Poker52Europa_n5

Dear Readers,

Be ready for a spring and summer of sea, sun and poker!

The most important time of the year has come for European players… and it is not even in Europe: the World Series Of Poker are about to start in Las Vegas and thousands of players from all over the world will gather in the search of their poker dream, the WSOP bracelet. This year, there may be even more and more people coming, as the effects of the Black Friday from 2011 should be now history, and more and more Europeans make the big leap of going abroad in the Nevada desert to compete in the big fields of WSOP…. Just before it, for people with nice bankrolls, the fabulous Hotel & Casino Bellagio organizes its WPT World Championship, a $25,000 event where there is mostly no dead money at the table, with only top-notch players seated…

Even if the Holy Grail of poker is secretly relaxing in the luxurious Vegas resorts, there are some very interesting events in May and June in Europe as well: the EMOP will stop in Bulgaria, whilst the Danube Poker Series will be hosted in the wonderful Grand Casino Beograd, Tallin will have its Nordic Series and the UKIPT stops in Dublin. After the end of the WSOP, back in Europe as well for the CAPT Velden, in Southern Austria, just next to Italy and Slovenia… The brand new tour, the World Poker Tour National Series, also has two events: first in Cannes, with its great Riviera glamour, and then, mid-July, in the incredible Mazagan resort, in Morocco. Be ready for a spring and summer of sea, sun and poker!

EDITOrIal

3POKER 52 auropa // maY-june 2012 // ISSue 5

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contents6 NEWS22 upcomiNgtourNamENtS 22WptWorldchampionship 28WSopLasVegas 36DanubepokerSeries 40captVelden 43uKiptDublin 46WptNationalSeriescannes 50WptNationalSeriesmazagan 54rpSKiev 58EmopBulgaria 62tallinNordicpokerSeries

72 HENDoNmoBraNKiNgS

77 tourNamENtScHEDuLE cHroNicLES 16KaraScott

goodKarma 18Jakecody

irishopenandEasterweekend 20DoyleBrunson

«thepokerpoolcouldusealittlechlorine» 64isabellemercier

Welcometotheriviera! 66tonyg.

partypokerpremierLeague 68Highroller-Bruno“KiNg”Fitoussi

akeypot 70Hendonmob

tournamentDirector 80FabriceSoulier

thepalmtheory

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NEWS

Grand Casino madrid hosted a leg of the biggest european poker tour for the second year running, from march 12th to the 17th, but this time, it wasn’t for the big final event – won last year by Venezuelan Ivan Freitez-Rosales, who dominated his 685 opponents during the €10,000 ePT Grand Final for a massive €1,500,000 cash prize – but for a regular, yet still amazing stop. This second ePT Spanish stop of Season 8 after Barcelona (where 810 players saw German martin Schleich take the title for €850,000), attracted a field of 477 players, generating a €2,313,450 prize pool distributed between the 72 best players.Crowds of european and american top pros entered this €5,300 main event, such as David Benyamine, Bertrand “elkY” Grospellier, jamie Rosen, eli elezra, andrey Pateychuk, eugene Katchalov, Theo jorgensen, Kevin macPhee, arnaud mattern, james akenhead, Olivier Busquet, jake Cody, Chris moorman and Fatima moreira de melo, but only 283 of them made it to Day 2, led by local player juan navarrete. Young Canadian mike mcDonald finished Day 2 with the biggest stake, and american pro mclean Karr did the bubble on Day 3, giving his opponents the chance to secure at least a €7,500 profit. Kevin macPhee, Olivier Busquet, Yann Dion and melanie Weisner made it to the money but all busted before Day 4, which stopped right after mike mcDonald bubbled the final table.

The eight finalists who came back on Day 5 were led by Spanish amateur Ricardo Ibanez Rodiguez. Scot Fraser macIntyre, with his 2011 WSOPe side event title, and Danish pro Frederik jensen, 2011 aussie millions runner-up and ePT finalist, were also there, in front of Romanian andrei Stoenescu, Canadian jason Duval, Israeli pro Ilan Boujenah, Frenchman Bruno Lopes – winner of the 2012 euro Final of Poker – and nicolas Levi, who completed his 3rd ePT final table there. jason Duval, nicolas Levi and Ilan Boujenah, who began with the shortest stakes, were the first three players to hit the rail, followed later by Ricardo Ibanez Rodriguez, who couldn’t manage to keep his lead in the face of such skilled opponents. Bruno Lopes busted 4th, after being dominated by jensen with K-K against the Dane’s two pairs. Then, the last three players agreed to a deal, jensen receiving €385,000, Stoenescu €330,000 and macIntyre €290,000, with €110,000 more going to the champion. jensen quickly busted his Romanian opponent, calling Stoenescu’s all-in on a 5-8-10 board (with two spades), jensen holding 6-7 of spade and Stoenescu having K-8 off suited to see the King of spade giving a flush to the Danish chip leader. Fraser macIntyre tried to resist against jensen’s domination, but the Danish kept it really strong, ending the tournament snap-calling macIntyre all-in preflop with as-10, which dominated Scottish’s as-9 on the 4-8-j-Q-Q board. jensen left madrid with €495,000 for his first major tournament victory, a great achievement after five days of tough poker in the Spanish capital.

DaNE FrEDErIk JENSEN TaKeS TITLe In SPaIn

// EurOpEaN pOkEr TOur MaDrID

1st Frederik jensen (Denmark) €495,0002nd Fraser macIntyre (Scotland) €290,0003rd andrei Stoenescu (Romania) €330,0004th Bruno Lopes (France) €140,0005th Ricardo Ibanez Rodriguez (Spain) €115,0006th Ilan Boujenah (Israel) €92,0007th nicolas Levi (France) €69,4508th jason Duval (Canada) €48,000

€5,300 EpT MaDrID MaIN EvENT FINal TablE rESulTS

6 ISSue 5 // maY-june 2012 // POKER 52 auropa

DaNE FrEDErIk JENSEN TaKeS TITLe In SPaIn

NEWS

FInnISh PLaYeRS RuLe ESTOrIlCasino estoril, one of the largest casinos in europe, located close to the capital of Portugal, hosted the second leg of the european masters of Poker from march 29th to april 1st. 223 players from all over europe entered the €1,000 + €100 four-Day main event, trying to succeed Finn jukka Koskela, winner of the Season III edition for a €72,615 cash prize, or at least reach one of the 27 money places.after three days of tournament play (including two Day 1) and the elimination of Swedish player joakim Garlet at the 10th place, the nine-handed final table was set with three Portuguese, one Polish, one Irish, two Swedish and two Finnish players, for a truly cosmopolitan final.Patric mattsson’s double knockout signed the first climax of this final: all-in pre-flop, Irishman David Lappin (as-6), and Swedish players mattsson (10-10) and martin Dahlqvist (8-7), who finished at the 4th place at emOP Riga last year, saw the board 8-j-7-4-10 giving the pot to mattsson, with a set of 10, who busted two opponents at the same time, Lappin on 4th place, and Dahlqvist on 5th place.

Then Finnish player Tomi huuskonen eliminated the last Swedish participant at the 3rd place with a trip eights, reaching the heads-up against his fellow countryman joni jouhkimainen, third place finisher at a €1,000 ePT Barcelona side event in 2011, for €25,200. after a quiet and slow confrontation, jouhkimainen took over his opponent on the final hand: from the button, he opened at 200,000, called by huuskonen

to see the flop j-5-2. huuskonen bet 175,000, called by jouhkimainen, and huuskonen did the same on the turn 6. But this time, jouhkimainen raised all-in, snap-called by huuskonen, who showed a pair of aces. unfortunately for him his hand was way below jouhkimainen’s 4-3, for a straight, and huuskonen finished runner-up of this event, for €34,110, as his fellow countryman took the title, along with the €56,860 first prize.The next stop of the european masters of Poker will be held at the Crystal Crown Casino in Sunny Beach, Bulgaria, from may 28 to june 3, with a €700 + €70 main event (see our pages for further information).

// EurOpEaN MaSTErS OF pOkEr pOrTugal

EMOp ESTOrIllIST OF WINNErS

1st Timothy Timotheuo (united Kingdom) €86,6802nd Povilas Portukas (Lithuania) €53,1903rd henrik Torstensson (Sweden) €34,672

1st jukka Koskela (Finland) €72,6152nd asger Boye (Denmark) €43,5693rd Robert Svedin (Sweden) €28,428

2010: Season II: field: 393 players; Prize pool: €378,240.

2011: Season III: field: 309 players; Prize pool: €309,000.

1st joni jouhkmainen (Finland) €56,8602nd Tomi huuskonen (Finland) €34,1103rd Patric matsson (Sweden) €22,7404th David Lappin (Ireland) €13,8205th martin Dahlqvist (Sweden) €10,700 6th nuno Capucho (Portugal) €8,6907th Tomazs Koloziejski (Poland) €7,5808th josé Ruivo (Portugal) €6,4609th David metelo (Portugal) €5,350

EMOp ESTOrIlFINal TablE rESulTS


FInnISh PLaYeRS RuLe ESTOrIl

FraNcE pOkEr SErIES amnéVILLe & Gujan-meSTRaS

among the numerous poker tours running in France, the France Poker Series are one of the most vibrant, attracting each time some of the best French and international poker players, such as Bertrand Grospellier, Roger hairabedian, arnaud mattern, marc Inizan and jonathan Duhamel. and after the success of its three first stops, in mazagan (morocco), Deauville and evian, the FPS will reach the cities of amnéville (in north-eastern France) from may 10 to 13

and Gujan-mestras (in south-western France) from june 27 to july 1st. as usual, the highlight will be the €1,000 + €100 three-day main event (including two Day 1), along with several side events, with buy-ins ranging from €200 + €20 to

€500 + €50, as well as a huge €2,700 +€300 high Roller event, where elkY is never far from the victory. So if you are looking for a-level game and massive prize money, amnéville and Gujan-mestras would be the perfect options in your spring poker schedule.

// lIvE pOkEr TOurNaMENT FraNcE pOkEr SErIES SEaSON II€1,100 MaIN EvENT rESulTS

1st anas Tadini (France): €80,463 - 2nd Daniel högström (Sweden): €51,854 - 3rd Richard amsellem (France): €33,245

1st Ludovic Sultran (France): €82,000 - 2nd joep Van den Bijgaart (netherlands): €43,500 - 3rd Yury Gulyy (Russia): €28,000

1st Veronika Pavlikova (Czech Republic): €70,000 - 2nd Ludovic marguerat (Swiss): €43,500 - 3rd Serge Didisheim (Swiss): €27,500

SunFest Mazagan: field: 305 players; Prize pool: €320,045

Deauville: field 329 players; Prize pool: €315,840

SnowFest Evian: field: 296 players; Prize pool: €284,160

a WOrlD rEcOrD In aVIaTIOn CLuB De FRanCeThe World Poker Tour loves Paris, and the French capital always gives love right back. after being the first european card room to receive the honor of organizing a WPT stop, the famous venue, located on the Champs-elysées avenue, is now part of the new WPT national Series circuit, created to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the world’s biggest tour.From march 17th to the 24th, 370 players entered this five-day €1,650 main event and struggled inside the cozy atmosphere of the Parisian room, setting a new participation world record for a WPT national Series event, besting WPT mauritius and its 290 entries. after three Day 1 and two Day 2, only 52 players were still on track to snag this first WPT national title, including French pros Steven moreau (14th of the 2011 WSOP-europe main event) and antoine Saout, 3rd of the 2010 WSOP main event. and if the first finished 29th, for €3,855, the second entered the top 10 by the end of Day 3, and even took the chip lead during Day 4, only to be overtaken by japanese Shinya Shimada, who busted Belgian pro Davidi Kitai on the final table bubble (9th, for €12,855).French players Philippe abdoul, antoine Valantin, Grégory Benac, Yann Detychey and Franck Boyer and Walsh jeremy nock completed this last table, and after the Walsh player busted 4th, Grégory Benac

found himself on the last trio, in front of Shimada and Saout. The japanese competitor took the best of French champion with a set of Queens and was widely ahead at the beginning of its heads-up against Benac. But the French didn’t give up and, in only 30 minutes, he managed to overtake Shimada, winning the title with a set of Queens. The champion, an aviation Club de France regular, took home the first prize of €100,000, including a €92,570 cash prize and a €7,500 ticket for the next WPT season Grand Prix de Paris.

// WOrlD pOkEr TOur NaTIONal SErIES parIS OpEN OF pOkEr

1st Grégory Benac (France) €92,570 + a ticket for the Grand Prix de Paris Event (€7,500)2nd Shinya Shimada (japan) €66,4853rd antoine Saout (France) €51,4204th jeremy nock (Walsh) €38,5655th Franck Boyer (France) €30,870 6th Philippe abdoul (France) €25,7207th antoine Valantin (France) €20,5658th Yann Detychey (France) €15,245

WpT NaTIONal SErIES pOpFINal TablE rESulTS

POKER 52 auropa // maY-june 2012 // ISSue 5 9

NEWS

MEga pOkEr SErIES maDRIDafter initial legs at the montesino Casino in Vienna in january and at Dusk Till Dawn Casino in nottingham in march, the mega Poker Series will make a stop in Grand Casino madrid, from june 12-17, for a wonderful series, directed by Thomas Kremser. Several side events will be held during this weeklong series, such as two €60 Satellites for the €770 main event, a €150 + €50 + €15 Bounty event, a €300 + €30 two-day nLhe event, a €200 + €20 two-day nLhe event, a €50 + €50 + €10 Bounty event and a €1,500 + €150 two-day high Roller event. The €770 main event will run during june 13-17, with two Day 1 and a re-entry option. The first two stops of the tour attracted crowds of international players, with 390 participants in Vienna and 227 entries in nottingham, and Gran Casino madrid is waiting for the same success for this special event.

// lIvE pOkEr TOurNaMENT

MEga pOkEr SErIES €770/£770 MaIN EvENT rESulTS

1st Csaba Bago (hungary) €58,7702nd justas Semaska (Lithuania) €34,7003rd Romero Borze (Romania) €23,040

vienna: field: 390 players; Prize pool: €273,000

Nottingham: field: 227 players; Prize pool: £133,920

DavIDI kITaI WINS FIrST EpT TITlE FOR BeLGIum anD GeTS TRIPLe CROWn

Belgian pro Davidi Kitai gave his country its first ever ePT champion tonight, winning ePT Berlin for €712,000. Kitai, 32, from Brussels, won the event after beating fellow ePT regular andrew Chen heads-up. For Kitai, it was his second ePT final – he came third at ePT Barcelona in Season 5 for €455,000. Chen, 24, from Toronto now has three finals to his name – he finished third at ePT Prague in Season 5 for €257,000, fifth at the

Season 6 ePT Grand Final for €400,000 and has now picked up €613,000 for his runner-up finish here in Germany. Ironically, Kitai and Chen shared a cab to ePT Berlin after landing at the airport at the same time.

Kitai is the only Belgian who has won both a WSOP bracelet and a WPT title, and with his ePT victory has now achieved poker’s elusive “Triple Crown”.

1st Tom Langley (england) £35,7702nd andrew hulme (england) £21,0703rd julian herold (Germany) £13,120


NEWS

JaNNIck WraNg BeSTS TOP PROS In ePT ITaLIan maIn eVenTFor the first time in its history, the city of Campione, a small Italian exclave within Swiss territory, had the honor of organizing an ePT event, and no less than 570 players reached the Casino di Campione, the biggest european card room, for this five-day €5,300 main event, which ran from march 26th to the 31st. Chris moorman, eugene Katchalov, Patrik antonius, Fabrice Soulier, Vanessa Selbst, Dario minieri, Liv Boeree, Victor Ramdin, Luca Pagano, Dario minieri, Robert Romanello, michael Tureniec, Kevin macPhee, elkY, arnaud mattern, Olivier Busquet and Faraz jaka were all there during the two Day 1, but only Busquet, Romanello, Grospellier, Boeree and Soulier managed to enter Day 3 and even made it to the money. French Triple Crown holder busted 61st, english pro 51st, and Walsh champion 49th (all three for €9,000), as Soulier and Busquet made their way to the semi-final, respectively 2nd and 7th in chips, with Danish jannick Wrang leading the field of 24 survivors, including Swiss Ronny Kaiser and Scottish David Vamplew, two ePT champions, hoping for an unseen double title. But both ePT champions fell before the final table (respectively 22nd and 10th, for €15,000 and €41,000), and had to clear the way to Swedish Robin Ylitalo, Italian mario nagel and Stefano Puccilli, Belgian Koen De Visscher and hungarian Balazs Botond, who all had to deal with tough pros Wrang, Busquet and 2011 WSOP h.O.R.S.e. champion Soulier, who reached his first ePT final table with the biggest stake.

