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Yu, Negreanu Dominate on APAC Main Event Day 2

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Yu, one of the "Macau businessmen" who drive the highest-stakes cash games in the world, is the overall chip leader at 432,700 after being gifted a huge pot during the day. As our tableside reporter captured the action:

"Yu was in the cutoff holding 9 7 on a board of K 5 8 J 6 and only a smallish pot in the middle. His opponent in the hand – and first to act – open-jammed for just under 100,000.

"Having to check his head again to make sure he wasn’t mistaken, Yu would obviously make the call. He tabled his hand for the nuts and his opponent just mucked.

“Do they just give you chips like that in Macau, or is it only here in Melbourne?” asked Antonio Esfandiari as he and the other players on the table sat there in disbelief at how the hand had just played out."

Another of the looming big stacks? Poker icon Daniel Negreanu, who brought his A-game wherever he sat today and piled up 338,100 in chips to end the night fifth overall.

British pro Rupert Elder (373,400), a major threat in his own right, George Tsatsis (365,800) and Yasar Gueden (350,300) round out the top 5.

Duhamel, Seidel, Esfandiari Through to Day 3

As always in a major $10k event the path to the final table is littered with top-tier pros. Event 2 winner Jim Collopy (196,200), German Benny Spindler (192,500) and Aussie Jonathan Karamalikis (184,600) all bagged up stacks capable of doing some damage tomorrow.

Rupert Elder
Elder: Bearing down.
 

Superstars in the form of Jonathan Duhamel (164,300), Erik Seidel (161,300) and Antonio Esfandiari (131,100) are threatening while 888 pros Russell Thomas (143,100) and Sam Holden (132,000) plus 888 qualifier Martin Östman (201,400) looked poised for deep cashes.

The top 10 in chips heading to Day 3:

1. Winfred Yu 432,700 2. Rupert Elder 373,400 3. George Tsatsis 365,800 4. Yasar Gueden 350,300 5. Daniel Negreanu 338,100 6. Martin Dimitrov 252,000 7. Mark Betts 238,300 8. Kahle Burns 231,200 9. David Yan 230,700 10. Gaetan Balleur 213,900

Check the full Day 2 chip counts here.

Ivey, Hellmuth, Merson Among the Departed

Phil Hellmuth
Hellmuth: Dropped.
 

Much to the chagrin of the Friday evening rail gathered around his table, the great Phil Ivey saw his chip stack dwindle steadily before being eliminated near the end of the day.

2012 WSOP Main Event champ Greg Merson met a similar fate, as did reigning WSOPE champ Phil Hellmuth.

Joe Hachem, Sam Trickett (who met a cruel fate when Duhamel called his 3-bet with 82s and flopped trip 2s) and Brendon Rubie also hit the rail for good today. For a full recap of all the day's action, check our exclusive live updates.

With a final tally of 405 runners, the official payout for first place is an impressive AUD $1,038,825 while a min-cash, which starts at 40th place, will bring in AUD $20,392. See the full payout scale here.

Day 3 action picks up at 12 noon in Melbourne (10 pm ET) and will play down to the money and beyond. Follow along with the live updates right here on PokerListings.com.

Check our daily video from the tourney floor below:



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Daily 3-Bet: Negreanu Rant, Hellmuth Flop, Ivey Magic

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Any suggestions for a future 3-Bet, feel free to drop a note in the comments.

Today in the 3-Bet we find Daniel Negreanu finding time in Australia to get a video rant in, Phil Hellmuth misjudging his seat location in the APAC main event and the case for Phil Ivey as the game's greatest player.

1) Negreanu on Ivey Bracelet: Haters Stop Hating

Daniel Negreanu has been fairly busy dominating his tables at WSOP APAC but we made sure his fans got a taste of one of his classic rants by, well, simply getting him on camera.

We didn't even have to wind him up - we just asked him about Phil Ivey's latest bracelet and the rest took care of itself. Clip below:

2) Hellmuth Misjudges Seat; Koon Profits

In one of the weirder moments of the WSOP APAC main event -- and probably a pretty good sign he wasn't particularly on his game today -- Phil Hellmuth had a rude awakening care of the floor of the Crown Casino.

One second he was up, the next he was lying on his back wondering why Jason Koon had his phone out.

Heard a large thump. Look over and Hellmuth is laying in the floor. You're welcome. twitter.com/JasonKoon/stat…

— Jason Koon (@JasonKoon) April 12, 2013

Hellmuth was officially eliminated from the final bracelet event at WSOP APAC today meaning he'll remain at 13 bracelets until this summer in Vegas. More on his bustout in our live updates here.

3) Phil Ivey is the Greatest, Period

Depending on who wins the ongoing Main Event, the first-ever WSOP APAC will likely be remembered most for Phil Ivey winning his ninth career bracelet.

Tainted by a small field and payout? Negreanu doesn't think so (see above), and neither do we, but who better to speak on it than those who were there.

Ivey will leave Australia with just the one bracelet, busting from the Main Event today on Day 2, but you can bet he'll be back next year at Crown.

Catch the live updates from Day 3 of the Main Event starting at 10 pm ET tonight and watch the final table streaming live on Sunday.



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High Roller Tournaments Taking Over International Poker Circuit

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High rollers used to be considered anything in the $15,000 range but now it’s considered unusual if a major tournament series doesn’t offer at least one tournament that’s $50k or bigger. 

Crown Casino got the ball rolling at the Aussie Millions with the first ever $100,000 buy-in tournament in 2006 but that figure has since been eclipsed by the record-breaking $1 million buy-in tournament that occurred this summer at the WSOP in Vegas.

WSOP Asia-Pacific organizers decided to offer a $50k high roller and, as usual, over 30 entrants combined to create a prizepool that rivals the Main Event.

