Poker52 Europa n4 - Mar/Apr 2012 by Poker52

EDITOrial

We do hope you will run good at the poker tables and that you appreciate reading our magazine

Dear Readers, January and February have been very active for the European poker world: the EPT Deauville, soon followed by EPT Copenhagen, where Pierre Neuville, the Belgium serialqualifier, has reached once again the final table of a European Poker Tour. Versus the young online gun Petersen, it was really a conflict of generations as Neuville is almost 70, but did compete and struggled like an old lion! The heads-up match lasted for hours, the two opponents playing their a-game. Unfortunately, Neuville finished for the second time runner-up of an EPT leg, but I am pretty sure next time will be the good one! Spring is coming, and the most attractive European poker festivals are scheduled at that time of year where everyone likes to travel, enjoy the best hotels in the world, play in a nice field with top-notch champions and maybe score a good winning! Discover where to lodge, where to eat and what to visit if you are around one of those events which cannot be missed: EPT Campione, Berlin, Madrid or Monte-Carlo; EMOP Estoril, in the heart of Portugal; the wonderful CAPT stops in Salzburg or Inssbruck; the great WPT stop at Montesino Casino in Vienna, not that far away; two Paris events, the WPT National Paris Open of Poker at the Aviation Club or the new stop of the Unibet Open at Cercle Cadet. And do not forget that the WSOP in Las Vegas will start a little laterâ&#x20AC;Ś Poker52 Europa provides you with all the poker tournaments you have ever wished to play. We do hope you will run good at the poker tables and that you appreciate reading our magazine, available in most of the poker rooms all over Europe! Best regards,

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contents 10 20 28

NEWS European Poker Awards B ig success at the 11 edition upcoming tournaments th

30 WPT Vienna 32 CAPT Salzburg & Innsbruck 36 EPT Berlin 42 EMOP Estoril Casino 44 EPT Madrid 48 Pokerstars and Monte Carlo®Casino EPT Grand Final

54 UPO Tour Paris 58 POP – WPT National Series 60 EPT Campione 64 WSOP 2012 Tournaments Schedule

Tournament schedule

22 Daniel Negreanu

26 Victoria Coren

Hendon Mob Rankings chronicles 18 Kara Scott

Vive la différence

Covering Lots Of Things

Sneauville 66 Isabelle Mercier My life as a TV host 68 Tony G. Ready to gamble? 70 Fabrice Soulier Aside the poker world 72 High Roller - Bruno “KING” Fitoussi Trust your instinct 72 Hendonmob Tournament Director 84 Doyle Brunson «The road to success is always under construction»

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: Sam Crickett, DR Inside pictures: Jules Pochy, Neil Stoddart, XDR Re-writing and translation: Alexander JE Bradley Advertisment: +33 (0)1 53 89 14 06- marine@poker52europa.com Founder: Bruno Fitoussi

Design

www.mayapress.net Artistic Director: Sébastien Martorell - s.martorell@mayapress.net Layout: Jennifer Bouvard, Cécile Chatelin, Laetitia Rossi Print: EUROprintCZ s.r.o.

NEWS // European Poker Tour Deauville

Belarusian Kursevich bested the French on their own soil

With 889 players reaching the tables of the €5,300 Main Event, generating a massive €4,267,200 prize pool, the EPT Deauville 2012 was a new success, and the French series has become undoubtedly one of the most awaited poker tournaments in Europe. International poker stars were all in the Normandy town as we could see famous players like Eugene Katchalov, Jonathan Duhamel, Liv Boeree, Jake Cody, Viktor Blom, Scotty Nguyen, Kevin MacPhee and Vanessa Selbst at the tables. Obviously, most of the participants of the event were French, and when the final table was composed, 5 of the 9 finalists were local players. Luca Pagano busted in 7th

€10,000 High Roller Event Final Table Results 1st Eric Sfez (France) €242,000 2nd Ruben Visser (Netherland) €152,000 3rd David Sonelin (Sweden) €90,000 4th Samuel Chartier (Canada) €65,600 5th Ami Alibay (Canada) €48,400 6th Christophe Benzimra (France) €34,500 7th Mikhail Lakhitov (Russia) €31,100 8th Paul Berende (Netherland) €27,600

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place, beating his record of number of final table and ITM on EPT events once again, and finally Belarusian Kursevich overcame his French opponents, besting Paul Guichard during heads-up for the massive first prize of €875,000. Eric Sfez saved French honour during the €10,000 High Roller event in front of 71 opponents (€242,00), dominating Dutch Ruben Visser, who took the first place of the €1,000 Random Bounty event three days before. In the other side events, Argentine Nacho Barbero was victorious in the €1,000 PLO event (€37,500), Belgian Matthias De Meulder won the €1,500 NLHE event (€131,000), and Ukrainian Roman Romanovsky bested his 288 opponents on the €2,000 NLHE event for €144,300. For his part, Japanese Kunimaro Kojo overcame Swedish Viktor Blom in the €5,000 Heads-Up championship (€25,000), while 2010 EPT Berlin champion Kevin MacPhee bested his fellow countryman Shaun Deeb in the €5,000 High Roller 6-Max for €50,000. As this list of winners proves it, EPT Deauville is now part of the international circuit, with top players from all over the world coming each year to struggle on large field tournaments, for impressive prize pools. Pretty good news for the French and European poker scene.

€5,000 Main Event Final Table Results 1st Vadim Kursevich (Belarus) €875,000 2nd Paul Guichard (France) €557,000 3rd Vuong Trong (France) €328,000 4th Yorane Kerignard (France) €260,000 5th Bruno Jais (France) €200,000 6th Olivier Rogez (France) €155,000 7th Luca Pagano (Italy) €110,000 8th Michael Graydon (Ireland) €67,000

WPT Venice Grand Prix Final Table Results 1st Rinat Bogdanov (Russia) €229,800 (including a WPT Bellagio ticket) nd 2 Alessandro Longobardi (Italy) €111,700 3rd Andrea Dato (Italy) €72,275 4th Simon Ravnsbaek (Switzerland) €52,565 5th Gianluca Trebbi (Italy) €42,705 6th Andrea Carini (Italy) €32,195

// World Poker Tour Venice Grand Prix

The Poker Carnival The field wasn’t as large as expected for this second WPT event of the season in the City of Water, a few days before the launch of the annual Carnival, but the action was still pretty good, as some top European players joined the tables for the €4,950 Main Event. 155 players began this 5-Day tournament, including big names, like Tony G, Kara Scott, Marvin Rettenmaier, Arnaud Mattern, James Dempsey, Guillaume Darcourt and James Akenhead, all ready to play against some of the best Italian players. 2010 November Nine Filippo Candio was the chip leader on Day 1, but he had to hand over to Norwegian Marcel Bjerkmann, who crushed his table on Day 2. The

third Day belonged to Swiss Simon Ravnsbaek, as he eliminated most of the players before the last 9-handed table, reduced to six players the following day, after only three hours of play.

Italian Andrea Dato made his second WPT final table back-to-back in Venice, but bust in third place by Russian Rinat Bogdanov, with As-As against As-King. Bogdanov then bested his last opponent, Alessandro Longobardi, taking home his best cash prize ever - €229,800 – after defeating four Italian players on the final table. We’ll surely see him again at the next major European tournaments.

// VIP Days Freeze-Out Edition 2012 - Venlo

Four exciting days of poker in Holland

The Holland Casino Venlo is hosting a series of four exciting events for four days, from 29th March until 1st April, with an exciting €1,000 + €80 2-Day Main Event, the perfect opportunity to play against some of the best European poker players in the nice little Dutch town of Venlo. European poker players know the reputation of the Holland Casino Venlo, holding one of the most popular poker room in the country, with its 2€/2€ and 5€/5€ cash game tables open every day and its amazing weekly tournaments, four days a week. By the end of March, Holland Casino Venlo will attract players from all over Europe wishing to

enjoy themselves and to compete against each other over a four specular tournaments series: the VIP Days, Freeze-out Edition 2012. The Dutch NLHE Freeze-out poker festival will open on 29th March at 6pm with a €200 + €20 event, followed the day after by a €300 + €30 event, starting at 4pm. On 31st March, the fifteen poker tables will all be full as the €1,000 + €80

Main Event will kick off at 4pm for two days of strong game. Finally, the €100 + €10 event will close the series on 1st April, as the Main Event final table will run on. All this tournaments have a 150 seats capacity, so hurry up to register on hollandcasino.nl/ vipdays if you don’t want to miss this great series!

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NEWS // Aussie Millions Poker Championship

Phil Ivey

is back on top The victory of Tyron Krost on the Tournaments of Champions Event launched the 10th edition of the 2012 Aussie Millions Poker Championship, in the Crown Casino Melbourne, the biggest poker series of the Southern Hemisphere. A dream field joined the table of the AU$100,000 High Roller Challenge, with the participation of poker superstars Gus Hansen, Phil Ivey, Daniel Negreanu, Sam Trickett, Jason Mercier, Erik Seidel, Sorel Mizzi, JC Tran, Tobias Reinkemeier, Tony G, Joe Hachem, Daniel Cates and Sam Trickett. Chipleader at the end of the Day 1, The Big Dan, was the bubble boy of this high stakes event, busted by Russian Mikhail Smirnov with a pair of tens vs. As-Queen. Tony G finished 4th, followed by Joe Hachem, and Russian player Smirnov was defeated by American Dan Smith with a pair of deuces against Queen-6, for AU$1,000,000. Then, the AU$10,000 Main Event was keeping all the attention, as 659 players generated a AU$6,784,233 prize pool. Phil Ivey entered the top 10 after Day 1, and finished Day 2 even better, second in chips behind Australian Tim Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Shea. The Day 3 lasted only 3 levels, and Ivey was still good on the 6th place, while Matt Turk was taking the chip lead. The poker superstar ended Day 4 short stacked, but he was still hoping to enter the final table at the beginning of Day 5. Unfortunately he was the first player to bust of Day 5, loosing A-Q vs. A-K to Canadian Yann Dion (AU$100,000). The final table was hasty, as Australian Oliver Speidel crushed his opponents. He first eliminated Yann Dion

AU$100,000 High Roller Challenge In The Money Results 1st Dan Smith (USA) AU$1,012,000 2nd Mikhail Smirnov (Russia) AU$616,000 3rd Joe Hachem (Australia) AU$330,000 4th Antanas Guoga (Australia) AU$242,000

and Patrik Healy, while Bjorn Li, from Hong-Kong, busted against Sweden Mohamad Kowssarie. Then, Speidel controlled the whole game until the end, when he bested Chinese Kenneth Wong on heads-up, for a massive AU$1,600,000 first prize. But this Australian series wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t over yet, as the AU$250,000 Super High Roller Event was still running, with Phil Ivey determined to play his A-Game against Sam Trickett, Tom Dwan, Jason Mercier, John Juanda, Sorel Mizzi, Gus Hansen, Daniel Negreanu, Patrik Antonius and Erik Seidel, the defending champion. Chipleader with 6 players left, Negreanu, was short stacked in front of Ivey, Antonius and Hansen, and the Canadian top pro made the most expensive bubble of the season, losing out on AU$800,000 when he was eliminated by his friend Patrik Antonius. Hansen was busted by Ivey, and the American pro quickly overcame his Finnish opponent, grabbing an impressive AU$2,000,000 cash prize for his big live high stakes competition comeback. After spending 2011 far from major live tournaments, Phil Ivey, if this start at the Aussie Millions is anything to go on, could have quite a big year indeed.

AU$10,000 Main Event Final Table Results 1st Oliver Speidel (Australia) AU$1,600,000 2nd Kenneth Wong (China) AU$1,000,000 3rd Mile Krstanoski (Australia) AU$610,000 4th Mohamad Kowssarie (Sweden) AU$405,000 5th Patrick Healy (Australia) AU$300,000 6th Bjorn Li (Hong Kong) AU$230,000 7th Yann Dion (Canada) AU$170,000

A$250,000 Super High Roller Challenge / In The Money Results 1st Phil Ivey (USA) AU$2,000,000 2nd Patrik Antonius (Finland) AU$1,200,000 3rd Gus Hansen (Denmark) AU$800,000

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NEWS // world poker tour national series denmark

new addition to the wpt schedule The World Poker Tour National Series have added a stop in Denmark to their schedule, from 28th February until 3rd March. All Scandinavians have been waiting for it, but it will also attract crowds of top players from here, there and everywhere. The little town of Vejle is going to make a stunning debut in the world of international poker!

You’ve never heard of Vejle? Well, that’s not surprising, as it is one of the most underrated towns in Denmark. Yet Vejle is charming, vibrant, and beautifully nestled in a fjord. It is also home to one of the best casinos in Denmark. So yeah, Vejle is not a big capital city or a famous Mediterranean resort, but the WPT leaders have been quite inspired when choosing it, as it has everything the series needs to be a success. The greatest players of the region are expected to come compete for five amazing days of poker in

the very modern Munkebjerg Casino (don’t try to pronounce it though), from 28th February until 3rd March. The 4-Day Main Event will have a buy-in of DKK11,100+1,100, don’t panic, it’s only €1,650. Day 1A will kick off on the 28th, and Day1B the day after. Along with it will be several interesting side events with buy-ins ranging from €200+20 to €400+40, such as the 2-Day €340 + €34 Pot Limit Omaha event starting on 1st March and the 2-Day €400 + €40 Turbo No Limit event. So get your parka and go take on the Vikings on their own territory!

// 2012 Merit Spring Open

From 1st until 11th March let’s go to Cyprus! The Merit Spring Open is back on track with a huge number of events and not one, but two Main Events, with €300,000 and

Cyprus offers you twice the number of prizes

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€100,000 prizes guaranteed.

In Cyprus, they’re generous. When there’s a tournament, it lasts eleven days and it offers no less than fourteen different events, including two, yes two Main Events. That’s what’s waiting for you in the Merit Crystal Cove Casino in Kyrenia, from 1st to 11th March, for the Merit Spring Open. The first Main Event will start on 3rd March with a buy-in of $2,000+200 and a guaranteed prize of $100,000. The second one will kick-off on 10th March with a $3,000+300 buy-in and $300,000 guaranteed, for two days of game. Not bad, uh? Three $100 + $15 Satellites to Main Event I and six $200 + $25 Satellites to Main Event II will be displayed during this series. A $1,000 + $100 NLHE Ultra Deepstack tournament and a $1,000 + $100 NLHE Bounty event will also bring action in the Crystal Casino. And for those who want always more, there are other big prizes to grab, such as the $100,000 guaranteed $300+40 NLH Rebuy event or the $60,000 guaranteed $300+40 Rebuy tournament. So if you want to multiply your chances of winning come to Cyprus and make the best of the Merit Spring Open!

C H R O N I c l E k a r a s co t t

Kara Scott

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Vive la différence I’ve been playing poker at the Aviation Club in Paris for the last week. I busted out on Day 2 of the 1k Silver EFOP event in 17 th or 18 th place, which was in the money and tantalisingly close to the bigger payouts. It was a tough event in some respects. I’m not exactly well known for being a night owl so any poker tournament that doesn’t even start until 8pm is going to be tough for me. The idea of playing until the wee hours and then having to come back with a small stack didn’t appeal to me which meant that I grew very used to saying the phrase “Tapis!” which is French for “all in”, in my attempt to go big or go home. Sometimes in poker though, this just isn’t in your hands. I’d win one against a bigger stack, lose one against a smaller and stay hovering right around the same amount. Frustrating.

Day 1

Our Day 1 ended up going an extra level (I have no idea why although I’m sure they explained it at length in French) so we didn’t even finish until 5am. That is not a time that I see often from the back end. Right at the end of the day, I lost a flip to Elky’s girlfriend. I really like Cathy and was glad to see her at my table but was less than happy to shovel most of my chips her way. It was such a standard spot though and we both made Day 2.

Day 2 – Bubble day

I began Day 2 with about (~21k) 9bb and as we were still 16 players away from the money, I wasn’t expecting much. It was my day though! I said “Tapis!” five times in the first hour and managed to build up to 70k. I changed tables quite a few times and then ended up on the bubble, sat beside the lovely Remy Biechel. We’ve known each other for a few years and although we struggle with his English and my French, I love being able to chat to him. Mostly, we just smile at each other as he has one of the happiest smiles around. Sadly, he was the bubble boy so it was a short conversation with few smiles. Once the bubble finally burst, everyone was quite short stacked. I was trying to find good spots for my stack and was involved in quite a few pots, which meant my stack was fluctuating wildly. I lost a couple of flips and then got my last 15bb involved with A7 against an opponent’s A10 and that was it for me. It was a hell of a lot of fun though and I’m really looking forward to getting into the 2k event tomorrow. I was incredibly grumpy at 5am this morning when I

stomped back to the hotel thinking about Day 2 with 9bbs, but I’m glad I didn’t give up. It feels good to get a cash under my belt, early in 2012! I’m back in France again, after a short rest in England, after playing at the Euro Finals of Poker in Paris. In my last blog I told you about the small cash I had in the 1k event. Over the next couple of days, I played their 2k event but frustratingly busted in 25th place (with only 20 getting paid). I really enjoyed playing at the Aviation Club. It’s a singular place. I don’t think there’s anything like it in the world! I think that after a few years (or more, ahem) on the poker circuit, it’s easy to get a bit blasé about the places that we get to go and the experiences we have. It’s only when I tell stories to my non-poker friends that I can see just how crazy this travelling circus lifestyle is. Take Paris, for example. I spent a week staying in a really fabulous hotel on the Champs Elysées, just around the corner from the Aviation Club where I spent most of my time. The ACF is quite a glamorous location; very old-school with a little bit of 007 thrown into the mix. Two massive security men, looking very smart in their dark suits welcome you into the building with a sharp glance and a growled “bonsoir.” Once inside the building, you have to walk into what amounts to a glass airlock. When you’ve closed the first door (god help you if you don’t close the door) another burly security guard gives you the sideeye and after a brief moment where you wonder if you’ve been found unworthy and the floor is about to open up below you to reveal a shark pit, he buzzes you through. Immediately upon entering, you must use a combination of your membership card and fingerprint recognition to proceed. And THEN you get to play some poker. It’s a bit surreal. Deauville (where I am at the moment) is quite different from Paris but utterly gorgeous in it’s own way. It’s a rather posh seaside resort town with chocolate box houses everywhere and a sweeping view of the grey January sea. I love it. Here’s hoping the poker is good to me!

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Big success at the

11 edition of the European Poker Awards th

On a cold Wednesday night in Paris, near to the Champs ElysĂŠes, it was party time for the European poker community: the 11th edition of the European Poker Awards, sponsored by Poker52 Europa magazine and the Aviation Club de France, gathered the most prestigious crowd possible for this wonderful gala night.

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During the afternoon the jury, consisting of Kara Scott, Barry Carter, Mike Michelin, Juha Helppi, Jonathan Raab, Leon Groenewoud, Jan-Peter Jachtmann, Jonthan Raab, as well as honorary president & founder, Nic Szeremeta, discussed the nominees for hours before finding an agreement on the winners in each category. The gala began with the HendonMob/Poker52 Europa trophies, awarded by Bruno Benveniste (Poker52 Europa Magazine director) and two HendonMob co-founders, Barny Boatman and Joe Beevers. ElkY and David Benyamine as well as other big names in the European poker scene came to get their trophy on stage, applauded by the two hundred guests in attendance. After dinner we welcomed the internationally acclaimed magician Stephan Vanel, who had flown from Las Vegas especially for this very event. He performed an amazing show that launched the EPA award ceremony. Host Michelle Orpe then invited all the winners on stage to collect their award:

• Rob Gardner Memorial Award: ElkY • Poker Staff Person of the Year: Warren Lush • Best European Event of the Year: WSOP-E Cannes • Rookie of the Year: Andreiy Pateychuk • Best Tournament Performance: Pius Heinz • Internet Player of the Year: Ilarie Sahamies • Europe’s Leading Lady: Natalia Nikitina • Player of the Year: Sam Trickett • Lifetime Achievement Award: Jesse May

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daniel negreanu “Kid Poker”

Covering Lots Of Things

I started off the year decently with a 5th place finish in the Super High Roller in the Bahamas. Had an all around great time at the PCA, probably the best trip I’d ever had there. I had

C H R O N I c l E d a nie l ne g re a n u

so much fun that I decided to attend the Aussie Millions for the first time in a long time.

