Got a tip for a future 3-Bet? Drop a note or link in the comments and we'll take a look.

Today in the 3-Bet we find Daniel Negreanu taking over the Global Poker Index rankings, Carlos Mortensen's frustrating bubble demise at the World Series of Poker and Norwegian PLO star Odd_Oddsen throwing down the skill gauntlet in Norway.

1) Negreanu Takes Over #1 Spot on GPI 300, GPI POY

He jumped the gun on his claim to #1 last month, but there's no mistake this time.

Everything's coming up fist pumps for DNegs in 2013.

 

Thanks to his impressive WSOPE High Roller win and sixth career bracelet Daniel Negreanu is now officially #1 in the Global Poker Index Player of the Year race. As the cherry on top, he's also now the #1 ranked player on the entire GPI 300.

Negreanu bumps German Ole Schemion from the top spot on the GPI 300 and Mike "SirWatts" Watson down to #2 in the POY race. The new GPI Top 10:

Dropping out of the Top 10 were Noah Schwartz, Steven Silverman and David "Doc" Sands, who is yet to tweet about it. Check the full GPI 300 and POY race here.

2) 18 Becomes 9 in Main Event, Mortensen Bubbles

The sickest day of the poker year played out again on ESPN on Tuesday with Carlos Mortensen taking the worst of it in the WSOP Main Event.

Well, if you consider collecting $573,204 the worst of it. And we do.

Nine people stayed, nine people left. The nine who stayed? You probably know their names already.

The nine who didn't make it, for history's sake: Jan Nakladal, Sergio Castellucio, Chris Lindh, Rep Porter, Fabian Ortiz, Bruno Kawauti, Alex Livingston, Matt Reed and King Carlos. Watch the carnage below:

3) Odd_Oddsen Offers $170k Freeroll to Norwegian Politicans

Somewhere Thor is smiling.

 

Like a lot of countries in the world, Norway has a strange relationship with poker.

Despite being home to some of the best players in the history of the game (Thor Hansen, Annette Obrestad and Johnny Lodden, just to name a few), poker is still technically illegal in Norway as it's considered a "game of chance."

That looks to be changing with an ongoing transition to a new government but to make the case even clearer Norwegian PLO crusher Ola "Odd_Oddsen" Amundsgård has put a unique challenge out to any Norwegian politician.

Beat him in heads-up PLO over 10,000 hands and he'll hand you 1m kroner (roughly $170k USD). If he wins, all he wants is more action pursued towards legalizing poker.

Seems like a no-brainer, no? Time to step up, Erland Wiborg. Yes, we're looking at you Erland.

More info (in Danish) here. Forum discussion about it here.

Back in July we brought you live coverage of the playdown from 6,352 to the final table and on Monday we'll be back in Las Vegas bringing you live updates, chip counts, photos and video.

But before we do we're pulling out all the stops to make sure you're prepared.

Keep reading for in-depth profiles of this year's November Nine, complete with video interviews, and get a little context on the people competing for the biggest prize in poker.

JC Tran: The Chip Leader

JC Tran has been a star on the live poker circuit for the better part of a decade but things have changed in a big way over the last few years.

Tran and his wife are expecting their second child and after a few losing years on the road, he sees this final table for the huge opportunity it is.

Tran enters the final table as the chip leader.

JC Tran November Nine Bio

Amir Lehavot: The Elder

Still two years shy of his 40th birthday Amir Lehavot is the oldest player at the table. Born in Israel, Lehavot now lives in Florida and he's been playing at the WSOP every year since 2007.

One of only two players at the table who have won a WSOP gold bracelet, Lehavot took down the $10k Pot-Limit Hold'em event in 2011.

Much respected by his peers Lehavot enters the final table second in chips with 29,700,000.

Amir Lehavot November Nine Bio

Marc-Etienne McLaughlin: The Quebecer

Marc-Etienne McLaughlin has a chance to become the second Canadian in history to win the WSOP Main Event, and he's a Quebecer just like Canada's first champ Jon Duhamel.

He's got experience, having cracked the top 100 twice before in the Main Event.

McLaughlin is riding a wave of Canadian momentum that saw Canucks win a record 10 gold bracelets at the 2013 WSOP, the most by a non-US country in the series' history.

The French-Canadian enters the final table third in chips.

Marc-Etienne McLaughlin November Nine Bio

Jay Farber: The Amateur

Before this WSOP Main Event local Las Vegas nightclub promoter Jay Farber had never cashed in a World Series event.

But according to the brash amateur the experience deficit doesn't hurt his chances in November.

Farber has been playing poker for 15 years and spent a number of years supplementing his income by playing live cash games.

Farber is sitting fourth in chips.

Jay Farber November Nine Bio

Ryan Riess: The Young Gun

At 23 Ryan Riess is the youngest player at the final table. But what he lacks in life experience he makes up for with hard-earned poker knowledge.

Riess has been playing since he was 14 and despite getting a BA in Business from Michigan State his career has always been pointed straight at professional poker.

Riess enters the final table fifth in chips.

Ryan Riess November Nine Bio

Sylvain Loosli: The Frenchman

Sylvain Loosli could become the first WSOP champion from France.

The online cash-game pro has extensive experience battling at the virtual felt but his live tournament record was conspicuously bare before this deep run.