“They are really exciting,” explained Jason Koon while on break from the $50k.

“I think it’s something fans want to see. The sheer amount of money gives high rollers a prestigious feel.”

Every major tournament series offers super high roller tournaments including the World Series of Poker, the European Poker Tour and the World Poker Tour.

Koon has played around 10 tournaments where the buy-in was $25k and played in his first $100k at the PCA this year.

More and More Pros Stepping Up to the High Roller Plate

Jason Koon
Jason Koon
 

Poker icons like Phil Ivey, Sam Trickett and Antonio Esfandiari are expected to play the massive tournaments but more and more up-and-coming pros like Koon are taking shots.

“I mean $50k is still a huge buy-in to me but you get used to it after awhile,” he said.

Koon went on to say that super high rollers represent the very reason he decided to get into poker in the first place.

“For me the joy of poker comes from playing very tough competition for large amounts of money,” he said.

“That’s why I play the game. I didn’t start playing poker to grind out $11 rebuys my whole life.”

While pros love the quick shot at big money the effect of the wealthy businessmen Richard Yong, Winfred Yu and Paul Phua can’t be underestimated either.

It’s questionable if the high buy-in events would even run without participation from that group.

“[Super high roller] tournaments are still kind of an exclusive thing,” said Koon.

“They offer the people that do well outside of poker the chance to do something they might find more enjoyable than $10,000 tournaments. “

There are downsides to the massive tournaments, however. In fact, there are poker experts who argue they are luckfests thanks to their short structure.

“There is a lot of variance obviously,” said Koon.

Still, if the fans love them and players keep entering, it seems the tours will continue to offer them.

PokerListings has teamed up with PokerAsiaPacific to provide official live updates for the 2013 WSOP APAC in Melbourne. You can follow the $50k High Roller live here.

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Thailand ‘Heaven on Earth’ for U.S. Online Grinder Westmorland

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Young online poker pro Jordan Westmorland and several other fellow grinders have been living for the last two years in Thailand and loving every minute of it.

“It’s like Heaven on Earth on some level,” said Westmorland while playing the WSOP APAC Main Event.

“It’s almost unrealistic. It doesn’t feel like real life out there.”

The Seattle native, also known as JWPRODIGY on the Internet, had won hundreds of thousands of dollars playing online poker but when Full Tilt and PokerStars were ousted from the US in 2011, he was no longer able to play in the United States.

Westmorland, conferred with his poker friends, and realized he would have to move from his hometown. He wasn’t really interested in the two obvious options.

“We didn’t really want to do Canada, because it’s pretty cold there,” he said. “Mexico is kind of sketchy.”

Choosing Thailand Over Mexico or Canada

Jordan Westmorland
Jordan Westmorland
 

Westmorland sought advice from his family on where to go. His father, who travelled as a professional photographer, suggested Thailand.

There was a lot about Thailand that Westmorland found appealing including a beautiful landscape, warm climate and all the beaches you could ever want.

Westmorland and his group ended up setting up shop in popular coastal city Phucket.

Although the crew ended up going for upscale housing on a golf course, Thailand can be very cheap for online grinders. Especially if you have a decent win-rate.

“It’s as cheap as you want it to be,” he said. “You can make it REALLY cheap if you want. You can have $2 meals if you want, which is really cool. You can make Thailand the cheapest place on earth.”

Thailand is also a fantastic starting point for experiencing the rest of Asia. In the last few months Westmorland has been to Korea and Singapore.

Westmorland also feels the move has helped elevated his poker game. 

“[Black Friday] was a blessing in disguise,” he said.

“I think that a lot of my friends took poker for granted and didn’t really give it our all. Now that we are halfway around the world not with our families what else do we need to do? You just throw yourself into this game. I mean it’s your job, right? It was a great thing.”

Thailand Offers Challenges Including Bad Internet, Distance

Patrick Crivell
Patrick "PSCProdigy" Crivell lives with Westmorland in Thailand.
 

Of course there are some downsides to grinding in Thailand.

The Internet in the developing nation is still spotty at best, according to Westmorland.

“You have to have numerous Internet back-ups,” he explained. “We have wireless sticks and broadband. It’s good to go basically.”

There’s also the immense isolation from friends and family back in the USA. In the last two years, Westmorland has only returned to North America twice.

“With Skype and technology it makes things easier,” he said. “Obviously I miss my family a lot. It makes going home that much more meaningful.”

Despite the cons, Westmorland doesn’t regret his decision to move to Thailand for a minute, even after talking to fellow grinders who went to Canada or Mexico.

“I hear mixed reviews,” he said.

“I hear a lot of people who move to Canada really enjoy it. We just can’t do the cold weather though. I like to be near the beach. If it was all done and said and poker was legal in the U.S. I would probably move to California.”

Despite his excellent situation in Thailand, Westmorland is actually considering a move in the near future.

“I kind of want to switch it up and move to Australia just to get that first world feeling,” he said. “It’s almost like life is too good [in Thailand].”



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Cheong in Charge, Duhamel Alive in $50k High Roller

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One of only two non-bracelet events held at Crown Casino this week, the $50k High Roller still managed to draw the big-time gamblers from Macau but it was former November Niner Cheong who fared best on Day 1.

The only player to cross the 1-million mark, Cheong is in control with just 11 players left heading into tomorrow as he bagged 1,500,000 for the overnight lead.

The aforementioned Macau heavyweights  - nine in total who arrived just before the High Roller started - didn't fare too badly themselves with Elton Tsang (937,000), Paul Phua (815,000) and Lo Shing Fung (612,000) all thriving on Day 1.

Duhamel, Gruissem Middle of the Pack

2010 WSOP Main Event champ Jonathan Duhamel (604,000) managed to see Day 2 as did German high-roller specialist Phillip Gruissem (530,000).

