Poker From The Rail
a Poker Blog brought to you by Full Tilt Poker
Posted by AlCantHang | Filed under Bloggers on the Rail
Phil Ivey stands for the U.S. National Anthem during his bracelet ceremony
(Photographer/GreasieWheels)
Just in case you were living under a rock away from the poker over the last week, Phil Ivey captured his 8th career WSOP bracelet in the $3,000 HORSE event over Bill Chen. It was an interesting spectacle with a different atmosphere than the “durrrr” final table a few ago, this final table was stuck our little corner of the Amazon Room without the fan fare or big stadium seating of the main stage.
Two days later Ivey returned to the Pavilion Room for his bracelet ceremony followed by wide open press conference. The picture about was taken by the official WSOP photographer (with creative credit going to B.J. Nemeth) and is something special. You can click the image for the full size picture, it should give you a small feel for the number of people who jammed into the room to see history. Ivey and WSOP TD Jack Effel were joined on stage by Jack Binion.
The rest of the week was full of drama, fun, and of course the continuing parade of Perry Friedman’s hats. You can find just some of our the pictures our very own HeatherB snapped over the last few days. Enjoy after the jump.
Tags: 2010 World Series of Poker, AlCantHang, Bloggers on the Rail, Chris Ferguson, Donnie Vann, Howard Lederer, Huck Seed, Johnny Chan, Kristy Gazes, Mike Matusow, Perry Friedman, Phil Hellmuth, Phil Ivey, Pictures of the Week, Scott Clements, Scott Montgomery, Tom Dwan, WSOP
Posted by Dave McCarthy | Filed under Uncategorized
Please note: Caption Contest #3 has ended. We will have another one soon!
Congratulations to our winners, and thanks to everyone for participating!
Everyone who submitted a caption will be registered in a $100 freeroll at 3pm ET Saturday, July 3. If you don’t intend to play in the freeroll, please say so — we’d like to cut down on the deadstacks if possible. The freeroll will be created Thursday and I will post the tournament ID here, though you’ll be able to find it by searching for (Ctrl+F) your player ID. If you aren’t registered by Thursday, email me at davefromtherail@gmail.com. Please make sure to include your comment number and your FTP ID in the email.
Winners will be paid their 500 FTP points within 48 hours (of Wednesday 12:01 am). If you haven’t been paid by then, please let me know: davefromtherail@gmail.com
Tags: caption contest, Eli Elezra, Mike Matusow, Phil Ivey
Posted by AlCantHang | Filed under Bloggers on the Rail
It was an oddly quiet week in the Rio this week with a few rare day with only one new event and some without a final table. That all changed as the week closed out when we found ourselves with 6 or 7 tournaments running at the same time. Richard Ashby became the second Full Tilt pro to win a bracelet at the 2010 WSOP and can be seen above collecting it from Tournament Director Jack Effel.
There was the always present controversy surrounding the annual Ladies Event but that didn’t stop them from coming in with a huge field. There were a few $10,000 Championship events which drew small, strong fields for the battle and big prizepool. During the Limit Hold’em Championship we had a few pros who were sweating the action during the Celtics/Lakers NBA Championship game, certainly with big money on the line. Mike Matusow is also pictured below sweating a prop bet with David Benyamine concerning the number of entrants.
After the jump you can find the rest of Heather B’s pictures from Week 3 at the 2010 World Series of Poker including a few new shots of the latest Perry Friedman “Parade of Hats”.
Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: 2010 World Series of Poker, AlCantHang, Annette Obrestad, Bloggers on the Rail, Cyndy Violette, David Benefield, David Benyamine, Erick Lindgren, Howard Lederer, Karina Jett, Lacey Jones, Mike Matusow, Nick Schulman, Perry Friedman, Phil Ivey, Pictures of the Week, Richard Ashby, Roland de Wolfe, Svetlana Gromenkova, Tom Dwan, WSOP
Posted by AlCantHang | Filed under Bloggers on the Rail
This is why we play the game, why we watch it on TV, and why folks like us show up each summer to report on the events. It was not a big buyin tournament or someone going for a record bracelet. Just a few feet away were some of the best poker players in the world shooting for the $10,000 Stud/8 World Championship but even their attention was focused on the feature table of a $1,500 No Limit Hold’em tournament.
Sitting at that final table was Tom “durrrr” Dwan looking for his first WSOP win along with 8 other players. There was much more than the $600,000 plus payday on the line for Dwan and many of the top names in poker. This became a poker event because of various prop bets spread around about whether Dwan would capture a WSOP bracelet this year. These factors made for an atmosphere on the sound stage worthy of the Main Event and far more energetic than any other final table this year so far.
Several players were sporting a large contingent of friends in the seats surrounding the final table including the only WSOP bracelet winner Jason Young. Every section of supporters would tear it up when their guy took down a pot or knocked out a player. Slowing the final players were busted one at a time and with each elimination we could hear a little rumbling in the $10,000 Stud/8 tournament. Mike Matusow was overheard saying a win by Dwan would break or put a beating on the bankroll of several top players. Dwan was taking bets in the 3/1 to 3.25/1 odds on him winning this year.
