WORLD POKER OPEN UPDATE

(08/11/09) 

MONEYMAKER MAJOR CHIPLEADER AT WORLD POKER OPEN.  The final table is set with Moneymaker sitting on more than a million in chips.  Chad Brown has 433k for second biggest stack.  Thomas "Crusher" Creel of Monroe, LA has 145,500. 

Jeremy "The Chemist" Gaubert who had a nice online weekend squeaked in with 107k.  The Thibodaux native is on a bit of heater.  Look for him in the Cardplayer mag with Jeffery Lisandro on front.  If Gaubert squeaked in Paris Heard of Praire, MS barely whispered his way in with 26k.

Michael "Carwash" Schneider of Covington, GA went out in 12th place.  Ryan Cox, a Saints fan from New Orleans, went out 11th.  Jennifer Parrish of Alma, Alabama was the last woman standing. 

Ray Hall of Bossier, LA went out in 18th place just barely cashing.  Nicknamed Choo-Choo he lost steam when he missed with K9 all-in preflop against 99.  Kenny Milam, of New Orleans, went busto before the money when Moneymaker's j10 showed him what home felt advantage is all about busting his KK after Kenny got it all in pre-flop.

FACE THE ACE CAN'T SAVE FACE.  For two weeks in a row Face the Ace finished dead last in the ratings for its time slot.  This show is as dead as an extra from the Sopranos, and it's hosted by one too.  Steve Schirripa who manages to make heads up poker chatter more engrossing then his hosting can soon be seen not hosting a Poker show.  Somehow this show lost viewers from the previous week.

SENDMYCHIPS ALLOWS ONLINE PLAYERS TO TRANSFER CHIPS BETWEEN SITES.  This has to be a good thing.  Right?  Players can tilt off all of their bankroll at one site now.  Read pokerpages here for details.

POKER NEWS UPDATE

(08/10/09) 

WORLD POKER OPEN MAIN EVENT.  After day one, some big names still lurk in the field.  Michael Wang is the leader with 274,800.  Chad Brown is in the group behind with 141,900.  Vanessa Rousso with 46,200 and Chris Moneymaker with 61,200 advanced to day 2. 

Among those who didn't make the final 43 are early extit-ers Shaun Deeb, Shoheil "The Maniac" Shamseddin, and Chris Bell.  The winner will pocket $192,000.  Day two plays down to 18 which is the money bubble and we'll have an update soon with those details.

THERE IS A SWEDISH MAFIA?  On dateline tonight they mentioned the Mexican Mafia in regard to the terrible killings in Pensacola (first we heard of it), there are rumors about the Russian Mafia and poker staking, the Italian Mafia everybody's heard of but a Swedish Mafia?  Apparently they've rubbed out a poker website owner.   Makes sense... we guess, everybody's got a mafia these days.  We have heard of Swedish meatballs, wait a second did we say they rubbed out a poker website owner?  For the record we have no beef with the Swedish Mafia or anything Swedish:  Swedish Meatballs, ABBA, Vikings, Ace of Base, Nobel prizes, Bjorn Borg, former worlds strongest man Magnus Samuelsson, or bikini teams used to peddle beer (pictured).   

SHAKING A WII CONTROLLER NOT JUST FOR KIDS.  Sexy Poker is the number ten selling Wii video game.   Will tread carefully here, with the picture selection above, and this story, don't want anybody to get the wrong idea about the site.  Be forwarned though, critics have said it's a letdown for poker and for sexiness.  Why you are using a Wii for either one of those inclinations is beyond us.

JUSTIN 'BOOSTEDJ' SMITH GETS PROFILED ON CARDPLAYER.  Good profile of the young star from Florida, covering tearing his ACL at a final table (and playing through it), a wedding that had high stakes Chinese Poker at the reception, and making his start at 1 cent 2 cent limit poker.  Go here for more.

POKER NEWS UPDATE

(08/04/09) 

WPT FINDS A BUYER.  Asking price $9 million.  Yes, the WPT was sold for less than the prize pool of the Bellagio Cup.  Pokerati has the story.  The purchasers?  Gamynia Limited a company based in Cyprus.  They also got the PPT as well.  That's the Professional Poker Tour.  Yeah, we don't know either.

