It generally goes a little like this: Tournaments are the best format, cash games players rule. Tournaments are for lucksack push monkeys, cash games are for boring rock-garden nut-peddlers. As long as poker has been around there has been an argument for both sides of the equation. Nothing is ever solved but in the end it’s just a matter of preference and comfort zone.

You can count me in with the nut-peddling grinder crew as I generally view the tournament players as a bunch of gamblers looking to get all their chips in the middle on the come. It’s also true I’m so tight that I make Allen “Chainsaw” Kessler look like the world’s biggest LAGtard. Different strokes for different folks. Tournament players find my process of grinding out my daily nut in number of big-bets won the dullest most unimaginative form of the game.

This week’s guest blogger comes along and tells both sides it’s our best interest to cross the line, get our money in the game when the price is right and expand horizons. I’ll let him explain.

Ladies and gentlemen, your guest blogger Drizztdj.

Tournament or Cash Player?
by Drizztdj

Unless you have been living under cryogenic freeze for the past six months, or last decade for that matter, you dear readers are aware of the poker exploits of one Phil Ivey. He flies, he wins, he grinds, he smiles on a rare occasion when certain loggers from Maryland are not outdrawing him at the World Series of Poker Main Event final table (that apple must have tasted bitter after the queen flopped).

He’s a tournament player obviously, right? Nearly won WSOP bracelet number eight by becoming one of this year’s “November Nine”, a WPT bracelet, $12.2 million in tournament winnings, the man excels at closing out the tournament once given the chip ammo piled up from the countless check-raises and reading the souls of those who dared to pony up the entry fee to sit at his table. No emotion unchecked, staying just ahead of the blinds to cash isn’t an option as its first place or no place, Phil Ivey is definitely a tournament player.

But, wait. There’s a little side cash game going on at the Bellagio with millions of dollars on the felt. When the lack of tournament chips appear in front him, the high roller can be seen behind the glass doors of Bobby’s Room at the Bellagio playing for stakes that normal nine-to-five cube monkeys like myself only see while hitting up the play chip games. Only those aren’t play chips they’re $10,000 and $25,000 real currency chips being splashed across the felt on an up-and-down straight draw, or trying to squeeze out a wheel in deuce-to-seven triple draw. Likewise, if you’re a closet online nosebleed railbird like me, you’ll see Mr. Ivey’s avatar taking on all comers at Ivey League, Ivey Showdown, Ivey Thunderdome, and Ivey’s Playground tables, playing with $1,000 /$2,000 blinds all levels limit or no limit and in all games.

So, he’s a cash game savant right?

Wrong.

He’s a poker player, much like yourself or at least you’re studying up to become one. Whether it’s the Sunday Majors with $530 buy-ins, the $.01/$.02 no limit Omaha eight or better tables, or Dan’s basement rotation game, chips are chips, the job of the poker player is to extract as many of them possible from your opponents at the table.

Period.

Granted there are the rising blinds of a tournament, or the various table sizes like shootouts, heads-up, cashout, matrix, 6-max. Same with the cash games and their various degrees of blind levels, double stacks, short-handed tables they make you adjust to position, stack size, or the amount of jager-bombs the lush in the four seat had before sitting down.

You can read countless books on tournament versus cash game play and try to “specialize” yourself as a MTT wizard, or feared cash game rounder but in the end a player should try to become one thing. To become a complete poker player with the ability to sit down at any table with any poker variation and feel the profits about to slide into your stack.

Limiting yourself at the tables means side-stepping a potentially juicy cash game because setting out a stack of your own money instead of tournament chips scares you, your stunted growth as a player will only get worse. Or seeing a huge overlay in the Sunday Brawl and walking away from the free money being put on by Full Tilt because tournament play gives you hives. Personally, I have no reservation of tossing a buy-in into the middle of a $50 or $100 buy-in NLO8 cash game on a draw or bluff, but try to get me to spend a $24 token on the $5K PLO guarantee? I turtle up quicker than a quarterback seeing Ray Lewis come through the line untouched and about to decapitate me. It’s a leak and one I cure by occasionally dipping into the $24 and $75 token tourneys (after grabbing a token from the satellites of course).

Sure I enjoy tournaments and occasionally do fairly well in them (except for last night which we’ll blame on the moon’s alignment with Saturn and my daughter’s inability to sleep without a 15-point check before dreaming about whatever a three-old wants these days) . If one were to look up my negative to break even stats they’d see my average buy-in is around the price of a happy meal. Taking shots at a different buy-in level is something everyone should take but it shouldn’t come at the expense of being a “tourney player” or “cash game” player only.

Do read the free advice given by Team Full Tilt.

Do take shots outside of your comfort zone. If you’re a “tourney” player, fire up a ring game, if you’re a “cash game” player hit up one of the many guarantees offered here at Full Tilt.

Do NOT become half of the poker player you want to be. After all, wouldn’t you someday like to be tossing dice with Phil for a million a throw while jet-setting across the globe to 5-star resorts after taking down a tourney and cleaning up the cash game afterwards?

Post from: Poker From The Rail

Guest Post from Drizztjd – Tournament or Cash?

Related posts:

1. Guest Post – Micro-limit Cash Games
2. Guest Post – Julius Goat – Tournament Director
3. Guest Post – Tuscaloosa Johnny

2009 World Series of Poker Bracelets
Photo credit: Pokerati.com

There are just over two weeks remaining before the poker world once again focuses it’s attention upon the Rio Hotel and Casino where the 2009 November Nine will gather around a table and play for the world championship. The players are preparing themselves in different ways. Some with coaches, others trying to stay as lowkey and relaxed as possible, still others are practicing non-stop. Or if you are Phil Ivey you continue to pound away at the dead money sitting around the Bellagio poker room.

Today brings our third and final installment of the November Nine preview. I am joined by two bloggers to help handicap the 9 players at this year’s Main Event final table and we end it with the three smallest chip stacks. Phil Ivey is by far the biggest name but starts with just 9,765,000 in chips. “Those-in-the-know” have set his official odds more along the lines of the bigger stacks around the table, a credit to the experience and talent he’ll bring along.

This post also highlights the two non-US born players in Antoine Saout and James Akenhead. Saout is the unknown Frenchman while Akenhead is regular figure around the UK tournament scene with his poker playing friends. Both have plenty of work ahead of them if they wish to make a big run for the title.

Our two guest bloggers, “Spaceman” the consummate professional writer and “Riggstad” the half-breed poker player/gambler, give you their opinions below. Once again odds and lines are strictly for informational and educational purposes, any loses due to our information is on your head. If you use this information to win, we will accept any credit/reward.

Don’t forget to check out the ESPN broadcast over the next two weeks as the field goes from seven tables to just one. Day 7 will be shown on October 20th at 20:00ET and Day 8 on October 27th at the same time.

2009 November Nine chip counts:

Darvin Moon – 58,930,000
Eric Buchman – 34,800,000
Steven Begleiter – 29,885,000
Jeff Shulman = 19,580,000
Joe Cada – 13,215,000
Kevin Schaffel – 12,390,000
Phil Ivey – 9,765,000
Antoine Saout – 9,500,000
James Akenhead – 6,800,000

2009 World Series of Poker November Nine Part 1
2009 World Series of Poker November Nine Part 2
2009 World Series of Poker November Nine Part 3 after the jump:

Phil Ivey – Seat 3 – 9,765,000 chips (M = 15.5)
Current odds from 4/1 to 7/1

What is there I can really add to the biography of Phil Ivey? If you are coming here you probably know all there is about this player who avoids the spotlight like it’s his job. He has been called “the best poker player in the world”, in just about every various of the game, at any stakes, cash games or tournaments. He already has two WSOP bracelet for 2009, trying for his 3rd of the year and 8th bracelet overall. It was no secret that Ivey had several big bets with other players based on his performance this year, he backed up everything he said coming into the series.

His credentials are easy enough to track down. He earned his poker chops playing in the smokey Atlantic City card rooms before moving out to Las Vegas. His 7 WSOP bracelets ties him with poker legend Billy Baxter. If he wins the Main Event it will be the second time in his career he’s won 3 WSOP bracelets in the same year, he accomplished that feat back in 2002. His 8th bracelet would tie him with fellow Full Tilt pro Erik Seidel for 5th all-time. He has over $3,800,000 in WSOP career earnings and has gone over $12,000,000 overall. It is nearly impossible to judge how much money he has taken away from those poor fools willing to play with him at the nose-bleed Bellagio cash game tables. Away from the WSOP, Ivey also holds the record for most final tables in World Poker Tour events with 8 total and 1 title.

An interesting twist between Ivey’s bracelets and those held by 11 time winner Phil Hellmuth. While Hellmuth has yet to win a single bracelet in a non-Hold’em tournament, none of Ivey’s have come in Hold’em.

2000 – $2,500 Pot Limit Omaha
2002 – $2,500 7 Card Stud Hi/Lo
2002 – $2,500 S.H.O.E.
2002 – $1,500 7 Card Stud
2005 – $5,000 Pot Limit Omaha
2009 – $2,500 No-Limit 2-7 Draw
2009 – $2,500 Omaha/Stud Hi/Lo

Even with one of the shorter stacks remaining in the field, no one can feel terribly comfortable with Ivey still sticking around. The lines reflect this as he’s listed between 4/1 and 7/1 despite sitting so low in chips.

Here is what our bloggers have to say about Ivey’s chances.

From Spaceman:

Throughout the Main Event, Phil Ivey had the incredible good fortune of seeing player after player gift him with their stacks because they picked the wrong time – usually when they were drawing dead or close to it – to try and outplay him. (It seems that a couple of big bluffs from his past television appearances – including that nasty one against Paul Jackson at the Monte Carlo Millions – have paid big dividends for Ivey.) I like to call this the Rounders Effect – everyone’s Mike McDermott and they just have to know if they can bluff Johnny Chan. When the pro actually picks up a big hand he’s going to get paid for sure. One or two of those type of hands could make Ivey a big contender in a very short period of time.

As great as the Rounders Effect is for pros like Ivey, the flipside of it is that it makes these less-experienced players much harder to bluff; the cards become that much more important when someone is willing to call down with a pair of deuces on a Broadway-heavy board. That means that, all other things being equal, continuation bets with air are more likely to get called from Ivey than anyone else at the table. If he wants to become a factor in this tournament he’ll need to pick up some good cards when other players have slightly worse, but still playable, cards.

If Phil Ivey had just double the chips that he has coming into the final table I’m pretty sure I’d have to consider him a favorite in this tournament. But as it stands he’s in seventh place, so assessing his chances of winning are a lot more difficult. I think that this really rides on one question: just how aggressive will the world’s greatest poker player be in trying to double up early? If he puts on his Pro Face and attacks the table mercilessly, I think the Rounders Effect will come into play – and I think in the right situation it could even bite more experienced players like Jeff Shulman who can still get roped into wanting to be a hero on TV.

One big double-up through the right player could be huge for Ivey, but taking hands to showdown in big confrontations means risking your tournament life. If Ivey prefers to play some small-ball rather than going for the home run, I almost like his chances better. Still, his chance to win all hinges on doubling that stack a few times, and even when you’re Phil Ivey that can be a tall order. If he does manage to begin accumulating chips, the only thing that can stop him is bad luck.

Overall, I’d peg Ivey’s chances at about 9/1.

From Riggstad:

Well well, it comes down to this guy. The one attraction that most people are talking about. Phil Ivey. the greatest player to have played the game. The “Tiger Woods” of poker (which I think is an insult to Tiger). Phil is undoubtedly the one person on this table who has the skill set to win this tournament. Unfortunately, he doesn’t have the chips. Yet Phil being Phil is the one most expect to walk away with this.

Jason wrote about his travels through the main event being very lucky. Not in the sense of being behind but being fortunate, if you will, to get action when he needed it. Possibly by players wanting to down the giant. Which is a feasible point to make. This, however, will not happen at the final table. Ivey will have his work cut out for him. He has outward pressure to win, none that are his own however. I don’t believe Phil is sitting at home planning out his best way to attack this table. If you look at his 2009 WSOP track record, you’ll see a top player who played extremely well and who ran extremely well.