Some were trying to get a buyout of their wager. Other top names would huddle together every time he climbed the ladder just a little further. All the while the railbirds were on their feet yelling with each flop. Dwan was the shortstack during 3-handed play and made a move all-in with just 97o but was live versus the Ace Ten of David Randall. The crowd exploded when he took the lead with a flopped 7 then went berserk when he locked up the hand with a turned 7. Eventually Dwan would find himself heads up with Kiwi Simon Watt, up against a chip deficit but with few fans doubting one of the strongest heads up players in the game.
In the end it wasn’t meant to be. After a possible misstep he pushed his last chips in against a dominating hand and was very unhappy with the end results. On the other side of the room they were bagging up their chips in the $10,000 Stud/8 tournament and you could hear a very happy Matusow, he would not be dipping into his bankroll to pay off a big prop bet starting off just the second week of the WSOP.
Tags: 2010 World Series of Poker, AlCantHang, Bloggers on the Rail, Mike Matusow, Tom Dwan, WSOP
Posted by Dave McCarthy | Filed under Bloggers Corner
The likelihood of Mike Matusow running naked down Las Vegas Boulevard is now positively correlated with gender equality.
On Wednesday night’s episode of Poker2Nite, Mike Matusow promised to run naked down The Strip if three women win bracelets at the 2010 World Series of Poker. The poker show’s co-host Scott Huff appeared to be fishing for an inflammatory statement: he prefaced a question about female poker players with, “it’s always great to have you here because…you don’t hold anything back.”
Referring to wins by Vanessa Selbst at the NAPT Mohegan Sun, Annie Duke at the NBC National Heads up Championship, and Liv Boeree at the EPT San Remo, Huff asked Matusow, “Is it the year of the woman, and what is your over/under on bracelets in this World Series won by female poker players?”
Tags: gender inequality, las vegas strip, Mike Matusow, naked
Posted by Dave McCarthy | Filed under Bloggers Corner
Before I started blogging here at Poker from the Rail, Full Tilt gave me some data about their web traffic so that I’d have a better idea of what everyone likes to read. This included a list of all the google searches that led people to Poker from the Rail or Michael Craig’s blog. Here’s what I learned from some of the weirder search terms:
Team Full Tilt’s youngest pro is not only smart, handsome and charming – he might be immortal:
tom dwan girlfriend, pics of durrrr’s girlfriend, tom dwan roommate, tom dwan boyfrnd, tom dwan lamborghini, is tom dwan a vampire?
*
Durrrr isn’t the only Team Full Tilt pro fans are personally interested in:
gus hansen ladies man, patrik antonius girlfriend, what does jennifer harman look for in a guy, erick lindgren on women, how tall is mike matusow, phil ivey naked fish
*
Maybe Full Tilt should create some new avatars:
cartoon cleavage, ftp and porn, women with whips, full tilt sex, images of women with whips, my first girlfriend movie
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Poker is not an easy game (for most people):
i suck at poker, you suck at poker, is phil ivey a donk, i am the lord of poker
*
Full Tilt’s blogs: a great source of information if you cross paths with a Mediterranean gypsy, fall ill, wind up in Hell, return to earth for an apocalyptic showdown with Good, and then have to reclaim your possessions in probate court:
how to lift italian curses, pictuer of a sick man liing in bed, 666lucifer.com, its the world gonna end on 212?, contesting wills
Tags: Gus Hansen, Jennifer Harman, Mike Matusow, Patrik Antonius, Phil Ivey, Tom Dwan
Posted by AlCantHang | Filed under Bloggers on the Rail
Sometimes things just go way over the top when you’re dealing with the biggest poker tournament in the world. You’ll see some crazy things along the rails, loud player disagreements, whack jobs dressed in all types of getups looking for camera attention. Then you have the times when a table pulls the attention of every player and media outlet in the room.
Actor/comedian Brad Garrett drew a table that was far away from the rail and virtually in the center of the blue section. 5 time bracelet and 1984 Main Event winner Berry Johnston was also at the table. Garrett was laughing it up with the players at the table and anyone who would listen. To the point where his table was completely surrounded by every media outlet with a badge to get there. Witness the picture above and below.
Before long players at the other tables were begging the floor staff to deal with the situation. It will certainly make good TV for ESPN when it airs, but neither Garrett or Johnston would move on to Day 3.
