It's Usually Fun To Go Quading With Your Friends

This post is for all those players that cry that on-line poker is fixed...

Well I guess it is sponsored by Party Poker!

Negreanu Goes All In Then Calls Twice

Daniel Negreanu is well known for reading players and calling out their hand.  This video is way more impressive than any of those reads.  Watch the video below from the 2005 NBC National Heads Up Championship to see what I am talking about...

Are you serious?  And to do it on National TV?  How sick is that?

Shulman Drops a Duece, Ivey Flushes

The moment in poker captured in the video below has by itself allowed millions of players to justify their terrible lack of attention at the table and has kept at least some percentage of the fish out there playing.  If they think Ivey makes plays like this and is the greatest player in the world, then just maybe they aren't so bad after all.

You can't make a mistake like that at the table and not have to answer for it.  Here is Ivey explaining the hand...

The Birth of an Aneurysm

I am currently reading a Phil Hellmuth book (again) that I will be reviewing in a later post.  In honour of the upcoming review, I give you a random Poker Brat video...

I seriously would love to see Hellmuth and Lemon at a table.  You know they would end up mixing it up and after the hand was over, (and it would be really gross) between Hellmuth's offensive and Lemon's relentless defence the hand yammering would never end.

ESPN coverage would be extended a couple of extra hours, even with the edits.

Welcome to the Jean-Robert Bellande Show

I really enjoy this clip.  I know Jean-Robert could have been a candidate for some of you in the "which pro would you rather punch in the face" poll, but I like the guy.  I think as a contestant on Survivor the best parts of his personality ended up on the cutting room floor.  From what I read, most of the pros like him as a person, although they might state the obvious when they say he has a few leaks in his game.  Jason Spades and I met him at Aria where he acts as a casino host for Ivey's Room, and he was really personable to us.

Like him or hate him, enjoy this clip!

Poker in Music - Prahlad Friedman - "In the Main Event" (with bonus Manny Pacquiao - "Sometimes When We Touch")

In the 2009 World Series of Poker, this little piece of Prahlad Friedman magic made a splashed the pot of the poker world...

Maybe some people are meant to do only one thing really really good.  Take for instance Manny Pacquiao, one of the greatest boxers ever.  His latest music single was promoted this past father's day as "the perfect father's day gift".  Listen, and tell me how wrong that is.

The Gambler - By Elvis Presley?

The Gambler - performed by Elvis impersonator, Doug Church.  The actual video contains Elvis Presley footage.  Enjoy!

Jennifer Harman vs Corey Zeidman - 2005 WSOP

Jennifer Harman is one of the classiest poker players around.  Corey Zeidman is Corey Zeidman.  I'm not sure that Corey Zeidman has any idea where he is at at any point in this hand.  Harman on the other hand knows exactly what Zeidman has.  I can't think of too many tells that Zeidman didn't show in this one.

2011 WSOP Event 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 & 15 Winners - First Canadian Bracelet and the Star Wars Kid!

Event #8:  No-Limit Hold'em

Sean Getzwiller - Event # 8 winner

Buy-in: $1 000
Prizepool:  $1 760 200
Entries:  4 178

First place money:  $611 185

The $1 000 buy in is considered a "donkement" where you need to have skill and luck if you have a shot of making it beyond the first few levels.  This one had an interesting story line that came to light when the tournament got down to 6 players.  It was discovered that a manufacture's defect was on a number of the cards, including all 4 of spades.  The last 6 players were moved to a dimly lit table where the muck wouldn't be visible and play carried on.  The heads up battle between Sean Getzwiller and Sadan Turker lasted 6 hours with high stakes pro Jon "PearlJammer" Turner finishing in 3rd.


Event #10:  No-Limit Hold'em / Six Handed

Geffrey Klein - Event #10 winner

Buy-in: $1 500
Prizepool:  $2 592 000
Entries:  1 920

First place money:  $544 388

The guy wins a WSOP bracelet and is a gynaecologist.  Congratulations Geffrey. 

