May 2005 Archives

"This was a short breath from heaven"
--PokerStars player downtheline shortly after winning the $500,000 Guranteed tournament on 5/29/05

Why should he have any hope? I mean, many of us have been there before. We reach a final table in a big tournament but have barely enough chips to survive a few orbits. So, why should downtheline have any hope, with the blinds at $10,000/$20,000 and he just holding $150,000 in chips?

Well, that's what poker players are good at. They hope. Even when their chances at winning a hand are reduced to a mere two outs, poker players still hope.

Downtheline is no stranger to hope, nor hopes realized. We'll get to that later, though.

So, who IS this guy?

So, a man tough enough to win a big one like this has to be some tough, young, chip-slinging punk, right? Well, no. In fact, downtheline is a sensitive sort. He owns a ladies' boutique in Pompano Beach, FL and maintains a unfettered love for his grandkids. That, though, is where the soft guy image ends.

The former Marine spent 13 and a half months in Vietnam and has essentially been his own boss ever since.

A life-long stud player, the 62-year-old man found No-limit Hold'em after Chris Moneymaker's storybook run from PokerStars to World Champion.

Married for 40 years, downtheline keeps his head on straight in two ways. First, he plays third base for the Southern Yankees, part of the Men's Senior Baseball League in Florida.

"Baseball is Life, the rest is just details," he said.

Even at age 62, downtheline plays every inning of every game and gets most of his hits down the right field line. Any question how he got his screen name?

And when baseball can't center his poker game, a little sign taped on his computer screen can.

It reads, "No tilt."

"Just like on the pinball machines when I was growing up," he said.

Rushing down the line

Is there anything better than a good rush?

Just a few weeks back, downtheline became the 21st PokerStars player to win a free seat for the World Series of Poker main event with Frequent Player Points on PokerStars.

"When I won that one, I knew I was becoming a better tournament player," he said.

With the WSOP just weeks away, downtheline decided to get in some multi-table work and took down a tournament with 1,472 people in it. After that, came the next logical step.

"I thought it would be a good idea to get my feet wet in a live tourney," he said.

So a couple of weeks ago, he played a $200 buy-in at the Hard Rock in Florida and took it down as well.

Maybe downtheline knows something I don't.

"Since I've been playing No-limit Hold Em," he said "I've been to seven final tables and never finished anywhere but first. I hope I'm not getting spoiled, because I know that's not going to continue forever."

A two-outer worth an extra $60,000

Downtheline will be one of the first people to talk deal at a final table. Just a few weeks back he offered a deal when he got heads up with with his opponent and his opponent (holding two aces, by the way) refused. After losing to the two aces, downtheline clawed his way back and won the whole thing.

So it happened when he got heads up with PICKLED EGG, downtheline was ready to deal. When Lee Jones offered the standard chop figures, PICKLED EGG wanted more and downtheline refused to relent, believing in his heart that what he calls the "chip chop curse" would set in on PICKLED EGG eventually.

"I knew it was just a matter of time for him," downtheline said. The fact he had a 3-1 chip lead couldn't have hurt his confidence either.

You can read the whole final table report in the post below this one. Regardless, downtheline's two-outer to crack PICKLED EGG's aces is now a matter of some lore.

Downtheline is unrepentant. "I do not feel at all bad about winning with two outer," he said. In fact, he said he had been a victim of a two-outer twice in the same tournament he won.

So, downtheline, you've won the $500K. What are you going to do now?

Now, it's family time again. Funny thing. Downtheline and his wife had already planned a trip with their grandkids. Wanna guess where they are going?

"We're going to Disneyland," he said.

When 1293 people entered PokerStars Sunday $500,000 Guaranteed tournament and built a prize pool of $646,500, few would've predicted how the final hand would play out. The difference in prize money between first and second was more than $60,000.

Here's a blatant and unapologetic bit of foreshadowing: a two-outer spelled the $60,000 difference.


Click on image for full sized version

When the final table began with blinds at $10,000/$20,000, downtheline could not have had a great deal of hope. He had less than eight big blinds and only a poker player's hope of making it farther in the tournament.

In the small blind, downtheline sat in the small blind and smaller-stacked MadManMund pushed in the rest of his 80,872 in chips with A5. Downtheline had no choice but to push in his remaining 115,948 with KK. Dangdokodang did downtheline a huge favor by calling with AJ. Three eights and no aces on the board nearly tripled downtheline up and gave him the new life he'd been hoping for just moments before. Downtheline's win sent MadManMund out in ninth place for $9697.50.

Surrey, with just a couple of big blinds left decided to call all-in with JTs and faced machine0001's Q9s. Machine001 paired his nice and sent Surrey out in eighth place for $14,869.50

I was pleased to see a familiar face at the final table and further pleased he granted me permission to use his name and picture here.

