We know how badly Scotty Nguyen wanted to repeat his feat from 2008, winning the 50K HORSE back to back. It didn’t happen. Scotty went out in 22nd place. The 2209 H.O.R.S.E World Championship attracted fewer players than it had done in the three years previously, with just 95 players that stumped up the 50,000 required to sit down and play for one of the most prestigious titles in poker.
Naturally most of them were established pros, and amongst those who survived, not Scotty, we find Vitaly Lunkin, Erik Sagstrom, Freddy Deeb, Gus Hansen, Huck Seed, Tony G, Erik Seidel, Todd Brunson and Thor Hansen. Sadly for Scotty things do not look good and the chances for him to win $4 million got a lot slimmer, which is the sum he’s set out to win during the 2009 WSOP, or else he’ll quit poker.
People play poker for a variety of reasons. It’s important to understand the reasons that other people play poker as well as your own reasons for playing. Most people play poker as a pastime and simply because they like the game. They either see it as no different from a game like chess or backgammon, where different skill levels create a fun with an interesting challenge, whereas others play for an opportunity to gamble and if you get lucky, win a little money.
If you’re a fun player that’s ok, but remember you should always play with a bankroll that you can afford to lose. If losing money makes you miserable then you are not playing poker for fun. Many use poker as a social event to meet others and this is not so easy with online poker, but most online poker rooms have a chat function online. If you’re playing against a social player, it is generally in your interest to promote a friendly atmosphere, you are likely to keep him around and he could be less skilled than you and easier to bluff.
More about poker next time around folks!
The unofficial players’ championship is now down to just 19 players and Russian Vitaly Lunkin the winner of the 2009 WSOP $40k fortieth anniversary tournament is holding an overnight lead. Rising to the top of the leader board following four levels of play Sunday and following his second place finish in the PLO World Championship, he sits poised to make his third final table of this summer.
Meanwhile top pros Phil Ivey, Barry Greenstein, Doyle Brunson as well as the H.O.R.S.E champion of 2008 Scotty Nguyen hit the buffers today. A late charge by Lunkin, who also won a bracelet in 2008, forced Erik “The Salmon” Sagstrom into second place after leading for much of the day. Play continues today, so watch this space for more news on this the unofficial players’ championship.
The Sky Poker UK tour came to an end on Sunday 14th June at Dusk Till Dawn in Nottingham, with their £220 grand final. Following lower stakes legs in Nottingham, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Newcastle and Swansea, this was the biggest event with the deepest structure yet. 280 players generated a £56,000 prize pool and a first prize of £17,322.
This popular tour event has attracted the most varied mix of players ever assembled at a poker tournament. Of the many players there were plenty of recreation players as well as online players, many of whom had not played before. Celebrities from Sky Poker as well as black belt poker graders, some Grosvenor UK poker tour champions as well as WSOP bracelet winners. But anyone amongst the pro’s who thought this poker event would give them easy pickings soon realised otherwise. Actions came thick and fast and eventually Robbie Fisher-O’Brian came out the eventual winner of the first prize of £17,322.
The name William Hill is one that is known to every adult in the UK having been on the high street since the inception of legal betting shops. It is certainly one of the oldest and largest bookmakers in the U.K., providing services offline and online since 1934. William Hill Poker offers some very nice high-value promotions, a great sign-up bonus, great progressive bad-beat jackpots, freerolls and a good loyalty program.
There is not just online poker at William Hill, gaming rooms offering a variety of games can be accessed and the software is friendly and easy to operate and download. As part of the iPoker network, traffic and promotions at William Hill are first rate, with $16 million a month in prize money now guaranteed on the network.
During a recession, we know that you can’t afford to splash around at the tables as much as you would like to, and big money scores are needed more than ever. We have no tips to bring you luck at the tables, but there are tips to help you get the most out of the online tournament tables.
Online operator such as poker stars and full tilt poker offer SNG’s which as many would know is Sit and Go a type of tournament which means that a pre-selected amount of player spots available. Once enough people have registered to fill these spots, the tournament begins. Most often, a sit and go tournament is a single-table tournament. This means that once ten people register for the tournament, the tournament commences. The golden rule is check out the site, as SNG specialists tend to benefit the most from the excellent VIP programme at these sites helping you beat the current credit crunch.
The best entertainment for the poker player is probably the daily dose of poker on the TV sky channel 865 sky poker.com which is a must for all poker players. It does not matter if you are a beginner or you have enjoyed and played the game for years.
Check out the channel or log on to skypoker.com and see the daily schedule and mouth watering winning prizes. For example on Friday and Saturday it is The Open with a guaranteed prize pool of £8,000 and £5,500 respectively. On Sunday’s it’s the £8k Super Sunday where you can take on the studio panel, each will have a bounty on their head which includes £50 as well as entry into the next week’s Super Sunday £8,000 guaranteed.
As you would expect there are many years of history involved in the current World Series of Poker, and the 2009 events will commemorate its 40th anniversary. As always the WSOP continues to be the leader in poker tournaments, as each year it grows and seems to accumulate more prestige, higher attendance, and greater notoriety, it’s the biggest poker stage in the world.
The 40th WSOP kicked off on May 27 and will continue with play ceasing during the Main Event on July 14th featuring a grand total of 57 bracelet events, a Champions Invitational, a celebrity-filled “Ante Up for Africa” charity tournament together with a poker bonanza of gaming and poker related products and services. During the coming seven weeks of tournaments, you will experience a summer of must not miss events for all poker players around the world. Get on board today at your online poker room.
Voting for the Poker Hall of Fame is open until July 2nd and the online poker site Party Poker has begun lobbying for its ambassador, World Poker Tour Host Mike Sexton, to be among those considered. Nominations are open to the general public and if you are interested just submit the name of your chosen nominee plus up to 250 words describing why they should be the newest Poker Hall of Fame member.
The system works during the World Series of Poker Main Event, when Harrah’s officials will announce the names of the top 10 nominees, which will in turn be voted on by the 16 living Hall of Fame members. Certain select media members also receive voting rights and in order to be enshrined, a player must accrue 75% of the vote. Access the Poker Hall of Fame and vote now.
A challenge has been laid down by the online poker site Party Poker to host a heads up match between heiress Paris Hilton and the famous world poker tour host Mike Sexton; the winner will take home a juicy new luxury Bentley motor car.
The history is that in 2006 Party Poker, part of the Party Gaming group, offered Paris Hilton the chance to win back a Bentley motor car that the heiress was supposed to have lost in a game of poker! The luxury Bentley car in question was a Continental GT, but Hilton failed to take the online poker room up on its offer. Hilton quickly became the centerpiece of the poker world, albeit for a brief time period. The online poker world is waiting to see if the challenge is taken up this time.