One of the writers who covered the event told me there are two distinct Phil Ivey’s based on what he witnessed during the whole series. One who sits down at a table and hunkers down and plays to win. Everytime. He focuses, he plans, he strategizes, and plays every aspect of the table from stacks to position to opponent to even cards. Then there’s the other Phil Ivey who comes in just to take a shot. Like it’s a cold Wednesday at work and you go in just cause you have to.

I think this final table becomes historic not because Phil Ivey is there, but because HOW Phil Ivey will play. Stating that can only be done by assuming how he will play. So here it goes. I think Phil will take this table very slow at first, and try to grab an inclination of how others will proceed. He will test the waters with 3 and 4 bets just to see how his opponents respond. With that knowledge he will gain an even bigger edge against the table and have a real shot at overcoming such a chip deficit. That all being assumed bodes well for Phil. That’s the problem with assumptions. They are easy, and can be manipulated to further your forgone conclusions. I’m still going with it though.

Let me then assume that Phil does make it to the final 4. This is where History will be made. If Phil gets that deep, he will by far have his greatest advantage. History will be made when Phil wins or how he goes out with such a close shot of winning.  For him to get so close yet let it slip away with only 3 or 4 players left will be historical because whether his elimination comes via a huge bad beat or some hand where is he out played on, or even just a cooler, it will be remembered as the tournament that Phil lost. It will be a shame for the guy who does win it. It won’t be remembered as the WSOP that “x” won. It will be remembered as the WSOP that Phil Ivery lost. History. Harrah’s might even have to put a poster up in the Amazon room of the 2009 WSOP Champion pictures as an inset with Phil Ivey looking defeated.

Ok, maybe that’s a little silly. But truly, his presence will add a level of competition to this table which will make it truly fun to watch. That being said I will set Ivey’s money line at +$500

Antoine Saout – Seat 8 – 9,500,000 chips (M = 15.08)
Current odds from 12/1 to 20/1

There is not much information to be found on one of our two final table players born outside the United States, this was the young Frenchman’s first trip to the World Series of Poker. Thanks to our friends at The Hendon Mob we do see he had a few small cashes before making his big run at the 2009 WSOP Main Event but it was nothing huge. Following his November Nine invitation he has several other results with his biggest being a final table appearance at the 2009 WSOP Europe Main Event, repeating Ivan Demidov’s final table feat of last year along with James Akenhead.

My friends tell me Saout is a monster online grinder but he will have his work cut out for him and will need to get lucky to take down this title. Working with very few chips, he has two big stacks to his left in Jeff Shulman and Darvin Moon.

The bloggers have this to say about Antoine Saout.

From Spaceman:

Antoine Saout is one of two players at this table who has no pressure on him whatsoever. He’s essentially freerolling at this point after having won his initial $10,000 buy-in to the Main Event through a cheapie online satellite, and as the second-shortest incoming stack there’s nobody out there who’s really going to expect very much of him. Saout has also made a few deep runs in big tournaments since July, giving him a chance to enjoy the spotlight away from the Rio as a member of the November Nine. I expect him to come in feeling loose and ready to pick a spot for making a move or two in an attempt to jump up the pay ladder a bit, since he won’t lose much if he’s the first one out.

Saout should get a few opportunities to make those kinds of moves, too. He’s sandwiched between Joe Cada and Jeff Shulman at the table, and both of them are stacked enough that they can fold to Saout in pressure situations without hurting their chances too much. And two spots to his left is the chip leader, Darvin Moon, whom I would characterize as the player at the table most likely to make a bad call for two reasons (he’s an amateur and he can afford to lose a few chips). If Saout can pick up a big hand and do a good enough acting job he might just double up at Moon’s expense.

Of course, the key here is picking up a big hand. Saout isn’t going to be able to afford to get involved in a lot of pots so he’ll have to be choosy about which ones he gets involved with. That doesn’t necessarily mean big cards, as he might find a good spot or two for getting involved with a speculative hand in late position. But what it does mean is he’ll be passing more often than he gets involved, and a player who’s sitting on the outside looking in when the final table begins often stays on the outside. If he doubles through a big stack I like his odds of jumping a few spots up the pay ladder, but I still think he has to be one of the biggest underdogs at the table to win the whole thing.

Overall, I’d put Saout’s chances at about 20/1.

From Riggstad:

Saout has about the same chip stack as Ivey does. But he’s no Ivey! That is, he doesn’t posses the experience that Ivey has. He most likely doesn’t possess the gamesmanship that Ivey has. My guess is that he will sit back and wait for a hand, and when he gets it, will play it fast.

That will lead to several things. Quick double ups or flat out elimination will be his fate. I don’t know much about him at all. He could be a fantastic seasoned player that nobody knows and he may have some chops outside of what he has proven already just by getting to the final table.

Poker isn’t golf though, and just getting to a final table could have been everything from luck to skill to a combination of both. You would like to think all skill, and most likely falls within a combination of both. But let’s face it. Luck could be the leading cause here. I know players who are very very good. Ones you have never even heard of. Ones that I would personally stake in a heads up match against Tom Dwan or Patrick Antonius. Maybe Antoine is that guy. Still given the information I have, I gotta see him as one of the least to make any noise here. Which means he will most likely win it all. I’ll set his mojo at + $1200.

James Akenhead – Seat 2 – 6,800,000 (M = 10.79)
Current odds from 17/1 to 22/1

Your official 2009 WSOP November Nine shortstack is James Akenhead, the UK player who is no stranger to the poker world. Akenhead came one spot away from winning his first WSOP bracelet during last year’s series when he lost heads up to Grant Hinkle. He’s primarily known on the Euro-side of the pond crushing the UK poker tours with a group of his poker playing friends. Prior to making the final table he signed on as a member of Team Full Tilt and has already made a final table in the $1,000,000 Guarantee.

When Bluff Europe asked him if poker came naturally to him, this is what he had to say:

“No. It didn’t. But I think I’m really good at learning. When something comes into my life that I’m interested in, I’m really determined to be good at it. It was the same with pool. When I started I was a really bad player, but two years later I was number 15 in the UK.”

When PokerNews interviewed him in September, Akenhead provided just a little foreshadowing with this statement:

“I am really excited, I’m not feeling the pressure at all, as soon as I get there I will be 100% focussed (sic) and playing the best I can. I really want to do well at the WSOPE this year; I want to do what Demidov did last year, not just for the money and the confidence but also for my profile. I really can’t wait for November, it’s going to be a lot of fun.”

Akenhead did indeed go on to final table the 2009 WSOP Europe Main Event along with Antoine Saout, duplicating the WSOP and WSOPE final tables of Ivan Demidov in 2008. He was unable to go any deeper finishing in 9th but it must be a boost to his confidence and chances when the November Nine kicks off. With the smallest stack at the table, Akenhead will have to find a place to double up to give him a chance to move up the payouts or the longshot title.

Here’s what our bloggers have to say about the shortstacked James Akenhead.

From Spaceman:

If Antoine Saout has no expectations place on him, James Akenhead should be the freewheeling spirit at this final table. With an M just over 10 to begin the night (and one which will dip into single-digit territory when the level goes up a half-hour into play) he’s certainly at a disadvantage next to everybody else, and he knows that. But he also proved at the WSOP Europe Main Event final table that he can nurse a short stack for a while and still choose his spots carefully.

If Akenhead does manage to pick up chips he can be one of the more dangerous players at the table. He’s proven repeatedly that he has the chops to go deep in big no-limit hold’em events, and he only missed a WSOP bracelet two years ago through misfortune. Of course, all the points that apply to Antoine Saout above hold true for Akenhead as well – and the key among them is that he’s the shortest stack at the table. In the end, I think the short stack is just far too much for Akenhead to overcome. He’s a very talented player with a bright future ahead of him, and the Main Event title might very well lie in that future – it just won’t be from the 2009 event.

I put Akenhead’s odds of winning at 23/1.

From Riggstad:

It really is a shame that Akenhead only has 10 bb’s left. He is a player that could prove a thorn in everyone’s side. He has proven time and time again that he has the chops to dominate at this level. There’s not really too much you can predict with this guy because of such a short stack and his chance have to be huge because it will basically come down to a few lucky flips, or 2 live cards even if he is to have a chance.

I would like to rewrite this if James managed to luck his stack up to about 18million with some chip accumulation but we don’t have that luxury. Or maybe we will in this game!

Aside from that I gotta put his line at + $2500. Good money if you can get it though because if he does chip up, he’ll be dangerous and give you a huge return on your dollar!

Post from: Poker From The Rail

2009 World Series of Poker November Nine Part 3

Related posts:

1. 2009 World Series of Poker – November Nine Set
2. 2009 World Series of Poker – November Nine On The Horizon
3. 2009 World Series of Poker November Nine Part 2

The 2009 World Series of Poker Championship bracelet awaits the November Nine winner
Photo credit: flipchip at LasVegasVegas.com

The field is into double digits on the ESPN Main Event broadcasts and you start to see some of your November Nine players pull to the front. Tuesday’s show finally gave everyone a little taste of Darvin Moon’s run through the Main Event, the man couldn’t miss. Billy Kopp also starts to build a massive chip castle setting up very nicely for the Day 8 broadcast when the two go to war. Other players also spent this last episode donating chips to Phil Ivey, even when he didn’t have the goods he would flop golden. “You know I can have a hand once in awhile, right?” he told another player. November Nine players James Akenhead, Joe Cada, and Steve Begleiter began to get some exposure as the field narrowed. Still not seeing too much mention of Eric Buchman, Kevin Schaffel or Antoine Saout but those three will show up very soon. Nicole Peppe was eliminated in this latest broadcast leaving Leo Margets as the “Last Woman Standing” in the Main Event.

There are just a few episodes remaining before the final players gather themselves back at the Rio to play down to the champion. Last week I brought you Part 1 of a series attempting to gather a few friends together and handicap the November Nine for entertainment purposes. I was joined by professional writer “Spaceman” and semi-pro donk “Riggstad”, both shared their thoughts on how the top 3 chip leaders would fair. This week we move onto the middle three stacks with Jeff Shulman, Joe Cada, and Kevin Shaffel. Shulman is the polarizing player, Cada the young internet professional, Shaffel the amateur crashing on his friend’s couch in Florida. Another interesting cast of characters.  You can find the link below for Part 1 and Part 2 is after the jump.

2009 World Series of Poker November Nine Part 1
2009 World Series of Poker November Nine Part 3

2009 November Nine chip counts:

Darvin Moon – 58,930,000
Eric Buchman – 34,800,000
Steven Begleiter – 29,885,000
Jeff Shulman = 19,580,000
Joe Cada – 13,215,000
Kevin Schaffel – 12,390,000
Phil Ivey – 9,765,000
Antoine Saout – 9,500,000
James Akenhead – 6,800,000

Jeff Shulman – Seat 9 – 19,580,000 chips (M = 31.08)
Current odds from 4/1 to 11/2

Other than Phil Ivey, Jeff “Happy” Shulman is the most well known player at the final table. He is the president and editor of the CardPlayer media empire owned by his father Barry Shulman.  In the short history of the November Nine, Shulman will be the first player to with any WSOP Main Event table experience. Back in 2000 Shulman entered the final 9 with a chipstack near the top but lost several big hands to eventual winner Chris “Jesus” Ferguson. Shulman finished 7th that year for his best and biggest finish to date. All told he has 14 cashes in the World Series of Poker (I’m excluding his 3rd place finish in a Media Charity event) and this will be his 4th WSOP final table. Shulman has over $1,300,000 in career tournament earnings but has no cashes since April 2008.

In a nod towards the explosion of poker, Shulman received $146,000 for his 7th place finish in 2000. If you finished between 37th and 45th in this year’s World Series of Poker Main Event you received $178,857.