CAN YOU BE A GOOD CATHOLIC AND A WINNING POKER PLAYER?  That's the question North Carolina native Nick Maimone has to answer to his parents and to himself.  Not quite sure what religion has to do with poker but the article asks it. 

Nick recently made it to the final two tables of the WSOP Main Event and sounds like he'll get some camera time as he bounced a lot of players with bad beats.  On second thought, maybe there is something there with this religion thing.  Read the story here.

FALLOUT FROM FUNDS SEIZURE?  The Poker News Daily examines the story from the perspective of some online players who had to pay bills with no income.  Read that story here.

HOSTING A HOME GAME?  Some tips on making it happen here.  So far, bring food, bring fish, and have a wireless router.

WORLD POKER OPEN

(08/02/09) 

TUNICA QUICK UPDATE:  GeneD just got back from his first trip to the World Poker Open this year. He should be updating his blog with some of the sites and sounds of the backwoods of Mississippi before he heads back next weekend.

Winners of some of the events so far:

BJ McBrayer  (pic) is by far the hottest player going there right now with a win in 1 event...and a 3 way chop in the NL Shootout. 1st Place in the shootout went to WSOP Bracelet winner Mike "Little Man" Sica who has over 1 million in total tournament cashes to his name.

Chris Moneymaker made the 25 minute drive down from his house in Memphis to snap off a PLO championship...Congrats Chris!!!!

Next we move over to another local from right there in Robinsonville, MS as Tim "misipimachine" Burt, who sits atop the leader board for the state of Mississippi in the stack rankings on Pocket 5s, took down a title in the PLO/8 (pic)

David Diaz...another local from Memphis area, who went deep in this years WSOP ME with a $40k cash for 117the place, is also mixing it up down there with several cashes and a Final Table with a 3rd place finish.

PHILIP "QUATERSACK" WALSH: Every now and then we miss plugging some accomplishments here at GCP.Net, but this one was a doozy. We want to congratulate Phil for going on a semi-heater in the past 3 months and jumping to number 3 in the Pocket 5's stack rankings for Mississippi. His latest cashes are below...WAY TO GO PHIL!!!!

$120 buy-in, $20K GTD Deep Stack on UltimateBet. 07/27/2009, 1 place for $7,519.20

$24 buy-in, $28,000 Guarantee on FullTiltPoker. 05/15/2009, 1 place for $6,160.00

$69 buy-in, $40,000 Guarantee on FullTiltPoker. 05/28/2009, 2 place for $6,200.00
 

ONLINE POKER NEWS

(07/31/09) 

ESPN "INSIDE DEAL" ONLINE POKER SHOW COMING TO A COMPUTER IN FRONT OF YOU.  The three month series will be hosted by Laura Lane, Bernard Lee and Andrew Feldman.  It is a three month cycle that will conclude with the November Nine main event.  For more information go here.  

BARNEY FRANK HAS 50 MORE FRIENDS, AND SO DO YOU.  In the wake of National Poker Week, and the lobbying efforts in DC a slew of representatives have co-signed the bill to exempt online poker from U.I.E.G.A.  Partner legislation has also been drafted in a bid to make online poker legal.

NEVER TOO EARLY TO WIN A WSOP MAIN EVENT SEAT FOR 201O.   Power Poker Club, a new club site, will be offering a chance to win a Main Event seat this August, and at least one every month until the WSOP.  To play, simply go to www.powerpokerclub.com and sign up.  Because it is a club with a monthly membership fee of $19.95, it is completely legal and based in the United States. 

All tournaments are essentially free rolls.  This weekend they are hosting a special $4000 tournament on Sunday.  There are over 30 multi-table cash paying tournaments, including a $2000 leader board tournament, a Sunday $2500 tournament and Twin $500 tournaments on Saturday.  Check them out.

POKERSTARS JUICING UP WCOOP AND HOSTING AMERICA'S CUP OF POKER.  The World Championship of Online Poker (WCOOP) will have 45 events anda guaranteed prize pool of 40 million.  You can also play in the 16 nation battle for the America's Cup.  The finals will be played at an Argentine Ski Resort.

BWIN's MAGIC MOMENTS OF POKER TOUR GOES TO POLAND.  In conjunction with EuroBasket 2009, the latest installment of the Magic Moments of Poker offers a sweet traveling package to Europe.  The winner qualifies for the grand final in Vienna.  Read here for details.

