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Feldman and Schwartz on BBC Show, Premier League Betting Markets + more
Feldman and Schwartz on BBC ShowLast night Andrew Feldman and Luke Schwartz appeared on BBC London Regional show Inside Out in a feature about young online poker players. Schwartz was pictured driving a very nice Bentley then onto his apartment where he played a game of online poker, we met his agent and he discussed the highs and lows of poker. Feldman then also was shown in his apartment, with his section very much focussing on the lows of poker, where he revealed his lost his entire bankroll of $100,000 at the time a few years ago and went to Gamblers Anonymous, we also heard concern from his mother and he revealed he played often 80 hours a week.It’s usually bad news when mainstream TV chooses to showcase poker in this manner and this feature did focus heavily on the low points of poker. The usually brash Schwartz actually came across more level headed than usual (At least compared to his ‘Fullflush’ alter ego) and his element seemed a lot more balanced. Feldman, however, was portrayed very much as a victim of the game, an isolated figure who had not resolved his gambling issues. Nothing was made of the sponsorship deal, the TV appearances or the jet set lifestyle we would associate with the high profile young UK player.The overall tone of the show would suggest that it was heavily edited to portray both men and particularly Feldman in this light, or perhaps there are some personal demons he still needs to exercise. You can see for yourself on the BBC Iplayer.
2009 in Review
Two WSOP final tables and a win in TV’s most prestigious tournament The Poker Million; to say that 2009 had been a good year for James Akenhead would be an understatement. The young player’s achievements over the last 12 months have been nothing short of phenomenal and, not only that, but a testament to his drive and determination.After narrowly losing out on winning a bracelet in 2008 to Grant Hinkle, James bounced back in spectacular fashion this summer by making the much coveted November Nine. As if outlasting thousands of players and booking a place alongside the great Phil Ivey in the biggest poker tournament wasn’t enough, he used the three month break to make another final table at the WSOPE. At both final tables James was up against it from the start and despite looking as though he would defy his chip deficit and take down the title, luck played its part and saw to it that he was yet again a whisker away from victory.There are, however, only so many times that you can knock on the door before fate finally lets you in and James finally clinched a much deserved victory in The Poker Million. On a final table that included sit-n-go sensation Dag Martin Mikkelsen, Taylor “GreenPlastic” Caby and Luke “FullFlush” Schwartz his path to victory was fraught with danger. The deadly trio soon fell though and with only Juha Helppi left standing in his way James set about demolishing the Finn and after both players got the money in pre-flop Akenhead’s tens ran out a comfortable winner against the pocket sixes of Helppi.James has come a long way since driving trains and playing the £5 rebuy tournaments at the Gutshot but what does the future have in store for the UK’s hottest talent? His recent sponsorship with Full Tilt will give him a massive boost and will certainly allow him to play in more tournaments across the world. In terms of the influence James’ success will have on the UK poker scene at large the effects will be profound. The success of a British player on the world stage will certainly provide a platform for more young players from the UK to break into the spotlight. Indeed, the recent signing by Chris Moorman to Doyle’s Room along with J.P. Kelly’s association with Pokerstars are just the first signs that the UK poker scene is on the rise. Of course if James could have won the WSOP Main Event there would have undoubtedly been a second poker explosion in the UK, however, the notoriety he has garnered over the past three months will certainly be enough to encourage more interest in the game.Already James has appeared on the increasingly popular Poker After Dark with some of the most famous names in the game and with more TV exposure predicted in the next 12 months it seems as though Mr Akenhead will likely become an ambassador for UK. It’s unlikely that we’ll see a complete changing of the guard as many of the more established UK pros such as the Devilfish and the Hendon Mob are recognised the world over. However, whereas these pros may have helped bring about the first poker boom, their influence is beginning to wane and the time seems right for players such as James to use their success to pick up where these players left off and help promote the game across the world. Maybe this is a cross many young players won’t want to bare but it is safe to assume that someone with such maturity, like James, is bound to relish such a challenge.
