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europa n ° 13 se p te mbe r - oc tobe r 2013

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The Moneymaker effect by nolan Dalla

World poker tour grand prix de paris

Rendez-vous à parIS at the avIatIon Club de FranCe

editorial Dear Readers, Thanks to its ever-growing popularity in Europe, poker seems to never stop. Ten years ago, players could take a long pause after the exhausting World Series Of Poker in Las Vegas, but nowadays, the action is always there, in every European country, for the delight of poker players!

Ten yeaRs ago, playeRs coulD Take a long pause afTeR The exhausTing WoRlD seRies of pokeR in las Vegas, buT noWaDays, The acTion is alWays TheRe, in eVeRy euRopean counTRy, foR The DelighT of pokeR playeRs!

This fall is packed with even more crazy tournament action, and Paris will become the Mecca of poker for few weeks: first, the WSOPE in the suburbs of Paris, at Enghien-les-bains, and then the world-appraised Rendez-vous à Paris series, hosted by the Aviation Club de France, with its WPT Grand Prix de Paris, its high-roller, its Omaha event and, for the first time in Europe, an Open Face Chinese Poker tournament, with a €5,000 buy-in! Since a year or so, all the big names in the poker world are focused on this type of poker, and it is not rare to see high rollers playing Open Face Chinese on their iPad during No Limit Hold’Em live tournaments! This premiere will for sure gather a lot of players at the ACF, on the Champs-Elysées, in late October…

For those of you who never have enough, a lot of great poker tournaments will also be played this fall: the historical Master Classics Of Poker in Amsterdam, which gathers people from all over the world since 22 years, the CAPT Baden and the famous Poker EM tournament, the WPT Five Diamond World Poker Classic in famous Las Vegas’ Bellagio and, for those who like sun, sand and poker, the Carribean Poker Tour or the Tanger Million Maker. Pick the date and have fun !

Bruno Benveniste

september – october 2013

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contents 12 news

uPComing TournamenTs

16 niColas levi

54 nolan dalla

160chronicles 16 niColas levi 52 you are The TournamenT direCTor series 4 54 nolan dalla 20 poker business sharksCoPe 08 rankings 60 hendon moB 64 gPi 66 tournament schedule

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24 world Poker Tour rendez-vous à Paris 2013 30 world series of Poker – euroPe 34 CaPT Baden and euroPean Poker ChamPionshiP 38 wPT doyle Brunson five diamond world Poker ClassiC 41 masTer ClassiCs of Poker 2013 44 Tanger millionaire maker 46 CariBBean Poker Tour 2013 49 aria resorT & Casino

is PuBlished By game Prod 14 rue de Berri 75008 PAriS / FrAnce +33 (0)1 53 89 14 00 www.Poker52euroPA.com directed By: Bruno BenvenisTe +33 (0)1 53 89 14 08 - BrunoBenveniSte@Poker52euroPA.com ASSiSted By: samanTha delmas - SAmAnthA@Poker52euroPA.com chieF editor: Jérôme sChmidT - jerome@Poker52euroPA.com writerS: Julien morello, anToine salvi, PhiliPPe lemaire, PhiliPPe aronson cover Picture: AriA cASino inSide PictureS: Jules PoChy, neil sToddarT, Xdr re-writing And trAnSlAtion: aleXander Je Bradley AdvertiSement: marTin garagnon +33 (0)1 53 89 14 04 - mArtin@Poker52euroPA.com Founder: Bruno fiToussi ArtiStic director: frédériC hallier lAyout: Jennifer Bouvard Print: imPrimerie du Canal

news

I LIVE EVENT I WPT NaTioNal

SerieS comeS back iN bruSSelS, from ocTobEr 31st To NoVEmbEr 3rd

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he first edition of the World Poker Tour National Series Brussels, held in February 2013 at the Viage Casino was a huge success, as the €1,650 Main Event collected no less than 450 entries, creating a €675,000 prize pool. The 4-Day game was a tough competition, and after an intense final table, Russian player Yunoz Tuguz dominated Bo Erichsen, from Switzerland, to grab the WPT NS title and the €135,000 first prize.

So that’s not a surprise the WPT National Series comes back so early this year, with a new structure that should bring even more poker players in the Viage Casino. Indeed, starting on October 31 (Day 1B on November 1), the Belgian leg of the international circuit will propose a €675 + €75 Main Event, still running over 4 days, which will attract crowds of participants, from Belgium and around.

A brAnd new complex to host the wpt nA tionAl event

Opened on April 2012 after 3 years of construction work, the Viage Casino is a vast complex dedicated entirely to leisure, games and showtime. In a vibrant interior, you will find everything a modern international casino can offer, with its spectacular roof-top restaurant, its themebars, its showroom for the performing arts, and of course its innovative gaming rooms. Besides its Brown’s Sports Bar & Grill, with its 12 big TV screens, and its Cinna-Bar, with its great choice of cocktails, Viage is home of Saffron,

WPT NaTioNal SerieS BruSSelS Schedule Thu 31 oCT • €750 main event day 1A (3-day event, re-entry) fri 1 no v • €750 main event day 1B (3-day event, re-entry) saT 2 no v • main event day 2 sun 3 no v • main event Final

an Asian and traditional Belgian restaurant opened until 2 in the morning. The Theatre provides great shows and events all over the year, and the modern gaming rooms offer some of the very latest equipment. Mah Jong, Black Jack, Punto Banco, and English Roulette, as well as Slots, Video Reels, Automatic Roulette and Video Poker Machines, Viage provides all kinds of games, to the great delight of gambling lovers. And poker receives all the honors in this new complex, with a great choice of daily cash games and weekly Sit & Go’s.

More information to come at www.pokergcb.be.

I NEwcomEr I

edeN caSiNo opENs ITs doors

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ith international standards in mind, the eden casino will be the first one to open on eden island, a small island from the Seychelles area, a perfect paradise on earth: majestic seascapes, unparalleled beauty and temperate weather. these are just some of the many factors that make this nation such a sought-after paradise for holidaymakers and investors alike. in addition to immaculate white sands and welcoming waters, this spectacular country is also home to a vibrant diversity of cultures. with its breath-taking combination of sights and sounds, this cosmopolitan destination

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is a feast for the senses and provides the perfect setting for an exotic island retreat. For those who dream about relaxing in comfort and luxury, eden island provide countless opportunities for rest and tranquillity. the eden casino will provide top-quality service to its customers with 50 slot machines, roulettes, Blackjack, caribbean Stud Poker, Punto Banco and an upcoming international poker tournament in 2014. dealers have been highly-trained by g2 consulting to provide the best experience to the customers.

A must-see. september – october 2013

news

I LIVEEVENT I World Poker Tour

NaTioNal SerieS barceloNa, from ocTobEr 10th To 14th

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his fall, London and Enghien-les-Bains won’t be the only place where major events will be held, as Barcelona, the biggest Spanish city of poker, will be the meeting point of some of the best players of the poker scene, with the World Poker Tour National Series, hosted by the luxurious Gran Casino from October 10 to 14.

The seaside venue, set in the Port Olimpic, is one of the main European casinos, as it has welcomed some of the biggest international tournaments for almost a decade, such as the World Poker Tour, the European Poker Tour or the Unibet Open, and it will prove once again this year that it is part of the biggest casinos on earth, with the second edition of the WPT National Series.

The first edition of this Spanish National Series was a great success, as 267 participants entered the €1,500 + €500 Main Event, generating a €400,500 prize pool. Spaniard Sergio Espina managed to grab the title and the €88,500 first prize after defeating Polish man Mikolaj Zawaszkj heads-up.

This year, the WPT NS and its €1,650 tournament will reach the Catalonian capital on October 10 (Day 1B on October 11), for a final table expected on October 14. Other events will be held during this series, such as a €500 + €50 event held on 2-Day and a €200 + €20 Deepstack Turbo Bounty.

The full schedule is still pending, for more information, check at www.worldpokertour.com.

I worLd pokEr Tour I

aNoTher greaT WPT IN cyprus

A

lexey rybin has just been crowned the bwin wPt merit cyprus classic champion after eliminating Albert daher in a short, shrift heads up encounter. not only has Alexey rybin won the title, joined the wPt champions club and won a $25k seat to the wPt championships; but he did so after going wire-to-wire as the chip leader on every single day he played; a feat that has not been accomplished since kevin Saul did the same thing at the Bellagio cup back in 2008. despite his dominance coming into the final table, rybin will be the first to admit that he didn’t have it his own way today. Andrei nikonov and Albert daher played fantastically well, and rybin was fortunate to be in the right place at the right time, but isn’t that what poker is all about? with $258,00 richer, he will be for sure a great champion, after a fabulous week of poker in wonderful cyprus merit casino!

september – october 2013

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news

I worLd pokEr Tour NaTIoNaL sErIEs marrakEch I

a hIgh-LEVEL TourNamENT IN ThE faNTasTIc eS-Saadi gardeNS & reSorT

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his fall, splendid Morocco will welcome one of the biggest international poker events held in Africa.

Indeed, from October 1 to October 6, the Casino de Marrakech-Es Saadi, home of the first World Poker Tour stop organized outside United States and Europe from 2009 to 2011, will host the first edition of the WPT National Series Marrakech, highlighted by its €1,500 Main Event, running over four days starting on October 3. With its stunning facilities and its traditional hospitality, the Es-Saadi Gardens & Resort of the “Red City” will be the perfect place to enjoy great poker event in a luxurious atmosphere.

This is the perfect place to live the 1001 night’s dream, a perfect combination of luxury and refinement with the Moroccan traditional hospitality. Established in 1952, the Casino has a 26,000-square-foot gaming space featuring 100 gaming machines and 24 tables in an astonishing atmosphere, and it hosts since 2009 the World Poker Tour, where local players struggle with international poker pros for massive prize pool. Casino de Marrakech is also known as the home of the Marrakech Poker Open, the oldest and the most regular poker series of the continent, which attracts

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seasoned players from Africa and Europe thrice yearly.

European players always feel at home in Marrakech, as the last champion, Fadhil Farag, from Sweden, proved in June 2013, winning the 29th edition against 349 opponents, for €54,545.

This year, the Casino de Marrakech will host for the first time a WPT National Series, from October 1 to October 6.

No less than 20 tournaments and satellites will be on offer during this week-long festival, with buy-ins ranging from €45 to €1,820. This Moroccan series will start with a 2-Day €500 Deepstack on October 1 and 2, and the €1,500 Main Event will run from October 3 to 6, with six €45 and €145 Satellites tournaments held on October 1, 2 and 3. Several side events will also be organized, such as a €500 NLHE tournament and a €135 Bounty event on October 4, as well as a €225 8-Handed championship, a €135 River Face Up event and the €1,820 High Roller event on October 5. Three interesting tournaments will conclude this series on October 6: the €500 6-Handed tournament, the €135 NLH Turbo, and the €135 NLHE Ante Only. And as usual, the cash games will run 24/7.

september – october 2013

ChroniCle

emoTions aRe The noise ThaT sTops you fRom Taking The besT Decision. one of The mosT poWeRful emoTion is The feaR of loosing - anD The shame ThaT comes WiTh iT. you neeD To geT pasT ThaT feaR. pokeR is abouT hanDling losses.

No emotioN, No problem With almost $2,000,000 in tournaments winnings, nicolas levi is one of the most respected european players. With his sponsor Winamax, you can see him playing most of epTs and WpTs stops as well as World series.

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september – october 2013

niColas levi

F

or 9 years now I’ve made a good living playing cards professionally.

I’ve had my fair share of success, luck, bad beats, disappointments, excitements, heart breaks and surprises in general. I’ve gone through an incredible journey that shaped my life, my character, and my future. I’ve fought for pots for a living from the time I was a graduate student to a proud husband and now dad.

Today I want to tell you about a hand I played a few years back that enlightened me about the power of attitude and psychology at the table: It’s EPT London, end of day one. My opponent is a spanish pro that has a lot of leaks and ego, a deadly combination even for thinking players. We both have good stacks late in day 1, around 45k effective at the 300/600-50 level.

I open the cutoff preflop with red 5s and he reraises to 1600 from the big blind. Since we’re very deep I make the call, counting on position to defend myself against a very aggressive opponent.

The flop comes 367 with two spades. He bets 2000 quickly, and I know he’s not the type to slow down easily. He’s representing either a draw or a big pair and could intend to bet 3 barrels no matter what (I told you he had leaks).

This type of opponent is very tough to handle because mistakes are potentially very costly. My 5s could be in front and every street will make them worst unless I hit a gutshot, not a very good prospect. I consider folding but I know my opponent very well. He plays poker for many wrong reasons, including proving he’s the best both to himself and to his rail - who had just turned up. He also has lost a few pots against me today and his ego can’t take it anymore. He’s probably betting everytime on this flop even though he probably shouldn’t. Given how many hands he can reraise preflop I’m in front very often, and many turn cards are blanks. I decide to peel one card. There is now 7,800 in the pot.

The turn is a beautiful 2 of hearts, putting two flush draws on the board. He thinks for a while and bets very small, 2000 again. It’s a terrible card for bluffing and even he can recognise that, but that little bet is too small to protect a really strong hand. If I call I’m basically telling him that I don’t want to play a big pot and he will for sure put me to the test on the river with a big bet. I decide the strength of my hand is not the key factor here. He looks weak, he has either a pair a strong draw. Either way, a strong raise is perfect to cut his odds or make him fold a small made hand out of position. I rule out a trap because he’s not a cute player like that. I raise to 17k.

What happened next took me completely by surprise : after 3 minutes of what seemed like torture for him, he ended up going all with an angry face, for an extra 23k.

Inside my head I’m feeling «Wow». Doubt. Fear. Excitement.

Should I put my whole tournament on a hunch?

In this kind of situation where analysis only won’t give you an answer, you need to be strong in your head to make a good decision and the good news is you can put fear in

september – october 2013

your opponents without risking any more chips in the pot if you act right. Let’s pause a little and talk about how to achieve focus under pressure first.

Emotions are the noise that stops you from taking the best decision. One of the most powerful emotion is the fear of loosing - and the shame that comes with it. You need to get past that fear. Poker is about handling losses. If you play or desire to play the big tournaments, then you will end up loosing 80% of the time (at least). When you win something you will perhaps be more disappointed than if you busted earlier, for your hopes will have gone up exponentially. That’s just a fact, I don’t care if you are Phil Ivey, Davidi Kitai or SuperWoman (I wonder who would win).

It may seem trivial, but the sooner you realise that the better. Times and times again you will travel to the tournament full of hope, dream about victory, have a shower (please do) while telling yourself motivational things.

Heck, you might even go to the gym before the start to feel energized (good for you, remember to take said shower AFTER rather than before the gym. Thanks!). And then you will play against opponents that you will think are worst poker players than you (they feel the same way about you). After many hours or even days you will loose and likely will think that the whole thing was unfair.

You then have to do the traditional walk of shame which sometimes involves the packing-your-bags of shame and the taking-the-plane of shame until you’re home.

When i DiscoVeReD pokeR i Was on such a leaRning cuRVe foR one yeaR, all i DiD Was eaT, play, ReaD 2+2, ReVieW some hanDs, eaT, play, sleep. i’D Wake up on my Desk WiTh The boWl of ceReal fRom yesTeRDay in fRonT of me, The mouse sTill in my hanD, anD The sun alReaDy seTTing. The compeTiTiVe paRT of me Was exciTeD anD happy, buT anoTheR paRT Was Dying anD loosing self esTeem Daily.

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ChroniCle Losses make many players -even top winners- so miserable that they would be better off doing something else, even if they make money overall. The point of life is to be happy and poker (or money for that matter) should just be a path towards that. If loosing affects you too much, then you’ve picked the wrong hobby/passion/job (delete as appropriate). Life’s a journey guys!

Keeping fear of loosing at bay is easier than you think. Ask yourself the million dollar question: Why do you play poker?

That question is central in the book The Psychology of poker»

by Dr Schoonmaker, and your answer wont be the same as mine. It can’t simply be ’To Win’. Leave your ego aside: different parts of you will look for different things and it’s your job to listen to them! For me money is a nice bonus but I ’m really looking for social interaction and the intellectual challenge of learning and defeating randomness. I am also keen on the freedom poker offers. Competition, and freedom.

Knowing this helped me set goals and a style at the table.

It helped me choose the right games, come with the right level of preparation, and made me confident in my abilities while reducing greatly the fear of defeat. On a side note you should also analyse your table that way. Knowing why my spanish opponent played poker was also a tremendous help, but we’ll get back to that soon...

Asking yourself why you play poker should also unlock your other goals in life. Being balanced is very important and it’s not easy to get right but if your goals are set right you will enjoy trying to achieve them, which is the entire point! When I discovered poker I was on such a learning curve for one year, all I did was eat, play, read 2+2, review some hands, eat, play, sleep. I’d wake up on my desk with the bowl of cereal from yesterday in front of me, the mouse still in my hand, and the sun already setting. The competitive part of me was excited and happy, but another part was dying and loosing self esteem daily. Luckily I soon started making good money online while at the same time heard the cry for help of my social self and hit the dancefloor again (sorry ladies).

Because I had a good life outside of cards, when I lost, my whole world was never crumbling. I was aware of the luck I had living from my passion and the money was good anyway.

On the other hand being relaxed about losing has its own caveat: sometimes I wouldn’t learn as fast from a beating as I should and also I didn’t always do my best to come prepared at the table, since losing didn’t hurt. I always felt like I had a foot on the brakes and it took me a lot of reading and exterior help to realise how to get better. As part of my deal with the Winamax Team I got coaching from Stephane Matheu - who comes from the tennis world and can whoop your ass wearing flippers if you’re willing to bet big enough!

