Hellooo North American Poker Tour!

Well, finally. A Tour for us American speaking folks. No more smarmy Brits guffaw-ing their way through our poker broadcasts! Now, how can we get a $5.99 buffet and a lingerie version on the air…..hmmm.

So yes, today in “It has to be true because its on ESPN” news, the North American Poker Tour announced 3 tour stops, the first being PCA, then the Ventian in Vegas and then the Connecticut Mohegan Sun.

Pokerstars also confirms the hostessing duties will be Joanna Kruppa, an that they have a guaranteed “Top Tier” broadcast partner.

When and during which sporting season is still to be determined, but this is a great opportunity to solidify some serious American Poker celebrities. For me, poker tours and TV became popular from the folks that go bonkers for televised darts. So, ya. Also, playing online poker or even casino games in an online casino takes a lot of the hassle away from getting your gambling fix, so if you don’t have the skills or the stones to get on tour…just hang online.

Priest Wins 100 K?

Ya, thats right, 100 grand.

Not quite the “man of the cloth” we’re all used too is it?

Heres what the honorable(?) Rev. Andrew Trapp had to say about his participation in the PokerStars.net Million Dollar Challenge:

“At the very least, even if I didn’t win any prize money, I was hoping it would help people to see that priests can have fun and be normal people and hopefully get a little bit of a fun twist on the image of the priesthood,”

The Assistant pastor (Ass Pastor….anybody?) hoped to at the least raise awareness of how the modern priesthood conducts itself, and winning the money for his church was simply a bonus.

Contrary to (hundreds of years of ) popular belief, Trapp says the the Catholic church no longer takes issue with playing card games or drinking a few beers, as long as its within reason.

I frankly, am heading down to the local chrch this Sunday to see if I can’t wrangle up a few worshipers for a game on the weekend, I’ll call it “Tithe Night”

Tom Dwan could be Youngest in the Poker Hall of Fame

The 2000′s have seen a wave of young, college dropouts who’ve turned to poker as their main source of income.  And nobody better exemplifies this era than Tom “durrrr” Dwan since the Boston University dropout has become one of the richest cash game players in the world.  Dwan is a regular on the $500/$1000 limit cash games at Full Tilt Poker where he makes a killing off some of the best players in the world.  Perhaps this is what earned him a Poker Hall of Fame nomination at the age of 23.

Dwan was voted as one of the 10 Poker Hall of Fame nominees by the public which just goes to show how popular he is among fans and players.  And if it hadn’t been for the new process which lets fans nominate players for Hall of Fame consideration then Dwan probably wouldn’t be up for this selection. 

That’s because I can’t see any reasonable scenario where the old-timers would want someone like Dwan in the Poker Hall of Fame.  He’s only 23 years old and all of the older players are going to be saying stuff like, “He needs to play his dues” and, “He hasn’t won any major tournaments either.”  And it is the living Hall of Fame members along with the media who will be selecting players into the Hall of Fame.

Since this is the case, even Phil Ivey could have a difficult time getting into the Poker Hall of Fame since he is just 37 himself.  If Ivey was picked for the HOF, he would be the youngest player ever inducted (assuming Dwan didn’t get int).  So if Ivey would have a difficult time, Dwan has virtually no shot at the Hall.  But it was definitely cool to see him nominated this year!

Best Changes to the WSOP of All-Time

As we now sit and wait for the 4 months between the November Nine forming and the final table being played out to subside, I thought it would be fun to reminisce about some of the best changes of all-time to the WSOP.  One of the first ones to come off the top of my head was the introduction of the ladies-only event which occurred in 1977.  Back then it was very rare to see a woman in the game of poker so something definitely needed to be done to draw women into the game, and this was the perfect thing.

Another great change to the WSOP was when gold bracelets were introduced in 1974.  Before this time, players were given a silver cup to commemorate winning the WSOP, but there were no awards for the preliminary events.  After the gold bracelets were introduced, we then had a way of determining who the greatest players of all-time have been.

The intro of TV broadcasts for the WSOP are another thing that has boosted the popularity of the annual event as well.  CBS first filmed the event through an hour-long documentary that was done by Jimmy “The Greek” Snyder.  After Snyder’s hour-long documentary, CBS began filming the event every year until ESPN took over in the late 80′s.  Eventually, ESPN would expand their coverage which also helped to popularize the WSOP even more so.