Melbourne is a great city. Last two times I went to Australia I spent all my time in Sydney, but I love both cities.

I played the $100k super high roller which had a 30 second shot clock for each decision, which actually works out pretty well with so many of the younger players today taking an inordinate amount of time per decision. Some of these guys are just absurd with how long they take, and yes, I’d call it a pet peeve for sure. I couldn’t get anything going in that one really, getting coolered and bad beated early on but I played extremely well I thought. I then played the Main Event and played really well outside of one crucial mistake where I chose to play a big pot pre-flop with QQ vs AA in a spot where I could have saved a lot of chips by playing it slow.

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Losing a Million

I didn’t plan on playing in the $250k Crap Shoot Event, but after winning a bit of money in the TV cash games I figured I might as well and was really in “poker mode” anyway. To make a long story short, that event was devastating in several ways. I was chipleader 5 handed but it only paid three spots with 3rd paying $800k. With four left I was up against Phil Ivey, Patrik Antonius, and Gus Hansen, you know, the guys from those Onyx Cup ads, haha. Gus was short, and I seriously wasn’t getting an even remotely playable hand so I folded down from 1.2 million to 700k. Gus just seemed to keep splashing around and winning pots and all of a sudden with blinds at 25-50k I had 765k, or 15 big blinds. Patrik raised on the button and had about 19 big blinds so I was quite sure that he couldn’t call an all in without a premium hand because of the enormous bubble. I also felt like, since I was 4/4 it was my turn to be the aggressor just a little bit because these guys weren’t about to play any bit pots on the bubble. With A8 I shoved and he insta called with JJ. I busted, which felt just like losing a million dollars. I remember waking up the next day a bit anxious, it’s been ages since I felt like that. The next night myself, Jason Mercier, his fiance Erica, and Patrik and his wife

I didn’t plan on playing in the $250k Crap Shoot Event, but after winning a bit of money in the TV cash games I figured I might as well. Maya went to see the finals of the Aussie Open and wow what an experience! Aside from having to see Patrik’s mug all night, and the constant reminder of him busting me in the tourney, it was great to watch the event live and the match was insane. Almost a six hour battle.

Account Hacking

I flew out of Melbourne on the 31 st and when I landed something crazy happened. I tried to log into my hotmail account and it kept saying my password was wrong. I tried a few times and was puzzled and slightly worried. I had dealt with a hacker situation with a friend in the past so I knew that it was likely my email got hacked. My main concern was just having my private e-mails exposed. I have absolutely nothing to hide, really, but there is personal stuff in there about other people and I would feel bad if that got out. I got a whatsapp message from Lex that said, “What was that all about?” I had no idea what he meant, and then it dawned on me that if my email was hacked, maybe someone hacked my PokerStars account. I checked on twitter to see if there was anything on there about it, and saw one @ reply mentioning a hand I played against takechip the night before. At that moment I feared the worst. I texted my assistant Patty to see if she could log into my email account, called my agent Brian to find out if there was any activity on my Stars account. I got the news back pretty quickly that the hacker did get into my account for a joyride. Something I’ll never understand. He didn’t dump money to any one specific player, he kind of just sprayed my money around several tables, ultimately losing $61,000 of my money. Not entirely sure why he didn’t empty my account, but I’m thankful that he didn’t. In cases like this, it’s clearly spelled out in the PokerStars user agreement, that if your email is hacked you won’t be reimbursed by the company... no matter who you are. Since it’s clear that my account was hacked, and it wasn’t the fault of PokerStars in any way, I just have to eat the loss. Since I’d essentially lost a million a few days earlier, the $61,000 didn’t really sting all that much. I was just happy to recover my email account from the hacker.

There is an ongoing investigation, obviously, and I’m hoping they catch the guy. I wish old school Las Vegas rules applied in cases like this, where you could take the guy out to the desert for an afternoon and get some justice, but alas, we don’t live in that world any more. I feel an appropriate punishment would be a few swift baseball bat swings to the groin area, and possibly castration, but that’s just me :-) Many have asked me if I was using an RSA token. The answer is no, but I will be acquiring one for future play on PokerStars. Truth is, I just didn’t really understand the technology all too well and felt like it was a bit of a hassle to use, so I chose not to. I recommend that you get one, it’s actually simpler than you’d think. It’s like a little keychain “thingy” and the only way to access your account is to enter a number that appears on that key. Once you are in, the number will change for the next time. This way, a hacker would have to also acquire your RSA token to gain access to your account. I think they are about $15 and you can use FPP’s to buy them from the PokerStars VIP store. Truth is, with an RSA token PokerStars security is rock solid. If someone is able to hack your email account, while that sucks for you, if you have an RSA token in your possession they cannot access your PokerStars account. So the money is gone. I am not getting any special treatment whatsoever. Had the money been dumped to one account and that player tried to cash it out, I imagine something could have been done, but that’s not what happened here. You simply can’t ask the players who won money off the hacker to simply give it back. It’s just not even an option. I accept the decision and think it’s totally fair. In fact, there is precedence as it’s happened to other people, so under no circumstances would I even accept special treatment in this case. It wasn’t offered at any point, but even if it had, I would have said it is totally unfair.

PokerPlayer Magazine

I have done several interviews with PokerPlayer in the past, but there were a couple adjustments made to my latest cover story interview that I took exception with, because I didn’t say it. I talked to them and they offered me the opportunity to set the record straight and I did so by writing a small piece for them on the state of the game, and how I felt

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C H R O N I c l E d a nie l ne g re a n u

what I said was being misrepresented. The cover was a picture of me and it said, “How I conquered Online Poker.” I never said that and certainly don’t believe it to be accurate. Had it said “How Daniel Negreanu conquered Online Poker” then that would be an opinion. Not a good one, but an opinion nonetheless. My online game has certainly improved, but I cringed a little bit when I saw that headline. There were two other phrases I didn’t like. The Title being “What’s Wrong with You?” and then “Daniel Negreanu is asking what the hell is wrong with players today?” That seems rather combative and isn’t accurate. I was referring mainly to the state of televised poker in the US at the moment, and how the lack of online poker funding for shows, coupled with a limited crop of younger players who combine a high skill set and a big personality, makes it a tough sell in the US at the moment and we are seeing a lull in coverage. It wasn’t at all a diss on the great young players in the game in the least, and I felt like the lead intro to the article made that unclear, so I decided to clear it up. They edited down my comments about Ray Bitar, Howard Lederer, and Chris Ferguson, but they definitely got the gist of my vitriol towards them. I’m disgusted by them and what they’ve done to smear the game with putrid decision-making. Ray is a buffoon, Howard is arrogant, condescending, and incompetent, and Chris is a liar and has the warmth of a snow pea. They were never my friends; I never cared for any of them. I never trusted them for a second, and my “read” was always that these were not my kind of people. Why are they different from the rest of the group? These three were on the

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board, admittedly making all the decisions, and jeopardizing millions of dollars worth of players money that still hasn’t surfaced. You guys suck. I hope to never see any of your faces at the WSOP anymore, and I hope you live with the shame you deserve for the rest of your lives. Your own personal, private hell. You deserve the entire wrath you’ve received from the poker world, and much more. You are scum and each of you absolutely deserves a few swift baseball bat swings to the groin area, old school Vegas style.

Personal Stuff

Add up the bubbling of the million dollars, getting hacked, and the PokerPlayer magazine article, and it doesn’t even come close to the betrayal I dealt with this week on a personal level. I’m shocked and disgusted. This has nothing at all to do with poker, or money, but it is the worst betrayal I’ve ever dealt with in my life and I am genuinely grossed out. As the title states, it’s “Personal Stuff” so I can’t go into detail, but it capped off an eventful January in a pretty big way.

Poker

As disheartening as the bubble was, I thoroughly enjoyed playing poker in that event and in the cash game prior. It really got my juices flowing and I just love playing against top competition. I had a chance to play with Ivey again, both in the Main Event as well as the two high roller events, and he was a motivating presence. We caught up, and actually had more strategy based discussions than we’d had in ages. This is going to come off really wrong, but I don’t care because it’s true: he reminded me of a

to go, and then maybe I’ll be open to something like that again, but as for now, I’m staying single and just focusing on me. It’s been a lot of fun, and I’m happy with where my life is headed and really excited about the future.

Poker Ambassadors

lot of things I taught him about tournament poker years ago. Phil wasn’t really a “tournament guy” when he was younger. He was a cash game grinder and needed to make some tweaks to his approach to tournaments. Some of the concepts I talked to him about absolutely helped him improve his tournament results and I was happy to see it. He returned the favour last month. My gosh, it’s so clear to me now. I can’t wait to play another tournament. There are a few things he does differently, that I’ve always done differently, that I got away from a little bit. I thought Ivey played remarkably well in the $250k and the other two events. He was really into it, and seemed to care. Poker is definitely better off with him back in the game and he seemed fired up for a big 2012 that should make poker fans happy. My next trip is going to be in Brazil 15th-21st February for the LAPT event and some fun at Carnivale. Right after that I’ll be playing back-to-back WPT events at the Commerce and then Bay 101. I feel really good about a big score coming soon. I can’t wait.

Personal Life

I definitely shouldn’t be sharing this, but I can’t help it, I have nothing to hide and I’m not uncomfortable in the least with sharing aspects of my personal life. I was dating Krisztina Polgar, Miss Hungary Earth 2008 up until about September of last year and she is an absolutely beautiful woman both inside and out. She treated me better than any woman ever has and I genuinely appreciated it. Things didn’t work out, but I still consider her a friend and always will. After that relationship I decided to take six months off any serious relationships and I think it was a really good decision. I’ve got another two months

I’ve always taken that role seriously. I know that I’d make for an awful politician because I always prefer to choose the brutal and honest truth and I’m not afraid to rock the boat. My history and track record have proven that to be the case. I’ve never screwed anybody out of money, I’ve never cheated anybody, and I’ve never been one to sit idly by when I see people doing wrong. I’ll call them out when appropriate. Whether it was Men Nguyen, Annie Duke, JJProdigy, Russ Hamilton, Howard Lederer, etc. it’s our responsibility to shed light on any shady behaviour that people in our industry are involved in. I’ve never been involved in any scandal. I do my best to associate with people I trust and that’s served me well over the years. I’ve spoken out on several big issues over the last 10 years or so, sometimes standing alone, but I’ve yet to be left with egg on my face. For years I told everyone UB was shady, well before the first of the many scandals broke. I have a lot of “I told you so’s” saved up, but they don’t really serve any purpose after the damage has been done. When it comes to big picture poker issues I’m always on the side of the majority of players. Not just the top pros, but what would be best for the game as a whole. I’m a rules nit, a structure geek, and as Joe Hachem pointed out at the Aussie Millions, “You always see all the angles don’t you?” I’m very anal about creating a level playing field where nits and shot takers can’t bend rules to their benefit. It feels like now, more than ever, poker needs more positive ambassadors to help promote the game globally. Guys like Phil Galfond who’s been one of the bright spots of the younger generation, simply gets it. His blog about online poker was a must read and it’s clear as you read it that he really cares about “what’s best for poker” rather than what’s best for him. We need more guys like that to step up and speak out. One of the sacrifices about being an ambassador to the game is that sometimes people aren’t going to like you, or what you have to say, especially if it negatively impacts them. You could lose some friends, but they probably weren’t worth keeping anyway.

POKER 52 auropa // march-april 2012 // ISSUE 4

Victoria Coren

Sneauville

CHRONICLE VICTORIA COREN

I felt a bit sorry for myself in Deauville this year. I can’t get to as many tournaments as most poker pros, and I never have the freedom of a full-time pro to sort of… you know… prepare. That great player Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier has (or certainly used to have) a personal trainer / assistant who both handled all his admin - the travel arrangements, the room booking, the tournament schedule - and made sure that ElkY was eating and sleeping well for the days before the events. That alone can’t explain ElkY’s astonishing series of results: the guy is a sort of genius, who came to poker from the world of computer games and brought with him a computer-fast mathematical brain and excellent game analysis. Nevertheless, it can’t hurt.

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Meanwhile, I’m usually squeezing tournaments in between other commitments, finishing articles in the evenings, short on sleep and long on inadvisable snacks. Not that I’m complaining: there are other, huge psychological benefits to having another job (or several) aside from poker, in terms of security, guaranteed income and mental stimulation. But sometimes, I can’t help feeling jealous of others with nothing but poker to think about. Deauville was a clear run. I had one Observer column to write, but the playing days were only midday till 9pm so there was time for that - and it’s a train journey away, rather than a flight, so there was no Valium recovery to worry about. I felt pretty positive as I sat down on Day 1, and had a great first couple of levels, getting my 30k opening stack up to 55k by the first break. But somehow, as level 3 kicked in, I suddenly and immediately developed a serious cold. Like, a ridiculous cold. Running eyes, sudden temperature change, non-stop sneezing. Luckily, the ladies’ room was able to provide a seemingly endless supply of scratchy French loo paper: not only could I blow my nose at will, I could bring some home to sand the kitchen wall. I laughed when I saw a photo of myself on Facebook. It was taken by Hugues Fournaise, who’s always taken lovely pictures of me at tournaments (there’s one on the columns page of my blog site at the moment). He’s

There are other, huge psychological benefits to having another job (or several) aside from poker, in terms of security, guaranteed income and mental stimulation. But sometimes, I can’t help feeling jealous of others with nothing but poker to think about.

a very flattering photographer. In Deauville, this was the kindest he could do: I’d title it Portrait Of Woman With Cold. My eyes seem to have gone smaller than currants on a snowman. Still, what the hell. It was lovely to see that beautiful town in the snow. I curled up to nurse my cold in the room, with valiant Kirsty Thompson from PokerStars who braved the health risk to come round for room service and a terrible Ashton Kutcher “comedy” on the pay-per-view TV. No Strings Attached, it’s called. For the British and American market anyway. It has a different title for Europe, as we discovered with some embarrassment when the TV wouldn’t work and the maintenance man had to come and fix it. “Zair you are”, he said when it was fixed, staring at Kirsty and I on the sofa with an enormous smile on his face. “‘Sex Friends’ eez all ready to go.” Interestingly, this isn’t the most embarrassing French translation incident I’ve experienced in the last fortnight. The week before, I was in Paris for the European Poker Awards: a very generous evening given by Bruno Fitoussi of the Aviation Club de France; and hurray for Jesse May winning the Lifetime Achievement Award, both because it’s massively well deserved and because this award is named in honour of Jesse’s great friend Rob Gardner, the original producer of Late Night Poker, who died a few years ago at the terribly young age of 36. I know Rob would have loved to see Jesse

win this award and I was very moved to be there and witness it. Anyway, I arrived at the awards with Joe and Barny from The Hendon Mob, who were given seating cards for a different table to mine. Being a shy sort at parties, I asked quietly at the desk if I could move to their table rather than one with strangers. “Ce serait très gentil”, I murmured, “parce que j’ai peur de m’assoir entre des étrangers”. The man looked at me in horror, but quickly changed my seat. Too late, having walked down the stairs, I realised: inconnus! Not étrangers, inconnus! What I had actually said, to my kindly French host was: “I want to sit on a different table because I don’t like foreigners”. Marvellous. I’m sure I’ll be the toast of Paris for a while… Anyway, Deauville. I made Day 2 of the High Roller event, but got knocked out when I decided that 48,000 in chips with blinds at 1,000-2,000 with a 300 ante was too few chips to pass Ad Qd after a raise, so I “fourbet-shoved” and my opponent called with AK. As well he might (although, with my table image, he might also have not.) I’m sure I’ll go again next year, and hope to be healthier. But I won’t forget how beautiful it looked in the sneau.

POKER 52 auropa // march-april 2012 // ISSUE 4

UPCOMING TOURNAMENTS

Tournament

World Poker Tour Vienna

Beware of the wolves at WPT Season X

Once again, the World Poker Tour Series will stop in Austria from 10th to 15th April, for an exciting week of poker. During the 5-Day €3,200+300 Main Event, big money will be at stake, as last years winner Russian Dmitry Gromov, took home a first prize of €447,840, and that number should be even bigger this year. So come to Vienna and take your chance to enter the history of this legendary tournament, which broke the record of WPT field (555 players) in Europe!

For the second time, the beautiful city of Vienna will host the World Poker Tour from 10th to 15th April. The Austrian leg of the tour will once again be a highlight of the great series: perfect organization, fantastic location, in a charming city and gathering the best world players for what will sure to be a hardcore competition. Vienna is not easy ground. So prepare your A-game and be ready for a lot of tension and adrenaline. The €3,200+300 Main Event will start on 10th April in the sumptuous casino Montesino with 30,000 chips and will last for five days. Many sides events will be running at the same time, such as a 2-Day €9,700+300 High-roller event starting on 13th April with 50,000 starting stake, a 2-Day €1,000+80

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By Steven Lake

NLH event starting on 12th April, and a NLH Bounty turbo on the last day. A €300+40 200K guaranteed side event will be played from 4th – 8th April, as well as a series of games with buy-ins ranging from €300+30 to €500+50. In Vienna, you’ll be able to experience the charms of Central Europe, its music, its history, its delicious chocolate and pastries, but don’t forget you’re at the gates of Eastern Europe, so beware of the young Slavian wolves coming to town to eat you alive! Last year Russians Dmitry Gromov and Maksim Kolosov respectively won the first (€447,840) and the second (€241,180) prizes. They’re hungry and merciless, so the competition will be very tough. Come and defeat them if you dare!

SCHEDULE Date 04.04.12 05.04.12 06.04.12 07.04.12 08.04.12 08.04.12 09.04.12 09.04.12 10.04.12 11.04.12 11.04.12 12.04.12 12.04.12 13.04.12 13.04.12 13.04.12 14.04.12 14.04.12 14.04.12 15.04.12 15.04.12 15.04.12

Time 17:00 17:00 17:00 15:00 15:00 17:00 15:00 17:00 13:00 13:00 17:00 13:00 17:00 13:00 15:00 17:00 13:00 15:00 17:00 13:00 15:00 17:00

For more information go to www.montesino.at

Tournament 200K guaranteed Day 1A 200K guaranteed Day 1B 200K guaranteed Day 1C 200K guaranteed Day 2 200K guaranteed Final Day NLH 550E Day 1 NLH 550E Day 2 PLO 330E Main Event Day 1A Main Event Day 1B NLH Turbo Main Event Day 2 NLH 1080E Day 1 Main Event Day 3 NLH 1080E Day 2 Highroller Event Day 1 Main Event Day 4 Highroller Event Day 2 6-Max Day 1 Main Event Final Table 6-Max Day 2 NLH Bounty Turbo

Buy-In 300E + 40E 300E + 40E 300E + 40E

Stack 10k 10k 10k

500E + 50E

12,5k

Levels 30 min 30 min 30 min 40 min 60 min 40 min

300E + 30E 3200E + 300E 3200E + 300E 300E + 30E

10k 30k 30k 10k

30 min 60 min 60 min 20 min

1 day event

1000E + 80E

15k

40 min

2 day event

9700E + 300E

50k

60 min

2 day event

500E + 50E

12,5k

40 min

2 day event

1000E + 80E

15k

20 min

1 day event

5 day event

2 day event 1 day event 5 day event

POKER 52 auropa // march-april 2012 // ISSUE 4

Tournament

Casinos Austria Poker Tour Salzburg & Innsbruck

Great poker

tournaments

in the Austrian Alps After its stops in Seefeld and Bregenz in January and February respectively, for the beginning of its fifth season, the Casinos Austria Poker Tour will reach the cities of Salzburg and Innsbruck, from 10th to 15th April and 13th to 17th May respectively, where hundreds of thousands of euros will be at stake. Both series will start with a €500 2-Day Deepstack, and will be highlighted by the €2,000 Main Event, which will begin on 14th April and 19th May for two days of tough game. Here is the program of these two wonderful festivals held in the welcoming casinos of the Austrian Alps.

