Some of the celebrities making an appearance were Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Jason Alexander, Brad Garrett, Sarah Silverman, Jennifer Tilly, and rapper Nelly. Athletes Marlon Shirley, Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith, and Mike Tyson were also battling it out. Of course all the top poker pros donated their time and money to the cause.

I’ve posted a few pictures from the day for your entertainment.

Mike Matusow and Chau Giang kid around during the tournament

Good Will Hunting co-stars Matt Damon and Ben Affleck hang with Marco Traniello before the tournament began

WSOP Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack meets with Don Cheadle

More photos after the jump:

This tournament was a little more laid back than most. Jennifer Harman and Phil Gordon enjoy their time at the tables.

Don Cheadle, Jennifer Harman, and rapper Nelly before the tournament

Actor Joe Reitman plays in the tournament. In the background you can see part of the huge rail full of fans who came out to see their favorite stars and pros.

Chris “Jesus” Ferguson and Paralympic gold medalist Marlon Shirley

David Singer and Sarah Silverman

Charles Barkley joins poker power couple Marco Traniello and Jenn Harman

Post from: Poker From The Rail

2009 World Series of Poker – Ante Up for Africa Pictures

Related posts:

1. 2009 World Series of Poker – Main Event Day 1b Pictures
2. 2009 World Series of Poker – Days 1c and 1d Pictures
3. 2009 World Series of Poker – Week 2 in Pictures

While all this is going on, the good folks at Image Masters continue to provide us with some great action shots during the tournaments.  Every morning I receive pictures from the day before that I use to enhance the stories I try to bring the readers.  I hope they’ve added to the experience.

Today I bring you some photos from Week 2 of the 2009 World Series of Poker without my ramblings.  A small taste of what we have available, look for a full gallery coming in the next few days.  All pictures courtesy of Image Masters.

Pictures after the jump, click to enlarge:

The Two Faces of Andy Black
Andy Black started off the 2009 World Series of Poker with players talking about his play AND his appearance. He seemed to be rocking the beard and laid back look at the beginning and looked completely different during Week 2. Your investigative blogger will get to the bottom of this before the end of the series.

Phil Ivey collects World Series of Poker bracelet #6 at the daily ceremony from WSOP Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack.

Phil Ivey wasted no time after winning his 6th WSOP bracelet. He hopped right back into action.  Full Tilt pro Beth Shak in the foreground and may be the recipient of the Ivey stare.

Legends side-by-side.  Erik Seidel and Mike Sexton grinding away in Event #15 of the 2009 World Series of Poker.  Seidel came close to winning his 9th WSOP bracelet in the Pot Limit Hold’em tournament had to settle for a seventh place finish.  Seidel is tied with another legend, Johnny Moss, with 8 WSOP bracelets.

Svetlana Gromenkova and Karina Jett were just a few of the Full Tilt pros to represent in the 2009 World Series of Poker Ladies Championship. Gromenkova won this event in 2008 but was unable to defend her title.

“Miami” John Cernuto and John Juanda playing in Event #16 $1,500 Seven Card Stud tournament.  “Miami” John would put up a great fight ending up in 11th.  Juanda had his first shot at bracelet number 5 by making the final table. Juanda’s run ended with a 5th place finish.

Howard Lederer playing in the $10,000 Mixed World Championship.  It’s been a slow start to the series for “The Professor” this year with only one cash to date.  No doubt he’ll be a factor as the series progresses.

Both David Chiu and Huck Seed won their way to the final table of the $10,000 Mixed Championship with a chance to add to their jewelry collection.  Seed collected over $102,000 for his 5th place finish and Chiu was the runner up for $304,000 but no new trophies on his wrist.

Erica Schoenberg only has one cash in the 2009 World Series of Poker but continues her search for a WSOP bracelet.  As a railbird favorite, she is always easy to find in the poker room.