Every case is different but I realised that not giving it my everything was a way for me to protect my ego from bruises, to always have an excuse ready, and I had been doing that my whole life! That was one of those truly eureka moment and it meant that not only I wasn’t reaching my full potential, but also that the competitive me wasn’t satisfied and that I could never be happy until his thirst was quenched.

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So let’s go back to the table. Should I call or fold?

I have a little trick to help me think rationally when the pressure is high and the emotions come running. I pretend I’m Phil Ivey (or Davidi or SuperWoman , your pick, your fantasy!). What would they do in this spot? I find this gives me immense clarity. It helps me be patient when I’m frustrated, and it helps me be fearless when I don’t want to bust.

It’s not perfect, but it’s usually a much better decision than what I want to do. Ideally you must be a computer that takes information, processes them into an algorithm, and outputs a decision as perfect as possible every time.

The stakes are high and rationally even if I’m right and he’s semi-bluffing, I will have to dodge many outs, possibly 15 or more. I replay the hand in my head to see if he could have a set or Aces. Could he put me on a draw and have gone all in with a medium hand that crushes me? I don’t fear losing, or looking ridiculous (I mean if he has flopped the straight and I call with two 55s here, won’t I just look stupid now?). I don’t let ego push me into a bad call just because I want to do a superb play (a problem I’ve been dealing with all my career). I just take my time to reach the best possible decision, right or wrong.

Not only that but I do what few people think about when facing an all in: I tank with style, not letting people see that I suffer. Another great mentor, Tommy Angelo, talks about «6th street» as the time from the moment the hand finishes to the moment the next hand starts. During that time poker players tend to relax and give away way too much information because «it doesn’t matter anymore». I think sixth street starts even earlier, as soon as player believes his action is the last of the pot, for example when he’s facing an all in. If I look annoyed, sweat, show people that it’s a difficult decision, I will lose a lot of important credit at the table.

Think about this: If I fold, people will think I’m on tilt, and they could be right! If I call after grimacing and moving in my chair, even if I’m right people will think I’m a station, can’t make an obvious fold, and got lucky. In terms of table image and fear factor, it’s not ideal in a tournament. People pick on the weak and I will have to fight harder for future pots. So I do what I always do: I stay totally steady. I slowly glance at the pot, eye my opponent carefully, count my chips very deliberately. It also helps me to stay focused and fight the emotions from within. I move as little as possible and show no emotion.

It’s really close on paper, but has time passes my opponent sweats more and more. Eventually I decide that the balance tips towards a call, though there’s no way to be sure. I slowly slide my stack into the pot and turn my hand over immediately as if I know I have him.

Guess what? In this case I was right. He showed AJhh for a turned flush draw and two overcards. The river blanked and I raked in the chips without emotion as if this was totally normal and happened to me everytime. The table was stunned at the scene.

This hand is interesting in itself: a small made hand first turned into a bluff ends up being a call all in... But the point september – october 2013

niColas levi

prize list daTes

TournamenT

resulT

01 Jul 2013

$ 2,500 No Limit Hold'em (Event #56) - 44th World Series of Poker (WSOP) 2013, Las Vegas

9th

53,593

12 Mar 2012

€ 5,000 No Limit Hold'em - Main Event - EPT Madrid, Madrid

7th

91,108

05 Dec 2011

€ 5,000 No Limit Hold'em - Main Event - EPT Prague, Prague

3rd

361,509

03 Jun 2011

$ 10,000 Pot Limit Hold'em Championship - 42nd World Series of Poker (WSOP) 2011, Las Vegas

6th

114,525

23 Feb 2011

$ 5,100 No Limit Hold'em - 2011 L.A. Poker Classic, Los Angeles

2nd

90,170

23 Sep 2010

£ 10,000 No Limit Hold'em - Championship Event - 2010 World Series Of Poker - Europe, London

5th

321,062

01 Jun 2010

$ 5,000 No Limit Hold'em - Shootout - 41st World Series of Poker (WSOP) 2010, Las Vegas

5th

92,543

14 May 2009

€ 10,000 No Limit Hold'em - Grand Prix de Paris - Rendez Vous A Paris 2009, Paris

6th

87,037

07 Jun 2008

$ 2,500 No Limit Hold'em - 39th World Series of Poker (WSOP) 2008, Las Vegas

9th

59,442

10 Sep 2007

£ 10,000 World Championship No Limit Hold'em - 2007 World Series Of Poker - Europe, London

27th

61,963

08 Mar 2007

€ 5,000 EPT Main Event - EPT Dortmund, Dortmund

7th

ToTal earnings (career): 1,931,565 ToTal 2013: 121,495

I want to make is elsewhere: I was focused enough to take the best possible decision I could without fear of being wrong and ridiculous. By acting so calm under pressure to the table it looked as if I knew I had him and it gave me a powerful image: no matter how bad a spot you put me in, I will always come up with great decisions and you will never make me suffer. Had the river come a heart, had he shown a set or a weird hand like 69 turned into a winning bluff, I would have acted exactly the same. That attitude during showdown is just always optimal. As long as your opponents can believe you’re a winning machine then it is true right? And that’s half of the psychological warfare won right there.

Later in that tournament, I busted. It felt unfair and it hurt, but not too much because I enjoyed the journey and I have great friends around me. I enjoyed their company that evening and didn’t even tell them about the boring details of my bust out, for it was already in the past. The next day I took my plane-of-shame and got ready for more adventures...

See you soon on the circuit!

Nicolas Levi september – october 2013

earnings ($)

$ 112,299

losses make many playeRs -eVen Top WinneRs- so miseRable ThaT They WoulD be beTTeR off Doing someThing else, eVen if They make money oVeRall.

The poinT of life is To be happy anD pokeR (oR money foR ThaT maTTeR) shoulD jusT be a paTh ToWaRDs ThaT. 19

Poker Business

Tool time

many years ago when i was a journalist in the poker industry, i talked about the tools that players new and old then had access to in the poker industry. going back to when i was growing up the only way to develop your game was to play, and if you wanted to become a winning player you needed to log so many hours to learn the nuances that often times your bankroll couldn’t stand it. yes the long and winding learning curve wasn’t months, it was years.

By Warren Karp

M

Many times you’d come up against that player at the table who was winning all the hands and when he was involved in a pot that he lost he was a master at minimizing the chips he lost in those pots. “Why is he so lucky”, “what’s his secret”,”he can’t leave here a winner every time we play”. Well he did and his secret was the hours he logged, the situations that repeated themselves, money management and a keen understanding of the math. In other words the cornerstone or tools of becoming a winning player.

In those early articles I was writing about Paradise Poker and Party Poker who were the main players in the online space.

Way back when, I was beating SNGs on a regular basis, but it didn’t take long for the masses to catch up and I guess that’s what this article is really about.

Websites were popping up as quickly as you could garnish a great WebName and purchase the rights to it. Books that were written by great poker authors were being transferred into 20

online format and daily poker news sites like Pokerpages.com and CardPlayer.com were bringing information to the masses by the megabyte! Results of all poker events started getting posted and leader-boards were born.

It also didn’t take long to see the online poker operators follow the brick & mortar playbook and develop tournament series of their own to attract new players. Maybe the best example of this was PokerStars and their World Championship of Online Poker (WCOOP).

How did this affect the recreational player & the “newbie”?

Well it left them clamoring for even more information, schooling, tutoring and reading everything they could get their hands on that led to protecting their bankroll and strengthening their game.

The peripheral of the poker industry sprung into action understanding that they had a wealth of information in publically available hand histories and tournament results. september – october 2013

sharksCoPe There was posting of hand histories on forums like 2 + 2 and the discussion on how to play that particular hand could have strings that went on for pages.

That was back in the early 2000’s and things have certainly changed. Technical people way smarter than this author developed tracking software that broke this information down to percentages and the Heads Up Display (HUD) was born.

Companies like Poker Tracker and Poker Office gave you the ability to see the type of player you were up against as you were playing them, but not all sites allowed this software to work on their site. The next great iteration was born in the form of SharkScope.com.

Instead of tracking “hand histories” which in truth showed you how players you didn’t know played hands against you this innovative software allowed you to enter a screen name of an opponent and get their history, not by hand but by tournament and SNG results. After all wasn’t that all we were looking for “results”. Not only of the site you were on but on most of the sites that that player was using the same screen name. This opened up a whole new world because it took out the random sampling of looking at just one site and added data from all the sites painting a much clearer picture. Once again the more information you have the better you can flatten that learning curve. It didn’t take long for the Sharkscope HUD to be born and once again a wealth of information filled your screen as you played.

More over Sharkscope became a basis for which savvy players who suspected cheating and collusion to get detailed results and submit them to the fraud divisions of the sites for further scrutiny. Giving you tons of information on how you play, how your opponent plays and ability to weed out the unscrupulous, now that’s powerful stuff.

One of the things that are true to most businesses that have a billion dollar nucleus is that peripheral businesses stand to make millions. A great analogy would be the many souvenir shops, bars and restaurants that surround a sporting arena Following the next obvious steps in online poker became tutoring, coaching and backing. Players needed to learn and better players wanted to teach to pad their bankroll. Coaching sites came along and developed a tremendous amount of videos chronicling the hands played online by winning players.

A big part of the poker industry has always been backing.

Shrewd investors stood on the sidelines of major brick and mortar tournaments looking for winning players and offered to put them into the event for a percentage. Those backers moving into the online poker space was a natural. Why, because online poker tournaments were cheaper to enter and the payouts were bigger. There was one problem however, how to find the winning players, not the one off winners but the consistent players who had a great ROI. Once again poker tracking software to the rescue, a site like Sharkscope again became a “go to” for backers seeking horses and had the stats to prove it. This encouraged winning players to opt in and publish their stats which in turn became a great source of information for the beginning/learning player.

Those players now had an outlet to see who they were up september – october 2013

against in tournaments and SNGs and learned how to stay away from the sharks until they felt ready to be challenged.

It’ll be interesting as our industries software develops to whatever is next. Great minds are thinking right now how to help every level of player, which only encourages more new players to join our little or maybe not so little family. I for one learn something every time I play and I’m not ashamed to say that all these software improvements have helped me along that way.

moRe oVeR shaRkscope became a basis foR Which saVVy playeRs Who suspecTeD cheaTing anD collusion To geT DeTaileD ResulTs anD submiT Them To The fRauD DiVisions of The siTes foR fuRTheR scRuTiny. giVing you Tons of infoRmaTion on hoW you play, hoW youR opponenT plays anD abiliTy To WeeD ouT The unscRupulous, noW ThaT’s poWeRful sTuff.

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upcoming

tournaments

TournamenT

worLd pokEr Tour rENdEz-Vous à parIs 2013

Welcome to The aviaTioN cluB de FraNce! Right after the Wsop-europe, held this year in the nearby city of enghien-lebains, paris will attract worldwide poker attention as the World poker Tour will reach the aviation club de france from october 21, for a two-week series full of amazing tournaments. The well-known french card room, the main place to play poker in paris, was the first european establishment to host a WpT event, in 2003, and has since hosted some of the biggest french poker series for a decade, such as the euro finals of poker, the WpT national series paris and the paris open of poker. This 2013 stop of the largest poker circuit in the world will bring its share of great moments, with the 5-Day €7,500 WpT Rendez-Vous à paris main event and its televised final table, the 2-Day €5,000 omaha cup Triple chance, the 2-Day €15,000 high Roller event, and the brand new open face chinese tournament. numerous satellites and side events will run during the series, closed by the acfpoker Tour grand final, a 3-Day €1,500 tournament which will conclude the second season of the card room’s international circuit. here’s the full program of the parisian biggest annual series.

By Julien Morello

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september – october 2013

I

world Poker Tour rendez-vous à Paris 2013

In October, France will definitely be the place to challenge the best players of the poker scene, as the Parisian region will host two of the hugest poker European festivals in the same month, with their crowds of superstars reaching the French capital for an incredible month entirely devoted to poker. Indeed, perfectly scheduled after the European leg of the World Series of Poker in Enghien-les-Bains, the World Poker Tour Rendez-Vous à Paris 2013 will run from October 21 to November 3 in the classy and exciting atmosphere of the Aviation Club de France.

A distinguished club on the “most beAutiful street in the world”

The Aviation Club de France is an institution in the gambling world, and for more than a decade, the Champs-Élysées avenue gaming room has offered some of the greatest poker tournament series in Europe. Created more than 100 years ago, and redesigned in 2007 with a modern and sumptuous touch, the venue is a genuine temple of poker, as hundreds of members come every day, 24/7, to enjoy a large variety of cash games and daily tournaments in a magical effervescence.

Extensive facilities, great service, high-class restaurant, there’s no reason to leave! The ACF gained its international reputation with the well-known Euro Finals of Poker, the Paris Open of Poker, the WPT National Series and of course the WPT Grand Prix de Paris/Rendez-Vous à Paris, the oldest WPT stop in Europe, organized since 2003 in the prestigious club.

five dAys of competition for A title

This year, the 5-Day €7,500 WPT Rendez-Vous à Paris Main Event will start on Friday October 25, and the two Day 1 won’t necessarily be enough to welcome the international huge field of players. David Benyamine, Surinder Sunat, Roland De Wolfe, Roger Hairabedian and Matt Waxman have already wrote their names on the WPT Paris list of winners, but we will have to wait until October 30 and the broadcasted final table to know who will succeed to Matt Salsberg, who bested his 227 opponents for a €380,000 cash prize last year, dominating famous players such as Fabian Quoss, Mohsin Charania, Philipp Gruissem and Theo Jørgensen on the final table. And with a WPT title at stake, there is no doubt that the action will be intense around the purple tables of the ACF.

€5,000 omAhA cup, €15,000 high roller And €5,000 open fAce chinese

Poker superstars will not only compete for the Main Event crown, as three other massive events will animate this WPT series, the 2-Day €5,000 Omaha Cup Triple Chance, the 2-Day €15,000 High Roller Event, and the brand new €5,000 Open Face Chinese Challenge. Starting on the same day than the Main Event final table, the Pot Limit Omaha event, with one of the highest buy-ins in Europe, will attract some of the best experts of the game, like David Benyamine, Elias Damouni and Theo Jørgensen, respectively champion (€94,050), runner-up (€52,250) and third (€31,350) of the 2012 edition. The High Roller Event, for its part, will run on October 24 and 25, and september – october 2013

Bruno fiToussi and Phil hellmuTh

German player Fabian Quoss will surely be there to try to keep his title, won last year after dominating Igor Kurganov heads-up for €86,400.

Beside these two traditional events, the WPT Rendez-Vous à Paris festival will also welcome a new tournament on October 23: the €5,000 Open Face Chinese Challenge. This great event will without any doubt be a huge success, as the Aviation Club de France regularly hosts cash games tables of this variant, which is more and more popular among the international poker scene.

11 sAtellites And side events

Adjoining these major events, the WPT Paris will host no less than 11 satellites and side events, with buy-ins ranging from €150 to €1,000. Three €1,000 Satellites to the Main Event will open the series on October 21, 22 and 24, as well as three €150 Super Satellites to the Main Event held on the same days. A €150 Super Satellite and a €1,000 Satellite will offer tickets to the €15,000 High Roller Event on October 23, and tickets to the €5,000 PLO tournament will be at stack on October 29th during the €500 Satellite Event. Then, during the last week of these Parisian series, two Satellites to the ACFPoker Tour Grand Final will be offered, with a €200 tournament on Oct 31, and a €100 event on November 1.

bAck to the Acf for A perfect finAl

This year, the Aviation Club de France will also host the final event of the second season of its own poker circuit, the ACFPoker Tour, which started at the Casino Le Phoebus in Gruissan on November 2012 and reached during 2013 no less than three continents, with a leg in Mauritius, a leg in the ARIA Casino in Las Vegas in June, and several stops in European cities such as Brussels, Cannes, Paris and Annecy.

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TournamenT For its Grand Final, the ACFPoker Tour will conclude with a €1,500 tournament, played over three days, from November 1-3. Last year, the final of the first season was a great success, as 153 players entered the competition and generated a €215,730 prize pool. After three days of competition, Frenchman Pierre Marquès bested Frenchwoman Carole Segoura heads-up, and took the title, earning €51,700.