This final table was the longest in ePT history. after 12 hours of play, Soulier shoved with K-Q, called by Wrang with ace-6. The flop K-6-2 gave the lead to the French player, but the ace on the turn changed everything, and Soulier busted on third place, for €240,000. In front of Wrang, Busquet, known as one of the best heads-up players of the world, couldn’t resist. On the last hand, the american player moved all-in with ace-9, called by Wrang holding ace-6, which hit a flush on an ace-3-5-10-2 board. jannick Wrang took down his first major tournament title, besting top pros, for the second ePT victory in a row for Danish poker players, right after jensen’s achievement in madrid.

// EurOpEaN pOkEr TOur caMpIONE

1st jannick Wrang (Denmark) €640,0002nd Olivier Busquet (united States) €430,0003rd Fabrice Soulier (France) €240,0004th Balazs Botond (hungary) €157,0005th Koen De Visscher (Belgium) €124,000 6th mario nagel (Italy) €92,0007th Stefano Puccilli (Italy) €71,5008th Robin Ylitalo (Sweden) €54,000

€5,300 EpT caMpIONE MaIN EvENT FINal TablE rESulTS


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gOOD karMaToday is my last day in Santa Barbara for a month or more, so I’ve been running around like crazy trying to finalize things for this next work trip. I’m stoked to go to Montreal tomorrow for the Montreal Party Poker Classic event in aid of the Jodi Lazarus Fund for Hereditary Breast Cancer. I’ve never been to Quebec so I’m really excited to see a new part of my own country and I’m hoping to catch up with some friends while I’m there too.

Prop bet!I’ve made a prop bet with my old friend/nemesis Chris Tessaro from Sportsnet Radio Fan590. Years ago I made a bet with him which I definitely took the bad side of and I ended up having to do my job as the host of a major televised poker event in a big fluffy bunny costume. Ouch. This time, we have a last-longer bet for the Montreal poker tournament and whoever goes out first will have to refer to themselves in the 3rd person for the next 24 hours. For Chris, this includes doing his radio show like that. I’m looking forward to winning this one and then forcing Chris to go out for beers with me and watch him say things like “Chris would really like a drink now’ and ‘Chris is a little bit embarrassed at how it looks like he’s insane.” Bring it on, Tessaro!

On to the next!Once Montreal is done and dusted, I’ll be climbing on an airplane bound for Vienna where I’ll be hosting the Party Poker Premier League Main Event and the Party Poker Big Game.mo We have a truly top quality line up for these shows – no lie, some of the very best players in the world will be gunning for the title this year. It’s going to be a lot of TV work over the 2 weeks which means that I need around 10 new dresses for this trip – yikes! Time to hit the shops. After calling my bank to warn them that my credit card was about to be used in a spending spree, I proceeded to dress shop like my life depended on it. I’m pretty fast with this sort of thing usually.In my job, I buy a lot of dresses so I’m kind of a pro at it now and make fewer “oh wow, that dress looked terrrrrrible on camera” mistakes. The really lovely Eduardo and Adele at BCBG in Santa Barbara set aside ninety minutes for me to try on pretty much everything in their store, running to get new sizes and being (as I asked them to) brutally honest about just how everything looked. Thankfully, it’s all over now. Also thankfully, I’ve got three great girlfriends in Santa Barbara who all wear the exact same size as me so they can borrow the new dresses whenever they like. That definitely makes me feel a little less gross when I look at the racks of work dresses in my closet that only get worn a couple of times at different events. Also, this time I decided that in order to have a shopping spree, I needed to give some of my older dresses away. In a great stroke of good timing, a charity contacted me online about donating my “gently used” dresses to the local Women’s Shelter and so I boxed up a bunch of them and sent them off.

Good KarmaIf you haven’t gone through your closet in a while and you know that there’s some stuff in there that isn’t being used, consider donating it to a shelter or charity shop. It’s good karma for you and more importantly, there are people out there who could really benefit. And now, I’ve got only thirteen hours left in Santa Barbara and I’ve not even begun to start packing! I’d better get to it. Good luck to everyone headed to Montreal this week and I’m looking forward to meeting lots of you!

ViennaIt’s been a crazy couple of weeks here in Vienna and it’s not over yet! The WPT main event is going on in the building, the Premier League is complete and now The PartyPoker Big Game is underway and there’s already been loads of action.

Another 48hrsIt’s a 48-hour cash game and I’m sharing the hosting duties with the lovely Michelle Orpe who the poker world already knows and loves. We’ve actually known each other for years, hearkening back to our Poker Night Live days. It’s great to see her and get to spend some time together catching up, even if we’re only crossing over as we hand the hosting baton back and forth every 12 hours.

Real TimePart of the draw of the Big Game is watching in real time as players hit the 12, 16, or 20+ hour mark. Cash sessions can las t that long (and much longer of course) but watching the players cope with fatigue is fascinating, especially the players who are stuck a lot. I hope you guys have e n j o y e d t h e l i v e coverage that Party Poker has been providing over the past 10 days – the bloggers h a v e b e e n working like crazy to bring you al l the key pots and interviews with the players. I tell you what though, once this is all over, I’m going to sleep for a week!


I just got home from Dublin this afternoon, well actually I just woke up because I had to nap when I got in. I was that exhausted from the weekend! I planned to sleep for an hour, set the alarm but then my phone died, goodbye sleep pattern! Pretty typical. The weekend started off in a complete shambles of a road trip. I got a Range Rover at the end of last year, kinda needless but so good for road trips!.. and now that I’m living with Pez, jamie and ash it does come in handy. We had a sick lineup going to Dublin too… me, Pez, jP, Pab and a guest appearance from andy jacques! The latest ferry we could get was 2 p.m. from Wales, so the plan was to set off at 11 a.m. with plenty of time to spare, get on the ferry, grab some food, play some Chinese, and arrive in great spirits.

IrISh OpEN aND EaSTEr WEEkEND

JakE cODy

In reality, we woke up a little late, realized we had to pack and rushed to get up and out and ended up leaving forty minutes late. We then got stuck in awful traffic coming out of Leeds and despite a valiant effort flying down the motorway we were still two hours away with one hour before the ferry left... Great. So we made a group decision to go to the nearest airport (Manchester) and get a flight from there, nearly 400 euros each for return flights, pretty tilting but we didn’t have much choice. Grabbed some food and drinks at Giraffe and we were all quickly in a great mood again, probably due to banter with the delightful Bulgarian waitress.

I’d never flown to Dublin before, and heard stories about propellers and landing on fields… I kinda had this in mind…Thankfully, it was nothing like this, the plane was actually pretty big and it took no time whatsoever. I used to have a thing with flying but totally fine now. Seems pretty ridiculous that I’ve always got the ferry even though road trips are pretty damn awesome. First night in Dublin, had a great time, found a bowling alley with a Chinese across the road, couldn’t ask for much more, and we’re in Dublin! Afterwards we wanted to hit a few bars but with it being technically Good Friday everywhere closed at 12 so we just went to the hotel bar and had an early-ish night. Doesn’t really make sense to me that drinks are frowned upon, yet it is fine to hold a major poker tournament on the same day…

Onto the tournament! Had a good night’s sleep, went down to buy-in and took my seat feeling pretty optimistic. The Irish Open is such a great tournament, not part of any big tour but still regarded as prestigious, this was my third time playing it and I was hoping it was going to be lucky number three. My table looked pretty good with a few “spots” but not amazing. In fact the first table was soft but played out quite nitty, which was fine but I kinda expected and was hoping for some early blowups. Things were going pretty steadily and I was up to around 35K from 20 after the dinner break, then the table broke and I was stuck in a Martin Jacobson, Michael Tureniec sandwich – not ideal. A few other good players at the table too and some annoying spots. I ended up ending the day on 27,400 going back at 400/800/50… This was one flaw in this tournament, everything about it was great, but wtf was with the antes, at 200/400 it was 25 and 500/1k it was 50! What the hell is that? I mean I guess it’s not a major problem but I do hope it gets changed.Back to day two had on of my favorite people and friends at the table, James Dempsey! I always like having one, two at most friends at the table especially on day1, which can be a grind sometimes. The table was extremely soft overall and I was feeling really good if I could get some chips together. Unfortunately I lost every pot for the first level and the blinds went up and all of a sudden I had 19bb. Dempsey was playing pretty absurd and when he opened and I looked down at the might A3 of clubs it felt like Aces but I ended up running into his 10s and no ace in his face, and that was that. Disappointing because it’s an C

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incredible tournament if you can make a deep run, more so with the added Sole Survivor thing, which is maybe the best promo I’ve ever seen. Oh well, always next year.

I was so down, after all I was in Dublin! And loads of great people were here. Inevitably there was drinking – it would be rude not to – I had my token one Guinness I always have when I go to Ireland, I’m not really a big fan but I do like to get in with local traditions when I go to new places. I busted on Saturday afternoon, and probably couldn’t have busted at a better time, had a SICK day planned! Started off with bowling, little bit addicted to bowling right now and we always gamble and have teams, it’s great banter especially + drinking pre night out. Then Trigg and Ben Vinson really wanted to go to the dogs. Sounded like something I’d love so was well up for it, went with complete LEGENDS Pab, Trigg, Claypole, Vinson, Middy, Andy, and Maria Ho – it had fun written all over it. The place was rammed too, it was absolutely buzzing and thanks to Trigg and Vinson’s expertise we were betting as a group and had something like 5/7 winners oi oiiiiiiii! Morale was hugeeee and the drinks were well and truly flowing. W stopped back at the hotel bar to round up people for the night out. A LOT of baby Guinesses later (basically a fruity/creamy shot that looks like a pint of Guinness) and we hit COPPER FACE JACKS! I fucking love this place, its kinda grimy but the music is sick and I’ve always had a sick, sick night there… everyoneeeeee was out, it was awesome. It gets pretty hazy from here, few too many shots, I did wake up the next day with some absolutely hilarious pictures from the night… Here’s probably the best one… Duhamel’s face absolutely cracks me up in it.Spent most of Sunday afternoon nursing my hangover in the bar downstairs and railing the football. Bank Holiday Sunday, so we fought through the hangovers and did it all over again, probably not quite as fun a Saturday but still lots of fun. I love coppers!!!Onto Monday, the midday flight now seemed like a huge mistake and it was not fun getting out of bed. But we made it, found the car with not too much trouble and I was extremely happy to get home. I’ve been traveling most of the time for the last few years but when I moved to Leeds last year it was the first time I’d actually officially left home, and one thing I found is post is now bad news. When I was younger post was great, pretty much 100% of the time it was something good. Now, it officially sucks.

Its something good like 1% of time… it’s a sweat whether you’re in trouble or how much trouble you’re in... and those brown envelopes… sigh at those! Anyway, yeah, had some tilting stuff that I’ve gotta sort out tomorrow.Now the WSOP is weeks away and I head out to Vegas even sooner, I’ve been planning to get really fit all year and done it honestly pretty half-heartedly after this weekend I’m pumped to change, I’m going to keep drinking to a minimum until Vegas and going to hit the gym hard, like seriously hard until then. I’m not really in bad shape just not in good shape, hopefully I can make some noticeable changes for the summer. Also, this week the desks finally arrive! So, going to grind and think of some volume bets to do in the next month. UKIPT Nottingham is this week too! With £1,000,000 guaranteed, and Rob Yong (the owner of DTD) putting up the guarantee himself. I really like Rob, and what an absolute BOSS he is doing this, the things he’s doing at DTD and for UK poker in general are so sick and I think we should all be behind him supporting the club as much as possible. So I’ll be heading there later this week, and hopefully make a run at it. n

I’ve been planning to get really fit all year and done it honestly pretty half-heartedly after this weekend I’m pumped to change, I’m going to keep drinking to a minimum until Vegas and going to hit the gym hard

DOylE BRUNsON“texas dolly”

THURSDAY MARCH 22nd, 2012I get many requests for stories about the “old days”. Mostly they want me to recount the robberies I went through in my poker career. I was robbed at gunpoint five times so I’ll give an account in each new blog.I was twenty-four years old in 1957 and had just tur-ned pro. I was doing all my playing in Fort Worth, Texas on a street called Exchange Avenue. Exchange was the street leading into the stock yards in Fort Worth and was the most unbelievably violent place you could imagine. I played there for three years before I started traveling around the South looking for games. I personally saw five people killed on that street before I left and heard of many more deaths.This particular night we were playing in a lowball game in the back room of a pool hall. The door leading into the room was suddenly knocked down and four unifor-med policemen charged in with drawn guns. We tried to protect ourselves against getting robbed and we had a man with a shotgun sitting on a high platform behind the game. But when he saw the uniformed policemen, he understandably dropped his weapon. We were used to being arrested, taken down to the police station and paying a fine for gambling, then being released. It was part of the risk of illegal poker but when these guys star-ted taking our money from the table and searching us for more, we realized the “policemen” were really robbers.Sailor Roberts, my best friend at the time had a terrible temper when he got mad, which wasn’t very often. Sailor started cursing them and refused to give them his money. We tried to restrain him but one of the thieves got to

him and hit him with a pistol, knocking out one of his front teeth. That was the end of anyone trying to save money. The robbers left and we never heard anymore about them. On Exchange Avenue those types of things never got reported to the real police. We accepted it as part of the price of our lifestyle.It looks like the cash games in Vegas are really starting to come around. Although the stakes are much lower than before Black Friday, there are mid-range games every day with more and more players participating. If there weren’t so many new games like Badeucy and Badacey, that most folks have never played, we would pick up lots of tourists who love to play poker but don’t like the ultra-high stake games. But that’s one thing that doesn’t change: poker creates different types of games that require different stra-tegies and broader knowledge.I’ve got to leave and go to the casino to play now. I’m averaging 9-10 hours, 7 days a week. Kinda hard on me at my age but as my Dad used to tell me, “you gotta make hay while the sun shines.”

MONDAY, APRIL 9th, 2012There is finally a day off from playing poker so I can get this blog in. I promised I would do one a week for doylebrunson.com but the poker has been so good I’m running behind schedule. Several of our regular players at the Bellagio have left to go to tournaments overseas. As badly as I dislike playing in tournaments, I have to say I’m extremely jealous of these young guys, and if I was their age I would be doing it too. What an awesome way to see the world.

«ThE pOkEr pOOl cOulD uSE a lITTlE chlOrINE»

DOyleisme Of The DAy:


ThE gODFaThEr OF pOkEr

Find Doyle brunson at www.pokerroad.com

As promised, here is another robbery at a poker game I was involved in. I’ve told this story many times because it is one of my favorites, so you may have heard it. In the early 60’s we were traveling all over the southern states looking for games, so we played in some unusual places. We had played all over Texas but we had never played in this farmhouse outside of Austin, the capital of Texas. The owner of the house was a bookmaker named Duck Mallard. People who knew him well swear that was his real name. Another unusual name people in the poker world know well is Huckleberry Seed. Huck has two bro-thers named Cotton and Mulberry. With names like that people will at least remember them.This particular night we were playing, and three games were running. There were several women who were ser-ving food, giving massages, etc. We had been playing for several hours when we heard windows breaking all around the house including the game room. Seven men wearing ski masks and carrying shotguns came in from every direction. They came in from the bedrooms, kitchen and where we were playing so there was nowhere to run or hide, although several of the players attempted to.Shotguns are the scariest weapons you can face, so nobody gave any resistance. The robbers made all the women sit down in the chairs around the poker tables. Then they made the men line up facing and the wall and had us drop our pants and underwear. I remember one of the ladies saying that she had never seen so many naked butts and shaking knees before. They searched our pants and took our money off the tables. Duck Mallard sold chips and had the money.

It seems that hijackers like to pick on the biggest guy

that they are robbing. That guy was usually me, at 6 ft 3

and 270 lbs. One of the leaders of the thieves was about

5 ft 6 and he turned me around and asked, “Who runs

this game?” In the old days there was an unwritten rule

that you didn’t squeal on anybody or anything. So, I told

him I didn’t know. I can still remember that his eyes were

glazed over, probably from drugs. He hit me on the side

of my head with his gun and blood squirted everywhere.

He asked again, “Who runs this game?” True to the code

I told him I didn’t know.

This little jerk had an old fashioned shotgun that had

hammers for firing. He cocked both hammers, put the

gun right between my eyes and told me, “I’m not going to

ask you again, who runs this game.” I rapidly answered,

“That guy down there in the green shirt.”

So much for the stupid code! I proved discretion is the

better part of valor because I’m sure he would have pulled

the trigger on the shotgun. I remember I lost $3,700 in

that robbery and that was a ton of money back then. The

robbers got over $40,000 which was a major score back

in the 60’s.

