Final Results:

1 Drazen Ilich Lincoln, NE $16,013

2 Jason McKelvey Lincoln, NE $9,896

3 Drew Woodke Omaha, NE $7,107

4 Jeffrey Fielder Des Moines, IA $5,130

5 Brett Schwertley Omaha, NE $3,707

6 Joel Merwick Lincoln, NE $2,685

7 Mark “Pegasus” Smith Georgetown, KY $1,952

8 Bob Slezak Omaha, NE $1,952

9 Robert Townsend Woodridge, IL $1,423

10 Tommy Nguyen Sioux City, IA $1,423

11 Timothy Sciscoe Omaha, NE $1,041

12 David Weeks (Tie) Port Murray, NJ $520

13 Thomas Culberson (Tie) Ellisville, MS $520

Bosnia Immigrant Drazen Ilich has Easy Win in 6-Handed No-Limit

Six-Handed Format Lets Him Play Aggressively And Plenty of Chips Allows Him to Gamble

Council Bluffs, IA — Drazen Ilich is a 31-year-old poker player who came to this country from Sarajevo, Bosnia 12 years ago. Originally working as a machinist, he began playing poker with friends, and four years ago decided he was good enough to play full time. He won two prior Circuit rings last year, including a $1,000 no-limit event here that paid $32,825, and tonight added a third ring by winning the $500 six-handed no-limit hold’em event that earned him $18,013, along with a diamond and gold trophy ring. He also has three final tables at the Horseshoe Poker Classic in 2008, including two wins, along with numerous online tournament wins. Hobbies are golf and tennis.

Normally a selective/aggressive player, Ilich said the six-handed format permitted him to turn up the heat and, because he was never short-stacked, he could gamble with less-than-premium hands. He said he also had a pretty good read on the final table players, and was able to pick his spots successfully. Ilich, who now lives in Lincoln, Nebraska, divides his poker time between cash games and tournaments, preferring tournaments because of the bigger prize potential, and because they’re more fun. He also had high praise for the new tournament structure giving entrants a lot more play. His hobbies are golf and tennis.

This tournament had 114 players and a $53,370 prize pool. The final six began play at level 17 with blinds of 2,000-4,000, 500 antes and 22:34 remaining at that level. With 356,000 chips, Jason McKelvey was the leader.

Here were the starting chip counts:

Seat

1. Joel Merwick 194,000
2. Jeff Fielder 119.000
3. Brett Schwertley 116,000
4. Drew Woodke 239,500
5. Drazen Ilich 330,000
6. Jason McKelvey 356,000

Sixth Place: Joel Merwick was first out. He went all in holding 10s-9s, after a flop of Qs-7s-2s gave him a flush. However, Jeff Fielder, holding pocket 7s, went after him with a set. A 9 turned, and then a river deuce filled Fielder, leaving Merwick in sixth place, paying $2,685. Merwick, 29, is a pro from Omaha playing for seven years. His biggest cashes were $39,000 for finishing 189th in the 2005 WSOP main event, and $37,000 for sixth in a New Orleans Circuit championship. His hobbies are “Sports, sports, sports.”

Fifth Place: Just as the next level ended, so did another player. Brett Schwertley looked at pocket 9s and raised, and then Drew Woodke re-raised him all in. “Wow!” Schwertley exclaimed as Woodke turned up pocket aces. A board of 4-3-Q-8-8 changed nothing and Schwertley went out fifth for $3,707. Schwertley, 27, is from Omaha. He learned to play seven or so years ago from his grandma.

Fourth Place: Several more levels of careful play went by without any more called all-ins. Then, with blinds of 6,000-12,000, Woodke was called after moving in with pocket kings, but he easily survived by flopping a set. A couple of hands later, another player finally was eliminated. The board showed 4d-6d-7s. Drazen Ilich, holding 7-6, was ahead with two pair, but an all-in Jeffrey Fielder, holding Ad-5d, had 15 outs with draws to a flush and open-end straight. Instead, a turn-card 7 filled Ilich, and Fielder checked out with $5,130 for fourth place. Fielder, 33, is from Des Moines, Iowa where he owns a construction business. He began playing in home games and later the on Internet seven years ago. He had a deep run in the main event here in February, along with other cashes here and in Vegas, in total giving him four out of eight WSOP cashes. His hobby is traveling for music.

At the next break, the three remaining players weren’t that much apart. Ilich led with about 480,000, while Woodke and McKelvey were in the 400,000 range. Blinds were now 8,000-16,000 with 3,000 antes. Late in the level, McKelvey pushed in for 178,000, and got a call from Woodke. “I’ve got a decision to make,” Ilich said, finally deciding to “let you guys tangle.” McKelvey turned up Qh-2h, way behind Woodke’s pocket kings. The flop came Qc-3s-9h, and then runner-runner hearts rescued and doubled-up Woodke with a flush. flush.

Third Place: Returning from a dinner break to blinds of 10,000-20,000 and 3,000 antes, Ilich led with 840,000 chips to 340,000 for McKelvey and 200,000 for Woodke. Later, down to under 100,000, Woodke moved in from the small blind with As-6s, getting called by Ilich with Jc-8c. A flop of Jh-2s-4-s gave Ilich top pair, while Woodke needed an ace or a spade, He got neither when an offsuit queen and 4 came. Woodke, cashing third for $7,107., is 28 and a real estate agent from Omaha who’s played for 10 years, learning online. He has four Circuit final tables.

Second Place: One hand later it was all over. Ilich pushed in with Ah-2c, and McKelvey called with Qs-10s. A flop of 9c-Js-2s paired Ilich’s deuce but gave McKelvey all kinds of outs: a spade for a flush, an 8 or king for a straight, or a queen or 10 for a better pair, making him a 69 percent favorite. But two bricks came off, and McKelvey settled for $9,896 for second. McKelvey, 26, is from Lincoln, Nebraska, and his occupation is working with adults with disabilities. He’s only been playing eight months, online and bar poker, and has a few online tournament cashes.

2010-2011 Horseshoe Council Bluffs WSOP Circuit Events Schedule and Results

2010-2011 Horseshoe Council Bluffs WSOP Circuit Ring Event #6 Results

By Max Shapiro

Director of Poker Operations for Harrah’s Entertainment – Jack Effel
Horseshoe Council Bluffs Poker Room Manager – Gary Margetson
Tournament Director – Jimmy Sommerfeld

Final Results:

1 Kevin Marcus Massapequa, NY $6,885

2 Alan Cutler Vernon Hills, IL $4,260

3 Duster Ellis Gretna, NE $2,804

4 Brian Schwartz Chicago, IL $1,963

5 Jimmy Blevins Oakland, NE $1,455

6 Betty Davidson St. Charles, MO $1,138

7 Michael Altman Mequon, WI $936

8 Daniel Thomas Lincoln, NE $809

Accounting Student Kevin Marcus Bullies His way to Win in H.O.R.S.E.