And the most recent change that has had a major impact is the introduction of the November Nine.  When this idea was first brought out people hated it since the November Nine concept delayed the crowning of the WSOP champ.  However, with a 46% increase in TV viewers for the final table, it looks like the November Nine idea is only going to drive up the WSOP’s popularity more.

More Poker Players on Reality Shows

If there’s one thing that reality shows have taught me (I don’t really watch them much to begin with) it’s that poker players make excellent contestants.  Annie Duke certainly proved this as she nearly won the Celebrity Apprentice 2 after losing to Joan Rivers in the final.  More than this though, she provided much of the show’s entertainment by frequently having verbal sparring matches with Joan Rivers. 

Jean-Robert Bellande also proved that he could be competitive in Survivor: China since he lasted pretty late into the show before having his torch extinguished.  This has me wondering if the success of Bellande and Rivers is the reason why the Amazing Race has picked up Tiffany Michelle and Maria Ho for their show.

According to various news reports, Ho and Michelle will be shooting for the show next month and are very excited about the opportunity to appear on the Amazing Race.  Amazing Race is one of the more interesting reality shows out there right now since it sees contestants traveling across various countries in an attempt to finish first in the race.  Last year’s show saw players visit Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Russia, Thailand, India, Romania, and China before finishing up in Hawaii.

I think that Michelle and Ho were definitely picked because they’re both hot, but Michelle will especially be good on the show because she is a bit controversial.  As the WSOP Main Event showed, she likes to talk a lot and also caused an incident after calling for the time clock on a hand she wasn’t even in; Craig Marquis got very mad about this.  I may even have to tune into the Amazing Race to check it out.

The Rise of Lacey Jones

A few weeks ago, I had never even heard of Lacey Jones.  She was just some hot blonde-haired girl who I had seen in a couple of pictures on poker websites (not so uncommon that websites get all excited like this with every hot girl since poker is still male-dominated).  Then, all of the sudden, I started seeing her name popping up on different poker websites which made Lacey more than just a face.  Now I just found out that she signed with Absolute Poker to represent them in tournaments and other events.

This completes the rise of a girl who I had known nothing about in previous months, or even weeks.  Just recently I saw an article that gives a little more information about Jones and found out that she has been a model in the past, and has even appeared on some big-time TV shows.

The shows she has been on include Entourage, The OC, and NBC’s Las Vegas.  Now I don’t really watch The OC or Las Vegas, but Entourage is one of my favorite shows and I don’t remember Lacey being on there.  However, it’s cool that yet another hot chick is crossing over from the mainstream and into poker.

Supposedly, Lacey Jones plays quite a bit of poker too so she should get pretty good at the game (if she’s not already).  If her game can match her looks then I’m sure that you’ll be seeing plenty more of Lacey Jones over the years.

Trashing a WSOP Bracelet

Ted Forrest has earned 5 WSOP gold bracelets in his career, but only has one of them; 3 were stolen, he gave two to his daughters, and he bought one from Hamid Dastmalchi.  Forrest purchased the bracelet from Dastmalchi after Hamid said it was only worth $1,500 to which Ted replied “Sold!”  Of course not everyone thinks the same way about WSOP gold bracelets like Ted Forrest does including 2009 Main Event final table player Jeff Shulman.

Shulman owns CardPlayer Magazine and wasn’t granted media rights at the WSOP.  He’s frequently stated in interviews that he has no respect for the WSOP management, and doesn’t ever plan on wearing his WSOP bracelet.  His comments in one interview said, “When I thought I had a chance of winning [the Main Event] years ago, I said I wouldn’t ever wear it.  I’m shocked that people wear those ugly things while they play.  It has nothing to do with CardPlayer.  It’s my lack of respect for the WSOP and the management and what they’ve done to all of the players.  I don’t like it.  Having said that, I still wouldn’t wear [the bracelet] if I were best friends with them.  I’d probably just toss it or give it to a friend.  I think there are other things to worry about in life besides trying to win a bracelet in poker.”

I’m pretty sure that Shulman’s comments and views do have something to do with the fact that CardPlayer Magazine has no media rights at the WSOP.  However, I do agree with him that the WSOP gold bracelets are kind of lame since I’ve seen my friend’s bracelet.  But still, WSOP bracelets are like a trophy and they commemorate a victory.  In fact, I bet Shulman will still pull his bracelet out from time to time to check it out.