Loosli lives in London but will be representing his home country when he enters the final table sixth in chips.

Sylvain Loosli November Nine Bio

Michiel Brummelhuis: The Dutchman

Michiel Brummelhuis

 

Michiel Brummelhuis has already made history in Holland as the only Dutch player to ever make the WSOP Main Event final table, but he could do one better and become the first Dutch world champ.

And while Brummelhuis's lifestyle is changing in a big way, that's less to do with his November Nine finish and more about the birth of his first child last month.

Brummelhuis enters the final table in seventh place.

Michiel Brummelhuis November Nine Bio

Mark Newhouse: The Grinder

Mark Newhouse is a former WPT champion and has played live cash games professionally in California for years.

To hear Newhouse tell it he's been at the top but has also experienced the challenging lows that are possible playing pro poker.

Newhouse wants to use this opportunity to give himself freedom from the poker grind. He enters the final table eighth in chips.

Mark Newhouse November Nine Bio

David Benefield: The “Retired” High-Stakes Pro

David Benefield is better known in poker circles by his online name: Raptor.

For years Benefield crushed mid to high-stakes cash games but recently stepped away from the poker world to study Chinese and Political Science at Columbia University.

Benefield enters the final table as the short stack.

David Benefield November Nine Bio

If there's something you'd like to see in the 3-Bet just drop us a note in the comment section below.

In today's 3-Bet we show you the real estate ad for Howard Lederer's $9m Las Vegas mansion, an inside look at high-stakes degeneracy, plus pass judgment on two classic poker rap music videos.

1) Lederer Selling $9m Vegas Mansion

Former Full Tilt Poker big cheese Howard Lederer appears to be selling his custom-built Las Vegas mansion for a cool $8.99 million.

That's right. Lederer's house has a human-size chess set.

 

And according to our best interpretation of Lederer's settlement with the US Department of Justice, he still owns the property.

Although the DOP named the property in the indictment, the 13,490 square-foot mansion and guest house combo only appeared in the final settlement as security for the $1.25 million penalty attached to the charge of money laundering.

The settlement stated that if the property was sold within 36 months the $1.25 million must be paid immediately. Check out the official MLS listing here.

2) John O'Shea is 'The Gambler' in New Poker Docu

Irish poker pro and gambler John O'Shea is the subject of the latest poker documentary film.

The story goes that one night in 2008 O'Shea was playing online poker and won the equivalent of a year's salary at his job as an accountant. O'Shea quit his job and now, just a few years later, he's routinely wagering hundreds of thousands of dollars.

The documentary follows O'Shea for six months as he criss-crosses the globe in search of high-stakes action.

Check out the trailer below and watch the full 52-minute version on jman.tv for £1 here.

3) Dueling All-Ins Highlight Friday Rap Battle

It's Friday which means it's time once again to pit two classic poker music videos against one another in a straight up, old-school rap battle.

Today we have two outstanding examples of the genre, both creatively titled “All-In”.

The first video is from the 2007 WSOP and it's got everything: Poker cliches, miniature rappers dancing on playing cards and Phil Hellmuth, Johnny Chan and Layne Flack lip-synching rap lyrics.

The second features legitimately talented West Coast underground rappers Grouch and Eligh. Plus it's got Lacey Jones looking pretty.

In lieu of the traditional applause-o-meter technique used to determine rap battle winners, we'll let you clap your hands via the comments section below.

The Big Bonus, which started this week on Full Tilt, is a unique promotion where the site is sending each player an offer for a personalized bonus.

You might get a crack at a free $5 or more. Every Big Bonus is released at the rate of $1 for every 25 Full Tilt Points earned.

This isn’t a sign-up bonus either. It’s open to all real-money Full Tilt players. All you have to do is opt-in if you’re not already in the middle of clearing a bonus.

You don’t have to change your game selection either. You can keep playing your favorite games and you’ll generate Full Tilt Points towards unlocking your full bonus.

If you don’t already have a Full Tilt Poker account it’s worth signing up for one through PokerListings.

Players who make a deposit on Full Tilt with PokerListings get access to a huge sign-up bonus and a variety of perks like exclusive freerolls.

Within the hour a friend of mine (a professional poker player) had contacted me through Skype and we started talking as I made my way into the deeper waters of the tournament.

The same ego that wanted the world to know I was doing well wanted me to win the tournament on my lonesome. So initially, I didn’t want my friend to help me with my decisions.

Then things changed. Greed got the better of me.

So Did I Cheat?

At first I asked him for help when I was put into a tough spot. Then, as the tournament progressed, I revealed my hand more frequently and the advice flowed more frequently.

In my mind I had already started to spend my winnings. I followed his advice to the letter and I won the tournament.

What about if you're a boxer?

 

So did I cheat?

I've thought about this long and hard and I don’t think so. Sharing your cards to help formulate a more informed decision is no different from any other form of coaching in the world of sport.

It’s the equivalent of a boxer having someone in his corner who has already fought and defeated the opponent he's facing. Every three minutes you sit down in your corner and receive advice on what to do next to exploit your opponent’s weaknesses. What about this?

Is This Cheating?

Let’s go back to the scenario I started out with. But instead of my friend helping me, he's playing in the same tournament and we end up at the final table together.