Aussie icon Joe Hachem and Party Poker pro Marvin Rettenmaier also hung on but will start the race to the title well back with 371,000 and 354,000, respectively.

Jonathan Duhamel
Duhamel: Still grinding.
 

Among the notables who failed to make it through were Phil Ivey, Sam Trickett, Mohsin Charania, Andrew Robl, John Juanda and Erik Seidel. For a full rundown of all the day's action, check our exclusive live updates here.

The final 11 and chip counts:

1. Joseph Cheong – 1,500,000 2. Elton Tsang – 937,000 3. Paul Phua – 815,000 4. Lo Shing Fung – 612,000 5. Jonathan Duhamel – 604,000 6. Philip Gruissem – 530,000 7. Tom Hall – 389,000 8. Joe Hachem – 371,000 9. Marvin Rettenmaier – 354,000 10. Devan Tang – 223,000 11. Kyle Cheong – 214,000

All told 37 players bought in with 7 rebuys, making for an AUD $2.1 million prize pool and an $825,000 first-place prize. Check the full payout scale here.

Play down to the champion begins at 4 pm Melbourne time (2 am ET) and you can follow along live right here on PokerLstings.com.



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Thomas Leads, Esfandiari and Negreanu Chase in APAC FInal 15

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888 pro Thomas, who knocked off a Sunday Million win just two weeks ago, continues to prove his main event run was no fluke as he bagged up 1,677,000 after a day of strong play for the overall chip lead.

Right behind Thomas, though, is hyper-aggressive German Benny “toweliestar” Spindler, a former EPT London champ and famed online crusher who’ll carry 1,505,000 into Day 4 tomorrow.

Antonio Esfandiari
Magic continues.
 

As if that wasn’t enough for Thomas to contend with, he’s also got two certifiable poker legends breathing down his neck – and at his own table no less.

Poker's all-time leading money winner Antonio Esfandiari is one of them, as he bided his time well over the first couple of days before making a big move up the ranks today.

He finished with 1,050,000 for a sixth-place stack – thanks largely to dragging a huge pot from British pro Rupert Elder in a KK>QQ cooler.

Right behind Esfandiari is the excitable Daniel Negreanu, who seems to have thoroughly enjoyed his time in Australia and it’s been reflected in his play.

One of the chip leaders on both Day 1 and Day 2, Negreanu had some bumps in the road on Day 3 before finding a late rush to bag up 827,000 for seventh overall.

Hoping to end his recent bracelet drought, Negreanu seems ready and in the right frame of mind to make a run:

15 players left I ended the day with 827k and excited for tomorrow! Avg is 810k and lot of good players left like @magicantonio etc.

— Daniel Negreanu (@RealKidPoker) April 13, 2013

Eclectic Mix Remain Including High Roller Yu

Outside of the above four players, the rest of the final 15 is light on star power save for noted Macau high roller Winfred Yu.

Starting as the Day 3 chip leader, Yu actually went backwards with his stack today before finally holding on with 354,000 to end the night.

Online grinder Jordan Westmorland, a US expat now grinding in Thailand, will join Yu as one of the short stacks with 321,000.

Names near the top of the chip counts include Australians Kahle Burns and Daniel Marton along with the unheralded George Tsatsis.

Benny Spindler
Benny Spindler
 

The final 15 and chip counts:

1. Russell Thomas 1,677,000 2. Benny Spindler 1,505,000 3. Kahle Burns 1,469,000 4. Daniel Marton 1,325,000 5. George Tsatsis 1,161,000 6. Antonio Esfandiari 1,050,000 7. Daniel Negreanu 827,000 8. Tino Lechich 654,000 9. Raj Ramakrishnan 644,000 10. Mikel Habb 439,000 11. Yasar Gueden 385,000 12. Winfred Yu 354,000 13. Jordan Westmorland 321,000 14. Michael Pedley 310,000 15. Joel Feldman 187,000

For a full rundown of all the day's action check our exclusive WSOP APAC live updates. Play picks up tomorrow at 3 pm Melbourne time (11 pm ET) and will play down to a final table.

Be sure to follow along here and tune in Sunday for the exclusive live stream right here on PokerListings! Check out today's daily video below:



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Europe Upsets Star-Studded Americas in Caesars Cup

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Europe, captained by Sam Trickett, first dispatched Team Asia-Pacific 2-1 to set about the decisive match against Phil Ivey’s Team Americas.

Americas, which received a bye thanks to winning the last Caesars Cup in 2011, was stacked with Phil Hellmuth, Daniel Negreanu, Greg Merson, Antonio Esfandiari and the aforementioned Ivey.

“It was fun,” said Tickett. “It was played in the right spirit. Everyone enjoyed themselves and obviously it’s always nice to win.”

While Team Americas had the big-name team, a scrappy European team comprised of Trickett, Holden, Dominik Nitsche and Marvin Rettenmaier proved up to the task.

“Not all the best European players were in town,” he said.

“I mean Australia is a long ways away, especially when you’re effectively competing for no money. We had a good bunch of players though, with a good understanding of the game.”

Holden Makes Heroic Comeback Against Merson

Sam Holden
Sam Holden, 2013 WSOP APAC Caesars Cup
 

Europe won the first heads-up match but the Americas Phil Ivey and Phil Hellmuth tied it up, paving the way for a heads-up final between the USA’s Greg Merson and England’s Sam Holden.

Merson had Holden down to a few big blinds but Holden doubled up and then stormed back to win the title.

The only thing on the line was pride, but that was more than enough for some players to enjoy the game.

“America claims to have invented poker so it’s good to beat them at their own game,” said Sam Holden.

With the victory Europe became the only country to win two Caesars Cup title. The Americas have one victory all-time.

This was the first year that Team Asia-Pacific competed in the Caesars Cup.

