Poker Review

PartyPoker’s Big Game IV is currently airing on Channel 5 in the UK. If you are outside the UK, you now have a chance to watch the Big Game exclusive right here on PartyPoker Blog.

PartyPoker Big Game is a 48-hour straight cash game and it features some of the biggest names in poker including Phil Laak, Luke Schwartz and Roland De Wolfe. The Big Game IV was recorded at Les Ambassadeurs Club in London in April 2010.

The episode one is now online… enjoy!

(video)

This is the starting line-up:

1. Jennifer Tilly £20,000
2. Dusty Schmidt £20,000
3. Isaac Haxton £20,000
4. Paul Marrow £10,000
5. David Viffer £20,000
6. Luke Schwartz £20,000
7. Neil Channing £20,000
8. Laurence Grondin £10,000

PartyPoker’s World Open VI has just been confirmed. The event will take place from 6th September until 10th September 2010 in Palm Beach Casino in the heart of Mayfair, London.

The buy-in is $10,000, 48 players will participate making the total prize pool of $480,000 – the winner will take $200,000. The starting stacks are tripled, there are eight seater heats and seven players will be on the final table.

Phil Laak won the event last year and is ready to defend: “Last year was a wild roller coaster ride. This year I am looking forward to coming back to defend my title – it is ideal that it comes straight off the back off the WPT London Poker Classic – hopefully I can win both!”

Commentary will be provided by Jesse May, the action will be presented by Kara Scott and the show will be broadcast on channel Five in the UK later in the year. Spectators are welcome to come down to the Palm Beach Casino and watch the action.

A list of players confirmed

Some players confirmed to play are:

• Phil Laak
• Yevgeniy Timoshenko
• Dave ‘The Devilfish’ Ulliott
• JP Kelly
• Annette Obrestad
• Sorel Mizzi
• Roland de Wolfe
• James Akenhead
• Neil Channing
• Praz Bansi
• Luke Schwartz
• Jennifer Tilly
• David ‘Viffer’ Peat

Team PartyPoker pros confirmed are:

• Mike Sexton
• Tony G
• Dragan Galic
• Tyron Krost
• Felipe Ramos
• Ian Frazer
• Giovanni Safina

PartyPoker’s World Open VI has just been confirmed. The event will take place from 6th September until 10th September 2010 in Palm Beach Casino in the heart of Mayfair, London.

The buy-in is $10,000, 48 players will participate making the total prize pool of $480,000 – the winner will take $200,000. The starting stacks are tripled, there are eight seater heats and seven players will be on the final table.

Phil Laak won the event last year and is ready to defend: “Last year was a wild roller coaster ride. This year I am looking forward to coming back to defend my title – it is ideal that it comes straight off the back off the WPT London Poker Classic – hopefully I can win both!”

Commentary will be provided by Jesse May, the action will be presented by Kara Scott and the show will be broadcast on channel Five in the UK later in the year. Spectators are welcome to come down to the Palm Beach Casino and watch the action.

A list of players confirmed

Some players confirmed to play are:

• Phil Laak
• Yevgeniy Timoshenko
• Dave ‘The Devilfish’ Ulliott
• JP Kelly
• Annette Obrestad
• Sorel Mizzi
• Roland de Wolfe
• James Akenhead
• Neil Channing
• Praz Bansi
• Luke Schwartz
• Jennifer Tilly
• David ‘Viffer’ Peat

Team PartyPoker pros confirmed are:

• Mike Sexton
• Tony G
• Dragan Galic
• Tyron Krost
• Felipe Ramos
• Ian Frazer
• Giovanni Safina

It has been a real treat to get back from Las Vegas and spend some time settling in to our new house in California.

The weather has been fantastic and most afternoons have been spent at the beach for a couple of hours playing with our dog.

Somehow I managed to dodge a sunburn the whole time I was in the 105+ degree Vegas heat but a couple of days back in Santa Barbara and boom – red as a lobster.

I’m going to spend a lot of this month reading and I put out a plea to people on twitter to give me some good recommendations. I’ve ended up with a RIDICULOUSLY long reading list but I’m going to get to know my local library very well and expand my mind.