TUNICA POKER UPDATE

(07/30/09) 

MONEYMAKER WINS ON HOME COURT. Chris took down a PLO tournament at the Gold Strike.  One for the good guys.

GENE D TO PLAY IN CASH OUT YOUR CHIPS AT ANY TIME TOURNAMENT.  Called a Tournamash, it's an intriguing format and if you are tired of explaining to you better half why you can't just keep your tournament chips?  Now you can, the problem is will you do it.  Gene D will have an update soon on his blog and he gives the new format a go.

POTPOURI OF POKER UPDATE

(07/28/09) 

ESPN'S COVERAGE OF THE WSOP STARTS TONIGHT.   Poker fans you get the final table of the 40k Special Anniversary Tournament.  Next week, the WSOP Champions Cup (only Main Event winners invited), followed by the Ante Up For Africa Charity Event.  Then the Main Even starts and they will have no fewer than 24 episodes devoted to that.  That's 12 weeks of programming (two episodes most nights), taking you all the way to November 10th where they will get the hastily edited November Nine conclusion on.   For a video taste of what's to come and the complete schedule go here.

NOVEMBER NINER DARVIN MOON STILL SHUNNING POKER SPONSORSHIP.  Read the Poker King  Blog for more.  The guy's love for the Saints, despite being from Western Maryland, has made him our second choice rooting interest for the Main Event.  We hope he'll consider wearing our hat, which is also a fluer-de-lis, and we promise we won't burden him with payment either.  If you too, want some GCP Gear, go here.

A GUY WHO MAKES A DEEP  RUN IN TONIGHT'S 40K TOURNAMENT ALSO HAS A REALITY SHOW.  Dani 'Ansky' Stern and three other poker playing "ballas" are starring in a G4 reality tv show "2 Months, $2 Million" premiering Sunday, August 16th at 9 (on G4).  The object of the show is for them to win 2 million in 2 months (clever title).    Any them seems a hundred times more interesting than the Beth Shak's possible show (even if she is dating Kid Rock--which can't possibly be true).   Read Pokerpages for more.

POTPOURI OF POKER UPDATE

(07/27/09) 

BETH SHAK DATING KID ROCK?  We kid you not.  The rumors are flying about this.  Read here for more.  Perhaps he's still angry at ex Pam Anderson for shacking up with poker"pro" and Francophile Rick Salomon (the one time couple pictured right, no way we are putting up two pics of Beth Shak in a week).  What can Dan Shak be thinking now?  "I'm an investment banker, I used to rule the world...  Kid Rock...  Bawitdaba... what?"

BJ MCBRAYER WINS A TOURNAMENT IN TUNICA?  We got a tip from a tip top source last night that BJ is back to his winning ways.  Sounds like 40k and a seat in the Main Event, we'll have more as it becomes available.  Got some results you want to report?  Email:  Wildbill.

TIFFANY AND MARIA AND THE HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS.  Looking more and more like Tiffany Michelle will be (already is) the latest poker player reality show contestant.  Will she be good for poker?  As Monkey mentioned in his blog, probably not.  Will it be entertaining?  Probably so.  Still not sure what the Amazing Race is about.  Has a lot of running through airports.  You know who used to be good at that?  The guy from those 1970s  What ever happened to that guy?  Bet he'd be good at this show.

LEAN INVESTMENT ADVICE WITH A POKER TWIST. Anybody else tired of fluff articles that employ a poker theme and don't really say much?  No?  Well enjoy this link as The Motley Fool  brings us these little gems:  Don't play every hand, play your cards right, and be choosy with your all in moments. 

GRAB-BAG OF POKER NEWS

(07/23/09) 

RUSKIES MAKE POKER ILLEGAL.  Teddy KGB to franchise underground card room.  (Sorry, Rounders on the brain).  The Russians have no  longer designated poker a sport.  Perhaps swayed by the Tiltin' Texan's, this reassignment of Poker means vodka drinkers can only play in four designated areas in the Federation.  Read Pokerati for the details.

NOVEMBER NINER JOE CADA WINS 45K ON SUNDAY.  Second place in Full Tilt Poker's $150 rebuy was a good appertizer ahead of the Main Event final table.  Read the Detroit News for more.

DURRRR CHALLENGE TO BE TELEVISED?  Tom Dwan will do battle with four challengers in heads up poker.  Buy-in a paltry $500,000.  Players will be able to chose between NL Hold 'EM or PL Omaha with blinds at $500/$1000.  Course once they start they can't leave until one of the two busts.  Pokerroad has more here.