Tony Cascarino Wins Grosvenor UK Poker Tour Grand Final
Former Chelsea and Republic of Ireland legend Tony Cascarino has confirmed he is the real deal at the poker table by landing his second Grosvenor UK Poker Tour title. Last year Cascarino took down the GUKPT Bolton Main Event and last night he went one better by winning the GUKPT Grand Final at the Vic in London. 183 players in total played in the £3000 main event and it was a case of De Ja Vu at the final table as both Cascarino and Stuart Rutter were making their second appearance at the final table of this event. Also at this final was recent World Heads Up Champion Bambos Xanthos and high stakes cash pro Albert Iversen. Final Table Romano Pizzo - 879,500 Albert Iversen - 589,500 Bambos Xanthos - 434,000 Philip Patrick - 407,000 Mike Hill - 371,000 Daniel Millar - 338,500 Stuart Rutter - 263,000 Tony Cascarino - 261,000 Antoine Arnault - 124,500 Amazingly it would be short stacks Antoine Arnault and Tony Cascarino who eventually found themselves playing for the title in a swingy heads up match. Eventually Cascarino captured the title when he hit runner runner hearts holding ace-two of hearts on a T-J-8 flop vs the T-9 of hearts of Arnault. Don't feel too sorry for Arnault however, as he is by all accounts the son of the 14th richest man in the world. Cascarino won £168,800 and became only the second player to win multiple GUKPT main events (The other being Julian Thew). Perhaps even more significantly he has silenced any critics who may have considered him 'just another celebrity poker player', he commented after the victory: "Getting respect from your peers and being acknowledged for being good at whatever you do with your life means a lot to me…I think I have proved myself now." It's also good news for poker in the UK and the profile of the Grosvenor UK Poker Tour, as the footballing legend will no doubt bring some good publicity to the game over the next few weeks. The 2009 tour is now coming to a close with the prestigious Champion of Champions festival which begins today with a week or warm up events (Which are also the last five chances to qualify for the event.) 1st - Tony Cascarino - £168,800 2nd - Antoine Arnault - £107,100 3rd - Philip Patrick - £71,400 4th - Daniel Millar - £43,900 5th - Albert Iversen - £32,900 6th - Charalambos (Bambos) Xanthos - £27,400 7th - Romano Pizzo - £22,000 8th - Mike Hill - £16,500 9th - Stuart Rutter - £11,000
Dan Livingston Wins World Series of Poker Circuit
The World Series of Poker Circuit Horseshoe Chicago Main Event came to a conclusion that saw Dan Livingston of Oak Forest, Ill., snag the first place prize of $291,749. Despite facing a field of 248, which grew in attendance by 12% from the previous year, the 22-year-old part-time poker player felted the field on his way to the win. According to Livingston, his victory was well worth the effort. "I feel really good. What was it? Forty hours of work for nearly $300,000? I’ll take it," he said.Although Livingston mostly plays low- to middle-limit buy-in tournaments at the Horseshoe Casino, he found his way into the $5,000 buy-in thanks to a special promotion from the poker room. Livingston gained entry to the Circuit tournament while playing one afternoon inside the Horseshoe poker room. As part of the special promotion, the Horseshoe gave away as many as four Main Event seats daily. Each day, on four occasions for two full weeks prior to the start of this year’s Chicago series, one poker table was randomly selected with the player at the table who was given the highest card received an entry into the Main Event championship. Livingston received his high-card entry about two weeks ago and was pleasantly surprised to play in his biggest poker tournament ever.Advertisement According to Livingston, he realized he had a solid shot at a victory once he made the final table. "When we got to the final table, I had about 900,000 in chips. Then, I won a few early pots and I was up to 2,000,000. Then I said to myself, 'wow, I might win this – I have about a fourth of the chips in play. I have a really good chance.' And, I did it.”Thanks to his new-found confidence at the final table, Livingston was able to make quick work of his opponents when the field narrowed to the final four players thanks to his sizable stack. "Everybody else as the table was around a million and I was up to four-million at that point. So, I could pretty much do what I wanted.”With Livingston's biggest previous cash having come online ($4,000), this marks the biggest payday for the young player and he is setting his sights on the upcoming 2010 WSOP. "I have always wanted to really win a gold bracelet. But I must say that the gold ring will really do for now. This win was a big confidence booster.”