Not only can he help me but I can help him. I can tell him what my hole cards are and he can do likewise.

It's dog eat dog in poker.

 

Imagine how vital this can be if we got down to the final three spots?

Is this cheating? I think it is, and doubt there are many people who would turn their nose up at this form of collusion.

In poker, it’s dog eat dog and everyone is a pit bull with a taste for blood. People wouldn’t think twice about taking this edge.

The high costs associated with being a professional poker player mean very few players are fortunate enough to play under their own bankrolls.

Instead you see syndications formed: the most common being in the shape of backer and horse.

Now Imagine Three of the Final Four Share a Bankroll

What happens when you get a backer, a horse and a random player in three-way action at the end of a tournament?

Are we naïve enough to think that conversations are not being held during the break on the optimal way to finish in the top two spots in live tournaments? Can you imagine the problems this creates when you are playing online? 

cThe other form of syndication is one where players share the same bankroll. So instead of backer and horse you have a series of elite players who effectively use the same chunk of money to play poker with.

What if they're sharing a bankroll?

 

This has never been more prevalent than with the creation of the High Roller tournaments that are now the darling of every major tournament organizer in the world.

How does this affect the dynamic when three out of the final four players are sharing the same bankroll?

The reason this form of syndication can be damaging to the game is two fold.

Firstly, the financial rewards are so much bigger. We're talking seven-figure sums of money here.

Secondly, the player pools are so much smaller so there's an increased likelihood that the scenario I outlined will actually occur.

What’s your opinion on syndication and how it affects the game of poker?

Well, technically, tomorrow is. But today marks the start of the playdown to poker's next world champion.

The much-scrutinized November Nine will reconvene at the Rio in Las Vegas to begin the quest for the $8.3 million first-place prize and esteemed privilege of being poker's de facto ambassador for the year.

Chip leader JC Tran has the edge heading in but as we've seen time and again, it's anyone's game -- including short stack David Benefield's.

All that's left now is the battle and, of course, the watching. Here's when/how you can tune in:

Live Updates and Videos on PokerListings.com

For real-time updates on the final-table action you can tune in right here in our 2013 WSOP section on PokerListings.com at 4:30 pm. Be forewarned - we will be updating in real-time so will be ahead of the live stream, also accessible from our WSOP page, which is on a 15-min delay.

Tran in front but anyone's game.

 

We'll also be doing real-time videointerviews with the bustees as they happen so be aware of spoilers there as well.

The current Day 1 timetable:

Lon McEachern, Norman Chad and Antonio Esfandiari will call the action on the almost-live broadcast with Marienela Pereira and Phil Hellmuth doing recaps on breaks.

Kara Scott will as usual conduct the exit interviews and provide the sideline color.

Broadcast TV schedule starting Monday at 8:00pm ET - LIVE on:

Kara Scott provides color.

 

Online and Mobile:

More info on delayed broadcast schedules here.

The final nine players left in the 2013 World Series of Poker Main Event are back at the Penn and Teller theater at the Rio in Las Vegas for the thrilling playdown to this year's champ.

If you've never been to the final table we can tell you this: It's like no other scene you'll ever see in poker.

The rail is dressed to the nines, the noise is deafening, the vibe is electric and the room, literally, is shaking with every hand. Even when the big blind gets a walk.

It truly is awesome. As we get closer and closer to the 5pm PT kickoff time, here's the buzz from the Twitterverse from players, fans, friends, media and hangers-on alike:

Feeling like 8.3 million bucks this morning

It's gameday. Lets fucking go

I'm not the only one too excited to sleep in today. I just bumped into @RyanRiess1's mom & sister. They're excited! pic.twitter.com/dZLKPQB8Qx

LOTS of @RyanRiess1 "Riess the Beast" shirts at the Rio already and the line of spectators hoping for seats has already started! #dedication

IN 6 HOURS!! #greennation #retardonofoldo

Soon.

@jctran23 my gf won 500 at bjack, does that mean my run good is gone?

The amazing love I'm getting tonight should be every reason I should bust my ass and win! #blessed

Thanks everyone for all the good luck wishes! Going to have fun out there tomorrow!

This is where it will happen! pic.twitter.com/LGncBAm4Jd

@888poker @jctran23 @Jay_Farber_LV u guys ok with 2nd and 3rd? So excited, cant wait to play :)

J'espère entendre la bonne nouvelle en descendant de l'avion, allez @SylvainLoosli ! #LoosliFTW

PIC: @MarianelaTV & I in our chairs on set of November Nine. 2013 World Champion of Poker crowned Mon/Tues on ESPN http://t.co/wQBeeansTR

Made a last minute trip to Vegas and just realized that it's #WSOP final table time. I'll be watching my good friend @DWBenefield run it up.

Rooting for @jctran23 truly one of the best #november9 #WSOP

So excited for @Jay_Farber_LV !! The Rhino girls are coming in full force to support him this afternoon. #WSOP2013 #WSOP

Today is the day... The November 9 come back to play for a new world champion. Pleasure to be back in the booth w @lonmceachern @NormanChad

Got a tip for a future 3-Bet? Drop a note in the comments and we'll take a look.