I heard from a reliable source that six out of the seven

robbers were killed within a year. Stealing people’s money

was a dangerous way of life and most of the “tough guys”

usually paid the ultimate price. I know a lot of these men

who always said that was the only way they had of being

successful. That was a lot of crap, and I remember what

one of my college professors always said. n

«ThE pOkEr pOOl cOulD uSE a lITTlE chlOrINE»

It looks like the cash games in Vegas are really starting to come around. although the stakes are much lower than before Black Friday, there are mid-range games every day with more and more players participating


upcOMINg TOurNaMENTS

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laST STOp aT ThE bEllagIO

WORlD POKeR TOuR WORlD ChAmPiOnshiP

The World Poker Tour will celebrate the end of its 10th season with a last stop at the mythical Bellagio of Las Vegas, a tradition since 2003. From may 4th to may 26th, no less than 34 events will be provided, with buy-ins ranging from $300 + $30 to $100,000, for three full weeks of high-level poker in which the world’s greatest poker superstars will compete. The $25,500 main event will be the highlight of the biggest of WPT series, and the competition will run for seven days before the world gets to know the name of the player who will succeed Carlos mortensen (2007), Yevgeniy Timoshenko (2009), David Williams (2010) and Scott Seiver (2011) on the WPT World Championship winners list. Let’s have a look at what you can expect if you can make it to Sin City for this stunning 10th anniversary series.

By Julien Morello


AAmong the casinos of the world, the Bellagio is surely one of the most impressive. Opened in 1998 and located right on the Las Vegas Strip, this 36-floor hotel and casino is surrounded by an 8-acre lake which houses the Fountains of Bellagio, a stunning water fountain dancing and music show that you’ve surely seen onscreen, in movies such as Rush Hour 2, Ocean’s Eleven and Ocean’s Thirteen. The complex boasts more than 4,500 rooms and suites, twenty coffee shops and restaurants, as well as many entertainment centers, including the Bella-gio Gallery of Fine Art, the Conservatory and the Botanical Gardens, and the Cirque du Soleil’s aquatic show, named “Ô”.But, of course, the most imposing part of the Bellagio is its 10,000-square-meter casino (2,400 slot machines), and its 650-square-meter poker room, with 40 tables where you can play all kinds of games and limits. The Bellagio also hosts the most famous high stakes room of the world, Bobby’s Room, named after 1978 World Series of Poker champion Bobby Bald-win. And Bellagio’s history has been linked for ten years with the WPT, as the casino has so far hosted 29 WPT tournaments series, including the World Poker Tour World Championship.This series, (also named “Championship” or “Annual Five Star World Poker Classic”), is not like the other WPT legs of the regular season, including three other stops held at the Bel-lagio, the Bellagio Cup, the Festa al Lago and the Doyle Brun-

son Five Diamond World Poker Classic. Born with the World Poker Tour itself, it’s longer and tougher than any other series of the international circuit, and it looks like a big final festi-val, ending each season since 2003 with a wonderful $25,000 Main Event.

The longest and the toughest main event of the season…This super tournament has seen some of the best poker players in the world reach its final table, such as Phil Ivey (twice, in 2003 and 2005), Doyle Brunson, Hasan Habib (twice in a row, in 2004 and 2005!), Martin De Knijff, Roland de Wolfe, Men Nguyen, Carlos Mortensen, Gus Hansen, Scotty Nguyen, Bertrand Grospellier, David Beny-amine, Shawn Buchanan, Eric Baldwin, David Williams, Justin Young, Galen Hall and Scott Seiver. Since 2003, the first prize is always in excess of $1,000,000, with a peak in 2007, when Mortensen overcame 638 opponents for a huge $3,970,415 cash prize, and last year Scott Seiver took home $1,618,344, after defeating a field of 219.The WPT World Championship is also, along with the WPT Southern Poker Championship of Beau Rivage, the longest Main Event of the WPT, with no less than a full


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2003 – season i 1st alan Goehring $1,011,886 2nd Kirill Gerosimov $506,6253rd Phil Ivey $253,313

2004 – season ii 1st martin De Knijff $2,728,356 2nd hasan habib $1,372,2233rd matt matros $706,903

2005 – season iii 1st Tuan Le $2,856,150 2nd Paul maxfield $1,698,9303rd hasan habib $896,375

2006 – season iV 1st joe Bartholdi $3,760,165 2nd Davidson matthew $1,903,9503rd Roland de Wolfe $1,025,205

2007 – season V 1st Carlos mortensen $3,970,415 2nd Kirk morrison $2,011,1353rd Paul Lee $1,082,920

2008 – season Vi 1st David Chiu $3,389,140 2nd Gus hansen $1,714,8003rd john Roveto $923,355

2009 – season Vii 1st Yevgeniy Timoshenko $2,143,655 2nd Ran azor $1,441,9753rd Bertrand Grospellier $773,940

2010 – season Viii 1st David Williams $1,530,537 2nd eric Baldwin $1,034,7153rd Shawn Buchanan $587,906

2011 – season iX 1st Scott Seiver $1,618,344 2nd Farzad Bonyadi $1,061,9003rd Galen hall $539,355

2011 field: 29 players; Prize pool: $2,802,000 1st erik Seidel $1,092,780 2nd erick Lindgren $700,0003rd Daniel negreanu $448,3204th Vivek Rajkumar $336,2405th justin Bonomo $224,160

$25,500 WPT WORlD ChAmPiOnshiP

lIST OF WINNErS

$100,000 hiGh ROlleR eVenT

IN ThE MONEy rESulTS


week of tournament play, for a true poker marathon. This season again, the $25,000 + $500 Main Event will run for 7 days, from May 19th to the 26th, and it will end this World Championship festival with its broadcasted final table.

… and 33 amazing side eventsBut the Main Event won’t be the sole tournament of this 2012 series. From May 4th you will have a large choice of events, with a two-day $300 + $30 Combin’em Hold’em Event, a three-Day $1,000 + $80 Seniors Event, nineteen NLHE events with buy-ins ranging from $500 +$40 to $1,500 + $90, and six $2,500 + $120 Super Satellites for the Main Event. But that’s not all, because if you are look-ing for longer and bigger tournaments, four three-day

$5,000 + $180 No Limit Hold’em Events will run from May 21st to the 26th.And if you are looking for an even bigger tournament, the $100,000 Super High Roller will kick off on the 23rd, for three days of super high-level play, where poker pros and high-stakes players will compete for a massive prize pool. Last year, twenty-nine players entered the most expensive WPT Event, and Erik Seidel made in excess of a million dollars in cash after reaching the final table and defeating top pros such as Erick Lindgren, Daniel Negreanu, Vivek Rajkumar, and Justin Bonomo.With all kinds of tournaments, for all sorts of budgets, the WPT World Championship will be the series to play this spring. And if you make it to the prize money, you might stay a bit longer in Las Vegas, since the World Series of Poker begins only three days later.


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bEcOME ThE STuFF OF lEgEND

WORlD seRies Of POKeR lAs VeGAs

The most exciting series in the whole wide world of poker is back! Once again this year, from may 27th through july 16th, the iconic Rio Casino will be the stage of the longest-running competition ever, featuring all kinds of styles of game for a real poker feast: no Limit hold’em of course, but also Omaha, h.O.R.S.e., Seven Card Stud or 2-7 Draw Lowball among others. This is Vegas, baby! everything you want is here, plus more. no less than 61 bracelets events are scheduled in this 7-week series, rewarding the best players in the world with entrance into the hall of Fame. huge crowds of poker lovers will come to take their chances against all the best international pros, trying to win a share of the insane cash prizes at stake. For the thrill of your life, come join them and experience the most challenging competition ever. It might be your turn to become the stuff of legend!

By Philippe Aronson


SSince 1970, this small Las Vegas event has grown to become the reference in poker series worldwide, growing each year in popularity, with more and more players, more and more events, and more and more money. This year will be the 43rd and biggest series ever, with no less than 61 gold brace-lets rewarding the best players in the world – three more than last year. It seems nothing’s too big for Vegas, as the poker extravaganza will last seven weeks and feature more options than ever for players from all over the world.“This year’s WSOP schedule is very exciting,” says WSOP Tournament Director Jack Effel, who will oversee the event for the seventh consecutive year. “We’re introducing some fantastic new events, while bringing back many successful stalwarts that our players love. We will expand our foot-print this year to include extra tables dedicated to cash games, as well as plenty of satellite and single-day tour-nament space, so players will have an easy time finding a desirable game without ever having to leave the Rio Con-vention Center.” So there are more games, more events to choose from, more tables – this is going to be huge, even for Vegas, but don’t panic, here are the most important changes you should know of.

Big changes for the main event scheduleFirst, an additional 92 poker tables will be put in play, with the 20,000-square-foot Brasilia Ballroom provid-ing the additional tables not in use last year. In all, there should be 470 poker tables in use throughout the series. Thanks to this increased seating capacity, just three start-ing days will be necessary for the WSOP Main Event, starting on July 7th for three Day 1: players will begin their journey to fortune on Saturday, July 7th, Sunday, July 8th or Monday, July 9th. Day 2 of the structure will be contested on Tuesday, July 10th for all players who played on Days1A (Saturday) or 1B (Sunday). Survivors, who started playing on Day 1C (Monday) and still have chips, will play their

hOW TO gET ThErE? Just south of the major Strip casinos and easily accessi-ble from I-15, McCarran International Airport is among America’s 10 busiest airports. Most domestic flights use Terminal One; international, charter and certain domestic flights use Terminal Two.

There are more games, more events to choose from, more tables – this is going to be huge, even for Vegas


NIghT lIFEVooDoo Rooftop nightclubDine, dance and drink 51 stories above the excitement of Sin City at the wildest nightspot in Las Vegas! Located in the Bellagio resort, this indoor/outdoor, double-decker nightclub provides a striking steel staircase that offers possibly the single best view in all of Vegas. The house band and nightly DJs will keep you dancing until dawn.

Cleopatra’s BargeThis ornate replica of the craft that transported Egypt’s royalty on the Nile is a Las Vegas hot spot, located, of course, in the Caesar’s Palace resort. This luxurious floating lounge show-cases live music and DJs spinning the latest hits, and features a dance floor that literally rocks.

The BankThe Bellagio resort nightclub offers an exquisitely chic and stunning black and stylish 6,600 square foot space that makes The Bank a world-class nightclub destination. Guests will be greeted by a sensuous foyer, that gives a foretaste of the magi-cal nightlife to come.

rESTauraNTSThere are so many options in Vegas that you won’t even know where to start! The city provides all kinds of cuisines for delicate palates, most of them located directly within the resort of your choosing, with insanely low prices. Here is a non-extensive list of great places to eat

martorano’sMartorano’s is the hottest restaurant at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino. Chef Steve Martorano breaks all the rules, serving amazing American-Italian dishes with audacity and an unfor-gettable personal touch. It’s no surprise that this fantastic chef caters for the cast of The Sopranos. $20 - $30.• 3700 W. Flamingo Road – Las Vegas, NV 89103

Restaurant Guy savoyThe twin of one of the greatest restaurants in Paris, with dishes to die for cooked by French master Guy Savoy, who has 3 Michelin stars, is waiting for you in the Caesar’s Palace resort. It might seem expensive compared to other Vegas addresses, but once you’ve tasted it, you won’t think of the price anymore. $180 - $200• 3570 Las Vegas Blvd. South – Las Vegas, NV 89109

JasmineThis exquisite garden and lake-view restaurant, located in the Bellagio resort, features the exotic aromas of Cantonese, Szechwan and Hunan cuisines. Nouvelle Hong Kong cuisine together with authentic and replicated Chinese art will provide a transcendental experience singular to your senses. $40 - $60.• 3600 Las Vegas Blvd. South – Las Vegas, NV 89109

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hOTElSAll Caesars Entertainment properties in Las Vegas offer special reduced room rates for entrants of WSOP bracelet events – no less than seven fantastic hotels for you to choose from, with rates as low as $35. Check it out!

Rio All suites hotelThis is one of the great pleasures in Vegas: obscene luxury can actually be affordable. The Rio features 2,500 suites, all of them huge – in excess of 600 square feet – and all of them providing spectacular views of Las Vegas. Rates start as low as $69 for players staying at the host property of the WSOP. Suite up!• 3700 W. Flamingo Road – Las Vegas, NV 89103

imperial PalaceThe Imperial Palace is a first-class resort located in the heart of the fabulous Las Vegas Strip, and only minutes away from the airport. It features a pool, a spa, shops, and amazing rooms for rates as low as $35.• 3535 Las Vegas Blvd. South – Las Vegas, NV 89109

Bally’sHere you’ll find all you can expect from a stay in Vegas, and more. Bally’s features a 67,000-square-foot casino, a variety of great restaurants and Jubilee!, the last classic showgirl revue left in Las Vegas. From 450-square-foot standard rooms to huge suites, Bally’s is all about elegance and comfort, with rates starting at $45.• 645 Las Vegas Blvd. South – Las Vegas, NV 89109

flamingoThis self-contained casino and resort offers everything an adventurous vacationer could want, including a Wildlife Habitat and a 15-acre Caribbean-style water playground.

The perfect hotel for adventure-seekers, with rates start-ing at $45.• 3555 Las Vegas Blvd. South – Las Vegas, NV 89109

harrah’sOver 2,500 beautiful rooms and suites, 86,664 square feet of casino space, seven outstanding restaurants, a sparkling outdoor swimming pool, a luxurious spa, and state-of-the-art health club, Harrah’s is simply one the best hotels on the Las Vegas Strip, with rooms from $40.• 3475 Las Vegas Blvd. South – Las Vegas, NV 89109

ParisClassic style, fine craftsmanship, and authentic details are combined to recreate the French capital’s unique atmosphere in Vegas. This glamorous hotel tower has spacious guestrooms and suites decorated with sumptuous fabrics, custom European furniture, and marble bathrooms. In short, pure refinement for rooms as low as $79.• 3655 Las Vegas Blvd. South – Las Vegas, NV 89109

Caesar’s PalaceThis mythical establishment is not considered the most pres-tigious resort in the world for nothing: everything here reeks of absolute, decadent luxury, with perfect taste and attention to details. Come live as a Roman Emperor and rent the Fantasy Suite! Rates start at $110.• 3570 Las Vegas Blvd. South – Las Vegas, NV 89109

BellagioFor those playing the WPT, special rates are also available in this sumptuous, freshly redesigned resort offering every kind of luxury accommodation, from resort rooms to villas – 3,933 in total. Indulge!• 3600 Las Vegas Blvd. South – Las Vegas, NV 89109


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Day 2 on Wednesday, July 11th. All fields will combine for the first time to form Day 3 on Thursday, July 12th. With all those changes, the WSOP Main Event will be shortened by three full days, so it will be more intense than ever. But in terms of structure, it will remain the same: 30,000 in starting chips, two hour levels, with Level 1 starting at 50-100 blinds with no ante. Another big change will occur this year, due to exceptional circumstances: the delayed final table will return as usual, but will be contested one week earlier than in previous years. In-deed, with the U.S. Presidential Election on the first Tuesday in November, the date had to be changed. Consequently, the WSOP Main Event final table will be held in two stages, from nine players playing down to two on Sunday, October 28th, with heads-up play on Tuesday, October 30th. Once again, the Penn & Teller Theater at the Rio will host this amazing finale, in front of a live television audience on ESPN and ESPN2.

61 events with buy-ins from $500 to $1,000,000Aside from the Main Event, sixty other events will be fea-tured, with buy-ins ranging from $500 to $1,000,000, but the Rio will also host 24-hour cash games, single-table satellites, mega-satellites, turbo-mega-satellites and three daily Deepstack tournaments. All of these side events and satellites will be held in the Pavilion Ballroom, the largest poker room in use during the WOSP, with 55,488 square feet and 257 tables.The highlights of the new schedule feature a $3,000 Heads-Up No-Limit Hold’em/Pot-Limit Omaha on May 29th, which combines the two most popular games played today in a Heads Up format (512 player cap) and should be a thrill-ing rollercoaster ride for the game’s young guns. Players will alternate between games each 20-minute level. Also


don’t miss the four-day $5,000 Mix-Max No-Limit Hold’em starting on May 31st, which will require players to have the skills to play 9-handed on Day 1, 6-handed on Day 2 and in a heads-up format, if they can make it to the final 32 play-ers in the event. Players will carry their chips throughout and be re-seeded when 32 players remain, with the highest chip total facing the lowest, etc. And the WSOP will treat us to a brand new variation, four-handed No-Limit Hold’em, where each table will start with a maximum of four players: it’s not Heads Up poker, nor is it six-handed; it’s a new ex-citing game featured in the $2,500 Four-Handed No-Limit Hold’em event debuting on June 14th.