Casinos Get the Lead Out of Poker Chips
Since before Wyatt Earp gambled with Doc Holliday in Tombstone, Arizona, and the rich and famous flocked to Monte Carlo casinos on the Riviera, poker chips have been weighted down with lead, a toxic metal. In the latest showdown under the voter-adopted state anti-toxics law, an Oakland nonprofit with a a long string of notches in its environmental-safety belt two weeks ago forged a clean poker chip agreement with a major manufacturer and 21 casino owners to get the lead out. Handling the chips exposes dealers and players to the lead, argued researchers at the Center for Environmental Health. Pregnant women who work at the casinos or gamble regularly put their offspring at risk of mental retardation, and the expectant mothers don't even know it, the group's representatives told the gaming industry during a year of negotiation.
Luke Schwartz - Interview with Luke 'Fullflush' Schwartz
Some of you may have already heard rumblings on the online poker forums about '_FullFlush1_' and fans of the Poker Show with Jesse May will have heard from the man himself. Seemingly appearing out of nowhere, he just showed up one day on Full Tilt at the $100/$200 and $200/$400 NLHE games and proceeded to beat players like Tom 'Durrrr' Dwan, David 'Raptor' Benefield and Phil 'OMGClayAiken' Galfond for not inconsiderable sums of money. Then he kept on doing it consistently and people began to sit up and take notice. But just who is he? The man behindthe '_FullFlush1_' handle is one Luke Schwartz, a 25-year-old London-based online professional. To a lot of players it seemed like he appeared out of the internet ether, but he actually built up his online roll playing short-handed and Heads-up cash on the CryptoLogic, iPoker and BetFair poker networks. Originally a low to mid stakes grinder, Luke has been playing poker for around four years now as a professional. His success however, seemed to happen overnight: 'A couple of people showed me that I was playing way too passively before when I used to grind… then the game developed… and I realised that I had to change up my style if I wanted to survive in the poker world – which I did,' confirms Luke.
The Poker Pac Invades the APT
When most people think of formidable poker line-ups, they think of Team Full Tilt or Team Pokerstars but thanks to the Asian Poker Tour (APT), there is a new group on the international poker landscape and it won’t be long before you include them on your list of the game’s elite. Appropriately called the Poker Pack, this group of six Asian players has become the face of the APT and they are helping to spread the game across this fledgling market in the same manner as their US counterparts.Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock for the last couple of years, you have probably already heard of some of The Poker Pack’s members. Leading this crew of bad boys is the wily veteran J.C. Tran. Having made a name for himself conquering US poker tournaments, Tran remains at the forefront on the industry by collecting two World Series of Poker bracelets and a World Poker Tour win. He has earned over $7.8 million over the span of his career.The second member of The Poker Pack is Vietnamese player Nam Le. Arguably one of the world’s’ best No Limit tournament players, Le won last year’s Asian Pacific Poker Tour (APPT) Macau High Rollers event and he continues to be a threat in every tournament he enters. This moneymaking machine has knack for profiling his opponents so well that he has managed to win over $5.9 million in tournament earnings over the course of his short career.Joining Tran and Le on the poker frontlines are WSOP bracelet winners Quinn Do and Steve “MuGGyLiCiOus” Sung. Although these two haven’t received the television face-time that Tran and Le have, both have repeatedly proven that they have the skills to pay the bills after surviving tough fields at the WSOP for their wins. Sung’s biggest claim to fame