The team, which was made up of captain Joe Hachem and Jackie Glazier, Jeff Lisandro, Andrew Hinrichsen and cricketer Shane Warne, had high hopes of capturing the Cup on home soil but were instead eliminated first.

The entire competition took under four hours to complete. It’s unknown when the next Caesars Cup will be played but the event has traditional taken place every two years.



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Gruissem Defeats Cheong to Win $825k in APAC High Roller

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Gruissem smashed his way through a tough final table that included Joe Cheong and Paul Phua to win the WSOP APAC $50,000 High Roller for (AUD) $825,000.

Noted as a high roller specialist, Gruissem has made five final tables in tournaments where the buy-in was $20k or higher.

Gruissem survived a tough heads-up match against Cheong that saw the chip lead switch multiple times.

When asked why he enjoys playing high rollers so much Gruissem was blunt at first.

“You can win $800k in two days!” he said. “Isn’t that enough of an explanation?”

Gruissem went on to say there are actually a few more reasons he enjoys playing in high roller tournaments.

“You can play against the best players in the world. The table talk is a lot more fun than in the Main Event. Everyone doesn’t take it so seriously. I really enjoy it.”

Rettenmaier Bubbles the Final Table

German pro Marvin Rettenmaier, who won $2.5 million on the circuit last year, stone bubbled the tournament coming in seventh place, just missing out on the money.

Rettenmaier got unlucky to bust against Joe Cheong when he shoved with ace-king. Cheong called with jack-eight but ended up hitting a straight.

Everyone else in the tournament was guaranteed $115,000.

Gruissem and Cheong were arguably the most well known players at the final table but noted Asian players Paul Phua, Lo Shing Fung and Elton Tsang also made the money.

Hong Kong based Tom Hall was the first player to bust in the money coming in sixth place for $115,000. 

Here’s a complete look at the final-table payouts:

1. Philipp Gruissem - $825,000 2. Joseph Cheong - $511,000 3. Paul Phua - $325,000 4. Lo Shing Fung - $225,000 5. Elton Tsang - $155,000 6. Tom Hall - $115,000

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Negreanu, Spindler Lead WSOP APAC Main Event Final Table

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Negreanu will enter the final table second in chips with $2.4 million. 

It’s the second final table that Negreanu has made at this year’s WSOP APAC as he finished fourth in the $2,200 Mixed Tournament.

Spindler, Thomas and Yu Join

Negreanu will face an eclectic group of players including former EPT London champ Benny Spindler and October Niner Russell Thomas.

Spindler will enter the final table as the chip leader with 2.9 million while Thomas will bring 490,000.

The rest of the final table is comprised primarily of Australians with Daniel Marton, George Tsatsis, Kahle Burns and Mikel Habb.

Benny Spindler
Chip leader Benny Spindler.
 

Hong Kong’s Winfred Yu, a major player in the high-stakes Macau games, will also make an appearance at the final table, although he will be playing from the short stack.

The final eight players will be competing for a first-place prize of (AUD) $1.03 million tomorrow thanks to the original 405 entrants who paid $10,000 to play.

Here are the chip counts to start the final table:

1. Benny Spindler - 2,931,000 2. Daniel Negreanu - 2,437,000 3. George Tsatsis - 2,321,000 4. Daniel Marton - 2,160,000 5. Kayle Burns - 905,000 6. Mikel Habb - 551,000 7. Russell Thomas - 490,000 8. Winfred Yu - 367,000

Tune in to watch the final table live stream at midnight ET tonight right here!

Esfandiari Narrowly Misses Out on Final Table 

Antonio Esfandiari
Antonio Esfandiari
 

One Drop winner Antonio Esfandiari appeared primed for yet another WSOP final table appearance but finished in ninth place thanks to a heart-breaking coin-flip.

In the final hand of play on Day 4, Esfandiari three-bet all-in with ace-king. Benny Spindler snap-called with pocket queens.

Esfandiari got no help from the board and ended up bubbling the final table. On the bright side he adds $65,408 to the $24.04 million he’s already accumulated playing tournament poker (of course that includes the $18 million score from One Drop).

The entire play down from 18 players to eight took less than six hours. The restart had to be delayed from 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. to accommodate Negreanu and Esfandiari who played in the televised Caesars Cup tournament.

The final table of the inaugural WSOP APAC Main Event will kickoff at midnight ET on Sunday. Watch the final table live stream tonight right here!

PokerListings has teamed with PokerAsiaPacific to provide official live coverage of the entire 2013 WSOP APAC. You’ll be able to follow up-to-the-minute live updates here.



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Win a $2,400 Battle of Malta Package FREE on 888 Monday!

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Tomorrow (Monday, April 15) on 888Poker both new and current PokerListings players can win a $2,400 BOM package entirely free!

An exclusive freeroll for PokerListings players (who originally create an 888 account via a PokerListings link) will run at 18:05 GMT (12:05 pm ET) with the winner receiving a complete $2,400 BOM package.

Battle of Malta
2012 Battle of Malta
 

Freeroll Details:

What: Battle of Malta Freeroll When: Monday, 15th April @ 18:05 GMT Where: 888poker - Tournaments – Restricted Tab Buy-In: FREEROLL Password: BOMTICKET

The freeroll winner will take home a $2,400 all-inclusive Battle of Malta package that includes:

€550 entry into Main Event 4 nights at 5-star Hilton Hotel Malta (check-in 26/09, check-out 30/09) Daily breakfast at the Hilton and daily buffet lunch at the casino Travel money ($500 paid into 888poker account) Airport & hotel transfers Invitation to opening VIP party Access to special side events and 888poker merchandise

Registration opens on Sunday, April 14 (today) @ 18:05 GMT. Create a new account and play at 888 poker right here!

