World Poker Tour Merit Cyprus Classic Day 1A: John Tabatabai Leads the Way

Poker history was fabricated in the Eurasian island country of Cyprus today as it played host to its aboriginal anytime International poker tournament. Abounding Tilt Poker and the World Poker Tour teamed up with the Merit Crystal Cove Hotel and Casino to barrage the 1st Annual WPT Merit Cyprus Classic.

Perhaps the a lot of alien stop on the WPT’s 2009-2010 schedule, the accident has garnered aboriginal acclaim from its aboriginal beachcomber of participants, abounding of whom accustomed aboriginal to yield abounding advantage of the resort’s all-embracing amenities and prime littoral absolute estate. If top apex formed around, however, bank shades angry into poker shades and afterwards a few aperture animadversion from acclaimed Clash Director Jack McClellan, the cards were in the air.

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Day 1a drew a bashful acreage of 91 runners, comprised of a advantageous antithesis of acclimatized pros, online qualifiers, bounded grinders and accidental players. World Series of Poker Main Accident champions Dan Harrington (1995) and Huck Seed (1996) came out to play this afternoon, as did four-time WSOP armlet champ Jeffrey Lisandro. Other notables in the acreage were Shaun Deeb, Ludovic Lacay, Antonio "The Magician" Esfandiari, Roy "The Oracle" Winston, Sorel Mizzi, Soren Kongsgaard, Danny Wong, John Monnette and Tommy Vedes, amidst others.

In absolute 63 players survived the Day 1a carnage, but it was Layne “back-to-back” Flack who blanket the aboriginal account afterwards he’d accumulated 120,000 in chips afterwards just one ninety-minute akin of play. He ailing at appropriate about 140,000, but ultimately accomplished the day with 112,675 in chips, acceptable for fifth abode all-embracing on the leaderboard.

About amid through the day, above World Series of Poker Europe Main Accident runner-up (2007) John Tabatabai bent a breach afterwards accepting it all in on the about-face with a set of tens adjoin Fatih Ozpolat’s queen-high straight. The river commutual the lath giving Tabatabai a abounding abode and subsequently, the all-embracing dent lead. From that moment on he never looked back, eventually bagging a field-leading 178,275 in chips.

Jeffrey Lisandro and Shaun Deeb were the a lot of noteworthy casualties of Day 1a, followed by bounded Cypriot pros Cemil Kara and Huseyin Yilmaz.

Action resumes tomorrow afternoon at 12:00 p.m. bounded time (GMT+3) if the additional Day 1 flight invades the Merit Crystal Cove clash room. Team Abounding Tilt pros Howard Lederer, John Juanda, Chris Ferguson, Phil Gordon, Gus Hansen, Patrik Antonius, Andy Bloch, Erik Seidel and Erick Lindgren are all accepted to access the fray, and PokerNews will be on duke throughout the day bringing you reside updates, dent counts, photos and absolute videos anon from the clash floor.

World Poker Tour Merit Cyprus Classic Day 1A: John Tabatabai Leads the Way

Poker history was fabricated in the Eurasian island country of Cyprus today as it played host to its aboriginal anytime International poker tournament. Abounding Tilt Poker and the World Poker Tour teamed up with the Merit Crystal Cove Hotel and Casino to barrage the 1st Annual WPT Merit Cyprus Classic.

Perhaps the a lot of alien stop on the WPT’s 2009-2010 schedule, the accident has garnered aboriginal acclaim from its aboriginal beachcomber of participants, abounding of whom accustomed aboriginal to yield abounding advantage of the resort’s all-embracing amenities and prime littoral absolute estate. If top apex formed around, however, bank shades angry into poker shades and afterwards a few aperture animadversion from acclaimed Clash Director Jack McClellan, the cards were in the air.