was having won the biggest non-Main Event tournament in WSOP history and Do continues to prove that his 2005 WSOP No Limit win was no fluke. Although Do has earned a reputation as a live tournament player, Sung earned his reputation as one of the game’s top young guns by becoming one of the online community’s elite high stakes players. Do has earned over $2.1 million in tournaments while Sung has dragged roughly $2.9 million.Arguably the most famous of the crew is David “Chino” Rheem thanks to his 2008 November Nine appearance in last year’s WSOP Main Event. Proving he was no “one-hit wonder,” Rheem went on to capture WPT’s $15,000 Doyle Brunson Five Diamonds World Poker Classic in December of 2008. A veteran of the tournament scene, Rheem is one of the more colorful members of the team. He has earned over $4.2 million thanks to his two big finishes.Possibly the least well-known player in the group is former Starcraft champion Kwan Soo Lee. Although he has earned a reputation as a top gamer, Lee still needs to prove himself in the tournament poker arena. If the transition from gaming to poker by top Starcraft players like Bertrand “Elky” Grospeiller or Hevad “Rainkhan” Khan has taught us anything, it is that we shouldn’t count these video game junkies out of the mix as they have proven they have the chops to play the game. Only time will tell if Lee can hang with his fellow teammates.The APT’s first event of the season is August 12-15, in Macau, and The Poker Pack will be there to represent. Represent as well, by winning your way in through satellites being held by; Titan Poker, Party Poker, Bwin and PKR. And, while you’re in Macau, stay for the 15-day long Macau Summer Festival of Poker in mid-August
Carsten Joh Wins WSOP Event #52; $50,000 HORSE Reaches Final Table
By Brett Collson for POKER NEWS DAILY Posted on June 30, 2009Professional poker player Carsten Joh gave Germany its first World Series of Poker champion since Sebastian Ruthenberg’s 2008 win, when he won the $1,500 No-Limit Hold’em Event (#51) Monday evening. Joh outlasted a field of 2,781 to earn his first gold bracelet and $664,426.Much like many of the previous $1,500 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em tournaments at the 2009 WSOP, this final table included no former WSOP gold bracelet winners. Joh claimed his first when he defeated Canadian Andrew Chen for the title.An accomplished backgammon player, Joh competed in international backgammon tournaments and played in various clubs for many years. One of Joh’s friends from the backgammon tournaments was Danish poker player Gus Hansen. With Monday’s victory he now has one more WSOP bracelet than the prominent poker superstar.“The bracelet means a lot because you have it for the rest of your life”, Joh said afterward. “Whatever you’ve got later on, you can always say you won a bracelet. Even if you stop playing poker – you just have it. If you come second, you really have nothing. You have the money. But nobody talks about that. It is just like that in sports. Everyone remembers the winner.”At 45 years of age, Joh was the oldest player at the final table. Six of the nine players were age 27 and younger, and the youngest was 21-year-old Chen. Joh sent him home as the runner-up when Chen moved his remaining chips into the middle with after Joh raised from the button. Joh quickly called and flipped over pocket sixes. The flop didn’t give much hope to Chen but the on the turn gave him a flush draw. Joh then ended things when the fell on the river, giving him a set to eliminate Chen in 2nd place for $412,426.On winning the tournament as the oldest player, Joh said: “Normally, the older players like me do not win the bracelet. You see every final table with six, seven, or eight players in their 20s. It is more difficult for an older player to win it. I have a lot of respect for the older players because you have to play ten levels and you might be here 13 or 14 hours each day.”
