At daybreak Sunday Morning the 2010 World Series of Poker handed the first gold bracelet to event #1 winner, Hoai Pham. He will be returning to his home in Mission Viejo, California with the new trinket, $71,424 in cash, and knowing his name will always be in the WSOP history book.
Poker is normally an intense activity at best; but, add a $50,000 out-of-pocket buy-in and a million and a half winners purse and the level intensity goes up an order of magnitude. Often the stress can be read in the faces of the players and offers an insight into the world of professional poker.
What better place than the $50K WSOP Poker Players Chamionship at the Rio in Las Vegas.
A radical new look for the coveted gold bracelet that goes to the winner of a 2010 WSOP event.
Some like them, some don't, according to a very unscientific poll taken by the eavesdropping method. Like it or hate it, the gold bracelet remains the most sought after prize in all of poker.
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The Big Poker Show rolls into town today for the 41st time and will add another chapter to the rich history of the game. The 2010 World Series of Poker opens today with the Poker Player's Championship event #2, a $50,000 Buy-In challenge that draws poker's elite from dozens of countries around the world.
There's also a WSOP tradition, the Casino Employees No-Limit Hold'em event #1, a $500 Buy-In tournament limited to workers of the poker industry.
For the only official live blog coverage direct from the green felt of the WSOP tables go to PokerNews.com. Hundreds of photos published as it happens.
Today, Friday 28th, sees a full moon rising in the East. How many years before another WSOP begins on a full moon?
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Tune into NBC TV at Noon - 3PM ET / 9AM - Noon PT for the finale of the 6th Annual NBC National Heads-Up Poker Championship today, Sunday May 23. Three hours of top level poker pros playing the semifinal matches and the best-of-three final matches for the prestigious title.
Begin the three hour episode with the four surviving players from the elite, invitation-only starting field of 64. Watch poker history in the making as Annie Duke notches the first win by a female player in the history of the NBC National Heads-Up Poker Championship.
Be there for Annie Duke's charity poker tournament to benefit After-School All-Stars at the Commerce Casino on Thursday, May 20th starting at 6:30PM. California Governor Schwarzenegger's After-School All-Stars is a nonprofit organization for at-risk youth.
Take the time to help out this cause for some kids that deserve all the help they get. Make a difference in the future of these young lives with participation in this event. Entries are $250 per player with $100 re-buys and $75 for non-players. All proceeds go to After-School All-Stars.
While you're feeling good about yourself you will be rubbing shoulders with some of poker's royalty mixed up with a generous slate of Hollywood stars. Maybe you'll get lucky and walk away with a $10K WSOP Main Event seat. You could ride away on you very own Segway personal transporter or play away on a Scott Ian (Anthrax) signed Jackson guitar. Registration begins at 6:30 pm at Commerce Casino in Los Angeles, CA.
Don't miss this opportunity to mingle with the beautiful people. Where else can you be a part of the fast lane crowd for a low, low $250?
Hope to see you there.
Nolan Dalla, WSOP media guru and poker historian, has compiled the stats for the 2009-2010 WSOP Circuit Tour and posted them in a press release. This week's events in New Orleans bring to a close the long road to the 2010 WSOP at the Rio Resort in Las Vegas.
Mark "Pegasus" Smith of Georgetown topped most of the categories while Dan Livingston of Oak Forrest, IL took the top money winner spot $209,749 he earned winning the Main Event Championship held in Chicago.
Read the complete Nolan Dalla Press Release after the jump.
Only three weeks remain before the Big Poker Show comes to town. The 2010 World Series of Poker will once again fill the Pavilion Expo Center at Harrah's Rio Resort in Las Vegas with thousands of poker players from around the world, movie stars, sports celebrities, throngs of clamoring fans armed with point-and-shoots, millions and millions of dollars in cash, and a few gold bracelets.
We've prepared some never published images featuring celebrities playing poker at the 2009 WSOP and added them to the Flipchip Photo Gallery. This is also your opportunity to glimpse what happens backstage.
Additional details are available with this link. Don't get shutout of any of the 2010 WSOP events by registering now... http://www.wsop.com/registration/.
What is a "Throw Down," you ask? A quote from the press release for the May 7th & 8th charity poker tournament at the Peppermill Resort Casino in Reno says it best:
"... a unique team spirit, pitting casinos and card rooms across the Southwest against each other in a unique team competition. Yet, it still encourages individual player participation."
Proceeds from this event will benefit the National Kidney Foundation. Two-time kidney transplant recipient, Jennifer Harman - The most feared lady in all of poker, will be hosting this special charity event.