Battle of Malta Qualifiers Every Second Week Through the Summer!

malta 10
Malta
 

The 2013 Battle of Malta has a €200,000 guarantee and just a €550 buy-in. The tournament takes place Sept 26-29, 2013.

PokerListings players at 888 Poker can continue to qualify for the 2013 Battle of Malta every other week this Spring and Summer.

New players must deposit at least $20 with promo code PLBOM. Existing players must deposit at least $20 with promo code BOM888.

Your deposit will get you a ticket (valid for 16 days upon date of issue) to one of 13 exclusive BOM qualifying tournaments.

Create an account and get $8 free here! See you in Malta in September!



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Weekly UK 3-Bet: Trickett Trains, Fields Gold, Kara Engaged

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Any suggestions for a future 3-Bet, drop a note in the comments.

This week in the 3-Bet we find golden boy Sam Trickett in need of someone to go on the road and whip him into shape, Luke Fields finds inspiration in a long lost Full Tilt Poker prize and honorary Brit Kara Scott engaged in Italy.

1) Sam Trickett Searches for Personal Trainer

The U.K golden boy of poker went onto his social media network last week to tell everyone he was in need of a rest.

This week he has advertised for a personal trainer:

I am looking for a personal trainer for the next 2-3 months.They would need to travel with me to ( Macau-Monte Carlo- & Vegas.Any1 help me?

— Sam Trickett (@Samtrickett1) April 8, 2013

I think Jason Koon would be a great choice to whip that Trickett body into shape, not that it looks like it needs much whipping.

Luke Fields Winner1
It's raining gold for Fields.
 

Trickett has also been working on his corporate image with the launch of the new ‘Sam Trickett Facebook Page’ after getting fed up of ‘reading stories about people he doesn’t know.’

2) Luke Fields Finds Inspiration

Luke ‘LFMagic’ Fields has been on a bit of a poker downer until his FTOPS jersey finally arrived in the post from an event that he won in 2011!

Maybe it was weaved from actual gold?

Late or not, Fields managed to ship the Sunday Brawl last weekend for $40,000, which was his biggest online score of the year so far.

Visions of Fields in his golden jersey whilst grinding his way to victory have annoyingly permeated my mind.

3) Kara Scott To Wed

You may be thinking that Kara Scott doesn’t belong in a UK Weekly 3B segment, but as the busiest lady in poker counts Brighton has her spiritual home she makes the cut.

kara scott
And sighs rang out across media rooms everywhere.
 

The PartyPoker ambassador, ESPN sideline reporter, poker player and writer has recently announced her engagement to Gioco Digitale (GD) sponsored pro Giovanni Rizzo.

The pair have been dating since their friendship turned into more at the Season X stop in Venice last year.

I am considering covering the event as a live blogger.



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Durrrr, Jungleman Finally Resume Challenge on FTP

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The two celebrated online players finally reconvened on Full Tilt Poker last night. Last month Cates publically criticized Dwan on Twitter for not resuming the challenge earlier.

The pair played a relatively tiny session of 383 hands that saw Tom Dwan win a miniscule $158k. The pair four-tabled $200/$400 No-Limit Hold’em for last night's session.

Both players were cordial throughout the action and made plans to play a long session in the near future.

Dwan and Cates have now played just under 20,000 hands in the challenge with Cates still holding a massive $1.1 million lead.

As with the previous durrrr Challenge against Antonius, Dwan laid 3-1 odds on $500k he would win. If Cates ends up ahead after 50,000 hands Dwan will have to pay him $1.5 million in addition to whatever losses he’s incurred.

The Challenge hit a serious roadblock in the spring of 2011 when Black Friday made it impossible for Dwan or Cates to play in the United States, which is where they both hail from.

Things went from bad to worse when the DOJ alleged Full Tilt Poker was a Ponzi scheme because it didn’t have enough money to cover player balances. It was questionable if Full Tilt would ever run again.

Finally PokerStars settled with the DOJ by taking over the Full Tilt Poker assets in a multi-million dollar deal. The site relaunched in November but it took until last night for Cates and Dwan to start playing the challenge again.



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Negreanu Crowned King of WSOP Asia-Pacific, Wins Fifth Bracelet

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The famous Canadian poker pro entertained the audience, hammed it up for the TV cameras and absolutely demolished the competition. 

Despite his status as arguably the most well known poker player, Negreanu had not won a bracelet since 2008.

“When you go through a drought like I did for four years and have all the haters talk about how you’re done… It’s just really nice to see the hard work pay off,” said an ecstatic Negreanu after winning.

While Negreanu essentially cruised through the final table, he had a bit of a scare heads-up when he got unlucky in one of the first hands and doubled Daniel Marton up.

“I’ve had a lot of deep runs over the last few years but I’ve also had a lot of seconds and thirds,” he said. “I’ve had a lot of heartbreak when I get close. I had some flashback moments and my emotions were running high.”

Negreanu regained his composure and Marton, despite putting up a valiant effort heads-up considering he was at an 11-1 chip disadvantage to start, finally fell to Negreanu in a coin flip hand with ace-seven against the Canadian’s pocket deuces.

For a full rundown of every final-table hand, check our live updates right here.

Negreanu the Early Front Runner for WSOP Player of the Year

Daniel Negreanu
Daniel Negreanu
 

To say Negreanu had a successful WSOP APAC would be an understatement as the Canadian pro also made the final table of the $2,200 Mixed Event that Phil Ivey went on to win.

Negreanu finished WSOP APAC with two final tables and over $1 million in cashes -- easily enough to give him the early lead in the 2013 WSOP Player of the Year race which includes WSOP Vegas and WSOP Europe.

While the WSOP APAC Main Event was one of the biggest victories of Negreanu’s career, he was light-hearted for the majority of the final table.

“That’s one of the things I realized about poker is that I’ve always been the most successful when I was enjoying myself,” he said.