Anders Berg, aka Donald, is one of Norway's greatest players. I met him for the first time in London at the World Cup of Poker where he established himself as a tremendous and ruthless heads-up player. It's rare a poker player will admit learning from another player, but I learned a great deal watching Berg play for a few days.

Donald showed he was unafraid tonight as well and it paid off for a while. In fact, the hand that busted PamelaG shot Donald to the moon. PamelaG moved all in for more than 137,000 with A9s. Downtheline called and Donald decided to see a flop. That flop came own QT8 in PamelaG's suit and Donald pushed all in. After some thought downtheline folded, saying he was laying down AQ. If it was true, he was likely sick to see Donald's QJ of diamonds. PamelaG never caught another heart and took off in seventh place for $21,334.50

Lee Jones: Good game Pamela - thank you for playing here today.

Downtheline had found new life and and the will to battle the big dogs...and big ducks, like Donald. Donald raised three times the big blind under the gun and downtheline smooth called in the small blind. The flop came down 447. Donald bet out and downtheline immediately pushed all in. Donald thought and thought and finally called with A7. It was no good to downtheline's QQ. Donald didn't improve, was crippled, and left shortly thereafter in sixth place. He cashed for $27,799.50.

Lee Jones: Good game Donald - well played

Maciste soon fell victim to downtheline as well. Downtheline called under the gun, so maciste simply called for 20,000 more in the small blind. PICKLED EGG checked his option. The flop came down 752 with two hearts. Maciste bet out 80,000, PICKLED EGG folded, and downtheline pushed all-in. Maciste had Q5 and had to be a little sick to see downtheline's slow-played KK. Maciste took fifth place and $34,264.50.

Lee Jones: Congratulations maciste - you just won over $34K - great match

The second ugliest hand of the night came at the expense of the oddly named dangdokodang. Needing to double through soon, dangdokodang made a standard raise preflop and then got all his chips in on a flop of 726. Machine0001 was happy to call with a set of deuces to beat dangdokodang's...pair of aces. For fourth place dangdokodang took $42,022.50.

Lee Jones: Tough beat dangdok - great game, though - you win $42K

With three players left, PICKLED EGG and downtheline were ready to talk about a deal. Machine0001 politely refused and it was evident why. He'd picked up AQ and
doubled through downtheline after downtheline called machine0001's all in with A5.

Somehow, machine0001's got PICKLED EGG excited and he uttered, "Lets go baby."

The only place machine0001 would be going was home in third place. With the chip lead, he called downtheline's all-in and found his pair of sevens were up against downtheline's queens. The hand crippled him and maybe, just maybe, made him wish he'd accepted the deal. He took third and a not unsubstantial $56,892.

Lee Jones: Good match machine - you win almost $57K!

With the non-deal-maker out of the way, the two remaining players were ready to talk deal. But when Lee Jones offered his standard formula for the chop, PICKLED EGG, facing a 3-1 chip deficit, said he didn't like it. He wanted about $4,000 more.

PICKLED EGG: The formula favors a big stack, there should be consideration for small stack getting more.

Downtheline, who liked his 2-1 chip lead, even with just a $4,000 difference, refused to be a wilting lily and said...

downtheline: 2nd place is $87,700......want that?

PICKLED EGG: lets get it on !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! NOW

And so it continued, a heads-up match, and perhaps a bit of a grudge-match.

PICKLED EGG was the first to hit big. From the small blind he called and downtheline checked his option. The flop came down QhJd8s. Downtheline bet out and PICKLED EGG smooth-called. The turn was an ace. Downtheline checked, PICKLED EGG bet out and downtheline moved all in. PICKLED EGG called with J8, two pair, cracking downtheline's AK.

After some back-and-forth battle, finally it came time for the $60,000 hand...

PICKLED EGG called from the small blind and downtheline checked. The flop came down 3h9s5c. PICKLED EGG bet out, downtheline quadrupled the bet and PICKLED EGG moved all in. Downtheline, who would've been close to even in chips with PICKLED EGG if he lost, thought for a moment then called, showing A5 to...

PICKLED EGG's AA.

Just in case I've failed to convey this already, the difference between first and second was more than $60,000. Further, just in case I've failed to convey this as well, only two cards in the deck would give downtheline the win.

Two fives left in the deck...

And one came on the turn.

Perhaps unable to control one final little jab, downtheline offered one last comment.

downtheline: wanna chop now?

PICKLED EGG did not respond.

Lee Jones: Tough beat Egg - great match both players!