TIFFANY MICHELLE AND MARIA HO TO BE ON AMAZING RACE?  Seems, very, very likely based on this bluff article.  Read here.  Lots of circumstantial evidence but it looks like everybody's favorite villain will get a chance to reprise her role on a different reality show.  Michelle, pictured with Lacy Jones, and Amazing Race teammate Maria Ho above.

GRAB-BAG OF POKER NEWS

(07/22/09) 

CELINA LIN AN UP AND COMER.  She just won the Red Dragon event at the Macau Poker Cup.  Granted she's yet to play on the Gulf Coast, or cash in the U.S. but after our xenophobic slight of Alexandre Gomes we wanted to be a bit more international.  Besides...

IT'S NATIONAL POKER WEEK!  Go to www.Nationalpokerweek.com and sign the poker is not a crime petition.  Or go to www.mypokerstory.com and tell a video or story saying why you love poker.  Or go to Washington, DC and participate in a rally to send a message to Congress.

WSOP CIRCUIT SCHEDULE RELEASED.  For you plan ahead-ers May 7th to May 19th it'll be back in New Orleans.  April 1- April 14 it'll be a new stop in St. Louis.    January 20 - February 11 it'll be in Tunica.  All will be played at Harrahs, just different Harrahs.

THREE BETTING.  It's the popular thing these days (okay maybe it's been the popular thing for years, and now four and five betting are all the rage).  Once upon a time the hijack became the new button and if you weren't stealing from there you weren't winning (what point is at now UTG?) well for those of you not yet three betting here's a pretty good article about it.

RICKEY HENDERSON SUFFERED IN THE TABLE ETIQUETTE DEPARTMENT.  Dave Stewart:  "You always knew when Rickey won a hand the whole plane heard it...  You'd see him prancing around like he'd won the million-dollar jackpot."  Wonder whether he or Jose Canseco was the biggest donor in the As poker games.  Read more here.

WALLSTREET, WIVES, WINNERS AND WHINERS POKER UPDATE

(07/21/09) 

GOMES TAKES HOME 1.1 MILLION.  Guess we are xenophobic, yesterday we referred to Alexandre Gomes as the Brazilian.  Today, he is the Bellagio Cup and WPT champion.  Besting Faraz Jaka in heads up play, Gomes has a healthy resume that just got better.  Gulf Coaster, Justin Smith finished third for a savory $464,870.  

BETH SHAK PITCHING A REALITY POKER SHOW?  In this article the "sexy" "professional" poker player informs her students that women are better poker players than men and guys who wear sunglasses are cowards and losers. 

You are probably wondering who Beth Shak is?  You are not alone.  Shak (pictured above) is no relation to local poker play LoveShack Dave.  Well, as a means of introduction Shak is all "class" in this youtube clip.  Enjoy her "acting" at the beginning where she cleverly disguises the strength of her hand (pocket aces) by shrewdly feigning confusion and then shrugging and going all in.  Bar poker at it's finest at a WSOP final table.   Then enjoy her victory dance before the preflop action is even completed. 

Watching the replay it's hard not to root for Brett Richey to get a set of kings or Hellmuth to four flush her.  You may recognize her former husband also on the video, he of the 50 million dollar divorce settlement that has funded her "professional" poker career.  You can see her house which was featured on MTV rich kid cribs, here, of interest it was implied her poker earnings provided for the house.  I wonder if Dan Shak, he of the 50 million dollar divorce settelement would agree.

Okay, now that you know her, any interest in watching the Beth Shak poker reality show?  Didn't think so.  

GOLDMAN SACHS SAYS $12 BILLION ONLINE POKER MARKET COMING TO AMERICA.  It's only a matter of time.  Why should you listen to an investment banks.  They've been making money, record amounts of it.  By the way, a former Bears Stern executive is a member of the November Nine.  Poker players are notorious for being bad businessmen (Doyle Brunson) and business men are notorious for being bad poker players (Guy Liberte).  So, play poker with and listen to Goldman Sachs execs, and don't play poker and don't listen to Bears Sterns execs.  Read more here.