For those around the poker world, Jeff Shulman is also the player who said promised to “throw it in the garbage” if he won the Main Event bracelet. Shulman has since clarified his statement saying that he would not actually throw the bracelet away, but would find something interesting to do with it. He has an ongoing beef with how the WSOP is now run by those in charge and seems to be using his newly elevated status to bring his issues to the front. In a Washington Post chat session on October 5th he was asked about his opinion on Harrahs and the WSOP. Among his complaints I found this statement:

“They have devalued the bracelets by having too many events and adding Europe.”

In other poker news, Barry Shulman (father of Jeff) won the 2009 World Series of Poker Europe Main Event bracelet. Presented with no editorial comment whatsoever.

Jeff Shulman has also gone with the decision to hire a “coach” to prepare for the Main Event final table.  He chose none other than 11 time bracelet winner Phil Hellmuth.  It will be interesting to see what effect that will have on his game.  He will begin the day sitting 4th in chips and getting cozy with the dealer in the 9 Seat. Massive stack Darvin Moon is to his left and shortstack Antoine Saout is to his right.

Our poker prognosticators have this to say about Shulman:

From Spaceman:

Jeff Shulman has demonstrated skill in a variety of poker variants, cashing in limit hold’em, pot-limit hold’em, stud hi-lo, pot-limit Omaha, and several mixed-game events. However, he’s not exactly known for being a closer; his last win that wasn’t in a made-for-TV single table tournament came five years ago in an Ultimate Poker Challenge event that had a field of 36 players, and he only had two tournament wins prior to that one.

For the most part Shulman relies on playing a tight-aggressive game, meaning that if the cards don’t come he’s at a relative disadvantage to those at the table who are willing to come in with lesser hands. However, if the table plays too passively he’s more than capable of shifting into high gear and taking control; in the Washington Post chat he told readers that gear served him well through the first three days of this tournament. Assuming that the action slows down at some point, the two keys to whether Shulman’s top gear will work will be his position at the table and how many players remain in contention at the time.

With short stack Antoine Saout on Shulman’s direct right and the slightly better-stacked Joe Cada two spots to his right, the CardPlayer editor will probably face some pressure on his blinds as these two look to exploit their positional advantage. But he’ll also have the ability to take down valuable pots by applying more pressure against these shorter stacks out of the blinds, which signals a much stronger hand than aggression from late position. Bad timing in making a move on these two guys would mean losing some chips, but Shulman can afford a misstep or two before he finds himself in desperate straits.

On Shulman’s direct left is the chip leader, Darvin Moon. If Moon were the kind of player who could switch gears easily that would be a pretty big disadvantage for Shulman, but Moon’s amateur status means that Shulman will probably look to see a lot of flops against him in the hopes of hitting one hard and getting Moon to overcommit when he hits a slightly worse hand. All it would take to make Shulman a serious contender would be a single double-up through the chip leader. One spot further to the left is short stack James Akenhead; the Brit is definitely dangerous if he has chips, but unless he manages to catch a big hand in the early going Shulman should be able to pilfer his blinds almost at will.

Shulman himself has said in the press that he’ll be under a lot of pressure in November. As the editor of CardPlayer magazine, the son of the reigning WSOP Europe Main Event champion, the only player in this group to have previously made the Main Event final table, the student of 11-time-bracelet-winning blowhard Phil Hellmuth, and the most well-known player with a decent-sized stack at this final table, Shulman probably has more expectations placed on him than any other player at the table. Given all those factors, he could be forgiven if he were to find himself having a hard time focusing on the task at hand. But he’s decently stacked and if he manages to take a nice pot or two from the more inexperienced chip leader on his left, Shulman could have a real chance at winning. It all depends on how he handles the very real psychological pressure.

Overall, I’d put Shulman’s chances of winning at about 13/2.

From Riggstad:

Ever hear of a thing called Karma? How about Murphy’s law? What am I referring to? How about the statement Shulman made about throwing the bracelet away. Or maybe he said he wouldn’t accept it. Either way his point was made. CardPlayer didn’t exactly like its treatment by Harrahs when they were shut out of reporting the WSOP a few years back and Shulman hasn’t forgotten. His getting deep into the final table would be a huge story aside from the poker playing it will take to get there. That’s what gets me to my points. Or Jason’s points really.

Shulman has proven to be a nut peddler. That’s not saying he won’t or can’t switch it up, his training with Hellmuth will help. I’m sure the best player ever in the world will use this training not just to point out how to play NLHE final tables, but will suggest how to play against the competition that are known factors and how they will play.

Shulman certainly has an opportunity to do extremely well. His image is not unknown but it could work if he changes it up out of the gates.

Shulman also has a tone of experience and in the same way I write about Begleiter, I don’t know that anything from 9th to 2nd would mean anything to Jeff. He’s another “First or Lose” player at this table. The time between July and November is most likely more important to Shulman than any other player in terms of preparing for this final table. He has a good trainer, he has a ton of experience, he has a boatload of data to research, and he has the time. How he uses that time in preparation for the final table will give him the largest advantage of any other player. Because of that I will put him as a favorite at + $350.

Joe “jcada99″ Cada – Seat 7 – 13,215,000 chips (M = 20.98)
Current odds from 10/1 to 15/1

At first glance Joe Cada seems to be the big unknown coming into the final table. He just recently turned 21 and this year was his first at the WSOP tables. Not a bad start to his young career with 2 cashes in preliminary events. That brought his live tournament earnings up to just $28,000. But as usual when researching the young guns in the poker world, it’s necessary to dig a little deeper and peer into their online resume. That’s where things are a little more interesting with our 5th place chip stack.

Going by the online name of “jcada99″ he has built up some big online victories, pulling in over $500,000 in Full Tilt tournaments alone. His biggest score was taking down the $750,000 Guarantee in January ‘08 for nearly $150,000, then just under a year ago when he banked $49,000 for winning The Sunday Mulligan. His biggest score since the WSOP Main Event was a second place finish in the $200,000 Guarantee ($150 with rebuys) just 4 days after returning home from booking his November Nine invitation.

Cada began his live poker career by taking advantage of his geography. While the age limit to play in a U.S. casino is 21 years old, living in Michigan allowed him to cross over into Canada and try his hand at the young age of 18. He says he’s mainly a cash game player with just a few excursions into the tournament world. He was encouraged to expand his game by friend and fellow Michigan resident Dean Hamrick (last year’s unfortunate November Nine bubble boy). His odds are floating between 10/1 and 15/1 which is the first big leap after Shulman’s 4/1. If Cada can channel his online success to this final table he will supplant Peter Eastgate as the youngest Main Event winner, just a year after Eastgate took that distinction away from Phil Hellmuth.

Our poker bloggers have this to say about Joe “jcada99″ Cada’s chances:

From Spaceman:

Joe Cada shares a lot of similarities with last year’s champion, Peter Eastgate, and they go beyond the obvious age factor. Like Cada this year, Eastgate came in to last year’s final table in the middle of the pack. Also like Cada, Eastgate was an online player who had seen as many hands by the age of 21 as professionals used to see in a decade of play (though Cada has a fair bit of live experience as well). And most importantly of all, Eastgate was overlooked as a contender for the title – much like Cada this year.

I think it’s a mistake to discount Cada’s chances in this tournament. He has a solid understanding of the math behind the game, so he won’t be chasing draws at the wrong time and he’ll also be able to make advanced plays based on implied odds. And with so much online experience, this 21-year-old also has a lot of final table experience that should translate into picking his spots well. Over the course of the last day leading up to the final table Cada demonstrated a fearless approach to accumulating chips, and he also demonstrated an ability to stay cool under pressure after having his A-A cracked by Jamie Robbins’ T-T. Both of those traits should serve him well at a table where he has more experience than about half of his opponents.

On Cada’s right are two of the three biggest stacks at the table, Eric Buchman and Steven Begleiter. Having position on these two will give Cada ample opportunity to make a few moves against players who can afford to give up a pot if they sense that they’re in trouble, and if he manages to catch a break in the early going and chip up then that position will become an effective weapon.

To his left are short-stacked Frenchman Antoine Saout and our fourth-place man, Jeff Shulman. Given his experience and aggressive style, it won’t be a big surprise to see Cada lean on both of these guys pretty heavily when he’s on the button. You can also expect him to get away from trouble spots pretty easily.

The key for Cada is going to be chip accumulation. If he’s able to build his stack, especially at the expense of Buchman or Begleiter, he’s going to be a serious threat to win. But if he takes a hit early his chances will mostly depend on a little help from the deck.

All told, I’d put Cada’s chances of winning at about 9/1.

From Riggstad:

This player is very interesting to me. I also see the comparisons between Eastgate and Cada. Chip stack, experience, and so on. But this guy has shown a very mature attitude during the whole event. He kind of reminds me of a very young Barry Greenstein. That being said he has his work cut out for him.

Chip accumulation is going to be a must, and with two monster stacks on the table it could prove to be fairly easy. The determination of that is going to be how the rest of the table plays. If the big stacks come out speeding and playing very fast and hard, Cada could be in a good spot. Of course, the same could be said if the big stacks play very tentatively. That could give Cada a good chance at picking up some nice sized pre flop pots. The question becomes if he will be the only guy vying for those uncontested pots. I think Mr. Ivey might have a thing or two to say about that.

The point I am trying to make is that Cada is one of the players at the table who needs to rely on luck the least in terms of skill and mind set. Unfortunately, I think his chances of winning the whole thing rely wholly on circumstance and luck. Circumstance in that he will need things to go perfectly in any given hand. Get raised into when he’s holding the nuts, be bluffed into when holding the goods, and have action when he does have hands. Luck in the sense that when he does make a move, he either doesn’t do it against a made hand, or he catches up. OK, OK, that seems very standard for anyone to win a tournament, but I don’t see him being able to grind his way to the win. He will need a fast start to scare off the bigger stacks in the middle portions. If that happens, look out. He will be tough to beat.

I’ll set the money line on him at +600.

Kevin Schaffel – Seat 4 – 12,390,000 chips (M = 19.67)
Current odds from 12/1 to 15/1

It’s not easy to categorize Kevin Schaffel. He’s certainly not an amateur, making the decision to jump into full time poker play just a little over 18 months ago, but it’s tough to slot him anywhere. He concentrates mostly on grinding it away in the cash games at his local Florida card rooms and traveling to various big tournaments. This year is his second deep run in the WSOP Main Event, he finished 42nd in 2004 in the tournament eventually won by Greg Raymer. He only has one other WSOP cash in his career and he’s already guaranteed his biggest tournament payday with the $1.2million check already in the bank. His career total before this series was just over $100,000.

His bankroll received another boost just a little over a month after reaching the WSOP Main Event final table when he entered the WPT Legends of Poker tournament at the Bicycle Casino. Whether it was a continued heater, his boosted confidence from Vegas, or a good player rising to the top, he had another huge run. 279 players paid up $10,000 for the tournament and Schaffel outlasted all but Prahlad Friedman to book a $470,000 day for second place.

He credits patience and a little luck for his run to the November Nine. At one point early in the Main Event he found himself drawing thin after flopping a set of tens versus a flopped straight. The board paired on the river and we’ll have to wait until November to write the final chapter on his tournament. He’ll restart the final table sitting with Phil Ivey (9,765,000) on his right and Steven Begleiter (29,885,000) on his left.

From Spaceman:

I find Schaffel’s chances at this final table the hardest of all to pinpoint. His run at the Legends of Poker proved that he has some very real poker skills and that he can hang in there with more experienced players, which bodes well for him. But he also has a number of near-misses in other big tournaments on his resume, which is where the difficulty in assessing begins to come into play.

When you have a number of double-digit finishes in big tournaments it can mean a number of things; you could just be unlucky, you could make bad calls or poorly-timed moves in tough situations, or you could tighten up too much and find yourself blinded down into low-M territory. Without the benefit of having seen Schaffel play a lot it’s hard to determine which of these factors has contributed the most to his middle-of-the-road cashes. There’s no way to account for being unlucky, but if Schaffel’s inability earlier in his poker career to push through to the final table rests on either bad calls or moves or on tightening up too much then that has to drag his chances down a bit.