Springtime is one of the best seasons to visit Austria, and with these great tournaments it’s the perfect excuse to travel to the most beautiful cities of this mountainous country! The historical city of Salzburg will host the third leg of the CAPT 2012 from 10th until 15th April. Its old town has one of the best-preserved and renowned styles of baroque architecture in Europe, and is since 1997 has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Tyrolean city of Innsbruck will host the CAPT from 13 th until 17 th May. Located in the Inn Valley, between high mountains, it is famous for being the host of several Winter Olympics and for its Old City: full of historical buildings, museums,

By Julien Morello

and welcoming parks and gardens. They are both lovely destinations where you will enjoy playing poker.

A very professional tour

The “savoir-faire” of the CAPT teams does not have to be proven, for years every leg of this poker tour welcomes the best European players as well as top-notch German and Austrian stars of poker, like Sandra Naujoks. The structure of the Main Event is particularly interesting, with a starting stack of 15,000 chips and the possibility of a second chance up to the third level. There are nine levels of play for Day 1, and the tournament starts at 2pm for everyone.

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Tournament

How to get there? Salzburg and Innsbruck airports have scheduled flights to major European cities such as Vienna, London, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Brussels, Hamburg, Zürich and Dublin. Innsbruck Kranebitten Airport, the largest in Tyrol, is approximately 4 kilometers from the city, and is connected to the center and to Innsbruck Central Station by city bus F, which runs every 15 minutes (18 minutes journey). Salzburg W. A. Mozart Airport, the second largest in Austria, is 3.1 kilometers from the center of the city, connected via Slazburg trolleybus no.2, no.8, and Slazburg bus no.27.

The best Austrian, German and Swiss players will be there to take a share of the great prize pool, so get prepared for some tough days of poker. Two extraordinary casinos…

These two festivals will be held at two extraordinary locations. The Casino Salzburg, perched on the Mönchsberg Mountain overlooking the city, where it’s located inside the Schloss Klessheim palace, 4 kilometers west of the city center. This magnificent baroque castle was designed by Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach, Austria’s greatest baroque architect, who based his design on Versailes and the Palladian style of northern Italy. The combination of baroque art and modern gaming give the casino an atmosphere of its own. The Casino Innsbruck, for its part, was opened in 1992 and is rightly considered one of the most beautiful casinos in the world. Its has a favorable location amidst the Tyrolean Mountains, its impressive architecture, the tasteful interior in the spacious rooms and the warmth of its employees is an extraordinary experience in an elegant atmosphere. In each casino you will feel at home and in the perfect condition to play your A-Game. 34 ISSUE 4 // march-april 2012 // POKER 52 auropa

…for two amazing series

Besides the €2,000 Main Event, which will run in Salzburck from 14th and 15th April and in Innsbruck from 19th and 20th May, where more than a hundred players are awaited, the two festivals will host several interesting side events, such as the 2-Day €500 Deepstack event, with 20,000 starting stack. Among other events, Salzburg offers a 2-Day €350 Deepstack event between 10th and 11th April, while Innsbruck proposes a €300 Deepstack Turbo tournament with 30,000 starting stacks on the 17th May. In total, the Salzburg series is expecting a €400,000 prize pool, while Innsbruck estimates its total prize pool to be €500,000. The best Austrian, German and Swiss players will be there to take a share of the great prize pool, so get prepared for some tough days of poker. In Innsbruck, if you meet up with an Austrian player called Will Fuhrer, be very careful: he won the CAPT Main Event two times in a row, for a cumulative cash profit of €100,000, and he is the current defending champion. We have warned you!

CAPT Salzburg Open

€2,000 Main Event List of Winners 2008

Field: 84 players 1st Gerhard Schiesser 2nd Markus List 3rd Dominik Pfeiffer

€47,880 €35,100 €25,540

€65,440 €46,740 €32,720

€55,650 €40,300 €28,790

Field: 116 players 1st Cyrill Ziegler: 2nd Bernhard Perner 3rd Peter Faibesoner

€61,710 €44,080 €30,870

2010 €60,650 €43,320 €30,320

2011

Field: 97 players 1st Andreas Dygruber 2nd Seung Song 3rd Erich Kollmann

Field: 101 players 1st Mihai Manole 2nd Johann Fest 3rd Christian Von-Rohr:

2009

2010

Field: 114 players 1st Marco Liesy 2nd Philip Hollinger 3rd Ronny Kaiser

€2,000 Main Event List of Winners 2008

2009

Field: 123 players 1st Thomas Hofmann 2nd Dragan Galic 3rd Matthias Pialek

CAPT Innsbruck Open

Field: 99 players 1st Will Fuhrer 2nd Jacques Mauron 3rd Stefan Hofmann

€54,550 €39,500 €28,210

2011 €53,450 €38,700 €27,650

Field: 79 players: 1st Will Fuhrer 2nd Leon Tsoukernik 3rd Omer Kaya

€45,030 €33,020; €24,020

Where to stay in Salzburg?

Where to stay in Innsbruck?

Hotel Auersperg**** starting at €135 Hotel Mercure**** starting at €100 Star Inn Hotel*** starting at €64 Hotel Salzburg**** starting at €140 Schlosswirt Anif**** starting at €110 Hotel Bristol***** starting at €170

Grand Hotel Europa***** starting at €125 Hilton Innsbruck**** starting at €135 SportHotel IGLS**** starting at €150 Austria Trend Hotel Congress Innsbruck**** starting at €80 Best Western Hotel Neue Post**** starting at €100 Hotel Ibis starting at €89

POKER 52 auropa // march-april 2012 // ISSUE 4

Tournament

European Poker Tour Berlin

Another tough

week of poker

The PokerStars European Poker Tour will make its 3rd visit to the exciting German capital for a great poker series hosted in the Spielbank Berlin from 16th until 21st April. Get prepared for a huge €5000 + €300 Main Event, as this stop has been since its first edition in 2010, one of the most popular and biggest tournaments on the European circuit program. Players coming from all around the world love to compete in this “global city”, famous for attracting an impressive field, full of top pros fighting for a share of the massive prize pool. In 2010, the young Kevin MacPhee came back to America with a €1,000,000 first prize, while Benjamin Willinofsky launched his poker carrier last year, grabbing €825,000 for his first victory in a major event. But big money is not the only reason to attend the EPT Berlin, as this poker festival is the occasion to discover one of the most lively and dynamic cities on the continent. In April, Berlin will be the place to be!

When the EPT stopped in Berlin for the first time in 2010, it was an immediate success, as if the poker world had been waiting for this event to happen for a very long time. For its first season, it brought an incredible field to the German capital, getting 945 players to compete in the Main Event. Since then, attendance decreased slightly, with 773 entries, but 2012 is expected to be a very good year for the German event, so you’d better pack your bags and fly to the great Millenium city in April for a crazy week of poker in the heart of the European cultural and artistic avant-garde!

The new center of European cultural life

With its 4,000,000 inhabitants and its 520m2, the German capital is one of the largest cities in Europe. Completing its transformation since the fall of the Wall in 1989, Berlin has since developed a vivid atmosphere, which attracting youngsters and tourists from all over the world, looking for a rich experience in this city full of history, symbolized by its great monuments, such as the Brandenburg Gate and the Reichstag parliament, but also definitely modern. Each district of Berlin is different, and all have their very own and specific character, from ancient Mitte, to nonconformist Kreuzberg, fashionable Kürfurstendamm and showy Prenzlauer Berg, so discovering this huge city is always a highly surprising journey.

By Julien Morello

How to get there? By air

Berlin’s main international airport, Tegel Airport, has direct flights from main European cities or connections via Frankfurt and London. From the airport, there are regular express bus services into the city; a taxi will cost approximately €20. Budget airlines also fly direct into Berlin’s Schoenefeld Airport. From Schoenefeld Airport, you can reach the city by train or taxi; a taxi will cost approximately €25 - €35.

By train

The new Berlin Hauptbahnhof, opened in 2006, is the central point of arrival for all long-distance trains, with the exceptions of night trains from Moscow, Warsaw and Kiev, which start and end at Berlin Lichtenberg. More information see www.bahn.de

By bus

Many companies offer a bus service from major European cities to Berlin, such as Prague, London, Paris, etc.

POKER POKER 52 auropa 52 auropa // march-april // août 2011 2012 // NUMÉRO // ISSUE 41

Tournament

As a European center for the arts, with numerous museums, galleries and theatres, Berlin has a reputation of creating the avant-garde in design, fashion and music, with its dynamic street art, techno and visual creation scenes, which have made the German capital the night-life hotspot of the continent. By night and day, Berlin offers everything smart travelers are looking for, and it’s the perfect venue for a big poker tournament.

Perfect German event planning in the biggest casino in town

Since 2011, the European Poker Tour is hosted inside the Spielbank Berlin, the biggest of the three casinos in town, located only 200m from the futuristic architecture of Postdamer Platz. Opened in 1998, during the great renovation of the Postdamer Platz area, the Spielbank Berlin is a modern building, designed by the world famous Italian architect Renzo Piano. This “Las Vegas of Berlin with a touch of Monte Carlo’s glamour” offers everything the gambling lover is expecting, slots machines, French roulette and Blackjack, and provides exclusive shows within its Sternberg Theatre. Obviously, poker enjoys a special treatment in the Spielbank. Since the opening and the expansion of the poker floor in 2008, the casino quickly became the best spot to play poker in Germany, with its large number of high roller cash games tables. The casino also hosts some of Germany’s biggest tournaments, such as the Pokerdealer EM, and the organization of the EPT Berlin 2011 reached the perfection, for the great pleasure of the participants. There is no doubt EPT staff have made the right decision moving this big series to the Spielbank, guaranteeing the success of the biggest German poker event. 38 ISSUE 4 // march-april 2012 // POKER 52 auropa

€5,000 Main List of Winners Season 6 - 2010

field: 945 players 1st Kevin MacPhee 2nd Ilari Tahkokallio 3rd Marc Inizan

€1,000,000 €600,000 €350,000

Season 7 - 2011 field: 773 players 1st Benjamin Wilinofsky 2nd Max Heinzelmann 3rd Vadim Kursevich

€825,000 €500,000 €300,000

€10,000 High Roller Event List of Winners Season 6 - 2010

field: 48 players 1st Andreas Bauer 2nd Jeffrey Sarwer 3rd Koen Berendsen

€188,000 €110,000; €67,000

field: 48 players 1st Daniel Drescher 2nd Sebastian Ruthenberg 3rd Philipp Gruissem

€192,000 €115,000 €67,000

Season 7 - 2011

Hotels Hotel Palace Berlin

A tough week of poker

Crowds of players are expected to come and try to succeed Canadian PokerStars qualifier Ben “NeverScaredB” Wilinofsky. The then-22-year-old from Ontario went back home with €825,000, for his first live cash ever, even though he had more than a million dollars in online cashes coming into the event. 773 players from 50 countries entered the 6-Day €5,300 EPT Berlin Main Event creating a €3,865,000 prize pool and tried to best the young and humble online pro. The attendance was slightly lower than the previous year, when Kevin MacPhee took the biggest part of the €4,725,000 prize pool, but the German EPT is still one of the most popular of the European tournament, as it attracts a huge and cosmopolitan field, including top pros such as Fabrice Soulier, Roberto Romanello, Fatima Moreira De Melo, Vadim Kursevich, Marcel Luske, Bruno Fitoussi, Marko Neumann, Tobias Reinkemeir and Theo Jorgensen, who all finished in the money. Besides the regular EPT side events, with buy-in ranking from €330 to €5,200, such as the €2,150 NLHE event, the €3,200 Heads-Up event, the €1,100 Omaha challenge and the €5,200 6-Max tournament, the EPT Berlin will host the famous €10,300 High Roller 8-Max event. Last year, German Daniel Drescher bested his fellow countryman Sebastian Ruthenberg for €192,000, succeeding to his other compatriot Andreas Bauer, who defeated his 47 opponents for €188,000. 2012 is expected to be a particularly great edition, as players from all over the world plan to come to Berlin for this huge festival, so if you want to be the next monarch of Germany, get ready for a tough week of poker!

Located in the center of the city, just a stone’s throw from the Casino, the Hotel Palace Berlin offers 249 elegant rooms and 33 tastefully furnished suites, as well as a swimming pool and a Jacuzzi, a tepidarium, a Finnish Sauna, an ice grotto and a relaxation room, as well as a solarium and a fitness bar. So after a long day of poker, this is the perfect retreat to recharge your batteries and come back to the Spielbank for the win! •B udapester Straße 45 10787 Berlin-Charlottenburg

Regent Hotel

Located in the vibrant district of Mitte, just a few blocks from the Spielbank Casino, this 5-star hotel is one of the “best places to stay in the world,’ according to Condé Nast Traveller. Here, first-class amenities, iconic design and perfect service attract the rich and famous, so don’t be surprised if you meet Brangelina or George Clooney in the lobby. The Regent also offers some of the best food in Berlin, as the only 2 Michelin-starred restaurant in town is part of the hotel. • Charlottenstraße 49 10117 Berlin-Mitte

Hotel Adlon Kempinski

The grand dame of Berlin’s luxury hotels, but also an iconic landmark of the German capital, Hotel Adlon Kempinski attracts presidents and celebrities from all over the world for its elegant and old-world charm. Conveniently located a few minutes from the casino, the 5-star hotel offers lavish spa and gym facilities, Michelinstarred restaurants, and unparalleled service. • Unter den Linden 77 10117 Berlin-Mitte

POKER 52 auropa // march-april 2012 // ISSUE 4

Tournament

Restaurants Fischers Fritz

With 2 Michelin stars for the fifth consecutive year, the restaurant of the Regent Hotel is a real institution in town. Chef Christian Lohse will take you to 7th heaven with his seafood and fish innovations. The cuisine is exceptional, the décor is classic and sumptuous, yet the menus are surprisingly affordable, so there is no reason not to try the best gourmet food in Berlin! €24 - €120 •C harlottenstraße 49 10117 Berlin-Mitte

Hugos

After getting high on adrenaline on the poker table, take a deep breath and get high...literally. Hugos will take you to the 14th floor, where breathtaking panoramic views of Berlin are waiting 40 ISSUE 4 // march-april 2012 // POKER 52 auropa

for you. Here, you will enjoy the most exquisite and innovative cuisine, along with an amazing selection of wines – more than 600 bottles to choose from. In short, this 1-star restaurant is extraordinary in all kinds of ways, so it’s worth spending a little more than usual. €110 - €150 • Budapester Straße 2 10787 Berlin-Charlottenburg

Tausend Cantina

Definitively an unconventional option you could think at first, but without any doubt one of the best restaurants in town. You should rush to this small Mitte address while it’s still confidential and discover its excellent, high-concept Iberico-Japanese cuisine that will revolutionise the very existence of your taste buds forever. A place you cannot regret, nor forget. €30 - €70 • Schiffbauerdamm 11 10117 Berlin-Mitte

Nightlife Berghain

An institution in Berlin’s nightlife scene, and celebrated by many as one of the world’s best clubs, Berghain’s throbbing techno beats and hedonistic vibe draws thousands of locals every weekend to party until the sun comes up. Celebs like to party here too Lady Gaga was spotted recently - although the club is anything but glamorous; located in a former power plant, Berghain has a minimalist design with lots of concrete and steel. Entrance is quite selective. •A m Wriezener Bahnhof 10243 Berlin Friedrichshain

NEU! Bar

NEU! was founded in 2009 by Alex Konuk, a lover of subversive underground art and music who has created a deadly high-class hang-out that hosts regular events. In this simultaneously cosy and cool club, beer flows all night, and as with all truly alternative boozers, there’s a fine selection of whiskeys. Don’t forget to bring a cigar. •G reifswalderstr. 218 10405 Berlin-Friedrichshain

Tier

Smoky, dim, demure, Tier is one of Neukölln’s standout hipster havens. This raffish, understated bar sports expansive, appropriately fogged glass windows that act as a fishbowl frame to the cobblestone streetscape outside. The atmosphere is cosy and friendly, •W eserstraße 42 12045 Berlin-Friedrichshain

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Tournament

EMOP ESTORIL CASINO

For the love

of the game

The Casino Estoril is a vast, luxurious complex of gambling and leisure which, as a rule, tourists never miss. Located in Estoril, 18 kms from Lisbon and 20 kms from its international airport, the Casino Estoril the largest in Europe, enjoying world-wide prestige.

The most famous room at the Casino - and the one that has contributed most to its international prestige - The Black and Silver Room, a large and spectacular Theatre Hall and Restaurant, is equipped with state-of-the-art technology, accommodating up to 1,000 persons. It can also be used for large congresses and meetings up to 1,200 persons. The Black and Silver Room is more than the «ex-Libris» of the Casino Estoril, it is the true «show cathedral» in Portugal. A statute recognized nationally and internationally, thanks to a policy of artistic programming that allows a daily exhibition of its shows in the theatre, with a quality and greatness at the level of the best in a world-wide scale. The Black and Silver Room is equipped with the best technology

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By Steven Lake in sound, illumination and special effects. The unforgettable Galas shine the international music stars in the theatre stage of the Black and Silver Room: Liza Minelli, Ray Charles, Júlio Iglésias, Natalie Cole, B.B. King, Dionne Warwick, James Taylor, Chris de Burgh, Manhattan Transfer, Art Garfunkel, Shirley Bassey, Lionel Richie, Michael Bolton and the greatest names of the Portuguese musical panorama. Enjoying a fabulous view over the gardens - The Foyer of the Black and Silver Room – is normally used for Welcome Drinks, Receptions, Conferences and Meetings. The Chinese Restaurant – The Estoril Mandarim – has been distinguished among the most elegant ones in Europe. Here, you will be able to taste the genuine art of the culinary of

EMOP SCHEDULE Tuesday 27th March • 20:00 - Super-satellite, 100+10€, freezeout, 7,500 starting stack, 25 min. levels • S it & Go several limits •C ash games NLH/PLO several limits Wednesday 28th March 2012 • 20:00 - Super-satellite, 100+10€, freezeout, 7,500 starting stack, 25 min. levels • Sit & Go several limits Guangdong region, confectioned with dedicated substances imported from the origin... The Estoril Mandarim is also open for lunch, being the exclusive «Dim-sum» its special attraction, beyond another 119 menu specialties. With a luxurious decoration, the Estoril Mandarim also has 3 private rooms with capacity for 6 up to 42 people, beyond the main room. With a capacity of 150 people, the Zeno Lounge is recognized as one of the best restaurants of the new Portuguese cuisine. There is also a modern Auditorium and Theatre Hall, which can accommodate 400 people, where congresses, jazz, theatre and classical music concerts and ballet performances are held regularly. Located in the central body of the Casino Estoril, there´s the new Café de São Bento Restaurant. Set in this stylish leisure and culture complex, it recalls the old Lisbon restaurant by successfully preserving the original concept and essence, with only a few decorative alterations appropriate to the modern décor of the Casino Estoril. Open until three in the morning, it is certainly a trendy and chic place for dinner or a late-night snack. The LoungeD – In this peculiar space of the Casino Estoril were several musicians, singers and artists perform in constant rotation, conferring to this space unique characteristic that invites you to have a drink in an environment of rare quality and comfort. Besides the daily programming, there are monthly cycles of special events, jazz and Rock music and shows with the most representative performers of Portuguese music. Due to the area is frequently used for Welcome Drinks, Receptions and the service of Buffet Dinners. The Art Gallery is one of the most prestigious in the country, with permanent exhibitions of painting and sculpture, normally used for Welcome Drinks and Receptions. The Casino Estoril has two different gambling floors, with 800 slots where you can try to win one of the Jackpots, exceeding the amount of €700.000,00 or you can enjoy the Roulettes, Black Jacks, Baccarat and the unique Portuguese dice game, the Banca Francesa. And obviously there is a Poker room with Cash Games and regular tournaments.