The 42nd season was big, the 43rd will be hugeFor the first time, a very special event, The Big One For One Drop, created by One Drop chair and the Cirque du Soleil founder Guy Laliberté in favor of the charity One Drop, will be featured, from July 1st to July 3rd, allowing only the richest pros to play, as it has a very selective $1,000,000 buy-in. Out of the maximum of 48 expected, 30 players have already com-mitted to play this historic game, such as poker stars Bertrand « ElkY » Grospellier, Johnny Chan, Daniel Negreanu, Tony G, Tom Dwan, Gus Hansen, Patrik Antonius, or Jonathan Du-hamel, alongside Guy Laliberté, Bobby Baldwin, and Phil Ruf-fin, owner of Treasure Island Resort of Las Vegas. Each player will contribute the largest entry fee ever for a poker tourna-ment, of which $111,111 will be donated to One Drop with a goal of raising enough money for a legacy project that will help a needy country receive access to clean water. The winner will take home what will likely be the largest first place prize ever awarded in a poker tournament. As it brings together the best of the best, this should be quite a beautiful game to watch.

This 43rd edition is expected to be the biggest ever, bigger than last year, which was already huge. In all, 75,672 play-ers from 105 different countries attended the legendary series, and the WSOP organizers are confident that 2012 will break the record. German Pius Heinz will be there to defend the 2011 Main Event Champion title he won, besting the colos-sal field of 6,865 participants and going home with a gigantic $8,715,638 prize, out of the insane total money prize awarded of $192,008,868 for the entire event. As always, the great-est pros in the world will undoubtedly take part in this re-nowned series, while new talents are sure to emerge from the young crowds.

The winner will take home what will likely be the largest first place prize ever awarded in a poker tournament. as it brings together the best of the best, this should be quite a beautiful game to watch.


TOurNaMENT

Event Date, Time Tournament buy-in1 27 may, noon Casino employees event no-limit hold 'em (two-day event) $5002 28 may, noon no-limit hold 'em (three-day event) $1,5003 29 may, noon heads-up no-limit hold 'em/pot-limit Omaha (three-day event) $3,0004 29 may, 5pm Seven-card stud high-low eight-or-better (three-day event) $1,5005 30 may, noon Pot-limit hold 'em (three-day event) $1,5006 31 may, noon mixed max (Day 1 nine-handed, Day 2 six-handed, Day 3 and 4 heads-up) $5,0007 31 may, 5pm Seven-card stud (three-day event) $1,5008 1 june, noon Omaha high-low split eight-or-better (three-day event) $1,5009 2 june, noon no-limit hold 'em Re-entry (two starting days, five-day event) $1,50010 3 june, 5pm Seven-card stud (three-day event) $5,00011 4 june, noon Pot-limit Omaha (three-day event) $1,50012 5 june, noon heads-up no-limit hold 'em world championship (four-day event) $10,00013 5 june, 5pm Limit hold 'em (three-day event) $1,50014 6 june, noon. no-limit hold 'em shootout (three-day event) $1,50015 6 june, 5pm Seven-card stud high-low split eight-or-better (three-day event) $5,00016 7 june, noon Six-handed no-limit hold 'em (three-day event) $1,50017 8 june, noon Pot-limit hold 'em world championship (three-day event) $10,00018 8 june, 5pm Razz (three-day event) $2,50019 9 june, noon no-limit hold 'em (three-day event) $1,50020 9 june, 5pm Limit hold 'em (three-day event) $5,00021 10 june, noon no-limit hold 'em (three-day event) $1,00022 10 june, 5pm 2-7 Triple Draw Lowball (limit, three-day event) $2,50023 11 june, noon Six-handed no-limit hold 'em (three-day event) $3,00024 11 june, 5pm Omaha high-low split eight-or-better (three-day event) $5,00025 12 june, noon Limit hold 'em shootout (three-day event) $1,50026 12 june, 5pm Pot-limit Omaha (three-day event) $3,00027 13 june, noon hORSe (three-day event) $1,50028 14 june, noon Four-handed no-limit hold 'em (three-day event) $2,50029 15 june, 10am Seniors World Championship (three-day event) $1,00030 15 june, 5pm no-limit 2-7 Draw Lowball (three-day event) $1,50031 16 june, noon no-limit hold 'em (three-day event) $1,50032 16 june, 5pm hORSe world Championship (three-day event) $10,00033 17 june, noon no-limit hold 'em (three-day event) $1,00034 18 june, noon Six-handed pot-limit Omaha (three-day event) $5,00035 18 june, 5pm mixed hold 'em (three-day event) $2,50036 19 june, noon no-limit hold 'em shootout(three-day event) $3,000

37 19 june, 5pmeight-game mix (limit hold 'em, Omaha high-low split, razz, seven card stud, seven card stud high-low, no-limit hold 'em, pot-limit Omaha, 2-7 triple draw; three-day event)

$2,500

38 20 june, noon no-limit hold 'em (three-day event) $1,50039 21 june, noon Pot-limit Omaha world championship (three-day event) $10,00040 21 june, 5pm Six-handed limit hold 'em (three-day event) $2,50041 22 june, noon no-limit hold 'em (three-day event) $3,00042 22 june, 5pm Omaha/Seven-card stud split (three-day event) $2,50043 23 june, noon no-limit hold 'em (three-day event) $1,50044 24 june, noon no-limit hold 'em (three-day event) $1,00045 24 june, 5pm Poker Players Championship (five-day event) $50,00046 25 june, noon no-limit hold 'em (three-day event) $2,50047 27 june, noon Pot-limit Omaha high-low split eight-or-better (three-day event) $1,50048 26 june, 5pm Limit hold 'em (three-day event) $3,00049 27 june, noon ante only, no-limit hold 'em(three-day event) $1,50050 28 june, noon no-limit hold 'em (three-day event) $5,00051 29 june, noon Ladies no-limit hold 'em championship (three-day event) $1,000

52 29 june, 5pm

10-game mixed event (no-limit hold 'em, razz, limit hold 'em, Badugi, seven card stud, 2-7 draw lowball, Omaha high-low split, pot-limit Omaha, 2-7 triple draw lowball and seven card stud high-low split eight-or-better; three-day event)

$2,500

53 30 june, noon no-limit hold 'em (three-day event) $1,50054 1 july, noon no-limit hold 'em (three-day event) $1,00055 1 july, 1:11pm The Big One for One Drop (three-day event) $1,000,00056 2 july, noon no-limit hold 'em (three-day event) $1,50057 3 july, noon. Six-handed no-limit hold 'em world championship (three-day event) $10,00058 3 july, 5pm (three-day event) Pot-limit Omaha high-low split eight-or-better $3,000

59 4 july, 12pm (two starting days, four-day event) no-limit hold 'em $1,000

60 5 july, 5pm (three-day event) 2-7 Draw Lowball world championship $10,00061 7 july - 16 july no-limit hold 'em main event $10,000

Event Date, Time Tournament

2012 43rd aNNual WOrlD SErIES OF pOkEr SchEDulE


TOurNaMENT

ThE pErFEcT placE TO play

DAnuBe POKeR mAsTeR seRies 2012

From may 22nd to may 28th, the Grand Casino Beograd will host one of the most prestigious tournaments in the whole regions. Its main event, a 500€ deepstack tournament will welcome players from all countries around for a very profitable prizepool. and, moreover, the city is bright and shining: a perfect week of poker, tourism and high-end restaurants will warm you as soon as you will arrive in Belgrade…

By Steven Hearth


ThE pErFEcT placE TO play

BBeing the only casino in Belgrade, Grand Casino Beograd is honored to set the standards in organizing prize winning games, poker tournaments, different slot and live gaming promotions that meet the needs of more than 140,000 registered guests. Visit the biggest arena for gaming and fun in South East Europe! In addition to gaming tables and slot machines, this luxurious complex offers gourmet restaurants, a VIP lounge, piano bar and multi-functional event hall. Whenever you yearn for fun, excitement and games, everything is here!

A €500 main event and a €1,000 highrollerDanube Poker Master Series 2012 edition will be held in Grand Casino for the 3rd time. Expected number of players is around 170. There is a interest from the whole region for this event. The casino expects to have players from Croatia, Greece, Turkey, Bosnia, Italy, Macedonia, Serbia. DPM Series is generating strong interest and support from local and international media. The prizepool for the three events (the pre-Main Event tournament is a €300 NLHE tournament) should be juicy and very interesting…

A wonderful casinoOn the 30 tables at Grand Casino Beograd, you can play: Casino Poker, 3 Card Poker, Roulette, Black Jack, Texas Hold ’em and Ultimate Texs Hold ’em. With 243 hi-end slot

machines, Grand Casino Beograd offers the best slots area in the region, and the chance to win a variety of Jackpots. Besides classic progressive Jackpots, the Mystery Jackpot might be waiting for you! For a bet of just 1 RSD, you can win up to 1,500,000 RSD (around 13,500 EUR)! Grand Casino Beograd is the largest multifaceted luxury complex in Serbia, opened in 2008, with an area of 9,500 square meters. It is a part of an international chain of casinos and is owned by Club Hotel Loutraki and State Lottery of Serbia.

A week of pleasuresGrand Casino is situated at an attractive location on the quay of well-known Danube river, in Hotel Jugoslavija, a luxury hotel which used to host top celebrities such as


rESTauraNTSDiva loungeSpecialties prepared for you by prestigious international chefs, and a cellar of over 150 selected local and interna-tional wines will make you feel special in Diva Lounge – one of one of the most luxurious clubs in the city!

Chameleon RestaurantExtraordinary dishes of Mediterranean cuisine, friendly and efficient service and a unique ambience make this restaurant an ideal choice for family lunches, as well as for business dinners. Featuring an attractive garden with beautiful landscaping overlooking the river - this is the perfect place for those long and warm summer days.

Ginger RestaurantGinger is a fantastic place to take a break or to have an atypical business lunch. It offers dishes inspired by a variety of tastes from the Far East, presenting them in a buffet style that allows you to try a diverse selection of specialties –a combination tailor-made for today’s mod-ern and dynamic way of living. Enjoy a light meal and cozy atmosphere, and feel the serenity and peace of the eastern spirit.

Parada event hallParada is a multifunctional event area with hi-tech audio-visual equipment. It readily transforms to meet the vari-ous needs of lectures, conferences, cocktails, receptions, wedding parties, fashion shows and various evenings of entertainment. The 270 m2 hall accommodates up to 250 guests for standing events, or up to 200 for seated events.

Sophia Lauren and Kirk Douglas. The hotel is currently under reconstruction. Grand Casino features not only gaming areas, but also provides restaurants, bars, lounges and luxury shops.The casino has organized and hosted more than 60 events including 10 world class theatre and music events: Dita Von Teese burlesque show, Belgrade Jazz Festival, Tennis Fed Cup sponsorship, Belgrade Boat Show, Danube Poker Masters, European Dealer Championship 2011, Teatro Sunil, Cirque Eloise, 24 Hour Car race, BDF, White Sensation pre-party, BG Golf Challenger, pop stars concerts such as, Severina, Vlado Georgiev, Željko Joksimovic, Sergej Cetkovic as well as numerous DJ’s and musicians. A must-go!

TOurNaMENT

Grand Casino is situated at an attractive location on the quay Danube river, in hotel jugoslavija, a luxury hotel which used to host top celebrities such as Sophia Lauren and Kirk Douglas


TerazijeMany Belgraders consider the Republic Square or Kalemegdan to be the city’s centerpiece areas, Terazije is Belgrade’s designated center. The top of the area is an excellent natural lookout point to the Sava river and Novi Beograd. It is the place of famous Belgrade monu-ment Terazije Drinking Fountain.

DorcolThis tiny piece of Belgrade is the heart of the urban growth and the progress of the entire city. It is an area that most people living outside of lust and long for. It is the living part of the city, working part, mingling part, business part, the real downtown. Not a frantic one though.

Republic squareThe main city square which features the National Theatre, The National Museum and a monument to Prince Mihailo, which was erected in 1882. The area is popular with Belgraders as a meeting point and hosts concerts and various other events and gatherings.

shoppingIn the Casino’s vicinity, in New Belgrade, there are two of the biggest shopping malls in Balkans, Usce Shopping Center and Delta City, with plenty of attractions, eater-ies and retail space.

WhaT TO DO?Kalemegdan park / Belgrade fortressThe fortress is a unique museum of the history of Belgrade. The Complex is made up of the Belgrade Fortress and the Kalemegdan Park. Parts of the walls and some individual buildings from different periods have been preserved in the Upper and Lower Town, such as gates, museums, monuments, towers and churches. The entire area of the Fortress along the river banks gives you a unique and breathtaking view of Ušce, New Belgrade and Zemun.

Knez mihailova streetKnez Mihailova is a common meeting point for Belgraders. The street has been named one of the most beautiful pedestrian zones in Eastern Europe and is a constant buzz of people and tourists. Thousands of people stroll along the street every day as it is the short-est path from Terazije to Kalemegdan park and fortress.

skadarlijaThis steep winding street, once known for its wooden cobbles, gaslight chandeliers among the blooming boughs of trees and noted inns was the empire of the Belgrade bohemia. The remains of Turkish Belgrade in Skadarlija today represent exotic tourist details pre-served by the citizens of Belgrade with respect and love of tradition.


TOurNaMENT

T1 MIllION guaraNTEED FOr a TOugh WEEk OF pOkEr

CAsinOs AusTRiA POKeR TOuR VelDen

LLaunched in 2008, the CAPT is the biggest Austrian Poker Tour, offering yearly high-level tournaments to European players in the country’s most beautiful casinos. This year, after the success of the CAPT Seefeld, Bregenz and Salzburg (CAPT Innsbruck will run from May 13th to the 17th), the tour will stop in the southern city of Velden, located on the alpine lake of Wörthersee which makes Velden Bay one of the nicest places to play poker in the summertime.

The nicest place to play pokerin the summertimeIn July this charming city will once again play host to the CAPT and its tournaments, with buy-ins ranging from

€250 to €2,000. Things will get serious on July 15th with the two-day €500 Showdown NLHE Deepstack Event and its two Day 1, ending on July 17th, as well as the amazing two-day €1,000 Seven Card Stud Event, one of the few European tournaments organized in this variant.

Then, the two-day €1,000 Pot Limit Omaha Event will kick off on July 19th for two days of intense struggle, right before the highlight of the week, the two-day €2,000 CAPT Velden 2012 Event which will close this series where at least €1 million will be distributed. So, book your plane ticket to the Austrian Alps – it could be your turn to grab a big money prize!

For the fifth and antepenultimate leg of its 2012 season, the CaPT will make a weeklong stop in Velden Wörthersee, from july 14th to the 22nd, for a wonderful series in Southern austria. Close to Italy and Slovenia and their mediterranean atmosphere, the Casino Velden is one of europe’s most entertaining casinos, and it hosts such stylish events as the CaPT, which will be held there for the fifth year running. What follows is an introduction to what you might expect for this summer series, where the prize money will reach at least €1 million.

By Matt Anderson


T1 MIllION guaraNTEED FOr a TOugh WEEk OF pOkEr

hOW TO gET ThErE? Velden is connected to several European cities via Klagenfurt Airport (20 minutes, 25 km) and Salzburg W. A. Mozart Airport, the second largest in Austria, where you can take a train to Velden (1 hour and a half).

hOTElSAll these luxurious hotels are located in the city center, and feature comfortable rooms and suites.

Casinohotel Velden ****hotel Carinthia ****seehotel hubertushof ****

Close to Italy and Slovenia and their mediterranean atmosphere, the Casino Velden is one of europe’s most entertaining casinos, and it hosts such stylish events as the CaPT


TOurNaMENT

TOurNaMENT SchEDulE

Saturday 14th July

• NLHE Second Chance €300

Sunday 15th July

• Showdown Am Wörthersee Day

1A NLHE Deepstack €500

Monday 16th July

• Showdown Am Wörthersee Day 1B

Tuesday 17th July

• Showdown Am Wörthersee Final Day

Seven Card Stud Day 1 €1,000

Wednesday 18th July

• NLHE Deepstack Turbo €250

Seven Card Stud Final Day

Thursday 19th July

• Omaha Pot Limit Day 1 €1,000

• NLHE Knockout Bounty €400

Friday 20th July

• Supersatellite Main Event 1 Add-on €200

• Omaha Pot Limit Final Day

Saturday 21th July

• CAPT Velden 2012 Day 1 €2,000

Sunday 22th July

• CAPT Velden 2012 Final Day

• NLHE Second Chance €300

2008 field: 186 players; Prize pool: e353,400 1st Stefan Rapp €95,420 2nd andras Karkus €67,1503rd andreas eiler €49,480

2009 field: 220 players; Prize pool: e418,000 1st Peyman Luth €110,760 2nd eric Friedmann €78,5803rd harry Casagrande €55,180

2010 field: 213 players; Prize pool: e404,700 1st Peter muhlbek €107,250 2nd alexander Rettenbacher €76,0803rd Simon mertlitsch €53,420

2011 field: 195 players; Prize pool: e370,000 1st Balazs Somodi €98,180 2nd johann Fest €69,6503rd erich Kollmann €48,910

CAPT VelDen

€2,000 MaIN EvENTlIST OF WINNErS


ThIrD STOp OF ThE ThIrD ukIpT

uK & iRelAnD POKeR TOuR DuBlin

From may 17th to the 21st, let’s go to Dublin! after Galway and nottingham, the uK & Ireland Poker Tour will make its third stop in the Irish capital. The past two seasons have been a blast, with throngs of players from all over the continent and beyond converging in Dublin, the most european city of the Irish and British Isles – and this year’s event is expected to be the biggest ever. Who will succeed Dutchman joeri Zandvliet and win the €700 + €70 main event? Come on over to Dublin and try to get your share of the €250,000 guaranteed prize-pool.