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Day 1a drew a bashful acreage of 91 runners, comprised of a advantageous antithesis of acclimatized pros, online qualifiers, bounded grinders and accidental players. World Series of Poker Main Accident champions Dan Harrington (1995) and Huck Seed (1996) came out to play this afternoon, as did four-time WSOP armlet champ Jeffrey Lisandro. Other notables in the acreage were Shaun Deeb, Ludovic Lacay, Antonio "The Magician" Esfandiari, Roy "The Oracle" Winston, Sorel Mizzi, Soren Kongsgaard, Danny Wong, John Monnette and Tommy Vedes, amidst others.

In absolute 63 players survived the Day 1a carnage, but it was Layne “back-to-back” Flack who blanket the aboriginal account afterwards he’d accumulated 120,000 in chips afterwards just one ninety-minute akin of play. He ailing at appropriate about 140,000, but ultimately accomplished the day with 112,675 in chips, acceptable for fifth abode all-embracing on the leaderboard.

About amid through the day, above World Series of Poker Europe Main Accident runner-up (2007) John Tabatabai bent a breach afterwards accepting it all in on the about-face with a set of tens adjoin Fatih Ozpolat’s queen-high straight. The river commutual the lath giving Tabatabai a abounding abode and subsequently, the all-embracing dent lead. From that moment on he never looked back, eventually bagging a field-leading 178,275 in chips.

Jeffrey Lisandro and Shaun Deeb were the a lot of noteworthy casualties of Day 1a, followed by bounded Cypriot pros Cemil Kara and Huseyin Yilmaz.

Action resumes tomorrow afternoon at 12:00 p.m. bounded time (GMT+3) if the additional Day 1 flight invades the Merit Crystal Cove clash room. Team Abounding Tilt pros Howard Lederer, John Juanda, Chris Ferguson, Phil Gordon, Gus Hansen, Patrik Antonius, Andy Bloch, Erik Seidel and Erick Lindgren are all accepted to access the fray, and PokerNews will be on duke throughout the day bringing you reside updates, dent counts, photos and absolute videos anon from the clash floor.

PokerStars European Poker Tour Barcelona Day 2: Bertrand "ElkY" Grospellier Picking Up Steam

The actual 240 players alternate today to abide their adventure in the Main Event of the 2009 PokerStars European Poker Tour Barcelona. It didn't yield continued for things to get hot and abundant as about 100 players were alone from activity aural the aboriginal two levels of play.

Amongst those to avenue aboriginal were poker icons Freddy Deeb and Daniel Negreanu. Deeb had his queens ashamed by an opponent's abridged kings aboriginal in the day and was larboard acutely crippled, to be alone anon thereafter. Deeb did endure best than Negreanu though, who absent two big pots aural account of one addition to accord abroad his six-figure stack. Sandra Naujoks, Leo Margets and Florian Langmann aswell fabricated aboriginal exits to the rail.

Matt Woodward began the day as the dent baton with 193,300. A little added than two hours later, Woodward begin himself acquiescent a assemblage alert that size, acknowledgment to a big addition if he took his ace-king up adjoin Craig Bergeron's ace-queen. With his duke captivation up, Woodward alone Bergeron and ample up about 400,000 chips. Throughout the day, a brace of big pots bootless to go his way though, banishment him to accomplishment up with about 200,000 chips.

Both Samer Rahman and Bertrand "ElkY" Grospellier acclimated their aggressiveness to body ample dent endless during today's play. Rahman was complex in abundant ample pots, causing his assemblage to go through absolutely a roller coaster ride. On the added hand, ElkY was quiet for a lot of of the day, but as the players approached the balloon his aggressiveness increased. He consistently aloft and put as abundant burden on his table as he could, abusing the tighter players and accepting admired chips in the process.

Approximately eight-hours into play, the balloon burst. Lex Veldhuis took a massive hit just a few spots off the money if he got his basal set adjoin a amateur captivation a brace and a beeline draw. The river agenda completed his opponent’s straight, causing Veldhuis to lose about all of his chips. A few easily later, Veldhuis was beatific packing. Just moments later, the money was accomplished and play concluded for the night.