Images from the rest of Day 2a after the jump:
Tags: 2009 World Series of Poker, AlCantHang, Amanda Baker, Berry Johnston, Beth Shak, Billy Argyros, Bloggers on the Rail, Chris Ferguson, Fabrice Soulier, Gavin Smith, Greg Mueller, Jack Ury, Mike Matusow, Roland de Wolfe, WSOP
Posted by AlCantHang | Filed under Bloggers on the Rail
Each year before the World Series of Poker Main Event, the poker elite, pro athletes, celebrities, movies stars, and recording artists descend upon the Amazon Room to play poker in the Ante Up for Africa charity tournament. They were here to raise both money and awareness for the humanitarian crisis in Darfur. The tournament was hosted by poker legend Annie Duke and Oscar-nominated actor Don Cheadle.
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:
Tags: 2009 World Series of Poker, AlCantHang, Bloggers on the Rail, Chau Giang, Chris Ferguson, David Singer, Don Cheadle, Jeffrey Pollack, Jennifer Harman, Joe Reitman, Marco Traniello, Marlon Shirley, Mike Matusow, Phil Gordon, WSOP
Posted by AlCantHang | Filed under Bloggers on the Rail
There were plenty of opportunities for more pictures yesterday during the 2009 World Series of Poker Main Event Day 1b and some great stories. 655 players of the starting 873 survived the day with even more Tilters moving onto Day 2.
Full Tilt sponsored two players in the Main Event with stories worthy of your interest. Marlon Shirley (pictured right) is a two time Paralympic gold medalist, the first amputee to run the 100 meters in under 11 seconds, and an avid poker player. He came to Las Vegas to play in the 2009 World Series of Poker Main Event and the Ante Up for Africa Charity event. I could tell you the rest of the story but it be better to let a proper writer do that duty. Fellow blogger Michael Craig has a great writeup with Shirley’s story here. Unfortunately he was not able to “outrun” his poker opponents to reach Day 2a and will not win WSOP gold.
Also wearing Full Tilt red and white was Jack Ury, at 96 he’s simply the oldest to ever play in the WSOP Main Event. Ury has been adding to his record each year since his first Main Event in 2007 at the chipper age of 94. He was enjoying himself and the ESPN cameras were a constant audience. Ury will have to get his rest over the next few days before he comes in Day 2a with just over 23,000 in chips.
You can see the rest of the Day 1b pictures after the jump:
Tags: 2009 World Series of Poker, AlCantHang, Barny Boatman, Bill Edler, Bloggers on the Rail, David Pham, Erik Seidel, Fabrice Soulier, Jack Ury, Marlon Shirley, Mike Matusow, WSOP
Posted by AlCantHang | Filed under Bloggers on the Rail
I should be taking every advantage of this lovely Thursday afternoon/evening because it might be the last slow day I have until I hop that jet airplane back east after the “November Nine” is set. Just one little $1,500 PLO8 tournament kicking off today but tomorrow is the granddaddy of big buyin skill games. The $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. is next up on the agenda. We can expect a crush of players, railbirds, and poker media with unreal expectations.
There are three tournaments restarting including two more bracelet winners in the $10,000 Pot Limit Hold’em World Championship and $2,500 Limit Omaha/8 tournament. The Mix Hold’em event begins it’s Day 2 and amazingly only 7 players from the money already. There are some big names coming back with Barry Greenstein leading the field and Eli Elezra ahead of all other Full Tilt pros.
Mike Matusow will be my player to watch today in the Omaha/8 tournament where he sits 18 out of 23 remaining. Matusow won his second WSOP bracelet in 2002 playing this game and knows how to pull up from the shortstack.
The last sane day of the WSOP, I intend to enjoy it.
~
My blogging brethren over at Wicked Chops Poker spend their days entertaining millions, perhaps billions and trillions of readers each day. They’ve been sitting in media row each day to bring the hard hitting stories from the depths of the Amazon Room. Today they are paying back some of their loyal readers with a freeroll on Full Tilt Poker.
The WSOP has introduced an event during the Main Event called Dream Team Poker. It’s a concept recently developed and getting great reviews. Three players team up and play a tournament against other teams. Prize pool payouts are based on individual AND team performance. The configuration prevents teammates from finding themselves at the same table unless they get really deep.
Wicked Chops Poker is giving you the opportunity to play in this event on their dime, as their second team. The top 3 finishers will win the prize, if one of those players is unable to attend it moves to the next player(s). Kind of like Miss America scandals.
I’m signed up and will be playing from the great big Amazonian Amazon Room.
Tourney Name: WCP Dream Team WSOP Freeroll
Tourney ID: 95494430
Date/Time: June 25, 20:00 ET (8pm ET)
Password: VikkiBlows
~
Chip counts for the restarts after the jump:
Mike Matusow shoots for bracelet #4 today in Omaha/8 Event #46
Tags: 2009 World Series of Poker, AlCantHang, Bloggers on the Rail, Jeff Madsen, Mike Matusow, WSOP
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The opinions expressed by this blog and those providing comments are theirs alone, and do not reflect the opinions of Full Tilt Poker. Full Tilt Poker is not responsible for the accuracy of any of the information supplied by the author of this blog nor any content contained herein.