Is Phil Hellmuth the Muhammad Ali of Poker?

Muhammad Ali will always be regarded as one of the greatest boxers of all-time.  However, I probably wouldn’t even be sitting here talking about Ali had he not been even better known for his showmanship in the ring.  Ali brought even more to boxing through his words and crazy exploits than he ever did based on pure boxing ability alone.

After seeing Phil Hellmuth arrive at the WSOP dressed as Julius Caesar, or Spartacus as I saw somewhere else, visions of Muhammed Ali stated dancing in my head.  Of course those visions had nothing to do with Hellmuth being a badass since, despite being 6’5″, I’m fairly sure Phil would get his ass kicked by a lot of the other poker players in a boxing match.  Rather my comparison comes from the fact that Hellmuth has not only had an excellent poker career, but also the showmanship to go along with it.

Phil has always done a great job of bringing attention to himself, and the game of poker in general.  That’s why he is allowed to get away with berating other players at the table and whining because WSOP officials know how important he is to the game of poker.

Hellmuth proved this once again as he walked into Harrah’s accompanied by 11 hot women (representing his 11 gold bracelets) wearing scantily-clad Roman gear.  As he walked by people he said, “Kiss the ring.  Hail Caesar.”  Despite the cheesy lines from Phil, I thought this was another great entrance by him at the WSOP.  It’s especially cool that Hellmuth can still have fun despite the fact that he hasn’t had the greatest WSOP to speak of, and doesn’t look to be adding a 12th ring in the 6,500 player Main Event.  All I can say is “Hail Hellmuth”.

Dare2Dream’s Unique Poker Approach

Poker is often viewed as a game where one’s success hinges solely on their abilities at the table.  And why wouldn’t poker be viewed this way since players don’t get bonus points for being healthy or having a great mental outlook on life.  Their wins and losses are measured only by the amount of chips or cash they have at the end of a poker session.  However, a man named Jamie Glazer has been preaching a different message and it’s one that other pro players are actually buying into. 

Glazer, who was once one of the top tennis and golf players in Australia, had to come to grips with the fact that he just didn’t have the mental and emotional tools to become a great professional.  In fact, it was his inability to handle the mental and emotional side of the two sports that prevented him from success at a higher level.  Since that time, Glazer embarked on a personal journey where he was determined to make himself a new man.

What spawned out of Glazer’s personal journey was a fantastic program where he uncovered how one can develop a great mental outlook on whatever they’re doing competitively.  While on his journey, Glazer also became a professional poker player and created a program specifically for poker called Dare2Dream which involves developing a daily routine, developing good sleeping habits, and focusing on the good things that come out of poker sessions.

Since developing his program, Glazer has attracted the attention of numerous pros who have high recommendations for his Dare2Dream program.  Joe Hachem is one of these pros and he’s noticed a considerable difference in his poker game after embarking on the Dare2Dream program.  While I haven’t personally tried the program, it does sound pretty cool and I’d like to check it out sometime.

WSOP Main Event Preview

As a lot of people may know, the World Series of Poker Main Event begins tomorrow and all of poker’s best and brightest players are gearing up for a shot at the big money.  We won’t know for sure just how many people are expected to be in attendance for poker’s crown event, but we’ll know for sure after the signup is over tomorrow.  I suspect that this year’s Main Event will eclipse the numbers that were seen in 2008.

We can be rest assured that the biggest stars in poker will also be turning out for the Main Event since….hey, it’s the Main Event.  The cameras will no doubt be focusing on last year’s champion Peter Eastgate who walked away with over $9.1 million after taking first.  But the odds are against Eastgate making a deep run this year as he’s admitted that he hasn’t played well this year in tournaments.  And it’s no surprise either since everyone has been gunning for him anywhere he plays because they all want to knock the WSOP Main Event champion out.

Last year’s runner-up Ivan Demidov will also be another person people will gun for since he not only finished second in the WSOP, but made the final table in the WSOPE too.  This is a feat that may never be accomplished again!!  Speaking of near impossible feats, Phil Hellmuth will be focused on as well since he’ll be looking to add to his record 11 gold bracelets.  Hellmuth has not had a good WSOP so far, but a deep finish in the Main Event could change that.

As for a favorite, it’s almost impossible to pick one out of what could be a 7,000 player field, but I’ll go with Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier.  This just seems to be his year in everything that is poker, but he’s not so famous that everyone will be gunning for him.