Josh Arieh (above left) has his sites set on his first WPT title.

Faraz Jaka is the final table chip leader, stacked at 5,385,000. He’s followed by Scotty Nguyen with 4,900,000. They’re followed by Daniel Alaei (3,925,000), Shawn Buchanan (2,800,000), Josh Arieh (1,710,000), and Steve O’Dwyer (1,050,000).

For those who care about these types of things, a win here about give Scotty Nguyen two WPT titles for his career and move him up to third on the all-time tourney money list. Along with Nguyen, Buchanan is going for his second WPT title. This would be Josh Arieh’s first WPT win if he can pull it out (he does have two WSOP bracelets). Same goes for Daniel Alaei (who won one of those bracelets this year). T

Follow the final starting at 4pm PST here.

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Linda Cardellini looking anonymously attractive in MAXIM.

Kohlberg is stacked at 2,856,000.

He’s followed by two people that let’s just say we’d be watching like a fucking HAWK if they were sitting next to each other on a plane and we didn’t know better, Faraz Jaka (2,768,000) and Daniel Alaei (2,422,000). “They’re taking a nap they’re taking a nap good sign good sign.”

Other notables still in include John Juanda (1,851,000), Joe Cassidy (1,445,000), Josh Arieh (1,067,000), Carter King (805,000), Eric Hershler (796,000), Mike Sowers (661,000), and Scotty Nguyen (339,000).

Get full chip counts here.

More Linda Cardellini in MAXIM (photo above from MAXIM) here. More Linda Cardellini looking anonymously attractive from ACH here.

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We have a little over five months to convince Olivia Munn to play the 2010 World Series of Poker. Or at least be one of our Girls on the Rail.

Featuring 57 bracelet events–same number as last year–the series officially gets underway at the Rio on May 27, and for the third year in a row, Harrahs will hold the so-called “November Nine” hostage for four months before they play for the Main Event title on November 6-9, with “special primetime coverage from ESPN.”

Of note, as we first reported in our exclusive interview with former WSOP commish Jeffrey Pollack, the WSOP will use the entire Rio convention center in 2010, including the expansive Pavilion Ballroom. Also, the $50,000 buy-in H.O.R.S.E. event has been changed to the $50,000 buy-in Player’s Championship, and it will now take place as Event No. 2 on Friday, May 28 and feature eight games (Limit Hold’em, Omaha Hi-Low Split-8 or Better, Seven Card Razz, Seven Card Stud, Seven Card Stud Hi-Low Split-8 or Better, No-Limit Hold’em, Pot-Limit Omaha and 2-7 Triple Draw Lowball).

Check out the full press release on the schedule here, if you’re into that sort of thing, or skip to the their bullet-pointed stuff down below under the fold. Full schedule here. Lots more photos of Olivia Munn here.

57 gold bracelet events over 51 days.

• Expanded footprint – The giant Pavilion Ballroom (58,000 sq. feet) will be in use this year for poker in the Rio Convention Center.  The Pavilion is the largest ballroom at the Rio, and along with the famed Amazon Room (38,000 sq. feet), will make-up the playing rooms for this year’s WSOP.  The entire convention space will be used.
• Expanded capacity – Along with expanded footprint, comes more poker tables.  A record 295 tables were utilized last year, and this year’s configuration is still being plotted, but expected to offer about 20 percent more tables.
• No Food Tent – The outdoor food tent will now become an indoor food court experience.  The Miranda Ballroom, last year used as a room for play, will be converted into a food court with a variety of popular food items for players and spectators.
• Sensational Structures & Starting Chips – Drafting off last year’s success, all gold bracelet events in 2010 will feature triple the buy-in in starting chips and deep structures, providing plenty of play.
• $25K 6-Handed No-Limit – A new event this year will be a $25,000 buy-in 6-handed No-Limit Hold’em 4-day event.  Event #52 begins on Wednesday, June 30 at 12 noon.
• $50K Players Championship – The Chip Reese Trophy is up for grabs at the $50,000 buy-in eight-game mixed event, dubbed the Players Championship, which is being morphed from the $50K H.O.R.S.E. tournament run the past four years.  This new eight-game format will serve as the true test of the game’s greatest all-around player and receive star treatment, with ESPN cameras covering the five-day event for television.  Event #2 starts on Friday, May 28 at 5:00 PM.
• Still Plenty of H.O.R.S.E. – A new $10,000 buy-in H.O.R.S.E. Championship tournament will be offered, to go along with $1,500 and $3,000 buy-ins to the popular game.
• The 4th annual Ante Up For Africa Celebrity-Charity Tournament — $5,000 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em celebrity and charity tournament on Saturday, July 3, (two days before the Main Event begins) featuring the opportunity for anyone age 21 or older to enter and be seated at the same table as A-list celebrities and top poker pros.
• The Ladies Only No-Limit Hold’em Championship – On Friday, June 11, featuring a $1,000 buy-in and helping to raise awareness for the Nevada Cancer Institute, the official community relations partner of the World Series of Poker.
• The Seniors Only No-Limit Hold’em Championship – On Friday, June 18 , featuring a $1,000 buy-in for all poker enthusiasts 50 years of age or older.
• June $550 No-Limit Hold’em Tournaments – Every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at 1:00 PM throughout June, the Rio will host new $550 No-Limit Hold’em tournaments for those looking for a Hold’em fix.  These are one-day structured tournaments, and not bracelet events.

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Good news: she’s still not smoking.

In her last vlog of 2009, Evy talks about her end of year plans and some 2010 New Year’s resolutions.

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Leading the way is  Daniel Alaei, who we were shocked to learn is only 26, and who ended play as chip leader, stacked at 1,664,000. He’s followed by Steven Landfish with 1,172,500. Josh Arieh is third in chips with 1,112,000. And Scotty Nguyen is fourth overall, stacked at 981,50.

Other notable stacks include but are certainly not limited to Mike Sowers (801,000), Matt Stout (705,000), Joe Cassidy (689,500), Chad Batista (620,000), Carter King (583,500), John Juanda (476,000), Antonio Esfandiari (445,500), Amit Makhija (423,000), and Hasan Habib, who is still alive (295,500).

In somewhat related news, Yevgeniy Timoshenko was eliminated, which means Eric Baldwin secures CardPlayer’s Player of the Year.

In completely unrelated news, above is ESPN’s Inside Deal, special holiday edition. While the show hasn’t officially been renewed yet, it at least hasn’t NOT been renewed yet, and really, in The Economy^TM, what more can you ask for?

Get full chip counts here.

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Brad Yukon Booth (above) just cross-checked the hell out of Rich Bitar.

As Booth explains it, Full Tilt had him on salary where he was “promised a certain amount [of cash] a month, rakeback” and more. This agreement was based on a handshake deal with Bitar, who handles Tilt player sponsorships. But with Booth in his “igloo” up north (awesomely his words, not ours) and out of sight, Tilt just stopped paying him his monthly deal. Since nothing was papered, he doesn’t have much recourse.

This is why you need agents, btw.

Booth made it clear he’s got nothing against the Iveys, Lederers, and Blochs of the Tilt world, as he doubts they know anything about his bum deal. But he did say he thinks Bitar is an “idiot.”

Listen to the whole Hardcore Poker Show interview here.

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