Heading to London for the WPT

I love the idea of picking up books that I never would have read or even heard of otherwise. The first one that I’m giving a whirl is “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close” by Jonathan Safran Foer and so far I’m loving it. It’s a lot like “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time” in that it’s written from the point of view of a boy who has a very interesting view of the world. Certainly worth picking up!

And that’s about it really. I’m making the most of this month and some time off before heading to London for the WPT. It’s going to be great to get back to the UK for a couple of weeks and I’m going to add on a little extra time at the end to see friends and celebrate a special birthday as well.

I hope you’re all having a great summer too :)

It has been a real treat to get back from Las Vegas and spend some time settling in to our new house in California.

The weather has been fantastic and most afternoons have been spent at the beach for a couple of hours playing with our dog.

Somehow I managed to dodge a sunburn the whole time I was in the 105+ degree Vegas heat but a couple of days back in Santa Barbara and boom – red as a lobster.

I’m going to spend a lot of this month reading and I put out a plea to people on twitter to give me some good recommendations. I’ve ended up with a RIDICULOUSLY long reading list but I’m going to get to know my local library very well and expand my mind.

Heading to London for the WPT

I love the idea of picking up books that I never would have read or even heard of otherwise. The first one that I’m giving a whirl is “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close” by Jonathan Safran Foer and so far I’m loving it. It’s a lot like “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time” in that it’s written from the point of view of a boy who has a very interesting view of the world. Certainly worth picking up!

And that’s about it really. I’m making the most of this month and some time off before heading to London for the WPT. It’s going to be great to get back to the UK for a couple of weeks and I’m going to add on a little extra time at the end to see friends and celebrate a special birthday as well.

I hope you’re all having a great summer too :)

This Wednesday July 28th at 19.00 Sydney time (05:00 ET / 11:00 CET) is your chance to play against Tony G and Tyron Krost in the APT Manila Bounty tournament.

Bounty tournaments are a different dynamic to regular tournaments: you might decide to play a pot with one our Team PartyPoker pros just to take a shot at collecting their bounty. Tony G’s nickname on PartyPoker tables is TonyG while Tyron Krost’s nickname is Ty_Krost.

The winner of this $6 buy-in will get entry to the exclusive one off APT Manila Satellite on August 1st that will have a guaranteed 3 packages to APT Manila up for grabs. Players that knock out Team PartyPoker pros Tony G and Tyron Krost will also get the entry to the APT Manila Satellite. Each entry is worth $320.

APT Manila satellite gives players the chance to win $6000 package to play in the Asian Poker tour event in Manila. Each Manila package will include the $2700 main event buy-in, 7 nights hotel accommodation in Manila and $2300 spending money which is enough to get you there and ensure you have a great time.

Play the Tony G and Tyron Krost APT Manila bounty on Wednesday July 28th at 19.00 Sydney time (05:00 ET / 11:00 CET).

This Wednesday July 28th at 19.00 Sydney time (05:00 ET / 11:00 CET) is your chance to play against Tony G and Tyron Krost in the APT Manila Bounty tournament.

Bounty tournaments are a different dynamic to regular tournaments: you might decide to play a pot with one our Team PartyPoker pros just to take a shot at collecting their bounty. Tony G’s nickname on PartyPoker tables is TonyG while Tyron Krost’s nickname is Ty_Krost.

The winner of this $6 buy-in will get entry to the exclusive one off APT Manila Satellite on August 1st that will have a guaranteed 3 packages to APT Manila up for grabs. Players that knock out Team PartyPoker pros Tony G and Tyron Krost will also get the entry to the APT Manila Satellite. Each entry is worth $320.

APT Manila satellite gives players the chance to win $6000 package to play in the Asian Poker tour event in Manila. Each Manila package will include the $2700 main event buy-in, 7 nights hotel accommodation in Manila and $2300 spending money which is enough to get you there and ensure you have a great time.