Racing Post Moving Into Online Casinos
Online casino players will soon have one more site to try their luck at following an agreement announced by industry giant 888 Holdings with the Racing Post, Great Britain’s largest horseracing newspaper.The white-label agreement will see the Racing Post launch an online casino and poker offering over the next few months and use its own brand to market the new service to its readership.'This partnership is a crucial part of our overall online strategy giving customers the best content available while simultaneously growing revenues,” said Mark Renshaw, Head of Commercial Online for the Racing Post.“We believe that 888's online gaming expertise combined with our trusted brand and loyal customer base will create a major opportunity for both parties.”888 stated that it would be providing the Racing Post with its market-leading gaming and back-end software along with customer support and payment processing services. It will also assist the Racing Post in maximising the potential of its online database through the use of its advanced marketing capabilities, both on and offline.'888's unique position as a leading gaming operator offering total gaming services in the business-to-business field is a compelling proposition as many operators need a lot more than just good software in order to maximise their online gaming potential,” said Gabi Campos, Managing Director for 888's Dragonfish business-to-business division.“This agreement continues 888's development as a leading business-to-business provider and follows on the back of a number of successful partnerships established over the past year. We look forward to working with a brand of the stature of the Racing Post to maximise their potential in the online gaming field and together achieve new revenues.'
Online Poker News Briefs, March 1st, 2009
Everest Gaming Obtains Euro Gaming License Everest Gaming, operators of online site Everest Poker, announced today it had obtained a remote gaming licensed issued by European nation Malta. Everest is one of the oldest of all online sites, dating to 1997, and the company expects the official Maltese recognition to open the doors to more opportunities in the European market. PokerStars Gets Italian Real-money Go-ahead Leading online PokerStars was also in the news this week, with the announcement that it had received official approval to begin offering real-money online poker tournaments to Italian residents. PokerStars is among the first wave of online/**/poker sites to receive official regulatory approval from the Italian government. Under the terms of the new certification from the Italian Monopolies of State (AAMS), real-money tourneys for Italian players became available on February 25th, with buy-ins currently ranging from €0.50 to €100. According to PokerStars Italian Country Manager Angeli Bufalini, "The online poker phenomenon has seen a huge growth recently and with the launch of PokerStars.it we aim to recreate in Italy the success that PokerStars has achieved worldwide. This is thanks to our industry renowned software and security which guarantees players a high level poker experience and support 24 hours a day." The special Italian events will be offered in a multi-phase expansion over the next several weeks. International Poker Network Announces International Championship of Poker (iCoP) The Euro-facing International Poker Network (also known as Boss Media) has announced its International Championship of Poker (iCoP), which will run March 9-15, 2009. The iCoP includes seven events with several different poker variants in the mix, with the buy-ins ranging from €60+6 to the €280+20 March 15th main event. Skins on the IPN network included CelebPoker, PokerHeaven, Virgin Poker and others.
Ongame Network to showcase P5 Poker Engine at IGE
Gibraltar, January 26, 2009 - Ongame Network Ltd, a leading provider of online gaming entertainment, will showcase their newly released P5 Poker Engine at the International Gaming Expo (IGE) in London from January 27-29. This will be Ongame Network’s first official appearance after the deployment of their standalone network for the Italian market, which is fully integrated with the P5 Poker Engine technology.“The Italian network is powered by the new P5 technology which offers unrivalled performance, reliability and speed – coupled with great graphics and usability. The P5 Poker Engine represents a shift in mentality as much as it represents a shift in technology: it is completely modular and provides scalability without risking stability. P5 is paving the way for change”, says Kevin O’Neal, Press Officer at bwin.The P5 Poker Engine has been a great success since its release in Italy, and Ongame Network is looking forward to presenting all the latest P5 opportunities at IGE. The next step is to implement the P5 Poker Engine with its brand new technology and enhanced features to all Ongame Network partners.