By Julien Morello

hOW TO gET ThErE? Air: Dublin International Airport is 12 km north of downtown, and is well-serviced by buses and taxis. Sea: Dublin Port is centrally located and has up to 18 sailings daily to the UK and the continent.

IIt’s always a great pleasure to come play the UK&IPT in Dub-lin: the Irish capital is warm and friendly, full of charm and history, and it has a lot to offer: its big avenues and small, narrow old streets lined with authentic pubs make walking around town an easy and particularly pleasant activity in the springtime. But most of all, Dublin is a city of poker lovers. Each year, the IPT attracts very cosmopolitan crowds, as the Irish capital is, above all, a European city.Last year, when the €500 + €60 Main Event got underway at the The Ballsbridge Inn Hotel, the opening days managed to at-tract a 718-strong field generating a prize pool worth €348,230. Dutch pro Joeri Zandvliet having defeated his last remaining opponent, American Charles Fabian, he won the trophy and collected the €83,500 first prize.

new venue for more players, new buy-in for more moneyThis season, things will change completely: the venue is now the hotel Citywest, located southwest of the city center. Indeed, the event was such a success last year that it had to be moved in order to accommodate the growing number of participants.

At Citywest that shouldn’t be a problem: the hotel and event center is huge, offering over 1.2 million square feet of flexible and versatile event space. Located 20 minutes away from the city center, in a beautiful park, it will provide a beautiful and serene setting to the competition.The other big change is the Main Event buy-in, which will jump from €500 + €60 to €700 + €70, considerably increasing the prize pool. More than ever, there will be a lot of money at stake. The five-day competition will include several satellites and side events; the schedule will be announced soon, so keep checking http://www.ukipt.com/tournaments/dublin/ for fur-ther information.You definitely should not miss this big European event, which has grown from year to year to become one of the major stops

of the UK & Ireland circuit! Citywest is the perfect venue, and a huge number of international players are expected, making its prize-pool the biggest ever in the history of the event. So get ready for a great third edition in a friendly city, home of world-famous Guinness beer as well as some of the finest whiskey in the world!

TOurNaMENT

2010 – season i field: 589 players; Prize pool: e295,000 1st max Silver €72,000 2nd Ronan Gilligan €43,4003rd Tom Kitt €26,400

2011 – season ii field: 718 players; Prize pool: e348,230 1st joeri Zandvliet €83,500 2nd Charles Fabian €39,0603rd Robert Csire €30,700

uK & iRelAnD POKeR TOuR DuBlin

lIST OF WINNErS


NIghT lIFEThe swift BarTwo Swift Bars are located in the Citywest complex, one at the front, the other at the back. They’re perfect spots to blow off steam in a traditional pub atmosphere after a challenging day of poker.• Citywest Hotel, Saggart

AlchemyLuxurious, glamorous and ideally situated in the heart of the lively downtown district of Temple Bar, this trendy club is the place to be in Dublin, if you like drinking cocktails and dancing to cutting-edge music. • 13-17 Fleet Street, Temple Bar

rESTauraNTShibernian BistroThe best restaurant of the Citywest complex, the Hibernian Bistro serves international dishes with Irish and Mediterranean accents. Try the beef and Guinness stew, or the Bailey’s cheese-cake! The food is excellent, the wine list extensive, and last but not least, the prices are quite affordable. €20-40• Citywest Hotel, Saggart

Restaurant Patrick GuilbaudIf you decide to head to the center to get dinner in town, this is where you want to go. This sumptuous restaurant is the only one with two Michelin stars in Ireland, and it offers a taste of contemporary Irish cuisine with classical roots. To die for. €40-80• 21, Upper Merrion Str., Dublin

hOTElSCitywest hotelSituated on 380 acres of majestic parkland, this gorgeous 4-star country house hotel will host the tournament and provide the most amazing services to its guests. 774 rooms won’t house them all, but it’s a start! And if you ever want to stop playing poker to do something else, you have here one of the best golf greens in Ireland, as well as a fantastic fitness center, a heated swimming pool, and some treatment rooms that are worth a try.Special rates for UKIPT participants.• Citywest Hotel, Saggart

Best Western sheldon Park hotelThis 4-star Lucien Barrière Hotel offers 191 rooms and 8 suites, decorated in a highly modern, contemporary style, which com-bines comfort and attention to details. A few yards back from the sea, the Gray d’Albion is the perfect option if you are look-ing for discretion.Special rates for WPT players.• Kylemore Road, Dublin


ThE NEW WpT NaTIONal SErIES’ rIvIEra STOp

WORlD POKeR TOuR nATiOnAl seRies CAnnes

TOurNaMENT


IThE NEW WpT NaTIONal SErIES’ rIvIEra STOp

happy birthday World Poker Tour! For its tenth anniversary, the amazing international circuit has decided to expand all over the world, creating national and Regional Series and adding new stops to its schedule, such as marbella, mauritius and the great city of Cannes. Indeed, what city could better capture the essence of this first-class international competition, than the Riviera’s mecca of poker? all the best poker players will head to the mythical Casino Croisette to play hard from may 31st to june 3rd, with a €1,500 + €150 main event and a 2-day special €675 + €75 aviation Club de France Poker Tour event june 2nd and 3rd. So you have twice as many reasons to come take your chances in the chic and charming city of Cannes, and make history by being the first ever to win this brand new stop!

By Matt Anderson

hOW TO gET ThErE? Cannes is connected with all major European cities via the Nice Côte d’Azur International Airport, located only 25 km from the Film Festival town. There, all options are available to reach Cannes city, from the €1 local bus, to train, coach express, taxi, and even high-speed power boat and helicopter!

It’s no accident the World Poker Tour chose Cannes to make its newest stop in the National and Regional Series: this gor-geous and always sunny seaside resort on the French Rivi-era has everything: the landscape is beautiful, the city is as charming as it glamorous, the hotels are stunning, the food is excellent, but most of all, it is one of the most prestigious poker cities in Europe, blessed with some of the best casinos in France, and poker pros from all over the world never say no to Cannes, as can be seen with the WSOP-Europe and the Partouche Poker Tour, two of the Europe’s biggest poker events, which always attract crowds of poker fans.

Cannes, the european poker paradiseA couple of years ago, Cannes reached the top list of the big-gest poker cities in Europe. Of course, international poker events such as the WSOPE and the PPT, with their huge prize pools, are the most famous tournaments held in the city, but Cannes welcomes many players who come all year long to play other championships, likes the Cannes Hold’em Series and the Deepstack Open, in this European poker paradise. And the list continues, as from May 31st to June 3rd. Soon after the Inter-national Film Festival, the city’s biggest yearly event, all eyes will turn to the World Poker Tour. It will be the life of the prestigious Lucien Barrière Casino Croisette, near the legend-ary Palais des Festivals, which will, as always, provide the best setting and services for these four exciting days of competition.

One stop for two big eventsBefore the big championship, from May 28 to May 31, no less than six €180 + €20 Satellite tournaments will reward

the best players with tickets for the Main Event. Then, on May 31st, the €1,650 event will kick off, with two starting days (and a re-entry option), running until the final table, on Day 3, June 3rd. But this Main Event is not the only tour-nament of this amazing series, because, along with two €300 + €30 Turbo cash tournaments, a €100 + €100 + €30 Bounty event, and a €300 + €30 WPT Poker.fr tournament, the Croisette Casino will host the two-day ACF Poker Tour.This brand new circuit, created by the world-famous Paris-ian card room, the Aviation Club de France, will make a stop in Cannes on June 2nd and 3rd, for the second leg of its international tour. This €675 + €75 tournament is sure to at-tract a huge field of players, as was proven by the success of its first Parisian leg, where Russian Nikolay Karman bested his 149 opponents, for a €25,780 cash prize, and a €1,500 ticket for the ACFPoker Tour final, held in Mazagan Casino in Morocco, on July 14th and 15th.With four days of top-class poker, this first ever World Pok-er Tour National Series stop in Cannes is expected to be


TOurNaMENT

hOTElShotel majesticIdeally located on the Croisette, facing the sea and the Palais des Festivals, the mythical Cannes palace has just been entirely renovated and refurbished by French designer Christian Dior. This 5-star hotel is one of the Leading Hotels of the World, and is renowned for its exquisite taste and refinement.Special rates for WPT participants.• 10 Boulevard de la Croisette

hotel Gray d’AlbionThis 4-star Lucien Barrière Hotel offers 191 rooms and 8 suites, decorated in a highly modern, contemporary style, which combines comfort and attention to details. A few yards back from the sea, the Gray d’Albion is the perfect option if you are looking for discretion.Special rates for WPT players.• 38 Rue des Serbes

one of the highlights of the legendary circuit. The luxurious venue and gorgeous natural and cultural settings, combined with French art de vivre will make your stay a delightful one; talented poker pros in a challenging competition will ensure that it is a real thrill. And as the Aviation Club de France Poker Tour is playing at the same place and at the same time, you have twice as many chances to win! So you’d better pack your bags right now, because this might just be the perfect poker vacation.

Cannes welcomes many players who come all year long to play other championships, likes the Cannes hold’em Series and the Deepstack Open


NIghT lIFEBar Galerie du fouquet’sInside the Hôtel Majestic Barrière, this modern-chic bar is a clever combination of authentic luxury with a cozy lounge. Comfortably seated in traditional arm-chairs or on high bar stools, you will be able to enjoy hot beverages, champagnes and a wide range of cocktails. A must! 9:00am – midnight (weekdays), 9:00am – 1:00am (Fridays & Saturdays)

Da Da DaA hybrid club bridging cabaret, theatre, disco, midnight mov-ies and more, this nonconformist spot is trendy, attractive, contemporary, and offbeat. The perfect place to discover an irreverent, independent art scene on the Riviera and mix with the local crowds. 9:30pm – 2:30am• 15 Rue Frères Pradignac

rESTauraNTSla Petite maison de nicoleLa Petite Maison, one if the best places to eat in Nice, has been the reference for Southern cuisine over the last 20 years. It now has a brand-new restaurant in the Hotel Majestic. Serving tradi-tional local cuisine, it is the best place to feast on Provençal delicacies, as they will be cooked in the most authentic fashion and served in a exquisite, luxurious décor. €55-100• 10 Boulevard de la Croisette

Chez Vincent & nicolasCrowded with young people, this warm, wel-coming restaurant, situated near the old port, is trendy and charming at once. Food here is modern with a French touch, like the foie gras hamburger or the raspberry mille-feuilles. You can seat in the stone-vaulted dining room or opt for the terrace, for a cozy, yet hip evening. €45-50• 92 Rue Meynadier


TOurNaMENT

a NEW DESTINaTION FOr a NEW SEaSON

WORlD POKeR TOuR nATiOnAl seRies mAzAGAn


Ma NEW DESTINaTION FOr a NEW SEaSON

after Bohemia and mauritius, Denmark and Paris, as well as Cannes and marbella, the new national Series of the World Poker Tour will stop in mazagan, morocco, from july 12th to the 15th, opening the 2012-2013 season of the great circuit. In the stunning luxury of the mazagan Beach Resort, you’ll be able to play a €1,500 + €150 main event and several side events, including the fourth leg of the aCFPoker Tour and its €750 tournament on july 14th and 15th. Get your sunglasses and go – this is sure to be the hottest poker event of the summer!

By Carolina Young

Morocco is famous among poker players as it hosts some first-class poker events each year: the World Poker Tour Marrake-ch, held in the sumptuous Casino de Marrakech, the Poker-Stars Sun Fest Mazagan, and the newest one this summer, the WPT National Series, also in Mazagan. From July 12th to the 15th, this new event will rock the Mazagan Beach Resort and Casino, a truly unique resort on the seaside just 200 km north of Marrakech, where players will enjoy the immensity of the ocean, endless beaches and sweet-scented gardens.

A truly unique resortSet on well over 600 acres of undeveloped land, next to a sev-en-kilometer-long beach, this sumptuous five-star hotel will welcome the WPT National Series and ACFPoker Tour players in a purely magical setting: 500 rooms and suites, Moroccan-style architecture, a patio and swimming pool overlooking a lagoon and green-tiled rooftops melting into luxurious vegeta-tion. This resort also features a breath-taking 180-degree view of the Atlantic Ocean. To entice the eyes and the palate, the eight restaurants of the Mazagan Beach Resort feature a cuisine that brings together the best in international dining and the refinement and variety of Moroccan cooking. Mazagan’s numerous culinary delights run the gamut from fine dining to more modest yet flavorful fare, leaving guests little choice but to sample everything!Mouthwatering traditional dishes are served and prepared as they have been for hundreds of years at authentic restaurants featuring Mediterranean, Moroccan, or seafood specialties. Guests can always eat in style with the freshest ingredients and carefully selected wine list, whether in the hotel lounge, golf club or casino.

hOW TO gET ThErE? To Mazagan Beach Resort: Arrival at Casablanca Mohammed V International Airport to the south of Casablanca. The hotel is located near El-Jaddida, by highway, approximately one hour away (80 km). Guests are free to use the private parking space, which can seat a thousand.Car rental: Main international car rental companies offer rental services in both Casablanca and Marrakech airports.By rail: Arrival at Azzemour or El-Jadida station, direct connection to Casblanca.Mazagan Beach Resort Booking: +212 5 2338 8000


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A new stop, two amazing eventsThis casino has been welcoming huge international poker tournaments for a couple of years, events such as the Mazagan Poker Million and the France Poker Series, that never fail to attract scores of players. Which is why the WPT board decid-ed to make Mazagan the first stop of its National Series circuit. From July 12th to the 15th, the three-day €1,500 + €150 Main Event will be the highlight of this series, with its two Day 1, its re-entry option and its comfortable structure designed by WPT Tournament Director Matt Savage. Top players from Eu-rope and North Africa will be there, fighting for a share of the prize pool, which is expected to be huge. And, last but not least, the winner will walk away with a €7,500 worth ticket for the WPT Grand Prix de Paris, held in September 2012 at the Aviation Club de France.But the World Poker Tour Main Event won’t be the only excit-ing tournament of this series, because, apart from other side events, the fourth leg of the ACFPoker Tour will also be held in Mazagan, from July 14th to the 15th, with its €750 event, its 15,000 starting chips and its 45 minutes rounds. Besides the cash prize, the winner of this event, organized in partnership with the world famous Parisian card room, will grab a €1,500 ticket for the ACFPoker Tour Grand Final, which will be held during the WPT Grand Prix de Paris in September.Next July, a new season will open, and Morocco will be it starting point.

Bohemia (Czech Republic) field: 238 players; Prize pool: e349,503 1st mike Brandau €80,036 2nd Sigurd andreas eeskland €51,3773rd Sven Kirchner €34,950

Denmark field: 289 players; Prize pool: e549,070 1st Stephen O’Dwyer €159,227 2nd martin Tonnesen €87,3013rd Claus uhrskov €60,397

mauritius field: 290 players; Prize pool: e303,050 1st Gary Lentin €70,000 2nd Fabrice Ricci €42,0003rd ayaz manj €29,000

Paris field: 370 players; Prize pool: e521,700 1st Grégory Benac €92,570 2nd Shinya Shimada €66,8453rd antoine Saout €51,420

(Czech Republic)

WPT nATiOnAl seRies seAsOn X

lIST OF WINNErS


Set on well over 600 acres of undeveloped land, this sumptuous five-star hotel will welcome the WPT national Series and aCFPoker Tour players in a purely magical setting


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hIgh-lEvEl cOMpETITION IN EaSTErN EurOpE

RussiAn POKeR seRies KieV GRAnD finAl


hIgh-lEvEl cOMpETITION IN EaSTErN EurOpE

after three amazing stops in Kiev in march, july and September 2011 (including two ukrainian League tournaments), the Russian Poker Series is back in the ukrainian capital from may 11th to the 20th to close its second season with a huge Grand Final, including the third ukrainian League competition. Will the tables of the iconic Khreshchatyk Poker Club be dominated once again by Russian poker pros such as Garry Tevosov or Oler Prohorov? Well, this is your chance to make a change and bring your a-game to eastern europe, and maybe grab a share of the incredible guaranteed prize pool of $1,200,000!