Play the Tony G and Tyron Krost APT Manila bounty on Wednesday July 28th at 19.00 Sydney time (05:00 ET / 11:00 CET).

I’m nearly out the door for London, on my way to film the Poker Million IX.

Big names will be playing this week, including Patrik Antonius, Sam Trickett, and Erik Seidel, who I’m excited to try and interview for next season’s Poker Show, and past Poker Show guests Barny Boatman, Greg Mueller, and Neil Channing.

Most of those playing will also be back in town for the WPT London, which is now only a month away.

I read Tony G’s recent blog and am happy to hear he is back to form by winning the Poker Lounge. I can’t wait to see it come out on TV, because when Tony G is in a winning mood on a six seater televised format, there is just no one better. Especially if he gets to trash talk Mike Matusow.

Show 8 (July 25) featuring Annette Obrestad is online now! Click the play button to listen:

Prefer to download? Right click here and Save As.

She basically laughed in my face

One other player who was in Cardiff for the filming of that tournament was Annette Obrestad. I managed to grab her for a quick interview at the Bellagio while on break for the WPT Bellagio Cup. I saw an ESPN video where someone said that Annette was “overwhelmed and underprepared” for her first time playing the whole WSOP schedule in Las Vegas this year. When I mentioned that to her, she basically laughed in my face. “That’s Bull****!!” Said the feisty 21-year old Obrestad who is one of my favourite people in the whole poker world, both for her game and her attitude towards poker.

There has been an attitude over the last few years whereby the Italians get very little respect when it comes to tournament poker. Festivals in Italy have become must go events for many traveling poker players as far as value goes, and the presence of an Italian on your table had many pros licking their lips. The fact is that while Italy has been a bit late to the European party, they are coming on in leaps and bounds and with an enthusiasm for playing the game that cannot be matched.

Just have a look at their results in the main event, with the first ever Italian at the final table and Party Poker’s own Gianni Di Renzo making it through to Day 7 and you know that Italy will be a big force to come in the next few years of tournament poker. One guy who already has his act together is Giovanni Rizzo. I first met him at the Party Poker Premier League last February and then got a chance to talk with him extensively over my time in Vegas. We will be hearing his name more and more in the months to come.

Show 8 (July 25) featuring Annette Obrestad is online now! Click the play button to listen:

Prefer to download? Right click here and Save As.

I’m nearly out the door for London, on my way to film the Poker Million IX.

Big names will be playing this week, including Patrik Antonius, Sam Trickett, and Erik Seidel, who I’m excited to try and interview for next season’s Poker Show, and past Poker Show guests Barny Boatman, Greg Mueller, and Neil Channing.

Most of those playing will also be back in town for the WPT London, which is now only a month away.

I read Tony G’s recent blog and am happy to hear he is back to form by winning the Poker Lounge. I can’t wait to see it come out on TV, because when Tony G is in a winning mood on a six seater televised format, there is just no one better. Especially if he gets to trash talk Mike Matusow.

Show 8 (July 25) featuring Annette Obrestad is online now! Click the play button to listen:

Prefer to download? Right click here and Save As.

She basically laughed in my face

One other player who was in Cardiff for the filming of that tournament was Annette Obrestad. I managed to grab her for a quick interview at the Bellagio while on break for the WPT Bellagio Cup. I saw an ESPN video where someone said that Annette was “overwhelmed and underprepared” for her first time playing the whole WSOP schedule in Las Vegas this year. When I mentioned that to her, she basically laughed in my face. “That’s Bull****!!” Said the feisty 21-year old Obrestad who is one of my favourite people in the whole poker world, both for her game and her attitude towards poker.

There has been an attitude over the last few years whereby the Italians get very little respect when it comes to tournament poker. Festivals in Italy have become must go events for many traveling poker players as far as value goes, and the presence of an Italian on your table had many pros licking their lips. The fact is that while Italy has been a bit late to the European party, they are coming on in leaps and bounds and with an enthusiasm for playing the game that cannot be matched.