• Cash games NLH/PLO several limits Thursday 29th March 2012 • 1 6:00 – Main Event start day 1A, 1000 + 100€, freezeout, 20,000 starting stack, 6 levels of 45 min., remaining levels 60 min.. • 21:00 – Satellite for day 1B, 100+10€, freezeout, 7,500 starting stack, 25 min. levels • Sit & Go several limits • Cash games NLH/PLO several limits Friday 30th March 2012 • 1 6:00 – Main Event start day 1B, 1000 + 100€, freezeout, 20,000 starting stack, 6 levels of 45 min., remaining levels 60 min.. • 21:00 – Side event Day 1, 200+20€, freezeout, 15,000 starting stack, 30 min. levels • Sit & Go several limits • Cash games NLH/PLO several limits Saturday 31st March 2012 • 15:30 – Main Event start day 2 • 16:00 – Side Event start final day • Sit & Go several limits • Cash games NLH/PLO several limits Sunday 1st April 2012 • 15:30 – Main Event start final day • 16:00 – Side Event, 150+15€, freezeout, 8,000 starting stack, 25 min. levels. • Sit & Go several limits • Cash games NLH/PLO several limits

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Tournament

European Poker Tour Madrid

The Castilian’s

way of Poker For its last stop before spring, Madrid will welcome the European Poker Tour from 11th until 17th March for the second time in a row. Because the EPT Grand Final will return to Monte Carlo, Madrid won’t be the big last stop of the season like it was last year, but it will still be a great rendezvous for all the European poker fans. The Casino Gran Madrid, in the Spanish capital’s suburb of Torrelodones, will be the home of this weeklong series, highlighted by the €5,300 Main Event, and the €10,600 High Roller event, won last year by Venezuelan Ivan Freitez and Franc Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier, for €1,500,000 and €153,000 respectively. Plenty of exciting side events are scheduled during this Spanish competition, with buy-ins ranking from €330 to €5,300, for a great choice of games. So make sure you’ll be a part of it, as the biggest poker names won’t miss this Castilian poker fest! By Julien Morello 44 ISSUE 4 // march-april 2012 // POKER 52 auropa

How to get there?

Aside Barcelona, Madrid is now part of the major international poker circuit, as the city entered in the European Poker Tour history in a remarkable way, being chosen as the Season 7 Grand Final for its first edition ever. This year, the Madrilene series will run during the regular season, but this festival is still worth the trip, as the world poker champions will be there to grab a share of the huge prize pool at stake in the exciting Spanish capital.

One of the most fascinating European capitals

Famous for its beautiful and stunning architecture, such as the Palacio Real, the Puerta del Sol, the Plaza Major and the Plaza de Colon, Madrid owns an admirable cultural and artistic heritage, for a big part concentrated into the Museum Triangle, with its three major art museums, the Museo del Prado, the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum of Art, and the Reina Sofia National Museum and Art Center. Modern and cosmopolite, the Royal city is also a very dynamic metropolis and one of the most fascinating capitals on the continent, with its great shopping districts and markets at day, and its vivid nightlife, surely one of the most active in the world, which you will surely enjoy after a long day of poker. But if you prefer sport, and you are Spanish soccer fanatic, you may know that Atlètico Madrid will meet with Granada FC at 5pm on the 11th at Vicente Calderon Stadium, while the great Real Madrid will face Malaga at the mythic Santiago Barnabeu Stadium at 5pm on the 18th. It is worth staying a bit longer in Madrid to experience the madness of a Spanish soccer game, especially in Barnabeu where players as great as Pepe, Sergio Ramos, Kaka, Christiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema offer

Madrid Barajas International Airport is located 13km from the city center and is served by many regular and low-cost European airlines. To reach the city center, you can take Cercanias commuter train (line C-1) and Metro (line 8 pink, 12 minutes). From Terminal 4, the simplest option is to take commuter train to Nuevos Ministerios stop, where you can transfer to line C-3 and C-4. Express bus reaches O’Donell, Cibeles and Atocha, while public buse 200 and 294 operate between Barajas airport and Plaza Colon and Avenida de América (every ten minutes). Taxis from the airport to city center cost around €30. Do not accept offers from drivers inside the terminal, since these are often illegal and you might get ripped off.

a great show every time. But the major venue of this week will be the Casino Gran Madrid, a big entertainment complex located 29 km from Madrid city center, with three game rooms offering French and American Roulette, Black Jack, Punto Banco, Baccarat, more than 200 slot machines as well as several high stakes poker tables, with PLO and NLHE. From 4pm to 6am, the Casino is all about gambling and it also hosts two restaurants, L’Etoile and Mandalay, as well as the Divas Bar and “The Lady” night club, where you will enjoy this amazing location into the wee hours of the morning.

All kind of games, for a great series

Last year, the French poker superstar Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier showed his skills to all during the major side events, winning not only one, but two High Roller events in Madrid, for an unseen double combo performance! He first outclassed his 57 opponents in the €25,000 tournament, besting Vanessa Rousso and Gallen Hall at the final table, for a €525,000 first prize, before besting his fellow countryman Lucien Cohen and Russian Igor Kurganov at the €10,000 high roller event for €153,000 worth of extra prizes. France’s best player will be in Madrid in March, doing his what he can to keep his €10,000 title (the €25,000 will be held in Monte Carlo this year) in order to maintain his first place on the European Poker Tour All-Time Leaderboard. For his part, Venezuelan Ivan Freitez bested 685 players at the €5,300 after five days of competition, leaving Madrid with €1,500,000. He overcame a cosmopolitan final table, with big names of poker, like Fatima Moreira De Melo, James Bord, Tobias Reinkemeir, Lucien Cohen, Surinder

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Tournament

€10,000 High Roller Event Finale Table Results

Season 7 - 2011

Field: 44 players 1st Bertrand Grospellier 2nd Igor Kurganov 3rd Lucien Cohen 4th Nicolas Chouity 5th Mike McDonald 6th David Peters

€25,000 High Roller Event Finale Table Results

€153,000 €123,000 €60,000 €43,000 €30,000 €22,200

Sunar, Eugene Katchalov, and Williams Reynolds, who all reached the money and took a share of the massive prize pool. Top pros are expected again this year, and the battle will be brutal for the second EPT title awarded in Madrid. Besides the 5-Day €5,300 Main Event and the 2-Day €10,300 8-Max High Roller event, the series will host no less than 22 tournaments, with buy-in ranking from €330 (including the Women’s Event) to €5,200, with the Turbo 6-Max event. All kind of structures, buy-ins and tournaments are arranged, 46 ISSUE 4 // march-april 2012 // POKER 52 auropa

Field: 58 players 1st Bertrand Grospellier 2nd Benjamin Spindler 3rd Juha Helppi 4th David Sands 5th Vanessa Rousso 6th Alex Repik 7th Galen Hall 8th Peter Jetten

€525,000 €316,000 €185,000 €135,000 €100,000 €72,000 €57,500 €45,000

such as the €330 NL Turbo Rivers! event, the three €1,000 + €100 Turbo 8-Max Bounty events, the 2-Day €2,150 NLHE event, the 2-Day PLO Single Rebuy 8-Max tournament, the 2-Day €3,200 Heads-Up event as well as the very special €1,000 + €100 “Win the Button” NLHE event, running on the two last days of the festival. You will have a large choice of games to pick, adding to the many chances that will make this edition of the EPT in Madrid 2012 an unforgettable experience!

Restaurants

Nightlife

Inside Casino Gran Madrid

Diva’s Bar

L’Etoile and Mandalay

These are the two restaurants of the Casino Gran Madrid Complex. L’Etoile offers a classic décor with an innovative cuisine while Mandalay brings you to a retro New-York atmosphere with a great selection of live music.

In Town

La Terraza del Casino

There’s another casino in town: Casino de Madrid, one of the most sumptuous gambling establishment in the world, in which you’ll find the most beautiful and delicious restaurant in Madrid. Two Michelin stars, a fantastic modern décor, and an eclectic and exciting Spanish cuisine, a must-try. • Casino de Madrid Alcala 15

Great music and a good choice of drinks are to be found in this newly renovated bar located inside the Casino Gran Madrid complex. You don’t need to go any further to unwind after a long day of poker!

Kapital

If you really want to unleash the party animal inside, then go to Kapital! This amazing seven-floor nightclub is one of the most famous in Madrid. Located in the center of the city, it is claimed as one of the most modern clubs for its ambiance as well as music. Open Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday from midnight to 6 am. • Calle de Atocha, 125 Madrid

Hotels Hotel Gran Almenar

A superb 4-star hotel with amazing modern architecture is only a few minutes away from the Casino Gran Madrid. The perfect place for a luxurious stay close to the poker tables. • Jaraiz 28290 Las Matas

€10,000 Main Event Finale Table Results Season 7 - 2011

Field: 686 players 1st Ivan Freitez €1,500,000 2nd Torsten Brinkmann €900,000 rd 3 Tamas Lendvai €550,000 4th Andrey Danilyuk: €400,000 5th Juan Maceiras Lapido Jr. €315,000 6th Eugene Yanayt €250,000 7th Alexandre Gomes €185,000 8th Andrew Li €130,000

Hotel Torrelodones

This beautiful 3-star hotel is ideally located in Torrelodones, only a stone’s throw from the casino. A very practical and comfortable option indeed. • Sama de Langreo 28250 Torrelodones

NH Palacio de Tepa

If you prefer staying in the city center of Madrid, and you want to indulge and give yourself the most absolute luxury you can find in the whole country, then you should stay at the NH Palacio de Tepa, a superb restored 18th century townhouse with amazing facilities and absolutely gorgeous rooms. • San Sebastián, 2 28012 Madrid

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Tournament

Pokerstars and Monte Carlo®Casino European Poker Tour Grand Final

Back to the roots From the 23rd April to 1st May, the European Poker Tour Grand Final is back to Monaco! After relocating the traditional closing event of the European series in Madrid last year, everything will go back to normal for the 8th season, bringing back the biggest event of the most popular poker series in Europe to the Mecca of luxury and gambling. This ever growing final stop will once again attract crowds of players from all parts of the world. Who will succeed Ivan Freitez, Venezuelan winner of season 7? Well, take your chances and come to Monaco, it could just well be you. By Jerome Schmidt

The European Poker Tour Grand Final has always been held in Monaco since its first edition, in 2005. Well, always except last year, as the Société des Bains de Mer and the European Poker Tour announced that they would not renew their partnership. For the first time, in 2011, the gilts and glamour of this gorgeous seaside mini-state were not part of the game. It was a huge disappointment, as Monaco is the very essence of gambling in Europe. Something was missing. As if Las Vegas was evicted of the WPT series. As a replacement, Madrid held the €10,600 Grand Final last year. And what a year! The Spanish capital had the tough challenge to relocate the holy week of poker, and did an amazing job. The entire seven-day festival was spectacular and the finest poker players were there to try to grab the €1,500,000 first prize of the Main Event. 686 players were competing, generating a total prize pool of €6,860,000. Venezuelan Iva Freitez won the jackpot, defeating a final table composed of no less than eight different nationalities. High level poker, with an incredible diversity: the EPT at its best.

EPT Grand Final

€25,000 High Roller Event List of Winners 2009 - Season 5

Field: 79 players 1st Vanessa Rousso 2nd Randy Dorfman 3rd Tony G

€720,000 €434,000 €257,000

2010 - Season 6

Field: 113 players 1st Tobias Reinkemeier 2nd Olivier Busquet 3rd Dori Yacoub

€956,000 €597,600 €358,500

2011 - Season 7

Field: 58 players 1st Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier €525,000 2nd Benny Spindler €316,000 3rd Juha Helppi €185,000

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Tournament

This year, the Grand Final will be back where it belongs, in the gorgeous Mediterranean principality of Monaco. Edgar Stuchly, the EPT president, expects a thrilling tournament in April, and already defines it as “the biggest and best EPT festival ever” for what will be “an incredible tournament”. No doubt the EPT will roll out the red carpet for its awaited come back to Monaco! The event will be specially rebranded for the occasion, with a co-sponsoring from Pokerstars and Monte Carlo®Casino, and no expense will be spared to make it unforgettable.

Monaco, a paradise for gamblers With a population of only 36,000 inhabitants and a surface of 1.98km2, the beautiful seaside principality might be one of the smallest countries in Europe, it has nonetheless five casinos, a great number of palaces and private clubs, thus making it a pure concentrate of luxury and opulence, and a real paradise for gamblers. With over 1000 slot machines, the tiny state offers the largest collection in Europe! Speaking of records, Monaco has the highest millionaires and billionaires per capita in the world, so don’t be surprised if everything is upscale and everyone seems to be rolling in it. They are. The Société des Bains de Mer has many hosting possibilities for the biggest event of this season of the EPT, as it owns all five Monegasque casinos, all more stunning than the next. This year, the atmosphere will be trendy in the very contemporary Le Sporting, a 1600m2 complex that is turned into an amazing casino only in the summertime. It offers an exclusive selection of games, such as English Roulette, French Roulette, Chemin de Fer, Punto Banco, 30/40, Banque à Deux Tableaux, Craps, Black Jack and of course Poker.

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Forget all you know about luxury and come to the Monte-Carlo Bay Resort

Le Sporting is located in the huge Monte-Carlo Bay Hotel and Resort, also home to the gorgeous Bay Casino, equipped with 150 new generation slot machines. Get prepared for a shock. You don’t really know what luxury means as long as you haven’t seen the incredible setting of the Monte-Carlo Bay Resort. This spectacular, prestigious club is nested on a dream-like peninsular, offering 334 rooms to die for in a 4-star hotel, four hectares of Mediterranean and tropical gardens, a magnificent lagoon with fine sand and cascades, an amazing spa, as well as tennis courts, a golf club... and of course, an astonishing view on the mountains and beaches of the nearby French Riviera. The European Poker Tour Grand Final will be held from 23rd April until 1st May, right before the International Film Festival in the neighboring city of Cannes, and the 70th Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix. It’s the perfect time of the year to appreciate the sophisticated and distinguished atmosphere of the city, just before the hot summer months, as spring is getting just warm enough to make the first bikinis blossom along the beach and around swimming pools.

Reviving tradition Monaco is a part of EPT history, and its Grand Final Main Event launched the carrier of many young players, such as the American pros Jeff Williams and Gavin Griffin, respectively the 2006 and 2007 champions. The series come back this year to revive the tradition, a tradition full of big names who brought action at the Monte Carlo Bay Casino: Gus Hansen, Eugene Katchalov, Dario Minieri, Antony Lellouche, Carlos

EPT Grand Final

€10,600 Main Event List of Winners Season 1 - 2005 Field: 211 players 1st Rob Holink 2nd Brandon Schaefer 3rd Alexander Stevic:

€635,000 €350,000 €178,000

2006 - Season 2 Field: 298 players 1st Jeff Williams 2nd Arshad Hussain 3rd Aleksander Strandli

€900,000 €492,000 €251,000

2007 - Season 3 Field: 706 players 1st Gavin Griffin 2nd Marca Karam 3rd Soren Kongsgaard

€1,825,010 €1,061,820 €610,550

2008 - Season 4

Mortensen, Sorel Mizzi, Antonio Esfandiari, Luca Pagano, Sebastian Ruthenberg, Isabelle Mercier, Joe Hachem, Phil Laak, Vitaly Lunkin, Jean-Paul Pasqualini, Annette Obrestad, Kevin MacPhee, and Lex Vedhuis, all of these top pros have entered the Monaco Grand Final history by cashing at least once during the Main Event. The €25,000 High Roller events saw as well their crowds of superstars, as Vanessa Rousso and Tobias Reinkemeier have been crowned in Monaco, besting high level fields for huge prize money. Indeed, there is always a lot of money to grab in the principality of gambling. The former Monte Carlo champion Nicolas Chouity came back to Lebanon with €1,700,000 in prize money, and in 2009, the Dutch player Peter De Korver set the series record, cashing €2,300,000 for his achievement. This year again, the field is expected to be huge, maybe bigger than usual, so don’t miss the opportunity to break the record for first prize.

A perfectly shaped program Besides the 6-Day €10,600 Main Event and the 3-Day €25,500 High Roller event, which will highlight the weeklong series, the EPT Grand Final will provide a set of events perfectly shaped for all kind of games and budgets, with buy-in ranking from €300 + €30 to €5,000 + €250. Several €330 No Limit Hold’em Turbo tournaments will regulate the daily action, including a €330 NLHE Ladies Event. Pot Limit Omaha fans will enjoy the 2-Day PLO 8-Max €5,250 and the €1,050 PLO Turbo events, and NLHE players will have a large range of choice, between the 2-Day €5,250 8-Max event, the 2-Day €5,250 Heads-Up event, the two €2,150 events (including one 8-Max Bounty) and the several €1,100 NLHE events that will run during this exciting series.

Field: 842 players 1st Glen Chorny 2nd Denes Kalo 3rd Maxime Villemure

€2,020,000 €1,179,000 €715,000

2009 - Season 5 Field: 935 players 1st Pieter De Korver 2nd Matthew Woodward 3rd Mikhail Tulchinskiy

€2,300,000 €1,300,000 €800,000

2010 - Season 6

Field: 848 players 1st Nicolas Chouity €1,700,000 nd 2 Josef Klinger €1,000,000 3rd Dominykas Karmazinas €700,000

2011 - Season 7 Field: 686 players 1st Ivan Freitez 2nd Torsten Brinkmann 3rd Tamas Lendvai

€1,500,000 €900,000 €550,000

Everything is set to bring you the perfect stay in Monaco, enjoying the exciting atmosphere of this incredible city, in one of the most beautiful part of the world, during the biggest spring poker festival. Perfect weather, glamorous settings, stunning facilities and supremely well-structured poker events, Monte Carlo is waiting for you in its gaming paradise. So be sure to reach the French Riviera by the end of April and intend to enter the European circuit history!