Amongst the actual 72 players abiding for Day 3 are Mike "Timex" McDonald, Roland de Wolfe, Thierry Van Den Berg, Marc Goodwin and Noah Boeken.

Canadian Matt Lapossie begin himself aloft the leaderboard if things were all said and done closing out the day with a few big pots and bushing his bag with about 700,000 chips.

Play will resume tomorrow at 12:30 p.m. bounded time (GMT+2) area the plan is to play down to the final three tables of action.

The Good Fortune of the November Nine Continues

Although there are abounding absorbing phenomena in poker, the absorbing performances of November Nine players is arguably the a lot of interesting. Since the November Nine's birth in 2008, a amount of the players that were advantageous abundant to accomplish the World Series of Poker Main Event final table accept managed to do able-bodied in tournaments afterwards sealing their acknowledgment in November.

In 2008, Peter Eastgate, Ivan Demidov, Dennis Phillips, and Ylon Schwartz fabricated abysmal runs in assorted tournaments. This year the accumulation is getting led by Kevin Schaffel acknowledgment to his second-place accomplishment at the contempo World Poker Tour Legends of Poker. He is abutting by adolescent 2009 November Nine affiliate Steven Begleiter who aswell put on a solid achievement by snagging the ninth-place atom at Legends.

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Many accept approved to amount out why the November Nine accept such solid runs afterwards logging their cachet as a Main Event finalist, but it is difficult to attach down one acumen in accurate as there are a amount of factors that appear into play. The aboriginal acumen for the group's success lies in the group's aplomb levels. Afterwards acquisition all but eight players in the Main Event, these players are benumbed top from accepting baffled the majority of the acreage and accepting that absolute mind-set is acute if you wish to accumulate bearing results.

The additional accessible acumen why associates of the November Nine acquisition success is that they aren't abashed about authoritative the money in added events. In added words, because they accept already calm a little over a million, these players accept no advisedly about demography risks during play because they are not anxious with their banking situations. One acumen humans like Phil Ivey is because he doesn't anticipate about his buy-in money. This enables him to do things that scared-tight players are abashed to and it gives him a big advantage over his opponents. This aforementioned aftereffect appears to be accident with the November Nine.

A third achievability lies with the abundance akin the November Nine players have. Again, it is acute for players to be in the appropriate apperception set if they are playing, so not affirmation about life's annoying circadian problems is a big thing. These humans no best accept to anguish about paying for academy or affairs that additional home in Florida. They now accept the agency to yield affliction of their families and this is a big affair for a lot of people. If players are chargeless from added distractions, they can artlessly focus on the bold and do what they do best: play poker.

The fourth and arguably the a lot of absorbing achievability is that these players are artlessly active well. Whether you alarm it luck or variance, a amateur has to win acute easily during a clash to go deep. Sometimes it happens and sometimes it doesn't, but for some reason, the associates of the November Nine abide to win easily behindhand of the allowance they face. Although accomplishment plays the absolute role if it comes to getting acknowledged over the continued term, it absolutely doesn't aching if the cards are falling your way.

In the end, it may be absurd to explain why the November Nine accept done so well, but one affair is for certain, if this arrangement continues, November Nine associates will abide to accomplish at the accomplished levels (at atomic until they appear aback in November).

Chris Ferguson, Greg Raymer and Jason Alexander Headline Tonight's WSOP Main Event Advantage on ESPN

ESPN's World Series of Poker Main Event advantage enters its third anniversary tonight with two back-to-back episodes premiering at 8:00 p.m. EDT. On tonight's broadcast, Hollywood takes on some of poker's a lot of busy champions as actor Jason Alexander goes toe-to-toe with Greg Raymer at the featured table.

Seven above Main Event champions survived to play Day 2, including Chris "Jesus" Ferguson, who will be featured in hour one. Also accepting in some TV face time are Phil Laak, Jennifer Tilly, Mike Matusow, and Everybody Loves Raymond's Brad Garrett.