Right after the WSOP-Europe, those two weeks of poker will be a great Parisian conclusion during your stay in France, the sole country where you can play daily high-level games with top pros all along October. So don’t forget to plan a stop in the French capital for an unforgettable poker adventure in the fall!

reSTauraNTS le Cinq

2 Michelin stars and an exquisite dining room, Le Cinq is a culinary experience not to miss if you want to fully enjoy the French art de vivre. All the great classics are served here with a touch of modernity, paired with an amazing wine selection and perfect service. C’est magnifique! Menus from €90. address: 31, avenue george V 75008 paris Reservations: +331 49 52 71 00 Web: http://www.fourseasons.com

ChiBerTa

hoTelS four seasons hoTel george v

Just off the Champs Elysées, this mythical palace is the place to spend the most luxurious stay possible in Paris. Its gorgeous 1928 building offers 244 rooms and suites, many of them having a terrace overlooking the lively streets of the French capital, a fantastic spa, a pool in a very « Versailles » décor, a two-star Michelin restaurant and high-end technologic facilities. Rooms from €900. address: 31, avenue george V 75008 paris Reservations: +331 49 52 71 00 Web: http://www.fourseasons.com

hoTel marrioTT

When playing at the ACF, what place could be better to stay than the Champs-Elysées themselves? The 5-star Hotel Marriott is the best located in the area, and it has great service and facilities, with 167 rooms and 25 suites decorated in a simple style. Rooms from €500. address: 70 avenue des champs-elysees 75008 paris Reservations: +331 53 93 55 00 Web: http://www.marriott.com

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Less famous than Le Cinq, this fantastic restaurant offers a series of black and white dining rooms, an oenothèque lined with bottles, and a bar section. Onestar chef Guy Savoy will make your tastebuds come alive with his pigeon with risotto and foie gras or his truffle and artichoke soup. Lunch menu from €49. address: 3 rue arsène-houssaye 75008 paris Reservations: +331 53 53 42 00 chiberta@guysavoy.com

NighT liFe le Baron

A very exclusive club looks like a mini-cabaret, with red velvet and pearls, soft light, but most of all great music. This former hostess bar off the Champs-Elysées might be one of the hardest places to get into in the French capital, it’s definitely worth it. Open 11 p.m.dawn every day. address: 6 avenue marceau 75008 paris contact@clublebaron.com

CulTure Bière

The name of this classy establishment sums it up: it’s heaven for beer lovers. Hundreds of kinds are available here, coming from all parts of the world. 1,100 square meters are dedicated to the sparkling beverage: 3 bars, a restaurant and a lounge, to help you enjoy varied experiences as you let your curiosity run free. Open every day until midnight, 2:00 AM on Fridays and 5:00 AM on Saturdays. address: 65 avenue des champs-elysées 75008 paris Web: http://www.culturebiere.com/

september – october 2013

world Poker Tour rendez-vous à Paris 2013

Grand Prix de Paris LIst of WInners 2004 field: 205 Players (€10,000 Buy-in) 1st surinder sunar (england) €679,860 2nd anTanas guoga (liThuania) €339,930 3rd Jim overman (usa) €203,960 2005 field: 160 Players Prize Pool: €1,520,000 (€10,000 Buy-in) 1st roland de wolfe (england) €479,680 2nd Juha helPPi (finland) €254,830 3rd miChel zaJdenBerg (franCe) €179,880 2006 field: 232 Players Prize Pool: €2,204,000 (€10,000 Buy-in) 1st ChrisTian grundTvig (denmark) €712,500 2nd Jani soinTula (finland) €356,250 3rd Thomas wahlroos (finland) €243,750 2007 field: 139 Players Prize Pool: €1,320,500 (€10,000 Buy-in) 1st will ma (Canada) €422,560 2nd runar runarsson (iCeland) €224,480 3rd david redlin (usa) €158,460 2008 field: 138 Players Prize Pool: €1,311,000 (€10,000 Buy-in) 1st roger hairaBedian (franCe) €419,520 2nd miCkael seBBan (franCe) €222,870 3rd Talal shakerChi (england) €157,320 2009 field: 138 Players Prize Pool: €1,311,000 (€10,000 Buy-in) 1st faBrizio riCCi (iTaly) €419,520 2nd Jérôme zerBiB (franCe) €222,870 3rd vikash dhorasoo (franCe €157,320 2010 september – october 2013

field: 247 Players Prize Pool: €2,347,797 (€10,000 Buy-in) 1st Theo Jørgensen (denmark) €638,377 2nd anToine amoureTTe (franCe) €328,690 3rd Per linde (sweden) €234,780 2011 field: 312 Players Prize Pool: €2,252,650 (€7,500 Buy-in) 1st maTT waXman (usa) €500,000 2nd hugo lemaire (franCe) 311,100 3rd frédériC magen (franCe) €211,100 2012 field: 228 Players Prize Pool: €1,624,500 1st maTT salsBerg (usa) €380,000 2nd Theo Jørgensen (norway) €264,600 3rd PhiliPP gruissem (germany) €170,065

€5,000 Omaha CuP LIst of WInners 2011 field: 65 Players Prize Pool: €312,000 1st anTony lellouChe (franCe) €71,760 2nd davidi kiTai (Belgium) €70,200 3rd vadim kurseviCh (Belarus) €67,080 2012 field: 44 Players Prize Pool: €209,000 1st david Benyamine (franCe) €94,050 2nd elias damouni (franCe) €52,250 3rd Theo Jørgensen (norway) €31,350 27

TournamenT

€15,000 hiGh rOller evenT In the Money LIst 2010 field: 25 Players Prize Pool: €475,262 1st freddy deeB (usa) €290,000 2nd sorel mizzi (Canada) €120,000 3rd roger hairaBedian (franCe) €40,000 4th gianni giaronni (iTaly) €25,262 2011 field: 36 Players Prize Pool: €521,100 1st sorel mizzi (Canada) €234,495 2nd freddy deeB (usa) €130,275 3rd niChlas maTTsson (sweden) €78,165 4th Jérôme zerBiB (franCe) €52,110 5th ChrisToPher lasTiwka (Canada) €20,055 2012 field: 12 Players Prize Pool: €172,800 1st faBian quoss (germany) €86,400 2nd igor kurganov (russia) €51,840 3rd angelo Besnainou (franCe) €34,560

aCFPOker TOur LIst of WInners season i €1,500 grand final field: 153 Players Prize Pool: €215,730 1st Pierre marquès (franCe) €51,700 2nd Carole segoura (franCe) €38,830 3rd khing Phung (franCe) €25,890 season ii (all firsT Prizes inClude a €1,500 TiCkeT ToThe grand final) gruissan field: 68 Players Prize Pool: €44,064 28

1st miChel leigBorin (franCe) €14,500 2nd miChel duBerT (franCe) €8,800 3rd alain fausT (franCe) €6,600 Paris field: 149 Players Prize Pool: €103,927 1st Pierre anTona (franCe) €25,605 2nd Bruno fernandes (franCe) €18,435 3rd sergey nadToChiy (ukraine) €12,290 Brussels field: 129 Players Prize Pool: €87,075 1st ToBias PeTers (neTherland) €21,800 2nd ram reTer (Belgium) €15,670 3rd mihai sTinka (Belgium) €10,445 mauriTius field: 77 Players Prize Pool: €49,896 1st eBen loTTering (souTh afriCa) €15,000 2nd aleXey golodyaev (russia) €10,000 3rd ChrisToPhe Pereira (franCe) €7,000 Cannes field: 94 Players Prize Pool: €60,912 1st marTial BlangenwiTsCh (franCe) €17,500 2nd Jean-PhiliPPe rohr (franCe) €11,000 3rd Jean-JaCques mars (franCe) €7,200 anneCy field: 75 Players Prize Pool: €48,600 1st olivier esTriPeau (franCe) €15,000 2nd sergei Borisowskiy (russia) €10,500 3rd eriC Joss (franCe) €7,000 aria las vegas ($1,080 Buy-in) field: 214 Players Prize Pool: $205,580 1st Jared Jaffee (usa) $57,054 2nd diego serrano (sPain) $37,004 3rd Jordan handriCh (usa) $22,614

september – october 2013

world Poker Tour rendez-vous à Paris 2013

WPT reNdez-vouS à PariS

Schedule

mon 21 oCT • (12.30 pm): €150 Super Satellite to the main event • (8.00 pm): €1,000 Satellite to the main event Tue 22 oCT • (12.30 pm): €150 Super Satellite to the main event • (8.00 pm): €1,000 Satellite to the main event wed 23 oCT • (12.30 pm): €150 Satellite to the high roller • (4.00 pm): €5,000 open Face chinese • (8.00 pm): €1,000 Satellite to the high roller Thu 24 oCT • (2.30 pm): €150 Super Satellite to the main event • (4.00 pm): €15,000 high roller day 1 (2-day event) • (8.00 pm): €1,000 Satellite to the main event fri 25 oCT • (2.30 pm): €7,500 wPt main event day 1A (5-day event) • (4.00 pm): high roller Final saT 26 oCT • (2.30 pm): €7,500 wPt main event day 1B (5-day event) sun 27 oCT • (2.30 pm): main event day 2

september – october 2013

mon 28 oCT • (2.30 pm): main event day 3 Tue 29 oCT • (2.30 pm): main event day 4 • (8.00 pm): €500 Satellite to the omaha event wed 30 oCT • (4.00 pm): main event Final • (6.00 pm): €5,000 Pot limit omaha triple chance day 1 (2-day event) Thu 31 oCT • (4.00 pm): Pot limit omaha Final • (8.00 pm): €200 Satellite to the AcFPoker tour Final fri 1st nov • (2.30 pm): €100 Satellite to the AcFPoker tour Final • (8.00 pm): €1,500 AcFPoker tour day 1 (3-day event) saT 2 nov • (6.00 pm): AcFPoker tour day 2 sun 3 nov • (4.00 pm): AcFPoker tour Final

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TournamenT

30

september – october 2013

world series of Poker – euroPe

worLd sErIEs of pokEr – EuropE

WSoP-e move to paris in the historic settings of the casino ba r r ière d’engh ien-le s - ba i ns, a 100 -yearold lakeside casino, the Wsop-e will be for the first time ever moving to paris. just a short cab ride from the champs elysées, the Wsop -e venue is a magnificent casino with wonderful hotels, perfect for all the european and american players who will be delighted by the scenic aspect and the professionalism of the teams involved.

I

By Julien Morello

T he World Ser ies of Poker Eu rope P resented by BarrierePoker.fr has solidified its tournament schedule for the 7th Annual World Series of Poker Europe in Paris, France. In addition to a new locale and new venue, several exciting fresh events have been added, including a €25,600 buy-in High Rollers No-Limit Hold’em sanctioned WSOP gold bracelet event. The 7th Annual WSOPE will be held from October 12 through October 25, 2013 in Enghien-les-Bains, France, in the suburbs of the world renowned French capital of Paris.

(8 km from Paris)

A 100-yeAr-old lAkeside cAsino

Players will be welcomed into the historic settings of the Casino Barrière d’Enghien-les-Bains, a 100-year-old lakeside casino. In addition to the casino setting, the majority of play will take place across the street at the Convention Center known as “Pergola Nova” which will september – october 2013

31

TournamenT

“We look foRWaRD To This neW eDiTion of The Wsop euRope foR The fiRsT Time Will be helD neaR paRis in fRance in The fiRsT fRench casino in enghien les-bains,” saiD Dominique Desseigne, gRoupe lucien baRRieRe sas chief execuTiVe officeR. “We haVe ReseRVeD some nice suRpRises foR playeRs !”

allow for all regular tournament play to be in the same room for the very first time at a WSOP Europe event.

Two main hotels surround the casino and convention center, the Grand Hotel Barrière and the Barrière Hotel du Lac, which is where we encourage players to make their room reservations to be walking distance from the playing areas.

The two-week slate of events will feature seven bracelet tournaments this year – the same amount offered in 2012 and 2011.

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the tournAments

“New tournament dates and 12 million Parisians have us aiming for the largest Main Event in Europe,” said WSOP Executive Director Ty Stewart. “Baguettes and Bracelets; Champagne and Cash; we think is a winning recipe for the 2013 WSOP Europe.”

The entire WSOP gold bracelet schedule will complement more than four dozen side events included during the two week poker series. A No Limit Hold’em re-entry event will k ick off the tournament at 12 noon on

september – october 2013

world series of Poker – euroPe

Saturday, October 12 and feature two starting flights with a €1,000 + €100 buy-in. “We look forward to this new edition of the WSOP Europe for the first time will be held near Paris in France in the first French casino in Enghien-les-Bains,” said Dominique Desseigne, Groupe Lucien Barriere SAS chief executive officer.

“We have reserved some nice surprises for players!”

Other events include a Mixed-Max No-Limit event and a new Mixed-Max Pot-Limit Omaha event, plus standard Pot-Limit Omaha and No-Limit Hold’em events, and of course, the €10,000 + €450 buy-in No Limit Hold’em Main Event. (Note: French law only allows Hold’em and Omaha games). These seven tournaments will be sanctioned gold bracelet events. Non-stop cash games

september – october 2013

and other events will also be scheduled during the tournament, as well as a bevy of satellite tournaments.

Players will receive special room rates for their stay in Enghien-les-Bains. There are two different hotels we have arranged special rates, the Barriere Hotel du Lac with and the Grand Hotel Barrière with a special €180 rate. Room reservation details will be available

by July 1, 2013.

The 2013 World Series of Poker Europe will be televised broadly around the world, including ESPN and Eurosport.

In 2012, WSOPE programs were broadcast on Eurosport around Europe, and ESPN networks around the world.

WSOPE remains the only European poker tournament to be televised in the United States.

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TournamenT

casINos ausTrIa pokEr Tour badEN aNd EuropEaN pokEr champIoNshIp

The 24th Poker em highlighTs the biggest austrian poker series The casino austria poker Tour, the most famous austrian circuit running since 2008, will close its sixth season in baden, from october 24 to november 2, with a brand-new schedule. beside the €3,000 capT main event, starting on october 27 for a 4-Day competition, and several amazing side events (like the €500 Deepstack championship, the €1,500 seven card stud, the €1,500 pot limit omaha and the €10,000 high Roller), the festival will host the 24th poker em championship with an original qualification structure, where the best players of the series will be allowed to play a mixed-game tournament, for a €30,000 first prize. here is what you can expect for this capT 2013 grand final!

By Alejandro Civico

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september – october 2013

A

CaPT Baden and euroPean Poker ChamPionshiP

Austria is very well known for poker in Europe. With casinos operating legally there since 1775, the time-honored tradition of gambling still thrives. Thanks to the success of the Casinos Austria Poker Tour, poker players came to Austria in hordes to play in the week of tournaments and cash games in Seefeld, Bregenz, Salzburg, Innsbruck, Kitzbühel, and Velden, for some very successful series. And from October 24 to November 2, they are all expected in Baden for a unique combination of tournaments.

the cApt bAden 2013 highlights

The CAPT Baden will begin on October 24 with a €500 3-Day Deepstack NHL event, followed by the €1,500 Seven Card Stud tournament, running on October 25 and 26. Then the €1,500 Pot Limit Omaha tournament will start on October 27 for two days of competition, right before the beginning of the €3,000 CAPT Main Event, a 4-Day tournament starting on October 29 for a final table set on November 1. Last year, 170 players participated to the Baden Main Event, creating a record prize pool of €323,000. Swiss competitors were there in droves, and three of them managed to reach the last three spots. Daniel Studer earned the €35,530 third place prize, before Daniel Marquis overcame Thomas Hofmann heads-up, for €88,825, leaving €54,910 to his fellow countryman.

Several other side events will be held during this Austria series, such as the €500 Mix Game NLH/PLO on October 30, the 2-Day €800 Deepstack tournament on October 30 and 31, the €500 6-Max event on November 1, and the 2-Day €10,000 High Roller Event, organized on November 1 and 2.

hoW To geT There by air: You need to fly to Vienna, whose international airport, Flughafen Wien, is served by the two national airlines, Austrian Airlines and Austrian Arrows, and has regular connections with all the major cities in Europe and further on most major international airlines. Baden is about 20 km south of Vienna. From there, you have several options: by car: Just take highway A2/Südautobahn and leave the highway at the exit Baden. by train: The “Badner Bahn” leaves for Baden opposite the Vienna Opera. It is about one hour to downtown Baden. Alternatively there are trains departing from Vienna’s biggest train station — Südbahnhof — as well. These faster trains arrive in Baden in about 25 minutes. The disadvantage of this option is that you have to take a taxi or another bus from Baden train station to arrive in the center. by bus: There is a bus (direction Bad Vöslau) from the Opera house in Vienna to Baden as well. It’s about a forty-minute ride to downtown Baden.

A brAnd new structure for the 24th poker em

This year, the 24th Poker EM Championship will offer a totally new structure. Reserved for only 27 players, this very special event held on November 2 will be a mixed tournament, with No Limit Hold’em, Pot Limit Omaha, and Seven Card Stud.

To be part of this amazing European championship, players will have to finish in the top three of the four CAPT Baden events (the €500 and €3,000 NLHE events as well as the €1,500 Seven Card Stud tournament and the €1,500 Pot Limit Omaha championship). The top three plus bubble boys in each of these four tournaments and the top eleven players in the overall ranking will have the chance to play for the €30,000 European Poker Champion title. The runner-up of this competition will win €15,000, and the third best player will leave Baden with €5,000.

the biggest cAsino in europe

For this exciting week of poker, the best Austrian and European players will sit at the tables of the Grand Casino Baden, located smack in the center of Austria, near Vienna. This Baden of Austria stands for wellness, culture and elegance, and its home of internationally renowned high-class spa and operetta theatre, perfectly combining entertainment and relaxation. With its magnificent surroundings, nearby vineyards, and extravagant interior design, the Grand Casino — opened in 1934 in the Kurhaus september – october 2013

and moved in 1968 to the Kongresshaus — is one of Europe’s biggest, and welcomes all year round high profile personalities looking for entertainment in a wonderful setting.

The casino might be a sumptuous venue, but the CAPT itself is a breath of fresh air when it comes to Poker Tournaments worldwide. Offering highly trained staff that move games along at a great pace while still being friendly, a tournament structure that allows for ample play time for everyone, and is so classy you will feel like you are in a James Bond movie. So if you want to have a taste of Austrian luxury and organization, and take your chances in big events, pack your winter clothes — the Grand Casino Baden is waiting for you!