Key to Win is Using His Big Stacks to Steal from Shorties Trying to Move Up

2010-2011 Horseshoe Council Bluffs WSOP Circuit Ring Event #4 Winner Kevin Marcus

Council Bluffs, IA — Kevin Marcus is a 25-year-old accounting student from Massapequa, New York whose normal style of play is tight. But two situations presented itself in today’s H.O.R.S.E. tournament, the fourth ring event of the WSOP Circuit tour at Horseshoe Council Bluffs, that allowed him to bully his way to victory, earning $6,885 and a diamond-encrusted gold trophy ring..

The first came the night before, with nine players left, one away from the final table. Playing a hand against Betty Davidson, he had her down to 2,000 on the river and was pretty sure he had her beat with two pair. But he just checked. Was he playing partners with her? No, not exactly. There were two other short stacks at the table, he was the chip leader, and he knew they were trying to make the final table and he could bully them and steal blinds and antes if play were to continue. He did just that, and was able to considerably build his stacks.

At the final table, he went down a lot in early action. Then with six players left and sensing that two short stacks were trying to move up another notch or two, he began pushing them around, picking up 20,000 or 30,000 chips six or seven times in a row, and moved up from 300,000 to 450,000 chips, After that he was unstoppable. “It only works when you’re a big stack,” he explained.

Marcus began playing poker 13 years ago with friends. He prefers tournaments, but ends up playing mostly cash games because of the underground clubs in New York. He has one prior small cash in Atlantic City. Asked for any final thoughts, he exclaimed “Let’s go, Islanders!” cheering on his favorite New York hockey team.

This event drew 75 players with a $31,825 prize pool. Play commenced in a razz round at level 16 with five hands left and 20:34 on the clock. Antes were 2,000, the bring-in 4,000, blinds 5,000-10,000, and limits 10,000-20,000. Marcus was now well in front with 246,000 chips, nearly 2-1/2 times as much as anyone else. And Davidson (at least due in part to Marcus’ strategy) became the first lady to grace a final table in any of the noon or 4 p.m. events thus far.

Here were the starting chip counts:

Seat
1. Jimmy Blevins 102,000
2. Alan Cutler 103,000
3. Brian Schwartz 52,000
4. Michael Altman 106,000
5. Betty Davidson 22,000
6.Kevin Marcus 246,000
7. Daniel Thomas 29,000
8. Duster Ellis 91,000

Eighth Place: The next round was stud, and we lost our first player when Daniel Thomas, starting second-lowest in chips, missed his gut-shot straight draw. He lost to Jimmy Blevins’ aces and cashed for $809. Thomas, 33, is a professional poker player and entrepreneur from Lincoln, Nebraska who was an advertising manager before turning pro. His biggest cash was $82,000 for finishing sixth in a WSOP no-limit event this year. Thomas, who only plays no-limit tournaments live, decided to enter his first H.O.R.S.E. event because of the national Circuit points race and because he made a few friendly side bets with other players.

Seventh Place: One more player went out in this round. On sixth street, Dustin Ellis was in the lead with a pair of eights. An all-in Michael Altman, holding A-2-K-7-9-3 with four diamonds, needed an ace, a king, a 9 or a diamond to overtake him. Instead, he caught a brick while Ellis made an overkill gut-shot straight. Seventh was worth $936.
Altman, 43, is an attorney from McQueen, Wisconsin who’s played six years. He has a final table at this event in 2008 and another at a Hammond Circuit. He is the “proud father” of two boys.

Sixth Place: In this same stud round, Davidson, starting with (Q-10)2, was left with a single chip after having to post the low-card bring-in, and had no choice but to play. She ended up with a pair of queens, losing to Brian Schwartz’s trip aces, leaving with $1,138 for sixth. Davidson, retired, is from St. Charles, Missouri, learning to play two years ago by reading books.

Fifth Place: Another player went out in a hold’em round. Blevins was all in on fourth street holding J-10. With a board of 5d-Ks-Jh-Ah, he was in bad shape, with a pair of jacks and an inside straight draw against Alan Cutler, who had Kh-7h for kings and a flush draw. A river 4h gave Cutler his flush, and Blevins cashed fifth for $1,455. Blevins is 55, from Oakland, Nebraska and works as a technician. His nickname is “Rebuy.” He taught himself poker 17 years ago. He has two cashes in the WSOP main event, along with numerous cashes in smaller tournaments. Blevins spent three years in the army and is married with two children and three grandchildren.

Fourth Place: Two players went out in the next hold’em round. Finishing fourth for $1,963 was Brian Schwartz. He had A-5 versus Cutler’s 8c-7c and went out when a board of K-2-4-7-4 paired Cutler’s 7. Schwartz, 30, is from Chicago where he runs a sports memorabilia business which he started while in college. He’s played six years and has three small cashes at WSOP events and another Circuit final table.

Third Place: On the next hand, Duster Ellis had to post his last chips in the small blind with an anemic 8-3 against Cutler, holding 10-8 in the big blind. A board of A-J-6-Q-5 didn’t do much for either player, and Cutler’s 10-high was enough to leave Ellis in third place, paying $2,804. Ellis, whose name is “Husker Hustler,” is a 21-year-old pro from Gretna, Nebraska, who “grew up playing poker” and has been a pro four years. His recent cashes include one in the Venetian Deep Stack Extravaganza and a ninth out of 1,484 at the Hustler Casino’s Grand Slam of Poker.

Second Place: The two remaining players went on break, returning for their final match-up, with Marcus holding a 425,000 to 325,000 chip advantage over Cutler. Play started in an Omaha round and ended during stud high play. On the final hand, Cutler, reading his opponent as weak, raised all in on fifth street holding (4-7)Q-5-7, and was surprised when Marcus, showing 5-3-A, turned up 5-3 for two pair. Marcus didn’t improve when a king and six were dealt to him, but neither did Cutler when he got a 10 on sixth street and a 6 on the river. For second, Cutler, 52, whose nickname is “Chgocut,” picked up $4,260. He is a CPA from Vernon Hills, Illinois who learned poker as a kid in home games and has been playing professional-level tournaments since 2006. Cutler has a WPT bracelet at the Bellagio in $1,500 no-limit, a $225,000 final table cash in $2,000 no-limit at the WSOP, and a H.O.S.E. title at the Majestic Star in Indiana. The father of four children, he also likes golf and movies.

2010-2011 Horseshoe Council Bluffs WSOP Circuit Events Schedule and Results

2010-2011 Horseshoe Council Bluffs WSOP Circuit Ring Event #4 Final Results

–Max Shapiro

Director of Poker Operations for Harrah’s Entertainment – Jack Effel
Horseshoe Council Bluffs Poker Room Manager – Gary Margetson
Tournament Director – Jimmy Sommerfeld

Final Results:

1 Dean Jackson Waukon, IA $9,185

2 Allan Moore Manhattan, KS $5,677

3 Michael Lynch Appleton, WI $4,042

4 Peter Mavro Douglaston, NY $2,936

5 Robert Nelson Omaha, NE $2,175

6 Brian Brashaw Papillion, NE $1,642

7 Ross Jones Manhattan, KS $1,263

8 Kostas Mantzaris Council Bluffs, IA $989

9 David Summers Spearfish, SD $789

10 Paul Sterk Charlotte, IA $640

11 Travis Batenhorst Columbus, NE $640

12 Jean Laurent Naples, FL $640

Playing His Favorite Game, Omaha Hi-Lo, Dean ‘Action’ Jackson Wins Ring Event #3

Jackson, a Farmer and Salvage Man from Waukon, Iowa, has Fairly Easy Win

2010-2011 Horseshoe Council Bluffs WSOP Circuit Ring Event #3 Winner Dean Jackson

Council Bluffs, IA — They call him “Action Jackson,” and action in poker is what Dean Jackson wants. He doesn’t like sitting around for hours waiting for good hold’em cards, and that’s why he likes Omaha hi-lo, where you can find all kinds of playable hands. He got enough of them today to take down the third ring event of the WSOP Circuit tour at Horseshoe Council Bluffs. His triumph was worth $9,185, along with a diamond and gold trophy ring.