“That’s what I did in this tournament. I didn’t worry about the fundamentals too much. I played my way and in the end it paid off.”

One of the most well-respected players in poker, Negreanu was mired in a minor controversy earlier this year about his involvement with Choice Center Leadership in Las Vegas.

Several players alleged the Choice Center had some "cult-like" characteristics but Negreanu disagreed.

“People can hate all they want,” he said. “I’m not in a cult. I would never do that. I went through a course and I’m glad I did.”

George Tsatsis Busts in Tournament-Changing Hand

The highlight reel hand of the final table occurred four handed when Negreanu, who was the chip leader at the time, saw a flop of Q-J-J against George Tsatsis, who was second in chips.

Negreanu checked but Tsatsis bet 275,000. Negreanu called and that brought a 4 turn. Negreanu checked but Tsatsis fired 500,000 into the pot. Negreanu shoved and Tsatsis snap called, flipping over jack-nine.

George Tsatsis
George Tsatsis
 

Kid Poker needed some serious help from the river but that was exactly what happened as the Q hit, giving Negreanu the massive pot.

The final table actually began very slowly with no eliminations over the first few hours of play.

German Benny Spindler, renowned for his aggressive play, looked to be a serious threat at the final table but ended up busting in sixth place.

Short-stacked Winfred Yu proved surprisingly resilient with numerous double ups throughout the final table.

The most memorable one saw Yu all-in with ace-eight against Negreanu’s pocket fours. Negreanu flopped a set but Yu went runner-runner to make a wheel on the river.

In another unlikely double up Yu cracked Tsatsis’ pocket kings with a paltry jack-ten by rivering a broadway straight.

Despite his good fortune, Yu was never truly in contention to win and finally bowed out in third, getting unlucky to lose with ace-king when Negreanu flopped a flush with jack-nine.

Here’s a look at the complete final-table payouts (all amounts in AUD):

1. Daniel Negreanu - $1,038,825 2. Daniel Marton - $637,911 3. Winfred Yu - $423,225 4. George Tsatsis - $284,715 5. Kahle Burns - $201,994 6. Benny Spindler - $146,205 7. Mikel Habb - $107,730 8. Russell Thomas - $82,721

Exclusive Winner Video Interview

PokerListings.com is the only outlet that got a winner interview on video so check it out below to get the straight dope directly from Kid Poker himself.



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Bitar Sentenced to Time Served, Forfeits Assets

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According to Bloomberg News Bitar pleaded guilty to conspiracy on two counts, was sentenced to time served and relinquished his ill-gotten assets as previously agreed to in his plea deal.

In custody at his home in California since his arrest in July of last year, Bitar agreed to a deal which sees him evade jail time while he awaits a heart transplant. The judge in the case had the discretion to setence Bitar to up to 35 years in prison.

Doctors estimate Bitar's heart condition gives him a 50% chance of dying within the next 6 to 12 months if he doesn't receive the transplant.

The exact dollar figure of Bitar's forfeiture was listed at $40 million, which is comparable to Howard Lederer's forfeiture agreed to last year.

Bitar's lawyer also told the judge Bitar would be enrolled in a heart transplant program on May 6.



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Daily 3-Bet: Negreanu Joy, Ivey Kidnap, Kudos Roll

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Any suggestions for a future 3-Bet feel free to drop a note in the comments.

Today in the 3-Bet we pay tribute to a long-awaited and truly joy-filled win for Daniel Negreanu at WSOP APAC, catch Phil Ivey in a surprisingly playful moment in Australia and watch as the heartfelt congratulations for Daniel pour in from both inside and outside the poker community.

1) Negreanu Wins APAC Main, Genuinely Thrilled

Anyone who thinks they might play poker long enough or win enough money they’ll one day find a tournament win boring only has to look at Daniel Negreanu’s face above to know winning a poker tournament never gets old.

Sure, $1 million definitely helps and ending a four-year bracelet drought/silencing a few haters also likely gave him some satisfaction. But nothing can fill a poker player with joy faster than seeing that final card fall in your favor and that bracelet strapped to your wrist.

Check our exclusive interview with Negreanu immediately after his win below and revisit all of the final-table highlights in our live updates here.

2) Ivey Kidnaps Negreanu for IveyPoker Team

Well, not really. But the idea is intriguing.

I think we found the newest #IveyPoker member, @realkidpoker, whether he likes it or not. twitter.com/philivey/statu…

— Phil Ivey (@philivey) April 15, 2013

Also, this happened:

This just happened. Time to celebrate with @realkidpoker. twitter.com/philivey/statu…

— Phil Ivey (@philivey) April 15, 2013

Who knew Phil Ivey ever had that much fun?

While it was incredibly fun to watch Ivey and Negreanu live up to incredibly high expectations at the first-ever APAC, if this winning/fun thing keeps up for the World Series in Vegas this summer things could get unbelievably wild. Six weeks and counting and we can't wait!

3) Negreanu Haters Drowned Out by Massive Kudos

The outspoken Negreanu takes a lot of heat from poker fans/haters alike for his always-on personality but there’s also no doubt he is and remains one of the most popular players in the history of poker.

Any doubts? Just check a tiny portion of the Twitter kudo roll after his APAC win this morning:

@realkidpoker Big congrats to you for winning Daniel!! Best regards from a big fan in Norway

— Øyvind Bøe (@oeyvindBoe) April 15, 2013

Congratulations to one of the game's all time greatest, @realkidpoker for his WSOP main event win in Australia!!! #RockStar

— Vanessa Rousso (@VanessaRousso) April 15, 2013

Congrats @realkidpoker on the WSOP bracelet! And on an unrelated note I'm converting to Scientology

— Mike McDonald (@MikeMcDonald89) April 15, 2013

A big congrats 2 @realkidpoker on winning the Main event! It's amazing he continued to play great poker through out his bad run.Well done m8

— Sam Trickett (@Samtrickett1) April 15, 2013

Congrats @realkidpoker back in the winners circle where u belong

— John Racener (@racener) April 15, 2013

Congrats to @realkidpoker on winning WSOP APAC Main event. What a dominating performance from start to end!