35

TournamenT

hoTelS hoTel sChloss weikersdorf

The four-star Hotel Weikersdorf Residenz & Spa is located in an impressive Renaissance palace in Baden, just a short ride from the Grand Casino. There, you’ll find quiet and gorgeous rooms and ten thousand square feet of wellness and spa facilities to get you in shape before — or after — a great day of poker: tennis courts and bowling alleys if you have energy to spare, swimming pools and scented baths if you just want to relax. Rooms from €99. address: schlossgasse 9-11 2500 baden Tel. +43 22 52 483 010 weikersdorf@austria-hotels.at

hoTel herzoghof

Directly across from the casino, with a view of the Kurpark and only a few steps from the historic town center lies the tradition-steeped Hotel Herzoghof. Four stars, exquisite rooms and an in-house relaxation center make this establishment an excellent and very convenient place to stay for CAPT participants. Special rates for CAPT participants. address: kaiser-franz-Ring 10 2500 baden Tel. +43 22 52 872 970 fax +43 22 52 206 646 office@hotel-herzoghof.at

hoTel admiral am kurPark

Directly across from the Casino and the Kurpark, this luxurious four-star establishment hotel is in the very heart of Baden. Tastefully furnished, climate-controlled rooms with the most modern facilities will make your stay a genuine bliss. Relax and concentrate on poker! Special rates for CAPT participants. address: Renngasse 8 2500 baden Tel. +43 2252 867 99 0 fax +43 2252 867 99 8 reservierung@hotel-admiral.at

reSTauraNTS do & Co resTauranTs

The Grand Casino has some of the best restaurants in Baden, offering first-rate cuisine from DO & CO. All three of these establishments has a distinctive décor for a special atmosphere: Kuppelrestaurant is black and gold with a sumptuous cupola ceiling — and the smoking area is under the massive dome — Casinorestaurant is violet and red with a very modern touch, and Parkrestaurant is all white with fantastic views on the park of the Baden resort. address: haselstrasse 2 5400 baden Tel. +43 2252 43 502 423 restaurant.baden@doco.com

sChlosskeller

If you like the rustic atmosphere of the authentic Alpine style, then you’ll love the historic Schlosskeller, a beautifully appointed cellar turned into a high-end restaurant serving traditional Austrian specialties as well as the best wines from the thermal region of Baden. address: hotel schloss Weikersdorf schlossgasse 9-11 2500 baden Tel. +43 22 52 483 010 weikersdorf@austria-hotels.at

Can BoleT

In a cozy atmosphere, this pleasant restaurant offers an extensive selection of regional delicacies at bargain prices.

Lunch starts at €11, night menus at €18, and the sublime seafood menu, featuring cream of crab, lobster and other delicious specialties is available for only €35. address: sant mateu 6 17310 lloret de mar phone: (+34) 972 371 237 Reservations: restaurantcanbolet@yahoo.es 36

september – october 2013

CaPT Baden and euroPean Poker ChamPionshiP

caPT liNz Schedule

caPT BadeN 2013 Schedule Thu 24 oCT • (5.00 pm): €500 deepstack championships day 1(3-day event) fri 25 oCT • (2.00 pm): deepstack championship day 2 • (3.00 pm): €1,500 Seven card Stud day 1 (2-day event) • (5.00 pm): €250 turbo deepstack re-entry saT 26 oCT • (2.00 pm): deepstack championship Final • (2.00 pm): €150 deepstack re-entry • (3.00 pm): Seven card Stud Final • (7.00 pm): €100 Super Satellite to Pot limit omaha (unl rebuys & 1 Addon) sun 27 oCT • (2.00 pm): € 1,500 Pot limit omaha - double chance day 1 (2-day event) • (3.00 pm): €300 nlhe re-entry mon 28 oCT • (2.00 pm): Pot limit omaha Final • (3.00 pm): €400 Bounty re-entry (ko €100) • (7.00 pm): €300 Super Satellite to main event (1 rebuy or 1 Addon) Tue 29 oCT • (2.00 pm): €350 last chance Satellite to main event • (7.00 pm): €3,000 cAPt main event re-entry day 1 (4-day event) wed 30 oCT • (2.00 pm): cAPt main event day 2 • (3.00 pm): €500 mix game nlh/Plo Thu 31 oCT • ( 2.00 pm): €800 deepstack re-entry day 1 (2-day event) • (2.30 pm): cAPt main event day 3 • (5.00 pm): €1,000 Super Satellite to high roller event re-entry fri 1 nov • (2.00 pm): deepstack Final • (2.00 pm): €500 6-max • (2.30 pm): cAPt main event Final • (5.00 pm): €10,000 high roller day 1 (2-day event, unl re-entry on day 1) saT 2 nov • (2.00 pm): Poker em championship nlh/Plo/ScS • (2.00 pm): €250 win the Button re-entry • (3.00 pm): high roller Final september – october 2013

Tue 17 sePT • (7.00 pm): €150 deepstack day 1 (2-day event) wed 18 sePT • (6.00 pm): deepstack Final • (7.00 pm): €500 cAPt main event day 1A (3-day event, re-entry until level 6) Tue 19 sePT • (7.00 pm): €500 cAPt main event day 1B (3-day event, re-entry until level 6) fri 20 sePT • (4.00 pm): cAPt main event day 2 • (7.00 pm): €200 nlhe day 1 (2-day event, re-entry until level 6) saT 21 sePT • (3.00 pm): nlhe Final • (3.30): cAPt main event Final • (4.00 pm): €250 deepstack ko (ko: €50, re-entry until level 6)

CaPT linz, sePTemBer 17-21

Before reaching Baden next October, the CAPT will make a stop for the first time in its history in Linz, the third biggest city of Austria. From September 17-21, this last leg of the CAPT Deepstack 2013 will consist of four tournaments, including the 3-Day €500 Main Event, which will run from September 18 (Day 1B on the 19th, Re-Entry until Level 6) to 21. This festival will start with a €150 Deepstack event, played over two days on September 17 and 18, followed by a €200 Re-Entry tournament on September 20 and 21, and a €250 Deepstack Knockout event on September 21, also with a Re-Entry option.

Located only one hour from Vienna, approximately 30 km south of the Czech border, Linz is a wonderful city by the Danube.

Combining successfully the old and the new, the capital of Upper Austria has an old town, full of great monuments, as well as the Lentos and the Ars Electronica Center, a modern art gallery and a museum presenting new media arts.

Opened in 1082 and expanded in 1995, Linz Casino is one of the city’s main tourist attractions. It is not only a place for upscale gaming (offering games likes Slot Machines, American and French Roulettes, Black Jack, and Poker) but also a popular location for an evening of entertainment, thanks to its beautiful atmosphere. An incomparable ambience is conveyed with highquality materials, an extraordinary lighting and color concept.

Gaming and fun coupled with an especially trendy vibe make Casino Linz a place of unparalleled entertainment.

Linz has hourly Intercity and Eurocity connections to Salzburg and Vienna. Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) has online timetables and offers various ticketing options. The cheapest option from/to Vienna or Salzburg is the private Railway Westbahn, with free WiFi on board.

Linz has hourly Intercity and Eurocity connections to Salzburg and Vienna. Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) has online timetables and offers various ticketing options. The cheapest option from/to Vienna or Salzburg is the private Railway Westbahn, with free WiFi on board.

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TournamenT

wpT doyLE bruNsoN fIVE dIamoNd worLd pokEr cLassIc

live the dream in las vegas

next December, the World poker Tour will make its last american stop of its twelfth season in the poker mecca with one of its best tournaments, the Doyle brunson five Diamond World poker classic. bellagio will once again thrill players from all around the world for two perfect weeks of intense play, from november 29 to December 11, concluding with a fantastic $10,000 +$300 championship. no doubt this year again crowds of poker celebrities will mass, vying for a piece of the massive prize pool and enjoying the best poker event around. but success and adrenaline are not exclusive to the poker elite, so go live the dream of every poker player and take part in this major tournament’s history. Welcome to las Vegas!

By Steven Lake

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september – october 2013

t

wPT doyle Brunson five diamond world Poker ClassiC

The Mojave Desert, the Strip, crowds of gamblers playing poker and slot machines, looking for fun and money: yes, you are in Vegas, the most famous gambling city of the world.

Known as the entertainment capital of the planet, Sin City never sleeps, and for 70 years it has been providing countless attractions for daydreamers.

bellAgio: An institution

Some of these attractions have become year after year genuine institutions, such as the Rio Casino, which has been hosting the World Series of Poker for forty years, while other rose lately, like Bellagio, opened in 1998 on the Strip. Its majestic architecture and its stunning elegance, embellished by the eight-acre lake with wonderful fountains, make this AAA Five Diamond Award winner and its thousands rooms and suites an incontrovertible place to visit in Vegas.

You will enjoy the huge poker room of the Big Game’s casino, next to the mythical Bobby’s Room, named after Bobby Baldwin, the former executive of the casino and an eccentric poker player, where VIPs and high-rollers play up to $4,000/$8,000 games, for some amazing seven-figure pots.

plAy the doyle brunson’s tournAment

Poker stars feel at home at Bellagio, which they call “the Office,” and the list of the WPT Five Diamond finalists proves it perfectly: Antonio Esfandiari (three times!), Gus Hansen, Scotty Nguyen and Daniel Negreanu (each twice!), Patrik Antonius, Phil Laak, John Juanda, Freddy Deeb, Joseph Hachem, David Rheem, Eugene Katchalov, Hoyt Corkins, Steve Sung, Paul Phillips, Nam Le, Daniel Alaei, Josh Arieh, Faraz Jaka, Shawn Buchanan, Andrew Robl, Vanessa Rousso, John Racener and Doyle Brunson, they all made it to the top 6! The WPT even gave Poker Dolly’s name to the Bellagio Five Diamond series the year after the legend of poker finished at the third place in 2005 for $563,485.

The great experience has become more affordable in 2010, when the $15,000 buy-in was reduced to $10,000. It was proven to be a great idea in 2011, as 413 players came to compete over a massive prize pool of $4,006,100. English pro James Dempsey bested his opponents and brought back home the title and a well-deserved prize of $821,612. Last

year, they were even more participants, as the Main Event collected a total of 503 entries, generating a $4,879,100 prize pool. After a five-day-long competition, poker superstar Antonio Esfandiari entered the Las Vegas’ final table for the third year in a row, along with Jeremy Kottler, Andrew Lichtenberger, Thomas Winters, Ravi Raghavan and Shawn Buchanan, but “The Magician” couldn’t reach the title, as he fell on the fourth position, for $329,339. Thomas Winters busted third ($483,031), and Ravi Raghavan took the best of his last opponent, Shawn Buchanan, earning his first major title and the $1,268,571 first prize, as the Canadian player pocketed $746,502 for his performance.

the 2013 progrAm

The $10,000 + $300 five-day Main Event will start on December 6, and it will offer a re-entry option until level 8, on Day 2. The winner of this huge tournament will receive, beside a massive cash prize. But this year, the televised Main Event won’t be the only one to attract poker superstars as huge events are expected. The 2013 official program is still pending as we writing these lines, but the $25,000 High Roller event, won last year by Thomas Marchese for $207,405, will surely come back to highlight this series. The full schedule is coming soon at www.worldpokertour.com.

WPT Five Diamonds is always a great moment of poker, so if you want to succeed to some of the greatest masters of the game and discover the mythic Sin City as well as the far-west you’ve dreamt about as a child — which has a lot to offer besides games, like Lake Mead or the Death Valley.

Bellagio, The eXPerieNce oF a liFeTiMe Some say that you haven’t seen Vegas if you never stayed at Bellagio... This colossal Italian-style landmark is one of the most amazing hotels in the world; it has won the prestigious AAA Five Diamond Award thirteen years in a row, from 2002 to 2014, for its sumptuous décor, impeccable service and prestigious and extensive facilities including its spa & salon, offering a unique menu of international treatments in a luxurious 65,000-square-foot setting, its very exclusive Petrossian and Baccarat bars and its awarded restaurants such as Picasso, Le Cirque and Michael Mina.

Botanical gardens, Mediterranean-themed pools and september – october 2013

Jacuzzi, fine art gallery, Bellagio covers all faces of absolute luxury. Its 3,993 huge rooms and suites have the most stunning views of the city and offer more than you could ever imagine. Perfect comfort, extraordinary class and attention to details makes Bellagio more than a hotel: it’s the experience of a lifetime.

Special rates for WPT Five Diamond participants. address: 3600 las Vegas blvd. south las Vegas, nV 89109 Tel: +1 702 693-7290 Web: bellagio.com/poker 39

TournamenT

WPT Five diamOnd LIst of WInners

The BeST choiceS aMoNgST The FiNeST reSTauraNTS iN The ciTy Bellagio offers 20 options for fine dining, from the exotic charms of Yellowtail Japanese Restaurant & Lounge’s innovative dishes, cooked to perfection by award-winning Chef Akira Back and including sushi, sashimi, tempura, and hand rolls, to Picasso and Le Cirque, both serving fantastic cuisine with a French accent. Picasso has also been awarded two Michelin stars; its sophisticated plates are dressed like masterpieces, offering the finest FrancoSpanish delicacies and the most amazing wine cellar.

The circus-themed Le Cirque and its Italian and French specialties was also decorated by the Michelin Guide that gave it one star; so was Michael Mina’s epnoymous restaurant, providing a stunning international cuisine mixing influences from France, Japan, South America, Spain, Italy, Russia...

Reservations are strongly recommended.

Tel: +1 866 259 7111 or +1 702 693 8865

viBraNT NighTliFe aT Bellagio

season viii-2009 field: 329 Players; Prize Pool: $4,761,450 1st daniel alaei (usa) $1,428,430 2nd Josh arieh (usa) $952,290 3rd faraz Jaka (usa) $571,374 season iX-2010 field: 438 Players; Prize Pool: $4,261,267 1st anTonio esfandiari (usa) $870,124 2nd andrew roBl (usa) $549,003 3rd vanessa rousso (usa) $358,964 season X-2011 field: 413 Players; Prize Pool: $4,006,100 1st James demPsey (england) $821,612 2nd soi nguyen (usa) $517,478 3rd vanessa selBsT (usa) $338,351 season Xi-2012 field: 503 Player; Prize Pool: $4,879,100 1st ravi raghavan (usa) $1,268,571 2nd shawn BuChanan (Canada) $746,502 3rd Thomas winTers (usa) $483,031 $100,000 high roller evenT-2011 field: 25 Players; Prize Pool: $2,412,000 1st Jason merCier (usa) $709,767 2nd david sands (usa) $664,027 3rd isaaC haXTon (usa) $581,086

If Las Vegas night clubs and bars usually compete for attention, none of them can rival the sophistication and allure of Bellagio’s signature spots, whether you prefer a vivid atmosphere or a more intimate experience. From The Bank, Las Vegas’ premier nightlife destination, with its precious décor and its state-of-the-art sound system, to Hyde, one of the city’s hottest spots overlooking the Fountains of the BellagioTM, party lovers will find everything they look for to enjoy their stay in Sin City.

Lily Bar & Lounge is the perfect alternative to the pulsating vibe of a vibrant nightclub, thanks to its lavish atmosphere, along with the sophisticated Petrossian Bar, one of the best hotel bars in America — where epicureans enjoy the finest cocktails in town — and the stylish Baccarat Bar, where Baccarat enthusiasts revel in their game, while comfortably listening to classic jazz sounds.

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september – october 2013

masTer ClassiCs of Poker 2013

masTEr cLassIcs of pokEr 2013

Welcome to amsTerdam

The master classics of poker is one of europe’s most well-known tournament series. it is, as well, one of the oldest competitions, where all the big names of the european poker scene have competed. some champions like Dave ‘Devilfish’ ulliott, Roland De Wolfe, marcel lüske, bruno fitoussi, Rob hollink, katja Thater, neil channing or jani sointula pick this series as one of their all time favorites. and for its 2013 edition in amsterdam’s holland casino, from nov. 9th to nov. 16th, you can be sure that the mcop will still be one of the greatest place on earth to enjoy poker….

By Jérôme Schmidt

september – october 2013

41

A

TournamenT

Ask the question to those who are now considered as “oldtimers” from the European poker scene, and you’ll often get the same answer: their favorite poker festival, since so many years, may be the Master Classics Of Poker. Thanks to its perfect location, in Amsterdam —one of the coolest cities in Europe—, its wonderful and human-size casino (in the middle of the city, close to Leidseplein Square) as well as its very professional staff. From Saturday 9th to Saturday 16th November 2013, Holland Casino Amsterdam will thus host the 22nd edition of the Master Classics of Poker. Due to the recent Dutch pokersuccess at WSOP, with Michiel Brummelhuis being the first Dutch Player making it to the November Nine at WSOP, the Master Classics of Poker 2013 starts on Nov. 9th, just few days after the WSOP finale.

Because Holland Casinos take into account that Dutch poker players will be traveling to support Michiel and of course because the whole community loves to see him at the MCOP, Holland Casino has decided to postpone the event, which normally starts in the first week of November.

A history of chAmpions

Since 1993, the Master Classics Of Poker are a landmark in contemporary poker. Its first Main Event had an already wellknown champion : Surinder Sunar, who, at that time, won…

22 000$, beating players like Lothar Landauer or Mickey Finn. Two years later, the buy-in was reduced to 1 000 Fl. (instead of 2 000Fl.) and it was a woman, Belinda Blokker who won the title for more than 50 000$, with 3 french players in the money (Rene Vernhet, Michel Leibgorin and Bruno Fitoussi) as well as Jeff Lisandro. In 1997, the Main Event became a 5 000Fl. Tournament, with 90 players for a total prizepool of 230 000$, which was at that time really rare. Few pros made it to the final table, won by Bjorn Janson (91 000$). In 1998, China made a crazy performance at the 5 000Fl. Main Event with two players in the money (Wong Ke

Hu, 2nd and Hong Sheng Xu, 9th), in a competition involving 125 entries for a 330 000$ prizepool ! The following year, the winner was the Hendon Mob champion Ram Vaswani (130 000$), followed by Marcel Cohen and his fellow mate, Barny Boatman (whose brother, Ross, finished 18th). The Dutch WSOP winner, Rob Hollink finished 7th. The 2000 edition saw the US champion T.J. Cloutier traveling overseas to taste the fishtank water and finishing 3rd, for 30 000$, in a 159-players field, whilst the winner was Steve Liu.

new edition, new tournAments

The tournament schedule of the 2013 MCOP is different than before. This year, the Main Event is a €4,000 Re-Entry tournament which starts on the 12th of November, with its final on the 15th of November. The High Roller Tournament starts after the Main Event, with a 48 players cap. Last year, this tournament was almost sold out (40 players) and it is also a Re-Entry tournament. During this week, the casino holds a variety of side events, including two new special Deep Stack Tournaments with 10 players maximum, two being paid. A must for everyone!

coMPleTe Schedule nov. 9-10th • (2.00 pm): Buy-in : 1 500€ - no limit hold’em — Freezeout • nov. 10-11th • (2.00 pm): Buy-in : 200€ - Pot limit omaha — unlimited rebuys & add-on • nov. 12-15th • (3.00 pm): mAin event - Buy-in : 4 000€ - no limit hold’em re-entry • nov. 13th • (2.00 pm): Speed tournament - Buy-in : 1 000€ - no limit hold’em — Freezeout

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• nov. 14th • (2.00 pm): Speed tournament -Buy-in : 500€ - no limit hold’em — Freezeout • nov. 15-16th • (2.00 pm): high roller tournament - Buy-in : 10 000€ - no limit hold’em — re-entry • nov. 15-16th • (2.00 pm): Bounty tournament - Buy-in : 800€ - no limit hold’em — Freezeout • nov. 16th • (2.00 pm): Speed tournament - Buy-in : 300€ - no limit hold’em — Freezeout september – october 2013

masTer ClassiCs of Poker 2013

Where iS iT Where To locaTed ? STay ?