ANNIE DUKE GIVES BUSINESS ADVICE.  If you are seeking your business counsel from the USA Today, our first piece of advice is to stop doing that.  Our second piece of advice (see above) is to not take business advice from a poker player.  If you want to know what Duke has to say, go here.  But remember she is the face of a poker company that tried to kill the Golden Goose.

A BUFFET OF POKER UPDATE

(07/20/09) 

BELLAGIO CUP DOWN TO FINAL TABLE.  Actually, at the time of this writing, over 100 hands in and  Eric "Clown Prince of Poker" Seidel has busted first. The clown cries on the inside.  Jonathan Little just missed the money.  Faraz Jaka, the chipleader coming in has expanded his lead.  Justin Smith of Kissimmee, FL, Alec Torelli, a Swede and a Brazilian round out the final table.  Hoyt Corkins finished in 23rd.

FULL TILT BREAKS WORLD RECORD FOR BIGGEST POKER TOURNAMENT.   They put a cap on it and let 50,000 players play.  The old record was 35,000 held by Poker Stars.   One of the bloggers on here played and can testify many villages were safer places as they all had their idiots logged online today.  The blogger might have said today, "Bet, raise, reraise all-in, and you call with AJ?  For most of your stack almost in the money. F it I'm mowing the grass."

MEANWHILE POKERSTARS ALSO BROKE THE RECORD FOR BIGGEST POKER TOURNAMENT.  They put a cap on it and let 65,000 players play.  The old record was 50,000 held by Full Tilt (for a minute?).  One of the bloggers on here played and can testify the short buses wern't running today. The blogger might have said, "Bet, raise, reraise all-in and you call with QJ?  For most of your stack, almost in the money.  F it I'm mowing the neighbors grass."

WSOP HALL OF FAME CANDIDATES.  9 Guys with a shot and one without a chance in hell (this year).  Hint, he's pictured at the top of this update.  You've been wondering when we'd get around to him hmmm?  Read more here and for those that just missed the cut: here. 

SMORGASBORD OF POKER UPDATE

(07/17/09) 

BLOGGER JONATHAN LITTLE JUST UNDER AVERAGE AT WPT BELLAGIO CUP.   Eric "Clown Prince of Poker" Seidel, Alec Torelli, and ALexander Kravchnko are just ahead.  Faraz Jaka is a big chip leader.  First place pays 1.187 million.  27 spots get paid and there are 31 players left. 

FULL TILT GOING FOR RECORD THIS SUNDAY.  In honor of their 5th anniversary they hope to hold a 50,000 player online poker tournament.  $5 gets you in.  They guarantee $250,000 and are adding an extra $250,000 themselves.  Questions about the new software being able to handle it, abound but we'll see. 

NOVEMBER NINER JEFF SHULMAN COMPLAINS ABOUT HARRAHS, AGAIN.  He also clears up some rumors about his statement if he wins Main Event he'll toss the bracelet in the trash.  This time his complaints are not about the media exclusivity arrangement, Cardplayer (his family's mag) has been shut out of, or is it?  Shulman cites players locked out from main event, "executives" running the WSOP, and poor treatment of players in general.  Surprise, surprise Cardplayer has the details here.

PHIL IVEY JUST HAS TO GET TO SEVENTH TO BECOME ALL TIME MONEY WINNER.  It's true.  Jaime Gold's reign could be over.  Pokerking has the details here.

...ADD ON 7/16/09 1:30 p.m.

We got some grief on facebook when we lamented the lack of media coverage of the November Nine.  Zero articles on the front pages of Si.com, ESPN.com and Fox sports.  However, on one of the tabs over at ESPN there was this video.  Our missing that was dubbed "epic fail."  Probably a valid call-out.  Still, this is not quite the hype we hoped for with Ivey making the final table, but it's early and this report is a hopefully the start of more to come.  For those of you who might have missed it at ESPN.com, like we did, watch it here.

BWIN TO BUY WPT?  What's the WPT stock valued at right now?  Nonetheless, this would be a positive move for the WPT to partner up with an online site.  To read more on the rumor go here.  Perhaps, it can infuse the tour with the necessary resources to bring it back to profitability.  And we like bwin, haven't you guys noticed?  First class website all the way,  they treat their WSOP qualifiers great, read here for their V.I.P. Main Event experiences.

REID G'S PREDICTIONS...  He went 4 out of 9.  Not too shabby.  Read his thoughts before the fact, after the fact, right now right here. 