Event #11:  Omaha Hi-Low Split-8 or Better Championship

Viacheslav Zhukov - Event # 11 winner

Buy-in: $10 000
Prizepool:  $1 898 800
Entries:  202

First place money:  $456 216

Russia finally gets on the board with it's first gold bracelet of this world series.  Don't be fooled by the chips and Viacheslav's shirt - this is 2011, not 1985.  Notable finishes include Josh Ariah (9th), Mike Sexton (15th), Freddy Deeb (20th) and Jason Mercier (27th)

Event #12:  Triple Chance No-Limit Hold'em

David Diaz - Event #12 winner

Buy-in: $1 500
Prizepool:  $1 809 000
Entries:  1 340

First place money:  $352 808

At the final table David Diaz was well behind in chips when he chopped back to back pots that he was well behind in before he got down to the business of winning.  Bill Chen finished 4th, J.C. Tran in 28th and Andy Black in 30th.

Event #13:  No-Limit Hold'em Shootout (2 000 Max)

Andrew Badecker - Event # 13 winner

Buy-in: $1 500
Prizepool:  $1 944 000
Entries:  1 440

First place money:  $369 371

Congratulations to Andrew Badecker who cut through the competition like a light sabre microphone stand through a high school music room.

Is it possible that Andrew Badecker is AKA The Star Wars Kid?  If not, this is definitely another candidate for separated at birth!  I'll bet we see him enter Event 65 - $1 500 No Limit Cage Fighting with a Fire Poker.

Event #14:  Limit Hold'em

Tyler Bonkowski - Event 14 winner

Buy-in: $3 000
Prizepool:  $920 010
Entries:  337

First place money:  $220 817

That's one happy Good Old Canadian Prairie boy holding the latest gold bracelet.  Tyler Bonkowski is from Regina and wasn't the only Canadian with a good showing in this event.  Sorel Mizzi might be more famous than Tyler, but he topped out in 16th.  Perennial casher, Shawn Buchanan from Abbotsford finished in 20th.  Nice work fellas!

Event #15:  Pot Limit Hold'em

Brian Rast - Event #15 winner

Buy-in: $1 500
Prizepool:  $1 032 750
Entries:  765

First place money:  $227 232

Brian Rast returned home from a 2 month stay in Brazil when he ran into Antonio Esfandiari who happens to be his neighbour.  Rast had no intention of playing this pot limit event, but Esfandiari would have none of it and paid Rast's way in.  Who could turn that down?  The rest is poker history.

Coming in 2nd in this event is pokerroad favourite - Allen "The Chainsaw" Kessler.  You can see his infamy enshrined on 100% cotton here - Allen Kessler T-Shirt

The next update will include the incredible final table from Event 17 which is currently running.  As I type, John Juanda is battling heads up against 11 time WSOP bracelet winner, Phil Hellmuth Jr.

Poll Results - Have You Seen Rounders?

In a totally unsurprisingly unanimous result - Rounders was the poker movie that every one who voted would recommend you see.  This reminds me of being in Vegas and having everyone of us at all of our tables ask every new players "Have you ever seen Rounders?"  The more players that came and left, the funnier it got to those players at the table that had heard it asked all night long!

If you haven't seen it - do it now; before the fabled Rounders 2 actually gets made.

WHAT POKER MOVIES WOULD YOU RECOMMEND? (CHOOSE AS MANY AS YOU'D LIKE)

The Perfect Flop

You wait all session for a flop to hit you smack in the face and when it finally does, it connects just as hard with two others.  Then it gets interesting!

Negreanu vs Hansen - High Stakes Poker

This is probably the hand I remember most vividly from all the High Stakes Poker games I've watched. It hurts to watch. You've been warned.

The Best Possible Hand Ever Possible in the History of Poker!

Check out this hand and then try and tell me your bad beat story!

Poll Results

WHICH POKER PRO WOULD YOU RATHER PUNCH IN THE FACE? (MULTIPLE SELECTIONS ALLOWED)

Well he's certainly not lacking confidence now is he...

I wonder if the G stands for "glass jaw".

Now everybody look to the right and see the next poll (multiple selections allowed).

Laak The Doors

I will be adding video clips to the rotation of this blog's regular features.

For the clips of hands that have been played at levels slightly higher than ours, I will start us off with a very entertaining hand.  Maybe I find it entertaining because it reminds me of Me (Dwan) vs Brain Kramp (Laak) at our home game....

Enjoy!

Stripes Excerpt - Great John Candy Poker Clip!