Whatever happens at the table, Schaffel will most likely be very deliberate about every decision he makes. That can lead to overthinking tough situations, but it should also make him difficult for his opponents to read. If he gets on the right end of a hand-over-hand situation, that deliberative nature could become a big thorn in the side of all but his most experienced opponents. I would expect Schaffel to be a bit unwilling to take full advantage of being on the button against the two big stacks on his left, Steven Begleiter and Eric Buchman. And if Phil Ivey and James Akenhead on his right decide to attack his blinds, I wouldn’t be surprised if he were to fold a wide range of hands that some others might play.

I put Schaffel’s chances in November at about 15/1.

From Riggstad:

Schaffel looks to be your standard player. That is a very good amateur who decided to take his game on the road and see how well he could do. Looks as if the guy has done some damage, but his position at the table is going to be a tough one for him. I would expect anyone watching this tournament to really not even notice him. Until something big happens. He doesn’t seem to be one for closing out finishes, and as Jason put it, who knows if that is bad luck or just poor decision making when getting deep.

I don’t know that the answer will be relevant. With his position it’s going to be difficult for him to take advantage of the deep stacks on his left. My assumptions are that Ivey, et al will steal them before he can. I don’t know if he will have it in him to play back. Unless of course he catches a rush. Then anything can happen. But all things being equal, Schaffel will have his hands full.

This may seem a bit harsh and maybe it’s a little bit of a reach but we go with what we got. Until this guy closes one out, he will be looked upon and judged by his results. Maybe, and hopefully for his friends and fans, this is the one. Anything can happen, and quite possibly he is taking the time to study his opponents and learn how he can adapt his game to overcome the obstacles set by his opponents, his position, and his stack.

I will set his line at +$1,500.

Post from: Poker From The Rail

2009 World Series of Poker November Nine Part 2

Related posts:

1. 2009 World Series of Poker – November Nine Set
2. 2009 November Nine – Cada and Moon Heads Up for Championship
3. 2009 World Series of Poker November Nine Part 1

The poker world is now gearing up to crown the 2009 World Series of Poker Champion.  Just a few short weeks from now the final 9 players left standing in the Main Event will make their way back to the Rio Hotel and Casino to play down to the bracelet winner.  Some players are well known while a few have come from nowhere with a chance at poker immortality. Over the next few days I will be joined by a few poker bloggers who will do their best to handicap the entire table from chip leader to short stack.

The odds provided are purely for entertainment sake. Unless you are in a country that allows such things, in that case feel free to use their insight to your favor. Two fellow poker bloggers have found the time to join along in my crazy attempt to enlighten, inform, and entertain. They both come from different backgrounds and shed a different light on the remaining players. Your Poker From the Rail Handicapping Team:

Spaceman – one of the original poker bloggers who has worked in the poker industry for many years.  He’s been everything from a tournament reporter to a published columnist.  From home games to side events to world championship tournaments, he’s seen more hands of poker than the average person would even consider sane.  It’s for this experience I recruited him to join along in helping us get a better feel of the players as we get set to claim a new poker champion.

Riggstad – a many faceted individual who has ties to all parts of the poker world.  His unique experience also involves witnessing players at every level of poker, from complete amateurs to some of the best players in the world.  He brings his East Coast grinder perspective to the biggest poker tournament in the world.

Each installment will feature 3 players at the final table, starting with the chip leader and moving to the short stack. I’ve listed their current odds from various sources as well as a short bio. There is plenty of information below, feel free to leave a comment if you agree or disagree.

2009 November Nine Handicapping Part 2
2009 World Series of Poker November Nine Part 3

2009 November Nine Handicapping Part 1 is after the jump.

2009 November Nine chip counts:

Darvin Moon – 58,930,000
Eric Buchman – 34,800,000
Steven Begleiter – 29,885,000
Jeff Shulman = 19,580,000
Joe Cada – 13,215,000
Kevin Schaffel – 12,390,000
Phil Ivey – 9,765,000
Antoine Saout – 9,500,000
James Akenhead – 6,800,000

Darvin Moon – Seat 1 – 58,930,000 chips (M = 93.54)
Current odds from 17/10 to 3/1

The gentleman from Maryland comes to the final table with a massive chip lead over the rest of the other 8 players. A huge chunk of them coming in the form a “gift” from Billy Kopp. The hand I am looking forward to the most during the broadcast. Moon already had the chip lead, this hand just put the word “massive” in front of it.

There were a stories going around that the trip to Vegas was his first time on a plane, that his only poker playing experience involved playing charity games at the local VFW, that he never once played online and had no desire to do that. He wasn’t going to take any sponsorship money, coaching offers, or press/promotions. Naturally some things were true and others were just stories being passed around outside the Poker Kitchen.

It seems he’s going to keep with the “no sponsor” stance but he’s already talking to the press. You have to like the brutal honesty when he tells the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette during an interview.

“I’m not all that good,” he insists in a slow drawl that just might make you let your guard down. “I’m just lucky and got the good cards. And when I got the best cards, somebody always seemed to have the cards just a little bit worse than I had, and I won big pots.”

Then again just this week to J. Freedom du Lac of the Washington Post.

“I really believe all eight of my opponents are better than I am. How can’t I believe that? They all have more experience than I do. I play three nights every two weeks at little tournaments like this (local Elks Club tournament).”

Here is what our poker handicappers have to say about Darvin Moon’s chances:

From Spaceman:

Not since Jamie Gold in 2006 has a final table chip leader come in with such a huge percentage (in this case, 30%) of the chips in play. And much like Jamie Gold, those chips have come Moon’s way thanks to an incredible run of cards; Moon will even tell you that himself. If you add on top of this the fact that Moon is an amateur who says that he’s not even the best player in the Elks Lodge tournaments he plays back home in western Maryland, it’s clear that what needs to happen for Moon to win this tournament is for him to continue to be clobbered over the head with the deck.

Luckily for Moon, it doesn’t have to be a constant clobbering; with an M near 100 as the final table begins he has more than enough room to lose a few substantial pots and still be in the hunt, especially if he were to do so in the process of doubling up one of the short stacks at the table. It’s hard to say how a run of a few bad hands might affect him in terms of emotional stability at the table, though one has to think that if the short stack he doubled were Phil Ivey he might have a little bit of fear struck into his heart.

Moon’s seat at the table is going to be a factor as well. Jeff Shulman (19,580,000) and Antoine Saout (9,500,000) are the two players on his right who he’ll be facing if he decides to give action out of his blinds; a few bad calls out of position against Shulman could quickly deplete his stack, while any urge to try and take out the Frenchman on the short stack could go badly wrong if Moon’s read of Saout’s strength is off at all. Meanwhile, Saout’s fellow short stacks James Akenhead and Phil Ivey are to his direct left, giving them the opportunity to exert some serious pressure on Moon if he decides to get frisky in position. Given that chips usually flow to the left in a typical poker game, one or two serious missteps might be all it would take to sink Moon’s chances of winning.

Moon does have one big advantage: he’s a true amateur who’s gone back to his day job during the break from July to November, refusing sponsorship and coaching offers. If anyone at the table is going to have a clear mind and a lack of outside pressure on him, it’s Moon.

All told, I’d place Darvin Moon’s chances at about 9/2.

From Riggstad:

When I looked at this final table, it was hard to avoid looking at the “names” and researching who was who in poker and what their accomplishments were to date. When asked by the casual fan, “Are there any pros at the table?”, the first answer given was of course, Phil Ivey. I am usually stopped right there, and asked “who holds the chip lead?”. This brings us to Darvin Moon. In his own words, he was crushing the deck during the whole tournament. As it reads above, he was on a super rush. Getting monster hands that not only held up against his opponents, but at times where his opponents actually had the right to go in against him. One could say that he was just unbeatable. The question becomes, will the time off steal his “Mojo”? As much as his run to the final table was due in part to this “rush”, it still needs to be said that at some point, he actually played some serious poker. No one gets through a gabillion people by luck sacking the whole way through.

Again, as my counterpart pointed out, Darvin has the distinct advantage of not having any pressure on him to perform. Being the Elks Club player he is, no one is going to be disappointed by him going out early. Squandering his chip lead will bring the head shakers to the surface, but it’s not like he has industry expectations like an Ivey or Shulman might have. Given that distinct advantage, he will be hard to bluff. The bottom line is, if he has a hand, he’s most likely going to play it. Second nuts, or not. Of course this could be a benefit to other players if they get hot, and eat away at his stack quickly. The fact that he has 30% of the chips on the table, and my assumption that he will continue to play his standard game and not be able to get pushed around will give Darvin the best, or worst chance at winning this tournament. His competition though are adept and finding soft spots and exploiting edges. I just think he will be outmatched. Because of that assumption, I will set the chip leader as an underdog and place the money line for Darvin at +350.

Eric Buchman – Seat 6 – 34,800,000 chips (M = 55.24)
Currents odds from 3/1 to 9/2

Buchman is an East Coast poker player who already had a taste of glory earlier in the 2009 World Series of Poker. He made the final table of the Omaha and Stud Hi/Lo tournament, finishing 6th place in the tournament which would see Phil Ivey win his second bracelet of the series. His second career final table was stacked besides Ivey, with Carlos Mortensen (3rd), Dutch Boyd (4th), and Jon “Pearljammer” Turner (5th). With over $1,000,000 already in his pocket for his November Nine appearance, this will more than double his career tournament earnings.

Buchman spends most of his time playing cash games on the East Coast, only occasionally making his way west to the poker rooms of Las Vegas. This is his 10th cash in a WSOP event and his 3rd career WSOP final table, his best finish was 2nd in 2006 Event #4. His resume shows an impressive mix in his earnings, Stud and Omaha variations as well as both Limit and No Limit Hold’em scores. As far as how he got to this point in the 2009 World Series of Poker Main Event, he told the world via an ESPN Chat session that he was all-in and behind several times:

“There were three times when I was all in and behind and managed to suck out and win those three hands. There were probably another handful of times where I was all in and ahead and my hand held up.”

Buchman will resume play sitting with a second place chip stack with 3rd place Steven Begleiter to his right and Joe Cada to his left.

Here is what our poker handicappers have to say about Eric Buchman’s chances:

From Spaceman:

Buchman is one of the more accomplished players in this field, having already racked up nearly $1 million in tournament winnings before making the November Nine. His top finishes on a tournament resume that stretches back to 2002 include a win in the 2004 New England Poker Classic at Foxwoods (worth $275,400), a runner-up finish in a 2006 WSOP limit hold’em event ($174,938), and another runner-up finish in a 2007 WSOP Circuit main event in Atlantic City ($208,666). He has two previous WSOP final tables to his credit and has also made deep runs in four big WPT main events, finishing between 40th and 22nd place in each of them.

Obviously Buchman has proven himself to be a dangerous hold’em player whether the game is limit or no-limit, but he also has significant cashes in Omaha Hi/Lo, Stud Hi/Lo, and O8/Stud-8 split events at the WSOP. That displays the kind of overall poker skill that leads to championships. In addition, his proficiency at limit hold’em in particular means he has the same skill set that has made limit hold’em champs like Daniel Negreanu and Erick Lindgren so successful in these big no-limit tournaments.

When it comes to position at the table, Buchman’s situation is somewhat similar to Moon’s. He has two short stacks, Joe Cada (13,215,000) and Antoine Saout (9,500,000), directly to his left, meaning they’ll have plenty of opportunity to exert pressure on any late-position moves that he decides to make. However, Buchman’s skill should make him a little less vulnerable than Moon to making missteps in reading whether such moves are legitimate. On Buchman’s right will be two players who have been running pretty hot since the table broke in July, Steven Begleiter (29,885,000) and Kevin Schaffel (12,390,000). Given his experience and skill advantage, I’d think he would be looking for chances to see cheap flops against both of these guys with speculative hands that could lead to big pots, especially in blind-vs.-blind confrontations with the similarly deep-stacked Begleiter; in fact, I think that run-ins between these two could make for some of the most interesting hands at the final table.