Today in the 3-Bet we find David Benefield pre-emptively dodging a $200k tax hit (and maybe doing some good in the process), Greg Merson bowing out as reigning WSOP champ and we revisit Poker Hall of Famer Tom McEvoy's tremendous victory yelp.

1) David Benefield to WSOP: Can I Donate the Bracelet?

One of the less obvious downsides to winning a World Championship bracelet valued at $500,000? Paying taxes on it. Especially if you're not really the fancy memento/bling-wearing type.

November Niner David Benefield is apparently neither of those and has a pretty ingenius way of getting around the whole scenario - at least if the WSOP supports the idea:

Hey @wsop , if I manage to win the Main Event, can you guys keep the $500k bracelet and donate its value to a charity of my choice?

Despite some concerns about the disposability of a WSOP bracelet these days, the WSOP is prepared to consider it:

David, happy to discuss. This Is trophy w/ no stated value. Jason's gift to Wsop. Consider loaner if want. Sell may b different @DWBenefield

With all your best intentions @DWBenefield not wild about epidemic of bracelet sales. U may feel different when u raise it. One of a kind.

By the sounds of ensuing tweets it seems a charity auction may be in play but there's still a big 'if" involved - as in if Benefield wins the bracelet.

Given he's the short stackgoing in the odds are a bit long but if anyone can do it Benefield can. Tune in here at 5 pm PT to find out how it shakes out.

2) Merson Ends Reign as Champ, Applauds WSOP Brand

In 48 hours or so a new name will be dominating the poker headlines so before it's too late we're gonna pay one last tribute to 2012 WSOP champ Greg Merson.

Not-so-keen on the spotlight and spending much of the year playing cash games in Macau, Merson was still a pleasant and positive ambassador for poker.

He's also a pretty good dude by all accounts and he definitely brought some people into the game in Maryland, at least. Going out with class, he's also got nothing but fine words for the WSOP brand:

An honor to attend the @wsop HOF dinner. Best brand in all of poker hands down. Excited to pass the torch on Tuesday!

So that's cool. Also cool to remember: Merson won the $10k Six-Max NL bracelet for $1.3 million right before the Main Event last year.

That's one of the most phenomenal achievements in all of poker history in our books. Thanks to Greg for any and all time he's spent giving interviews and sharing his love for the game.

3) McEvoy Outburst in 1983 Still Pretty Funny

In honor of the induction of Scotty Nguyen and Tom McEvoy into the Poker Hall of Fame last night here's some footage of McEvoy winning his Main Event bracelet in 1983.

Skip to the 42-minute mark if all you want is the crazy whoop and Doyle Brunson/Texas call out in the winner's interview. It's pretty golden.

Less experienced than some of the players at the final table, Farber and Riess elevated their games on Monday and spent much of the final table with a huge portion of the chips in play.

Surprisingly the chip leader at the start of the day and one of poker’s all-time winningest players, JC Tran, failed to take control of the final table and busted in fifth place.

Newhouse, Benefield First to Fall

Short stacks Mark Newhouse and David Benefield were the first players to bust on Monday.

Although both players doubled up early it was short lived as Newhouse busted ninth and Benefield eighth.

Michiel Brummelhuis was the next player to fall in seventh, although on the bright side his seventh-place finish was the highest ever by a Dutch player.

Brummelhuis’ exit prompted a long period of inaction where play became very tentative.

The short stacks traded chips back and forth and it took hours to find the next elimination.

Farber Shatters McLaughlin with Aces Over Kings

Brutal end for McLaughlin

 

The next bustout turned into arguably the hand of the day as Marc-Etienne McLaughlin and Jay Farber played a monster with pocket aces versus pocket kings.

McLaughlin, who was one of the more active players at the final table, was on the wrong side of the cooler and ended up falling in sixth place.

From there action heated up immensely with JC Tran, Sylvain Loosli and Amir Lehavot falling in rapid succession.

Tran’s tournament came to a rather inglorious end as his A-7 didn’t hold against a surging Farber’s K-Q. He never really regained control of the table after losing his chip lead in the early stages of the final table.

Riess busted Amir Lehavot in the final hand of the day to help get closer to Farber.

Interestingly three-handed play took over 200 hands in the 2012 WSOP final table while this year it took just one. Heads-up will commence tomorrow at 5:45 p.m. Las Vegas time and we’ll play to a winner.

Here are the chip counts and payouts:

Payouts:

Jay Farber and Ryan Riess Share Thoughts on Epic Heads-Up Match

Tomorrow our final two players will do battle for more than $8.3 million and the biggest title in poker but for now all they can do is offer their predictions.

Check out the videos below to find out how Jay Farber and Ryan Riess feel about the final table so far and their chances tomorrow evening.

Not the play, necessarily - although that had its head-scratching moments at times.

Where things really took a turn for the worst last night was on Twitter where the haters came out in full - and nasty - force.

From the flow of play to the commentary to the graphics to the players themselves, the vicious attacks were relentless from some of poker's Internet heros. So mean-spirited, in fact, in today's aftermath backtracking and deleting tweets weren't out of the question.

Among the things to take the most heat? ESPN's pie charts, Sylvain Loosli's "angle shots," Phil Hellmuth and Antonio Esfandiari in the booth and, sadly, the surprisingly unsure play of JC Tran.