Complete details and online registration available with this link.
Watch the best poker on TV at Noon-1PM ET/9:00-10:00 AM PT today from NBC Sports. Today's second installment of this prestigious poker tournament is filled with poker's biggest stars along with Hollywood celebrities and sports greats. Spend an entertaining hour watching the playing styles of poker's elite at this invitation only contest.
Weekly episodes continue for the next four Sundays so tune in NBC TV at the same time. Flipchip was there and provided images of all the action. Check out hi-rez images in the Flipchip photo gallery.
Have you voted for the World Series of Poker Tournament of Champions?
It's free to do so, and you can show your support for your favorite poker player.
The top 20 players voted by the public will then join seven other seminal players, as they battle it out in a 27-person tournament for $1 million.
Qualifying players have won a WSOP bracelet in the past.
Harrah's has put up the money, and the seven players guaranteed to play are Joe Cada, Annie Duke, Mike Matusow, Mike Sexton, Barry Shulman, and two other wild cards.
The tourney takes place June 27 until 18 are knocked out. The final table of 9 will then play July 4, smack dab in the middle of WSOP time.
To cast your vote and see who are currently in the top 20, visit this link.
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Chau Giang outlasted the field of poker pros and celebrities to claim the 2010 WSOP $10,000 Main Event seat and the Curtis & Co. custom watch. Included in the mix was well known Full Tilters Andy Bloch, Howard Lederer, Jennifer Harman and Eric Seidel joined WSOP champions Doyle Brunson and Tom McElvoy in support of this annual SPCA charity poker tournament.
Flipchip sent some of his favorite photos from the event at The Venetian poker room.
Ten bucks gets you into the UB.com and AbsolutePoker.com charity event with proceeds going to the Sharon Osbourne Colon Cancer Program at Cedars-Sinai. This online fundraiser is part of the "Second Sundays" series benefiting national charities held monthly by the CEREUS Network.
Remember to register for the 10AM PST tournament. All entrants are guaranteed to win cash, prizes, swag, entries into CEREUS Network's $200,000 Guaranteed tournaments or entry into the next day's freeroll. The winner will also take home a limited edition "Pink" sports watch from Rockwell Time.
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Full Tilt Poker and Caesars Palace host the Opportunity Village 5th annual Celebrity Poker Tournament.
The tournament takes place tomorrow, April 10, at the Caesars Palace's poker room, and while schmoozing with poker and Vegas celebrities, you can win a seat to the 2010 World Series of Poker main event, along with a free room at the Rio.
Celebrities include Howard Lederer (you can ask about the lawsuit against Full Tilt), Perry Friedman, Karina Jett, Chip Jett, Allen Cunningham, Todd Brunson, Holly Montag ("The Hills"), Carrot Top, The Amazing Johnathan, Rita Rudner, The Jersey Boys, Fantasy Girls, Miss Nevada Christina Keegan, the Chippendales, and many more.
The tournament begins at 1 p.m., with 1000 chips to start (hey, it's charity) and 20-minute blinds.
Buy-in is $300 with unlimited rebuys at $200. Add-on is $200.
With your buy-in, you'll also receive two passes to an 11 a.m. brunch at PURE nightclub (if you're just stopping by to watch, you can purchase a pass for $50).
All proceeds will benefit Opportunity Village, a Las Vegas charity that supports people with intellectual disabilities.
Will the lawsuit filed recently in Las Vegas against Harrah's Entertainment, owner of the World Series of Poker, by a heavyweight sponsor become something more than a speed bump of passing interest? Ultra Internet Media, owner of Everest Poker signed a long term agreement with Harrah's for brand placement of the of the Everest Poker logo on all WSOP tables, including all WSOP tables used in ESPN broadcast of the WSOP. In return, Ultra Internet Media hands over twenty-two and a half million for the three years of exposure.
Unfortunately, by the time the ESPN produced coverage of the 2009 WSOP was broadcast in France, a majority of Everest Poker's players are French, the Everest Poker logos had morphed into Full Tilt, a major Everest competitor. Needless to say, the bang-for-the-buck factor Everest expected from the WSOP sponsorship deal took a major hit.
The Lawsuit filed Thursday in Las Vegas federal court by Ultra Internet Media against Harrah's Entertainment alleges breach of contract. Everest Poker does not accept players from the US.
Read the complete details of the lawsuit in the Las Vegas Sun article, Company sues World Series of Poker over tourney sponsorship.
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