Simply put, Buchman is going to be a major obstacle for anyone who thinks they can run through him. He won’t be easily trapped, and on the flip side he’ll be more than capable of setting his own traps. And much like the most celebrated player at the table, Phil Ivey, Buchman is capable of shifting gears and adjusting his playing style to the situation he faces at any given time. Couple that with a big stack and you’ve got a man who’s primed to win this tournament.

Overall, I’d put Buchman’s chances at about 4/1.

From Riggstad:

Do some research on Buchman and what you will find reading between the lines is that he is a player of exceptional skill and experience. Eric has 5 final tables in his poker repertoire, as far back as 2002 which proves that he has plenty of final table experience. Winning once and coming in second twice means he knows how to close as well. All signs point to him as being a very large threat to everyone at the table. That and his chip stack, second to only Darvin, should be very worrisome to all others at the table. Buchman has a lot of experience and success in all forms of poker, which points to his abilities to exploit others, overcome beats, and generally be comfortable against any and all opponents during his push to obtain the most coveted bracelet in all of poker.

Now, all of the above points to excellent things for Eric and his chances for taking this whole thing down. What hasn’t been considered is how that experience will hurt his chances. That is to say, how much experience do the others at the table have playing with him? How much do the others know about his tendencies and how will they be able to exploit them? Sitting between x and y is all good for experienced players knowing when to squeeze, bluff, and 4 bet light, but the best players in the world also know their opponents. The largest consideration will be Eric’s mindset. Sure, he has a ton of experience and success, all dating back to 2002. That’s 7 years however of recorded playing time with a million in wins. One could ask “That’s all?”. I would (will) assume that this man is probably really wanting this tournament in the worst way. We’ve all played tournaments (whether its a casino daily, a home game, or a World Championship event) in a mindset where we convince ourselves we have to win. How does that effect your game? Well, with what’s at stake for Buchman, I’m guessing he’s going to have to overcome some personal mental demons. I would expect him to start out fast and furious. One bad beat however, could send him in to a very depressive state that will effect his game for the worse. Or maybe it won’t. All things considered I will make him a favorite and place his money line at +300.

Steven Begleiter – Seat 5 – 29,885,000 chips (M = 47.44)
Current odds from 4/1 to 6/1

Steven Begleiter won his way into the 2009 World series of Poker Main Event in nearly the same fashion as our chip leader Darvin Moon. Begleiter earned the $10,000 entry fee by winning a local poker league tournament, that is where the comparisons end. While our chip leader is an unknown from the panhandle of Maryland, Begleiter spent nearly 25 years as a top investment bank executive. He led the corporate strategy team at Bear Stearns before the 75 year old company collapsed under the weight of “excessive leverage and large bets on subprime mortgage bonds”.

During his ESPN Chat session, he was asked “How is finance and poker similar?”

“Well, they are similar in that you have to make decisions on partial yet incomplete data. Sometimes the situations call for mathematical analysis and sometimes they call for gut feel, and sometimes a mix. In poker, you get feedback and results instantaneously while in business sometimes it takes years to find out.”

Before this run at the Main Event, Steven Begleiter was not sporting much of a poker resume but that will change no matter his finish at the final table. Begleiter recently signed on as a member of Team Full Tilt and will start third in chips with the always dangerous Phil Ivey to his right. His thoughts on that:

“There are very few players in the world who would say they want Phil Ivey on their left, despite how many chips he has and I am not one of them. Having said that, Eric Buchman is a very accomplished player. I expect great difficulty in dealing with his large stack on my left.”

Another East Coast grinder as a member of the November Nine, here is what our poker handicappers have to say about Steven Begleiter’s chances:\

From Spaceman:

Steven Begleiter might not be a professional poker player, but he has been playing the game all his life. He made his way to the Main Event through a home poker league with a lineup of other intelligent, enthusiastic amateur poker players, which speaks well of his abilities at the table. His professional background in the world of finance – he was the head of corporate strategy at Bear Stearns – also gives him a solid insight into the calculation of risk that translates well into a game that’s all about risk. Of all the amateur players at the table, I’d expect Begleiter to make the fewest mistakes when it comes to chasing draws and making big calls, but at the end of the day he is still an amateur.

Begleiter has mostly been working his day job during his time off from the Main Event, but he managed to squeeze in enough poker time to finish in 9th place at the Legends of Poker main event in Los Angeles this August. That’s his only other career cash outside of the big one that we’re looking at right now, but it’s evidence that he’s been thinking very clearly at the poker table since this summer. However, he has entered a few other events in the meantime without any cashes, so it’s difficult to know whether that mindset will carry over once the bright lights and cameras turn on at the Rio in November.

On Begleiter’s direct left at the final table will be Eric Buchman (34,800,000) and Joe Cada (13,215,000). Given that they’re all stacked enough to see some flops I would expect that Begleiter would be eager to exert some pressure on the button, and as I mentioned above I think that the blind-vs.-blind confrontations between him and Buchman could make for some of the most interesting hands at the table. Should that be the case, the outcome of those hands will go a long way toward determining Begleiter’s chances in this event. And since Buchman has the bigger stack of the two of them, an early loss for Begleiter would knock him back down the ranks and put him in jeopardy of exiting the tournament much lower than his starting stack would seem to indicate.

On Begleiter’s right, meanwhile, are Kevin Schaffel (12,390,000) and Phil Ivey (9,765,000). Schaffel finished in second place in that same Legends of Poker tournament, so he and Begleiter have seen a bit of each other at the tables, but on balance Begleiter’s position ought to give him the best of their confrontations. When it comes to Ivey, though, Begleiter will have to be wary of making any ill-timed moves, as doubling Ivey up would make him a contender again and the last thing anybody wants is the world’s most dangerous player holding a big stack on the button when they’re in the big blind.

Overall, I would place Begleiter’s chances at about 6/1.

From Riggstad:

Begleiter to me could be the most dangerous player in the field. What’s that you ask? “An amateur being the biggest threat?” Am I crazy, or stupid? Well let’s consider this guy for a minute. One, he has the third largest chip stack at the table. Secondly he has made a living underwriting risk as the head of corporate strategy at Bear Stearns, which tells me that he is a very analytical, thinking player. OK, big assumption, but when you don’t have much else to go on, you look to personal accomplishments. I’m sure Head of Corporate Strategy at a fortune 100 bank didn’t only pay 120k a year and have a pre requisite of a bachelors degree in economics. Given his life accomplishments to date, and what he has achieved so far in his poker playing life (final table of the 2009 WSOP), I’m going to assume that among all the players at the table, he most likely has the biggest desire to win coupled with the thought that anything else doesn’t really matter. My point is, I believe that Steve will play this as a win or lose proposition. With no pressure on him at all, he’s likely to take the most aggressive line given the field and what’s at stake. Sure, I said Moon has zero pressure as well, but he is going to want to move up the money ladder. The more money he wins the happier he is going to be. I don’t think Begleiter will be happier if he places third instead of 9th. There is no 9th through 2nd place for Begleiter.

Given that assumption, he will be most likely to play the hardest. His risk assessment will be based wholly on the complete outcome of the event, not any individual hand. His ability to play, the lack of experience others at the table have of him, and his chip stack tell me he should be a favorite. But with everything I have written above, he is still in unknown territory. Given a 90,000 foot view, my assumption that he will play hard and fast might get him into trouble, and lead to an early exit. November will tell. My line on this player will fall purely on details I don’t have. The old adage, “The devil is in the details” holds true for setting the line on this guy. Given normal probable outcomes I think, if my assumptions are right, that Steve is a favorite. I will set his line at +600.

Post from: Poker From The Rail

2009 World Series of Poker November Nine Part 1

Related posts:

1. 2009 World Series of Poker – November Nine Set
2. 2009 World Series of Poker November Nine Part 2
3. 2009 World Series of Poker November Nine Part 3

Blogger “Tuscaloosa” Johnny brings us a guest post and asks the question of whether the WSOP should go back to even more old school events.  I first started looking at some of the old events in the middle of the series this year after doing some research of Full Tilt pro Berry Johnston.  He won his first bracelet in an event called “Match Play” which held no meaning for me.  I asked around to some of the historians and was unable to get a absolute answer to what the format for “match play” would be.  The most popular answer were either an early form of Heads Up tournaments or a Shootout Tournament.  Still waiting on the final answer.

The odds are very long we’ll see a “Match Play” event but “Tuscaloosa” Johnny brings up some games from the past and the chances we’ll ever see it again.

Enjoy.

Should the WSOP go old school?
By Johnny Kampis

Five-Card Stud or Mixed Doubles, anyone? The history of the World Series of Poker is littered with bygone events – some games that are practically prehistoric by current standards.

Let’s look at some of the events the Series used to have that haven’t been played either recently or in a long time and my own personal odds that tournament organizers would ever bring them back.

Five-Card Stud – The most famous 5-Stud game wasn’t at the WSOP, it was in a New Orleans card room when Edward G. Robinson pulled a miracle straight flush to beat Steve McQueen’s full house in the movie “The Cincinnati Kid.” It’s hard to imagine now, but 5-Stud was once the most popular card game. In fact, in 1972 it was the only event at the WSOP other than the championship No-Limit Hold’em tournament. Bill Boyd was the victor in the inaugural 5-Stud tournament 1972 for $20,000, in the year that “Amarillo Slim” Preston won the main event. 5-Stud was also played in 1973 and 1974 – and won by Boyd each year – before being buried in the WSOP graveyard.

The problem with 5-Stud is that the game isn’t action inducing. Each player receives two cards initially, one face up and one face down. After that, the mystery is pretty well over. From that point forward, each player receives their three remaining cards face up after each round of betting. Since there’s no draw and only five total cards, a high card often wins the pot. Once a player has an exposed pair, they’ve usually got the hand locked up and the other players fold. (Try it online sometime. You’ll see.)

The skinny: Unless Jeffrey Pollack and the players’ advisory council are feeling very nostalgic, 5-Stud will not be dug up from the graveyard. There’s a reason it’s been buried there for more than 30 years. Odds of return: 1,000 to 1

Women’s Seven-Card Stud – The ladies only event was first played in 1977 and the first champion was Jackie McDaniels. The event continued until 2000 when the format was changed to No-Limit Hold’em. That ladies event continues today.

The skinny: NLHE is the game of choice in the present age and since tournament organizers are unlikely to have two women-only events, it’s highly unlikely to see this tournament return. Odds of return: 200 to 1

Five-Card Draw – This is how we all learned to play poker, fighting over pennies at the kitchen table. It’s also the game that Old West cowboys are seen wrangling over in just about every movie or TV show on the period. Draw high was played at Binion’s Horseshoe in 1978 and 1979, and won by a fellow called Lakewood Louie both years. The game continued to be played through 1982, after which it was also tossed from the schedule.

Draw has the opposite problem of 5-Stud in that nearly everything is a mystery. Other than physical tells and the number of cards drawn, there is very little information to go on to determine another player’s hand. The lowball versions of draw are still popular, but back in the 1980s, flop and stud games became more popular versions of high poker.

The skinny: Five-Card Draw is still a popular home game and it has seen a resurgence on online poker sites. While you don’t see it played in casinos these days, it wouldn’t be out of the question to see it re-introduced to the WSOP, at least as a novelty for one year. Odds of return: 20 to 1

Mixed Doubles – Think tennis. One man, one woman, playing as a team. At the WSOP, one player would play 7-Stud for a level and then the other partner would play limit Hold’em. Doyle Brunson won one of his bracelets this way, playing with Starla Brodie in 1979 and winning $4,500 in the process. The game was played through 1983 and then discontinued.