Aussie Millions Flashback: The Early Years
With the 2009 Aussie Millions just around the corner, PokerNews is taking a look back at some of the Aussie Millions past, explaining how it grew from a modest AUD $74,000 event to the preeminent AUD $7,800,000 tournament it is today. One can't talk about the emergence of the Aussie Millions, or even poker in Australia, without talking about the history of the Crown Casino poker room. The room opened in 1997 with 21 tables. At the time the room mostly spread Manila, which is a poker game uniquely played in Australia. Like hold'em, each player gets two cards and plays off a five-community-card board. Unlike hold'em, Manila is played with a 32-card deck, with card values of seven and up, called asevens-up deck. The community cards are dealt one at a time, with a betting round after each. As similar as hold'em is to Manila, it still took the Crown some time to win over its clientele to the game's virtues. But the Crown was determined. So when it held the first Australian Poker Championship, commonly known as the Aussie Millions, the main event game was hold'em. It was an AUD $1000 buy-in and drew 74 entrants, and was ultimately won by Australian Alex Horowitz. The late 1990s were considered the dark years of poker, not just in the U.S, but around the world. Still well before the boom, the game was waning in popularity and most casinos were opting to convert poker room space to more lucrative slot machines. The toll was also felt at the Crown, where the poker room shrunk to just 12 tables at its lowest point. But the Crown staff was vigilant, running "Learn to Play" campaigns, literally walking people through the game. The Crown's perseverance to keep poker alive in Australia can be measured by the continued level of participation in the Aussie Millions' main event. The buy-ins slowly increased over the first few years, from AUD $1000 to AUD $5000 in 2002, as did the prize pool, growing from AUD $74,000 to AUD $330,000 in 2002. All the winners from 1998 to 2002 were Australians. Following Horowitz' inaugural victory, winners included Milo Nadalin (1999), Leo Boxell (2000), Sam Korman (2001), and John Maver (2002). In the first five years only five non-Australian players made the final table of the main event. But this was about to change, as the national championship was transformed into a coveted international title. In 2003, the Crown upped the buy-in to AUD $10,000, making the Aussie Millions the richest tournament in the Southern Hemisphere and putting it on par with the most preeminent tournaments in the world. And of course almost everything would change in poker after 2003, which brought Chris Moneymaker's groundbreaking WSOP Championship and the advent of the hole-card television camera. Check back with us soon for another Aussie Millions Flashback, where we'll examine the explosion of poker Down Under and the first non-Australian Aussie Millions winner.
World Poker Tour Confirms Removal of January Borgata Stop
The World Poker Tour has confirmed that the Borgata Poker Open, originally scheduled for late January of 2009, is no longer part of the WPT's Season Seven schedule. Reports of the Borgata event being removed from the WPT schedule began to surface more than two weeks ago, but the Borgata stop remained on the WPT schedule of events until being recently being removed and confirmed by the WPT. Also confirmed is that the Borgata will run a replacement event during the 2009 Borgata Winter Poker Open, with that series' schedule still being finalized. While guarantees and dates are still being finalized, the latest schedule calls for a $3,000+200, four-day event beginning on Jan. 25, 2009, with aprobable $500,000 guarantee. The WPT also announced several other revisions to the remainder of its Season Seven schedule. Currently underway, the remaining stops on this season's tour are as follows: Dec. 13-19, 2008 Doyle Brunson Five Diamond World Poker Classic Bellagio, Las Vegas, Nevada Jan. 14-17, 2009 Southern Poker Championship Beau Rivage, Biloxi, Mississippi Feb. 21-26, 2009 LA Poker Classic Commerce Casino, Commerce, California Feb. 28 – Mar. 2, 2009 WPT Celebrity Invitational Commerce Casino, Commerce, California Mar. 16-20, 2009 Bay 101 Shooting Star Bay 101, San Jose, California Apr. 4-9, 2009 Foxwoods Poker Classic Foxwoods Resort Casino, Mashantucket, Connecticut Apr. 18-25, 2009 WPT World Championship Bellagio, Las Vegas, Nevada
Poker Room Review: Circus Circus Casino, Reno, NV
