Want the latest news and gossip emanating from the World Series of Poker at the Rio in Las Vegas? Here's where you'll find it.
Today in the 3-Bet we find Phil Ivey owning a room full of poker players like only he can, PokerStars pro Naoya Kihara says we're on the brink of a poker boom in Japan and two Norwegian models explain how their winter routine revolves around poker and sex.
1) Ivey Bags 187,000 on Day 1c. Really.
Is Phil Ivey for real?
We've seen him a thousand times in person and watched him play thousands of hours of poker. And still we're not sure.
The things he manages to do - with every eye in the poker room on him and everyone's A game at the ready - are astounding.
Ivey already locked down his 10th bracelet this summer on top of winning a possible seven-figure bracelet bet. What could he possibly do to top that?
Just start alongside 3,767 other players on Day 1c of the 2014 WSOP Main Event and bag up 187,000 - the second biggest stack in the room.
Own the Main Event. Outwit casinos around the world for $20m+ in Baccarat. Start a poker training site. Co-found a boxing promotion company. Offer up floor seats to Lionel Ritchie shows.
What can't Phil Ivey do? We're not sure. But we have a feeling we're still only scratching the surface of his powers.
Poker itself is Ivey's Room; he just lets us play in it. Follow along with his march to another possible November Nine appearance right here on PokerListings.com.
2) Naoya Kihara: Japanese Market Could Be Huge
Everyone's always on the lookout for the next big market in poker. China and India have long been considered potential boom areas, although naturally a few obstacles remain before the 2 billion+ population will be seen en masse at the tables.
Another potential future hot spot? Japan, says PokerStars pro Naoya Kihara.
We've long been fans of Kihara's (he was our inaugural Most Inspiring Player award winner in 2013) and the reason is pretty clear.
On top of being a fantastic player and incredibly nice person, he's single-handedly changing the perception of poker in Japan from "five-card draw, no more bets" to the long-term skill game that it is.
With a gigantic Pachinko market and a love for gaming it's pretty clear Japan is a true player in the "next big thing" market. Now all that's left is to jump that pesky "still illegal" hurdle.
We caught up with Naoya on Day 1a of the Main Event; check out his take on poker in Japan below:
3) In Norwegian Winter, There's Just Poker and Sex
We didn't say it. But these two incredibly hot models from Norway did, so who are we to question it?
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