The skinny: With the growth of poker and an increased focus on women in poker, it wouldn’t be surprising to see mixed doubles, or some similar tag team tournament re-introduced into the fray. After all, 2009 saw the first Dream Team Poker event added to the schedule. Odds of return: 12 to 1

Chinese Poker – It was first played in 1995 and John Tsagaris won the title and $41,400. Steve Zolotow won the second Chinese Poker event that year for $112,500. It was played twice more in 1996 and then never seen again.

For the uninitiated, the game is played four handed, with each player receiving 13 cards each. Players must divide their cards into three poker hands – two containing five cards each and one with three cards. Multiple players can win points or chips on any given hand if their hands are better than some of the other players at the table.

The skinny: Chinese Poker was a very popular high-stakes cash game at recent editions of the WSOP and seems to be growing in popularity in general. I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see it re-introduced into the Series schedule sometime in the next decade. Odds of return: 2 to 1

Ace-to-Five Draw – Otherwise known as Lowball, Ace-to-Five has been a popular event through the history of the WSOP. It was played from 1976 to 1996, but then gave way to Deuce-to-Seven Draw for a few years. Ace-to-Five came back from 2000 to 2004, but hasn’t been on the schedule the last few years.

The game is usually played single draw, but is also often played with three draws. The object of the game is to make the lowest hand possible. Since straights don’t count against you, the lowest hand is a wheel, or A-2-3-4-5. (Deuce-to-Seven is similar, but aces and straights count against you, so the lowest hand is 2-3-4-5-7.)

The skinny: Although Deuce-to-Seven has been the lowball game of choice the last few years, Ace-to-Five remains popular and will likely return to the WSOP at some point. Odds of return: 2 to 5

Post from: Poker From The Rail

World Series of Poker – Should it go old school?

Related posts:

1. 2009 World Series of Poker preview – Stu Ungar profile
2. $@&! Slow Rollers

It may sound like sacrilege to suggest stepping outside the big poker series in the world but you can find some good value in other poker tournaments around town.  Sure you are sacrificing a boat load of big field action and the prestige but you might find some other things to your liking during your down times.  I personally plan to play in a Limit Omaha/8 tournament at Binion’s on my one day off from the series, assuming my dedicated readers will allow that indulgence.

Tuscaloosa John’s next post will highlight the other tournament series going on at the time and give you the pros/cons.

Comparing the summer Vegas tournaments
By Tuscaloosa Johnny Kampis

What is great for us poker players is there has been a sort of arms race in Vegas the last few summers as competing casinos have begun starting their own events, and then as that competition grows they each try to outdo each other with better structures and higher starting stacks. Each summer you get more play for your money. The triple starting stacks at the World Series of Poker this year is a direct result of all of this competition. Just a few years ago you only got 1,500 chips in $1,500 events – now it’s 4,500.

If you are planning your first Vegas trip, or even if you are not, you should keep in mind that there are plenty of other tournament options in Vegas this summer. Let’s discuss the pros and cons of each of these events as you consider making the trek away from the Rio through the desert to other poker nirvanas. (I am omitting the annual Orleans Open because it was held early this year and will be completed by the time the WSOP rolls around.)

Bellagio Cup

Pros – Great structures are the norms at all Bellagio events and this one is no different. The Cup is held in the Fontana Lounge with a great view of the famous fountains. Most events are held as the WSOP winds down (this year from July 1-July 16) so players who bust out of the main event can used this as a de facto second chance tournament.

Cons – This isn’t for the weak of bankroll as events start at $1,500 and go up to the $15,000 buy-in main event. The fields here are usually among the toughest in town as the Bellagio is a normal World Poker Tour stop.

Binion’s Poker Open

Pros – This event pretty much runs concurrently with the WSOP and for the most part mirrors the WSOP with 10 percent of the buy-in. For example, what is a $1,500 NLHE event at the WSOP might be $150 buy-in here. The premise when this event was started in 2007 was that players could win money in events here and then take it the next day and play the same type WSOP event. So, in essence, the events are affordable, and could be considered as a sort of satellite. Playing here conjures up ghosts of past World Series of Poker events as you will be playing in the same room in which the WSOP was held for more than two decades. The BPO has a nice mix of events like the WSOP and is even holding a Crazy Pineapple tournament this year.

Cons – It’s downtown, making it out of the way for most poker players in town, especially those staying at the Rio. The structures here aren’t as good as in most of the other events in town.

Caesars Mega Stack Series

Pros – This event is making its return in 2009 after an inaugural foray into the tournament mix last summer. It has some of the best structures in town and is held in the Caesars poker room’s separate tournament area, which is quite spacious. Buy-ins are in the affordable $330, $540 and $1,060 range. The casino is conveniently located at the corner of The Strip and Flamingo Boulevard, making it an easy place in which to access.

Cons – $10,000 is taken out of each prize pool to give the winner a WSOP main event seat, which is going to make final table chops tricky. This could also make it difficult for players who weren’t planning on being in town for the main event who win an event here. The events are nothing but NLHE (granted, this could be a pro in the eyes of some).

Deep Stack Extravaganza

Pros – Like Binion’s event, this one runs concurrent with the WSOP (May 28-July 16 to be exact). The structures here are probably the best in town as it’s not called the Deep Stack for nothing. The Venetian poker room is among the most spacious and comfortable of its kind in Vegas. Events are mostly budget conscious with buy-ins of $330 and $550, but also consider the more affluent players with $1,070 and $2,100 buy-ins and a $5,000 main event to cap the series. Lots of satellites are available to win the ever cool octagonal lammers. The Venetian is located mid-Strip, also making it easy to access.

Cons – Like the Caesars series there is little variety here. The DSE will hold one event each of HORSE, O8 and PLO. Otherwise, it’s all NLHE all the time.

The Grand Poker Series

Pros – The variety here is the strongest of all the summer series with a HORSE here and an O8 there. The Golden Nugget is definitely the place to go for variety. Buy-ins are all in the $225 to $330 range except for the $1,080 main event. The Grand convention room is among the most spacious tournament venues and is quite comfortable. The Nugget will also run several daily NLHE tournaments called “bankroll builders.” Howard and Suzie Lederer are hosting an open charity event on July 1 that will feature a number of pros and celebrities.

Cons – The GN is also downtown, making it a more difficult trip than the Strip properties (although a cab is never far away).

World Series of Poker

Pros – Obviously, this is the big one. This is the horse that drives the poker machine in Vegas in the summer. With a great variety of events and buy-ins and no shortage of satellites, the WSOP provides numerous options for players. Cash games are abundant and full of little fishies. If you are a novice or pro wannabe this is the place you are going to be star struck watching your poker heroes in action.

Cons – The Rio is a labyrinth. If you get lost we will send out a search party. Most of the food is overpriced and WSOP comps in cash games are non-existent. The fields here are huge, so winning an event is very, very difficult, but if you do.

Post from: Poker From The Rail

2009 World Series of Poker preview – Summer Vegas Tournaments

Related posts:

1. 2009 World Series of Poker preview – Las Vegas cash games
2. 2009 World Series of Poker preview – Planning Your Vegas Trip
3. 2009 World Series of Poker preview – ESPN Broadcast Schedule

Stu Ungar is an iconic figure in the poker world, unfortunately known for his destructive life-style as much as his brilliance at the poker table. There was no disputing he was one of the best poker players but his demons eventually won the battle and the poker world lost a champion. A compelling story with an unfortunate ending.

There have been several movies made of his story as well as the top Stu Ungar biography One of a King by Nolan Dalla and Peter Alson. People are still drawn to his story over a decade after his death. “Tuscaloosa” Johnny brings us his profile of Stuey “The Kid” Ungar.

World Series of Poker: Stu Ungar
By Tuscaloosa Johnny Kampis

What hasn’t been said about the prodigious talents of the great card shark Stu Ungar?

The skinny kid from Brooklyn was such a good gin player that by the time he was 22 he could scarcely find a game. He took up poker and immediately found success in the biggest games in Las Vegas. At age 26, he entered Binion’s Horseshoe for his first WSOP as the decade of bell bottoms and eight-tracks was ending.

Ungar’s success in poker is highly intertwined with the World Series of Poker, largely because it was one of the few – and certainly the biggest – games in town in the 1980s and early 1990s when Ungar shot to fame on the felt.

He made an immediate splash in the 1980 WSOP, with a second place finish in the $5,000 Seven-Card Stud event.

Ungar, a non-imposing five four inches and maybe a hundred pounds, hung around the leaderboard as the main event field dwindled that year. Doyle Brunson certainly took notice.

“He does things naturally and they come off for him. It’s almost as if he is playing by natural instincts – jungle instincts. Yes, he’s like a young jungle animal when you think you have him cornered. He has the natural instincts for the right move and he seems to come up with the right move – instinctively,” Texas Dolly said of the player the rest were calling “The Kid.”

Ungar put it more succinctly. “At this level you can’t worry about losing. There is a lot of instinct. Sometimes when I make a play I don’t know why I do it.”

The final handful of players included a who’s who list of Brunson, Johnny Moss, Jay Heimowitz and Gabe Kaplan. Finally, after Brunson knocked out Heimowitz, it was the veteran Texan and the new kid from Brooklyn for the title. For the first time in the tournament’s history, Jack Binion loaded cardboard boxes full of $500,000 that would go to the top two finishers and dumped the money onto the table. This playing up to the TV cameras by Binion became an instant hit and has been a tradition ever since.

Heads-up play began with Ungar and Brunson nearly even in chips. Ungar figured it was to his advantage to play fast against his wily opponent. “I wanted to make it a shoot-out. I knew he would outplay me the longer it lasted, for, make not mistake about it, Doyle Brunson is the number one hold’em player in the world today. As far as I was concerned, someone was going to go broke quickly, and by forcing him and carrying the play to him, I hoped it would not be me,” Ungar said.

It didn’t take long – about 15 minutes, in fact. Brunson raised to 10,000 before the flop with A-7 and Ungar called with 5-4. After a flop of A-7-2, Brunson bet a tiny 10,000 and Ungar called, praying for his gutshot to come in. It did when a three fell on the turn and Ungar led out for 30,000. Brunson responded by pushing all-in and Ungar called immediately. A harmless deuce fell on the river and Ungar was the 1980 world champion and $365,000 richer.

He followed that with an even better Series in 1981. He won the $10,000 Deuce-to-Seven Triple Draw Lowball event, often considered one of the toughest pro heavy fields in the WSOP, and felt confident heading into the main event. The first day was not kind to him, however, as his initial stack of 10,000 dropped to 2,000 at one point in the opener. He bounced back on Day 2, at one point climbing from 35,000 to 340,000 during a hot three-hour stretch as the field narrowed toward the final table.

Ungar won a key pot against Heimowitz when his jacks bested the fellow New Yorker’s queens after a flop of K-J-T, and Heimowitz was eliminated when he could not improve by the river.

Then he won the hand that would set him up for back-to-back titles. Ungar raised to 10,000 preflop with K-K and Perry Green called with A-Q. The flop came ace high and Green opened for 60,000. Ungar pondered for awhile before making the call and was rewarded with a king on the turn to double up. He took a slight chip lead into three-handed play, and after Green soon busted Gene Fisher the two Jews were set to play heads-up for the title.

Johnny Moss liked Ungar’s chances for a repeat, saying, “I reckon Stuey’s got it made. He may not look like no Buffalo Bill, but he’s one tough poker player. That boy’s got alligator blood in his veins.”

Ungar took control of the match after a flop of Jd-9c-8c. He got all-in against Green with Ac-Jc against Tc-2c, holding top pair-top kicker and a superior flush draw. Green missed his straight draw and Ungar was ahead 600,000 to 150,000.

“It’s all over,” Jack Strauss said. “The kid’s gonna eat him up like a boarding house pie.”

On the final hand, Ungar held Ah-Qh and called an all-in bet from Green, holding Tc-9d, on a flop of 8h-7d-4h. Again, Green missed his outs and Ungar was the world champion a second time, winning $375,000.