British pro Sam Razavi was among the few who took a few shots back. Congratulations, poker tweeters, on a masterful display of indignance and entitlement!

I guess Loosli is a genius. And the biggest piece of shit on Earth and I hope he gets what he deserves. Or, maybe, he's just a huge moron!

ESPN has access to any expert poker player to help with these strategy segments for FREE and this is what they come up with, mind blowing

tragic that we're not getting a #piechart for the 66 vs AQ fold hand

I don't know if I can handle the 2 hour wait before the next #piechart analysis.

I had a chance to sleep it off but I'm still agitated with the train wreck I witnessed last night #WSOP

Confirmed most boring final table ever. Also, @Jay_Farber_LV is a boss and he is dominating! Seriously he is only one playing exciting poker

Message me if you are selling action to the WSOP main event in any of the next 12 years.

This Larry Walker chant is so stupid. That's the best you can do? #stepyourgameup

This Loosli guy is incredibly unlikeable/tilting to watch.

Riess making Allen kessler and tony cousineau look like beasts

There is still hope for poker because people seem to think Riess is playing well

@paulgees81 drinking every time riess makes an inexcusable fold costing himself tens ouf thousands of real dollars...black out drunk already

with 1 sentence antonio esfandiari just set poker back decades and has gained all of my anger :(

For the love of god, will someone please be the first person to flat a 3bet

this is the worst segment on any show i have ever seen

Given that Riess just folded QTo in bb to a min raise, i'm gonna venture a guess that he isn't the best at the FT.

JC Tran just open folded QJ bvb to Jay Farber. Please man... at least limp... please... I... I can't do this anymore.

Marinella and hellmuth segments were torture

What a shame @scott_seiver @GriffinBenger @oncommand to name a few- all using the WSOP FT as an excuse to promote what 'bosses' they all are

The only 'Boss' most 'pro' poker players would know were it not for poker would be a greasy kid 5 years their junior working in McDonalds.

. . . get off your high horses and show a little humility, show a little class, and show a little respect for your fellow players.

Got a tip for a future 3-Bet? Drop a note in the comments and we'll take a look.

Today in the 3-Bet we find JC Tran prepared for almost everything at the WSOP Main Event final table except being card dead, a comical attempt to storm the ESPN stage by a human panda and a special moment for one of David Benefield's fans.

1) JC Tran: "I Wasn't Prepared to Be Card Dead"

With three months to build your strategy before the World Series of Poker Main Event final table gets underway you have time and resources to plan for almost anything. Hyper-aggressive play. Physical tells. Rowdy rails. Marginal decisions.

As one of the most experienced players at the table - and the chip leader coming in - you knew JC Tran had his game in optimal shape and was ready for almost anything when they hit the felt.

What he didn't see coming? A terrible run of cards like he'd never seen at a final table before.

The result? A fifth-place finish but a $2.1m payday and a classy, reflective and inspiring exit interview. Count us among the many rooting for him to get right back there next year:

2) Human Panda Flops in Streaking Attempt, Escorted Out of Rio

Oh, Panda.

If you were following along with the live stream or the virtual Twitter rail you're well familiar with the "human panda" who was part of Jay Farber's rail party last night.

Drinking heavily, as pandas do, it seemed only a matter of time before he/she made a move we'd all be talking about today. After about $6,000 was put on the table by a group of well-off poker pros, it did. But not the way the panda hoped.

Trying to hop the barrier and crash the ESPN final table set the panda face-planted twice, lost his head and, eventually, was escorted out of the Rio by security. Photo essay below:

3) Kevin Boudreau Gives Raptor Fist Pump

While most of the output on Twitter feeds last night was filled with smug entitlement or disproportionate vitriol, at least one positive tweet made it out into the world care of Tom Dwan:

I just got this text: "@KevinPhwap just saw @DWBenefield double up and he gave a fist pump and a smile" (I added their twitter handles)

Boudreau, who suffered a brain aneurysm at the World Series of Poker this summer and has been recovering slowly since, is a long-time friend of both Dwan and November Niner Benefield.

Best wishes to him and his family on his continued recovery.

An incredibly confident Riess overcame chip leader Jay Farber in a three-hour heads-up match to claim world champion status as well as $8.3 million and his first WSOP gold bracelet.

Perhaps the most startling moment of the final table came after the final card had been dealt, however. Riess made a bold statement to ESPN:

“I just think I’m the best poker player in the world,” Riess said.

The East Lansing, Michigan, native is only 23 years old and has been playing poker professionally for a little over two years. He also said he would win the 2013 WSOP Main Event before the final table even began.

"It's amazing," explained Riess to PokerListings. "It honestly hasn't hit me yet. Probably since I was 14 years old my goal was to be a professional poker player."

Local VIP Host Farber Finishes Second for $5.1 Million

Jay Farber

 

Farber, who works in Vegas as a VIP host, made a surprising run at the 2013 Main Event and entered the final day of play with a slight chip lead over Riess.

Unfortunately for Farber, Riess ran hot and made the most of his spots. Riess overtook Farber in the first hour of play.

Farber made a valiant effort to fight back from the short stack but in the end couldn’t overcome his chip disadvantage.