Jackson is a 58-year-old farmer (corn, beans and some beef cattle) from Waukon, Iowa, who also operates a salvage business – “A better word than junk,” he said. He learned poker from his father 30 or 40 years ago, and also likes mixed-game tournaments. He was in good shape throughout this tournament, came to the final table in second chip position, and took over the lead in late going. Jackson, describing himself as down-to-earth “nothing fancy,” has a bracelet in Omaha at the Jack Binion Mid-America Poker Classic in Tunica. This year he played his first WSOP event, Omaha hi-lo, finishing 43rd and knocking out Phil Ivey along the way.

This event drew 111 players for a prize pool of $30,618. Day one ended with nine players left, and they resumed play at 2 p.m. today. Holding a good lead with 411,000 chips was Allan “Bossman” Moore. At the other end, with just 12,000, was David “Guru” Summers.

Here were the starting chip counts:

Seat
1. Kostas Mantzaris 47,000
2. Paul Summers 12,000
3. Peter Mavro 75,000
4. Mike Lynch 51,000
5. Allan Moore 411,000
6. Dean Jackson 232,000
7. Ross Jones 111,000
8. Robert Nelson 128,000
9. Brian Brashaw 41,000

Play started with blinds of 3,000-6,000 and 6,000-12,000 limits, seven minutes remaining at level 18.

Ninth Place: It didn’t take long to lose the first player. Summers was immediately all in with A-3-10-Q, up against Peter “Dragon” Mavro, who held A-4-5-9. Both players missed their low draws when the board came K-4-3-4-10, Summers made 10s and treys, not nearly good enough after Mavro ended up with trip 4s, and he cashed ninth for $789.

Summers, 45, is a motorcycle builder from Spearfish, South Dakota with 15 years experience. He has a second in the spring Deadwood Shootout. His hobby, unsurprisingly, is motorcycle riding

Eighth Place: Limits became 8,000-16,000. On a flop of A-K-5, Kostas Mantzaris bet his last chips and had three callers. Holding A-3-5-J, Mantzaris had his low draw double-counterfeited, but made aces and 5s. He didn’t improve when a king hit the turn and a 6 came on the river. The cards were turned up. Moore, with an A-K in his hand, had kings full. He took the high end while Ross “King Size” Jones took the low as Mantzaris cashed out eighth for $989. Mantzaris is 71, retired, and from Council Bluffs.

Seventh Place: With limits now at 10,000-20,000. Jones found himself all in from the big blind holding a weak 2-4-6-6. There were three callers. A flop of K-Q-J made a set for Peter Mavro, who held K-K-10-2. He bet out when a deuce turned, and the other two players folded. Ross was now drawing dead, and after an irrelevant 9 came on the river, he finished seventh, paying $1,263. Jones, 32, is from Manhattan, Kansas, and is manager of a Chilis bar grill. Prior cashes include a 32nd in a Sunday Million event and a 13th in a Venetian Deep Stack event. His hobbies are fishing and creating music.

Sixth Place: Next out was Brian “Specialist” Brashaw. On a flop of A-4-K, he went all in holding A-3-3-10, up against Mike Lynch, holding A-5-7-9. A queen and then a 5 came, giving Lynch aces and fives to beat Brashaw’s lone pair of aces. Brashaw is a 29-year-old stock broker from Papillion, Nebraska who’s played 10 years. His best finish was a win in a $300 Omaha hi-lo event here in 2008.

Fifth Place: Robert Nelson quickly followed Brashaw to the payout window. In three-way action he was all in with K-Q-9-9 against Jackson with a premium hand of A-A-2-3, and Moore, who held A-A-9-J. The board came 7-8-2-8-4, completely missing Nelson. Jackson got three-quarters of the pot by making a nut low and splitting the high with Moore, each of them holding pocket aces. Fifth paid $2,175. Nelson, 32, is from Omaha working as a liquor store manager. He’s played for 14 years, going from home games to the Internet, to live. He has a prior final table in no-limit hold’em. Hobbies are golf, fishing and bartending.

Fourth Place: The players returned from break with Jackson now in the lead with nearly 590,000 chips, followed by Moore with 315,000, and Lynch with 165,000, while Mavro was down to just 16,000. Limits now were 15,000-30,000. On the first hand there was three-way action. The flop came J-Q-A, making a Broadway straight for Jackson, who held A-K-10-8. He bet and Mavro jokingly saying “I raise,” tossed in his last chip. He was virtually dead holding 6-6-Q-5, and was totally dead when a king turned. He earned $2,936 for fourth. Mavro, 31, is a full-time player from Douglaston, New York who listed his occupation as “space cowboy” before turning pro. He’s played seven years, his biggest cash being $70,564 for finishing third in a Borgata Deep Stack event in Atlantic City last year. He said his poker highlight was “meeting Ted Ely and Ian Palomo,” and his highlight outside poker was scoring the lead in a 6th grade production of “The Pajama Game.”

Third Place: Third place and $4,042 went to Mike Lynch. He was all in with J-10-8-3 against Moore, who had A-4-4-6, A flop of 3-5-6 left him in bad shape, giving Moore a higher pair and a wraparound straight draw. Instead, a 4 turned to give Moore a set along with a low, leaving Lynch no outs. Lynch, collecting $4,042 for third, is 62, retired, and from Appleton, Wisconsin. He learned poker with school friends 50 years ago. His hobby is fishing.

Second Place: Heads-up, Jackson enjoyed a 2-1 chip lead, and after taking a couple of pots had Moore down to 60,000. Moore hung around a while, doubling up a couple of times, but couldn’t make much headway. The end came soon after blinds went to 10,000-20,000 with 20,000-40,000 limits. On the final hand the board showed 7d-2s-7s-5c-Qd. Moore bet his last chips and Jackson called. Moore turned over 2-4-5-10 for 7s and 5s, losing to Jackson, who held A-4-J-Q. Jackson had made a low on the turn and the river gave him the higher two pair, queens and 7s. Settling for second, Moore was paid $5,677.

Moore, 31, from Manhattan, Kansas, is a Verizon wireless manager. He began playing 10 years ago with the Northview Poker Crew, which he is representing here. His prior poker highlight was making the top 30 in the Sunday Million.