— John Juanda (@LuckBoxJuanda) April 15, 2013

Needless to say, @realkidpoker will always be one of poker's greatest icons. Big results, big personality, big heart.

— Xuan Liu (@xxl23) April 15, 2013

*\o/* wtg @realkidpoker !! what great news to wake-up to! *\o/*

— Evelyn Ng (@evybabee) April 15, 2013

CONGRATS TO @realkidpoker . They can't find fault with over 400 entries! About time. Pam started me on a Vegan diet today.#shudder

— Doyle Brunson (@TexDolly) April 15, 2013

Unbelievable @realkidpoker WSOP APAC Main Event Champion... Congratulations my friend... I'm gonna have to sign up for lessons for real now!

— Boston Rob (@BostonRob) April 15, 2013

@realkidpoker Hey Daniel, I was at Bellagio when you won the WPT in 2005. Congrats on the win, wayyyyy overdue.

— Chris Rosa (@lasvegas91179) April 15, 2013

@realkidpoker congrats on your win very well deserved :)so happy for you

— Rose Christine G (@rcgs59) April 15, 2013

@realkidpoker So wrapped to see you nail another #Bracelet#WSOP Vegas going to be the nextfor sure #OnTheHeater :)

— Lost in Poker (@LostInPoker) April 15, 2013

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Kevin Eyster, Jeff Madsen Headline WPT Seminole Final Six

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Eyster, who just bagged a Sunday Million win at the end of March to add to his millions in online earnings, is the overall chip leader with 5,680,000.

Madsen on the other hand, most known for being the 2006 WSOP Player of the Year, is fifth in chips with 1,385,000 and will have some work to do to catch the leaders.

Kevin Eyster
Eyster: In command.
 

After a relatively quiet couple of years, this is Madsen's second WPT final table in less than a year after a sixth-place finish at last year's WPT Legends of Poker.

Rounding out the final six are Paul Dlugozima (4,470,000), Ben Tarzia (2,380,000), Daniel Letts (1,665,000) and Zo Karim (685,000).

Notables to just miss the final table included Faraz Jaka (9th - $38,213), Matt Salsberg (13th - $22,927) and Matt Giannetti (21st - $16,558).

The final six and seating assignments for tomorrow:

Seat 1. Daniel Letts - 1,665,000 (41 bb) Seat 2. Paul Dlugozima - 4,470,000 (111 bb) Seat 3. Kevin Eyster - 5,680,000 (142 bb) Seat 4. Jeff Madsen - 1,385,000 (34 bb) Seat 5. Ben Tarzia - 2,380,000 (59 bb) Seat 6. Zo Karim - 685,000 (17 bb)

Final-table action picks up at 4 pm ET with hand-for-hand live updates availabe at WPT.com.

Salsberg Takes Over WPT Player of The Year Lead

MattSalsberg
Matt Salsberg
 

While he may have just missed the final table Salsberg did take over the WPT Player of the Year lead from Paul "paulgees84" Volpe.

Both played the tournament but Volpe busted in 27th for just 50 points, leaving him at 2,400 overall.

The 150 points Salsberg earned for 13th pushed him up to 2,500 with three events remaining in the season.

Check back on PokerListings later this month for our full Easy Game mini-documentary on Salsberg.



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Full Tilt Poker Launches 'New to the Game' Tables for Beginners

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What's the difference from the regular tables?

Most importantly, play moves much slower than a standard table with more time to think over each decision and understand the action.

In-game "tool tips" are also available to offer help in game situations and let you know what your options are at the table.

Your current hand strength is also always displayed so you can see where you stand as the hand progresses.

How The Tables Work

Eligibility to play at New to the Game cash-game tables and tournaments is simply based on the number of hands or tournaments you’ve played.

For cash games, the limit is 2,000 hands and for tournaments and sit-and-go's the limit is 75 events.

Phil Ivey
No pros allowed at new tables.
 

Once you've played that amount in any game you can no longer access the "New Player" tables.

Note: Even if you reach the limit in Hold’em you can still access New to the Game tables in other variants like Omaha. If you hit the limit in cash games you can also still access New to the Game tournaments and vice-versa.

How to Find the Tables

To find the New to the Game table tables in the Full Tilt client, first download the software here if you have yet to create a Full Tilt account.

Once you have an account, access the "Basic View" of the lobby which will give you step-by-step instructions. To find it, open the Options menu and select Lobby View > Basic View.

If you're eligible for the New to the Game tables in the game  you're looking for, you'll be automatically directed.

For more on Full Tilt poker and to sign-up for a new account, check our Full Tilt Poker review.



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Daily 3-Bet: Sick Setups, Shove Tells, Mob Poker Bust

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Any suggestions for a future 3-Bet feel free to drop a note in the comments.

Today in the 3-Bet we find a bunch of online grinders getting paid off for their sick home-grinding stations, a Stanford researcher finds out a poker player's biggest tell may be in his shove and several notable poker names caught up in a New York poker bust.

1) Russell Carson, Russian Lunatic Among Sick Setup Winners

sickestsetupice boy thumb 450x450 188409
Crazy russian.
 

Ever look at your feeble 13" Toshiba laptop and empty chip bag-littered "grind station" and think there's got to be a better way?

You're right. PokerStars put out the call for players to send in pictures of their sick grind setups and they certainly got back plenty for you to be inspired by.

Over 700 photos were submitted for Team Online members to vote on with 50k free FPPs op for grabs for five winners.