When asked what he was going to do with the money by the television announcer there for the coverage, Ungar replied, “Lose it.”

The rest of the decade was not nearly as successful for “The Kid.” Ungar did win the $5,000 Seven-Card Stud event in 1983, but other than a handful of final tables did not see success again until his last great hurrah in 1997. Supposedly broke at the time, the only reason Ungar got into the main event was because fellow pro Billy Baxter staked him.

Ungar was one of 170 players to survive into Day 2 and was rewarded with a tough table that included former champions Bobby Baldwin, Brunson, Phil Hellmuth and Berry Johnston. Ungar survived this tough field, making tough calls against the aggressive Hellmuth and found himself at the final table yet again – this time under the canopy of the Fremont Street Experience in the first, and only, main event final table played outdoors.

Ungar began this final table with more than 1 million in tournament chips, or more than double the stack possessed by any other player, and he pushed his edge by playing super aggressive poker to put maximum pressure on his opponents. In the end, Ungar found himself heads-up with John Strzemp and holding a 2.5 million to 600,000 chip lead.

On the sixth hand of heads-up play Ungar raised preflop with A-4 and Strzemp called with A-8. After a flop of A-5-3, Strzemp bet 120,000 and Ungar raised to 800,000, enough to put his foe all-in. Strzemp called and waited on his fate. The turn was another three, meaning Ungar could not win with two pair, but the river was a two to give him the straight and his third main event title, making him the only poker player to have ever achieved this feat.

“There’s nobody that can beat me playing cards,” Ungar told Gabe Kaplan, who covered the event for ESPN. “The only one that ever beat me was myself, my bad habits. But when I get to playing like I was, on stroke, this tournament, I really believe that no one can play with me on a daily basis.”

It’s been said that Ungar went from broke to millionaire and back again several times in his life As soon as he earned money at the poker tables he gambled it away in other games, like sports and horse betting, or used it to fund his unfortunate cocaine habit.

As the 1998 WSOP rolled around, Ungar was again broke and Baxter planned to stake him again. Ungar departed the casino just before the main event was to begin, claiming he was too tired to play. Months later he checked into the Oasis Motel in Las Vegas and was found dead two days later, and authorities believed drugs had shut down his weakened heart.

It has been reported that over his career Ungar won 10 of 32 events he played with a buy-in of $5,000 or greater. His WSOP resume is one of the best ever, with the three main event wins, five bracelets, nine final tables and 15 cashes – accomplished in five different poker disciplines and spread over nearly three decades of play. His total WSOP winnings were more than $2 million.

Post from: Poker From The Rail

2009 World Series of Poker preview – Stu Ungar profile

Related posts:

1. 2009 World Series of Poker preview – Gavin Smith profile
2. 2009 World Series of Poker – Chris Bonita Player Profile
3. 2009 World Series of Poker preview – Summer Vegas Tournaments

Continuing with out 2009 World Series of Poker preview, we move outside the Rio and start planning your trip to Las Vegas. You’ve already won your way into your tournament of choice or decided which game to play, you read our Rio preview telling you what to expect. But what about getting there and where to stay?

“Tuscaloosa” Johnny has your answers. He’s here to give you advice on getting there, where to stay and how to get around town while your are there.  Some great information and worth bookmarking for use at any time.

Planning your summer Vegas trip
by “Tuscaloosa” Johnny Kampis

Whether you are a Vegas virgin considering your first trip to Sin City or a grizzled WSOP veteran preparing for yet another six to seven-week slough at the Rio you should find some useful information in my guide to planning your trip to Vegas and the WSOP.

Below are some helpful hints that I hope will enable you to save time and/or money as you make your Vegas planning for June and July. This is the best year since I’ve been regularly traveling in the summer for the WSOP for vacation discounts in Vegas.

Keep checking back here at Full Tilt’s Poker from the Rail in the coming weeks in the run-up to the granddaddy of poker tournaments as I bring you a series of articles highlighting the ins and outs of summer in Vegas, from WSOP orientation, to the must see sights, and the other tournaments in town you may want to consider during your stay.

Flights

Step one is deciding on how to get there. For most of us that means airlines. Reports are that average airfares are down 10 to 20 percent from last summer, thanks to the slumping economy and dropping gas prices. A quick look through the various online travel sites proves that theory out as many cross country flights can be had on many summer days for as low as $200-$250 round trip to Vegas.

There are ways to save even more on airfare. First, go to Southwest.com and download its Ding program. This will allow you to view Southwest’s daily specials for the departure cities of your choosing. For example, from my home airport of Birmingham, Southwest’s roundtrip fares to Vegas generally run $250-$300 with fees included, but occasionally on Ding those same fares drop to around $200 for the same flights.

The other recommendation I have is to bookmark the site AirfareWatchdog.com. You can search a city and find some really good daily or weekly deals that pop up from time to time, or view the top 50 cheap fares on any given day. Sign up with your email and get daily alerts from the site. In recent months, users got wind of a ridiculous $14 fare on Jet Blue from New York to San Francisco so this site could be well worth your time.

Rooms

Never have I seen room rates in Vegas this cheap. It truly is a bonanza on lodging there this summer as rates are down 30 percent or more at many properties. I found a ridiculous deal through Orbitz in which I paid less than $300 to stay on three and four-star Harrah’s owned mid-Strip properties for 11 nights in June and July.

Here is that deal: You can use the promo code 4ODWR75 to get $75 off a four-night weekday stay (Sunday through Thursday or Monday through Friday). This is some collaboration between Orbitz and Office Depot. In addition, on Orbitz there is a separate promotion at Harrah’s properties that allows you to receive a fourth night free with a three-night stay. I booked the Flamingo June 22-June 26 for $57 and Bally’s June 29-July 3 for $88 using the combined promotions. I sandwiched the Imperial Palace in between with no weekend discount for $152 for three nights. Total: $297.

Deals like this can be found by scouring popular travel discussion forums. I found this deal while looking at the popular 2 + 2 poker forums. (The poster had used the Office Depot promo to book the El Cortez for $12 for four nights.) Try these sites to find deals that may pop up over the next couple of months: LasVegasAdvisor.com, CheapoVegas.com, FatWallet.com and SlickDeals.net.

Another thing to consider before booking your room is the hotel’s location and your transportation situation. If you plan to rent a car then location within a few miles of Rio and the Strip is fine. If you plan to taxi it, then staying any farther than mid-Strip can be cost prohibitive. If you stay at the Rio you are obviously set for travel to the WSOP. The same is true for the Gold Coast, which is next door, and the Palms, which is about a quarter mile west of the Rio on Flamingo.

Cheaper rates for rooms can be found Downtown, but other than the Golden Nugget most properties are of the two-star variety. Also, aside from the Nugget and Binion’s (both of which are running nice summer poker tournament series – more about that in a future article), there are no other good poker rooms Downtown so you will often be traveling to the Rio or the Strip for the juicy poker action. If you rent a car this isn’t much of an issue, but is a major consideration if you are not.

Transportation

You have several options for getting around: taxis, rental cars, buses and hoofing it (NOT recommended, unless in moderation). Let’s look at each in turn.

If you come into town with a fat roll then you can probably afford cabs around town. From much of the Strip to the Rio will cost you around $10-$12 one way. From Downtown to the Rio is about $15-$20. If you plan a lengthy stay the fares will certainly add up.

Alternatively, you can rent a car. Rates are rather reasonable in Las Vegas, as an economy car will only set you back about $25-$30 a day, and having a car will give you a ton of freedom in exploring all parts of the city and beyond. I highly recommend this option.

A third choice is taking the city buses. Fares on the Deuce, the double decker buses that run up and down the Strip and to Downtown are $3 for one ride. A daily pass is available for $7, as is a three-day pass for $15. You can also use these buses to ride from the Strip to the Rio. There are two major negatives to bus travel: one, you have to hoof it to the bus stops, which might be a fair hike, and two, travel by bus is very slow. It can take more than an hour to get from Downtown to the Rio by riding a bus to Caesars Palace, getting off and walking around the corner to the Flamingo stop to get on a second bus to the Rio, for example.

I should also note that there is a free shuttle bus that Harrah’s runs from its namesake Harrah’s casino on the Strip to the Rio and back, which is a viable and obviously very cheap option to travel between the Strip and the Rio. At Harrah’s you board the bus at the bottom of the parking garage and at the Rio you board just outside the buffet entrance, which is to the left from the front of the casino.

Lastly, we have hoofing it. Vegas in the summer is not a pleasant time to spend walking around in the sun as the thermostat pretty well stays above 100 degrees Fahrenheit in the daytime and above 90 degrees at night. Granted, the lack of humidity makes conditions more comfortable than they would be at the same temperatures in my neck of the woods in Alabama, but you still feel like your ears and nose are baking in an oven. The distance from Caesars Palace to the Rio may look deceptively shorter than it is – it’s about a mile in reality. I’ve walked it a couple of times during the day and night and I wouldn’t recommend either. At day you bake as the sun shines off the sidewalk and asphalt and at night you worry you’re likely to get robbed as the walk is pretty isolated (because people have enough sense not to try it!) If you plan to do some casino hopping on foot pace yourself by frequently stopping into the highly air conditioned properties on the Strip and hydrate yourself often.

Post from: Poker From The Rail

2009 World Series of Poker preview – Planning Your Vegas Trip

Related posts:

1. 2009 World Series of Poker preview – Summer Vegas Tournaments
2. 2009 World Series of Poker preview – Las Vegas cash games
3. 2009 World Series of Poker preview – First-timer Guide to the Rio

But you’ve read the stories about the huge crowds, warehouse sized poker room and the miles long walk from the casino to the Amazon room. This has you a bit nervous and that’s an added pressure you don’t need heading into your first monster event.

“Tropical” Steve brings us a guest post with a Beginner’s Guide to the Rio and WSOP. Enjoy and good luck in Vegas.

Beginner’s Guide to the Rio and the WSOP
By Steve Horton

You’re new to Vegas, or you’ve been a few times but stuck to the Strip or downtown. You’re playing in your first World Series of Poker and you’re about to head up to the gigantic blue monstrosity that is the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino. I’m going to walk you through a few shortcuts and a few things to keep in mind.

Let’s assume you’re planning to show up a few hours early for Event #3, the $1,000 buy-in No Limit Hold’em event, on Day 1A.

WHAT TO BRING

First, make sure to take an extra shirt or hoodie with you, as the Amazon Room gets extremely cold once players start to bust out. You know you’re doing pretty well for the day when you have to put on that shirt, as it means you’ve outlasted a lot of players. Also, bring registration cash (unless you’ve previously wired money to the Rio; the only other forms of payment are cashier’s or certified check), some snacks, and some water or caffeinated beverages. It’s going to be a long day, and you don’t want to get hungry or tired at the wrong time.

Finally, bring a standalone MP3 player and headphones, if you wish. Don’t count on being able to listen to the tracks on your mobile phone, as anything with wireless or Internet access is going to get you penalized if you mess with it during a hand. Dig out your old iPod instead.

ARRIVING AT THE RIO

Many new players make the mistake of driving up to the wrong side of the Rio, parking in the garage, and then walking clear across the casino floor to the Amazon Room. Don’t do this. Approach the Rio on Twain Ave, drive past the employee entrance, then turn right on Rio Drive, at the huge parking lot. You’ll have to park way in the back even if you show up early, as the parking lot will be packed on any of the low buy-in, No Limit days. Don’t worry about Valet as it’s reserved for VIPs.

Walk through the sweltering heat, up the stairs and across the carpet and mist sprays (which don’t really help much) and inside. You’ll immediately be assaulted by a crush of players, media, staff and railbirds.

REGISTRATION

The first thing you’ll need to do, before anything else, is get a Total Rewards card. You won’t be able to register for anything without one. Once you’ve obtained a card, which is a painless process, make your way to registration. There will probably be a line, but in 2008 the lines were never too bad as the computers and staff were swift. (Still, you can register anytime you want, so feel free to come by a day or two early, depending on when you fly in, to save time.)