2010-2011 Horseshoe Council Bluffs WSOP Circuit Events Schedule and Results

2010-2011 Horseshoe Council Bluffs WSOP Circuit Ring Event #3 Results

–Max Shapiro

Director of Poker Operations for Harrah’s Entertainment – Jack Effel
Horseshoe Council Bluffs Poker Room Manager – Gary Margetson
Tournament Director – Jimmy Sommerfeld

Final Results:

1 David Finney Council Bluffs, IA $22,879

2 Daniel Roth Ravenna, NE $14,141

3 Ian Wiley Las Vegas, NV $10,316

4 Harry Heistand Kansas City, MO $7,652

5 William Ellis Blue Springs, MO $5,764

6 Daniel Girard Kearney, NE $4,409

7 Brian Brashaw Papillion, NE $3,421

8 Robert Reid Smithville, MO $2,693

9 Gabriel Costner Biloxi, MS $2,150

10 Christopher Parsley Sioux City, IA $1,739

11 Christopher Drew Omaha, NE $1,739

12 Christopher Henderson Albia, IA $1,739

13 James Jelinek Alliance, NE $1,427

14 Dustin Meyers Hastings, NE $1,427

15 Robert Moralez Floresville, TX $1,427

16 Timothy Myers St. Louis, MO $1,186

17 David Oste Russell, KS $1,186

18 David Cyrus Youngsville, NC $1,186

19 Sara Muehlenkamp Tomah, WI $999

20 Joseph Basso Omaha, NB $999

21 Juan Lopez Topeka, KS $999

22 Louis Cheffy Naples, Fl $853

23 David Hengen Omaha, NE $853

24 Kurtis Linenberger Hays, KS $853

25 Todd Weigandt Omaha, NE $738

26 Corey Sanders Sioux Falls, SD $738

27 Christopher Hughes Council Bluffs, IA $738

28 Jason Joerling Shawnee, KS $646

29 Edward Sullivan Durhan, NC $646

30 Carl Jensen Lincoln, NE $646

31 Daniel Yi Overland Park, KS $573

32 Paul Stratman Kansas City, MO $573

33 Joel Hansen Omaha, NE $573

34 John Waugh Council Bluffs, IA $514

35 Douglas Rustand Omaha, NE $514

36 Allen Stern (Tie) Waverly, IA $257

37 William Copeland (Tie) Omaha, NE` $257

Patience Pays Off for David Finney as He Comes From Behind to Win Ring Event #2

Fuel Company Dispatcher Starts Final Table in Last Place, Works Up to Win

2010-2011 Horseshoe Council Bluffs WSOP Circuit Ring Event #2 Winner David Finney

Council Bluffs, IA — David Finney, a dispatcher for a wholesale fuel company, started today’s final table last in chips with only 175,000, well under half average. But by carefully picking and choosing his spots, he worked his way up and finally won the second ring event of the WSOP Circuit tour at Horseshoe Council Bluffs, $300 no-limit hold’em. “You can’t be too aggressive when you’re the short stack forever,” he explained. Victory brought him $22,879 and the coveted diamond and gold trophy ring. He had plenty of time to be patient, because the final table lasted close to eight hours, largely due to the new structure giving players lots of room with plenty of chips and slowly escalating blinds.

Finney, 48, is from Council Bluffs and plans his vacation time to play tournaments at his “home casino.” He’s been playing poker for six years, splits his poker time between cash games and tournaments, and three years ago won a second-chance event here.

This event drew 350 players and the prize pool was $101,850. Twenty-five players returned on day two. It took two hours to lose 15, and then another hour to lose one more and get to the final table of nine. Action started with blinds of 6,000-12,000 and 2,000 antes, 37:27 left on the clock at level 25. Brian Brashaw had the lead with 716,000 in chips.

Here were the starting chip counts:

Seat
1. Daniel Girard 355,000
2. David Finney 175,000
3. William Ace Ellis II 263,000
4. Dan Roth 396,000
5. Ian Wiley 422,000
6. Kent Reid 396,000
7. Brian Brashaw 716,000
8. H.J. Heistand 248,000
9. Gabe Costner 524,000

Ninth Place: First out was Gabe “Danny” Costner after Daniel Girard, holding A-K, flopped a king to outrun Costner’s pocket 6s. Ninth paid $2,150. Costner, 33, is a pro from Biloxi, Mississippi who before that was a stockbroker. He started playing in home games and has been playing professionally eight years. His long list of accomplishments include most POY final tables in the country in 2008; over $1 million in winnings; 35th in this year’s WSOP main event; and two WSOP and one WPT final table. Hobbies are sports, hiking, fishing and day trading.

Eighth Place: Blinds were now at 8,000-16,000 with 3,000 antes. There were several all-in survivals, and then five minutes before the round ended, another player went out. Preflop, H.J. Heistand raised 43,000 with pocket 10s and Kent Reid called with pocket deuces. When the flop came 9-3-9, Reid pushed in. Heistand called and blew him away when a river 10 gave him 10s full. Reid’s nickname is “Nine” but he did better than that today, finishing eighth for $2,693. Reid, 49, is from Smithville, Missouri, employed as an information technology consultant and has played for six years, learning “the hard way” in cash games. He is also a Little League baseball coach, practices Tae Kwon Do, and has an “understanding” wife and two boys who love all sports.

Blinds went to 10,000-20,000. As play continued, a short-chipped Dan Roth moved in twice in quick succession, surviving both times. The second time he had only 9-8 against a Q-8, but proceeded to flop a straight. All seven players were still in action when the round ended and they went to dinner. At this point, Ian “Memphis” Wiley had taken the lead with a little over a million of the 3.5 million chips on the table.

Back from dinner to blinds of 12,000-24,000 with 4,000 antes. There were five all-in bets in the first 30 minutes and each time the all-in doubled-up. The fifth time, Brashaw, holding a 6-5, made a straight on the turn when the board showed 3-4-K-7. But then a river trey filled up Girard, who had gone all in with pocket 7s. Very low-chipped, Brashaw moved in on the next hand with A-K, got three callers, registering the sixth straight survival when big slick held up.

Seventh Place: But the streak ended two hands later after Brashaw pushed in yet again, this time with K-7. William Ace Ellis II called with pocket 7s, they held up when the board of Q-4-A-2-4 missed both players, and Brashaw departed with $3,421 for seventh. (“Ace,” incidentally, is Ellis’ given middle name, not a nickname.) Brashaw is a stockbroker from Papillion, Nebraska who learned poker from his uncle 10 years ago. In 2008 he won an Omaha hi-lo event here. His hobby: “Loving his wife and kids.”

As the round wound down, a monster pot of about 1.2 million chips developed when Girard’s pocket queens went up against Ace’s pocket aces. Girard couldn’t catch up and was left with 260,000, while Ellis took the lead.

Sixth Place: Blinds went up again to 15,000-30,000 with 4,000 antes, and it took 50 minutes to lose another player. This time it was Girard, who called from the cut-off seat with K-2, in very bad shape against Ellis, who pushed in with A-K. Both players paired their king on the river when the board came 10-7-6-J-K, but Ace’s ace kicker was the difference. Girard, 23, is a nursing student from Kearney, Nebraska. He learned poker seven years ago from a friend. His poker highlight thus far came today with 10 players left. He had A-K against a player who flopped a set of 10s, then hit runner-runner kings to survive and double up Sixth paid $4,409.