PokerStars Sunday $500,000 Guaranteed Results 5/29/05

1st-- downtheline (Delray Beach, FL) $148,695
2nd-- Pickled Egg (Las Vegas, NV)$87,277.50
3rd-- Machine0001 (Raleigh, NC) $56,892
4th-- dangdokodang (Canada)$42,022.50
5th-- Maciste (Lana, IT) $34,264.50
6th-- Donald (Oslo, NO) $27,799.50
7th-- PamelaG (Bushey, GB) $21,334.50
8th-- Surrey (Surrey BC, CA) $14,869.50
9th-- MadManMund (Oviedo, FL) $9697.50

This time a week ago I was somewhere over the Atlantic, an iPod shooting music into my ears to drown out the three kids two rows in front of me, and wondering if I could stand another viewing of "National Treasure" on the seatback screen in front of me (the answer was a firm no).

Now, we're a week removed from the World Cup of Poker and fully involved in another big week at PokerStars.

First, an announcement. If you haven't noticed yet, PokerStars is now offering $1 Sit & Go tournaments. Each of the tournaments is comprised of 45 players and pays out seven places. As I type in the middle of the afternoon, 13 of the contests are running. It's a great, cheap way to work on your SNG skills.

Now, a quick week in review:

If you're a frequent reader of poker blogs or forums, you've no doubt seen a lot of conversations about people playing as a team online. In an effort to clear up any confusion about the very clear line between team play and collusion, I reached out to PokerStars Poker Room Manager Lee Jones.

Brad: Lee, I've been reading a lot on poker blogs about team play online. What are you hearing about this?

Lee: Well, Brad, first we have be sure that we're talking about the same thing. If you mean "team play" as in "multiple players with cards exchanging information about those cards, helping each other, or hurting other players", that's cheating. We don't permit it and if we catch people doing it at PokerStars, we take their money and throw them off the site.

Brad: Of course. What I'm talking about is multiple players consulting each other on any given hand.

Lee : Right - and that's a completely different situation. Anybody who has played poker in a "brick and mortar" casino is familiar with the "one player to a hand" rule.

Brad: Right. You're a bit of a table captain on rules like that, I hear.

Lee: Heh. I do have something of a reputation about that. In my earlier days, I was always the first to complain about breaches of poker etiquette. And I'll admit that I still do it on occasion when I'm playing live.

Brad: But online is different.

Lee: Online is, indeed, different. There is simply no way to enforce a "one player to a hand" rule online. So we don't try. I firmly believe that it's bad policy in any organization or enterprise to have a rule you can't enforce. It breeds disdain for all the rules.

Brad: At the same time, I know our security guys are ever-alert for any kind of illegal collusion...that is, on the rules that are quite enforceable.

Lee: Exactly. And the key question here is: "How many poker hands are involved?" If three people are discussing *one* poker hand, then we permit it. If three people are discussing two or three poker hands at the same table, then it's collusion and we have a zero-tolerance policy.

Brad: So, say I'm taking my wife to Vegas and I want her to learn how to play a little no fold'em before we go and I stand behind her and help while she plays online?

Lee: Exactly. We permit that. And it's in large part because we have absolutely no way to police it. Unless we start aiming a webcam into your den, and we're just not interested in doing that. However, once you get to Vegas, please remember that she's going to have to play on her own.

Brad: Frankly, Lee, you don't want to see inside my den. And, even more frankly, it'd be better if you taught my wife to play. Thanks a bunch.

Lee: My pleasure Brad - thanks for the time.

So, there you go. And as aside, it really would be better if Lee taught my wife to play. What I didn't tell him is I tried to teach her to ski once and it was me that nearly ended up in the hospital. But that is another story for another day...

After a week on the road with the World Cup of Poker, the PokerStars blog is back at Blog HQ for a few weeks. That means we're back to high-dollar play and the regular Sunday night final table tournament report.

As the final table of Sunday's $350,000 Guaranteed began, the rail loved the man from Iceland, CASINOICE. He had a lot of chips, but he had one big foe to face: a giant ear of Golden Corn.


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With a few small stacks looking ready to bust at any moment, it was little surprise that we lost one player very quickly. With just 130,000 left in chips, MeltonOK got all his chips in the middle pre-flop with 55. J9 of Clubs, with only 300,000 himself, saw fit to call with a suited A7. MeltonOK looked to survive but J9 of Clubs spiked his ace no the flop and sent MeltonOK packing in ninth place for $6009.60

Lee Jones: You did better than OK, Melton - you did great.