WSOP MAIN EVENT QUICK UPDATE

(07/16/09) 

PHIL IVEY SURVIVES TO NOVEMBER.  Poker world rejoices.  Except for all those that are still dumb enough to bet against him. Adopted Gulf Coaster Darvin Moon a massive chipleader.  More coverage in the a.m.  time to get 40 winks but for now go here for more info.

WSOP MAIN EVENT UPDATE

(07/15/09) 

WE HAVE TO FIND NEW PHOTOS OF MR. IVEY.  Last year we were teased by the deep runs of Phil Hellmuth and Mike Matusow.  Will Ivey do the same?  There are 27 players left, Phil Ivey (pictured with Michael Phelps politely refusing an offer to sign a body part) is 4th in chips with 11.35 m.  The world wants to see Ivey in November.  Will it happen. 

MOON'S SHOT.  Darvin Moon (be ready for "X Shoots the Moon" headlines if somebody busts him) is your chipleader at 20.16M.  Moon is over the moon to be number 1.  We'll stop.  Gulf Coasters may want to pull for this guy.  Nolan Dalla's interview asked  this;  "Why are you wearing a New Orleans Saints cap?"  Moon's response, "I like cheering for the underdog."  Despite being wedged in between Steelers and Ravens country in Western Maryland we are making the chip-leader an honorary Gulf Coaster. 

KOPP A ROBBER.  Billy Kopp who finished second in the New Orleans Circuit Event Main Event, recently, is comfortable in second place with 15.97m.  He is also comfortable in his UK hat.  Does he wear it because he's from Kentucky or because he points to it and says "Kopp with a K!"

OTHER NOTABLES:  Take notes, now.  Jeff Schulman is hanging around with 10.17 million.  For a while it looked like Antonio Esfandiari was going to pull a disappearing act but the magic man survived until today with 4.47m in chips.  Leo Margets of Barcelona is on a short stack but she's the Wicked Chops Last Woman Standing (read more here).

LOCAL FLAVORS:  James Claderaro of Venice, FL has 6.475m in chips.  Keven Schaffel of Coral Springs, FL is one of the big boys with 11.245m.  Jordan Smith, native son of College Station, TX is atop 4.51 in chips.  Jonathan Tamayo of Humble, TX has 3.3m  And of course, adopted Gulf Coaster Darvin Moon is the chipleader.

BUSTOUTS:  Joe Seebok, son of Barry Greenstein and owner (?) of Pokerroad and one of poker's good guys, hit the road.  Prahlad Friedman was Audi 5000, and the burning question is, will there be another ESPN rap video. 

MORE BUSTOUTS:  Tom Schneider, aka 2007 WSOP  POY aka Donkeybomber, busted.  Dennis Phillips, the chipleader of the November Nine last year, who proved that might be more enticing to sponsors considering his multi-media tour than the winner of the WSOP could not return to a November final table. 

EVEN MORE BUSTOUTS:  Eugene 'Catchalot' Katchalov ran out of time.  Blair Rodman threw up an airball in 34th.  Joe Ward was the unlucky 28th player who misses out on the final three tables today that will play to the November Nine.

WSOP MAIN EVENT WEEKEND IN REVIEW UPDATE

(07/13/09) 

IT'S IVY'S WORLD YOU JUST LIVE IN IT.  Phil made a run on Saturday.  407 players came back for the start of Day 5, shedding and shredding 382 players in one day.  On the edge of the money bubble at the start of Day 4, the tournament blasted through it.  Matt Affleck, not Casey, or Ben, or cartoon duck, was the Day 4 chipleader.

Unfortunately for ESPN, the poker brat Phil Hellmuth's deep run ended near the money bubble and the field lost the poker brat.  Noted cousin of Padraig Harrington and author, Action Dan, was another Main Event champion eliminated.

The field didn't lose Phil Ivy, who along with Jeffrey Lisandro, Vitaly Lunkin, and Villie Wahlbeck has owned this years Series.  As he is the last of those names still standing, he can perhaps claim this world series as solely his.  A bracelet in the Main Event (which would be his first main event final table) might just seal the deal.

LA BYE-BYE.  Day 5 ended with Lou Diamond Phillips being the final bust out.  La Bamba was eliminated on the very last hand of the night (for more on celebrities in the main event go here).  Warren Zackey,  of Johannesburg, South Africa, ended up as chip leader.  Zackey, who his seat in a qualifier in a casino in Swaziland. 