Players returned from a break to blinds of 20,000-40,000 with 5,000 antes. Ellis still led, now with 1,365,000 chips. Roth, low on chips, went all in and doubled up a couple of times, and then took down a pot of about 1.3 million winning when he called with A-Q after Wiley moved in with K-4. He now was in a rough tie for the lead with Ellis.

Fifth Place: As play went on, the pot of the night developed. Now down to under a million, Ellis moved in with pocket queens and got a quick call from Wiley, who had him slightly out-chipped and holding pocket kings. A board of 6-10-A-9-4 changed nothing and Ellis went out in fifth place for $5,764 while Wiley took a huge lead, holding more than 2 million of the 3.5 million on the table. Ellis, 49, from Blue Springs, Missouri, is a contractor who owns a construction company and other businesses. He’s now made 12 final tables in his last 13 tournaments.

Fourth Place: As the final table moved into its seventh hour, we were now playing with blinds of 25,000-50,000 and 10,000 antes. Heistand had earlier been down to 40,000. He hung on and doubled up a couple of times, finally going all in again with A-4. Roth called with pocket 8s, Wiley with 9-7, and Wiley took the pot when the board came 9-4-K-3-6. Heistand, taking out $7,652 for fourth, is 34, from Liberty, Missouri, and is director of the National Education Association of Shawnee Mission. His father taught him poker as a child, he has a cash in Omaha hi-lo at a Tunica Circuit, and his highlight is his marriage to “my lovely wife Laurie, who is railing me.”

Third Place: The three remaining players, Wiley, Roth and Finney, who had been playing very cautiously, now all had over a million in chips. Suddenly, Finney was all in with Ad-2d when the board showed 5s-2s-4h-Ac, against Wiley, who was looking for a flush holding Qs-7s. Wiley missed when a 10d rivered and was down to a handful of chips. He then quickly went out, forced to put his last chips in with 4-2, losing to Finney’s A-J when the board came 10-9-8-J-3 and leaving with $10,316 for third. Wiley, 25, is a banker turned pro from Las Vegas who taught himself poker five years ago. His biggest cash so far is $265,869 for coming in third at a WSOP $1,500 no-limit event this year. His hobby is boating.

Second Place: Heads-up, Finney had around 2.1 million chips to 1.4 million for Roth.
Blinds were now 6,000-12,000. On the last hand, the flop showed 9s-6h-7c.Making top pair with 9c-8c, Finney bet 500,000 and Roth, later explaining that he lost his patience, moved in with Kh-Qc. He couldn’t hit anything when a 5h turned and a 6c rivered, and Finney had his win. Roth, getting $14,141 for second, is a 57-year-old corn and bean farmer from Ravenna, Nebraska who’s played eight years. He’s had a cash in the last two Circuits here. His hobby is golf.

2010-2011 Horsehoe Council Bluffs WSOP Circuit Events Schedule and Results

2010-2011 Horseshoe Council Bluffs WSOP Circuit Ring Event #2 Results

–Max Shapiro

Director of Poker Operations for Harrah’s Entertainment – Jack Effel
Horseshoe Council Bluffs Poker Room Manager – Gary Margetson
Tournament Director – Jimmy Sommerfeld

Final Results:

1. Jeffrey Epstein Omaha, NE $20,411

2. Anthony Bower Ankeny, IA $12,615

3. Robert Georato Naples, FL $9,153

4. Daniel Drake Omaha, NE $6,753

5. Scott Clark O’Fallon, IL $5,065

6. Daniel Walker Omaha, NE $3,860

7. Phil Mader Grand Island, NE $2,987

8. Jason Curless Overland Park, KS $2,347

9. Adam Hartle Sioux Falls, SD $1,873

10,Wayne Sahl Denison, LA $1,516

11.Douglas Codner Wood River, NE $1,516

12. Darrel Lottes York, NE $1,516

16.Bryan Barnell Lincoln, NE $1,038

17.Matthew Wells Rochester, MN $1,038

18.Kristopher Wilcox Concordia, KS $1,038

19.Shaun McBride Kansas City, MO $878

20.Nathan Nielsen Exira, IA $878

21.Andrew Raddeman Neillsville, WI $878

22.Christopher Hill La Vista, NE $753

23.James Haivala Spearfish, SD $753

24.Douglas Krause Wood River, NE $753

25.Ryan Forry Firth, NE $654

26.Richard Pressler Shawnee, KS $654

27.Michael Stovall Oxford, NC $654

28.John Beane Omaha, NE $577

29.Craig Spencer Sedalia, CO $577

30.Minh Diep Sioux City, IA $289

31.James Barnes Portsmouth, VA $288

Sports Center Owner Jeff Epstein Wins First Ring Event in 6-Hour Final Table

He Misses Royal Flush Draw on Final Hand, but Settles for Winning Straight

2010-2011 Horseshoe Council Bluffs WSOP Circuit Ring Event 1 Winner Jeff Epstein

Council Bluffs, IA — The seventh season of the WSOP Circuit tour, revamped, improved, and pumped up with new and attractive added features, made its eagerly awaited first-stop debut here at Horseshoe Council Bluffs. And with the schedule moved up from February to August, even the weather was much better. This stop will be offering 33 events, including H.O.R.S.E. and Omaha tourneys.

Winner of the first ring event, after a six-hour final table, was Jeff Epstein of Omaha, who owns the Omaha Sports Academy, a youth basketball center. He’s won numerous small tournaments online, but this is his first live cash. On the final hand he flopped a draw to a royal flush, missed, but settled for a straight. The win brought him $20,411, along with a diamond-encrusted gold trophy ring. Epstein, who with his father also operates a paper recycling plant, began playing online five years ago.

Epstein, describing himself as a tight-aggressive player, said the final table was tough, with constant raising. “I just tried to keep my wits about me, played patiently and tried to get my money in at the right time,” he said. He also paid tribute to thd “great staff and great tournament.”

Major changes in the Circuit tour include:

Standardized structures and payouts for all events, with the main event buy-in lowered from $5,000 to a more affordable $1,500. (However, four of the 12 or more regional Circuit championships will have $10,000 buy-ins along with national TV coverage.)

A cumulative ranking system throughout the season, with points awarded for each open ring event.

A season-ending National Championship tournament for 100 players who automatically qualify via cumulative rankings or performance-based criteria. This tournament will be at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas prior to the WSOP and will have a $1 million prize pool with a WSOP gold bracelet for the winner. The “Casino Champion” points leader and championship event winner for each Circuit event earn seats. The other two ways to qualify are by making the final table at any of the four regional championships and by accumulating enough points at all the Circuit stops to be in the top 36.

This event drew 300 players who generated a prize pool of $85,050. Day one of this event ended with 27 players still left, and they returned the next day to play down to the final table. Leading in chips with 880,000 was Danny Walker.

Here were the starting chip counts:

Seat
1. Jeff Epstein 377,000
2. Scott Clark 249,000
3. Adam Hartle 71,000
4. Dan Drake 294,000
5. Jason Curless 171,000
6. Danny Walker 880,000
7. Rob Georato 507,000
8. Phil Mader 193,000
9. Tony Bower 238,000

Action began with blinds of 3,000-6,000 and 2,000 antes, playing hour levels. After 45 minutes, there were three all-in survivals with everyone still around. The players then took a short break, returning to blinds of 8,000-16,000 and 3,000 antes.