J9 of Clubs would lay down another hurting shortly. He pushed all-in from the button for morre than 430,000 in chips and the blinds still at 20,000/40,000. Bill713 called all-in from the big blind with KJo. J9 of Clubs showed QJo. The board was not pretty for bill713. An eight and nine on he flop and ten on the turn gave J9 of Clubs the straight and a sizable chip stack. Bill713 had to settle for eighth place and $9515.20

Lee Jones: Ooh Bill - tough beat, but you made $9500 tonight - good job.

Like the first scene in a bad horror movie, jorwin simply ran into a monster. With more than 760,000 in chips, jorwin saw a smooth call from Golden Corn and a raise to 160,000 from CASINOICE. Looking down at AQ, jorwin pushed all in. Golden Corn got out of the way, but CASINOICE called with AA. The case ace on the flop was just a way to taunt jorwin as he departed in seventh place for $14,022.40

Lee Jones: Hey Jor - you win $14K - nice match!

FastEddie267 was getting low in chips and finally found AK and pushed all-in. CASINOICE found it easy to call with a pair of sevens. The flop brought an ace and FastEddie276 looked to double through. Then a seven fell on on the turn to give CASINOICE a set which eventually became a boat. FastEddie267 left in sixth place for $19,030.40.

Lee Jones: I'm afraid the game is over, Eddie. But you take $19K out of the pool hall.

Having held on this long, ZRobsUSC got all-in from his big blind with KJs. Golden Corn had raised with A6o and made an ace on the flop. ZRobsUSC took fifth place and a healthy $23,036.80.

Lee Jones: Good match Rob - and $23K is a good day's work!

Vdward met a similar fate shortly thereafter, pushing all-in against a raise from CASINOICE. Vdward held QJ to CASINOICE's K3s. CASINOICE made his king on the flop and sent vdward out in fourth place for $29,046.40.

Lee Jones: Good match vdward - there's $29K more in your account now.

The final three players battled back and forth for sometime, with Golden Corn taking a nice lead. J9 of Clubs decided to make a stand with A8o. He ran into Golden Corn's ATo and never improved. The standout player took third place and $37,059.20.

Lee Jones: Hey J9 - Great match! You just won $37K

Golden Corn finally had opened around a 5-1 chip lead against CASINOICE. On the final hand put in a raise and then called a re-raise from his opponent. The flop came down T4T with two hearts. Golden Corn bet out and CASINOICE shoved in the rest of his chips. CASINOICE showed Q8 of spades. GoldenCorn showed QJo with one heart. A six and ten fell on the turn and river. Golden Corn's jack out-kicked CASINOICE's eight and the match was over.

Lee Jones : Excellent match, both players!

PokerStars $350,000 Guaranteed Results 5-22-05

1st--Golden Corn (Hordaland, NO) $100,160
2nd--CASINOICE (Iceland) $60,096
3rd--J9 of Clubs (Richardson, TX) $37,059.20
4th--vdward (Colle Station, TX) $29,046.40
5th--ZRobsUSC (Columbia, SC) $23,036.80
6th--FastEddie267 (Mt. Pleasant, IA) $19,030.40
7th--jorwin (Malmo, SE) $14,022.40
8th--bill713 (Casselberry, FL)$9515.20
9th--MeltonOK (Noble, OK) $6009.60

Congratulations to all the players. This week, the money gets bigger with a $500,000 Guarantee.

Team Costa Rica

Like all the matches, the fifth match was taped on a closed television studio set. So, the non-playing members of the competing teams assembled in the bar. Team Norway grabbed a table near the front, many of the members requisitioning glasses of lager from the bar. Team Costa Rica sat close behind, a steady stream of cigarette smoke forming a small cloud over their table.

The bar area settled in for what figured to be a long match. Jose Rosenkrantz and Allan Dyrstad were both solid players who many assumed would grind out gains until they had a solid advantage over their opponent.

The first few hands were remarkable only in that the players were playing with no hands, but making big plays against each other. Rosenkrantz jumped out to an early lead by calling down with only queen-high against a Dyrstad bluff. Then, Dyrstad stormed back by victoriously pushing a bluff against Rosenkrantz's best hand.

The first big hand came at Dyrstad's peril. He came into the hand with AK and looked to play it to a win. But Rosenkrantz who came in with a mere 7T flopped a straight and milked a 2-1 chip lead before Dyrstad got away from the hand.

Then, just seven hands into the match, The Hand arrived.

Norway's Dyrstad found pocket queens and made the decision to play them slow. Rosenkrantz had 9T and got into the hand fairly cheaply. In retrospect, most people agreed that Rosenkrantz likely would've stayed in the hand for a raise anyway. Still, that doesn't necessarily soften what happened in the minutes to come.