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Tournament

How to get there

Hotels Monte-Carlo Bay Hotel and Resort This high-end complex hosting the EPT has so much to offer that you could forget the outside world. The gorgeous Monte-Carlo Bay Hotel and Resort, with its sophisticated 30’s facade, offers 334 rooms overlooking the splendid surrounding bay. But what makes this 4-star hotel even more special is its incredible facilities. A sandybottomed swimming pool with cascades, a spa, a golf club, tennis courts, four of the greatest restaurants in the country, as well as a fantastic brand new casino, be careful, you might never want to leave! Special rates for EPT participants • 40 Avenue Princesse Grace 98000 Monaco

Hôtel de Paris The Hôtel de Paris is the most prestigious establishment in Monaco. Built in 1864, this 5-star hotel is the ultimate luxury experience you can get in a country that’s already made of luxury. This sumptuous Empire-style building offers 3 multi-awarded restaurants, one of the most beautiful spas in the world, and 182 rooms including 37 junior suites, 41 suites and 2 Diamond suites, which are stunning beyond words: 200m2 of beauty on the top floor of the hotel... It’s not even luxury anymore, it’s pure opulance. • Place du Casino 98000 Monaco

Fairmont Monte-Carlo Located in the heart of the principality of Monaco, between the Mediterranean Sea and the legendary Casino of Monte Carlo, the Fairmont Monte-Carlo hotel is a unique 4-star resort. For starters, it’s one of the largest hotels in Europe, with 602 guest rooms, residences and suites, 2 restaurants, a bar, and 18 meeting rooms. But it also has one the best sea views you will find, as well as a spa and an amazing brand new pool on the roof. • 12 Avenue des Spélugues 98000 Monaco

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Nice Côte d’Azur Airport, the biggest international airport in Southern France with 10 million passengers a year, is located 40kms from Monaco. There, you can grab a public Rapide Côte d’Azur bus, a taxi, or the Nice Airport Express bus departing for Monaco every 30 minutes (€19 for a single trip, €30 for a round-trip). Heli’Air Moncao provides regular helicopter services between Nice Airport and Monaco. This is surely the easiest way to reach the principality, as the helicopter ground crew takes you and your luggage to the Nice heliport by van, and a car service takes you directly to your hotel upon your landing in Monaco. From the sky, the views on the French Riviera are amazing, and your 7 minutes flight will be an unforgettable experience. Rates form €120/person.

Restaurants The Blue Bay This is the place to discover what audacity tastes like. Michel Ravin, chef at the Blue Bay, lets his creativity take you far, far away from conventions. Have you ever thought of combining sea bass and strawberries, or tamarind, sole and truffles? Only here you’ll be able to experience these exquisite and unforgettable innovations. €27 – €100 • 40 Avenue Princesse Grace 98000 Monaco

Le Louis XV - Alan Ducasse

Well, of course, we could talk about this restaurant forever, but let’s start with three simple words: Three Michelin stars. Yes, Alain Ducasse is one of the most prestigious French chefs and his establishments are always the paradise of gastronomy. Le Louis XV is one of them. All the Riviera’s traditional dishes are here, such as gnocchi, Mediterranean sea bass, breast of squab, but with the fantastic touch of the Master, making them deliciously overwhelming. €140 - €200 Place du Casino 98000 Monaco

La Brasserie du Café de Paris

This place is a famous “rendez-vous” setting in Monaco, as the atmosphere is relaxed and lively, reminiscent of the authentic charm of a Parisian bistro. A panoramic terrace will let you enjoy the beautiful lights of the South as you dip into French classics from all regions such as onion soup, croque-monsieur or foie gras. The prices are quite affordable, still quality and service are always impeccable. €15 - €40 • Place du casino 98000 Monaco

Nightlife Saphir 24 Lounge & Bar Open 24 hours a day; seven days a week, the Saphir 24 Lounge & Bar is the beating heart of the Fairmont MonteCarlo. The large window offers an amazing view over the Mediterranean Sea and the Italian cost. Family friendly with its games room, the Saphir 24 is the perfect place to relax after a long day of gambling, where you can listen to live jazz music, enjoying one of the tasteful cocktails from the menu. By day or by night, this place will surely be your general headquarters. • 12 avenue des Spélugues 98000 Monaco

Stars’N’Bars After a major facelift in early 2012, the Stars’N’Bars will be bigger, better and even more beautiful when you are in the French Riviera by the end of April. Right in the center of the port of Monaco, this three story entertainment complex and its American-style service is a temple dedicated to the sport, with one of the largest sports collections in the world, including an actual Formula 1 car suspended over the bar. You can enjoy live sport events on the giant video

screen and on the two dozen plasma TVs in the evening, and dance in the night-club during weekends. And if you see a familiar face, don’t be surprised, celebrities are at home at the Stars’N’Bar. Open until midnight, Monday to Wednesday, and 1am from Thursday to Sunday. Night-club until 5.30am, Friday and Saturday. • 6 Quai Antoine 1er 98000 Monaco

Jimmy’z Monte Carlo Located inside the Sporting Monte Carlo, the heart of the Monegasque cultural life, since the 70’s Jimmy’z has been the most famous night club in town, welcoming local jetsetters and world celebrities such as Bono, Michael Schumacher, Naomi Campbell, George Clooney, Penelope Cruz and Lionel Richie. It’s Japanese garden and it’s bar, “La Pagode” give to this magical place a unique atmosphere. Influenced by the British club and electro movement, Jimmy’z hosts some of the most famous international DJs, with Bob Sinclar, Axwell, Martin Solveig and David Guetta providing wild music sets until dawn. Open every day from 11.30pm. • Avenue Princesse Grace 98000 Monaco

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Tournament

Unibet Open Poker Tour Paris

First edition in the French capital

After Prague in February and before London in August, the Unibet Open will make its first ever stop in Paris from 3rd until 6th May. The popular European series is growing each year, adding new locations to its circuit and becoming more and more exciting. 500 players from all parts of the world are expected to come to the tables of the Cercle Cadet to compete for an estimated prize pool of €500,000. It’s the perfect opportunity to discover the French capital in the springtime and maybe score a victory after defeating some of the best poker pros, so get ready!

The Unibet Open Poker Tour has wanted to stop in Paris since the series was created in 2007, but it never got the chance. French laws were just too restrictive. In 2010, a big final was even programmed in the French capital, but was cancelled due to legal delays. Now it’s official, the law on gambling permits the European company to operate out of the Cercle Cadet of Paris: it’s finally happening, from 3rd to 6th May, so what are you waiting for? Get qualified for this big event!

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By Julien Morello

All the French poker pros will be there, such as regular participants of the Unibet series Nicolas Dervaux, JeanPaul Pasqualini, Nicolas Ragot and Alexandre Bartelot, but international players like Michael ‘Timex’ McDonald and Pieter De Korver or Michal Wisniewski are also often part of the field. This stop in France will be the opportunity to challenge the big names of poker, but also to discover the wonderful city of Paris during the best climate, before the hot summer months.

Restaurants

Nightlife

Café de la Paix

Ice Kube Bar

Pétrelle

Le Baron Rouge

This beautiful café and restaurant is a real institution, and its reputation is well deserved. Open in 1862, it has been offering a tasty and audacious cuisine ever since, and has one of the best terraces in Paris. • 5 Place de l’Opéra 75009 Paris

Charming Parisian décor, fantastic ingredients and gastronomic cuisine are the winning recipe of this little restaurant of the 9th arrondissement. A must-taste to discover French savors. • 34 rue Pétrelle 75009

This is a surprising drinking concept: this amazing bar is igloo-themed, with a bar made entirely out of ice and Siberian temperatures to match. It looks fantastic and attracts crowds of locals and jetsetters alike. • 1-5 Passage Ruelle 75018 Paris

The quintessential bar à vin you’ve been dreaming of, with a fantastic selection of wines and cheese, with a good music in the evening. • 1 rue Théophile Roussel 75012 Paris

If you want to get a chance to grab the prize of the famous European series, don’t miss those four amazing days. The usual Unibet structure for Paris

Things will get serious inside the Cercle Cadet Poker Room on 3rd May, the newest Parisian cards games club. Tables will be ready to welcome the well-known NHL Freeze Out €1,500+150 Main Event, with the usual two starting days on Thursday and Friday. Saturday 5 th will combine the remaining players together into one group, and the last day will be dedicated to the final table. Players will begin with a 20,000 starting stack, for 60 minutes levels, starting with blinds of 25/50. Side events will be organized on the second two days, with buy-ins of €200 and €500, such as an exciting selection of Omaha events, team events and ladies’ events as well as the classic NLH events, and cash games will also be available.

Full packages including buy-in, accommodation, meals and €300 travel money worth €2,500 are available. The players will stay in the gorgeous Hotel Concorde Lafayette, a 4-star establishment located near to the most beautiful street in the world, the Avenue des Champs-Elysées. So if you want to get a chance to grab the prize of the famous European series, and to be the first winner ever of the Parisian stop of the Unibet Open Poker Tour, don’t miss those four amazing days of pure game in May! You’ll be followed closely by thousands of viewers in more than 50 countries, as Unibet will broadcast live streaming of the series on their website. And don’t say this to the French, but among the 20 Unibet Open champions, only 3 won the title on their own country. So, it’s surely your time to shine!

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Tournament Unibet Open Tour

List of Winners 2007

1. Warsaw Stale Lokse

2008

2. Budapest NA 3. Madrid Joao Barbosa 4. Milan Domenico Tinnirello 5. Warsaw Simon Johansson

2009

Hotels Hotel Concorde Lafayette

A sublime 4-star hotel to enjoy the best of the French art de vivre, with a fabulous view on the Eiffel Tower, a stone’s throw from the ChampsElysées and all the monuments and designer boutiques. Special rates for Unibet Open participants • 3 place du Général Koenig 75017 Paris

Carlton’s Hotel

A few blocks away from the Cercle Cadet, this beautiful 4-star hotel will welcome you in the heart of the picturesque district of Montmartre, with a breathtaking view on the Basilique du Sacré-Cœur. • 55 Boulevard Rochechouart 75009 Paris

Alba Opera Hotel

A little jewel, located only a few meters away from the Cercle Cadet. This small 3-star hotel is a pure delight, tasteful, discreet, and charming. • 34 ter, rue de la Tour d’Auvergne 75 009 Paris

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6. Budapest Alvaro Aspas Tarrazon 7. Algare Andre Dias 8. London Thank Doan 9. Prague Fuat Can 10. Warsaw Jimmy Jonson

2010

11. Budapest Anton-Peter Wink 12. Varna Dan Murariu 13. Prague Henri Ojala 14. Valencia Thomas Thang 15. London Paul Valkenburg

2011

16. Malta Mateusz Moolhuizen 17. Barcelona Ruben Cebollada 18. Dublin Paul Nunes 19. Riga Peter Harkes

$65,900

€115,800 €121,000 $152,355

€135,000 €151,749 £187,000 €167,500 $239,778

€172,500 €150,705 €157,000 €138,080 £109,550

€117,000 €145,000 €105,300 $119,878

Tournament

Paris Open of Poker – WPT National Series

Aviation Club de France

runs the big game

After the WPT Grand Prix de Paris last September and the Euro Finals of Poker in January, the world-renowned Aviation Club de France comes back onto the international tournament series poker scene with the WPT National Series – Paris Open of Poker, running on the Avenue des Champs-Elysées from 17th until 24th March. This big series, highlighted by the €1,500 Main Event and the €750 ACFPoker Tour Paris tournament will bring all the attention to the French capital, as top French players and international poker pros are awaited in the luxurious poker club. This 2012 edition of the POP will mark the 9th anniversary of this series, one of the oldest European poker circuits, so don’t miss this Parisian festival, as hundreds of players will fight for days for one of the biggest prize pool ever.

The Aviation Club de France is an institution in the gambling world, and for a decade, the Champs-Elysées avenue gaming room offers some of the greatest poker tournament series in Europe. Established over 100 years ago, and redesigned in 2007 with a contemporary and elegant touch, the venue is a temple of poker, as hundreds of members come 24 hours a day, to enjoy a large variety of cash games and daily tournaments in a magical atmosphere, with its top class restaurant and its perfect service. The ACF gained its international reputation with the well-known Euro Finals of Poker, the WPT Grand Prix de Paris, organized since 2003 at the prestigious club, and last but not least, the Paris Open of Poker, one of the most exciting poker festival in Western Europe.

When the POP meet with the WPT

Since 2004, the Paris Open of Poker has attracted hundreds of players, generating huge prize pools. Some of the names to enter the winner’s list of this great competition include: Valentin Messina, Freddy Deeb (an ACF regular), Jean-Paul Pasqualini, Roger Hairabedian, Tristan Clémençon and Antony Lellouche. Last year the Paris Open of Poker was coupled with the France Poker Tour Season Grand Final, and attracted a field of 915 58 ISSUE 4 // march-april 2012 // POKER 52 auropa

By Steven Lake

players, making it one of the biggest poker events to ever have been held in the card room. French player Christophe Lesage bested his fellow countrymen Guillaume Lamour and Eddy Sadoun, and grabbed €164,317 for his achievement. This year, the POP has received the honor of becoming a World Poker Tour National Series event, along with Mauritius, Denmark and Czech Republic. The Aviation Club de France is now home to two WPT events, a testament to the great quality of the organization and an assurance of the success of the tournament. Last September the WPT Grand Prix de Paris €7,500 Main Event 2011 was a great sucess, with the crowning of Matt Waxman over 311 opponents for €500,000. The EFOP opened the 2012 season in a big way, with most tournaments in the series being sold out. Thereby, a huge participation is expected for the POP –WPT National Series.

Get ready for a long week of poker

This POP – WPT National Series will provide a tough week of poker, with two major events. The €1,500 + €150 5-Day Paris Open of Poker – WPT National Series Main Event will kick-off on 17 th March. The world famous gaming club and its poker room are waiting for a huge field of players, attracted by this very affordable buy-in. In order

Where to stay? • Hotel California, starting at €240 • Hotel Warwick, starting at €240 • Royal Hotel, starting at €200

• Hotel Napoleon, starting at €200 • Hotel Balzac, starting at €300

• Hotel Lord Byron, starting at €150 • Hotel Mayflower, starting at €130 • L’Arc Elysées, starting at €160

• Hotel Lancaster, starting at €320

to offer the best quality of game, three Day 1 are scheduled, from 17th to 19th March, followed by two Day 2, on 20th and 21 st March. Then, the three last days will follow, with the final table running on 24th March. The Main Event, a WPT tournament, will offer players the re-entry option, allowing those who busted on Day 1A or 1B to enter the day after, on Day 1B and Day 1C. If you want to qualify for this major event, no less than 4 satellites events will be held with buyins ranking from €50 to €200, running every day from 16th to 18th March. Then, on the second half on this poker festival, the Parisian stop of the ACF Poker Tour, one of the most popular tournaments of the season, will kick off on 24th March. This €750 buy-in event will run over two days, and two €100 satellites tournaments will be organized the days before. Finally, if you are looking for a lower buy-in event, a €300 NLHE will be held on 19th March, giving you the chance to play an interesting tournament in the classiest card room in France. Everything is ready for this intense week of high level poker, so hurry up and join the crowds of players that will rush the Parisian tables next March!

Program • 16/03 Satellite WPT POP €50 • 16/03 Satellite WPT POP €200 • 17/03 WPT POP Day 1A €1,500 • 17/03 Satellite WPT POP €200 • 18/03 WPT POP Day 1B €1,500 • 18/03 Satellite WPT POP €200 • 19/03 WPT POP Day 1C €1,500 • 22/03 Satellite ACFPoker Tour Paris €100 • 23/03 Satellite ACFPoker Tour Paris €100 • 24/03 ACFPoker Tour Paris €750 • 25/03 Satellite ACFPoker Tour « Next Stop » €100

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Tournament

European Poker Tour Campione

The “Lake Festival”

of Poker

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How to get there? Milan and Lugano airports are connected to most European cities. Milan Malpensa Airport is about 50 minutes to Campione by car, Linate Airport (Milan) is a 2 hour drive, and Agno Airport (Lugano) is a 20 minute drive. By car or taxi, leave the 19 Milano-Como-Lugano motorway at the Campione d’Italia exit, right after the tunnel. Then cross the Chiasso bridge, Tresa bridge, Porto Ceresio and Porlezza-Oria passes, following the signs for Campione d’Italia. Important notice: a special tax sticker must be displayed on front car window when driving on Swiss motorways. This coupon is available at Swiss customs offices and petrol stations. Free SPT tourist bus service from Milan at 10am from the corner of Hotel Gallia (70 minute journey). Bus service with ticket charged from Milan (corner Paleocapa) at 3pm and 8:30pm. Return from Casino di Campione at 5pm (free transfer), 7pm and 12:30am.

The small commune of Campione, a 2,300 person Italian exclave within the Swiss canton of Ticino, will host the European Poker Tour for the first time ever from 26th until 31st March. Sitting on the edge of Lake Lugano, between Lake Como and Lago Maggiore, less than 1km from the Italian boundary, the city is just 60km from Milan and offers some of the most spectacular and picturesque scenery of the alpine region, as well as modern touristic amenities. With its splendid and brand new Casino Municipale, its luxurious hotels and its fine restaurants, Campione d’Italia is the ideal location for enjoying nature, culture, relaxation and entertainment. And the Italian poker players’ community know it well, since 2011 the Casino welcomes the main tournaments series in the country, the popular Italian Poker Tour, where hundreds of participants struggle for huge prize pools. So get ready for this amazing poker rendezvous, in one of the most beautiful spots in Europe!

After Spain, with Barcelona and Madrid, Italy becomes the second country this year to receive the honor of hosting two stops of the European Poker Tour. EPT San Remo is, since 2008 one of the most awaited tournament series of the international circuit, and it’s now joined by Campione, a small piece of Italian land inside the Swiss territory, which will host the European poker procession for its early spring stop, from 26 th to 31 st March. “We’re very excited that the tour is for the first time heading to the highly exclusive region of Campione in Italy, further extending the reach of the EPT,” says EPT President Edgar Stuchly. And with its exceptional location, its luxurious setting and its great experience in big poker tournaments

By Antoine Salvi

organization, there is no doubt that EPT Campione will win over the hearts of poker fans, playing to take a share of the huge prize pool of the €5,000 + €300 Main Event.

A little piece of Italy in Switzerland

Located in the North of Italy and belonging to the Lombardy region, only 60km from Milan, the 1km2 town of Campione d’Italia is set on the southeastern shore of the Lake Lugano, which forms the border between Switzerland and Italy. But the Campione territory is actually in Switzerland, at the heart of one of the most stunning part of the Alps, where large lakes surround small mountains in a magical and harmonious

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Tournament

Hotels Hotel Funicolare Tesoro

Just a stone’s throw from the casino, this recently renovated 4-star hotel is surrounded by nature, offering a nice private lake to its guests. Close to all facilities, it still seems like the perfect cozy mountain retreat, with a stunning view on the lake and the gorgeous Alpine peaks that you will be able to enjoy from the wide open terrace, your own balcony or the panoramic restaurant. For more privacy, you can rent your own villa. Special rates for EPT participants • Lanzo D’Intelvi Campione

Swiss Diamond Hotel

Located in Switzerland – well, only on the other side of the lake - in the beautiful city of Lugano, this 5-star institution is the best expression of the Swiss hotel tradition. It’s been offering the most prestigious services in the region for 40 years and has just been renovated in an elegant and modern style, with comfort and attention to details beyond any expectations. • Riva Lago Olivella 6921 Lugano

Hotel Campione

For a more affordable option that the fantastic palaces you’ll find all around the lake, you can rely on the comfortable 3-star Hotel Campione. Solid, simple rooms with a splendid view on the lake or the gardens, swimming pool, convenient location, this friendly and reasonably priced address will satisfy you if you are not looking for absolute luxury. • Via Campione 62 6816 Bissone

atmosphere. By its specific legislation and its particular history, the commune has developed its very own culture and identity, and has been for decades one of the most attractive touristic spots of the region. The medieval town teems with high historical value monuments, such as the sanctuary of the Madonna dei Ghirli, and the several breathtaking natural wonders nearby, like the Monte San Giorgio, a World Heritage Site. Being the favorite holiday destination of the Italian and Swiss elites for decades, the city is enclosed by several 4 and 5-star hotels, which made its reputation of a unique and welcoming touristic haven.