Ninth Place: A half hour later we lost our first player. Adam Hartle was all in from the big blind with Ah-2h. He paired his deuce on a flop of 10-2-3, but he couldn’t catch Walker’s pocket 6s and went out ninth, which paid $1,873. Hartle, 27, is from Sioux Falls, South Dakota and is employed as a server at the Olive Garden restaurant. He started playing with friends six years ago and this is his poker highlight.

Eighth Place: Walker quickly knocked out a second player when his pocket kings held up against Jason Curless’ Ac-Kc. With a board of 9-5-10-Q, Curless needed an ace or an inside-straight jack to survive, but a river trey ended his chances. Eighth paid $2,347. Curless is 36 and a data analyst hailing from Overland Park, Kansas. He started playing 15 years ago.

Seventh Place: Soon after, with blinds now at 10,000-20,000 and 3,000 antes, a short-chipped Phil Mader was all in with A-2, dominated by Scott “Scotty” Clark’s A-K. Mader was drawing dead when the board showed 5-J-9-K, pairing Clark’s king. Going out seventh, Mader took home $2,987. Mader is 48, a farmer from Grand Island, Nebraska, who’s played 30 years. He has a cash in the 2009 WSOP main event.

Sixth Place: Walker, starting as chip leader, had been losing pots since his first two knock-outs, and was now down to 150,000. After Epstein pushed in, he called with A-Q, only to see Epstein turn up A-K. In a replay of the hand that busted Mader, Walker was also drawing dead after the board showed 2-2-6-K, and settled for $3,860 for sixth. Walker, the most credentialed player at the table, is a 25-year-old pro from Omaha who learned the game from a book 18 years ago. He has a win in a $500 no-limit Circuit event here and a second in a $300 no-limit tournament. along with a cash in a WSOP razz event, and a Bellagio victory. His biggest cash-out was $94,810 for a win at Commerce Casino’s L.A/. Poker Classic.

Fifth Place: With two minutes left at this level, Clark was all in from the big blind with Ah-7d, up against Tony Bower’s suited A-K. Amazingly, for the third time in a row, A-K did the trick when each time a king on fourth street left a player drawing dead after it paired his opponent! This time the board showed 8-8-K-4, with a meaningless river 5. Clark, 45, is an “unemployable” full-time player, formerly in construction, who also does poker writing. He’s from O’Fallon, Illinois and has played 25 years. Fifth paid him $5,065.

Players now went on dinner break. At this point. Bower held the lead with about 950,000, followed by Epstein with just over 900,000, and trailed by Dan Drake with around 600,000 and Rob Georato with 540,000. Blinds now were 12,000-24,000 with 4,000 antes. Action tightened and all four were still in action when blinds went to 15,000-30,000 with 4,000 antes.

Fourth Place: Half-way through the level, we finally lost another player. Drake raised from the button to 75,000, Georato made it 180,000 to go from the small blind, and Drake moved in for 220,000 more. Georato had A-J, Drake had K-10, and he departed in fourth place after the board came all rags with 7-7-3-8-6. Drake, nicknamed “Dapperdanl,” is a 54-year-old purchasing agent from Omaha with 36 years of poker experience, starting in family games.

Third Place: With blinds at 20,000-40,000 with 5,000 antes, the pot of the night came down. Epstein and Georato went head-to-head, each pushing in about 1.2 million in chips, Epstein slightly more. Epstein had pocket 10s, Georato Ad-Qd. A flop of 7-9-7 with two diamonds gave Georato a nut flush draw. Then an offsuit 10 and jack were dealt. Georato missed his flush and went out third while Epstein raked in a huge pot with a set of 10s. Third place paid $9,153. Georato, 41, is a teacher from Naples, Florida who began playing as a teenager. He has a half-dozen WSOP cashes, the largest being $38,600 for finishing 195th in the 2008 main event. He also enjoys travel.

Second Place: Heads-up, Epstein enjoyed close to a 6-1 chip lead over his final opponent. On the last hand, Epstein held Kc-Jc to Kh-10h for Bower. A flop of Ks-10c-Qc gave Epstein a paired king and a draw to a royal flush. He bet 80,000 and Bower moved in with kings and 10s. Then Epstein pulled ahead when a 9h on the turn gave him a straight. Bower could still win by making a full house or split if a jack a\gave him the same straight, but a 6d ended the evening. For second, Bower took home $12,615. Bower is a 29-year-old engineer from Des Moines, Iowa who started playing in home games nine years ago. He has a Prairie Meadows win to his credit.

2010-2011 Horseshoe Council Bluffs WSOP Circuit Event Schedule

2010-2011 Horseshoe Council Bluffs WSOP Circuit Ring Event #1 Results

–Max Shapiro

Director of Poker Operations for Harrah’s Entertainment – Jack Effel
Horseshoe Council Bluffs Poker Room Manager – Gary Margetson
Tournament Director – Jimmy Sommerfeld

July 28, 2010 was a historic day for all poker players around the county when the House Financial Service Committee passed H.R. 2267, the Internet Gambling Regulations, Consumer Protection, and Enforcement Act by an overwhelming and bipartisan 41-22 vote. Passage of this bill was only possible with the support of dedicated poker enthusiasts like you who took the time to contact your U.S. Representative and make your voice heard. As a result, Congress demonstrated that they listened to your concerns and agreed that sensible regulation of Internet gaming is preferable federal policy over failed prohibitions such as the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA).

The next step for H.R. 2267 is a vote on companion legislation, H.R. 2268, in the House Ways and Means Committee. Financial Services Chairman Barney Frank has made it clear that both H.R. 2267 and 2268 must be brought before the entire House of Representatives together. So be on the lookout for emails from PPA on when that vote will take place and how you can help.

PPA State Director Spotlight

NH PPA State Director Patrick Fleming

Patrick Fleming of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, has been a life-long advocate for poker and has been the PPA New Hampshire State Director since 2007. Patrick does double duty on behalf of the poker community as both a state director and the head of the PPA’s Litigation Support Network, where he has earned a reputation for offering informative and useful advice to clients throughout the country. Patrick has practiced law in Portsmouth for over 25 years and is an active member in his community. Patrick can be reached at: NH@pokerplayersalliance.org.

UB’s Online Championship will award bonus prizes of up to a million dollars – just for cashing. There will also be extra contests for cash, freeroll entries and more. There will also be a Team UB host for each event.