By Philippe Aronson

TThe Russian Poker Tour loves the Ukrainian capital so much that it will stop there for the fourth time this season, from May 11th to the 20th. Huge crowds of in-ternational players are expected as always, with a large number of Russian pros that will make Kiev a tough ground. This intense, high-level competition is only for the brave, but it will also be very rewarding, as the prize pool will set a new record with an amazing guaranteed $1,200,000! So the Ukrainian Grand Final might be hard to get, but it is, more than ever, really worth the try. For those who like the thrill of challenge, it’s time to go get a taste of the best of Eastern Europe poker.

An intense schedule, for a $1,200,000 minimum prize poolThe biggest card room of the Ukrainian capital will host several tournaments during this ten-day series, includ-

hOW TO gET ThErE? Several Ukrainian airlines connect Kiev to most international destinations. The two biggest ones are Aerosvit and Ukraine International Airlines. You can purchase your tickets online.


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ing three $300 + $30 side events, and several satellites for the biggest tournaments. On May 11, a $300 + $30 THNL 6-Max Freeeout will kick off, with a $25,000 guaran-teed prize pool, followed the day after by the opening of the $500 + $50 Ukrainian League event, with $200,000 guaranteed. This three day tournament (including two Day 1) will run until May 15, the exact same day of the beginning of the RPS Kiev $2,750 + $250 Main Event Day 1A. This $750,000 guaranteed event will run until May 19th, when the champion of the second season will be crowned.But the list is not over, because on May 20th a $300 + $30 Deeps Stack Turbo Special with $25,000 guaranteed will be organized, and from May 17 to May 20, a $1,000 + $100 Grand Special event will close this amazing se-ries, with a $200,000 minimum prize pool, giving you another chance to grab a part of the incredible guaran-teed prize pool of $1,200,000. With such a huge amount of cash on offer, the RPS Grand Final will attract the fin-est players from around the region and beyond, such as Garry Tevosov, Vladislav Tonkih, Vladimir Mefodichev, and Oleg Prohorov, signing off a massively successful season in style.So if you want to experience the big chill, get your tick-ets to the steppes of the Ukraine and meet the Russian wolves! They don’t bite but they play hard, and will be joined by huge crowds of international players all trying to bring home a share of the massive prize pool. So if you’re not easily scared and want to see how you meas-ure up to the best poker pros, this is definitely the year to go to Kiev!

season i – RPs 1 field: 258 players; Prize pool: $688,215 1st Kirill Telezhkin $171,350 2nd nikolay Chorniy $103,2003rd andrey Guliy $75,700

RPs Grand final field: 295 players; Prize pool: $786,912.50 1st Dmitry Gromov $201,362.50 2nd Denis Shashkov $140,0003rd David aslanyan $95,200

season ii – RPs 1 field: 265 players; Prize pool: $706,887.50 1st Garry Tevosov $180,087 2nd aleksander Kravchenko $113,1003rd Karen Sarkisyan $77,750

RPs Grand final field: 322 players; Prize pool: $718,382 1st Oleg Prohorov $182,482 2nd Vadim Ostomatij $112,8003rd anton Ponomarev $76,900

RussiAn POKeR seRies KieV

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hOTElShotel KhrechshatykThe simplest way to always stay close to the poker tables might be to sleep at the poker club! Luckily for you this is possible as the club is part of a classy hotel complex. It may not be the best option in town, but it is clearly the most convenient. Special rates for RPS participants14 Khreshchatyk Street

hotel Premier PalaceDon’t look any farther; here we have the most luxuri-ous spot in Kiev. This classic 5-star hotel is the best place to stay in town, combining absolute taste, perfect comfort and attention to detail; what’s even better is that it’s close enough to the Khreshchatyk Casino to go on foot.5-7/29 Tarasa Shevtchenko Street

hotel DniproAn excellent 3-star option for those who won’t get to the palace but still don’t want to compromise on comfort and high-quality service, the Dnipro is ideally located on the same street as the casino, and has 186 rooms and 46 suites. Best value in town. €70 – 2001/2 Khreshchatyk Street

rESTauraNTSPanorama Club RestaurantLocated on the 12th floor of the Dnipro Hotel, the Panorama Club is famous for its haute cuisine, excep-tional service, friendly staff, stylish interior, and great views of Kiev. The menu has it all, from Mediterranean, to European and Ukrainian cuisines. And as you can expect in the Ukraine, it also offers an excellent choice of bever-ages, from Western wines to Eastern vodkas. €20 - 501/2 Khreshchatyk Street

lipsky OsobnyakThis is more than a restaurant, it’s the temple of Ukrainian haute cuisine. Located in a gorgeous mansion, it offers an astonishing baroque décor, the most sophisticated local dishes and the finest ingredients – they have amazing caviar and brew their own vodka – not to mention one of the best wine cellars in Europe. €50 - €10015, Lipskaya Street

NIghT lIFEKhreshchatyk sport BarTo have a nice drink after a long day of poker and relax on a comfortable couch, you won’t have very far to go; it’s next door to the casino. And if you don’t want to miss anything poker-related, the Sport Bar boasts a huge screen playing all the latest games.14 Khreshchatyk Street

AvalonTo forget everything and go crazy in the wildest club in Kiev, head to Avalon, a great complex on 3 floors where you’ll be able to dance until dawn, and maybe meet some of the hottest Ukrainian models!3 Leontovycha vul

season ii ukrainian league i field: 383 players; Prize pool: $203,797 1st Vladislav Tonkih $35,547 2nd Victor Levchenko $30.0003rd Dmitry Zhegulov $30.000

ukrainian league ii field: 437 players; Prize pool: $233,139.50 1st Vladimir mefodichev $53,029.50 2nd Sergej Topchin $34,0403rd andrej Bindjuk $23.300

RPs uKRAiniAn leAGue

lIST OF WINNErS

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SuNNy bEach IS WaITINg FOr yOu

euROPeAn mAsTeRs Of POKeR BulGARiA

From may 28th to june 3rd, the wonderful Crystal Crown Casino, located in the Bulgarian beach resort of Sunny Beach, will host the third leg of the european masters of Poker Season 4, with a €700 + €70 four-day main event, which will attract the best players of the country and abroad, for one of the largest tournaments in eastern europe and one of the most attractive european tours. Let’s have a look at this amazing location on the Black Sea coast of Bulgaria and its great facilities, which will provide you with the best holiday experience, filled with poker, sun, and fun.

By Julien Morello

SuNNy bEach IS WaITINg FOr yOu

WWith its 800 hotels and 130 restaurants, cafes, bars and nightclubs, Sunny Beach is the most popular and mod-ern resort in Bulgaria, and one of the largest on the Black Sea coast. Located on the East coast of Bulgaria, 25 km from Burgas Airport, Sunny Beach is all about tourism, relaxation and entertainment, and offers all one could want on holiday – forests, the sea, the beach, and un-spoiled nature.

fun and adventure, in a classy wayThis seaside resort provides numerous points of interest, such as museums and historical monuments (the Early Byz-antine baths are amazing), alongside with Aquapark, Sea Garden and sports such as wind-surfing, water skiing, para-sailing, hang-gliding, yachting and motor-launch cruises. And with its 4- and 5-star hotels and its numerous entertain-ment venues, Sunny Beach is the perfect location for travel-ers looking for fun and adventure, but of a classy sort.At the heart of this kilometer-long sandy beach is the main venue, the Crystal Crown Casino. Open day and night, it welcomes all gamblers. With its 4,500-square-foot capac-ity, this luxurious casino provides players the most popular slots: 130 machines, and up to 35 gambling tables, featur-ing American Roulette, Black Jack, Caribbean Stud Poker, Three-Card Poker, and Texas Hold’em Poker.

2009 – season i field: 311 players; Prize pool: e311,000 1st Reuven Dayan €77,750 2nd matti Lindholm €46,6503rd maciej Swircarz €31,100

2010 – season ii field: 260 players; Prize pool: e249,600 1st manig Löser €49,080 2nd Shay Vahnun €35,0003rd Draghici George €35,000

2011 – season iii field: 277 players; Prize pool: e268,710 1st abdula atila Seiar €65,100; 2nd Riku molander €39,0603rd Luka Vivk €25,480

euROPeAn mAsTeRs Of POKeR BulGARiA

lIST OF WINNErS

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The Crystal Crown Casino, home of the emOP BulgariaFor the third year in a row, the Crystal Crown Casino will host the Bulgarian leg of the European Masters of Poker, one of the biggest poker tours in Europe, with stops all over the continent, from Lisbon and Prague to Dublin tp Barcelona. From May 28th to June 3rd, the venue will run several poker tournaments, such as a €200 + €20 Omaha event, several €200 + €20 Texas Hold’em events, a €500 + €50 2-Day NLHE event, and of course, the highlight of this week-long series: a four-day Main Event.This year, the buy-in for the Main Event is lowered from €1,000 + €100 to €700 + €70, giving poker-lovers an opportu-nity to play an international poker event with a high standing structure (26,000 starting chips), for a very affordable price. As the winners’ list shows, each year the EMOP Bulgaria at-tracts throngs of players from all over Europe, fighting for the biggest part of the huge prize pool. So, if you are looking to take down Romanian Abdula Atila Seiar’s title (winner last year for €65,100), Sunny Beach is already waiting for you!

emOP Prague field: 231 players; Prize pool: e231,000 1st nils jarefjäll €52,277 2nd Pim Van Wieringen €41,9633rd martin Safarik €23,560

emOP lisbon field: 223 players; Prize pool: e223,000 1st joni jouhkimainen €56,860 2nd Tomi huuskonen €34,1103rd Patric matsson €22,740

euROPeAn mAsTeRs Of POKeR seAsOn iV

lIST OF WINNErS

hOW TO gET ThErE? The closest international airports serving Sunny Beach are Burgas Airport (25 km) and Varna Airport (100 km), both connected to the major European cities. From Burgas and Varna, you can grab a taxi (respec-tively €35 and €75), or one of several buses which go to Sunny Beach.


hOTElSibero star sunny Beach hotelLocated in the heart of the Sunny Beach resort, this modern holiday complex has two magnificent 4-star hotels to choose from, both of which offer great quality service and facilities that will please everyone who is looking for comfort, fun and luxury all rolled into one.Special rates for EMOP participants.

Royal Palace helena sands hotelThis vast 5-star complex is a gem of a hotel: classy, boasting the best facilities around town, it is located on the most beautiful part of the beach. So if you’re not exhausted after playing poker all day, you’ll be able to enjoy water sports, beach volleyball, tennis on one of the courts, or simply lounging by the huge swimming pool.

rESTauraNTSBlue lagoon BarbecueThe barbecue restaurant of the Helena Sands complex is a very good option if you get tired of the fish and chips available everywhere in Sunny Beach. Here you’ll be able to load up on roasted meat, cooked to perfection.

Bolero RestaurantA charming little spot that serves delicious, hearty Italian cuisine with French shadings and a definitely contemporary twist. Customers keep coming back year after year as the warm atmosphere and impeccable ser-vice make it, from all we’ve heard, the best place to eat in Sunny Beach.

NIghT lIFECrystal Crown Champagne BarThe Crystal Crown Casino is proud to have the only champagne bar in Bulgaria, an exclusive setting dedi-cated to the French bubbly drink. The best way to cel-ebrate your victory!

Dance Club maniaOver 1,500 square meters of air-conditioned space dedicated to music, dance and drinks, this place THE place to party with the young international crowds of Sunny Beach! The powerful sound system, light show and 3D laser show all contribute to make this a top-class venue. With its 800 hotels

and 130 restaurants, cafes, bars and nightclubs, Sunny Beach is the most popular and modern resort in Bulgaria, and one of the largest on the Black Sea coast


pOkEr IN ThE balTIc STaTES

nORDiC ACes

OOn the weekend 18th to 20th of may players from the Baltic States and the nordic countries will compete in the inaugural team poker event nordic aces!

By Carolina Young

On the weekend 18th to 20th of May we see the birth of two new poker events in Tallinn, Nordic Aces and Tallinn All-in. For the team tournament Nordic Aces there is a cap of 30 teams and thanks to the great reception in the Nordic poker community and a commitment from partner compa-nies to send the best players from the region.

Who will be the best team?Poker Icons are launching this new poker tour aimed for the best team of poker players in the Nordic Region. Will the winning team be a group of friends, work colleagues, mem-

bers of a local poker club or an actual pro team from one of the partnering poker sites? The challenge is open for any team of four players to show who are best in the disciplines of No Limit Hold’em and Pot Limit Omaha. With a buy-in of €900 per team the winning team is expected to walk home with €10k and the total prize pool to be around €30k.

Omaha and hol’emDuring Friday the 18th of May, each of the four members in the team will play one ranking tournament in each disci-pline, No Limit Hold’em and Pot Limit Omaha. Each team

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pOkEr IN ThE balTIc STaTES

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18:00 on Friday the 18th of May

• Nordic Aces round 1 – Pot Limit Omaha

Expected to start at 22:30 on Friday

the 18th of May

• Nordic Aces round 2 – No Limit Texas Hold’em

11:00 on Sunday the 20th of May

• Nordic Aces round 3 (Final Tables)

Mixed PLO/TX

Competition round 1 will be held as four parallel Pot Limit Omaha tournaments where each team member is randomly allocated to one of the four tournaments. Once all four tournaments are concluded the current standings will be published and calls for starting the competition round 2 are made. Competition round 1 is expected to take 3.5 hours so round 2 will not start earlier than 22:30.In the 2nd competition round we will play four parallel No Limit Texas Hold’em tournaments and again each team member is randomly allocated to one of the four tournaments. Once all four tournaments in the 2nd competition round are concluded the final results will be calculated and published.The eight (8) best teams will be invited to the final table/s (again four separate tables) that will start on Sunday the 20th at 11:00. The final table is expected to take 4.5 hours and by 16:00 we have identified the winning team and distributed all the prizes.

• More info on www.tallinnallin.com www.nordicaces.com/tallinn

consists of four players that all compete in both disci-plines but playing in different player pools thus two team members can never play on the same table. In clear text; during Friday the 18th of May, each of the four members in the team will play individually a ranking tournament in each discipline. Based on the combined result of the four team members, the team will or will not make it to the finals that are to be played on Sunday the 20th of May. For players and teams wishing to join the tournament it is time to contact the organizers now to secure seats or maybe better make sure that they win one of the many satellites and other qualifying campaigns that are run by the partners; Bet24, ComeOn, GoalWin, NordicBet, Paf and Triobet.

A nice prizepoolWith a buy-in of €900 per team the winning team is ex-pected to walk home with €8k and the total prize pool to be around €24k. Will the winning team be a group of friends, work colleagues, members of a local poker club or an ac-tual pro team from one of the partnering poker sites? The answer will be given in mid-May at the wonderful Olympic Casino in Tallin.


Before entering the tournament, I recall my three students the basics of live poker: you have to speak when you raise with only one chip, to take care of the minimum raises rules, etc. It reminds me of my first steps into the poker world, almost ten years ago! The tournament structure was wonderful: a 200 freezeout deepstack with 10k chips and 20-minutes levels. The crowd had gathered for the event, in a very intimate and cosy poker room with free champagne for everyone! The locals were all very nice to us, as well as the dealers. My three students were in the perfect mood for their tournament debut…

I experienced a very bad start: some nice hands, but I just missed every board! I then build, unfortunately, a very bad image of the total gambler, which becomes helpful when I am dealt a pair of Aces. But of course, everyone folds after my raise

and I just pick a small pot. On the next hand, I got 7-7, and I flop the bottom trips on a J-10-7 board. My aggressive opponent gives me action, but I have to slow down when the turn and the river are both… Jacks!

One of my students experiences some bad luck too, and busts almost on the very first hand. One of the other two remaining students is moved to my table, but when he gets Kings and raises, he is called by a degen with Q-5ss. Of course, the flop brings two Fives, and he loses most of his stack… He busts couple hands later with K-Qc, on a flop with two clubs... Unfortunately, he does not hit his draw and leaves the tournament area.

We are then only 20 players left, and my third student also busts… With 15 players left, I go all-in

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ISabEllE MErcIEr“No Mercy”

Friday night in monte-Carlo… For once, we decide to hop to one of the very beautiful cities nearby, in menton, for a poker tournament in the Barriere Casino. With me, three of my “students” who I have trained during my poker coachings at the monte-Carlo Bay resort. It is time for them to hone their skills in a real tournament!