Opening hours casino Open daily from 12am to 3am Table games open at 1:30pm Restaurant open from: 5pm to 2am holland casino amsterdam is located on: max euweplein 62 1017 mb amsterdam

amsTerdam marrioTT hoTel stadhouderskade 12 1054 es amsterdam Tel. +31 (0)20 607 5555

Park hoTel amsTerdam stadhouderskade 25 1071 ZD amsterdam Tel. +31 (0)20-671 1222

eden amsTerdam ameriCan hoTel leidsekade 97 1017 pn amsterdam Tel. +31 (0)20-556 3000

nh amsTerdam CenTre stadhouderskade 7 1071 es amsterdam Tel. +31 (0)20-554 4000

Who iS Michiel BruMMelhuiS, The duTch NoveMBer NiNe? Brummelhuis is a 32-year-old poker professional from Amsterdam, Netherlands. Brummelhuis will be a busy man the next several months, as he is expecting his first child in September. This marks Michiel’s fourth time to play the WSOP Main Event, and first time since 2008.

He did not cash in this event in his previous attempts.

Brummelhuis has seven previous WSOP cashes for $174,170 in earnings and more than $670,000 in career poker tournament winnings. With his accomplishment in this event, Michiel will more than double his career winnings and more than quadruple his WSOP winnings.

This marks the first time a Dutch player has made the WSOP Main Event final table, securing the country’s highest finish since Marcel Luske finished 10thin 2004.

He can also become the fourth-ever WSOP gold bracelet winner from the Netherlands. This is Brummelhuis’s first WSOP since 2009 when cashed five times.

september – october 2013

career live/online earnings: $671,706/unknown biggest previous live cash: $154,350 – 2011 pca $25k high Roller

43

TournamenT

TaNgEr mILLIoNaIrE makEr

become a millionaire in moroCCo

from oct. 30th to nov. 3rd, the seaside casino de Tanger will a very interesting tournament, with special packages starting at €1,000. Thanks to its well-organized and affordable 3-day 9,900 Dirhams main event, the Tanger millonaire maker is expected to draws scores of players from north africa, spain, and france who compete for tantalizing prize pools. The luxurious moroccan casino and its majestic 5-star mövenpick hotel will undoubtedly prove to be the perfect location for this intense and exciting poker festival.

B

Blessed with a great climate, Tanger is a true gem of Morocco: the commanding Atlas mountains give it a stunning backdrop; the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean offer beautiful horizons, and the great Casino Tangier hosts international poker events with perfection and flair. This beautiful complex is ideally located on the seashore, and boasts great activities both indoors and out. Those who value their surroundings will be sure to enjoy the stunning landscape — mountaintops and waves and an ever-shining 44

By Julien Morello

sun; gorgeous gardens and a great swimming pool. For those who prefer entertainment of the indoor variety, casino equipment is thoroughly modern, with 30 live game tables, English roulette, Black Jack, Punto Banco, and all kinds of poker games. Daily €5/€10 and €10/€20 NLHE cash game tables, as well as PLO cash game tables are on offer three days a week. During live tournaments, the Casino opens tables with higher limits, and games continue until 8.00 a.m. on weekdays; they run around the clock on weekends. september – october 2013

Tanger millionaire maker This huge venue also provides private rooms for those who prefer to play “far from the maddening crowd.”

the new tAnger poker million event

m is still pending as we writing these lines, but the $25,000 Casino de Tanger is usually the home of the Tanger Poker Festival, the first Moroccan poker series to guarantee a prize pool of 1 Million Dirhams (€90,000) for an affordable €700 buy-in. Held every three months, this tournament welcomes massive fields of players from North Africa and Europe, with huge contingents of French, Spanish and Romanian participants looking for an intense tournament in a perfect atmosphere. With 1,000,000 Dirhams guaranteed for the winner of this exceptional festival, the Tanger Millionaire Maker will gather for sure a large crowd of players… Day 1A of the Main Event begins at 3pm on Wednesday Oct. 30th, and it is possible to re-entry in this 9,900 Dirhams tournaments in Day 1B (Thursday Oct. 31st) and Day 1C (Friday Nov. 1st). The finale will take place on Day 3, on Sunday Nov. 3rd. Special packages including hotel, buy-in, food and drinks are offered to players starting at €1,000! A truly interesting deal that cannot be missed…

hoTel

mövenPiCk hoTel & Casino malaBaTa

The majestic Mövenpick Hotel & Casino Malabata Tanger, set amidst beautiful gardens, boasts a huge Mediterranean seaside swimming pool overlooking the beautiful Bay of Tanger. Only five minutes from the city center, yet far away enough to guarantee a calm and relaxing environment, it features large rooms, several different-sized meeting rooms, a casino, three restaurants and bars, and a well-equipped and spacious gym.

Rooms from €90 address: Route De malabata baie De Tanger 90000 Tangier Tel: 212 (0) 5 39 32 99 20 mail: hotel.tangier.casino@moevenpick.com

september – october 2013

hoW To geT There

by air: There are regular direct flights to Tanger from Paris, Madrid, London, Brussels, Barcelona and Amsterdam, on Royal Air Maroc and Iberia. Low cost airlines also offer flights from cities such as Marseille, Milan, and Cologne. Connections from Casablanca airport can be made daily. by sea: Daily ferry service from the Spanish ports of Tarifa (35 minutes) and Algeciras (45 minutes). Ferry service is also available between Gibraltar and Tanger.

reSTauraNTS le maTisse

The casino’s excellent restaurant serves Tanger’s finest Mediterranean cuisine and fresh fish dishes, thus providing an eclectic international menu.

Roasted Atlantic sea bass, fried chicken with squid and creamy polenta, or the great choice of French cheese are all to die for! Main courses €8 - €15.

allegria & le Talisman

The casino’s two snack bars are always ready to serve all manner of drinks and light meals. Whether you need a bottle of Dom Pérignon to celebrate a victory, a nice wine from France or Morocco or a delicious sandwich after a long game, the snack bars’ personnel will be on hand to satisfy your every wish.

45

TournamenT

carIbbEaN pokEr Tour 2013

it is geTTiNg hoT in november 46

september – october 2013

CariBBean Poker Tour 2013

This november, the carribean poker Tour will provide players with the opportunity to combine a dream holiday on the two beautiful islands of punta cana and st. maarten, with a fun-filled tournament run by a well-established team of poker dealers and directors, directed by Thomas kremser, alex Teufel and leon groenewoud...

By Christian Zetzche

A

As soon as it is getting gray and foggy in Europe, with winter slowly taking over in November, it’s the perfect time to escape into the sun. The inaugural Caribbean Poker Tour is taking exactly that approach, by providing players with the opportunity to combine a dream holiday on the two beautiful islands of Punta Cana and St. Maarten with a fun-filled and versatile tournament schedule of more than two weeks. Well-known tournament director and organizer Thomas Kremser joined forces with Alex Teufel and Leon Groenewoud to establish ICU Events; together they use their experience and network of industry professionals to offer incomparable service in the poker room and away from the poker tables.

Official tour sponsors of this new and exciting live event: iPoker network and world-famous sports betting brand William Hill. The largest online poker network also provides an ongoing Satellite structure to win a trip to the Caribbean in their weekly Finals: For less than 1€ the daily step system provides the opportunity to win a seat to battle for three different packages: each Wednesday the St. Maarten Experience has one € 5,000 package guaranteed for a buy-in of € 180+20, the Punta Cana Experience comes with a price tag of € 150+15 and will see at least one winner of a € 4,000 package on Fridays. Last but not least the Sunday evening should be reserved for the € 300+30 Ultimate Final with a grand prize of € 7,500 to unlock the full 17-day experience on Punta Cana and St. Maarten.

The Dominican Republic marks the first part of the trip from November 8-14 and a whole plane has been exclusively chartered to fly all qualifiers from Paris to Punta Cana and back. Major attractions besides the all-inclusive five-star Bavaro Princess resort and its famous beach include the William Hill Poker Open with a Buy-In of $1,350 + $150, and two starting days. There will also be several Buy-Ins and Satellites ranging from $100 to $500 available at the Princess Tower Casino and starting times no sooner than 4 p.m. make sure that you can soak in the atmosphere and explore the beaches.

Only a short flight away is the Sonesta Maho Beach Resort in St Maarten, and the largest all-inclusive hotel on the island hosts the second part of the Caribbean Poker Tour 2013 from November 15-24. The CPT St. Maarten consists september – october 2013

PuNTa caNa Schedule novemBer 10 • 16:00 william hill Poker open day 1A Buy-in $1350 + 150 novemBer 11 • 16:00 william hill Poker open day 1A Buy-in $1350 + 150 novemBer 13 • 18:00 Betfair caribbean deepstack Buy-in $500 + 50

The casino business is so much fun! any job can haVe sTRess, buT banking is exTRemely high-sTRess buT VeRy boRing. i maDe money, yes, buT i Was noT happy. i haVe no passion foR banking buT 1000% passion foR pokeR. 47

TournamenT

We WanT To Do someThing TogeTheR in The neaR fuTuRe, in 2014 if possible. We WanT To use ouR ResouRces To offeR The besT pRoDucT eVeR To ouR playeRs. of one starting day and a Buy-In of $1,500 + $150 and on November 17 the Lucky Number 7 Highroller Event designed by well known high stakes Pro Tobias Reinkemeier kicks off as well. The $6,800 + $200 starlet of the schedule will be played in a 7max format with Antes from the beginning and Re-Entries can be purchased at a decreasing fee depending on the number of bullets that a player is willing to take.

The most prestigious title in the Casino Royale will be determined in the WPT Caribbean from November 19-24 and the $3,200 + $300 Championship Event offers two starting days with a possible single re-entry on each Day 1. As usual the Final Table will be streamed live on the Internet and the winner not only receives the trophy and prestige of a World Poker Tour title but also a ticket for the Grand Final in the Bellagio. And even if you should bust out early in any of the major tournaments, the Side Events with price tags between $100 and $800 offer plenty of chances to earn a rare flag next to the Hendon Mob entry.

The full event schedule can be found on the CPT website, below we have picked some tournament highlights for you.

Of course,given such a dream destination with white beaches, crystal clear sea, bounty islands near the coast, palm trees and a tropical relaxed atmosphere no matter where you look, it isn’t just about poker. All online qualifiers can take advantage of the daily activities such as golfing, snorkeling, scuba diving and tennis via the adventure vouchers that are included in their packages. Want to swim with the dolphins? Go deep sea Fishing? Catamaran Sailing?

No problem, since the poker only begins in the afternoon; there is also plenty of time to relax with a smooth drink at the pool or beach and work on your tan.

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ST. MaarTeN Schedule novemBer 17 • 18:00 cPt St. maarten Buy-in $1500 + 150 • 21:00 lucky number 7 highroller Buy-in $6800 + 200 novemBer 19 • 16:00 wPt main event day 1A Buy-in $3200 + 300 novemBer 20 • 16:00 wPt main event day 1B Buy-in $3200 + 300 novemBer 22 • 18:00 Pokerfest caribbean Special Buy-in $800 + 80 novemBer 23 • 18:00 Betfair caribbean deepstack Buy-in $500 + 50Ï

The website of the Caribbean Poker Tour offers the opportunity for interested players to reserve flights, hotel rooms, tournament entries and even whole packages in advance to worry less about organizing the trip on your own. It also contains the list of all live venues in Austria, Belgium and Germany that host Satellites to give even more players the chance to combine poker with a dream holiday. Other good to know info such as visa restrictions, casino restrictions, currency and dress code are of course taken care of as well.

Let’s face it, could there be any better location to experience the best of both worlds? Several well-known Poker Pros such as Jonathan Duhamel, David Peters and Jonathan Roy are expected to make the trip to the Caribbean.

Furthermore, the rather close distance to North America and available flights from major airports will likely attract many grinders from the USA and Canada to turn this event in a fixture on everybody’s calendar. Make sure to check out www.caribbeanpokertour.com regularly for the latest promotions and announcements, as this is a spectacle you definitely won’t want to miss!

september – october 2013

aria resorT & Casino

arIa rEsorT & casINo

discover the neW TreaSure oF laS vegaS since it opened in December 2009, aRia Resort & casino has become a major las Vegas landmark, as well as a reference in terms of luxury. but most of all, it’s a paradise for players, featuring some of the world’s best poker. With its unbelievable aRia sky suites, amazing chefs serving the best of french, japanese or italian cuisine, the newest cirque du soleil show, the legendary aRia poker Room and much, much more, this huge complex offers a whole world of possibilities. Whether it’s shopping, relaxing, or gambling you’re after, you can have it all at aRia Resort & casino, with an impeccable staff ready to meet your every wish. more than a place to have a short stay, it’s a constant delight to discover and explore, while playing your way into the small circle of sin city poker masters. here, everything is designed to offer an extraordinary experience to each poker player, for all kinds of budgets, so don’t hesitate to plan a real stay in Vegas, and truly live the dream!

By Adam Stalzman

L

Las Vegas has always been the best place to play poker, as it offers the most luxurious hotels and casinos, and attracts players from all over the world. No other city holds so much potential in learning, indulgence and winning big. But it can be hard not to get lost in this myriad of lights and opportunities. Don’t worry though, there’s a place that is a perfect comseptember – october 2013

bination of everything you’re looking for: the ARIA Resort & Casino, an astonishing complex completed in 2009 and featuring a AAA five-diamond hotel, 150,000 square feet of gaming space, a fantastic spa, a huge convention center and a theater playing internationally acclaimed shows such as the Cirque du Soleil. ARIA is simply the best for everything!

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TournamenT five diAmonds And five stArs for A stunning hotel

There is only one hotel at ARIA Resort & Casino, but what a hotel! Located back from the Strip, between the Bellagio and Monte Carlo, this luxurious Five-Diamond palace and its two 51- and 61-story towers are an ode to excess, with 4,004 rooms, including 568 suites with fantastic views over the city — making it the ninth-largest hotel in the world.

In your room, every single detail has been thought out, to accommodate all of your needs and wishes. First off, you’ll have space: rooms range from 500 to 2,000 square feet for the largest suite and 7,000 square feet for the biggest villa.

While you’re relaxing on the most advanced generation mattresses, your touch screen remote will give you complete control of room features, such as lighting, temperature, television, music, wake-up calls etc. And when you step outside, the magic continues, with a 200,000 square-foot pool area, including hot tubs, an animated swimming pool lounge and a therapy pool to relax in peace. The remarkable ARIA Sky Suites are the real jewel of this luxurious establishment: if having an AAA Five Diamond Award was not enough, it just received the prestigious Forbes Five-Star Award, proving once again its excellence.

fAntAstic cuisine on offer, from JApAn to mexico

ARIA Resort & Casino has an incredible variety of restaurants. Whether you like American steak, sushi, Chinese food, Spanish tapas or French macarons, you’ll be thrilled.

Sixteen restaurants in all styles will make your senses travel from Europe to Asia and America, each offering a specific type of cuisine prepared by the most inspired international

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chefs. For the most eclectic food experience ever, try the amazing Buffet, featuring every country on the planet, from Italy to Mexico and India, with its own tandoori oven for freshly baked naan breads and tandoori meats. Don’t miss its carvery corner, with freshly grilled, smoked and slowroasted BBQ items, or its renowned seafood station with all the crab legs and shrimp you can eat!

The newest additions to this amazing offer are Tetsu, a gourmet Japanese restaurant featuring the sublime teppan grill creations of Forbes and Michelin-decorated Chef Masa Takayama, and Javier’s, bringing authentic Mexican cuisine to the Strip, along with hand-shaken margaritas! Baja California at its best — with seafood, beef, pork, chicken and vegetARIAn dishes to die for, as well as dozens of the world’s finest tequilas on offer. The newest restaurant at ARIA Resort & Casino is Five50, where Shawn McClain — winner of the James Beard Foundation award for “Best Chef in the Midwest” — brings the best pizzas to Vegas.

the finest entertAinment And the best shopping ever

As far as entertainment goes, ARIA is well-known for its poker, but it has a lot more to offer. If you want to leave the tables for a day or two, you won’t get bored: you could discover the newest Cirque du Soleil show everyone’s talking about, Zarkana, with its spectacular acrobats evolving in a fantasy universe. And afterwards, to come back down to Earth, what could be better than a little bit of shopping?

Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior, Bulgari, all the high-end brands we all love are in The Shops at Crystals, an extraordinary 5-million-square foot shopping center dedicated to luxury and taste, just steps away from ARIA and offering

september – october 2013

aria resorT & Casino the very best of international fashion in a real marvel of architecture. Just look up and admire the crystalline, glass and steel canopy — you’re at Crystals!

A very speciAl poker offer

Ideally located on the East side of the casino floor between the Zarkana Casino Floor Box Office and the convenient entrance to the self-parking garage, the ARIA Poker Room features a cozy atmosphere, with notes of dark browns, taupes and deep reds, high definition flat screen televisions surrounding the area and a large metal playing card sculpture framing the entire venue. Since the day it opened in 2009, it has been considered by Las Vegas regulars and professional players as one of the greatest places to play poker in the world.

Within its three distinct areas (the main floor, the elevated top section and the world-famous high-stakes room), the ARIA Poker Room contains a total of 24 tables, all equipped with both automatic shufflers and Genesis Gaming Bravo tableside management system, and offers a great variety of games in a wide range of limits, as well as daily poker tournaments. ARIA’s cash games offer includes No Limit and Limit Hold’em (starting $1/$3 and $2/$4 blinds), Pot Limit Omaha (starting $1/$3 blinds), Omaha 8 or Better (starting $4/$8 with ½ Kill), as well as Mixed Games and Draw Games (starting $4/$8). The most popular games spread at the ARIA’s tables are $1/$3, $2/$5 and $5/$10 No Limit Hold’em, $12/$24 Mix Games, $1/$3 and $2/$5 Pot Limit Omaha, as well as $4/$8 Limit Hold’em, and the room also spreads high and very high limit poker most nights.

For tournament lovers, ARIA holds every day two $100 + $25 tournaments, at 1:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m., with one reentry option, 10,000 starting chips and 30 minutes levels.

An incompArAble quAlity of services

Everything at the ARIA Poker Room is geared to offering the greatest and the most comfortable poker experience to each player. The card room has its own cashier cage, and guests can use one of the 500 safety deposit boxes available, while friendly Floor Supervisors assist players in joining an existing game or starting a new one. Thanks to the Genesis Gaming Bravo system, the ARIA Poker Room’s staff (Chip Runners and Floor Supervisors) can track waiting lists, open seats, and chip requests in order to ensure easy access to the games. Players swipe at the table by presenting their MGM Resorts M Life card to the dealer upon arrival, and can earn up to $3/hour comps while playing cash games, which they can redeem at a variety of restaurants throughout the ARIA. Around the poker tables, the service is worthy of the highest standards in the world, with attentive servers providing all kind of drinks (free Fiji water) and offering tableside food service with a large variety of menus, as well as professional massage therapists performing tableside chair massages for a minimal fee. The ARIA Poker Room is a temple exclusively devoted to the game, and its staff is fully committed to september – october 2013

making each guest feel welcome and each stay as enjoyable as possible. According to James Sherwood, ARIA’s Poker Training Manager, there is no doubt about the quality of the Poker Room’s team: “I’m proud to say that I believe we have the most friendly and helpful staff of any poker room in the world,” while as Aurimas Bieliauskas, ARIA’s Poker Shift Manager, has it, “Staying the best poker room in the world is no longer a goal; it is a promise to you and to us”.

Incredible amenities, high standard services and fully devoted staff — everything is set at the ARIA Resort & Casino to make your stay in the mecca of poker the best experience ever!

For more information regarding any of ARIA’s services, go to www.ARIAlasvegas.com or www.ARIAskysuites.com.

vdara’S loNg-TerM reNTal PrograM To get a great deal on your stay, you can benefit from special poker rates from ARIA or choose a longterm rental at neighboring boutique hotel Vdara.

The huge, elegant and stylish suites and penthouses equipped with the finest and most modern comfort offer stunning views and the perfect package of amenities, such as a sublime spa, a golf course and a sightseeing service to discover the Grand Canyon...

The dream is surprisingly affordable: to live like James Bond, in a gorgeous suite in the very heart of Vegas, a few steps away from the ARIA Poker Room, long stays start at $3,250 monthly for a Deluxe Suite, for a minimum stay of 30 days. Vdara Suites start at $5,000 monthly, Panoramic Suites start at $6,250 monthly, and Penthouses are available from $7,5000 monthly (room tax of 12% will be charged for the first 30 days). The long-term rental program includes a weekly housekeeping service, daily fitness center access, access to pool, in-room and wireless Internet, as well as washer and dryer services in Vdara Suites and above. For more information, and to book your long-term reservations, call Vdara at +1 702 590 2405 or go to www.vdara.com.

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ChroniCle

Who’D be a TouRnamenT DiRecToR? This is a VeRy Tough one anD TheRe aRe aRgumenTs eiTheR Way.

Who WiNs the pot aNd Why? During the barcelona epT Roland De Wolfe and Tobias Reinkemeier got involved in a pot when they were both on the blinds. following action on all streets Tobias check called an 80,000 bet from Roland. Roland said’ king high’ and flashed a king. Tobias sat and waited for Roland to show his second card. Roland did not turn over both his cards but instead pushed them over the line and towards the muck. They went into the muck but the dealer retrieved them and turned them both over. There is no doubt that the two cards were Rolands. Tobais jumped up and turned over q high (q6) claiming that Roland had mucked and the pot was his. mAtt sAvAge: here is the long version.

I think that Roland was in the wrong here and should have shown his hand when Tobias asked to see it. Roland also knows better than to stall, and try and muck his hand himself as it is the dealer’s job. I do not think Tobias was that bad but his etiquette certainly was wrong. There are not a handful of players I can name in the world that I think even consider trying to win a pot in this manner.

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I want the best hand to win called pots whenever possible.

His cards were both retrievable AND identifiable. If the dealer had simply killed his hand without seeing the other card then his hand would have been dead and I would have awarded you the pot.

As Tournament Directors we are asked to make million dollar decisions on the spot every tournament and not even I realized this for a couple hours but the FACT september – october 2013

you are The TournamenT direCTor series 4 that you asked to see his hand makes him have to show his hand and if it beats you than you lose your claim to the pot.

There is some talk out there that TK had to rule that way because of a house rule or use of a betting/muck line and if that is the case then I would of had to rule in Tobias’ favor.

thomAs kremser

This is my most discussed decision in my career and I wish I would have a video documentation like this more often. Obviously I had to make my ruling without this video but having seen it I would still make the same decision. Roland wanted to muck his hand and he actually mucked it by pushing his cards face down into the muck. Tobias did nothing wrong technically as he was asking Roland to show his second card, but he refused. Ethically I don’t like Tobias reaction after he won the pot but technically he was the last player with live cards. Players have to take responsibility for their actions and Roland never made a valid showdown by showing two live cards.

JAck effel

Roland made an error by not showing both of his cards during the showdown; however, all bets were called and the best hand should always win the pot as long as all called hands are turned face up. That said, because Roland’s cards were turned face up, regardless that it was the dealer who did so, Roland should have been awarded the pot.

nicolAs frAioli

To get the pot a player should show his two cards. When Roland De Wolfe, after showing only a king, voluntary decided to put it (his cards) into the muck thinking that for sure that he was losing. But the dealer blocked his hand, instantly Tobias Reinkemeier shows both of his cards with a Queen and a 6 high. The dealer turned over Roland De Wolfe’s cards which has the best hand. Sure those cards were Roland De Wolfe I would definitively of given him the pot. If there was any doubt about his hand I would tell him that he should have showed both of his cards to win the pot. But in that case there is no doubt about his hand. And I would tell to Tobias Reinkemeier that’s not a good way to act playing poker and win a pot.

dAve simpson

Flashing the king does not denote a hand has been tabled and therefore cards speak. Once the cards have touched the muck the hand is dead and therefore irretrievable regardless of who subsequently turns them over. Tobias who check called is entitled to wait his turn to turn his cards over in turn.

september – october 2013

mob verdict

Who’d be a tournament director? This is a very tough one and there are arguments either way.

Both cards must be shown to claim a pot at show down.

Even though the king Roland exposed before mucking would have been enough to win the pot regardless of his kicker there is no doubt that he elected to muck his hand rather than show it. Showing one card is not tabling your hand. For some of our TDs that is the end of the story. Dave Simpson says ‘...the hand is dead and therefore irretrievable...’ Dead it may be (that is what we are discussing), irretrievable it patently is not.

We are not fans of the rule that all hands must be turned over at show down. It is a rule that places dealers into unnecessary conflict with players who want to exercise what should normally be their right: To muck a hand that no player has asked to see.

But, that rule does exist, and you might ask if it is not there to ensure that the best hand wins despite what players may wish, then what is it there for? The answer, according to many is that it is there to prevent collusion, soft play or chip passing and it is not necessary to make a mucked hand live when you show it. Indeed it is the practice in many card rooms for a dealer who is asked to expose a hand that has been pushed forward face down to touch the muck with the cards to kill the hand before revealing it.

The dealer acted correctly to enforce the rule that the cards should be shown, and given how close the muck was to the players, he needed to be pretty quick and fairly forceful to make sure he got the cards before they disappeared. So we have a lot of sympathy for Thomas’ view that the hand is dead.

However, we have studied the video and what is striking is that Roland did not muck his hand straight away. He showed what he assumed was the key card and there was an exchange lasting several seconds before he mucked.

Does it matter what was said? Matt Savage certainly thinks so. He makes the interesting point that if Tobias asked Roland to turn over the other card then he was in effect sanctioning the showing of Roland’s hand to complete the show down. We are not sure though, either exactly what was said or whether this is as clear cut a point as it seems. Tobias is entitled to wait for Roland to reveal both cards before showing his hand so by pointing that out, was he really asking Roland to show the other card or simply to complete whatever action he was going to make?

Roland was perhaps a little naive; Tobias was arguably a shade unethical. We agree with Thomas’ ruling that the hand was technically dead, but we recognise the importance of the principle raised by Matt that the best hand should win a called pot wherever possible. With the rules as they are we would rule the same way as Thomas but we would like to see the rules clarified to reflect Matt’s position.

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ChroniCle

a big Reason foR The hall of fame’s RapiD DoWnfall Was The messy binion family feuD anD spliT.

© Yann stofer

the moNeymaker revolutioN Part 1 — War of the Binion’s The 2002 Hall of Fame tournament was a disaster. A colossal failure. It would be the last Hall of Fame tournament ever held.

Now, you have to understand that the Hall of Fame tournament used to be a really big deal. Jack Binion ran two major tournaments each year — the WSOP and the Hall of Fame. The later was done in conjunction with the official announcement of the latest inductee(s) into the Poker Hall of Fame. Usually a dozen tournaments were scheduled for what was basically a redux of the WSOP. The winners received gold watches emblazoned with the Horseshoe emblem.

By September of 2002, the Hall of Fame — much like Binion’s Horseshoe — had become a shell of it’s former greatness. That final fateful tournament was held downstairs at Binion’s Horseshoe — just as it had been 54

during the previous 15 years. But this time an odd thing happened. Nobody showed up. The biggest names in poker, namely Doyle Brunson and Chip Reese were still boycotting the Horseshoe out of their loyalty to Jack, and that undoubtedly hurt attendance. Some of the tournaments drew a dozen players. A few events were even canceled. It was an embarrassment.

A big reason for the Hall of Fame’s rapid downfall was the messy Binion Family feud and split. Patriarch Jack Binion his sister Becky Behnen (Note: Becky Binion married Nick Behnen, and thereafter became Becky Behnen) fought in a bitter power struggle that ultimately resulted in the division of the family empire. The famous Binion murder trial (their brother Teddy was allegedly murdered by his stripper girlfriend) and the scrutiny of a national media spotlight on the casino and it’s screwball family didn’t help matters. september – october 2013

nolan dalla As part of the 1998 deal reached after years of infighting, Jack took his immensely profitable two new properties in Bossier City (Louisiana) and Tunica (Mississippi), along with rights to build another casino in Hammond (Indiana) just outside Chicago. Meanwhile, Becky was given control over the family’s flagship property — Binion’s Horseshoe in Downtown Las Vegas. Along with Binion’s Horseshoe came rights to the World Series of Poker. That’s one reason why Jack eventually struck out on his own and created what became known as the “Jack Binion World Poker Open,” played every January in Tunica (2000-2005).

Jack’s tournament was every bit as big and successful as the WSOP. One can only speculate what might have happened were it not for the remarkable events of 2003, and the ultimate closure of Binion’s Horseshoe.

While Jack was raking in hundreds of millions in profits at his properties, Becky was hemorrhaging money and losing credibility. To be fair, she inherited a horrible mess. Sort of like taking over the Titanic after it hit the iceberg. By 2002, the Horseshoe was starting to show serious signs of decline. The casino was in a state of perpetual disrepair.

The carpeting became worn out and was even ripped in some areas. In one spot in the middle of the casino, an underpaid and no doubt overworked maintenance man actually “repaired” a huge tear with silver duct tape (on black, red, and yellow carpet!). That eyesore — two long strips of silver duct tape slapped over dark carpeting and then left there for the next couple of years like it was normal — pretty much symbolized how the Horseshoe was going downhill.

Indeed, the casino started to look filthy. Everything inside smelled like smoke. Televisions inside the hotel rooms were broken, and stayed that way for months. Some of the TVs still used old-fashioned rabbit ears. Hotel rooms went for as cheap as $19 a night, and they still couldn’t book them. Binion’s Horseshoe was an excruciating reminder that “old” Las Vegas was disappearing fast, soon to be extinct. It was a dying dinosaur on its last legs. Fewer tourists came downtown anymore and those who stayed there didn’t tend to gamble much. The real casino action and entertainment was down on The Strip, which might as well have been not just in a different state, but on another planet.

This is the impossible situation I stepped into when I was asked to come and work for Binion’s Horseshoe in the fall of 2002. I was brought in as the “Director of Public Relations” for a casino making headlines for all the wrong reasons. Oh, we were getting publicity all right. Plenty of free publicity. We were getting more press than Steve Wynn. On the front page. But the headlines and articles were scathing.

Following years of dirty revelations about Teddy Binion’s cocaine and stripper addictions, made worse by his out of control use of black tar heroin, the lid had been blown off the Binion’s Family secrets during the riveting Ted Binion murder trial. As things were deteriorating, september – october 2013

employes began speaking off the record to the media about a circus atmosphere going on at the Horseshoe, punctuated by moments of terror and even acts of violence. There were allegations of gross mismanagement. Cash simply “disappearing” out of the cage. Union issues. Dealer walkouts. Unpaid debts. Lawsuits. Unpaid medical insurance. Tax problems. Gaming violations. It’s wasn’t just a madhouse. The place was a complete clusterfuck.

And to think — I didn’t even apply for the job.

I’d moved to Las Vegas months earlier and played in the poker room regularly. Close pal George Fisher, Director of Poker Operations, was in charge of things. He actually lived inside the hotel and was one of the key people close to the Binion’s who really ran operations, his authority given courtesy of Nick Behnen (Becky’s husband) who I’ll get to a bit later in some detail.

George knew I had a political background and asked me to come and work full-time for the Horseshoe, which frankly didn’t interest me in the least. I’d moved to Las Vegas with the expressed intent NOT to work. Instead, I intended to play poker, bet on sports, and pursue some writing projects on the side. I had absolutely no interest wearing a suit and sitting behind some desk in a windowless office slaving away in a 9 to 5 job. When George explained that I could make my own hours and pretty much do as I pleased — including playing poker, betting sports, and even drinking on the job — well, that was far too fucking good an offer to pass up.

I was to be salaried at $50,000 a year plus full benefits, plus a bonus for working the WSOP (another $30,000 or so). Come to think of it, this was a real money honey of a

jack binion Ran TWo majoR TouRnamenTs each yeaR — The Wsop anD The hall of fame.

The laTeR Was Done in conjuncTion WiTh The official announcemenT of The laTesT inDucTee(s) inTo The pokeR hall of fame. usually a DoZen TouRnamenTs WeRe scheDuleD foR WhaT Was basically a ReDux of The Wsop.

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ChroniCle

nick behnen spenT mosT afTeRnoons baRking inTo a Telephone aT suboRDinaTes fRom his liVing Room aT The binion family esTaTe. Those Who Took oRDeRs incluDeD geoRge, WaRRen schaeffeR, a feW oTheRs, anD eVenTually me. iT Was like WoRking foR The WiZaRD of oZ anD al capone, RolleD inTo one ToWeRing anD inTimiDaTing figuRe Who ofTen WoRe DaRk sunglasses inDooRs.

gig — collecting 80 grand or so to hang out with gamblers, drink free, and play poker at a casino where I’d spend a lot of my free time anyway. What was there to think about?

But then, a funny thing happened on the way to the forum.

Part 2: Day One as Director of Public Relations for Binion’s Horseshoe On my first day, I nearly got fired.

In fact, I was fired. Then, I got re-hired.

George Fisher was in a panic. He called me urgently into his office. There was big trouble brewing, and I hadn’t even started working yet. “Shit is hitting the fan,” he said. What was the problem? No one knew. I’d find out soon enough.

I’d been “summoned.” That meant I was to have what’s known in other menacing circles as a “sit down.”

The dreaded “sit down.”

Unbeknownst to me, I was scheduled to meet none other than Nick Behnen himself – the dark and mysterious shadow of a figure who was whispered to actually run Binion’s Horseshoe behind the scenes.

The casino license and ownership of Binion’s Horseshoe might have been in Becky’s name. She surely made executive decisions, most in fact. But her husband Nick wielded the heavy fist and did the ballbusting. He took over most of the gaming-related matters, along with son Benny Behnen (grandson of the late Benny Binion, founder of the Horseshoe).