Here is a complete list of events for UBOC 5 at UltimateBet Poker:

UBOC Event #1
Date: 8/18/2010
Time: 20:05 (ET)
Game: Sniper No Limit Hold’em with $30 bounties
Buy-in: $300 + $20
Guaranteed: $200,000
Host: Joe Sebok

UBOC Event #2
Date: 8/18/2010
Time: 20:05 (ET)
Game: Pot Limit Hold’em/Pot Limit Omaha Mix
Buy-in: $250 + $17
Guaranteed: $100,000
Host: Bryan Devonshire

UBOC Event #3
Date: 8/19/2010
Time: 20:05 (ET)
Game: No Limit Hold’em 4-Max
Buy-in: $300 + $20
Guaranteed: $100,000
Host: Adam “Roothlus” Levy

UBOC Event #4
Date: 8/20/2010
Time: 20:05 (ET)
Game: Sniper No Limit Hold’em with $20 Bounties
Buy-in: $150 + $12
Guaranteed: $100,000
Host: Trishelle Cannatella

UBOC Event #5
Date: 8/21/2010
Time: 14:00 (ET)
Game: No Limit Hold’em Heads Up
Buy-in: $1,000 + $50
Guaranteed: $128,000
Host: Annie Duke

UBOC Event #6
Date: 8/21/2010
Time: 16:00 (ET)
Game: No Limit Hold’em Turbo 2x (second chance) Short Stack with Pro Bounties of $200
Guaranteed: $100,000
Host: Team UB

UBOC Event #7
Date: 8/22/2010
Time: 14:00 (ET)
Game: Pot Limit Omaha with 1 Rebuy + 1 Add On
Buy-in: $200 + $15
Guaranteed: $100,000
Host: Matt Graham

UBOC Event #8
Date: 8/22/2010
Time: 16:00 (ET)
Game: Deepstack No Limit Hold’em
Buy-in: $1000 + $50
Guaranteed: $500,000
Host: Eric Baldwin

UBOC Event #9
Date: 8/23/2010
Time: 20:05 (ET)
Game: No Limit Hold’em ($200 Rock Star Bounty)
Buy-in: $200 + $15
Guaranteed: $200,000
Host: Scott Ian/Shanna Moakler

UBOC Event #10
Date: 8/23/2010
Time: 20:05 (ET)
Game: Pot Limit Omaha 8 or better
Buy-in: $300 + $20
Guaranteed: $100,000
Host: Billy Kopp

UBOC Event #11
Date: 8/24/2010
Time: 20:05 (ET)
Game: No Limit Hold’em with 1 Rebuy + 1 Add on
Buy-in: $200 + $15
Guaranteed: $150,000
Host: Trishelle Cannatella

UBOC Event #12
Date: 8/24/2010
Time: 20:05 (ET)
Game: HORSE
Buy-in: $200 + $15
Guaranteed: $50,000
Host: Hollywood Dave

UBOC Event #13
Date: 8/25/2010
Time: 20:05 (ET)
Game: No Limit Hold’em Deepstack
Buy-in: $500 + $30
Guaranteed: $200,000
Host: Mark Seif

UBOC Event #14
Date: 8/25/2010
Time: 20:05 (ET)
Game: Pot Limit Omaha 6-max 2x (second chance)
Guaranteed: $100,000
Host: Debo34

UBOC Event #15
Date: 8/26/2010
Time: 20:05 (ET)
Game: Sniper No Limit Hold’em ($30 Bounties)
Guaranteed: $150,000
Host: Brandon Cantu

UBOC Event #16
Date: 8/26/2010
Time: 20:05 (ET)
Game: Limit Omaha 8 or better
Buy-in: $200 + $15
Guaranteed: $50,000
Host: Annie Duke

UBOC Event #17
Date: 8/27/2010
Time: 20:05 (ET)
Game: Sniper No Limit Hold’em 6-max ($20 Bounties)
Buy-in: $150 + $12
Guaranteed: $100,000
Host: Tiffany Michelle

UBOC Event #18
Date: 8/28/2010
Time: 14:00 (ET)
Game: No Limit Hold’em Turbo With Unlimited Rebuys
Buy-in: $100 + $9
Guaranteed: $100,000
Host: P0kerH0

UBOC Event #19
Date: 8/28/2010
Time: 16:00 (ET)
Game: 8 Game Mix (HORSE + PLO, NLH, PLO8)
Buy-in: $300 + $20
Guaranteed: $100,000
Host: Michael Binger

UBOC Event #20
Date: 8/29/2010
Time: 16:00 (ET)
Game: UBOC Championship Monster Stack No Limit Hold’em
Buy-in: $1,000 + $50
Guaranteed: $1,000,000
Host: Phil Hellmuth

For those of you who play in lower buy-in tournaments, here is a list of all events for the Mini-UBOC 5:

Mini-UBOC Event #1
Date: 8/18/2010
Time: 20:05 (ET)
Game: Sniper No Limit Hold’em ($5 Bounties)
Buy-in: $30 + $3
Guaranteed: $20,000
Host: SPIN31

Mini-UBOC Event #2
Date: 8/18/2010
Time: 20:05 (ET)
Game: Pot Limit Hold’em/Pot Limit Omaha Mix
Buy-in: $25 + $2.50
Guaranteed: $10,000
Host: HANKDAHTANK

Mini-UBOC Event #3
Date: 8/19/2010
Time: 20:05 (ET)
Game: No Limit Hold’em 4-max
Buy-in: $30 + $3
Guaranteed: $15,000
Host: SUFFER

Mini UBOC Event #4
Date: 8/20/2010
Time: 20:05 (ET)
Game: Sniper No Limit Hold’em ($4 Bounties)
Buy-in: $15 + $1.50
Guaranteed: $10,000
Host: TRADEBYDAY

Mini-UBOC Event #5
Date: 8/21/2010
Time: 14:00 (ET)
Game: No Limit Hold’em Heads Up
Buy-in: $10 + $1
Guaranteed: $2,560
Host: FEINT

Mini-UBOC Event #6
Date: 8/21/2010
Time: 16:00 (ET)
Game: No Limit Hold’em Turbo 2x (second chance) Short Stack
Buy-in: $20 + $2
Guaranteed: $10,000
Host: AIRKID3

Mini-UBOC Event #7
Date: 8/22/2010
Time: 14:00 (ET)
Game: Pot Limit Omaha with 1 Rebuy + 1 Add on
Buy-in: $20 + $2
Guaranteed: $10,000
Host: ELIASHARRIS

Mini-UBOC Event #8
Date: 8/22/2010
Time: 16:00 (ET)
Game: Deepstack No Limit Hold’em 6-max
Buy-in: $25 + $2.50
Guaranteed: $20,000
Host: GOGATORS86

Mini-UBOC Event #9
Date: 8/23/2010
Time: 20:05 (ET)
Game: No Limit Hold’em
Buy-in: $20 + $2
Guaranteed: $15,000
Host: VOSS1313

Mini-UBOC Event #10
Date: 8/23/2010
Time: 20:05 (ET)
Game: Pot Limit Omaha 8 or better
Buy-in: $30 + $3
Guaranteed: $10,000
Host: JOES2828

Mini-UBOC Event #11
Date: 8/24/2010
Time: 20:05 (ET)
Game: No Limit Hold’em with 1 Rebuy + 1 Add on
Buy-in: $20 + $2
Guaranteed: $15,000
Host: NUTINSIDER

Mini-UBOC Event #12
Date: 8/24/2010
Time: 20:05 (ET)
Game: HORSE
Buy-in: $20 + $2
Guaranteed: $8,000
Host: BRANDONMIK

Mini-UBOC Event #13
Date: 8/25/2010
Time: 20:05 (ET)
Game: Multi-Day 1 Deepstack No Limit Hold’em
Buy-in: $20 + $2
Guaranteed: $20,000
Host: YELLOWDAWG