Peter Eastgate is hanging around in his bid to repeat.  He sits right in the middle of the pack in 82nd place. Joe Hachem is also passing the sugar and scooping the pots with 185 players left.  Antonion Esfandiari, Dennis Phillips, ELKY, Joe Sebock (and his evil near namesake Joe Serock), David Benyamine, Kenny Tran, and  Prahlad Friedman are in the mix.

GULF COAST MAIN EVENT UPDATE:  Keith Lehr jetted out in 266th place.  Another solid series for the LA native.  Bad boy Eric Clouiter is skating on thin ice with a short stack, but is always a threat to add some extra zeros to his total.  Ryan Gifford of Denham Springs, LA is also still alive with 800k you may know him as LoveShack Dave.  Wild Bill has the latest chip counts here.

Jonathan Little, Jena Delk, and Kai Landry's latest blog posts all chronicle their main event ending woes.

CONGRATS TO SOUTHPAW ROUNDER'S FULLTILT SCORE THIS WEEKEND.  5th place in a tournament won by pro Scott Fischman.  Another great run by the Houma native, who took a three outer on the river to get knocked out.

MONKEY SHOE IN FOR OVERALL VENETIAN POINTS LEADER TITLE.  Congrats Monkey.  Deep Stacks is your game.

DAN SCHMIDT LOSES AMATEUR STATUS BY OFFERING GOLF/POKER PROP BET.  Who is Dan Schmidt, apparently an online pro how clears $3 million a year.  He's also a former collegiate golfer who enjoys competing as an amateur, however the USGA ruled his prop bet combining 72 holes and poker offered to any and all comers makes him a professional.  This case is going to court.  This is also a black eye for all golf hustlers being associated with poker.  Read the USA Today Story here.

WSOP MAIN EVENT UPDATE

(07/11/09) 

MONKEY WINS TOURNAMENT AT VENETIAN.  This time he gets the trophy, beats out past main event champion and poker legend Amarillo Slim (pictured at left), and runs well at the right time.  His winning hand KK.  Read his account at the Poker Monkey.

CONGRATS TO KAI AND JENA.  And the rest of you Gulf Coasters who made it past day one.  We know there is disappointment it wasn't a cash but still a good showing.

ELKY CHIPLEADER.  Former Gamer, and the guy on the biggest heater in Poker is running over the ultimate donkament right now.  Several big names still in the mix near the top of the leaderboard including Phils (Ivey and Hellmuth). 

WSOP MAIN EVENT UPDATE

(07/10/09) 

THE CARDS ARE IN THE AIR...ITS DAY 3 AND ALL THE PLAYERS LEFT ARE PLAYING TODAY.  Below are the list of Gulf Coasters still after the 8.5 million 1st place prize

Campbell, Rebecca ...Baton Rouge...at 83,600
Cardwell, Steven ...New Orleans LA...at 70,400
Clark, William... Lafayette LA...at 69,300
Delk, Jena ...Merritt Island FL...at 76,400
Diaz, David... Memphis TN ...at 110,700
Eagan, Wade... Mobile AL...at 78,400
Gafford "Loveshack" Dave...Denham Springs LA...110,000
Garner, Terry ...Hattiesburg MS ...at 61,800
Harrington, Richard... Johnson Bayou LA...at 72,000
Lehr, Keith... Bossier LA...at 247,100
Mancuso, Josh... Mandeville LA...at 165,900
Miles, "TK" Timothy... New Orleans LA...at 67,600
Naquin, "Nocko" Jacob... Houma LA...at 96,400
Nunez, Carson...Erath LA...at 52,600
Olds, John... Troy AL...at 71,900
Pittman, Emmett... Mobile AL ...at 37,000
Wilds, Mark ...Biloxi MS...at 69,900

RACELAND, LA NATIVE AND VEGAS RESIDENT BRIAN "POKERLUSKY" LUSK MAKES A NICE ONLINE SCORE

We don't play these tournaments on Fulltilt to know exactly how this jackpot works...but it looks like that Lusky was at 2 final tables at the same time and won well over 5k. You can see the thread on the fulltiltforum.com here...Lusky Thread. You can see the lobbies there also. Below is a pic from the external Full Tilt Poker website.