together by putting national pride on the line. Their new social media promotion #SupportYourCountry is no different. Whether it’s making your avatar your nations flag or cheering on your fellow countrymen in the upcoming World Record Tournament, PokerStars want you to rep your set, son.

So snap a pic, Tweet or Instagram it in and hold your breath until the brass at PokerStars calls to tell you that you won! GO YOUR COUNTRY!

published 10 years ago • by permalink

The Highs And Lows Living The Life Of A Poker Pro

Former cash game grinder shares his experiences.

Here’s a good read for all of you grinders who have dreams of one day living the poker lifestyle. Recently on the website Quora (and republished by Slate), the question appeared of “What is it like to earn a living through poker?” and former professional cash game specialist Michael Shinzaki took the time to chronicle his career chasing the dream.

He talks about the emotional highs and lows that come with putting in the grind time, finding success in 6-figure forms as well as the downswings that hit every player.

When the cards start flying and money starts changing hands, anything seems possible. I have seen nearly every human emotion played out in its purest natural form over a game of cards. I myself have felt like I was on cloud nine and rock bottom at various points. I have seen people so euphoric they have cried tears of joy at the poker table. I have seen people go from the verge of homelessness to paying six figures in taxes per annum. I have seen people crash and burn, crumble in defeat, go into debt, and look back on the whole thing as an ephemeral dream. Playing poker for a living is a roller coaster in every metaphorical way.

It’s a good, balanced read and worth the time especially if you have ever considered poker as your potential profession (or side gig). Take the time and read about the life and times of the poker playing Michael Shinzaki.

Here’s some old PokerNews video featuring Shinzaki:

published 10 years ago • by permalink

Scott Seiver Blunt and Honest

When you get two super smart guys in a room together there is bound to be some good conversation, and when one of those guys is WSOP Bracelet Winner and World Poker Tour Champion Scott Seiver, you can be sure no punches will be pulled. That was the case when Seiver joined Ultimate Poker Pro Jason Somerville on the latest hangout version of the popular webcast, Run it UP.

Seiver talked about his humble beginnings as a poker player and shared his thoughts on what has fueled his competitiveness throughout a career in which he has amassed nearly $10 million in live tournament earnings. He shares his thoughts on Daniel Negreanu and Phil Ivey, plus he also has some interesting insights into how Black Friday may have stunted the growth of some of the young and upcoming poker talent .

Truth be told, Seiver is pretty chill in this interview. He didn’t even accuse anyone of cheating, but of course, Dan “Jungleman” Cates wasn’t there habitually folding his hand out of turn either.

published 10 years ago • by permalink

Rick James Funks Up Downtown Las Vegas

It's an interview show about almost nothing.

We got this video sent in as a tip and so we’re passing it along. Jay Todd and the This Week In Gambling crew hit the streets of downtown Las Vegas to get a sample of the nightlife when they encounter faux Rick James (bitch!) and some dude from New Jersey.

While the Rick James impersonator does an adequate job of his impersonation, the dude from New Jersey should be given an Oscar for his dead on New Jersey guy impersonation.

published 10 years ago • by permalink

Poker Table Technology Perfect For Ballers, Shot Callers

You never want the fish to leave the table.

There have been a lot of cool inventions when it comes to poker tables: cup holders, the hole card cam, RFID for TV broadcasts…perhaps they all pale in comparison to the latest advancement in poker table technology from the boys of Nexus21.

It’s a full blown bar literally inside your table.

When Daniel Negreanu called for a shot clock in poker, we don’t think this is what he meant. Now, whenever there’s a pause in the action, a single push of a button can allow all the players at the party to get their swerve on – pre or post flop.

You see, these guys are a leader in TV lift technology – you know, that bad ass effect that makes your home theater appear out of nowhere. Well, now they’ve applied that to the poker table and made it so you’re “never too far from the bar”. They suggest you can hide just about anything in there – cigar humidor, snacks and the elusive “it’s up to you” (translation=weed) but from the looks of the Nexus21 office, these guys plan to blame their losses on the alcohol.

Here’s a closer look at the table:

published 10 years, 1 month ago • by permalink

Gus Hansen Takes Ms. Rebecca To Fanstasyland

Full Tilt Professional cuts a video to teach you OFC.