WElcOMETO ThE rIvIEra!


with pocket Tens, called by As-King and pocket Aces!! Seems like I am about to say goodbye to my table but a miracle happens, with a 10 on the board and I am thus chipleader, with 13 players left. We reach the final table with an average of 40,000 chips, and I still have 100,000, but the blinds are high and players go busto like popcorn… I finally reach the heads-up at 3:30am and we decide to split the prizepool, as we are both very tired… It has been a very good experience for me and my students and it brought me lot of ideas for my coaching… I’ll be back!

IIsabelle « No Mercy » Mercier plays at Sun Casino Monaco and organizes poker coachings in Monte-Carlo.

Before entering the tournament, I recall my three students the basics of live poker: you have to speak when you raise with only one chip, to take care of the raises


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Great for the Game!I’ve always said that Hellmuth is great for the game. He talks, he screams, he namedrops – he meets Clinton, he meets Bush, he used to win bracelets – what an ambassador for the game!? Yes, that brat bragging is all intensely annoying, I agree, but what if the poker world was full of Andrew Robls? Head down, Beats headphones

on – all maths, no heart, extended time on the clock. You cannot deny that Hellmuth is good for the game, especially

for its profile on TV and with world statesmen.

Call that a Win?It is time to re-evaluate Hellmuth though.

Big news in recent weeks is that he won a side event at the WPT LA Poker

Classic. “Win” is a strong word, he chopped it five ways – did they let him win? What a disgrace? Here’s my new thought – Hellmuth is good for the game and shouldn’t retire but he should accept that he is no longer one of the leading lights of the game.He is no longer sponsored, he is staying up too late at night playing way too much luck-induced Chinese poker. The PartyPoker.com Premier League is a good example – the $125,000 buy-in is

So it is official, Phil hellmuth is not coming to the PartyPoker.com Premier League V in Vienna in april. he hasn’t got a sponsor nor the bankroll nor the heart. Don’t worry Phil –

this week is the last week of online qualifiers – relocate and show you are qualified! I really

think this is Phil’s only option now.

now beyond Hellmuth, despite the fact that there is $200,000 added and that he has a reasonable record in the tournament series (not in recent years though). Hellmuth loves TV exposure and needs it if the US market eventually opens up, but he cannot afford it – simple enough. No backers are willing to stake him even when there is added money! Hellmuth only travels now when he gets his flights and hotel paid for and a small buy-in paid so he can bust out within two hours and drink the finest Louis baby he can get his hands on. He needs more heart and commitment to the highest level and stakes in the game. Either that, or he becomes a celebrity poker MC for a living.

Unthinkable!If Hellmuth came to the Premier League, Jungleman would swing him from the trees, Dwan would durrrr his soul, while the Seiborg would Seidel him. Patrik Antonius would drink his reads like pure Fiji Water while Vanessa Selbst would slam dunk him every time he tried to bluff. The Russians are also too much for him. I think that the 10K Premier League play-off is too big for him these days. A $125K buy-in is unthinkable.If Phil is having money problems, that means he cannot play at the highest level. I am willing to stake him (I am a charitable man), and even lend him Zasko as an advisor and protector for a short period. I know I would destroy him in cash games and get it all back anyway. Can someone please arrange for Phil Hellmuth to win the lottery? It would be great for the poker economy!?

Alternatively, I know there are lots of people with grand ideas about poker – do any of you want to sponsor him?

In Denmark…Despite being offered the chance to live in a castle for a week I was unable to make the WPT National Series in Vejle, Denmark, but I am hearing some very interesting news from there on Day 1A today.It would appear that our commentator friend we all know and admire, Jesse May has qualified online for a live poker tournament for the first time in 12 years – this makes it his first tournament qualification since Internet poker began.

More Poker Hands than Hot dinnersHere’s a guy who has seen more hands than anybody else over the years but still doesn’t qualify – here’s a man with a lifetime achievement award from the European Poker Awards in Paris who has only qualified for the first time!

Why has it taken so long, Jesse?Jesse brings color to our game and is a good example of how the journalistic eye brings something to the game. I find sometimes that with poker and other sports that the producers have a tendency to throw in ex-professionals, despite their lack of broadcasting credentials. Jesse is one of the founding fathers of poker journalism. He’s got his Rambo bandana on and he is ready to go to war.

Feeling thirsty, Jesse?Jesse estimates conservatively that he has spent tens of thousands on online satellites in the last twelve years, Padraig Parkinson insists it is a lot more. If he wins this one maybe I should stake him for the $1 million buy-in at the WSOP. What do you think? One drop for Jesse? Should he play more and let them “Shut Up and Deal,” or would Zasko be a better staking horse?

jesse may brings color to our game with his unique journalistic eye


IIt was my first time in Prague, and after having busted from the tournament, I enjoyed for a few days the magnificent architecture of the city. But before going back home, I felt like playing poker a little bit, and I registered in one of the numerous side-events organized by the EPT team. A good decision, I tell myself, as I am now at its finale table, with only 5 players left.I am on the big blind. Everyone folds, and the small blind decides to complete the bet to 2,400. I have 10d – 5d – Ks – Kc, a good

hand I decide to raise with, up to 4,800. After a while, the SB re-raises me to 21,000 total, with only 50,000 chips left.He may have either the Aces in this position, but he is a very “creative” player… It is really hard for me to decide to fold or call because he is short stack and I have much more chips and the position on him.I decide to call, because versus a hand like A-A-x-x, I still have 30% chances to win the pot.

STraTEgy

enter the mind of Bruno “King” Fitoussi while playing a hand, and follow his analysis “in the tank.” For this issue, let’s go back in time, for a PLO side-event during the ePT Prague, a €1,000 tournament. Bruno Fitoussi is then seated at the finale table, with five players left…

bruNO “kINg” FITOuSSI

a kEy pOTHIGH ROLLER

105KK

Seat 1Small blind: 1 200

Bruno FitoussiBig blind: 2 400


The flop comes : 5 – 8 – 9, with only one diamond.Of course, the guy in small blind goes all-in, a little bit more than 50,000 chips in total, i.e. the pot.Once again, if I put him on A-A-x-x, I still have 30% chances to win with this flop where I have a pair of 5, a pair of Kings and a backdoor flush draw. My odds are 2 vs 1, as I have to

call 50,000 in a 100,000 pot. He may also be on a draw or have a hand like K-K-x-x.

I finally decide to call, and I think it is justified. He shows A-A-6-7 : overpair with Aces, and the straight

right on the flop! The turn brings a 5, but nothing interesting on the river… I lose this monstruous pot, and I bust few hands after from this finale table, in 4th position.

EPT PRaGuE — SIdE-EvEnT / POT LImIT OmaHa €1,000

BRunO FITOuSSI’S STack 180,000 cHIPS

BLIndS 1 200 – 2 400

POSITIOn BIG BLInd

Hand 10

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OB

HOw MucH dOEs HE LOsE in tHis POt?

YOu aRE tHE tOuRnaMEnt diREctOR sERiEs 5

jack effel This falls under accepted action. It’s the player’s responsibility to ensure the accuracy of another player’s bet and/or all-in wager regardless of what is stated by the dealer and/or other players at the table. Darren accepted the action, and would be required to pay the full 13,500.

Thomas Kremser The dealer was giving an approximate chip count by saying “around 8,500 chips” and Darren believed his estimation and therefore he has to lose 13,500 – on the other side if Darren would have the winning hand than he would also have won 13,500.

David LambI would have him pay the 8,500. If the dealer estimate is incorrect, the bettor has an obligation to speak up. All he has to say is, “I don’t think that is what I have.” When you ask for a specific amount, I believe you are entitled to an accurate count.

David LuzagoDarren must pay player A’s full stack even if the dealer made a mistake counting. Dealer’s guess is not mandatory. Player A announced or moved clearly All in so he will collect the total amount of his chips from Darren, who should have been more aware of the other player’s full stack.

matt SavageThis is one of the toughest to make but we have made it clear that poker is a visual game as well, and players are responsible before chips are put in the pot, so that it is clear what the amount is, as they are responsible for the entire amount.

Thomas LamatschIn this case, also when the dealer didn’t work perfect, it is the responsibility of the player to proof the announcement of the dealer and ask again for an exactly count! Darren didn’t do this, so I would force him to call the 13,500!

70

This one happened to Darren Sprengers, a mob Forum regular.Player a shoves all in and it is Darren’s turn. Darren says to dealer, “how many chips does he have?” Dealer says without counting the chips, “around 8,500 chips.” Darren checks his own stack and calls. Player a wins the pot and the dealer counts his stack and says, “that will be 13,500 chips.” Darren says, “hang on, you said 8,500 chips. If it was 13,500, I would have folded.” how do you rule?


We are very much siding with the minority here but we feel that David Lamb and jP mcann are seeing the bigger picture. We would also warn players to be more vigilant in checking what they are told, and explain to the dealer that he should not be so casual in responding to a request for a count

jP mcCannI think it would be unfair to force Darren to call the full 13,500 after he asked for a count and was told “around 8,500”. The dealer has made a mistake, and the all-in player can have no recourse, as he should have informed the dealer what the correct count was.

FIDPa (The International Poker Rules) Ruling (marcel Luske)54.4 Dealers should only count and inform

players of the amount to be called, if requested by a player with a live hand. 54.5 Players are responsible for visually verifying the amount of the bet. If a situation arises whereas a wrong bet amount was announced, the calling player will be obligated to correct the amount of the bet.Any player is responsible for his or her game and actions and understands that mistakes can happen at all times, even in this case when it is very unfortunate for the losing player, we must consider that he or she could have won it as well.The decision to pay the total 13,500 would be fair!

David Flusfeder (IFP - International federation of Poker)A: IFP rule #30: ACCEPTED ACTION: “Poker is a game of alert, continuous

observation. It is the caller’s responsibility to determine the correct amount of an opponent’s bet before calling, regardless of what is stated by the dealer or players. If a caller requests a count but receives incorrect information from the dealer or players, then places that amount in the pot, the caller is assumed to accept the full correct action and is subject to the correct wager or all-in amount.” Sorry Darren, but it’s your responsibility to determine the size of the call, no matter how incompetent or careless the dealer has been.

THE mOB vERdIcTDarren didn’t ask the player for a count, he asked the dealer, and the words he used – “How many chips does he have?” amounted to a request for an exact or near-exact sum.

It is true, as Matt Savage says, that poker is a visual game but a player has the right at any time to ask the dealer for a count of an opponent’s chips. Were he to ask the player, the player would be under no obligation to respond beyond making sure his chips were clearly on view. The dealer on the other hand is obliged to respond and the player asking the question is entitled to an accurate answer. In this case it is slightly gray because the dealer didn’t cut down the chips and give an exact figure, but in the absence of a correction from the called player we feel in all fairness that Darren was entitled to assume that the estimate was accurate.

The question is also begged, what if the dealer had cut down and counted the chips and still made a mistake and given Darren the wrong count? Would Darren have been entitled to more protection then? If you would answer yes, then you have to ask, what essentially is the difference? In both cases he has asked the dealer as is his right, and in both cases has relied on the dealer’s reply rather than the evidence of his own eyes.

There is an obvious problem of course with allowing him to call an inaccurately estimated amount. How inaccurate is inaccurate? Should he have had to call 9,000, or 9,500? But notwithstanding this issue of where to draw the line, the dealer was clearly on the wrong side of it in this case. We would therefore, in the interests of natural justice and for the good of the game, allow Darren to pay the 8,500 rather than the 13,500.

We are very much siding with the minority here but we feel that David Lamb and JP Mcann are seeing the bigger picture. We would also warn players to be more vigilant in checking what they are told, and explain to the dealer that he should not be so casual in responding to a request for a count.

71POKER 52 auropa // maY-june 2012 // ISSue 5 71

FROM 1st Jan 2012 tO 15th aPRiL 20122012 euROPeAn POKeR RAnKinG

The rolling ranking has started from scratch less than four months ago but already, but the high-rollers and the big ePT stops have allowed five players to hit the million dollars mark, including the champion from Belgium, Davidi Kitai, who finished first at ePT Berlin main event after an incredible heads-up versus Chen... The ePT monte-Carlo Grand Finale and the WSOP should change everything for the next couple months with the biggest prizepools ever created, especially the One Drop tournament, with its 1 million dollars buy-in...

raNkINg

Ranking Player Winnings (uSD)

1 Viktor Blom 1,272,023

2 Patrik antonius 1,235,369

3 Vadim Kursevich 1,150,756

4 Leonid Bilokur 1,141,725

5 Davidi Kitai 930,816

6 jannick Wrang 888,446

7 Gus hansen 823,579

8 Paul Guichard 732,538

9 mikhail Smirnov 675,943

10 Frederik Brink jensen 649,368

11 Kevin Vandersmissen 588,870

12 mickey Petersen 444,595

13 andrei Stoenescu 432,912

14 morten Lihn Christensen 431,390

15 Vuong Than Trong 431,369


16 Ruben Visser 416,997

17 mohamad Kowssarie 416,937

18 Fabrice Soulier 398,183

19 Tom middleton 391,682

20 Fraser macIntyre 380,438

21 Yorane Kerignard 341,939

22 Bruno Lopes 341,724

23 Govert metaal 334,267

24 Robert Baguley 334,037

25 eric Sfez 325,762

26 Stefan huber 315,940

27 nicky evans 309,128

28 Rinat Bogdanov 301,939

29 Thomas Beer 296,419

30 Dave Shallow 289,032

Vladim KursevichPatrik AntoniusViktor Blom



31 juha helppi 288,662

32 Pierre neuville 282,843

33 Oleksii Kovalchuk 264,135

34 Bruno jais 263,030

35 Ognjen Sekularac 256,304

36 Konstantin Tolokno 255,412

37 Gordon Robert huntly 255,140

38 Balazs Botond 227,983

39 Dominykas Karmazinas 226,484

40 Damiano Sette 223,428

41 David Dean 208,152

42 Roman Romanovskyi 207,836

43 Koen De Visscher 203,169

44 Ronan Gilligan 199,962

45 Iqbal ahmed 198,454

46 matthias De meulder 196,000

47 Luca Pagano 191,666

48 aubin Cazals 191,117

49 anton Karasinsky 187,637

50 andrei nikonov 184,407

51 Bjarke S hansen 176,777

52 Steve Watts 174,268

53 Thomas Butzhammer 169,637

54 james Dempsey 168,004

55 Ceri Rees 167,431

56 Daniele nestola 167,280

57 aage Ravn 166,847

58 Charles Chattha 163,105

59 Vojtech Ruzicka 161,146

60 Grant Pirie 156,912

61 nicky Tao jin 153,783

62 Ricardo Ibanez 150,863

63 Stephen Chidwick 150,650

64 alessandro Longobardi 146,765

65 michael Graydon 146,719


66 Bertrand Grospellier 144,295

67 Sebastian Winkler 143,287

68 andrea Vitale 143,005

69 Yevgeniy Timoshenko 142,245

70 Ian Simpson 141,623

71 emmett mullin 133,543

72 Filip Verboven 131,574

73 Iraklıs Kosmadakıs 130,410

74 Paul (William) Gibbons 129,465

75 Ross Parkhill 127,140

76 Stjepan jokic 126,959

77 Barry mcmahon 126,375

78 andrea Dato 126,019

79 Paolo Petrucci 124,857

80 mario nagel 122,035

81 Dorde jovanovic 122,006

82 alberto Spigolon 121,373

83 joris Springael 121,023

84 Gregory Benac 120,811

85 David Sonelin 118,363

86 Luis Ramon Rufas acin 118,099

87 ercan Olgun 117,461

88 Oleg Ivochkin 117,457

89 martin Tonnesen 117,220

90 Carla Solinas 115,232

91 jérôme naye 114,762

92 jean-Paul helderman 113,860

93 Zimnan Ziyard 113,664

94 Kirill Kruglov 113,608

95 Steven van Zadelhoff 113,285

96 Cristian Tardea 108,337

97 Ludovic Sultan 107,842

98 Pierre Calamusa 107,071

99 miguel Rodriguez 106,845

100 Borge Dypvik 105,384


Available at www.poker52europa.fr

aLL tiME MOnEY List - EuROPEno big changes in the all Time money list europe, as all the leaders have not cashed recently in 2012. But the One Drop tournament ($1,000,000 buy-in) who will welcome most of the champions from this list will change it all for sure. elkY, Katchalov, Trickett, antonius, hansen will play it for sure, along with players like Ivey, Seidel, negreanu and other big names from the poker world. The winner will ship more than 10 millions in a single tournament...