The flop came nine high and Rosenkrantz put every one of his chips in the middle. What he didn't and likely couldn't know is that Dyrstad had the pair of nines dominated. Still, Dyrstad had quite a decision to make. On the line was the championship. Had Rosenkrantz miraculously flopped a set or two pair, Norway's hopes of winning the championship would be over.

Dyrstad went into the tank. In the bar, the Costa Rican team sensed the end was nigh. They clutched each other, begging for Dyrstad to be scared away. Dyrstad thought and thought. Finally, he said out loud that, after thinking, he believed if Rosenkrantz had a big hand he would not have pushed all-in. And because of that, "I call." It was the perfect read.

Team Norway's Age Spets celebrates after Dyrstad makes the call

In the bar, Team Costa Rica was crestfallen. They knew their man only had five outs. Two nines and three tens remained in the deck. The chances were slim. If they didn't come, Rosenkrantz would fall way behind and have to fight back against a very strong opponent.

Alex Brenes, under the weight of nearly sure loss, screams for one of three remaining tens

Surely, surely it would not come. The miracles, though in attendance, had been few and far between in the previous days. Surely the entire World Cup of Poker championship would not come down to a miracle.

Surely, it would.

The dealer pulled off the turn card and laid down a ten. And the room exploded.

Team Costa Rica celebrates

With a Costa Rican flag flying, the country's team exploded into their "Oh yay, oh yay, oh yay, oh yay, Tico, Tico!" soccer chant. If the room had been sitting on a balance of emotion, it would've sat evenly, as Norway couldn't believe what they saw.

Age Spets reacts to the miracle ten

With the weight of the curse lifted straight off their shoulders, Team Costa Rica could not be contained and sprang into uncontrolled cheers as their winner, Jose Rosenkrantz made his way back to the bar.

Jubilation

Jose Rosenkrantz, a country's pride

Left in the wake, the proud and now well-respected team from Norway. The teams wished each other well, and good sportsmanship ruled the day.

Runners up, Team Norway

Pokerstars.com wishes Team Costa Rica hearty congratulations for its second straight world title and thanks all the teams for an exicting World Cup of Poker.

Anders Berg (Team Norway)

VS

Terrence Chan (Team Costa Rica)

VS

After three days of play, we're headed into the final day of play with all four WCP teams still in battle. Costa Rica has opened up a 2-0 lead for the championship against rival Norway. Teams Austria and Scotland are 2-2 and will fight for third place in a final heat on Friday.

See below for reports all all of today's matches.

Tony Stewart (Team Scotland)

VS

Dietmar Wegerer (Team Austria)

Team Scotland had survived falling behind 2-0 in the first two heats of the third place final when Diamond Dave Veich scored a victory in the third heat. Still, the onus remained. If Scotland were to survive, Tony Stewart had to win against Austria's Dietmar Wegerer.

I fell into the commentary booth once again and wasn't quite sure how the match would go. Stewart had served as a guest commentator during Diamond Dave's match and I listened to him as he disected his teammates play. I put my money on Stewart and he didn't disappoint. He came into the game aggressively. Only once in the early rounds did he make an aggressive bluff and get called down.

The players battled evenly for a number of hands before Stewart opened up a small lead. Just as I thought we were in for a marathon session, the ultimate hand arrived.

Dietmar saw the flop with TT versus Tony's 89 of hearts. The flop came down 755 with two hearts. The players got all-in, Dietmar with an overpair, Tony with a straight flush draw. A jack of hearts on the river handed the match to Team Scotland, evening the playoff score and sending both teams into Friday.

Team Austria: 2, Team Scotland: 2

Sigi Stockinger (Team Austria)

VS


Dave Veitch (Team Scotland)

In the third and possibly final heat of the third place playoff, Team Austria looked to put the contest away. Noted European player Sigi Stockinger faced off against Diamond Dave Veitch.

It proved to be a short contest. In one of the two key hands in the 17-hand match, both players made a pair of queens on the turn. The river was named Action. It gave Stockinger two pair but handed Veitch a flush. Stockinger was smart not to move all in, but still called Veitch's bet and allowed Veitch to move out to a 2-1 chip lead.

Stockinger did all he could to battle back, but decided to make a move with A6 and happened to run into Veitch's pair of kings. Stockinger couldn't catch his ace on the 17th hand and Team Scotland held on to force a fourth match in the best of five contest.

Team Austria: 2, Team Scotland: 1

Manrique Quesada (Team Costa Rica)

VS

NATAN WAGER (Team Costa Rica)

VS

Reidar Monsen (Team Norway)

Last night as I departed Riverside Studios, I happened upon the Costa Rican team. They stood at curbside, speaking in rapid-fire Spanish with tense looks on their faces. My rudimentary understanding of the language allowed me an ever-so-simple understanding of the conversation. They were working out their line-up for the final. They looked up at me knowing full-well who I was and knowing I was no threat, but hushed their voices as if I might be a spy for the Norwegian team.