Just have a look at their results in the main event, with the first ever Italian at the final table and Party Poker’s own Gianni Di Renzo making it through to Day 7 and you know that Italy will be a big force to come in the next few years of tournament poker. One guy who already has his act together is Giovanni Rizzo. I first met him at the Party Poker Premier League last February and then got a chance to talk with him extensively over my time in Vegas. We will be hearing his name more and more in the months to come.

Show 8 (July 25) featuring Annette Obrestad is online now! Click the play button to listen:

Prefer to download? Right click here and Save As.

Guess who’s back, back again, shady’s back. No, don’t worry – I am not getting all Phil Hellmuth on you all – I have no desire to wear an ipod and sunglasses in a nightclub and waffle a load of Jay-Z/Eminem street talk.

Tony G is back and in the week they say they are making progress towards finding the higgs boson and making history with physics I am back with a very big bang!

Full of heart of commitment, and fresh from breaks in Nida and Palanga, I headed for Cardiff yesterday to play in the Poker Lounge – a $20,000 six-seater sit-and -go for television. I took it down for the $120k winner takes all first prize.

In my way was Mike ‘The Mouth’ Matusow, who like a greedy pacman was hungry to eat me alive. Also in the line-up was a very, very grumpy Jennifer Harman, who threw a fit in the taxi on the way to the studios as she hates mornings. It hardly made for a comfortable ride but I did have the pleasure of releasing her back to London to join her husband in Italy when I flushed her out the door.

Jesus was also in the house in the form of Chris Ferguson – he didn’t walk on water and even struggled to ride the bike due to the big waves from the G that were crashing around his feet. Brit James Dempsey was also in my heat – here’s a man with some serious form after recently winning a bracelet and taking down a second at the WSOP. Even he was no match for the rejuvenated G force. I was the captain, I owned them all at the table.

In fairness, I simply cruised it – I smashed up the Poker Lounge. I ended up heads-up with Mike the Mouth with a thin chip lead but I was too classy and a repeat of the famous WPT Bad Boys of Poker finale was set. I crushed Matusow then and I crushed him again but this time I wore no kimono!

Trapped Mike with a cool call on my big blind

In the final hand I trapped Mike with a cool call on my big blind when he raised on the button. I was holding A9 and he had A5. Once the ace was released on the flop Mike was confused and happy to ship the stack to the G. On ya bike! I picked up $120k that will keep me off the streets for a week or so as London is costly and there are crocodiles on the streets. Luckily Tony G is the Lounge Lizard!

I do think taking a break from playing means the return of my A game, or I should I say my G game! I have been watching developments In Vegas with a keen eye. I am sorry to have missed the WPT Bellagio Cup – Ivey was very close to making history after coming third after buying in after the 11th level. Complete madness!

I also had to chuckle when I saw the video of Hellmuth trying to make the latest entry into a poker tournament in history. The way that Durrrr just casually walks up to the cage at the Bellagio when the Poker Brat was surrounded by cameras and the WPT’s Royal Flush girls is classic…

Talking of the introduction of the Royal Flush Girls by the WPT – it seemed like a good idea to me. Like the beauty queens – here are some ladies in desperate need of the guiding hand of Tony G! On a more serious note, I was also happy to see the WPT appoint Matt Savage as Tour Director – an excellent move in my eyes.

I have been listening to Jesse May on the Poker Show and was amused when Hellmuth started talking about the letter I wrote to him after his melt down at Bay 101. He said I could throw mud at him continuously but he always brushed it off as I had big heart. That is true but don’t underestimate the menace of the lounge lizard Phil!

Russian parasailing donkey

I am now back in London getting ready for my Poker Milion heat on the 29th. I am also going to be playing the WPT London at the end of August.

The front page of the Sun newspaper today is all about a Russian parasailing donkey. I deplore the animal cruelty of these Russians but at the same time I got a phone call from one of Russian poker’s finest in the form of Alex Kravchenko.

Alex the Russian parasailing donkey is going to be joining me at WPT London – what would a Russian bike riding parasailing donkey look like? He’s going to find out! Bring it on! Come and join me by qualifying online at PartyPoker.com now.