Ranking Country Player Winnings (uSD)

1 Peter eastgate 10,918,443

2 Carlos mortensen 10,806,141

3 Gus hansen 10,210,073

4 Pius heinz 8,876,067

5 Bertrand Grospellier 8,790,898

6 eugene Katchalov 7,071,226

7 Ivan Demidov 6,768,821

8 Sam Trickett 6,304,098

9 David Benyamine 6,189,182

10 Dave ulliott 6,011,126

11 martin Staszko 5,574,103

12 Roland de Wolfe 5,330,556

13 Chris Bjorin 5,094,404

14 jeff Lisandro 4,797,295

15 Patrik antonius 4,618,840

Ranking Country Player Winnings (uSD)

16 Surinder Sunar 4,588,287

17 andy Black 4,423,333

18 Yevgeniy Timoshenko 4,401,113

19 juha helppi 4,327,708

20 Vitaly Lunkin 4,254,916

21 Fabrice Soulier 3,987,985

22 marcel Luske 3,942,166

23 antoine Saout 3,930,542

24 marty Smyth 3,876,139

25 alexander Kravchenko 3,775,710

26 annette Obrestad 3,738,568

27 Ram Vaswani 3,477,251

28 Filippo Candio 3,463,266

29 Sebastian Ruthenberg 3,457,185

30 martin De Knijff 3,419,490

raNkINg

Peter Eastgate Carlos Mortensen Gus Hansen


tOP tEnaLL tiME MOnEY List


1 Carlos mortensen 10,806,141

2 Raul Paez Corral 1,571,248

3 juan maceiras Lapido jr. 1,082,049

4 Raul mestre 863,598

5 jesús Cortes 821,123

6 Dragan Kostic 787,510

7 Leonor margets-Perez 673,874

8 Santiago Terrazas 651,405

9 Tomeu Gomila 593,747

10 juan manuel Pastor 567,801


1 jeff Lisandro 4,797,295

2 Filippo Candio 3,463,266

3 max Pescatori 3,206,351

4 Salvatore Bonavena 2,271,674

5 Luca Pagano 2,055,370

6 alessio Isaia 1,971,946

7 Dario minieri 1,861,016

8 Dario alioto 1,386,276

9 Gianni Giaroni 1,107,246

10 Gino alacqua 1,047,956


1 Sam Trickett 6,304,098

2 Dave ulliott 6,011,126

3 Roland de Wolfe 5,330,556

4 Surinder Sunar 4,588,287

5 Ram Vaswani 3,477,251

6 Tony Bloom 3,308,051

7 john Gale 3,301,782

8 jake Cody 3,103,842

9 james akenhead 3,060,048

10 mark Teltscher 2,933,941


1 Pius heinz 8,876,067

2 Sebastian Ruthenberg 3,457,185

3 Benjamin Spindler 3,134,924

4 moritz Kranich 2,932,396

5 Tobias Reinkemeier 2,265,427

6 andreas Krause 2,255,468

7 Florian Langmann 2,013,634

8 Sandra naujoks 1,710,496

9 max heinzelmann 1,674,632

10 Philipp Gruissem 1,626,840

spain

italy england

Germany



1 Peter eastgate 10,918,443

2 Gus hansen 10,210,073

3 Theo jørgensen 2,867,165

4 Rehne Pedersen 2,299,640

5 jan Sorensen 2,162,419

6 Frederik Brink jensen 2,094,425

7 Søren Kongsgaard nielsen 1,988,594

8 Lars Bonding 1,816,746

9 Sander Lyloff 1,712,552

10 Rasmus nielsen 1,418,747


1 Chris Bjorin 5,094,404

2 martin De Knijff 3,419,490

3 William Thorson 3,265,907

4 johan Storakers 2,996,321

5 michael Tureniec 2,773,934

6 martin jacobson 2,751,865

7 erik marcus Friberg 2,751,068

8 Christer johansson 2,161,275

9 Kent Lundmark 1,524,541

10 Kent Lundmark 1,516,285


1 annette Obrestad 3,738,568

2 jan Olav Sjavik 1,839,863

3 andreas hoivold 1,627,464

4 Trond eidsvig 1,623,879

5 Dag martin mikkelsen 1,470,618

6 andreas Walnum 1,197,518

7 Bjorn-erik Glenne 1,092,588

8 Kristian Kjondal 1,057,150

9 johnny Lodden 1,056,586

10 marcel Bjerkmann 977,333


1 Ivan Demidov 6,768,821

2 Vitaly Lunkin 4,254,916

3 alexander Kravchenko 3,775,710

4 alexander Kostritsyn 2,915,269

5 max Lykov 2,592,702

6 Kirill Gerasimov 2,563,108

7 andrey Pateychuk 2,127,793

8 Dmitry Gromov 1,565,339

9 Leonid Bilokur 1,512,334

10 Konstantin Puchkov 1,476,263


1 andy Black 4,423,333

2 marty Smyth 3,876,139

3 eoghan O'Dea 2,513,592

4 Padraig Parkinson 1,623,023

5 Fintan Gavin 1,397,235

6 john magill 1,207,856

7 Dermot Blain 1,189,716

8 noel Furlong 1,145,807

9 Liam Flood 1,142,446

10 Donnacha O'Dea 1,137,412


1 Bertrand Grospellier 8,790,898

2 David Benyamine 6,189,182

3 Fabrice Soulier 3,987,985

4 antoine Saout 3,930,542

5 Roger hairabedian 3,306,131

6 jean-Paul Pasqualini 2,536,823

7 antony Lellouche 2,525,172

8 Bruno Fitoussi 2,398,535

9 alain Roy 2,275,541

10 arnaud mattern 2,138,725

raNkINg

norway

irland france

DenmarkRussia

sweden


TOuRnAmenT sCheDulemAy3 - 6 mayNamur Deepstack VIII, Namur3 - 6 may German Poker Tour - Stop Hannover, Hannover3 - 6 may The Irish Tour 2012 - Leg 2: The Eastern Open, Dublin3 - 6 may Unibet Open Paris, Paris4 may Western £4,000 Guaranteed Event, London4 - 6 may 2012 Barriere Poker Tour - Nice, Nice4 - 6 may Deep Stack Pokerturnier, Berlin5 - 6 may Fox Poker Club - May Main Event, London5 - 7 may DTD £500 Deepstack, Nottingham6 - 13 may Reigate Series of Poker, Reigate6 - 13 may 2012 Grosvenor UK Poker Tour - Leg 5 (Cancelled), Dublin6 - 30 may Broadway Mega Stack, Birmingham7 may Palm Beach Big Game, London9 - 13 may Poker Aces Challenge, Athens9 - 14 may GCOP II Vol. 2/6, Rozvadov10 - 13 may Euregio Poker Challenge 2012, Valkenburg10 - 13 may B.O. Poker Classic, Bad Oeynhausen10 - 13 may 2012 France Poker Series - Amnéville, Amnéville11 - 20 may RPS Kiev Grand Final, Kiev12 may Special Double Ante’s Poker Event, Morden12 may Poker Live Adverture - Malta, Portomaso13 - 20 may 2012 CAPT Innsbruck Open, Innsbruck14 - 20 may Estrellas Poker Tour - Ibiza, Eivissa16 - 20 may Tana delle Tigri - EventiPoker, Brno16 - 28 may 2012 Italian Series of Poker (ISOP), Nova Gorica17 - 20 may Partouche Poker Tour - Oostende, Oostende17 - 21 may UK & Ireland Poker Tour - Dublin, Dublin18 - 20 may Nordic Aces 2012, Tallinn18 - 20 may DTD £150 Deepstack - £60K Guaranteed, Nottingham19 - 20 may ACF 1000 Event, Paris19 - 28 may Barbotan Masters of Poker II, Barbotan Les Thermes22 - 29 may Danube Poker Masters, Belgrade23 may Western £3,000 Guaranteed Event, London24 - 27 may CNP - La Toja, La Toja24 - 27 may 2012 Hamburg Poker Masters, Hamburg24 - 27 may Namur Deepstack IX, Namur

25 - 27 may 2012 Super Stack Series - Leg 8, London25 - 28 may Vienna Deluxe Challenge, Vienna26 - 27 may One Way Poker Deepstack, Bristol26 - 27 may APAT - Welsh Amateur Poker Championship, Cardiff27 - 28 may Pfingstpokerturnier, Erfurt30 may - 3 jun Paradise Poker Tour 3 - Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki30 may - 3 jun Genting Poker Series - Leg 3, Edinburgh30 may - 4 jun [LCIPT] LCI 2012 UK Poker Tour - Brighton, Brighton

June1 - 3 jun Paf Poker Challenge 2012, Aland1 - 11 jun 2012 Merit Summer Open, Kyrenia2 - 3 jun Ridotto Poker Challenge, SPA3 - 10 jun 2012 Grosvenor UK Poker Tour - Leg 6, Blankenberge4 jun Palm Beach Big Game, London5 - 12 jun European Masters of Poker IV - Bulgaria, Sunny Beach7 - 11 jun German Poker Tour - Berlin, Berlin8 - 10 jun 2012 Barriere Poker Tour - Toulouse, Toulouse8 - 24 jun 2012 Summer Series, Paris9 jun Poker Live Adverture - Malta, Portomaso11 - 13 jun The Summer Spectacular Festival, London12 - 17 jun 2012 Mega Poker Series - Madrid, Madrid13 - 16 jun Pokus Trophy Days 2012, Vienna14 - 16 jun NordicBet Superweekend, Tallinn22 - 24 jun Partouche Poker Deepstack - Chaudfontaine, Chaudfontaine22 - 24 jun B.O. Poker Classic, Bad Oeynhausen23 - 24 jun Sky Poker Tour - Leg 6, Blackpool23 - 24 jun Poker Player UK Tour 2012 - Leg 2, Brighton24 jun Freeze Out Turnier, Erfurt27 jun - 1 jul 2012 France Poker Series - Gujan Mestras, Gujan Mestras27 jun - 1 jul High Limit Turniere 2012, Baden28 jun - 1 jul Partouche Poker Tour - Forges-les-Eaux, Forges-les-Eaux29 jun - 1 jul CNP - Gran Canaria, Canarias30 jun - 1 jul 2012 Super Stack Series - Leg 9, Birmingham

July1 - 8 jul 2012 Grosvenor UK Poker Tour - Leg 7, Plymouth

2 jul Palm Beach Big Game, London6 - 8 jul 2012 Super Stack Series - Madrid, Madrid7 - 8 jul APAT - Irish Amateur Poker Championship, Cork9 - 15 jul [LCIPT] LCI 2012 UK Poker Tour - Nottingham, Nottingham13 - 15 jul Partouche Poker Deepstack - Aix en Provence, Aix En Provence13 - 15 jul Grand Casino Brussels Summer Poker Challenge, Brussels14 jul 2012 Catalunya Poker Tour, Barcelona14 - 22 jul 2012 CAPT Velden Open, Velden15 - 22 jul 2012 Grosvenor UK Poker Tour - Leg 8, Bolton19 - 22 jul B.O. Poker Classic, Bad Oeynhausen20 - 21 jul Comar Poker Tour - Stage 4, El Puerto de Santa María20 - 22 jul 2012 Barriere Poker Tour - Enghien-les-Bains, Enghien26 - 29 jul Estrellas Poker Tour - San Sebastian, San Sebastian26 jul - 8 aug 2012 Merit Cyprus Classic, Kyrenia27 - 29 jul 2012 Super Stack Series - Leg 11, London26 jul - 8 aug 2012 Merit Cyprus Classic, Kyrenia

AuGusT1 - 5 aug Genting Poker Series - Leg 4, Stoke on Trent5 aug 2012 Super Stack Series - Leg 10, London6 aug Palm Beach Big Game, London10 - 11 aug Comar Poker Tour - Stage 5, La Coruña10 - 12 aug 2012 Barriere Poker Tour - Deauville, Deauville11 - 12 aug Poker Player UK Tour 2012 - Leg 3, Coventry13 - 19 aug [LCIPT] LCI 2012 UK Poker Tour - Leeds, Leeds13 - 19 aug Irish Poker Classic, Cork15 - 19 aug Estrellas Poker Tour - Barcelona, Barcelona16 - 19 aug B.O. Poker Classic, Bad Oeynhausen19 - 27 aug 2012 Grosvenor UK Poker Tour - Leg 9, Coventry24 - 27 aug APAT - European Championship Of Amateur Poker, Nottingham25 - 26 aug 2012 Super Stack Series - Leg 12, Birmingham26 aug Freeze Out Turnier, Erfurt30 aug - 2 Sep CNP - San Sebastian, San Sebastian


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I can now officially whine about my lack of recent results, thanks to the semi-scientific Palm Theory: either I lose, bust or spew my chips with no ITm, or I win a bracelet at the WSOP or make a final table, with top prizes…

Recently, I experienced two great poker moments: last week by reaching the Top 3 at the EPT Campione, for good money and great experience, and last month at the WPT Los Angeles. After six months of bad runs, without any single ITM, I win on the West Coast the $2,000 Shorthanded NLHE. That is a nice palm, before the World Series, right?Of course, I am joking but I still have a hard time understanding the poker dynamics, its cycles that I have to endure for years now. Last months have been

real hard, as the bad run destroys any confidence in your own game: when you play, you unconsciously fear the bad beat, like : “Oh, I got Aces, how will the other guy beat me again?” And you never sleep good, are always stressed, as every tournament becomes a terrible nightmare where you begin with already a bul-let in the head…When I reached the finale table in of this side-event in Los Angeles, with is hardcore field… I entered this tournament in a rage, and I just wanted to drive my opponents totally crazy. Well, I guess I did it pretty quickly☺The short-handed format is particularly interesting and delighting: you have a lot more action, and I did not lose any big set-up or any 80/20, without especially outdrawing my opponents. I just ran good, and it was sooooo sweet. There was no dead money, though. And at the finale table, none of the chips were spewed or gambled away. They were such rocks that I had to play my a-game to win it all…After that we drove to San José for Bay 101 Shooting Star, with my girlfriend Claire. After some good times in crazy San Francisco, I had to focus again for this special tournament organized by Matt Savage and his wonderful team: being a bounty (there are 50 of them in this tournament) is like being always under heavy fire… I had to focus so much to avoid the hero calls or losing it all with a bad bluff: the other players would have won $5,000 if they eliminated me, and they played lot looser with the bounties… Being a bounty at the bubble, with a short-stack was a real nightmare,

but I survived, and I busted after the bubble burst, on a classic coinflip.

These West Coast holidays and tournaments really cheered me up, and just gave me good

vibes for EPT Campione and my incredible run there, busting in 3rd position. I can feel the World Series will be glorious… Good luck to you all!

ThE palM ThEOry

FabrIcE SOulIEr“Fabsoul”

quickly☺The short-handed format is particularly interesting and delighting: you have a lot more action, and I did not lose any big set-up or any 80/20, without especially outdrawing my opponents. I just ran good, and it was sooooo sweet. There was no dead money, though. And at the finale table, none of the chips were spewed or gambled away. They were such rocks that I had to play my a-game to win it all…After that we drove to San José for Bay 101 Shooting Star, with my girlfriend Claire. After some good times in crazy San Francisco, I had to focus again for this special tournament organized by Matt Savage and his wonderful team: being a bounty (there are 50 of them in this tournament) is like being always under heavy fire… I had to focus so much to avoid the hero calls or losing it all with a bad bluff: the other players would have won $5,000 if they eliminated me, and they played lot looser with the bounties… Being a bounty at the bubble, with a short-stack was a real nightmare,


These West Coast holidays and tournaments really cheered me up, and just gave me good

understanding the poker dynamics, its cycles that I understanding the poker dynamics, its cycles that I have to endure for years now. Last months have been have to endure for years now. Last months have been

in Los Angeles, with is hardcore field… I entered this tournament in a rage, and I just wanted to drive my opponents totally crazy. Well, I guess I did it pretty quickly☺The short-handed format is particularly interesting and delighting: you have a lot more action, and I did not lose any big set-up or any 80/20, without especially outdrawing my opponents. I just ran good, and it was sooooo sweet. There was no dead money, though. And at the finale table, none of the chips were spewed or gambled away. They were such rocks that I had to play my a-game to win it all…After that we drove to San José for Bay 101 Shooting Star, with my girlfriend Claire. After some good times in crazy San Francisco, I had to focus again for this special tournament organized by Matt Savage and his wonderful team: being a bounty (there are 50 of them in this tournament) is like being always under heavy fire… I had to focus so much to avoid the hero calls or losing it all with a bad bluff: the other players would have won $5,000 if they eliminated me, and they played lot looser with the bounties… Being a bounty at the bubble, with a short-stack was a real nightmare,


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