Those winners have now been selected and, checking out the photos, are well deserved.

Our particular favorites are the Star Trek-meets-dentist-chair setup of Canadian online legend Russell "rdcrsn" Carson and the purely insane depths one Russian lunatic was willing to go to for 50k FPPs.

Check the pic of Carson above, the Russian to the left and the rest of the submitted photos via the link here.

2) Smooth Shove, Strong Hand

Quick lesson for all the sunglasses-wearing, slack-jawed amateurs trying to stone-face after all their chips have gone into the pot. You've already blown it says Stanford researcher Michael Slepian.

A grad student in psychology, Slepian studies the way our intentions influence our movements and says the secret when it comes to poker is in the arms - not the face. As Slepian told NPR:

Chips
The shove shows all.
 

"We showed participants videos of professional poker players playing in the World Series of Poker, and participants watched either just players placing bets but only their faces or they watched their whole bodies or they watched just their arms pushing chips into the center of the table.

"... it turned out that people couldn't do it from just the whole body. They couldn't guess accurately how good a poker hand was. They couldn't do it for their face. In fact, they're a little bit worse than chance suggesting that the facial cues players were sort of admitting were deceptive.

"But when just looking at the arms, they could tell how good professional poker players' poker hands were."

Don't say we never did anything for you. Listen to the full clip with Slepian here.

3) Mosseri, Feldman, Edler, Trincher Named in NY Poker Bust

Vadim Trincher
Vadim Trincher
 

In another for the growing "poker-related bust" files, dozens of people have been charged today in a New York sting reportedly tied to a Russian "organized crime scheme."

Among the elements of the scheme were "illegal, high-stakes poker games for the rich and famous,"according to the Associated Press.

Pro athletes, Hollywood celebrities and Wall Street executives were among those involved, AP says, and while authorities in New York weren't forthcoming with names at first the legal indictment is now available.

Several recognizable poker names are included in the indictment including John Hanson, Peter Feldman, Bill Edler and Abe Mosseri. A "Justin Smith" is also listed but it's yet to be confirmed as high-stakes pro Justin "BoostedJ" Smith.

Other notable names in the indictment are Russian fugitive Alimzhan Tokhtakhounov, who's already under indictment for bribing Olympic figure skating judges in 2002, 2009 WPT Foxwoods champ Vadim Trincher and famed Hollywood home game organizer Molly Bloom.

More from the New York Daily News here.



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Eyster Holds On for WPT Seminole Win, $1m Month

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With a Sunday Million win online and a runner-up finish at the WSOPC Circuit event in Colorado, Eyster locked up $1 million in earnings in less than a month

"I guess it'll hit me in a few days, cause that's pretty unexplainable you know," Eyster said in his WPT winner's interview.

"To just go from zero to hero in two weeks, just like that...it just goes to show it can happen to anyone. It feels like a little mini Moneymaker story"

Karim Finishes Third, Madsen Busts Sixth

Eyster, who had the chip lead coming into the final table at WPT Seminole, held off all challengers - including his roommate and friend Zo Karim - in just under 200 hands for the win.

Entering heads-up with a 4-1 chip advantage over Ben Tarzia, Eyster needed just 11 hands to finish things off

Along with the $660,395, Eyster earned a $25k seat in the WPT Championship, a WPT Champions trophy and a customized electric guitar. Tarzia earned $389,750 for his runner-up finish.

Jeff Madsen
Not in the cards for Madsen.
 

Jeff Madsen, the most recognizable player at the final table, couldn't get anything going and busted in sixth.

Official WPT Seminole results:

1st: Kevin Eyster - $660,395 2nd: Ben Tarzia - $389,750 3rd: Zo Karim - $252,190 4th: Paul Dlugozima - $171,950 5th: Daniel Letts - $122,275 6th: Jeff Madsen - $100,000

For a full recap of all the final table hands, check the WPT live updates. Interview below:



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Win an iPad Mini, Gift Cards in PokerListings Fantasy Poker League

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Join the PokerListings Fantasy Poker League and you could win an iPad Mini, Amazon or iTunes gift cards or even poker cash for your 888poker bankroll.

Start Picking Your Dream Team

Starting from this Sunday's EPT Berlin main event and running until the 2013 World Series of Poker Main Event champ is crowned in Vegas, PokerListings is running its first-ever fantasy poker league on the Global Poker Index's extremely popular Facebook app.

Marvin Rettenmaier
He's good, but he'll cost you.
 

Joining the PokerListings Fantasy Poker League on the GPI platform is easy: click here to join our Facebook page, enter your email and the password will appear when you hit enter.

Once you've joined the league all you need to do is scroll through the list of the top 1000 players in the GPI Index and use your $1 million in virtual starting capital to build the 10-player lineup of your dreams.

The deeper your players go and the more cash they make at each event, the more points you'll earn for your team.

Current events in the PokerListings League are:

1) EPT Berlin (Main Event and High Roller, starts Apr 21) 2) EPT Grand Final (starts May 6) 3) WPT World Championship (starts May 18) 4) WSOP 2013 Las Vegas (Events TBA)

iPad, Gift Cards and Poker Cash

Once the final table of each event is over we'll award that tournament’s best manager with a special prize.

plfantasyleague

If you live in a country with regulated online poker and have an 888poker account you'll receive a 20€ bonus shipped directly to your account.

To create a new account at 888poker, read our review and download the software for $8 free plus exclusive bonuses and freerolls here.

If you live in the US or another non-eligible country you'll receive an Amazon or iTunes gift card to pick the prize you prefer.

At the end of the PL Fantasy season we'll award the best poker manager with an iPad Mini.

Find more details and sign up via our Battle of Malta Facebook page here! For more on the Fantasy Poker Manager game, check our story here.



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