As hour two unfolds, Raymer, Matusow and Ferguson set their architect on the final table while Alexander and Garrett set out to prove that their poker abilities are no bedlam matter.

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If you're still agog for more, accomplish abiding to analysis out ESPN.com's The Inside Deal hosted by ESPN poker editor Andrew Feldman, ESPN the Magazine contributor Laura Lane and ESPN.com columnist Bernard Lee. Today's appearance appearance appearances from Victor Ramdin and Adam "Roothlus" Levy. Ramdin will altercate how he got his alpha in the bold and what he's abstruse from his poker mentor, Phil Ivey.

Feldman is captivated with the show's progress. "The appearance continues to appear calm able-bodied and with big names such as Daniel Negreanu, Joe Sebok, Greg Raymer, and Steve Begleiter advancing on the appearance soon, we're aflame for the next few months," he said.

The WSOP Main Event affectedness tonight on ESPN, and for the latest adventure of The Inside Deal, hit up ESPN.com.

Pool, Poker & Pain Set to Become a Absoluteness Television Show

urrently, a deluge of poker television shows are hitting the airwaves, but it looks as admitting addition appearance that already afresh appearance poker is on the horizon. Upcoming absoluteness affairs Pool, Poker & Pain promises affluence of action-packed action for admirers as appearance contestants battle it out on the poker and basin acquainted afore aggravating to bang ass during the Mixed Martial Arts allocation of the show. Yes, you apprehend that right. Anyone will assuredly accept accepted acumen to beating anyone out afterwards adversity a bad beat.

Led by appearance creator, aerialist and adversary Blair Thein, the soon-to-air affairs has activate abutment from a array of ally including Brand In Entertainment (35 years in the commercial industry) Iwan Simonis, Inc., (one of the world's oldest and and a lot of acclaimed billiard bolt producers), Investors Resource Alliance LLC and KO Dynasty (roster of 30+ MMA fighters).

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Although Thein and aggregation are still alive on the final appearance architecture afore they activate shooting, it appears as admitting these base contestants will accept affluence of agitative moments as they action their way to the acme of the appearance that will affection a reside accident at a Las Vegas casino. According to the show's Web site, Pool, Poker and Pain offers something for all kinds of sports fans. "The absorption in the character and action that surrounds this project, forth with contempo developments advance me to accept that 2009 is the year that Pool, Poker and Pain will shine,” Thein said.

The show's architecture will accept contestants activate a bout by arena pool. Afterwards a champ is declared, contestants will arch to the poker felt. Afterwards a adversary annihilates an adversary at the poker table, he put on gloves and mix it up in the "Circle of Truth," a 32-foot action cage.

To advice abutment Thein's four-year dream, he is in the action of landing several multitalented coaches to drillmaster contestants and to advice ensure the program's address to audiences. Although the appearance is still in the action of landing a poker pro drillmaster and a MMA coach, they accept landed pro Rodney Morris to act as the drillmaster for the basin allotment of the show.

The Nightly Turbo: UIGEA News, UB for Mac, and More

he Nightly Turbo works harder to save you time so you can plan on your game. We're not crumbling time today; actuality are the top stories.

A Win, No Matter How Small, is Still a Win

According to Gambling911, although a 3rd Circuit Cloister has upheld the Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act (UIGEA), the cloister fabricated the UIGEA a little added clear.

"The 3rd Circuit accommodation on our UIGEA claiming came aback this morning. They upheld the law, but as adumbrated by questions during articulate arguments, they assume to be adage - �if the accompaniment breadth the bet is placed says internet bank is illegal, again processing that transaction is illegal'...meaning that it is not actionable if the accompaniment doesn't accept a law adage internet bank is illegal," said Head of iMega, Joe Brennan Jr.

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Qualify for the WCOOP alone at PokerStars

Currently, based on the decision, alone six states accomplish it actionable to activity online; so this was a baby footfall in the appropriate administration for the approaching of Internet gambling.

Check out the cloister accommodation book here.