Mini-UBOC Event #14
Date: 8/25/2010
Time: 20:05 (ET)
Game: Pot Limit Omaha 6-max 2x (second chance)
Buy-in: $30 + $3
Guaranteed: $10,000
Host: A2STEAKSAUCE

Mini-UBOC Event #15
Date: 8/26/2010
Time: 20:05 (ET)
Game: Sniper No Limit Hold’em ($5 Bounties)
Buy-in: $30 + $3
Guaranteed: $20,000
Host: IAMMAVERICK

Mini-UBOC Event #16
Date: 8/26/2010
Time: 20:05 (ET)
Game: Limit Omaha 8 or Better
Buy-in: $20 + $2
Guaranteed: $6,000
Host: 011POKERDR

Mini-UBOC Event #17
Date: 8/27/2010
Time: 20:05 (ET)
Game: Sniper No Limit Hold’em 6-max ($4 Bounties)
Buy-in: $15 + $1.50
Guaranteed: $10,000
Host: BOROVICH05

Mini-UBOC Event #18
Date: 8/28/2010
Time: 14:00 (ET)
Game: No Limit Hold’em Turbo with Unlimited Rebuys
Buy-in: $10 + $1
Guaranteed: $10,000
Host: 7TEMPEHEAT7

Mini-UBOC Event #19
Date: 8/28/2010
Time: 16:00 (ET)
Game: 8 Game Mix (HORSE + PLO, NLH, PLO8)
Buy-in: $20 + $2
Guaranteed: $8,000
Host: XBLINK

Mini-UBOC Event #20
Date: 8/29/2010
Time: 16:00 (ET)
Game: Min-UBOC Championship Monster Stack No Limit Hold’em
Buy-in: $50 + $5
Guaranteed: $50,000
Host: GUIGUI_88

Dowload the free Ultimate Poker software, make your real money deposit, and play in the UBOC 5 series

Washington, DC (July 28, 2010) – The Poker Players Alliance (PPA), the leading poker grassroots advocacy group with more than one million members nationwide, today applauded passage of H.R. 2267, the Internet Gambling Regulation, Consumer Protection, and Enforcement Act, by the House Financial Services Committee. The bipartisan 41-22 vote demonstrates that sensible regulation of Internet gaming is gaining support in Congress while prohibition continues to fail.

“The fact is, online poker is not going away. Congress has a choice – it can license and regulate it to provide government oversight and consumer protections, or our lawmakers can stick their heads in the sand, ignore it, and leave consumers to play on non-U.S. regulated websites in all 50 states,” said Former Senator Alfonse D’Amato, chairman of the PPA. “I’m glad the Financial Services Committee today overwhelmingly chose to act and protect Americans as well as preserve the fundamental freedoms of adults and the Internet.”

Sponsored by House Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank (D-MA), H.R. 2267 establishes a robust licensing and regulatory regime for online gaming in the United States, providing much needed oversight on this growing industry in order to protect consumers, children and problem gamblers. By using the most modern technologies and regulatory authority, this bill goes further than the ineffective Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) to keep children and problem gamblers off these sites, at the same time allowing for strong consumer protections for adult consumers who enjoy this recreational activity.
Additionally, licensing and regulation presents an avenue for companies to return to the U.S., providing the economy with much needed jobs and tax revenue. The bill was further strengthened by several bipartisan amendments that provide even greater consumer protections and strong enforcement against unlicensed operators, something that the current law (UIGEA) lacks completely.

“We commend the lawmakers who helped make H.R. 2267 stronger through a variety of consumer protection mandates. In particular, we thank Representatives John Campbell (R-CA), Mary Jo Kilroy (D-OH), and Melissa Bean (D-IL) for their thoughtful additions to the bill and their interest in preserving the rights of adult poker players in their districts,” said John Pappas, PPA executive director.

While the bill has passed out of Committee, there is still much work to be done and areas of policy in this bill that must still be addressed. To be clear, despite the concerns of some of our members, nothing in the Committee-passed legislation precludes lawful Internet poker-only operators whom U.S. players know and trust today from the opportunity to operate under a regulated system. The PPA will work with House and Senate lawmakers to ensure that the final legislation produces the best regulated online gaming environment for the consumer.

“This is a great day not only for poker players, but for proponents of Internet freedom and individual liberty,” said D’Amato. “We thank Chairman Frank for his leadership on this bill, and look forward to working with him to bring this bill through the legislative process.”

Key provisions of the bill include:

· Thorough vetting of potential licensees and creation of an OFAC-style list of illegal operators;

· Mandatory implementation of technologies to protect against underage gambling using the commercial and government databases used for online banking to verify age and identity

· Requirements for operators to set daily, weekly or monthly limits on deposits and losses
to monitor and detect individuals with excessive gaming habits;

· High standards to thwart fraud, abuse and cheating to ensure fair games for customers;

· Regulation to prevent money laundering; and,

· Processes to prevent tax avoidance.

For a complete listing of how each representative voted on HR 2267, click on the link below:

HR 2267 Financial Services Committe Vote (07/28/2010)

World Series of Poker’s Tournament of Champions Returns Tuesday, Aug. 3 at 8 p.m. ET

A prize of $500,000 and bragging rights are on the line in the Tournament of Champions Tuesday, Aug. 3, at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN. With fan voting as the driving force for selection into the tournament’s starting field of 27, this is truly poker’s All-Star Game. Lon McEachern and Norman Chad co-host the 2010 World Series of Poker, presented by Jack Link’s Beef Jerky.

The collection of players rounding out the final 10 represent one of the most impressive final tables ever assembled, among them 41 World Series of Poker bracelets and over $32 million in WSOP tournament winnings. Included are Annie Duke, winner of the inaugural TOC in 1994, and her brother, Howard Lederer. If they want to keep the title in the family, they’ll have to get past three former Main Event champions, Johnny Chan, Joe Hachem and Huck Seed. Other top pros looking to compete for this illustrious title include Daniel Negreanu, Erik Seidel, Barry Greenstein, T.J. Cloutier, and Jen Harman.

Visit http://espnmediazone.com and click on the World Series of Poker digital media kit for the latest schedules, news, photos, video and audio clips, and more.

An all new season of Poker’s premiere event kicks off Tuesday, July 27, at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN. Lon McEachern and Norman Chad return to call the 2010 World Series of Poker, presented by Jack Link’s Beef Jerky.

Opening night kicks off with two hours dedicated to the $50,000 buy-in Poker Player’s Championship. One hundred and sixteen of the most decorated players in the game generated a prize pool of $5.6 million in a mixed game event which tests players in eight different disciplines.

Each player hoped to walk away with the $1.5 million dollar first prize, a coveted WSOP bracelet, and the title “best all around poker player.”

After four days of grueling play, the historic final table was set and it included, for only the second time in World Series of Poker history, brothers – Robert and Michael “the Grinder” Mizrachi. For either to prevail they’ll have to get past 2008 World Series of Poker Europe Champion, John Juanda, two-time bracelet winner Daniel Alaei and high-stakes cash game specialist David Oppenheim.

Visit http://espnmediazone.com and click on the World Series of Poker digital media kit for the latest schedules, news, photos, video and audio clips, and more.