In the final hand Farber made an ill-timed shove with Q♠ 5♠ and got snapped off by Riess with A♥ K♥. The Big Slick held and Riess' supporters went berserk.

Won't Quit His Day Job

On the bright side Farber did pick up a life-changing $5.1 million. Despite the cash Farber said he wouldn’t quit his day job as a VIP host. He also had some kind words for his opponent.

"Ryan [Riess] loves poker," said Farber after the final table ended. "I think he will be a great ambassador for the game."

Yesterday the final nine players played down to just two with noted pros JC Tran and David Benefield among the players to fall. Mark Newhouse, Michiel Brummelhuis, Marc-Etienne McLaughlin and Sylvain Loosli also busted on Monday.

Amir Lehavot busted in third place, just missing out on the final heads-up match of the 2013 WSOP.

Riess becomes one of the youngest WSOP champions and the first to be born in the 90s.

Here are the complete final table payouts:

(Video) PokerListings Talks to Ryan Riess and Parents After Win

Got a tip for a future 3-Bet? Drop a note in the comments and we'll go take a look.

Today in the 3-Bet we find Ryan Riess declaring himself the best player in the world (no, really), Mike "The Mouth" Matusow quickly typoing him down to size and Aaron Jones rips apart the five worst played hands from the Main Event heads-up finale.

1) Ryan Riess: "I Just Think I'm the Best Player in the World"

His parents agree with him, anyway.

 

You've just won the World Series of Poker Main Event - the greatest title in all of poker - for $8.3 million.

In fairly adept fashion, too. Never in much trouble. Holding the chip lead for most of the final table. Staying confident and sure you'd back up your prviously made guarantee(!) of winning the title.

You're allowed to be a little hyperbolic in assessing your abilities, no?

Confident and outspoken about his play throughout the tournament newly crowned World Champion Ryan Riess took it to the next level in his winner's interview with Kara Scott last night when he proclaimed "I just think I'm the best player in the world."

Needless to say, it inspired some thoughts from the poker pro world:

Gave the kid the benefit of the doubt until that interview during Sportscenter.

Far more disappointing than the performance is the lack of class.

Riess's "I'm the best in the world" is the quote any 23 year old who hadn't been hit hard by variance yet would have given. Give a lil slack

Genuine congrats to Reiss for winning it. I'm sure his comments were mostly a product of feeling his oats. Can't imagine how I would feel

That being said the "best in the world" claim is ridiculous because he is likely not top 500.

It's about time someone wins the main event and not only claims to be the best, but actually may think it. Confidence is everything guys!

That being said, claiming to be the "best in the world" after winning one tournament- ya, obviously not true. Gl to the kid in the 100ks! :)

Don't be so short sighted and offended by one kid "disrespecting" the game. I see positive in that his confidence will help grow poker!

so Ryan called himself the best in the world. Maybe im the only one, but im laughing it off and not offended at all. Who cares?

Congrats to the new champ but I don't know whether to laugh or cry at the @AP article on ESPN about the win. http://t.co/7t6SWKrJ4h

This is best part of poker tournaments. Ppls egos after they win. Gl playing cash games it will be a tough road ahead.

2) Mike "The Mouth" Matusow: Congratulations to Ryan Rinse!

Thankfully Mike "The Mouth" Matusow is always on hand with his sauasge fingers and inattention to detail to cut Riess' ego down to size:

Congrats to Ryan rinse winning 2013 main event well played

Indeed. Good luck in those cash games, Mr. Rinse!

3) Aaron Jones: "Pretty Forgettable Performance" by Riess

Jones: Not inspired by heads-up play.

 

Another way to get your ego cut down to size?

Have a veteran high-stakes pro with thousands of hours of coaching experience break down the five worst hands you just played in the Main Event.

A founder at Leggo Poker and member of Team Ivey, poker pro Aaron Jones whipped off some quick analysis of the five worst hands he saw played heads-up and his conclusions are, well, less than flattering - although he does give Riess credit for picking his spots well.

Sour grapes or fair comment? An excerpt:

"The 2012 Main Event Final Table featured some pretty stellar play and the best champion we've ever seen in Greg Merson, but everyone's #pokerisdead overreaction was turned upside-down after the play at the Final Table of this year's WSOP ME.

"I thought there were some gems (used sarcastically) at the entire Final Table..."

Read the full post/analysis here.

Running Dec 1-8 the Super XL Series will pack 109 events into the schedule capped by the $500,000, $530 buy-in main.

PokerListings players can get into that event and half a dozen others for free through a series of freerolls this month.

$88 Free Bonus, Three Freeroll Tickets

Daily freerolls are running all this month at 888 Poker and signing up for a new account will get you three free tickets to play.

Finish in the Top 100 in any of the freerolls and you'll earn an entry ticket to one of seven Super XL Series events. Win a daily freeroll and you'll earn a free seat to the high-value $500k Main Event.

Here's how the top 100 finishers in each freeroll will be paid out:

Low buy-in satellites from as little as $0.10 are also running and the Super XL Series leaderboards will offer up an extra $10,000 prize pool for top players.

Sign up for a new 888 account via our 888 Poker review and get the freeroll tickets, the $88 bonus with no deposit required plus be eligible for an extra $800.

Got a tip for a future 3-Bet? Drop a note in the comments and we'll take a look.