The line-ups are submitted confidentially, with no small amount of thought put into who goes first, who goes next, and so on. Like they would at a poker table, Team Costa Rica tried to anticipate who Norway would put up first. Costa Rica decided that their attorney, Natan Wager, would draw the first run at Team Norway.

Elsewhere in the building, Team Norway had put up Reidar Monsen.

It promised to be a good match, but promises, I suppose, are made to be broken.

On the very first hand, Monsen got dealt pocket aces and chose to play them slow. What at first seemed like a good idea turned ugly when Wager turned his flush. That put Wager out to an immediate 2-1 chip lead.

Ten hands later, it was over. Wager flopped a full house, fours full of sixes, and had no problem calling Monsen's all-in as Monsen semi-bluffed on a flush draw.

Eleven hands and Costa Rica Opened up a lead for the championship.

Team Costa Rica: 1, Team Norway: 0

Ian Millar (Team Scotland)

VS

Bernd Stadlbauer (Team Austria)

In the second heat of this third place playoff, two winners from the semi-finals faced off. With Scotland already behind by one game in the playoff, it was up two Ian "Two-Outer" Millar to fend off pilot and poker player Bernd Staldbauer. Millar, fresh off his come-from-behind win against Costa Rica's Alex Brenes, looked ready to play as he sat down.

The two tangled for the first level, both willing to play any two cards to a raise, but neither giving up much ground.

The defining moment in the short match pitted Ian Millar's AJ to Stadlbauer's AK. The flop was full of rags and looked to save Millar from certain doom. However, an ace came on the turn and piqued Millar's interest, so much so that it cost him a goodly portion of his stack.

Millar struggled to get back to even and looked to do so as he came in for a raise with K7 and hit a king on the flop. Stadlbauer had called the raise with 45, caught a four on the flop and called Millar's flop bet to see the turn. In a devestating turning of the tables, a five came on the turn to give Stadlbauer two-pair. All the chips found their way to the middle of the table and Millar never improved.

Now Team Norway is faced with either winning its next match or being happy with fourth place.

Team Austria: 2, Team Scotland: 0

Florian Oberauer (Team Austria )

VS

Steven McCorquodale (Team Scotland )


As the teams begin play on this Wednesday, Teams Austria and Scotland are fighting for third place after failing to make the finals.

The first match of the day pitted Austria's Florian Oberauer against Scotland's Steven McCorquodale.

McCorquodale moved out to an early lead and seemed to have Oberauer dominated. That domination would end when McCorquodale tried to trap with a pair of aces from his small blind. Oberauer checked his option with 74. When the flop came down seven-high, it looked as if Oberauer would lose al his chips. He was more than ready to play with his top pair. Then the worst possible thing for Team Scotland happened. A four came on the turn to give Oberauer two-pair. McCorquodale was happy to get all his chips in the middle and was devestated to see his opponent's two pair.

The match ended a few hands later when Oberauer flopped a set of tens to McCorquodale's middle pair and open-ended straight draw.

Team Austria: 1, Team Scotland: 0

If you're one of those people who gets up and leaves a sporting event when it seems like a blowout, you would've missed a lot of good action today. It was a day of two-outers, gutty play, and championship brawls at the semi-finals of the World Cup of Poker.

In the end, Costa Rica and Norway emerged as victors and will now go on to fight in the championship. Austria and Scotland will do battle for third place.

For reports on all today's matches, see any of these links below.

Play resumes again on Wednesday with all the teams beginning fresh best of five matches.

WCP Heat #3: Austria vs. Norway

WCP Heat #4: Scotland vs. Costa Rica

WCP Heat #4: Austria vs. Norway

WCP Heat #5: Costa Rica vs. Scotland


WCP Heat #5: Austria vs. Norway

If you missed any of Monday's action, you can find links to those reports here.

Florian Oberauer (Team Austria)

Call Florian Oberauer the Magic Man. Like a lot of the young up and coming poker players, Oberauer got his start in the game Magic: The Gathering. The strategy card game has led him to poker success, although he still considers poker to be just a hobby. Although he overslept his first World Cup of Poker match, he made it all the way to London for the semi-finals.



Allan Dyrstad (Team Norway)

Allan Dyrstad calls himself "Mariachi." A world traveler and former navy man, Dyrstad has spent quite a bit of time in South America. Like some of his other competitors in the WCP, Dyrstad is a musician. As a fierce battler, there's little question why his favorite movie is "Braveheart."