The Casino Municipale, a lakefront piece of gold

With its first Casino founded in 1917 and opened in 1933, Campione knows what gambling is all about, attracting crowds of high stakes players from all over Europe for decades. As demand grew, the Casino Municipal moved to a brand new building, inaugurated in May 2007 and designed by the well-known architect Mario Botta. This futuristic and highly functional structure with external finishing in golden stone

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slabs has three macro volumes and nine floors, for a total area of 55,000m2 dedicated to fun, gambling and entertainment. Four restaurants, spacious and elegant interiors hosting spectacular events, the complex is above all a paradise for gamblers, offering French roulette, slot machines, Caribbean Stud Poker, Trent et Quarante, Black Jack, Punto Banco, Chemin de Fer, Fair Roulette, Virtual Roulette and of course Texas Hold’em Poker, the king of games. Since January 2011, the Casino di Campione is also home to the Italian Poker Tour, who attracted so far three popular tournaments, with fields of 471, 391 and 482 players, generating a prize pool each time higher than €1,000,000 for the successful series. Thereby, it’s not a surprise the EPT choose Campione to host its second Italian series, running from 26th - 31st March. The Main Event will be the highlight of this “Lake Festival”, with its €5,300 buy-in, along with the 2-Day €10,600 High Roller event. The series will also host a €360 + €40 Mini IPT Campione event, as well as usual side events, ranking from €330 to €5,300. Everything is ready for this huge poker tournaments series, and the entire city is waiting to offer the best experience ever to all the players, so don’t miss the chance to grab the first EPT title awarded in Campione!

Restaurants

Nightlife

The Seven

Casino Campione Bar

Lago Restaurant

NYX Club at the Casino Lugano

Panoramic Restaurant

Bar Brasserie Orient

Get to the 7th floor of the Casino Campione and you’ll find a gorgeous restaurant with a splendid panoramic view on the lake. Classic, simple dishes from Northern Italy such as beef carpaccio, risotto primavera and homemade pasta are served here in their most delicate and refined form. • Piazzale Milano, 2 22060 Campione

Mediterranean cuisine is celebrated here by multi-awarded chef Egidio Iadonisi who is offering you a fresh and contemporary interpretation of Italian flavors in a modern and chic French décor. Innovation and creativity in the plates, and the glasses... a fantastic choice of wines from Italy and France. • Riva Lago Olivella 6921 Lugano

Have a taste of the regional specialties from France, Italy and Switzerland in this gorgeous restaurant with a fantastic view of the lake. Cured raw beef, rabbit in sour sauce, crayfish linguine and a fantastic selection of cheese are waiting for you. • Lanzo D’Intelvi Campione

If you’re on a roll and you don’t want to leave the table, you can order all kinds of drinks and snacks from the Bar of the Casino Campione on the second and the third floors. An extensive selection of international refreshment, alcohols and appetizers will get you through the long games. • Via Stauffacher 1 6901 Lugano

Probably the most exciting club in around the lake, NYX is a vibrant club that makes quiet Lugano dance all night! If you’ve never been to neighboring Casino Lugano, this is the perfect opportunity to discover it, and why not take your chances there for a few games... • Via Staffaucher 1, 6901 Lugano

In a somptuous setting, treat yourself to an artfully prepared cocktail, a rare whisky which you can choose from the two hundred labels, or a glass of fine wine, selected from the Swiss Diamond Hotel’s cellars, which contain thousands of bottles, including some expensive grand cru. • Riva Lago Olivella 6921 Lugano

Italian Poker Tour Campione

€2,200 MAin Event Winners Season 2 - 2011

Field: 471 players 1st Eros Nastasi 2nd Vincenzo Scarpitti 3rd Davide Cerrato

€215,504 €134,883 €80,620

Season 3 - 2011 Field: 391 players 1st Domenico Cordi 2nd Maurizio Musso 3rd Federico Petruzelli

CHF 230,000 CHF 144,000 CHF 90,000

Season 3 (II) – 2011 Field: 482 players 1st Danilo Donnini 2nd Mikica Maitrovic 3rd Rosa Giacomo

CHF 221,000 CHF 147,000 CHF 83,000

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Tournament

WSOP 2012 Tournaments Schedule

The Biggest series stay the best From 27th May until 16th July, the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino will host the 43rd annual World Series of Poker in Las Vegas, with no less than 61 amazing events. This year, 92 extra tables from the Brasilia Ballroom will be added to the poker room, forming a total of 470 poker tables.

No more November Nine

Attractive changes have been brought to the schedule, and foremost, to the $10,000 Main Event. From 7th July, the biggest event of the world will offer three starting days. Survivors from Day 1A and 1B will return for the Day 2A on 10th July, while players from Day 1C will come back on 11th July. From 12th July, the remaining field will combine, and each day will feature 5Â levels (for 10 hours of play) until the 9 finalists will be known on 16th July. But this year, there wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be any November Nine, as the final table will be played on 28th October, while the heads-up will run on 28th October. On 1st July the world of poker will attend the largest buy-in event ever seen in poker history, called Big One for One Drop, with a $1 million buy-in. 11% of the prize pool will be donated to charity, and more than 22 top players are expected, struggling for the largest first prize in the history of poker, and an exclusive gold bracelet.

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Several attractive changes

This 43 rd edition also includes the first WSOP re-entry event (#9, a $1,500 NLHE event on 2nd June), and the first Mix-Max event, the $5,000 Event 6, with Day 1 played nine-handed, the Day 2 played six-handed, while the rest of the tournament will be played on heads-up. Event 28 will be played on a four-handed format, while the new $3,000 heads-up event (#3) will feature NLHE and PLO format, with games changing every 20 minutes. Finally, Event 49, with a $1,500 buy-in will be played without small and big blinds, but only with ante. This 2012 schedule, mixing old and traditional events with modern tournaments and structures, promises a great 43rd World Series of Poker.

2012 43rd Annual World Series of Poker Schedule Date, Time

Event 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36

27 May, noon 28 May, noon 29 May, noon 29 May, 5pm 30 May, noon 31 May, noon 31 May, 5pm 1 June, noon 2 June, noon 3 June, 5pm 4 June, noon 5 June, noon 5 June, 5pm 6 June, noon. 6 June, 5pm 7 June, noon 8 June, noon 8 June, 5pm 9 June, noon 9 June, 5pm 10 June, noon 10 June, 5pm 11 June, noon 11 June, 5pm 12 June, noon 12 June, 5pm 13 June, noon 14 June, noon 15 June, 10am 15 June, 5pm 16 June, noon 16 June, 5pm 17 June, noon 18 June, noon 18 June, 5pm 19 June, noon

19 June, 5pm

38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51

20 June, noon 21 June, noon 21 June, 5pm 22 June, noon 22 June, 5pm 23 June, noon 24 June, noon 24 June, 5pm 25 June, noon 27 June, noon 26 June, 5pm 27 June, noon 28 June, noon 29 June, noon

29 June, 5pm

53 54 55 56 57 58

30 June, noon 1 July, noon 1 July, 1:11pm 2 July, noon 3 July, noon. 3 July, 5pm (three-day event) 4 July, 12pm (two starting days, fourday event) 5 July, 5pm (three-day event) 7 July - 16 July

59 60 61

Tournament Casino Employees Event no-limit hold 'em (two-day event) No-limit hold 'em (three-day event) Heads-up no-limit hold 'em/pot-limit Omaha (three-day event) Seven-card stud high-low eight-or-better (three-day event) Pot-limit hold 'em (three-day event) Mixed Max (Day 1 nine-handed, Day 2 six-handed, Day 3 and 4 heads-up) Seven-card stud (three-day event) Omaha high-low split eight-or-better (three-day event) No-limit hold 'em Re-Entry (two starting days, five-day event) Seven-card stud (three-day event) Pot-limit Omaha (three-day event) Heads-up no-limit hold 'em world championship (four-day event) Limit hold 'em (three-day event) No-limit hold 'em shootout (three-day event) Seven-card stud high-low split eight-or-better (three-day event) Six-handed no-limit hold 'em (three-day event) Pot-limit hold 'em world championship (three-day event) Razz (three-day event) No-limit hold 'em (three-day event) Limit hold 'em (three-day event) No-limit hold 'em (three-day event) 2-7 Triple Draw Lowball (limit, three-day event) Six-handed no-limit hold 'em (three-day event) Omaha high-low split eight-or-better (three-day event) Limit hold 'em shootout (three-day event) Pot-limit Omaha (three-day event) HORSE (three-day event) Four-handed no-limit hold 'em (three-day event) Seniors World Championship (three-day event) No-limit 2-7 Draw Lowball (three-day event) No-limit hold 'em (three-day event) HORSE world Championship (three-day event) No-limit hold 'em (three-day event) Six-handed pot-limit Omaha (three-day event) Mixed hold 'em (three-day event) No-limit hold 'em shootout(three-day event) Eight-game mix (limit hold 'em, Omaha high-low split, razz, seven card stud, seven card stud high-low, no-limit hold 'em, pot-limit Omaha, 2-7 triple draw; three-day event) No-limit hold 'em (three-day event) Pot-limit Omaha world championship (three-day event) Six-handed limit hold 'em (three-day event) No-limit hold 'em (three-day event) Omaha/Seven-card stud split (three-day event) No-limit hold 'em (three-day event) No-limit hold 'em (three-day event) Poker Players Championship (five-day event) No-limit hold 'em (three-day event) Pot-limit Omaha high-low split eight-or-better (three-day event) Limit hold 'em (three-day event) Ante only, no-limit hold 'em(three-day event) No-limit hold 'em (three-day event) Ladies no-limit hold 'em championship (three-day event) 10-game mixed event (no-limit hold 'em, razz, limit hold 'em, Badugi, seven card stud, 2-7 draw lowball, Omaha high-low split, pot-limit Omaha, 2-7 triple draw lowball and seven card stud high-low split eight-or-better; three-day event) No-limit hold 'em (three-day event) No-limit hold 'em (three-day event) The Big One for One Drop (three-day event) No-limit hold 'em (three-day event) Six-handed no-limit hold 'em world championship (three-day event) Pot-limit Omaha high-low split eight-or-better No-limit hold 'em 2-7 Draw Lowball world championship No-limit hold 'em main event

Buy-in $500 $1,500 $3,000 $1,500 $1,500 $5,000 $1,500 $1,500 $1,500 $5,000 $1,500 $10,000 $1,500 $1,500 $5,000 $1,500 $10,000 $2,500 $1,500 $5,000 $1,000 $2,500 $3,000 $5,000 $1,500 $3,000 $1,500 $2,500 $1,000 $1,500 $1,500 $10,000 $1,000 $5,000 $2,500 $3,000 $2,500 $1,500 $10,000 $2,500 $3,000 $2,500 $1,500 $1,000 $50,000 $2,500 $1,500 $3,000 $1,500 $5,000 $1,000 $2,500 $1,500 $1,000 $1,000,000 $1,500 $10,000 $3,000 $1,000 $10,000 $10,000

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” y c r emercier

Isabelle o M “N

My life C H R O N I C L E I SA B E LL E M E R C I E R

as a TV host After some great Christmas time and several party-nights in Canada, under the snow, I had the great pleasure to take the brand new Airbus A-380 to fly back to Europe, mid-January. I was pretty disappointed, though, that the airplane did not offer a brand new pool or theatre (even a nightclub would do it), to entertain its passengers during the 6-hour flight to Paris Charles de Gaulle.

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There, I landed directly to my second home, the California Hotel, near the Champs Elysées, before running and going shopping to be in full throttle for the TV host job I had accepted: the 26-minute European Poker Awards program, which will soon be broadcasted all over Europe. An in English, please! All in all, it has been a wonderful experience. We shot the first scenes inside the famous Aviation Club de France, where I had discovered poker years ago. And my first interview was with my first poker mentor, Bruno “King” Fitoussi, which was maybe the best way to feel at ease for this new mission… We then shot the “Behind the scenes” sequences, whilst the jury had a heated debate about the nominees! A short nap and I was in full force for the gala night scheduled couple hundred meters from the ACF, at the luxurious Elysees Biarritz. I felt the good vibes in the air: I was so happy to meet again my ex-colleagues from the ACF and to feel like I’ll always be home there. This edition of the European Poker Awards was such a great success. I just had time to put a drop of my favorite perfume — “L’Instant”, by Guerlain—, to hop in cocktail dress, and it was time for the gala night and dinner. The dinner was like a 3-star Michelin, with a truffled risotto, and for dessert we had the chance to witness an exclusive show by the Vegas-

Jesse May, you really deserve the Lifetime Achievement Award! based magician Stéphane Vanel, who usually hosts a daily show at Paris Casino, on the Strip: “The Magic of Paris”. The award time then took place, with every winner heavily applauded by the large crowd who had gathered that night. Ilarie Sahamies, the Internet Player of the Year, was present in a funny way: his friend Juha Helppi called him on the phone, live, and we could thus witness his great joy and pride! Once the ceremony was over, I had to take on a brand new job: interviewing people! I had never done this before, but thanks to the wonderful team I had worked with and my friendship with most of the players who attended the EPA, it had been the most magical moment ever in my TV life! I had, for example, the chance to have an intimate heads-up, for the cameras, with ElkY, who had just won the “Personnality of the Year” awards. And he has such a great personality… ElkY is my new official hero!

He really deserves his award, as he had also won in 2011 the EPT San Remo and the WPT Prague… That’s what I call a super-rookie! What can I say about Jesse May? The most European poker specialist from America! It had been my best interview so far, with such a clever, moving and gentle man. It is such a great feeling for someone who is not even European to be acknowledged by this poker community for all he had done… Jesse is a fascinating person, totally dedicated to the great game of poker and lives in Denmark for years now. Long life to you, Jesse! And you really deserve the Lifetime Achievement Award Isabelle Mercier plays at the Sun Casino in Monaco.

I really enjoyed this unique proximity an interviewer can have with all the winners, and had the chance to meet, at last, Andrey Pateychuk. I say “at last” because I had commented a lot of his hands for the WSOP broadcasting in France, as he finished in 15th position (for half a million dollars) in the Main Event. Despite the fact he almost never smiles, this young Russian player is a real treat, very sweet and brilliant!

POKER 52 auropa // march-april 2012 // ISSUE 4

TONY G.

Ready

C hronic l e T O N Y G

to gamble? I write this from my private lodge deep in the heart of TonyResort in the bitterly cold Lithuania. I love the country at this time of the year – the log fires and endless roaming in the pure air. I have been out hunting with Zasko, taking care not to disturb any bears but I am constantly disturbed and distracted on twitter by Dave ‘Devilfish’ Ulliott. I have super broadband in my private lodge and he keeps spamming my twitter with messages. All I can say to him is “Where are you Dave?” Should Zasko and I go hunting for missing in action and retired poker players? Maybe my beast will hunt down the Devilfish and the big bad Roland de Wolfe. I know Roland conquered a field in France many moons ago – the Grand Prix de Paris, nonetheless, but he is missing without action. Where are you all?

68 ISSUE 4 // march-april 2012 // POKER 52 auropa

I have to say mind is fully focused now on the PartyPoker. com Premier League V in early April. My sponsors have created a pure bonanza of poker in Vienna during the first couple of weeks of April. There is my favourite tournament, the Premier League, a WPT Main Event and also the 48 televised cash game running during the Main Event. I simply cannot wait. My time has come to take down the Premier League but one thing is for sure – I am going to make it a show. At the time of writing, I heard that Selbst, Schwartz, Trickett, Frankenberger and Patrik Antonius are confirmed – that’s a good line-up. I will make sure I bring a basketball for Vanessa, Fiji water for Patrik and most importantly a trike for Luke Schwartz. Where’s the French you say? I said the same thing. I believe that ElkY is going to play – if he doesn’t, it is because he is scared. I cannot really say anything bad about the guy – he picked me for the Caesars Cup team last year when he was captain but he is going to find out who the real captain is at the table. I have also been heavily lobbying the organizers for an invite for Guillaume Darcourt to the play-off stages of the PartyPoker.com Premier League (a group of onliners and pros play for two $125,000 Main Event seats). In my mind he is fun for the game, has pink hair and is willing to lend me his Ferrari. The Pink Panther or as you prefer to call him the Pink Boa is qualified! I am strongly of the belief that we need characters in poker to bring it to the masses. I know what you really want to know though is whether Hellmuth will be there for me to crush AGAIN AND AGAIN! I think he is scared personally and that $125,000 is probably too big for him. He also has to be totally petrified that the Big Game 48 hour cash game is happening at the same time. A lose/lose situation? I know it will be for him if he isn’t invited to Premier League as we had a bet last time round that he would not come back. I could pay the full salary for two years for two full time dog groomers for Zasko if the Brat fails to make Vienna just from the bet! I tried to make contact with

him recently inviting myself around to dinner at WPT Bay 101 as it is in his hometown but he seems to have gone underground. Maybe I will find him the forest with the other retired poker players! We’ll just have to wait and see. He is not someone to learn from. I heard that if you play Day 1A of the WPT Main Event the final table of the Premier League is going to be taking place in front of the cameras in the same room. What an enticing offer that is for you – to watch me cruise to glory while you build up your stack! If you get knocked out there is the chance to enter the riotous 48 hour cash game. Last year the pain I inflicted on Martens Adenya and Roberto Romanello must have been hard to take – there was free drinks all round. The ideal scenario is to win millions from the Premier League then sit down and take on all comers for the cash game. While in Australia, I even mooted to the Chinese businessmen that they should come over but I think the beauty of this cash game is that it isn’t too big the majority of the time. In the meantime, I am about to conduct a thorough search for a new personal assistant after incidents at the WPT Venice. I was left in the cold for a long time and so it had to be bike time for my last personal assistant – he was a joke, a disgrace! I am going to be looking for a new employee online so keep your eyes out. I am not averse to this person being French as I know they are open minded. I am trying to fit in a visit to the WPT National Series in Paris between 17 th and 23 rd March so maybe I can pick one then? Anyway, I will leave you with a little rumour I heard. I’m not sure if you saw the video but I organized a high stakes scrabble game between Daniel ‘Jungleman’ Cates and Brandon ‘The Real Professor’ Adams in Australia. Jungleman told me he was coming to the Aviation Club – I am still convinced his abilities are more online more than in the live environment so you should want to play him... I think he is due in the coming weeks – someone give me a shout when he arrives!

POKER 52 auropa // march-april 2012 // ISSUE 4

fabrice

lâ&#x20AC;? soulier

u â&#x20AC;&#x153;Fabso

Aside

the poker world Happily enough, there are not only flips, bad runs and cards in life! It has been a while now that it seems impossible to me to win some money at poker, since my bracelet

last summer during the WSOP and my third place at the EPIC! I then focus more and

C H R O N I C L E F a brice S O UL I E R

more to para-poker projects, to launch some new leads towards new horizons.

Where is the dream? The freedom? This way, being a poker player becomes a really boring life.