With Open Face Chinese still being quite popular in the poker world, Gus Hansen takes a break from dumping heaps of cash online to teach “the beautiful Ms. Rebecca” the art of OFC. The instructional video has Gus talking some basic strategy in 3 hands of OFC while simultaneously flirting with his co-star.

If you are looking to learn a little about “Gus’ game” or the game that all the top pros are obsessed with, then check this out.

published 10 years, 1 month ago • by permalink

Richard Turner – World’s Most Amazing Card Mechanic

Slight of hand tricks done right before your eyes.

A bit of an inspirational story wrapped by the hands of a blind card mechanic, also known as a card cheat. This is Richard Turner, cheating at cards since he was 7 and lost his vision at the age of 9.

He dedicated his life to the manipulation of cards, 10-20 hours a day, 7 days a week by his own estimation. Through his loss of sight he developed a heightened sensitivity to touch, which he channelled into a knack for card manipulation.

published 10 years, 1 month ago • by permalink

Bellagio Offers A Quick Way To Blast Off 25k

High-roller turbo set to take place on Feb 28.

On February 28 Las Vegas’ Bellagio will run a $25,000 high-roller tournament that will be done in a single day. It’s the third time this year they have offered the high buy-in turbo with 30 minute levels and 30k starting stack. For those that can afford it, it’s the ultimate get rich quick plan.

In fact in the previous two events, only 11 people have opted in. Sorel Mizzi won over $149k in the first tournament, Cary Katz the took down the second for $176k and former WSOP November Niner Joseph Cheong came runner up in both.

The Bellagio has limited their juice to a mere .015% for each runner (so roughly $375 per entry) and if there is not a game running already, the final table will be held in Bobby’s Room.

published 10 years, 1 month ago • by permalink

Chip Envy – Stack’em To The Top

Check out this pretty cool pic, shared from PokerNews, of a nicely constructed tower of chips made from, what looks like, $3 Aria chips. Theses two dudes may be hanging loose in the photo, but rest assured when this tower came down, they were likely pretty vigilant in making sure the building blocks got back in the racks.

published 10 years, 1 month ago • by permalink

Sheldon Adelson Plays The Terror Card In New Video

Fear mongering, not facts fuels the Coalition.

Let’s not work the FBI too hard, ok guys? If online poker becomes legal in the US, that’s exactly what’s going to happen according to this new propaganda film from Sheldon Adelson’s Coalition To Stop Internet Gambling.

While gambling addiction may be a real concern – as is drug, tobacco, alcohol or anything consumed in extremes – Adelson’s think tank opted to play the terror card and invent the “Al Qaeda poker network” in which their sponsored pros could win enough cash to sponsor 9/11 100 times over.

It seems that online gaming is somehow specifically vulnerable to a variety of criminal schemes – much like Target or Kickstarter – and the “disreputable gaming interests” – like publicly traded companies Caesars and MGM – are targeting 3rd graders for some 24/7 action.

It’s always good to see what those who want to curb your civil liberties and tell you how to live your life, as if you are unable to do anything out of recreation and moderation, are doing to try to promote their own interests and agendas.

Go deeper: LA Times op-ed on Adelson’s self-interest, the poker argument and if iGaming outside of poker is a trap for consumers. Read it here.

published 10 years, 1 month ago • by permalink

Mancaves Good Enough For Spanky

Bobby's Room got nothing on these sick setups.

There’s nothing sweeter for a family man over the age of 35 than a room of his own. The elusive ManCave.

A big screen TV, a video game console perhaps, a mini fridge…you know what we mean fellas. Check out some of these impeccably themed mancaves that, if they were yours, would be the envy of all your posse. Check out a couple more varieties, courtesy of The Mancave and shared by the bros over at FlopTurnRiver after the jump.

Who’s Spanky you ask?

published 10 years, 1 month ago • by permalink

“Downtown” Chad Brown Continues To Battle Head Up

Team PokerStars Pro gives us an update on his health.

Routinely called one of the “good guys” in poker, Chad Brown is literally fighting for his life. Diagnosed with a rare form of cancer, liposarcoma, Brown has been in and out of hospitals and had numerous surgeries performed – but, as of now, the cancer remains. As he writes in the PokerStars Blog, Brown’s analytical mind and passion for poker persist as he bravely battles the disease hoping to give himself the best possible chance to carry on.