***

It was the game that could've put Norway out to pasture and vaulted Austria into the finals. Pitting a young card player against a world traveler, the match promised to be a good one.

Unfortunately, the cards refused to coooperate with the wishes for a good match. Few times did the opponents' cards match up for an interesting showdown.

As it happened, Dyrstad took control of the table in short time, gained a chip lead and never let it go. By the end, it was simply a matter of putting Oberauer away, which he did handily and quickly.

The shortest match of the semi-finals meant one thing...Norway and Austria would have to meet again to decide which team would play in the World Cup of Poker finals.

Team Norway:2, Team Austria:2

Alex Brenes (Team Costa Rica)

If the name Brenes sounds familiar, it should. Alex Brenes comes from likely the most well-known poker playing family in Costa Rica. His brothers Humberto and Eric are both well-known players. Alex Brenes is quite well known in poker tournament circuits as well, having scored big wins in his travels. He's also not afraid to do some gambling. He'll admit a $60,000 blackjack loss is his biggest gambling failure, as well as his most embarassing moment. It's that aggressive gambling spirit combined with a keen sense for poker that makes him a very dangerous opponent.

Ian Millar (Team Scotland)

Ian Millar is a guitar-playinig, J.R.R. Tolkien-reading, 37 year-old poker player who uses the game as cheap therapy from a mad, mad world. A family man from Scotland, Millar fantasizes about big scores in the lottery or WSOP but has never stepped foot inside a casino. That didn't stop him form earning his place on Team Scotland and playing a key role in its success.

***

It was the match that everybody had been waiting for. Scotland was down 2-1 to Team Costa Rica. Ian Millar, a man who had never been inside a casino had been matched up against one of the toughest players in rival Costa Rica. It seemed as if Brenes had an unfair advantage and would seal his team's entry into the finals of PokerStars.com's World Cup of Poker.

For the first 15 hands, the players sparred a bit, but didn't get involved enough to give either of the teams waiting in the bar any real reason to worry or get excited. Then, it got ugly for Team Scotland. Millar came in for a raise with AQ and Alex Brenes called with KJs. Brenes bet out on a jack-high flop and Millar called hoping his overcards would hit. When a rag came on the turn, Brenes put out a sizable bet and forced Millar to lay down his hand. By the time the hand was over, Brenes has worked his way up to a 2-1 chip lead.

It looked like it might be over shortly thereafter when both players picked up pocket pairs. Brenes had eights to Millar's sevens. The flop was a bit scary for both players, coming down QQJ. Millar bet out and Brenes called. The turn, an eight, sent the Costa Ricans into a frenzy. Brenes had made his full house. Again Millar bet out, but this time Brenes raised all-in. Millar folded and Brenes raked 248,000 chip pot, giving him an almost 5-1 chip lead over his Scottish opponent.

That's when Millar's poise set in. Though lacking in real-table experience, Millar didn't panic. When given an opportunity to get his chips in with a pocket pair, he folded to a Brenes raise and waited for a better opportunity. That opportunity came in the form of a KJ which Millar pushed in with a few hands later. Brenes had an easy call with his pocket eights. The flop helped neither player, but Millar spiked his king on the turn and doubled through.

With in a few hands Millar doubled up again with pocket nines versus Brenes' naked ace. Then, then unthinkable happened. Millar called in the small blind with AJ, Brenes raised with pocket sixes and Millar called. The flop came down KQT giving Millar the nuts. Before the hand was over, Millar had milked enough chips out of Brenes to pick up the chip lead.

Then, the biggest hand of the day rocked Riverside Studios.

Brenes came in for a raise with AJ and Millar called with A3. Downstairs in the bar where closed circuit TV was feeding in the match live, the Costa Ricans cheered when the flop came down AKJ, giving Brenes two pair. Millar bet out, Brenes raised, and Millar called. The turn, a three, again sent the Costa Ricans wild. Now Millar was sure to get his chips in the middle and double Brenes up. Millar bet out again, Brenes pushed in all his chips, and Millar called.

Only two cards in the deck could save Millar. That's right. There were only two threes left in the entire deck...and the dealer pulled off one of them on the river to give Millar the full house.

Downstairs the Costa Ricans started talking about a curse. Now, they had to play again in the fifth and final match of the semi-finals. If they only knew how wild the finish would be.

Team Scotland: 2, Team Costa Rica: 2

Anne Lovmo (Team Norway)

Funny thing about Anne Lovmo. At one time, she wasn't the biggest fan of the game. In fact, she'll tell you, "I used to hate poker until I learned it." Shy and afraid of heights, the Norwegian woman isn't afraid of playing high-level poker. In her real life she's a teacher and life-love of her boyfriend Ronny. The only thing that keeps her awake at night are river suckouts. She lives by the motto. "Life is too short not to take opportunities that come your way."