First, I relaunched totally the MadeInPoker team, couple weeks ago, and we all work on new ideas and partnerships with the whole team: David Poulenard, Claire Pochy, Jules Pochy, Guillaume Carron and Steven Liardeaux. The team will welcome new members soon and I am really thrilled by this new poker perspective… I am lucky enough to enjoy business and friendship and by now I am very happy about this choice of life. With JAQK, it’s all about friendship as well! Some talented people who have decided to launch poker clothes, with great success. I am proud to be their ambassador and spokesperson: their clothes are hip, top-notch and perfect for poker players. I think I would not be able to involve myself in a business in which I do not believe. That is one of the many reasons I also am the spokesperson and associate for the Aces Club Player Card as well as PokerFinder, a great project. The Aces Club card is a Mastercard with a lot of advantages for players: they can manage a separate account with money dedicated to poker activities, with the possibility to withdraw part or their entire bankroll, to pay with it or even to transfer cash to another player. No need to have a wad of cash in your pocket to play poker… It is really a great tool for players! I do not intend, though, to spend my whole life in front of accounting sheets and business plans! I am a poker player in my heart, and I will never feel differently. The only thing is, I truly believe that poker is not an easy life to live, full of rollercoaster’s, and it can always be clever

to lead different projects. One must keep following the poker track, but having side-incomes can help negotiating in a better way with the usual downswings… I can see too many young people who drop from their studies too early, as they think they can become (and remain) millionaires thanks to poker. I do not especially like this idea… I recently read one of Antony Lellouche’s blog entry: Antony is a friend and one of the most brilliant cashgames ever. His swings are scary (minus 400k euros in a couple weeks…), despite his many years at the poker table. He keeps his focus, though, but it underlines that being a professional poker player is tough job. Of course, online, with the million hands played on several tables by grinders, variance is less effective, and one can get an almost regular income. But you have to keep being tihgt with your bankroll management, to play hours and hours a day… Where is the dream? The freedom? This way, being a poker player becomes a really boring life… Why earning money when you have to work 16 hours a day and not being able to have fun? One has to keep in mind that poker is a game, and must always remain a delight. Play poker, but also take time to enjoy life! Believe me that during those bad runs, I am really happy to be able to focus on other ideas and pleasures. I must hurry now, to bust from new tournaments, such as Los Angeles Poker Classic or WPT Bay 101, where I even am a bounty (it should help…)

POKER 52 auropa // march-april 2012 // ISSUE 4

StratEGY

HIGH ROLLER

Bruno “KING” fitoussi

Trust your instinct

Enter the mind of bruno “King” Fitoussi whilst playing a hand, and follow his analysis “in the tank”. For this issue, let’s go back in time, exactly a year ago, for the WPT Vienna, at Casino Montesino… Almost a year ago, I was playing the excellent WPT stop in Vienna, at Casino Montesino—a very nice venue for all the poker players. Let’s get back to this hand which took place during the sixth level of the day… I am shortstack, with half of my starting stack, and the average is three times my own stack, around 45,000 chips. On the big blind,

, and the blinds are 250-500, with a 50 ante. I get Everyone folds until a young aggressive player, who is UTG+4, decides to raise to 1,200. Couple hours earlier, he had 150,000 chips in front of him, but since then he has spewed quite a bunch. He now sits with 55,000 chips. The player next to him flatcalls

Bruno Fitoussi Big blind 500

him. He is a serious player, with 25.000 chips. The Hi-Jack, the Button and the Small Blind fold. I decide to only call his bet. As I am in the BB, I could squeeze versus tight players but I do not want to gamble right now versus an over-aggressive player with only 15,000 chips. Despite my bad position, I want to see the flop, judge if it’s good for me or not, and fold or win a big pot. I am pretty sure the UTG+4 player will make a continuation bet with any hand, and I want to see how the solid player next him reacts. Flop is As-2-3, rainbow, no spade. I check. Of course, Player 1 c-bets up to 1,800, and Player 2 goes into the tank before just calling.

Seat 1 Raise: 1200

Seat 2 Call: 1200 72 ISSUE 4 // march-april 2012 // POKER 52 auropa

France Poker Tour – high-roller € 2,500 Starting stack

30,000 chips

Bruno Fitoussi’s stack

15,000 chips

Level 6, Day 1

250/500, ante 50

Position

middle-position

Hand

6 Should I raise or should I just call? The flop seems harmless and I think I have the best hand by now. But, maybe Player 2, who has just called, has a good hand too… I put him on small pairs (2-2 to 8-8) because of his PF call, or A-x, but with no better kicker than a 10. On those 16 hands, only 4 can beat me. I do not consider 2-3 or 4-5, because I think he wouldn’t have called preflop. So, either I fold if Player 1bets the turn and Player 2 raises him, or I extract even more value on the turn by checkraising Player 2, if he bets after a check by Player 1. What would be the most annoying situation is a bet by Player 1, followed by a call or a fold by Player 2! Thus, I just call the bet on the flop.

On the turn : Nothing changes, except a possible diamond draw. I check again, Player 1 checks, showing weakness, and Player 2 bets 3.6000. At that exact moment, I feel something strange in his behavior! If I just call, I still have 8,500 chips only, 15BB. I wanted to raise him all-in but, suddenly, a voice in my head warns me: maybe Player 2 has a real monster! I then decide to only call him. Player 1, of course, folds.

2 River: I check again on this second 2, and Player 2 bets 6,800. I read it as a value-bet, and I finally fold. If Player 2 had a weak Ace, he would have checked after me. I cannot think he is on a bluff, because why would he have called on the flop without any draw? After the tournament was over for him, Player 2 told me that he had 3-3 in his hands, for a full-house. Trust your instinct!

You are the Tournament Director Series 5

Removing Chips During a Break

You are running a $10,000 Main Event and during the 1st break you notice a seat is open so you pick up the seat card but the dealer says wait there was a player in that seat and he had more than the starting stack. Just as the break is about over you see a player that you have never seen before sit down and start taking chips out of his pocket and putting them on the table. What do you do?

C H R O N I c l E hen d onmob

Jack Effel

If the player paid the required entry fee, I would disqualify him/her for taking chips off the table and concealing them. If the player did not pay the required entry fee, they would be disqualified, 86’d from all Caesars properties; gaming would be notified, and player could face a gaming conviction.

Thomas Kremser

The rule says that a player is not allowed to remove chips from a table and/or put them in his pocket. I see this situation a bit more liberal as many colleagues. When the player returns I would ask the other players at the table if they recognize the player and if they remember his approximate chip count. If both matches I would give the player a warning and let him continue to play. If any fact can’t be verified by the players I would enforce the rule and disqualify the player. From my experience these situation only happens with new and inexperienced players and it is no case of cheating.

David Lamb

The player has disqualified himself by removing the chips from the table and placing them out of view. I would notify the remaining players that chips are being removed from play as a result of the players actions.

74 ISSUE 4 // march-april 2012 // POKER 52 auropa

David Luzago

He is disqualified from the tournament and his chips taken away. A player can not carry chips out of the table at any moment, he only will be able to do it by tournament direction request and because of the normal tournament development.

Matt Savage

Depends on the player and I would investigate further but again fairness has to take precedent and I am probably going to allow 1st time player to remain in the tournament and disqualify a player that knows better.

Thomas Lamatsch

Quite a very unpleasant situation! The first thing I have to do is to check identity of the player, trying to get any information, maybe cameras in the room and talking to the other players on the table! Also, because it is in the 1st break I can easily count the chips of the whole table and can calculate the missing chips! In most of my tournaments I am running a chipcount every brake, so I could have an actual chipcount of the tournament and if it is on the 1st break, not moving players to this table, I am having a perfect count! Also in the $10k tournament we should having exactly information about seat drawing, so I can verify the player ID, too. I would give this player a penalty of two button rounds and a heavy warning, to disqualify would be too strong, because many players from the online business are playing the first time live and with good staff on the tables, it shouldn’t happen.

The first thing I have to do is to check identity of the player, trying to get any information, maybe cameras in the room and talking to the other players on the table. JP McCann

Chip security is essential in order to protect the integrity of the game. Chips must be visable at all times and any player who places chips into his pocket or hides chips will forfeit those chips and may be eliminated from the tournament. As all of the player’s chips were in his pocket, I would eliminate him in this example.

FIDPA (The International Poker Rules) Ruling (Marcel Luske) What do you do? As a dealer ..Inform the management. As a player ..ask the dealer to inform the management As the management... The IP Rule would be: 34.1 Non-value chips are used for tournament play and may NOT be removed from the tournament area. 36.1 All chips must be clearly visible at all times during the tournament. 36.2 Players may not hold or transport tournament chips in any manner that takes them out of plain view. A player, who does so, will forfeit the chips and will face disqualification. The forfeited chips will be taken out of play. 3.3 Players are encouraged to familiarize themselves with ‘The International Poker Rules’ and to take notice of any forced changes and/or modifications posted in the tournament area. Lack of knowledge regarding the rules may not be deemed as an excuse by a violator. An unintentional error should be less serious than a deliberate violation and may be ruled as such.

David Flusfeder (IFP - International federation of Poker)

IFP Rule #13: TRANSPORTING CHIPS: ‘Players may not hold or transport tournament chips in a manner that takes them out of view. Players who do so will forfeit the hidden chips and may be liable for disqualification. The forfeited chips will be taken out of play.’ In this case, there’s a clear ruling that the player is to be disqualified and the chips taken out of play.

The Mob Verdict Note: This situation was interestingly submitted by Matt Savage as it happened to him at the WSOP when he was TD. JP McCann is quite right is his assertion that ‘Chip security is essential in order to protect the integrity of the game’ and the majority of our TDs take this issue so seriously that they are for enforcing the letter of the law without reference to the circumstances. Whilst it is true that TDs particularly in the USA often make a point of announcing the penalty for this infringement at the start of a tournament we still feel that this inflexible approach may sometimes be too harsh. As Thomas Kremsner points out, it may well be quite easy to distinguish between inexperience and cheating and as Matt and Thomas Lamatch also note the identity of the player is highly relevant here. If in the TDs judgement this is an honest mistake by an inexperienced player disqualification for a first offence is far too harsh, provided the TD can be reasonably certain that the right amount of chips have been bought back into play. However, it is a very serious breach of the rules and it is vital that TDs keep control of the location and visibility of the chips. For this reason we do not think a simple warning would normally suffice and we would favour perhaps a one round penalty along the lines of Thomas Lematch’s response. This we feel would be proportionate for a first offence whilst taking into account it’s seriousness.

POKER 52 auropa // march-april 2012 // ISSUE 4

RANKING

2012 European Poker Ranking

From 1st Jan 2011 to 15th Feb 2012 Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been only couple months that the rolling ranking has started from scratch again, but four players already have crossed the symbolical million dollars mark. The Super High-Roller series during the Aussie Millions are a key to the podium: both Viktor Blom and Patrik Antonius made good during those 100k and 250k competitions. Whereas the Swede finished first in the 100k, Antonius was runner-up to Ivey in the 250k, just before Gus Hansen. The multiple tournaments in the upcoming March and April months will shake down these rankings for sureâ&#x20AC;Ś

Viktor Blom

Ranking

Vladim Kursevich

Patrik Antonius

Player

Winnings (USD)

Ranking

Player

Winnings (USD)

Viktor Blom

1,272,023

Dominykas Karmazinas

226,484

Patrik Antonius

1,235,369

Oleksii Kovalchuk

226,479

Vadim Kursevich

1,150,756

Ronan Gilligan

193,244

Leonid Bilokur

1,134,930

Luca Pagano

191,666

Gus Hansen

823,579

Govert Metaal

188,355

Paul Guichard

732,538

Stefan Huber

187,936

Mikhail Smirnov

634,156

Matthias De Meulder

184,860

Vuong Trong

431,369

Aubin Cazals

166,343

Mohamad Kowssarie

416,937

Vojtech Ruzicka

161,146

Ruben Visser

414,696

Thomas Butzhammer

159,688

Yorane Kerignard

341,939

Alessandro Longobardi

146,765

Eric Sfez

325,762

Charles Chattha

144,502

Rinat Bogdanov

301,939

Sebastian Winkler

143,287

Dave Shallow

289,032

Andrea Vitale

143,005

Bruno Jais

263,030

Bruno Lopes

141,981

76 ISSUE 4 // march-april 2012 // POKER 52 auropa

Ranking

Player

Winnings (USD)

Ranking

Player

Winnings (USD)

Juha Helppi

133,129

Lewis Hunter

78,004

Emmett Mullin

131,574

Matthew Turk

77,211

Irakl覺s Kosmadak覺s

128,310

Anatoly Gurtovy

75,950

Ross Parkhill

127,140

Michal Polchlopek

75,152

Dorde Jovanovic

122,006

Csaba Bago

David Sonelin

118,363

Alain Roy

71,585

Luis Acin

118,099

Christiaan Vanzieleghem

69,753

J矇r繫me Naye

114,762

Simon Ravnsbaek

69,066

Jean-Paul Helderman

113,860

Nils Jarefjall

68,565

Kirill Kruglov

113,608

Patrik Vestlin

68,396

Steven van Zadelhoff

108,786

Joe Roberts

68,287

Ludovic Sultan

107,842

Mikhail Lakhitov

67,204

Ognjen Sekularac

107,078

Steve Watts

66,634

Pierre Calamusa

107,071

Pietro Sibione

66,037

Michael Graydon

103,428

Borge Dypvik

66,020

Rob Angood

102,947

Salvatore Bonavena

66,002

Karim Jomeen

102,947

Paul Chapelle

65,757

Martin Jacobson

102,473

Sergey Baburin

65,757

Ben Vinson

102,187

Benjamin Dadon

65,724

Cristian Tardea

98,498

Nicholas Crisp

65,427

Michel Kirchner

96,006

Yulius Sepman

64,250

Andrew Wan

95,815

Adam Cedric

63,175

Andrea Dato

94,964

Jean Thorel

62,665

Pasi Sormunen

94,682

Ondrej Vinklarek

62,077

Jan Heitmann

94,261

Pascal Willemin

61,643

Juan Perez

91,245

Christophe Benzimra

60,703

Peter Haslam

90,119

Dimitry Shchepkin

60,102

Yann Brosolo

89,260

Vladimir Kochelaevskiy

59,842

Alberto Spigolon

88,003

Andre Moreira

59,410

Tom Middleton

86,702

Marko Neumann

59,033

Georgios Kapalas

86,350

Melvyn Sleen

58,554

David Kolmberger

84,591

Sasha Novitskij

58,124

Jari-Pekka Juhola

82,847

Charles Harvey

57,482

Terje Augdal

79,770

100

Joep van den Bijgaart

57,209

Samir Choubani

79,696

101

Franck Boyer

56,947

74,808

POKER 52 auropa // march-april 2012 // ISSUE 4

RANKING

All time money list - Europe No big changes in the All Time Money List Europe, as all the leaders have not cashed recently in 2012. But Peter Eastgate has found a new sponsor and recently declared he will soon be back in the poker circuit, defending for sure his first place, in front of Carlos Mortensen, Gus Hansen, Pius Heinz and ElkY. Indeed, only Hansen scored big, for almost a million, at the Aussie Million 250K tournament, finishing third, which helps him to consolidate his position on the podium!

Peter Eastgate

Ranking

Country

Carlos Mortensen

Player

Winnings (USD)

Gus Hansen

Ranking

Country

Player

Winnings (USD)

Peter Eastgate

10,918,443

Surinder Sunar

Carlos Mortensen

10,806,141

Andy Black

4,380,253

Gus Hansen

10,210,073

Yevgeniy Timoshenko

4,293,868

Pius Heinz

8,876,067

Vitaly Lunkin

4,254,916

Bertrand Grospellier

8,646,603

Juha Helppi

4,172,175

Eugene Katchalov

7,027,213

Marcel Luske

3,942,166

Ivan Demidov

6,763,309

Marty Smyth

3,876,139

Sam Trickett

6,304,098

Antoine Saout

3,863,435

David Benyamine

6,189,182

Alexander Kravchenko

3,761,280

Dave Ulliott

6,006,899

Annette Obrestad

3,703,471

Martin Staszko

5,556,375

Fabrice Soulier

3,589,802

Roland de Wolfe

5,330,556

Ram Vaswani

3,477,251

Chris Bjorin

5,094,404

Filippo Candio

3,460,268

Jeff Lisandro

4,797,295

Sebastian Ruthenberg

Patrik Antonius

4,618,840

Martin De Knijff

78 ISSUE 4 // march-april 2012 // POKER 52 auropa

4,577,721

3,457,185 3,419,490

Available at www.poker52europa.fr

top ten

all time money list Italy

Ranking

Player

Winnings (USD)

England Ranking

Player

Winnings (USD)

Jeff Lisandro

4,797,295

Sam Trickett

6,304,098

Filippo Candio

3,460,268

Dave Ulliott

6,006,899

Max Pescatori

3,199,984

Roland de Wolfe

5,330,556

Salvatore Bonavena

2,264,246

Surinder Sunar

4,577,721

Luca Pagano

2,055,370

Ram Vaswani

3,477,251

Alessio Isaia

1,958,585

Tony Bloom

3,308,051

Dario Minieri

1,861,016

John Gale

3,301,782

Dario Alioto

1,381,370

Jake Cody

3,103,842

Gianni Giaroni

1,094,003

James Akenhead

2,994,779

Gino Alacqua

1,047,956

Mark Teltscher

2,933,941

Spain

Ranking

Player

Carlos Mortensen

Winnings (USD)

Germany Ranking

Player

Winnings (USD)

10,806,141

Pius Heinz

8,876,067

Raul Paez Corral

1,571,248

Sebastian Ruthenberg

3,457,185

Juan Maceiras Lapido Jr.