Where it stands now is that surgery will no longer be an option for correcting this. There is still cancer in my body, and what we hope for is that I have enough time for there to be a new drug developed for me. Until that time, it’s a fluid situation. What’s next has not even been determined yet. It could be that I wind up on another chemo drug. What the chemo does is to shrink the tumor, which buys you time, but it’s not a cure. But there are a couple of drugs out there that are coming out that have high promise, so that’s what I hope for.

To a certain degree he’s approaching this fight much like a hand or a session of poker. Facing the “swings” with resolve, and not being focused on “getting unlucky” but trying to make the best move at the right time that allows him to stay in the game.

The way that I’ve been handling this and continue to handle this is to view the situation like a poker hand. There are only so many correct plays that you can make, and you can make the best play and still lose. If that winds up being the case, I’ll be okay with it, because I’ll know I did everything I could do to give myself the best shot.

Brown gives us an update on where he stands, what’s next and how he’s coping with it all in this powerful blog post that we highly recommend you make time for.

published 10 years, 1 month ago • by permalink

Jean Robert-Bellande Takes His Aria Winnings To The Bank

These ladies don't know that JRB is broke.

After a “Great night in Iveys Room,” we find perpetually broke poker pro Jean-Robert Bellande doing the only sensible thing a serious grinder should do with his winnings — Bank it. In this case, Bellande decided to take whatever a “great night” worth of earnings is, pay the $40 cover charge and go to The Bank Nightclub at the Bellagio to party with the iconic children’s music group Josie and the Pussycats

published 10 years, 1 month ago • by permalink

Phil Ivey Talks Beal, Booth and Golf Bets

Listen to his revealing interview with Two Plus Two.

What does “Phil Ivey” do after winning $4 million AUD? He calls in to talk to Mike Johnson and Adam Schwartz from the Two Plus Two Pokercast.

The fellas finally get “No Home Jerome” to do a feature length interview and they don’t hold anything back. Andy Beal and the corporation, Yukon Brad on High Stakes poker, Joe Cassidy golf bet plus an introspective look at poker’s People Champ.

Of course, if you aren’t listening to the Pokercast already, this is a great place to start as the weekly program is a staple for every avid poker player. So load it up and listen while you are working out, on your commute or even while at the table.

Listen in: The Two Plus Two Pokercast with feature guest Phil Ivey

Bonus: Watch the infamous hand between Ivey and “Yukon” Brad Booth.

published 10 years, 1 month ago • by permalink


Erick Lindgren Finds A Friend In Lee Davy

In a recent article for CalvinAyre.com, regular contributor Lee Davy gets personal by declaring his respect for one time Full Tilt Pro Erick Lindgren.

Depending on how close you follow the goings on in poker you might know that post-Black Friday Lindgren had some pretty rough public relations problems stemming from the inability to pay back debts.

In this column, Davy declares his respect for Lindgren—not for dodging his debts, but for finally take the steps to face them in public. What makes this an interesting read is, while you’d expect this to really be about the WSOP bracelet winner, it seems to be equally about the writer himself, hashing out his own demons and copping to some mistakes he’s made in the past.

Gambling addiction and the lies that come with it makes Lindgren an empathetic character for Davy, who tries to take us behind the curtain of someone who is forced to face the public consequences of an embarrassing situation.

Davy gets what Lindgren went through: he went through it himself. So, while Davy may have found his respect for Lindgren through his actions, you are likely find a newfound respect for Davy through his candor.

Take a few minutes and read: Confessions of a Poker Writer: Why I Respect Erick Lindren.

published 10 years, 1 month ago • by permalink

Antonio Esfandiari Just Kickin’ It In South Africa

OK, so he didn’t win the $100k buy-in World Poker Tour Alpha8 Sit-n-Go. If they had a side bet for who can shake their ass and kick a piñata, Esfandiari would probably have taken it down. Of course, his good pal Jeff Gross can also get down, right?

From the looks of it, the pros had an amazing time in Johannesburg…maybe next time that kind of treatment will draw more entries.

Who did win? Dan “Jungleman” Cates did and if you want to see how he did it…check out the coverage from our big bros over at pokerfuse.

published 10 years, 1 month ago • by permalink