Circus Circus is a large, hotel and casino much like the other hotels and casinos in the downtown Reno area. It caters principally to local residents and conventioneers, who buck the trend of staying in the pricier, glitzier, and more modern casinos south of downtown. The Circus Circus poker room, in its current incarnation, is only three years old and reflects a somewhat older, shabbier, and gloomier downtown. The casino is home to two great games, a $2-6 limit hold'em with "overs", and a $1/2 no limit hold'em; both potentially very lucrative to the skilled player. The $2-6 game is, I believe, unique to Reno and maybe all of pokerdom these days. At the very least, I'm sure Ihaven't encountered it in my travels. What makes it unique is that it can be played with "overs," a term which means that the stakes can be exceeded by players who are willing to do so (as indicated by a marker at their seat). Though the game is $2-6 spread limit, if you would prefer to play the game no limit, you may do so with others who are similarly inclined, provided no other players remain in the hand. As you can imagine, this can have a very flammable affect on an otherwise sedate limit game. When I was there, for example, myself and three of the other seven players had overs buttons. Uncharacteristically, a hand I was in (holding pocket queens) became heads up on the flop, with myself and another player both having overs buttons, and me with position on him. The flop, , had two spades in it, but also contained no cards higher than a jack. My opponent, perhaps not realizing that the game could now be played no limit, bet $6 into the $16 pot (a couple of players had called the $2 blind pre-flop before I raised and we took to the flop alone). I had not played at the table for more than an hour, but had recognized that he played with somewhat wild and tricky tendencies. I believed that had he hit a two pair or a set, he would not have bet. I put him on either a flush draw that he was semi-bluffing, or maybe top pair, top kicker. There was also a possibility he was just playing two overcards. Had this been a limit game, my options would be severely restricted. I could raise $6, which would have been my only option, though not a great one. If he were really semi-bluffing with a flush draw, he'd be getting great pot odds at $6 to call, for a $34 pot. On the other hand, I could just call the $6, but then I wouldn't be exerting any pressure on him to fold. Neither of these options would have been very appealing. But with the overs buttons, I could raise any or all of my stack, which was about equal to his; a few hundred dollars. I took advantage of this fact and raised to $30; roughly the size of the pot. This got him to think, and after thirty seconds or so he called. The turn was {9x} and he checked. Once again, I was pleased to have the option of playing no limit instead of limit. Had I been restricted to betting $12, he'd surely call, and correctly risk the $12 to win a large pot if he hit his flush. As it was, I was able to bet $100. "Good bet," he said while folding, and I gladly added the $100 pot to my stack. I was happy to have played this version of hold'em and ended up staying for a few hours. As it turned out, that was the only hand that I played where I was able to use the overs. I called back later to see if they spread anything else at night, and discovered that they had a rocking $1/2 no limit game. Circus Circus is creative with this game as well. While other casino properties around the world generally limit the buy-ins to a fixed minimum and maximum, Circus Circus has a different approach. They require a minimum buy-in of $30, but their maximum depends on the size of the other stacks at the table, allowing a buy-in to be as large as the largest stack. This is a great rule, especially for games that have been running for awhile and consist of players who are playing aggressively. When I called in, for example, there was $10,000 in chips on the table, with the largest stack around $2,500. If I had gone over to the game, I might want to compete on equal footing with that player. Being limited to a $300 buy-in could put me at a competitive disadvantage, since I'd be out-chipped. This "tallest stack" rule is good for the game in the short run, in my opinion, and encourages wild action, as deep pocketed, losing players reload for increasingly large amounts. This can benefit the skilled no limit player enormously. Circus Circus is an MGM property and, as such, you'll want to get an MGM Rewards card. You'll earn $1 an hour in comps, but they're not transferable to other MGM properties and must be used on site. Circus Circus has six restaurants, including a sushi place and a steak house. My fellow poker players had not tried the sushi, but said the steaks were "excellent". Although the options were appealing, I'd stick with the $5.99 steak and egg breakfast special. The rake is 10%, with a maximum of $3.50 per hand. The poker room currently has a huge