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Since Nick couldn’t get a license on his own from the Nevada Gaming Board (no further comment), he was prohibited from making any management decisions on property. So, instead he spent most afternoons barking into a telephone at subordinates from his living room at the Binion Family Estate. Those who took orders included George, Warren Schaeffer, a few others, and eventually me. It was like working for the Wizard of Oz and Al Capone, rolled into one towering and intimidating figure who often wore dark sunglasses indoors (see photo above).

Nick was someone you didn’t fuck with. Those who did ended up in back alleys on the wrong end of an escort courtesy of Binion’s crack security detail. Everyone who knew the landscape was terrified of Nick. When he came on property, the joint snapped into shape like a military brigade. Everyone’s tie was perfectly straight. He was rumored to fire people on the spot at the slightest hint of annoyance (some of it justified, by the way based on what I later observed).

Fact was, whether it was true or not, Nick had the reputation of a gangster. A throwback to the old days of the mob.

Later, he even later revealed to me that he’d killed someone (in self-defense, he insisted). I can’t remember if the body count was one or two — so long as it wasn’t going to be three. But Nick was never actually charged with a crime, so it must have been self-defense.

Nick acted like Attila the Hun on the casino floor. Many of the stories are so wild, you wouldn’t believe it. He reportedly threw a fully dressed hot dog at an employee one time which bounced off the back of the poor unsuspecting victim’s head, an incident that even made the newspapers.

Nick could also turn on the personal charm. A vociferous reader and intense student of history, Nick quoted philosophy like an Ivy League professor and told great stories (he knew Robert Maheu well, the close confidant of Howard Hughes and even had a huge collection of Maheu’s personal notes from the relationship — a treasure trove that’s priceless). He knew everyone in town, on both sides of the tracks. Nick also knew as much about the ins and outs gambling and how to run a casino than anyone I’ve ever met.

The man had the eye of a hawk. It was uncanny. He was able to spot cheaters and pick out sloppy dealers just by casually strolling through the casino (incidents I later witnessed several times). Some of this expertise Nick picked up working temporarily at casinos in the former Yugoslavia, where he spent some time. If Nick had a dark side, and he most certainly did, he also knew as shitload about casino operations and was a gold mine of both entertainment and insight.

The events leading up to my “sit down” with Nick also bear some reflection.

By fall of 2002, Binion’s Horseshoe had burned through some really good people. Like Tom McEvoy, the 1983 world poker champion — who had been hired to run the poker room. He lasted a month. Cathi Wood, WSOP september – october 2013

nolan dalla Tournament Director Robert Thompson’s loyal daughter took over for awhile. She was close to Becky and lasted some time before inevitable conflicts arose, much having to do with the infamous 2002 WSOP — the most insane atmosphere for any poker event in history. No other event comes close to the circus that existed that previous April and May. That 2002 WSOP was a mind-boggling mess. A total disaster in every conceivable way. Dealers and staff threatened to walk out in a bitter dispute over money and the allocation of tips, which was all public. Drunken on the gritty details of the Ted Binion murder trial, anything to do with the the daily soap opera that was the Horseshoe was reported somewhere, often on the front page.

In retaliation for the dealer and staff walkout, the Behnens welCome To The Binion’s came down with an iron fist on all those deemed to be “traitors.” They barred not only employees, but players background that caused such rage. Of course, this predated who spoke out against them — one of the reasons legends the Ultimate Bet scandal which took place around 2007. like Doyle Brunson , Chip Reese, Billy Baxter and others But Nick was onto something very early on and was the only person out there unwilling to kiss ass and instead boycotted the Horseshoe for a number of years.

One of these outspoken players was named Paul Phillips, a kick ass. Nick teased me about it for years, often referring popular up and coming young tournament regular who’d to the infamous cheat as “your pal, Russ Hamilton.” To made a fortune selling his Internet company during the this day, I have absolutely no idea how Nick fingered the high-tech boom of the late 1990’s. By 2002, Phillips was slimy slug out long before he revealed his true lack of playing poker tournaments and quickly evolved into one character to the world. But it bears mentioning that this insight was one of the things that eventually made Nick of the circuit’s most well-liked players.

In characteristic fashion, Phillips spoke out in support of a fascinating person to be around, at times. the dealers who’d been fired. His comments appeared in I wasn’t there the night the actual incident happened. the Las Vegas Review-Journal. When one of the Behnens But according to multiple witnesses inside the poker discovered the traitor Phillips playing cash games at the room including the legendary graveyard shift boss Tony Horseshoe, he was rudely plucked from the game and was Shelton, Nick became enraged at Russ to the point where instantly escorted by security to the infamous backroom, he defaced one of the most sacred shrines in poker. Worse, where Nick Behnen sat waiting. Phillips’ version of this there were dozens of witnesses. incident appeared at various poker forums after he was At the rear of the poker room was the famous “Gallery released. To say he was intimidated would be a gross of Champions,” which had the portraits of every world understatement. Phillips was ultimately barred from the poker champion dating back to 1970. This was “the wall” Horseshoe and read the trespass clause, which meant he of all walls in poker. Everyone wanted their picture could be arrested if he returned to the property. There up alongside Brunson, Moss, Ungar, Chan, and all the would be no 2002 WSOP for poker player Paul Phillips. rest. Since Hamilton had indeed won the 1994 world But the heavy-handed strategy backfired. It just made championship eight years earlier in that same building, the acrimony between Becky Behnen and poker players his portrait was hung proudly among the winners. even more bitter. She became hated. Becky caught the Nick had reportedly been “drinking heavily” that night. flack for it all, as the head executive of the Horseshoe. I later spent a lot of time drinking with Nick, and the But the fingerprints belonged to someone else. Nick’s “drunk” charge doesn’t ring true with me. He probably wasn’t drunk, but simply had just been drinking as was heavy-handed tactics were really behind much of the mess.

Then, there was the infamous “Russ Hamilton incident.” his normal routine. When he revealed what for him was Before anyone else knew he was a scumbag cheater, Russ quite a normal pattern of behavior (rage and sometimes was a highly-respected member of the poker community. violence), it later widely became reported as a “drunken The 1994 world poker champion had been a regular player rage.” But I’m not buying it. in cash games at the Horseshoe for more than ten years. However, what Nick actually did do is undisputed. He But Nick somehow uncovered some serious dirt on Russ summoned a crowbar from the maintenance department, and vowed to make things as difficult as he could for the stormed over to the paneled wall where he Gallery of Champions was hanging, and plucked Hamilton’s portrait former champ.

The great irony here is that Nick’s instincts turned out right from the walnut. The glass frame, with Russ’ smiling to be entirely correct about Russ. For years (afterward), championship pose, was completely shattered into bits.

I tried to find out what and how Nick knew about Russ’ Nick allegedly screamed something like “We won’t have september – october 2013

57

ChroniCle

The Building of The new Casino

any fucking cheaters on the wall,” and then stormed out of the building.

The glaring empty void where Russ Hamilton’s picture once famously hung became an instant focal point to everyone on the poker universe. Everybody knew about it. Even overseas. People were scared to come into the casino after that. The act had been so malicious that the wood was permanently scared from the sharpness of the crowbar. The great irony here is that everyone at the time thought Russ was a hero. And so Nick Behnen, already so detestable to many, became Darth Vader to poker players.

This was the man I was about to have a meeting with on my very “first day,” in the back of a dark and empty Binion’s Horseshoe coffee shop.

Part 3: The Sit Down I didn’t know it at the time, but my “sit down” meeting with Nick Behnen turned out to be one of the most important moments in my professional life.

Had I not survived the confrontation which was to come, I most certainly wouldn’t have been with the World Series of Poker to this day, nor would I be working on the business side of poker. Hell, I’d probably be out pumping gas somewhere.

Not only did what happened over the next 40 minutes or so reshape the entire direction of my career, it also taught be an important lesson that I’d now like to share.

There’s a memorable line from the Kris Kristofferson song performed by the Janis Jopin. The line is from “Me and Bobby McGee.” It goes like this: “Freedom is just another word for nothing left to lose.”

The verse means that true freedom comes from having no fear of loss. For instance, if I’m not afraid of losing my job, I might do and say things that another employee would never dare think or share. I’d be free to say what I really thought. And that’s pretty much what happened.

I was ordered to go to the coffee shop. Immediately.

Nick was sitting there and waiting on my arrival. George 58

was convinced I was about to get fired. His assistant, a hard-working man named Steve McDonald just sat there shaking his head. He’d already worked for Binion’s Horseshoe for some time and never even met Nick before.

Fact was, no one had a “sit down,” unless it was one of Nick’s most trusted confederates, or there was some serious ballbusting about to happen.

The problem for me was — I had no idea what I’d done wrong.

I walked downstairs into a deserted coffee shop which was located underground at the basement level. How fitting. Off to the rear in a separate alcove sitting alone at a large round table was an immaculately-tailored man in his mid-50’s. He wore black horned-rimmed glasses, with thick lenses. He sat all by himself with a cup of coffee. No one talked to him. On the table was a manila file envelope stuffed with papers.

This image was right out of central casting and this scene was virtually out of the movies. You couldn’t imagine a more “old school Las Vegas” freeze-frame moment. In retrospect, most people would have probably said “fuck it,” and never even showed up. Why work in a madhouse where this kind of atmosphere exists?

But my curiosity was too strong. I had to find out why I was in big trouble.

Nick saw me coming and didn’t bother get up. That was bad sign.

I approached his table. Nick stuck out his hand. I shook it.

“Sit down,” Nick said.

I obliged.

“Tell me. Who are you?” he asked.

“Excuse me. Who am I?” Was this conversation even real?

“I’m Nolan Dalla,” I said. “George Fisher asked me to come meet you.”

“Tell me a little about you. I’d like to know more.”

Again, I obliged with a short bio on my education and working background that lasted perhaps 30 or 40 seconds.

Nick wasn’t rude. But there were no pleasantries either.

When Nick heard I’d worked and lived in Romania, he revealed that he’d worked in a neighboring Communist country — Yugoslavia “So, George tells me you’re going to be head of our PR,” he said.

“Yes, that’s my understanding.”

“Well, I have a serious problem here, you see. You’ve had some very interesting things to say about us in the past.

Look here.”

With that, Nick sprawled out a file which spilled out dozens of Internet posts of mine to various online forums, as well as articles I’d written for Card Player, Poker Digest, and others. Some passages were highlighted in yellow.

The goodies had been provided by Federico Schiavo, who worked sort of as IT man/investigator for the Behnens.

One article was paper clipped to the top. When I saw it, I knew instantly why I ‘d been summoned and why I was there.” september – october 2013

nolan dalla “What in the fuck is this?” he asked.

Nick was holding a scathing editorial I’d written for Poker Digest. The article expressed the view that by its actions Binion’s Horseshoe had demonstrated it no longer should be the custodian of the crown jewel of poker, which was the WSOP. Disturbed by what had happened with the dealer firings and to friend Paul Phillips, I editorialized that an effort must be made to try and get new ownership for the WSOP. Naturally, this didn’t stand too well with Nick or the Behnens.

There was nothing to run and hide from, here. It was all there in black in white. In fact, at that very instant I accepted the reality that I was certainly going to be fired on my first day on the job. And, I really didn’t care. And that’s when the line from the Joplin song popped into my head: “Freedom is just another word for nothing left to lose.”

What did I have to lose by speaking my mind openly in a forceful but respectful manner?

“Yeah, I wrote that,” I affirmed. “The WSOP last summer was a mess. But I’m here now because I want to make it better.”

Nick stared at me as I talked, studying perhaps, although I couldn’t really see what he was thinking behind those dark glasses.

“Mr. Behnen, you hired me as your head of public relations.

For that, I become your advocate. Like an attorney. My job is to represent you as best I can, and maybe even give some advice which you can take or leave. I’d like to work here and make this place better if you’ll give me the chance.”

I don’t know how or why it happened but the tone of the conversation completely changed from that point forward.

In retrospect, I suspect someone simply leveling with Nick honestly and showing some loyalty despite some differences made an impression on him. Or, maybe I just caught him on a lucky day. Whatever the explanation, I became a friend and confidant from that moment forward.

“Call me Nick,” he insisted.

After several minutes of casual conversation, next a stunning development took place. I remember the dialogue verbatim because it was so stunning.

“So what can we do to bring back the poker players.

Everybody hates us. What can we do to make the World Series better?”

I really hadn’t thought about talking points comiing into this meeting. But the first thing that popped into my head was the Russ Hamilton incident and the glaring void on the wall of the Gallery of Champions. It was an embarrassment to poker and the WSOP. “You should put Russ Hamilton back up on the wall,” I said.

Nick paused. He did that a lot, as though he was thinking.

He nodded. He sat for a good 20 to 30 seconds before reaching for the telephone. The conversation that ensued was surreal. He dialed “0" which brought on the Horseshoe operator.

“Get me engineering!” he demanded. september – october 2013

A few seconds later, I heard his part of a two-way conversation.

“I want you to go down and get another picture of Russ Hamilton and put it back in the wall,” he ordered. “Do it right now.”

Click.

“Anything else?”

What the fuck? Moments ago, I was a phone call away from being barred — and maybe even backroomed. Now, I was calling him Nick and advising on how to undo the damage caused by the Russ Hamilton incident. And he complied!

“So, what else do you need?”

“Uhhhh, uhhhhhh, uhhhhh…” For whatever reason, I couldn’t think of anything else.

“Go up to security and tell them to give you a private cell phone,” Nick said. “Tell them I told you to do this. I’ll call you on that phone when we need to talk, okay?”

So, I was about to have a personal line from Nick which might ring any hour of the day or night.

“Anything else?” Nick asked.

“No, I don’t think so,” I said.

“Do you need any money? You need to borrow some money?” Nick inquired.

I couldn’t believe this course of events. I’d been a step away from being fired. Now, I was about to be linked to the boss, and he was asking me if I needed any money.

“No, I’m fine. But thanks.”

Nick spent considerable time on this point, insisting I should simply ask if I needed money. Pretty unusual question for any boss to ask, probably motivated by wanting to gain some control over people who worked for “the Family.” Nick explained I would be given “green draft” privileges at the casino cage. That meant I could go sign out any amount of money I wanted at any hour, for virtually any purpose.

I was starting to fucking feel like Meyer Lansky.

Nolan Dalla

nick Was holDing a scaThing eDiToRial i’D WRiTTen foR pokeR DigesT. The aRTicle expResseD The VieW ThaT by iTs acTions binion’s hoRseshoe haD DemonsTRaTeD iT no longeR shoulD be The cusToDian of The cRoWn jeWel of pokeR, Which Was The Wsop.

59

from 1 Jan to 28 aug 2013 st

th

The bulgarian player Dimitar Danchev began 2013 with mind-blowing results: few iTms and the win at pca in bahamas. The previous runner-up of epT san Remo in 2011 signs his best year in 2013, far above french amateur Remi castaignon, who just won epT Deauville. sam Trickett is not included in this ranking, which excludes this year super-high rollers, and only includes tournaments inferior to $25,000. eastern countries’ players seem to be the future of european poker, as Russia player Vladimir Troyanovskiy takes the third place, whereas his fellow mate andrey shatilov is seventh. The big events in march and april should change it all...

dimiTar danChev

ranking

60

Country

daniel-gai Pidun

rémi CasTaignon

Player

winnings (usd)

ranking

Country

Player

winnings (usd)

1

Dimitar Danchev

1,952,812

16

Johnny Lodden

626,235

2

Daniel-Gai Pidun

1,153,523

17

Mantas Visockis

613,549

3

Rémi Castaignon

1,050,220

18

Barny Boatman

580,376

4

Ruben Visser

901,925

19

Jakub Michalak

573,646

5

David Vamplew

832,256

20

Benjamin Pollak

533,065

6

Nikolaus Teichert

816,955

21

Andrey Shatilov

523,930

7

Vladimir Troyanovskiy

806,674

22

Stephen Chidwick

498,703

8

Matt Perrins

798,288

23

Pete Linton

487,007

9

Martin Finger

754,800

24

Yevgeniy Timoshenko

476,026

10

Michiel Brummelhuis

733,224

25

Sergio Castelluccio

461,570

10

Sylvain Loosli

733,224

26

Dana Castaneda

455,975

12

Robert Haigh

715,899

27

Ana Laura Marquez Esteban

444,215

13

Carlos Mortensen

658,074

28

Niall Farrell

442,229

14

Olof Haglund

653,958

29

Jake Cody

428,920

15

Patrik Antonius

633,419

30

Lasse Frost

427,673

september – october 2013

ranking

Country

Player

winnings (usd)

ranking

Country

Player

winnings (usd)