It’s never a dull moment when Perry Friedman is in the poker room.  He started the series by sporting a “Full Tilt Poker grill” (gold hip hop teeth things for us uncool folk) and he added a little twist in Week 2.  It’s tough to see but he rocking the cornrows on each side of his head with Full Tilt spelled out in beads.  Who knows what to expect in Week 3.

Post from: Poker From The Rail

2009 World Series of Poker – Week 2 in Pictures

Related posts:

1. 2009 World Series of Poker – Week 5 in Pictures
2. 2009 World Series of Poker – Week 4 in Pictures
3. 2009 World Series of Poker – Week 3 in Pictures

Poker legend Scotty Nguyen goes into the day with a chip lead. He is looking for his 7th WPT television table and second WPT victory.

While no big name Full Tilt pros will be sitting at the final table, that doesn’t mean we don’t have a few video interviews / snippets left for your enjoyment. After the jump you can see Mike Matusow all fired up and Andy Bloch going through nailing a straight flush.

After the jump.

Videos courtesy of WorldPokerTour.com

Post from: Poker From The Rail

Mike Matusow and Andy Bloch video interviews

Related posts:

1. Erica Schoenberg and Kristy Gazes video interviews
2. WPT World Championship update – Jeff Madsen video interviews
3. The Pros Speak: Mike Matusow

Rather than sharing the explicitly unprofessional views of my colleagues and I, we thought it was in order to seek out the opinion of someone who has a demonstrated mastery of the subject. To that end, Team Full Tilt’s Jennifer Harman has a few thoughts on what her opponents are telling her about their game – before they even start playing. Here’s what she had to say:

To start with, I hope that I don’t pick up a hand right away when I sit down at a table – I like to watch my opponents before I play against them so I can make better decisions. Some things that I’m watching for are really easy, like the way they’re dressed and the way they’re sitting at the table. It says a lot about how they play. That’s basically the first thing that I do – look to see how my opponents are dressed, how they’re sitting at the table, and maybe how they stack their chips. They’re already giving me information on how they’re going to play.

Let me get into how an opponent’s dressed a little more: people tend to dress how they play. A lot of times, when they’re sloppily dressed, they play kind of sloppy, and when they’re conservatively dressed, they play more conservatively.

Let’s say a guy sits down in a suit and tie: I’m generally going to view him as being more conservative. While it’s likely that I’m going to be able to steal more pots from this guy, I’ll stay away from him when he’s raising in earlier positions because I feel that he’s most likely going to have a hand there. As a rule, they’re going to play tighter than the person who’s dressed pretty sloppy.

When I’m talking about sloppy, I’m talking about the player with a collared shirt that’s unbuttoned and one collar is up. They’re wearing a baseball cap, kind of unshaven, and maybe the baseball cap’s not on straight – maybe even a big belly. (Sorry – I hate to stereotype.) There’s always one button that’s not buttoned, things like that. They usually play sloppy and are into more pots. I find that they’re more recreational and there to have fun – not to try hard and win money. They’re not taking it as seriously as, let’s say, a guy in his jeans and t-shirt. I think the guy in his jeans and t-shirt takes it more seriously. I think that maybe the guy in his suit is there for entertainment too, but he doesn’t want to lose his money.

That’s another view that I have – a different take on dress – the player in a t-shirt and a pair of jeans: a pair of jeans and a t-shirt means a solid player. They’re usually kids that are coming from the Internet. When they’re playing in a tournament or a side game, they’re going to try. They tend to take things seriously.

Keeping all of this in mind, I try not to ever let myself fall into a trap. You always have to be objective about how somebody might play. A guy might look sloppy or like he’s completely ruffled – with his shirt hanging out of his pants or something – but he might actually play conservatively. You just can’t let yourself fall into that trap. Even though someone looks or dresses a certain way, you have to stay objective. Keeping this in mind and staying on guard, looking at how someone is dressed can give you valuable information about how they play.

Post from: Poker From The Rail

The Pros Speak: Jennifer Harman

Related posts:

1. The Pros Speak: Roland de Wolfe
2. The Pros Speak: Aaron Bartley
3. The Pros Speak: Rafe Furst