bad beat, with the qualifying hand being quads beaten, with all hole cards having to play. As of October 25th, it stood at slightly over $161,000. It is not a multi-property bad beat either, being limited to only the Circus Circus poker room. Room rates at Circus Circus, and other downtown properties in Reno, tend to be very reasonable. The minimum here is about $40 during the week and $90 on weekends. You might even be able to book a room for under $30 during especially slow weeks; a great deal in my book. Overall, I enjoyed my time playing at Circus Circus and I'd gladly come back. Next time, however, I'll be going late at night to play in their no limit game. Circus Circus Hotel and Casino – Reno 500 N. Sierra Street Reno, NV 89503 (800) 648-5010
Women's Poker Spotlight: Jacquelyne Leslie-Zand -- The Journey
My favorite part of the poker world is how it has created its own "society" very separate but nonetheless reflective of the "greater society". The world of poker has risen from the basements and backrooms to become a unique entity with its own particular traits, its own character if you will, that continues to develop within itself. As in society, politics, big business, the arts and players all come together to create a constantly moving and changing world. The ever-evolving world that poker has become now offers more than just dreams being a professional poker player. Dreams of a lifetime can come true beyond the green felt of the tables. Writers, management professionals and artists havefound an outlet and opportunity for their talents that might not otherwise be discovered or ever explored. No one is more grateful for the opportunity that poker offers than poker player and singer Jacquelyne Leslie-Zand. When Jaquelyne was 15 years old she found she had a talent for singing and song writing. Like so many teenagers, she had dreams to take her talent out of her small hometown to bigger and better places. Those dreams faded as time went on. She married, had children and sang only around the house and for fun. "I married young, had children and gave up my dreams of singing professionally," says Jacquelyne. "I lost control of what I always wanted to do." After the break up of her first marriage, Jacquelyn met and married poker player Mark Zand. It was then that she found a new love… poker. "Mark was always traveling to big tournaments and games. He could just take off and go to Vegas to play." she says. "It was either learn the game or get left behind." She began reading, playing more and working with her husband to further her game. "Like most married couples that play poker, we have our 'difference of opinion' sometimes when we play but he has been my biggest coach and my biggest supporter in every thing I do" Jacquelyne adds. Over the last four years she gained enough confidence to play in larger venues such as the World Series of Poker and World Poker Tour events. In 2007 Jacquelyne and her husband attended the World Poker Tour's Battle for the Season Pass II in the Bahamas. It was here that her love of poker and love of singing and song writing united. During a dinner with friends, Jacquelyne met professional player Kenna "Cowboy" James. Discussion ensued between the two and they soon discovered they shared the same passions. It wasn't long before Jacquelyne and Kenna began writing and making music together. Their first single "Dream this Dream", which was released earlier this year, features Kenna as lead vocal and Jacquelyne on background vocals. "'Dream this Dream' isn't really focused on poker," Jacquelyne says. "It is about anything in life that you really want. It's about chasing your dreams and not letting go of them." Jacquelyne's most current release is "The Journey", which is believed to the first poker song to be written and recorded by a woman. The song is based on her real-life experiences with playing poker, but most women who play can easily empathize with the lyrics and dynamic feelings of the song. When asked what inspired her to move into her singing career forward after many years, Jacquelyne replied, "For the first time in my life I have control. I have control over my poker career and my singing career. There have always been obstacles in the way, keeping me from pursuing what I wanted to do. This is the first thing that is totally mine." She added, "I wanted to send a message to other women to never give up and to always push forward no matter what they want to do." Jacquelyne Leslie-Zand's story is a perfect example of what the poker world has to offer. It can offer the dreams of a lifetime. "The Journey" is available at www.myspace.com/jacquelyneleslie and will be available on iTunes for download.

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