31

Daniel Cascado

397,336

66

Xavier El Fassy

264,932

32

Manuel Mutke

392,385

67

Christopher Robin Frank

260,951

33

Ole Schemion

391,759

68

Chris Moorman

253,682

34

Alban Juen

380,799

69

Alan Gold

251,575

35

Ian Simpson

380,707

70

Vladimir Bozinovic

249,616

36

Roberto Romeo

375,078

71

Rachid Ben Cherif

242,023

37

Yngve Steen

373,701

72

Nicola Sasso

240,889

38

Rupert Elder

373,227

73

Andoni Larrabe Sanchez

239,759

39

Manig Loeser

371,183

74

Toby Lewis

233,548

40

Nichiei Hicks

366,289

75

Sergio Aido Espina

233,190

41

Simeon Naydenov

358,157

76

Antonio Buonanno

231,147

42

Jan Nakladal

357,655

77

Franck Kalfon

230,631

43

Norbert Szecsi

356,707

78

Nicolas Le Floch

229,281

44

Pascal Vos

334,260

78

Aleksejs Ponakovs

229,281

45

Davidi Kitai

323,002

78

Philip Long

229,281

46

Gwendoline Janot

315,580

81

Mathew Moore

227,801

47

Dinesh Alt

313,929

82

Kevin Allen

226,723

48

Alexandre Chieng

310,988

83

Sergey Lebedev

225,392

49

Anton Morgenstern

310,280

84

Necip Felengizbilge

221,335

50

Enrico Rudelitz

301,632

85

Timo Pfutzenreuter

218,544

51

Matthew Ashton

297,595

86

Matthias Bednarek

212,380

52

Michael Gathy

296,916

87

Bryan Pellegrino

211,931

53

Jonas Lauck

294,978

88

Jan Bendik

209,195

54

Arttu Raekorpi

291,392

89

Slavik Ortynskiy

203,365

55

Luca Moschitta

291,244

90

Roman Herold

203,177

56

Theo Jørgensen

291,113

91

Robert Auer

202,576

57

Clément Tripodi

286,389

92

Marvin Rettenmaier

201,361

58

Jorn Walthaus

285,408

93

Paul Berende

200,164

59

Sebastian Gohr

279,981

94

Paul Febers

199,020

60

Vladimir Schemelev

279,094

95

Tom Alner

198,695

61

Alexander Helbig

278,812

96

Pieter De-Korver

197,891

62

Martin Hanowski

272,813

97

Rocco Palumbo

196,607

63

Maxi Lehmanski

268,953

98

Alexej Lakhov

194,662

64

Mika Paasonen

267,978

99

Christian Rudolph

193,935

65

Dejan Divkovic

265,628

100

Jon Spinks

193,742

september – october 2013

61

all time moneY list — euroPe Who can outplay british player sam Trickett? With his recents super high Roller wins, the former soccer pro seems unbeatable, despite focusing mostly on high-stakes cash-games in london or macau... only gus hansen (second) or bertrand ‘elky’ grospellier seem to be able to win some more money to try to approach the brit score, as peter eastgate and carlos mortensen are mostly absent from the tournament circuit. contrary to the 2013 rolling ranking, the all Time money list includes any wins in tournaments, including ones with a buy-in superior to $25,000.

sam TriCkeTT

ranking

Carlos morTensen

Country

Player

winnings (usd)

gus hansen

ranking

Country

Player

winnings (usd)

1

Sam Trickett

19,875,539

16

Roland de Wolfe

5,330,556

2

Carlos Mortensen

11,469,510

17

Jeff Lisandro

5,185,762

3

Gus Hansen

11,240,678

18

Philipp Gruissem

5,117,244

4

Peter Eastgate

11,131,450

19

Yevgeniy Timoshenko

4,981,490

5

Bertrand Grospellier

10,661,626

20

Juha Helppi

4,951,557

6

Pius Heinz

8,976,480

21

Niklas Heinecker

4,773,583

7

Eugene Katchalov

7,399,351

22

Surinder Sunar

4,667,668

8

David Benyamine

7,047,146

23

Vitaly Lunkin

4,433,425

9

Ivan Demidov

6,826,568

24

Andy Black

4,432,368

10

Dave Ulliott

6,035,582

25

Marcel Luske

4,235,068

11

Tobias Reinkemeier

5,989,609

26

Marvin Rettenmaier

4,183,692

12

Patrik Antonius

5,963,534

27

Fabrice Soulier

4,144,848

13

Martin Staszko

5,664,451

28

Roger Hairabedian

4,085,118

14

Igor Kurganov

5,602,783

29

Antoine Saout

4,059,630

15

Chris Bjorin

5,535,050

30

Alexander Kravchenko

3,982,758

AvAilAble At www.Poker52euroPa.Com 62

september – october 2013

Player

winnings (usd)

england

ranking

ranking

Player

winnings (usd)

1

Jeff Lisandro

5,185,762

2

Filippo Candio

3,483,248

3

Max Pescatori

3,322,683

4

David Steicke

5

Salvatore Bonavena

6

Alessio Isaia

2,078,362

7

Luca Pagano

2,065,787

7

Neil Channing

3,385,767

8

Dario Minieri

1,894,868

8

Tony Bloom

3,308,051

9

Sergio Castelluccio

1,690,584

9

John Gale

3,306,889

10

Dario Alioto

1,531,440

10

James Akenhead

Player

Sam Trickett

2

Dave Ulliott

6,035,582

3

Roland de Wolfe

5,330,556

2,952,441

4

Surinder Sunar

4,667,668

2,590,909

5

Jake Cody

3,619,156

6

Ram Vaswani

3,477,240

winnings (usd)

1

Carlos Mortensen

11,469,510

2

Raul Paez Corral

1,843,627

3

Juan Maceiras Lapido Jr.

1,084,473

4

Dragan Kostic

932,595

germany

ranking

1

ranking

Player

19,875,539

3,117,925

winnings (usd)

1

Pius Heinz

8,976,480

2

Tobias Reinkemeier

5,989,609

3

Philipp Gruissem

5,117,244

4

Niklas Heinecker

4,773,583

Raul Mestre

916,089

5

Marvin Guido Rettenmaier

4,183,692

Ana Laura Marquez Esteban

887,419

6

Benjamin Spindler

3,855,871

7

Tomeu Gomila

880,893

7

Sebastian Ruthenberg

3,457,185

8

Jesús Cortes

828,203

8

Fabian Quoss

3,140,887

9

Leo Margets

786,326

9

Ole Schemion

3,090,071

10

Juan Manuel Pastor

753,947

10

Moritz Kranich

2,932,396

ranking

Player

winnings (usd)

1

Ivan Demidov

6,826,568

2

Igor Kurganov

5,602,783

3

Vitaly Lunkin

4,433,425

4

Alexander Kravchenko

3,982,758

denmark

5 6

ranking

Player

winnings (usd)

1

Gus Hansen

11,240,678

2

Peter Eastgate

11,131,450

3

Theo Jørgensen

3,530,875

4

Rehne Pedersen

2,302,466

Maxim Lykov

3,094,954

5

Frederik Brink Jensen

2,229,743

Alexander Kostritsyn

2,935,244

6

Jan Sorensen

2,180,586

7

Kirill Gerasimov

2,568,566

7

Søren Kongsgaard Nielsen

1,988,594

8

Leonid Bilokur

2,297,900

8

Lars Bonding

1,864,887

9

Andrey Pateychuk

2,288,251

9

Sander Lyloff

1,713,253

10

Konstantin Puchkov

2,084,450

10

Rasmus Nielsen

1,424,028

ranking

Player

winnings (usd)

norway

5 6

ranking

Player

winnings (usd)

1

Annette Obrestad

3,910,678

2

Jan Olav Sjavik

1,910,362

3

Johnny Lodden

1,862,853

4

Andreas Hoivold

1,704,853

3,045,545

5

Trond Eidsvig

1,623,879

Michael Tureniec

2,821,785

6

Dag Martin Mikkelsen

1,499,148

7

Erik Marcus Friberg

2,764,371

9

Andreas Walnum

1,197,518

8

Ramzi Jelassi

2,542,477

7

Bjorn-Erik Glenne

1,092,588

9

Christer Johansson

2,161,275

8

Kristian Kjondal

1,057,150

10

Kent Lundmark

1,843,635

10

Marcel Bjerkmann

1

Chris Bjorin

5,535,050

2

Martin Jacobson

3,870,648

3

Martin De Knijff

3,419,490

4

William Thorson

3,372,326

5

Johan Storakers

6

ranking

Player

winnings (usd)

1

Andy Black

4,432,368

2

Marty Smyth

3,878,676

3

Eoghan O'Dea

france

ireland

sweden

russia

spain

italy

ToP Ten - all time moneY list

ranking

Player

977,333

winnings (usd)

1

Bertrand Grospellier

2

David Benyamine

10,661,626 7,047,146

2,561,384

3

Fabrice Soulier

4,144,848

4

Padraig Parkinson

1,663,932

4

Roger Hairabedian

4,085,118

5

Fintan Gavin

1,410,413

5

Antoine Saout

4,059,630

6

Dermot Blain

1,374,953

6

Ludovic Lacay

3,017,095

7

John Magill

1,209,798

7

Bruno Fitoussi

2,696,033 2,660,096

8

Donnacha O'Dea

1,204,428

8

Jean-Paul Pasqualini

9

Liam Flood

1,148,854

9

Antony Lellouche

2,551,175

10

Noel Furlong

1,145,807

10

Alain Roy

2,510,590

september – october 2013

63

gPi top100

Who can beat german players in the gpi race? ole schemion is now number one, just before his fellow mates marvin Rettenmaier and philip gruissem. elky is about to drop in the upcoming weeks if he does not score a big one soon, but Davidi kitai is surely on a heat and could annoy the german players all by himself. france is indeed the second best country by far (4th, 8th and 9th) and, strangely enough, brits are not doing very well this year... but the fall is full of new tournaments and everything can be turned upside down!

ole sChemion

ranking

64

marvin reTTenmaier

Country

Player

score

PhiliPP gruissem

ranking

Country

Player

score

1

Ole Schemion

2964.41

16

Dimitar Danchev

1999.42

2

Marvin Rettenmaier

2961.80

17

Philippe Ktorza

1984.68

3

Philipp Gruissem

2937.09

18

Mickey Petersen

1972.75

4

Bertrand Grospellier

2910.22

19

Ismael Bojang

1940.15

5

Toby Lewis

2543.27

20

Roberto Romanello

1937.24

6

Davidi Kitai

2291.56

21

Stephen Chidwick

1933.80

7

Joni Jouhkimainen

2244.64

22

Dominik Nitsche

1908.68

8

David Benyamine

2190.88

23

Manig Loeser

1837.22

9

Roger Hairabedian

2168.09

24

Martin Jacobson

1835.42

10

Fabian Quoss

2156.63

25

Jan Bendik

1831.22

11

David Vamplew

2123.48

26

Paul Berende

1824.77

12

Martin Finger

2122.27

27

Matthew Ashton

1808.88

13

Juha Helppi

2083.30

28

Tobias Reinkemeier

1785.19

14

Jonathan Aguiar

2075.15

29

Alessandro Longobardi

1773.76

15

Ana Laura Marquez Esteban

2041.84

30

Rocco Palumbo

1732.95

september – october 2013

ranking

Country

Player

score

ranking

Country

Player

score

31

Mihails Morozovs

1720.40

66

Kevin Vandersmissen

1351.96

32

Ramzi Jelassi

1717.16

67

Paul Tedeschi

1335.41

33

Chris Moorman

1702.19

68

Niall Farrell

1326.46

34

Giacomo Fundaro

1677.96

69

Vojtech Ruzicka

1324.64

35

Christopher Brammer

1667.36

70

Raul Paez Corral

1317.73

36

Govert Metaal

1663.08

71

James Mitchell

1304.21

37

Zimnan Ziyard

1646.66

72

Khiem Nguyen

1298.91

38

Jake Cody

1604.83

73

Paul Vas Nunes

1297.52

39

Maxi Lehmanski

1586.88

74

Manuel Bevand

1289.72

40

Kristijonas Andrulis

1564.30

75

Andrea Dato

1284.81

41

Dario Sammartino

1551.00

76

Max Silver

1282.29

42

Mihai Manole

1537.22

77

Grzegorz Derkowski

1281.98

43

Tom Alner

1532.38

78

Jonas Lauck

1275.21

44

Dermot Blain

1526.25

79

Massimo Mosele

1274.54

45

Heinz Kamutzki

1517.44

80

Stéphane Benadiba

1272.50

46

Benjamin Pollak

1507.59

81

Marcel Luske

1268.82

47

Matthias De Meulder

1502.98

82

Sebastian Gohr

1264.53

48

Nicolas Cardyn

1483.70

83

Anton Wigg

1260.91

49

Anaras Alekberovas

1468.91

84

Guy Goossens

1255.25

50

Benjamin Spindler

1466.22

85

Jan Fernandez Collado

1231.43

51

Carlos Mortensen

1462.75

86

Marius Pospiech

1230.69

52

Sergio Castelluccio

1448.64

87

Christopher Robin Frank

1229.03

53

Salvatore Bonavena

1447.73

88

John Paul Kelly

1227.21

54

Samad Razavi

1442.18

89

Sergio Aido Espina

1209.19

55

Simon Ravnsbaek

1425.69

90

Éric Sfez

1206.24

56

Michel Abécassis

1411.15

91

Martin Hanowski

1204.71

57

Fabrice Soulier

1410.30

92

Rupert Elder

1201.11

58

John Eames

1399.61

93

Danyel Boyaciyan

1188.75

59

Craig McCorkell

1390.43

94

Robin Christoffer Ylitalo

1182.84

60

Mikolaj Zawadzki

1386.84

95

Dan Murariu

1182.66

61

Rhys Jones

1376.99

96

Nicolas Levi

1181.16

62

Liv Boeree

1371.74

97

Barny Boatman

1171.98

63

Robert Haigh

1369.14

98

Marco Leonzio

1165.94

64

Pierre Neuville

1368.64

99

Alain Roy

1164.32

65

George Danzer

1359.33

100

Ruben Visser

1156.62

september – october 2013

65

TournamenT sChedule sePTemBer 2013

3 - 20 Sep 2013 borgata poker open 2013, atlantic city 5 - 12 Sep 2013 2013 irish classic poker festival, cork 5 - 16 Sep 2013 Wsop circuit - biloxi, biloxi 6 - 8 Sep 2013 Zeus Deepstack, spa 6 - 8 Sep 2013 bpt lille, casino barrière de lille, lille 6 - 15 Sep 2013 Wpt regional florida - fall tampa bay open, tampa 6 - 15 Sep 2013 2013 Heartland poker tour - colorado, black Hawk 9 - 15 Sep 2013 Deepstack open - san remo 9 - 15 Sep 2013 belgian poker challenge, spa 9 - 16 Sep 2013 Dakar poker tour Vi, Dakar 11 - 17 Sep 2013 12th pravets poker masters, pravets 12 - 15 Sep 2013 asia championship of poker - platinum series (acop), macau 13 - 22 Sep 2013 Wpt Western poker challenge, reno 16 - 22 Sep 2013 Unibet open cannes 2013, cannes 17 - 21 Sep 2013 capt linz - alps poker tour, linz 17 - 23 Sep 2013 Wsf poker tour, Kiev 18 - 22 Sep 2013 latin america poker tour Vi - panama, panama city 18 - 22 Sep 2013 cnp - ibiza, eivissa 21 Sep - 3 Oct 2013 full tilt poker montreal festival, Kahnawake 22 - 29 Sep 2013 Dusk till Dawn Grand prix, nottingham 23 - 29 Sep 2013 france poker series - cannes, mandelieu la napoule 24 - 29 Sep 2013 2013 mega poker series - montenegro, budva

66

26 - 29 Sep 2013 pokerlistings battle of malta, portomaso 27 - 29 Sep 2013 UKipt series 3 - london, london 28 - 29 Sep 2013 apat irish amateur poker championship, Dublin

oCToBer 2013

1 - 6 Oct 2013 2013 marrakech poker open, marrakech 2 - 6 Oct 2013 UK & ireland poker tour - london, london 2 - 9 Oct 2013 2013 ppc aruba World championship, palm beach 4 - 12 Oct 2013 ept london, london 10 - 14 Oct 2013 bwin Wpt national - barcelona, barcelona 11 - 25 Oct 2013 2013 World series of poker - europe, enghien 16 - 20 Oct 2013 cnp - alicante, alicante 18 Oct - 3 Nov 2013 asia championship of poker (acop), macau 21 Oct - 3 Nov 2013 Wpt rendez-Vous à paris 2013, paris 24 - 28 Oct 2013 ipt sanremo 2, sanremo 24 Oct - 2 Nov 2013 poker em capt baden - alps poker tour, baden 30 Oct - 3 Nov 2013 Deepstack open - Gruissan, Gruissan 30 Oct - 3 Nov 2013 tanger millionaire maker, casino de tanger 31 Oct - 4 Nov 2013 UK & ireland poker tour - isle of man, Douglas 31 Oct - 10 Nov 2013 Gold strike Winter poker classic, tunica

novemBer 2013

2 - 3 Nov 2013 apat scottish amateur poker championship, Glasgow 3 - 10 Nov 2013 2013 Grosvenor UK poker tour - leg 11, blackpool 4 Nov 2013 Genting poker big Game, london

4 - 10 Nov 2013 pokerfest romania season 3 bucharest, bucharest 5 - 10 Nov 2013 Wpt national - china, sanya 7 - 10 Nov 2013 bwin Wpt national - Gruissan, Gruissan 8 - 14 Nov 2013 caribbean poker tour - punta cana, punta cana 9 - 16 Nov 2013 master classics of poker, Holland casino amsterdam 11 - 17 Nov 2013 punta cana poker classic 2013, punta cana 13 - 17 Nov 2013 latin america poker tour Vi - Uruguay Grand final, punta del este 15 - 19 Nov 2013 Wpt Jacksonville bestbet fall poker scramble, Jacksonville 15 - 24 Nov 2013 caribbean poker tour - st. maarten, st. maarten 16 - 23 Nov 2013 france poker series - paris, paris 18 Nov - 6 Dec 2013 Wpt montreal, Kahnawake 20 - 24 Nov 2013 anZpt auckland, auckland 20 - 24 Nov 2013 cnp - madrid, madrid 24 Nov - 1 Dec 2013 2013 Grosvenor UK poker tour - Grand final, london 25 Nov - 1 Dec 2013 2013 campeonato espana De poker barcelona, barcelona 28 Nov - 2 Dec 2013 UK & ireland poker tour - nottingham, nottingham 28 Nov - 2 Dec 2013 ipt Grand final saint Vincent, saintVincent 29 Nov - 1 Dec 2013 pokerfinnkampen 2013, tallinn 29 Nov - 9 Dec 2013 Wsop circuit - atlantic city, atlantic city

september – october 2013

www.poker52europa.com