1,136,506

Benjamin Spindler

3,134,924

Raul Mestre

863,598

Moritz Kranich

2,905,460

JesĂşs Cortes

821,123

Tobias Reinkemeier

2,265,427

Dragan Kostic

787,510

Andreas Krause

2,246,941

Leonor Margets-Perez

672,783

Florian Langmann

2,013,634

Santiago Terrazas

651,405

Sandra Naujoks

1,710,496

Juan Manuel Pastor

567,801

Max Heinzelmann

1,674,632

Tomeu Gomila

546,662

Philipp Gruissem

1,626,840

POKER 52 auropa // march-april 2012 // ISSUE 4

RANKING Russia Ranking

Player

Winnings (USD)

Denmark Ranking

Player

Winnings (USD)

Ivan Demidov

6,763,309

Peter Eastgate

10,918,443

Vitaly Lunkin

4,254,916

Gus Hansen

10,210,073

Alexander Kravchenko

3,761,280

Theo JĂ¸rgensen

2,856,998

Alexander Kostritsyn

2,915,269

Rehne Pedersen

2,299,640

Max Lykov

2,583,844

Jan Sorensen

2,107,963

Kirill Gerasimov

2,563,108

SĂ¸ren Kongsgaard Nielsen

1,988,594

Andrey Pateychuk

2,127,793

Lars Bonding

1,816,746

Dmitry Gromov

1,565,339

Sander Lyloff

1,712,552

Vladimir Schemelev

1,459,228

Frederik Brink Jensen

1,445,057

Konstantin Puchkov

1,430,579

Rene Mouritsen

1,402,834

Sweden Ranking

Player

Winnings (USD)

Norway Ranking

Player

Winnings (USD)

Chris Bjorin

5,094,404

Annette Obrestad

3,703,471

Martin De Knijff

3,419,490

Jan Olav Sjavik

1,839,863

William Thorson

3,265,907

Andreas Hoivold

1,627,464

Johan Storakers

2,968,257

Trond Eidsvig

1,623,879

Michael Tureniec

2,753,742

Dag Martin Mikkelsen

1,470,618

Erik Marcus Friberg

2,751,068

Andreas Walnum

1,197,518

Martin Jacobson

2,749,212

Bjorn-Erik Glenne

1,092,588

Christer Johansson

2,161,275

Kristian Kjondal

1,057,150

Kent Lundmark

1,524,541

Johnny Lodden

1,029,692

Nichlas Mattsson

1,510,929

Marcel Bjerkmann

Irland Ranking

Player

Winnings (USD)

France Ranking

Player

962,181

Winnings (USD)

Andy Black

4,380,253

Bertrand Grospellier

8,646,603

Marty Smyth

3,876,139

David Benyamine

6,189,182

Eoghan O'Dea

2,513,592

Antoine Saout

3,863,435

Padraig Parkinson

1,623,023

Fabrice Soulier

3,589,802

Fintan Gavin

1,397,235

Roger Hairabedian

3,299,742

John Magill

1,207,856

Antony Lellouche

2,525,172

Dermot Blain

1,177,909

Jean-Paul Pasqualini

2,524,518

Noel Furlong

1,145,807

Bruno Fitoussi

2,416,651

Liam Flood

1,142,446

Alain Roy

2,254,056

Donnacha O'Dea

1,137,412

Arnaud Mattern

2,138,725

80 ISSUE 4 // march-april 2012 // POKER 52 auropa

tournament schedule MARCH

30 March– 1 Aprilt

27-29 April

1-5 March

BPT Ribeauvillé, Barriere casino, France

Partouche Poker Deepstack Cannes,

Italian Poker Tour Nova Gorcia, Italy

30 March – 1 April

Partouche casino, France

1-11 March

Partouche Poker Deepstack Saint-

2012 Merit Spring Open, Merit Crystal Cove Hotel-Casino, Cyprus 4-11 March Lemurian Poker Tour, Club Vegas, Madagascar 5-9 March WPT Bay 101 Shooting Star, Bay 101, U.S.A 7-11 March Mega Poker Series, Dusk Till Dawn Nottingham, England 7-11 March

Amand-les-Eaux, Partouche casino,

MAY

France

3-6 May Unibet Open Paris, Cadet, France

APRIL

4-6 May

2-8 April

BPT Nice, Barriere casino, France

Wppt Nova Gorcia, Hit Casino Perla,

10-13 May

Italy

France Poker Series Amnéville,

5-9 April

Amneville casino, France

Irish Poker Open, The Burlington Hotel,

16-20 May

Ireland

Estrellas Poker Tour, Ibiza casino,

10-15 April

Balearic

WPT Vienne, casino Montesino,

17-21 May

Austria

UK & Ireland Poker Tour Dublin,

12-15 April

Citywest Hotel, Ireland

Casino, Australia

DSO Ibiza, Ibiza casino, Balearic

18-20 May

8-11 March

12-16 April

Sat Partouche Poker Tour Oostende,

UKIPT, Dusk Till Dawn Nottingham,

Partouche casino, Belgium

Casino, South Korea

England

18-20 May

9-11 March

16-21 April

Partouche Poker Deepstack

BPT Bordeaux, Barriere casino, France

EPT Berlin, Spielbank Berlin, Germany

Chaudfontaine, Partouche casino,

11-18 March

18-23 April

Belgium

WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker

19-26 May

Showdown, Seminole Casino

WPT World Championship, Bellagio,

Hollywood, U.S.A

U.S.A

19-27 April

27 May– 16 July

Marbella Poker Festival

WSOP 2012, Rio Las Vegas Hotel &

WPT Marbella, Puerto Banús casino,

Casino, U.S.A

WPPT Gold Coast, Jupiters Hotel &

APPT Seoul, Paradise Walker-Hill

2012 Grosvenor UK Poker Tour, G Casino, Royaume-Uni 12-15 March 2012 Wynn Classic Championship Event, Las Vegas, U.S.A 12-17 March EPT Madrid, casino Gran Madrid, Spain 14-18 March DSO Cannes, Barriere casino, France 17-24 March WPT National Series, ACFPoker Tour, ACF Paris, France 22-25 March France Poker Series Snowfest, France 26-31 March EPT Campione, casino di Campione, Italy 29 March– 1 April European Masters of Poker IV Lisbon, casino Estoril, Portugal

Spain 20-22 April Sat Partouche Poker Tour Nice, Partouche casino, France 23 April–May 1st EPT Grand Final Monte-Carlo, Monte-Carlo April 24 April Final Winamax Poker Tour, France 25-30 April Land Sea Poker Tour, Portugal 27 April– 2 May WPT Jacksonville, Jacksonville Poker Room, U.S.A

POKER 52 auropa // march-april 2012 // ISSUE 4

Distribution Distribution point Regency Casino Tirana Casino Austria Baden Casino Badgastein Casino Bregenz Concord Card Casino Montesino Poker Club Graz Concord Card Casino Casino Graz Casino Innsbruck Casino Innsbruck Casino Royal Concord Card Casino Casino Kleinwalsertal PokerClub Kufstein Concord Card Casino Poker Royale Pokertreff Linz Concord Card Casino Casino Salzburg Concord Card Casinos Salzburg Casino Seefeld Concord Card Casino Casino Velden Casino Wien Concord Card Casino Casino Montesino City Poker Poker Royale Casino de Namur Casino Oostende Casino de Spa Grand Hotel & Casino Casino Cezar Casino Royal Merit Crystal Cove Hotel Hotel Bobycentrum Poker Club Live Poker Club Live Casino Atrium Hilton Casino Praha Banco Casino Spearment Casino Card Casino Prague Casino Aalborg Royal Scandinavian Casino Casino Copenhagen Casino Marienlyst Casino Odense K/S River Club Casino Munkebjerg Vejle Dusk till Dawn Cardroom Alea Casino Gala Regency Casino Gala Regency Casino Stanley Wirral Casino Maxims Casino Shaftesbury Casino China Palace Circus Casino Star City Gala Regency Casino 20 Napoleons Casino Gala Casino Annabelles Stanley Casino Stanley Casino TC Poker The Sports Bar WRCC Manhattan Club Ladbrokes eGaming Grosvenor Casino Napoleon's Casino Alea Casino Napoleons Casino Leeds

Town Tirana Baden Badgastein Bregenz Feldbach Graz Graz Graz Innsbruck Innsbruck Innsbruck Innsbruck Klienwalsertal Kufstein Leoben Liezen Linz Linz Salzburg Salzburg Seefeld in Tirol St.Polten Velden Vienna Vienna Vienna Vienna Wr.Neustadt Namur Oostende Spa Varna Zagreb Zagreb Girne Brno Brno Liberec Praha 8 Praha 1 Praha 1 Praha 8 Praha 5 Aalborg Aarhus Copenhagen Helsinger Odense C Valby Vejle Lenton Nottingham Nottingham Bournemouth Birkenhead Birmingham Birmingham Birmingham Birmingham Bournemouth Bradford Bristol Coventry Derby Farnborough Harrogate Harrow, Middx Huddersfield Kingston upon Hull Leeds Leeds

82 ISSUE 4 // march-april 2012 // POKER 52 auropa

Country Albania Austria Austria Austria Austria Austria Austria Austria Austria Austria Austria Austria Austria Austria Austria Austria Austria Austria Austria Austria Austria Austria Austria Austria Austria Austria Austria Austria Belgium Belgium Belgium Bulgaria Croatia Croatia Cyprus Czech Czech Czech Czech Czech Czech Czech Czech Denmark Denmark Denmark Denmark Denmark Denmark Denmark England England England England England England England England England England England England England England England England England England England England England

Distribution point Gala Casino Leeds S.E. Svendsen Gala Casino River Card Club The Regency Club Equal Chance Club The Empire Casino Loose Canon Sports Bar Stanley Newcastle Casino Norwich Poker Club Plymouth Grand Casino Grosvenor Casino Grosvenor Casino Stanley Albion Casino Gala Regency Casino Grosvenor Casino TCs Sports Club Broadway Casino Grosvenor Casino Grosvenor Casino Rendezvous Casino Grosvenor Casino Stanley Bristol Casino Stanley Casino The Isle Casinos Ltd Castle Hill Casino Club Hastings Terrace Club Hastings Terrace Club Grosvenor Casino The Poker Club Qstix Snooker Room High Stakes Bookshop International Club Fox Poker Club Gala Casino Barracuda Maxims Casino Club Palm Beach Casino The Sportsman Casino The Western Club Grosevenor Victoria Casino Grosvenor Casino Circus Casino Manchester Casino Drummond Central Ltd Aspers Casino Grosvenor Casino Reading Sporting Club Opera House Casino Napoleons Casino Hillsborough Grosvenor Casino Grosvenor Casino Harbour House Casino Rendezvous Casino @The Kursal Stanley Southport Casino Gala Casino Teeside Stanley Circus Casino Grosvenor Casino Full House Club Westcliff Casino Gala Casino Rubicon Casino Olympic Casino Grand Casino Helsinki Poker Saloon Helsinki Casino PAF Dr Archil Odisharia Spielcasino Aachen Spielbank Bad Bentheim Spielbank Bad Ems Casino Luzern Spielbank Bad Harzburg

Town Leeds Lincs Liverpool London London London London London Newcastle-upon-Tyne Norwich Plymouth Plymouth Salford Salford Stockport Bentley Walsall Berks Birmingham Blackpool Bolton Brighton Brighton Bristol Coventry Coventry Dudley Hastings Hastings Leeds London London London London London London London London London London London Luton Manchester Manchester Newcastle Upon Tyne Newcastle upon Tyne Newcastle upon Tyne Reading Scarborough Sheffield Sheffield Southampton Southampton Southend on Sea Southport Stockton on Tees Stoke-on-Trent Stoke-on-Trent, Staffs Surrey Westcliff on Sea Wolverhampton Wolverhampton Tallinn Helsinki Helsinki Mariehamn Tbilissi Aachen Bad Bentheim Bad Ems Bad Fussing Bad Harzburg

Country England England England England England England England England England England England England England England England England England England England England England England England England England England England England England England England England England England England England England England England England England England England England England England England England England England England England England England England England England England England England England Estonia Finland Finland Finland Georgia Germany Germany Germany Germany Germany

Distribution point Spielbank Bad Homburg Spielbank Bad Kissingen Spielbank Neuenahr-Ahrweller Spielbank Bad Reichenhall Spielbank Bad Wiessee Spielbank Bad Zwischenahn Spielbank Baden-Baden Spielbank Berlin Bremer Spielbank Spielbank Hohensyburg Casino Erfurt Casino Feuchtwangen Casino Flensburg Spielbank Garmisch-Partenkirch Casino Kiel Spielbank Konstanz Spielbank Lindau Casino Travemunde Spielbank Mainz Kupferkessel Nattheim Casino Schloss Berg Spielbank Osnabruck Spielbank Potsdam Sielbank Saarbrucken Spielbank Trier Casino Westerland Spielbank Wiesbaden Spiel Casino Ladbrokes International Ltd Gala International Casino Club Pool Hall Holland Casinos Holland Casinos Holland Casino Holland Casino Nijmegen Holland Casino Rotterdam Holland Casino Utrecht Holland Casino Holland Casino Venlo Holland Casino Eidhoven Holland Casino Groningen Holland Casino Zandvoort Las Vegas Casino The Ace Club The Blackthorn Casino Macau Sporting Club BankCasino & Card Club Club Oasis Fitzwilliam Card Club Jackpot Casino Club Silks Casino Sporting Emporium Voodoo Poker Room The Nutz Aces Poker Club Eglinton Casino The Q Club Jools Poker The Gold Club Casino New Vic Card & Gaming Club Stix J P Poker Casino dela Vallee Casino San Remo Circolo Citta di Treviso Casino Noghera Casino Vendramin Calergi Casino 777 24/02/201224/02/201224/02/2012 Royal Poker Club Casino du Liban Maameltein

Town Bad Homburg Bad Kissingen Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweller Bad Reichenall Bad Wiessee Bad Zwischenahn Baden-Baden Berlin Bremer Dortmund Erfurt Feuchtwangen Flensburg Garmisch-Partenkirchen Kiel Konstanz Lindau/Bodensee Lubeck-Travemunde Mainz Nattheim Nennig Osnabruck Potsdam Saarbrucken Trier Westerland Wiesbaden Bad Oeynhausen Gibraltar Gibraltar Amsterdam Amsterdam Breda Enschede Nijmegen Rotterdam Utrecht Valkenburg aan de Geul Venlo Eindhoven Groningen Zandvoort Budapest Buncrana Co Donegal Cork County Cork Dublin 2 Dublin 2 Dublin 2 Dublin 2 Dublin 2 Dublin 7 Ennis Galway Galway High Street, Letterkenney Letterkenny Limerick Limerick City Saggart Saint-Vincent San Remo Treviso Venezia Venezia Riga Riga Riga Jounieh

Country Germany Germany Germany Germany Germany Germany Germany Germany Germany Germany Germany Germany Germany Germany Germany Germany Germany Germany Germany Germany Germany Germany Germany Germany Germany Germany Germany Germany Gibraltar Gibraltar Holland Holland Holland Holland Holland Holland Holland Holland Holland Holland Holland Holland Hungary Ireland Ireland Ireland Ireland Ireland Ireland Ireland Ireland Ireland Ireland Ireland Ireland Ireland Ireland Ireland Ireland Ireland Ireland Ireland Italy Italy Italy Italy Italy Latvia Latvia Latvia Lebanon

Distribution point Olympic Casino Lietuva Appolonia Hotel Casino di Venezia Casino Portomaso Casino de Monaco Monte-Carlo Sun Casino Mazagan Casino Casino Marrakech Movenpick Hotel and Casino Malabata Luckys Bingo Club The Fortune Rooms Dormans Poker Room Red Gaming Club The Bridge Club Empire Bingo Group Olympic Casino Sunrise Casino Espinho Casino Del Sol Edinburgh Circus Casino Caplins Club Gala Dundee Casino Gala Maybury Casino Alea Casino Wabash Club Glasgow Stanley Casino Riverboat Casino Casino Terroubi Caesar Poker Club Slovensky Pokovry Zvaz Olympic Carlton Casino Korona Casino & Hotel Grand Casino Ljubljana Hit Casino Perla The Irish Fiddler Gran Casino de Barcelona Gran Casino Mallorca Casino de Torrequebrada 5th Street Club Casino Marbella Casino Castillo de Perelada Gran Casino Costa Meloneras Casino Gran Madrid Casino Cirsa Valencia Casino Cosmopol Casino Cosmopol Blekinge Pokerklubb Casino Cosmopol Casino Cosmopol AB Gran Casino Baden Runner Runner Club Other Poker Club Poker Passion Card Casino Biel Value Poker No Smoker Poker Poker Maniacs Casino Kursaal Interlaken Poker Cracks Poker Klub Casino Campione Poker Fever Grand Casino St.Gallen Card Casino Thun Twins Poker Royal Poker Club Kains'ka Olena Casino Favorit Aspers at Salubrious Place Gala Casino Grosvenor Casino Les Croupiers Casino Grosvenor Casino

Town Vilnius Gevgelija Birgu Portomaso, St.Julians Monaco Monaco El Jadida / Casablanca Marrakech Tanger Ballymena Bangor Co.Londonderry Armagh Co Down Magherafelt Warszawa Espinho Estoril Edinburgh Dundee Dundee Edinburgh Glasgow Glasgow Glasgow Glasgow Dakar Bratislava Bratislava Bratislava Kranjska Gora Ljubljana Nova Gorica Arguinan Barcelona Islas Baleares Malaga Malaga Marbella Prov Girona San Bartolome Torrelodones Valencia Goteborg Malmo Nattraby Stockholm Sundsvall Baden Balerna Basel Biel Biel Dubendorf Frauenfeld Hombrechtikon Interlaken Kloten Koniz Lugano Prattein St.Gallen Thun Wohlen Kharkov Lviv Odessa Swansea Cardiff Cardiff Cardiff Swansea

Country Lithuania Macedonia Malta Malta Monaco Monaco Morocco Morocco Morocco N.Ireland N.Ireland N.Ireland N.Ireland N.Ireland N.Ireland Poland Portugal Portugal Scotland Scotland Scotland Scotland Scotland Scotland Scotland Scotland Senegal Slovakia Slovakia Slovakia Slovenia Slovenia Slovenia Spain Spain Spain Spain Spain Spain Spain Spain Spain Spain Sweden Sweden Sweden Sweden Sweden Switzerland Switzerland Switzerland Switzerland Switzerland Switzerland Switzerland Switzerland Switzerland Switzerland Switzerland Switzerland Switzerland Switzerland Switzerland Switzerland Ukrainia Ukrainia Ukrainia Wales Wales Wales Wales Wales

POKER 52 auropa // march-april 2012 // ISSUE 4

DOYLE

as x e “t

”

lly o d

BRUNSON

Doyleisme of day:

«The road to success is always under construction» I’ve been persuaded to start writing my blog again. I’ll try to keep it updated at DoyleBrunson.com. I’ve had many, many problems in the past several months and I haven’t been focused on poker or poker events. After six long years promoting Doylesroom.com and internet poker, everything came crashing down on “Black Friday”. I had already left promoting internet poker before Black Friday, but that was the day that changed the poker world. Not only did that day keep U.S. poker players from playing on the internet, it took away all advertising dollars that kept the tournaments going. Maybe we will get legislation for internet gambling out of all this. We all hope so. I’ve been re-evaluating my plans for playing poker in 2012. I don’t really want to travel everywhere to play tournaments. I’ll probably play most of the tournaments in Vegas and some in California. If I’m feeling good, I really would like to go to Cannes for the WSOPE. Im going to push the envelope pretty hard this year because if I can’t compete at the highest level, I need to know it, I’m confident I can beat the mixed games because all the younger guys have one or two games they are very weak at. However I plan on playing in the big NLH with the best NL players in the world. I’ve had good results with my PLO but have never felt comfortable in the deep stack cash games. So I think I’ll try that also and play like I did when I was much younger. For some strange reason, I’ve become allergic to most kinds of meat besides some kind of fish. I can still handle a cheeseburger but for someone that has always been a steak and potato eater, it’s a big change. It seems nothing in my life has ever been normal so I guess this shouldn’t surprise me. Maybe I’ll see what all this vegan way of eating is all about.

84 ISSUE 4 // march-april 2012 // POKER 52 auropa

Poker is going strong in Vegas. There are two or three medium stake poker games every day. The games aren’t nearly as high as they were before “Black Friday”, but at least they are going every day. The games are 300/600 at the Aria and 600/1200 at the Bellagio with the stakes going a little higher sometimes. There seems to be lots of players because there is usually a waiting list. I’ve been playing 8-12 hours everyday, despite having high blood pressure, I’ve been feeling good and have been on a heater winning fourteen out of the last fifteen days. My blood pressure isn’t dangerously high but all my life, doctors have commented on how good it is. So its uncharted waters for me, the doctors said I had to give up salty foods for a while. There goes the Cheetos and gold fish snacks I’ve been eating at night. Seems like everyone is gearing up for the Presidential election. Mitt Romney won Nevada as expected and will probably be the Republican nominee for President. I voted for Ron Paul and firmly believe he would be the best President. However I doubt he can overcome Romney’s popularity and the funds he has for his campaign. Paul is a little too old and underfunded to have a realistic chance. I also believe that none of the Republican nominees can defeat Obama. I hope everyone gets out and votes in the election, America has some tough years ahead. The weather is getting nice here in Vegas, my pool heater is back on and I swim for a half hour every morning. I need to swim because my leg keep me from doing any exercise, so I plan on building up until I can swim 500-700m everyday. How I miss not being able to play golf on the nice days. Shows how we don’t really appreciate things until we don’t have them anymore. May the flop be with you! Doyle Brunson. n

Find Doyle Brunson at www.pokerroad.com