When you get to the front of registration, you’ll be asked for your Total Rewards card and picture ID. Then, throw down your hard-earned cash and you’ll get a white ticket. Don’t lose this ticket, as not only does it say where you’re sitting, but it also guarantees that you bought in to the event.

FINDING YOUR LOCATION

Since this particular event will be massive, it will spill over into other locations besides the Amazon Room, so read your ticket carefully, and as you get closer to the noon start time, you’ll want to head over to the proper location. In 2008, spillover tables were even placed near the restaurants on the casino floor, which is about a 10 or 15 minute walk from the convention center area, so plan ahead.

SHUFFLE UP AND DEAL

The rest is pretty self-explanatory. When they let you in the room, find your table location (it will be number or color coded, or both). Sit down at the correct seat with your ticket in front of you, and the event will kick off near noon or five p.m., depending. If you’re not used to playing live, don’t forget your blinds and antes and always tip the servers.

WHO’S LOOKING OVER MY SHOULDER?

From time to time you might see someone with a notepad looking closely at your chip stack or the community cards, or player’s hands if there’s an all-in call or showdown. These people are the poker media, and are responsible for relaying what’s going on to the outside world. Be courteous to the media and even consider giving them your name. If you’re nice, you might make it into the blog with an update for your friends and family back home.

THE DINNER BREAK

Congrats, you made it to dinner break. It’s probably around 7 or 8 in the evening. Not bad for a first timer. Now, you don’t have a whole lot of time (90 minutes goes by fast) and there will be thousands of players competing for the same food, so it helps to be aware of the different options ahead of time.

The closest option will be the Poker Kitchen. The location of the Poker Kitchen seems to change every year, so look for the signs. The kitchen itself has hamburgers, sub sandwiches, nachos and the usual convenience store snacks. Last year the Rio had a sushi place and pizza down the hall as well.

Further away are the actual Rio restaurants. If you’re a fast walker or skip the last hand or two before the break, you can make it down the hall, past the Penn & Teller Theater, and to the first couple of restaurants. First up is the Sao Paulo Cafe and Starbucks. The Sao Paulo is the breakfast place and will always be closed when you pass by it. Starbucks has cold sandwiches and lots of salads and drink choices; they’re good in a pinch.

Next will be Buzio’s Seafood on your left, the first real restaurant you’ll come to. They’re open till 11 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday, and you’ll spend between $25 and $40 for an entree.

Past that is the casino floor. You can either go left or right for different choices.

Turn right and head down past the masquerade show and you’ll hit McFadden’s, which has plenty of beer, but stops serving bar food before you get there. (The late, lamented Tilted Kilt at that location served food later, and it was quite good.) The new Hamada’s Asiana Restaurant is next door, and there’s a Java Coast coffee shop there.

If you head up the escalator here, you’ll hit the RUB BBQ place, which offers a decent BBQ sandwich but slow service. There are a few other new restaurants up here like Martorano’s.

If you headed left upon hitting the casino, there’s the All-American, which has good burgers, the Mah Jong Chinese place, and past that is the buffet. The buffet is always packed, but if you’re speedy, you can try that option.

KEEP A CLOCK

Whenever you choose to eat, keep an eye on time. One thing that casinos don’t have in general are clocks, so wear a watch or set the correct time zone on your phone. If you’re at the Poker Kitchen, you can head back with several minutes to spare, but a meal out on the other side of the Rio will require about 20 minutes lead time. Feel free to ask for a box and bring your food back, but don’t get greasy fingers on the cards.

END OF DAY 1

You made it to the end of the day. You’re slowly shrugging off that donk status, aren’t you? Be sure and turn off the iPod and follow staff instructions carefully. Whatever they say to write or bag, you do it. Also, be sure and come back on the right day; there may be multiple day 1s. In the case of Event #3, there’s a day 1A and a day 1B, so you won’t be back until the following day. Also, note the day 2 start time.

OOPS, YOU BUSTED

Say you didn’t make it to dinner, or you made it past dinner but couldn’t quite make it on the end of day chip counts. You might be kind of upset, but this might be a good opportunity to register for the next event. Once you’ve cooled off a little, think about playing a few cash games. You can play either in the Amazon Room (if they’ve made enough room yet) or head to the casino floor and turn right to find the poker room.

There are also satellites (in the dedicated satellite room) or sit-n-gos (in the same general area as the cash games in the Amazon Room). Finally, there’s the evening tournament. In the case of Event #3, Day 1A, there isn’t one, but most of the other WSOP days have a 12:00 and 5:00 day 1 event.

THAT’S THE RIO

That sums up the Rio experience for first-timers. Hopefully, some of the tips above will save you a lot of headaches and allow you to focus on what you came for, the most important thing of all: poker.

Post from: Poker From The Rail

2009 World Series of Poker preview – First-timer Guide to the Rio

Related posts:

1. 2009 World Series of Poker preview – Planning Your Vegas Trip
2. 2009 World Series of Poker preview – Summer Vegas Tournaments
3. 2009 World Series of Poker preview – Las Vegas cash games

World Series of Poker Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack
Photo credit: Flipchip at LasVegasVegas.com

You really really know it’s getting close to go time at the Rio when it’s time for the annual conference call / new conference with WSOP Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack. It involves a handful of the top poker media personnel and a boatload of main stream media looking to ask the most insane inane questions. Some people bogart the question session (showing my hip side. Do the kids still say ‘bogart”. Or “hip”?). I considered putting myself through the misery because there is actually some good information to come out of the process.

Fortunately for me regular guest poster “Tuscaloosa” John planned to attend saving me the good times. Even more fortunate for you the reader since he’s 100 times the writer as me. Below are his notes and views of what was presented.

2009 World Series of Poker Media Conference Call
by Johnny Kampis

It’s now less than four weeks away.

The 40th annual World Series of Poker will begin on May 26, with 57 bracelets events on the schedule this year. In preparation for the granddaddy of poker tournaments, WSOP officials held their annual conference call with members of the poker media on Tuesday afternoon. Here are some of the highlights of that session:

WSOP Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack mentioned three events that are either new or revamped in honor of the 40th anniversary. Most of you may already be aware of the $40,000 No-Limit Hold’em event planned for May 28. This four-day event “will bring out the best players in the world and produce a final table for the ages,” Pollack said. What you may not have heard about is the Champions Invitational to be held on May 31. This event will bring together past main event champions “who will play for bragging rights as the champion of champions.” The winner will receive two sweet prizes – a restored 1970 Chevrolet Corvette and a newly created commemorative trophy called the Binion Cup in honor of the family that started the WSOP. Jack Binion will be on hand to present the trophy to the winner. The third thing Pollack mentioned was the revamped Gaming Life Expo, which will now be known as PokerPalooza and will feature more interactive games and exhibits. This is “our version of NBA’s Jam Session or the NFL Experience,” Pollack said.

The “November Nine” will be back. This year’s championship weekend will be expanded – play from nine players in the main event down to two will take place on Saturday, Nov. 7, and heads-up play for the championship will be on Tuesday, Nov. 10. The final will again receive same day primetime ESPN coverage.

He also said that the Poker Hall of Fame selection process has been tweaked on this its 30th anniversary. The public will be able to submit nominations online at worldseriesofpoker.com from May 28 to July 2. During the main event the top 10 list of nominees will be announced. This list will be sent to the HOF committee, who will review the list and determine if any additions or deletions are needed. In September, the final ballot will be sent to 16 living hall of famers (out of 37 so enshrined) and select media representatives. Anyone who receives at least 75 percent of the vote will be inducted into the Hall at the main event final table in November, a process similar to the Baseball Hall of Fame. “The selection process is not only sensible, but open in a way it has never been before,” Pollack said.

Another aspect receiving a tweak is the bracelet presentation ceremonies. Pollack said that many players receive their bracelets “under the cover of darkness” after winning an event in the wee hours of the morning. Now there will be a bracelet presentation ceremony every day at 2 p.m. in the Amazon ballroom. “The World Series of Poker gold bracelet is poker’s crown jewel and for some time I’ve felt that every bracelet, not just the main event bracelet, deserves a special ceremony,” he said.

The code of player conduct will now be conducted into the official rules and WSOP staff will now maintain a written log of all penalties issued to a player during the WSOP and will use that log to better enforce the rules. “The intent here is simple – work to better ensure that the tournament floor is a civil, comfortable and courteous environment for all players, better manage those players who break the rules of engagement or fail to conduct themselves appropriately and further protect the competitive integrity of the WSOP,” Pollack said. This log will not be available for the public or the media to view, much as police investigations are not public record, said Tournament Director Jack Effel.

Effel said that the opening weekend $1,000 NLHE “Economic Stimulus” event as WSOP officials are dubbing it is expected to be the largest non-main event tournament in the WSOP’s history. The four-day event will have two starting days and pre-registration is already creeping into the four digits, he said. “We’re expecting a sellout weekend.”

He also highlighted the $2,500 Deuce to Seven No-Limit Triple Draw event, which has traditionally only been offered at a $10,000 buy in. “We felt that this was a very important game to the tradition of the World Series of Poker. We want to continue that tradition so we’re offering an entry level event at $2,500,” Effel said. There will also be a $2,500 eight-game Mixed Event in the same vein.

While there are no rebuy events this year, many tournaments will have add-on chips, including all Pot-Limit Omaha and Omaha Hi-Lo Split events. Players can add-on their chips between hands during the add-on period and will receive any unused add-on chips after the add-on period is over. Can I write the word add-on one more time? Yes I can.

Effel talked vaguely about an overhaul of the payouts for tournaments, without giving many specifics. He said a professor at Washington & Lee University, as well as poker pros Barry Greenstein and Howard Lederer were involved in the discussion. He said more information will be forthcoming as the payouts are worked out.

This year also brings the addition of a one-hand penalty for some offenses. Levels of discipline now include: verbal warning, one-hand penalty, one round, two rounds, three rounds, four rounds and disqualification.

The 2009 WSOP has a high retention rate of dealers despite a tougher audition process. “We had a very extensive audition process. If they weren’t able to deal Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo Split, Pot-Limit Omaha and Deuce to Seven Triple Draw they didn’t get in this year. What we’re looking for are the diverse dealers, the experienced dealers who can deal all the games, not just No-Limit Hold’em, which will provide a better experience for the players and in turn we will have a better tournament because of that,” Effel said. Along those lines, he said that the floor staff will go through a rigorous four-day training session prior to the start of the WSOP in which they will go over al the rules and will act out possible scenarios that could occur on the tables.

Table capacity has been expanded to 306, with some shuffling around. The Amazon ballroom will continue to be the main gaming floor and will now have two final table areas, Effel said. Brasilia will be used again, but this time the full room is available so there will be 95 tables in here in 2009, up from 65 in 2008. The Miranda room will have 56 tables. The single-table satellites are now located in Brasilia. “Last year we had 23 tables allotted for satellites. This year we’re going to have 48 and possibly more if the demand is there. The cage will be bigger. There will be more offerings,” Effel said. Single-table satellite schedules are available online at worldseriesofpoker.com.

Doug White form ESPN said the network will focus on the main event this year. ESPN plans to air six hours of bracelet events and increase main event coverage up to 24 hours, with 2 to 2.5 hours of the final table in November planned. “We feel that the main event is what viewers are looking for for poker programming. It helps us cover the unfolding drama of the World Series of Poker,” he said. Bracelet coverage is expected to include the $50,000 HORSE event, as well as the Champions Invitational (technically cup coverage, but who worries about such semantics?)

Post from: Poker From The Rail

2009 World Series of Poker preview – Jeffrey Pollack Conference Call

Related posts:

1. 2009 World Series of Poker preview – Gavin Smith profile
2. 2009 World Series of Poker preview – First-timer Guide to the Rio
3. 2009 World Series of Poker preview – ESPN Broadcast Schedule