A Eurolinx Story

Last anniversary we told you about some Microgaming banknote that were accepting liquidated. We stumbled beyond a cilia on TwoPlusTwo by Marc Karam, a sponsored pro of the Eurolinx aggregation for three years. He was allegedly scammed by his above sponsor for at atomic six abstracts and he angry down a advocacy accord with a acclaimed website because of his adherence to the Eurolinx brand. There are a amount of added players who accept apparent their bankrolls abandon because of the defalcation as well. Durrrr purportedly has $183k ashore on Eurolinx as well. The players accept advised acknowledged activity to get their money back, but according to the post, the money is gone.

Read added on TwoPlusTwo.

Ultimate Bet for Your Mac

Mac users, you accept something abroad (on top of the Snow Leopard release) to be blessed about. Ultimate Bet has appear a Mac-compatible online poker client.

“Our aggregation strives to accomplish our poker allowance attainable to as abounding humans as possible, and we admit that Apple computers accept a growing bazaar allotment in the claimed accretion industry," said Tokwiro Chief Operating Officer Paul Leggett. "In acknowledgment to this trend we accept developed an all new download poker appliance accurately for the Mac Operating System.”

Whether you accept a PC or a Mac, you can assurance up for an Ultimate Bet annual through PokerNews and yield advantage of our abundant bonuses.

Partouche Poker Tour Update

The Partouche Poker Tour Main Accident at the Palm Bank Casino in Cannes started off with a bang. Over 200 players confused through the doors acrimonious their bench numbers blindly out of costly clover accoutrements in foreground of rows of cameras. The 90-minute levels and 30k starting assemblage benefited the allegorical bendable field. After 11 hours of play, 150 players from Day 1A survived to see Day 2.

It should appear as no abruptness at the quintessential French poker clash that Frenchmen advance the pack. Xavier Arnal leads the way with 164,300 chips. A scattering of big names, and some not so big, braved a day after the sun and cream of southern France for their adventitious at the €3 actor affirmed cost pool.

Notables still in the acreage cover Alex Kravenchenko just alfresco the leaderboard with 107,475 chips. Finnish Pro Jani Sointula not absolution his hair down captured 95,275 and Mike Matusow, a accurate army favorite, bethink they adulation Jerry Lewis here, has 86,250.

Hoping to bolt some of the drive of his EPT Kyiv Final Table appearance, adolescent Russian pro Vitaly Tolokonnikov, has 60,325 and Winamax pro Arnaud Mattern is the beeline of abbreviate endless accepting just 10 big blinds to his name.

The Poker Trifecta of Phil Laak, Jennifer Tilly and Antonio Esfandari came, alien and shoved off on Day 1A not to acknowledgment the "Paddington Bear of Poker," Roland De Wolfe.

There will definately be a new baron of this alcazar as 2008 champ Alain Roy was one of the abounding casualties on Day 1A. No charge to feel apologetic for those who are no best with us. The Palm Bank Casino adapted the bank and basin breadth this year. Column tourney abounding players were spotted accepting their tan on and abating themselves with a bank appearance and canteen of red.

Everyone acknowledge Gloria for the amend by afterward her on twitter.

In Case You Missed It

It could be just us, but it seems that acceptable a affiliate of the November Nine helps your "run-good." It happened with Ivan Demidov in 2008 and this year, Kevin Schaffel accomplished additional in the WPT Legends of Poker accident with Steven Begleiter demography 9th. We're aggravating our best to amount it out in The Good Fortune of the November Nine Continues.

Day 2 advantage of the WSOP Main Accident on ESPN affectedness tonight. And if that's not abundant poker for you, you can bolt ESPN's Inside Accord as well. Wonder who is featured tonight? We accept the scoop.

More poker is advancing to your TV screen, this time in the anatomy of a absoluteness TV show. Pool, Poker & Pain is the name of the appearance and it will beset just that. A basin match, a poker tournament, and then, the advantageous contestants will battle it out in the cage, MMA style. Check out Pool, Poker & Pain Set to Become a Absoluteness Television Appearance for more.