Today in the 3-Bet we find 2013 WSOP Main Event runner-up Jay Farber living the celeb life, former WSOP Main Event champ Joe Cada with some words of caution for Ryan Riess and we figure out the secret to going deep in the Main Event - knowing (or being) Dean Hamrick.

1) Farber to TMZ: I'm Buying a Ferrari. And an Aston Martin

To everyone who thinks ESPN has "ruined" poker over the last few years here's either the perfect example for or against that theory, depending on what you think is good for the game.

2013 WSOP runner-up Jay Farber took a quick side trip to LA at the behest of Justin "BoostedJ" Smith and Larry Flynt last night and got the TMZ papparazzi treatment when he pulled up to celeb Chef José Andrés restaurant (click for video):

They clearly weren't camping out for Farber per se, and they definitely didn't know much about poker, but they knew he had some media juice at the moment at least.

Farber later spent the evening hanging out with porn stars Jesse Jane and Nikki Benz and will be on the TMZ radio show this afternoon, so, yeah. If that's your bag, finishing second in the Main Event will open some doors for you now. Oh, what might have been Martin Staszko...!

2) Cada to Riess: Be Careful Who You Trust

Make sure you trust your waverunner salesman.

 

If there's anyone who literally understands what it's like to be in Ryan Riess's shoes, it's Joe Cada.

Both from Michigan, both both scoring $8 million or so at a very young age ... in fact it feels a bit like déjà vu now that we think about it. And he definitely gets what happens next:

“He’s gonna be overwhelmed a lot with a lot of people coming to him, pulling him in different directions,” Cada told the Detroit News.

“You gotta be really careful who you trust. A lot of people are looking to steal, or steer you in the wrong direction. Choose your friends wisely and listen to the people you’re listening to very carefully.”

As for Cada, when he bought a house, a couple of waverunners and a condo in Canada where he still grinds some online poker. He also dabbled with a restaurant/bar called Cada’s Poker & Sports Grill, which is now closed and which may be part of what he's alluding to with the "wrong direction" thing.

Still, not all that much has changed for him. “I have the same clothes I wore in high school,” he said. Check the full piece here.

3) So, When Can We Hang Out with Dean Hamrick?

The secret to Main Event success?

 

We've profiled some of the more successful poker hotbeds before but we didn't mention the Detroit/East Lansing area, which we're now thinking might have been a major oversight.

With two Main Event winners and a 10th-place ME finisher in just five years (!), we're starting to think there might be something in the water besides old, stringless flying V guitars.

The common thread between those two ME winners? That ME bubble boy we mentioned, Dean Hamrick, who is a Ryan Riess confidant/investor as well as friend to Cada. He also has a WSOP bracelet of his own, no less.

Is he the secret to going deep in the Main Event? According to him he's still got a long way to go, but we might hedge our bets and invite him to our home game anyway:

Ship it!!!! Congrats @RyanRiess1

@derekfitz35 @2BIGGS7 Just gotta pick the next 11 Main Event winners right and I'll be even on investing in my life :)

Dean, if you're free we play on Wednesdays.

The World Poker Tour touched down at the Emperor's Palace Hotel Casino in Johannesburg November 4th to kick off a series of eight poker tournaments, and with four events done women have already snagged two wins.

Ronit Chamani defeated Greg Ronaldson in the $7,500 High Roller event with Spanish pro Leo Margets finishing third.

Chamani is the second most successful female South African poker player ever. Click here to read the interview we did with Chamani when she racked up four cashes at the 2012 World Series of Poker in Las Vegas.

The $1k Six-Max event, meanwhile, was taken down by Swedish poker player and entrepreneur Diana Svensk.

Svensk is the founder of a knitwear brand and has cashes in live events in Las Vegas, Dublin and Malta.

Baumann, Weisner Among Leaders After Main Event Day 1a

85 players bought into the first Day 1 flight of the WPT South Africa main event, 11 more than the event saw on the same day last year.

54 of them survived and more than 10 per cent of the remaining field are women.

Day 1a chip leader Nahum Lum.

 

France's Gaëlle Baumann sits in sixth with 85,300 while American pro Melanie Weisner is now in ninth with 68,550.

Also through to Day 2 are Ana Marquez, Ronit Chamani and Amanda Musumeci.

Making a rare live tournament appearance is Jennifer “Jennicide” Leigh who made it through Day 1a as well.

A new batch of players are back at the felt today to play the second Day 1 flight and they'll all be looking to top Day 1a chip leader Nahum Lum who bagged 123,725.

Joining him on Day 2 is EPT Season 7 Player of the Year and businessman from Portugal Fernando Brito with 60,200 and WSOP bracelet winner Dominik Nitsche from Germany.

Here's the top ten after the first day of play:

So what makes Mortensen's help so significant? He bubbled this final table in 10th place when the Main Event played out in Las Vegas back in July.

Mortensen attended a series of November Nine final table simulations hosted by Vegas poker pro Matt Stout, designed to give Lehavot insight into how the final table might play out.

“The simulations went way better than I expected in terms of what I got out of it,” Lehavot told the poker media following his third-place elimination.

“I have to give a big shout-out to Matt Stout and a big thank you to Carlos Mortensen who came and attended them.

Carlos Mortensen bubbling the November Nine final table. Lehavot pictured on right.

 

“I think a lot of people would be surprised that he busted in 10th and participated in helping someone prepare for the final table of that same tournament.

“I think Carlos is just a class act and this says a lot about him,” said Lehavot.

Lehavot was no stranger to WSOP final tables before becoming part of the November Nine. He won the $10,000 Pot-Limit Hold'em Championship in 2011.

Lehavot started this year's November Nine around the middle of the pack but spent much of the final table shortstacked. He managed to survived until three-handed play before being eliminated by eventual champion Ryan Riess.

Lehavot received $3,727,023.

To see exactly how it went down check out PokerListings.com's comprehensive coverage of the 2013 World Series of Poker Main Event November Nine.

November Nine Video Recap with Ryan Riess, Parents, Jay Farber

Check out PokerListings.com's signature video recap with interviews with champ Ryan Riess, his parent's Frank and Cheryl plus runner-up Jay Farber.

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If you have a suggestion for a future 3-Bet piece just shoot us a message in the comments.

In today’s 3-Bet we’ll take a look at Calvin Johnson giving Ryan Riess props, Danielle Andersen getting bloggy and the most amazing Dan Bilzerian beard video ever.

1) Calvin Johnson on Ryan Riess: He Showed the Lions Love

New world champ Ryan Riess created considerable buzz by donning a Detroit Lions Calvin “Megatron” Johnson jersey at the 2013 WSOP Main Event final table.

Even noted sports personality Bill Simmons got in on the fun and Tweeted “Is this the greatest moment in Detroit Lion’s history?” when Riess was on the verge of winning the tournament.

Well the man who wears number #81 for the Lions finally commented on Riess’ achievement this week. The wide receiver was impressed by the young Michigander.

“He could have been paid to wear something from sponsors. That’s some love he’s showing for the Lions right there,” said Johnson. Check it out:

2) Danielle Andersen Gets on Video Blog Bandwagon

Danielle “Dmoongirl” Andersen is one of the most likable people in poker and now you’ll be able to follow her life through an ongoing video blog.

In the first episode Andersen talks about playing UKIPT Galway and traveling to Europe for the first time. Andersen also shares a pretty great story about Gus Hansen reffing a drinking contest and then teaching people to break-dance shirtless in the hotel lobby.

Sounds about right.

3) Beard Battle: Bilzerian vs. Sebok

So every Friday we’ve been pitting two poker rap songs against each but this week we decided to switch it up and go with competing… beards.

Just hear us out. First off we have a video Dan Bilzerian, a noted beard enthusiast, getting his beard stroked by an attractive girl during the WSOP Main Event final table.

It’s oddly hypnotic and has been making the mainstream rounds. Just click the photo below to see the beard-stroking for yourself.

We thought it was worth pitting against another famous poker player’s beard but then realized there aren’t a lot of beards in poker. Eskimo Clark? Chris Ferguson? Barry Greenstein? Joe Sebok?

Wait, Joe Sebok had a beard? Yes. Yes he did.

After a seven-day trial period for licensees three casinos - Dover Downs, Delaware Park and Harrington Raceway - rolled out their full suites of games for the public.

Along with online poker comes roulette, blackjack and slots accessible to all residents and US citizens physically in the state of Delaware.

Software Powered by 888

All three of the new sites are running on the 888 Holdings platform also being used by Nevada's WSOP.com real-money site. Liquidity is being shared by the three although given Delaware's population those numbers are still quite small.

Coming online soon in New Jersey.

 

Cash games currently offered are No-Limit Hold'em and PLO up to $2/$4. No multi-table tournaments have been added yet although they are expected soon.

Sit-and-Go's with buy-ins from $1 up to $100 are available plus a "live cam" option, called face2face, which lets opponents see each other as they play.

New Jersey Prepares for Nov. 26 Launch without PokerStars

Delaware is the second state to launch officially licensed online poker for residents after Nevada broke the seal in April of this year.

A third state - New Jersey - is preparing to roll out real-money online poker this month with one very notable absentee.

The Rational Group - parent company of PokerStars - is not included on the approved list of licensees for the initial rollout phase -- although that doesn't mean it won't eventually be approved.

The Borgata, Tropicana, Golden Nugget, Trump Plaza and Trump Taj Mahal casinos are the five licensed and ready to go in New Jersey.

From Nov. 1-30 Party Poker will award one PS4 every day in the Daily PlayStation4 Freeroll. That means players can potentially walk away with a PS4 for absolutely nothing on Party Poker.

Of course they’ll have to wait until the system officially launches on Nov. 15, 2013 to actually pick up the new device.

Not having any luck with the daily freerolls? There are a couple other options to win PS4s on Party Poker.

The daily $11 buy-in, which offers either a $4k or $8k guarantee, depending on the day, will have a PS4 added on every day in November.

That means you can win a ton of cash AND a PS4.

Finally Party Poker decided to add PS4s to a collection of their major Sunday tournaments including the $5k 6-Max Rebuy, $10k Super Bounty and the massive $200k GTD.

Players who sign up for a Party Poker account through PokerListings currently receive some nice perks like exclusive freerolls.

Check out our Party Poker review to learn more.