Bernd Stadlbauer (Team Austria)

Bernd Stadlbauer is one high-flying poker player. Seriously. The guy flew in on the first day of the World Cup of Poker from Sri Lanka. In fact, he didn't just fly, he piloted the plane. At just 30 years old, the tennis player and runner knows his way around the poker felt as well as he does the friendly skies.

***

As the first Tuesday match began, all the talk in the bar area was about the long and drawn-out heads up matches from the day before. There had been some marathon sessions and many people were predicting we'd eventually see a short match. The prophecy was not far from true.

In the second heat between Teams Austria and Norway, Norwegian Anne Lovmo moved out to an early lead. She played unafraid and refused to back down against her Austrian rival.

The worm began to turn (seriously, they have worms here...perhaps more on that later) when Lovmo found pocket sevens in the small blind. She smooth called and Austrian Bernd Stadlbauer checked his option. The flop was little, 235. Lovmo smartly bet out and Stadlbauer called. The turn, a king of clubs, might have scared Lovmo but she didnn't show it and was willing to call a Stadlbauer bet. The problem, she would soon find, was that king of clubs put two clubs on the board giving Stadlbauers 86 of clubs a lot more outs. Tragically for the Norwegian team, the four of clubs came on the river. Lovmo was smart not to call a huge bet from Stadlbauer on the river. Still, her chip lead had been erased.

Within a few hands, Lovmo got trapped into a hand that ended up giving Stadlbauer a straight. The hand crippled her. Although she doubled through after spiking a king with K9 versus Stadlbauer's AQ, she would later get in trouble after pushing all-in with KQ and running into Stadlbauer's A7. Two aces on the flop and the Norwegian school teacher was finished.

The Austrian win means Heat #4 could be the deciding match between the two teams. If Austria wins, it advances to the finals and leaves Norway to fight it out for third place.

Team Austria: 2, Team Norway: 1

Oftentimes when you reach heads-up play in a multi-table tournament, the blinds have grown so large or the disparity in chips is so great, the nuances of the game evaporate into all-in fests.

Here at the semi-finals of the PokerStars.com World Cup of Poker the nuance is alive. Each player is given 150,000 in starting chips and the blinds start at only 1000/2000. The structure allows for players to play a true heads-up game and the matchups have been amazing.

It's been an interesting time today with this blog on the road. Just seconds before the second match of the day, PokerStars and the producers of the Poker Channel popped in and asked me to serve as color commentator for a few matches. As a former TV guy who just happens to be really into poker, how could I refuse?

The result, however, was a rather inherent inability to track the matches hand by hand. Then again, it's a bit early to go hand-by-hand anyway, so it all worked out. I still managed to put together a report for each match.

The upshot of all of this is: all four teams are still alive and kicking going into Tuesday.

Team Costa Rica: 2, Scotland: 1
Team Austria: 1, Team Norway: 1

With personal, team, and national pride at stake, these teams are fighting hard. Here's a review of the whole day from beginning to end.

Introduction

WCP Heat #1--Scotland vs. Costa Rica

WCP Heat #1--Norway vs. Austria

WCP Heat 2: Costa Rica vs. Scotland

WCP Heat #2: Austria vs. Norway

WCP Heat #3: Scotland vs. Costa Rica

Play begins again Tuesday afternoon. We'll be back here with updates throughout the day.

Natan Wager (Team Costa Rica)

Natan Wager is a talker. He sort of has to be. He's an attorney and attorneys talk. Wager may love the game he's playing for his country, but says poker is just a hobby. "I love it too much to do it for a living. However, I couldn't imagine my life without it," he said. Wager has made several final tables in multi-table tournaments in Las Vegas and Costa Roca. He'll also tell you, though he has an explosive temper, his mother says he is "sweet and kind."

Tony Stewart (Team Scotland)

Tony Stewart is the boss. Seriously. He's been the boss at casinos across the world, including casinos in London and Moscow. As a result, Stewart knows his cards very well. While he lists Omaha Hi-lo has his best game, he's proven to be no slouch at NL Hold'em either.

***

This was the match that meant everything. If Scotland lost, it lost any chance of making it into the finals. It would be forced to fight for a third place spot.

As play began, it seemed that terrible result just might happen. Scotland's Stewart got off to a rough start, losing nearly half his chip stack within the first two levels. Still, Stewart refused to panic and showed tremendous poise with his small stack.

Natan Wager was playing a solid aggressive game and looked to put it all away. Then, an ill-timed hand doubled Stewart up and put Wager back on the defensive.

Then the war of attrition set in. The players traded a small chip lead for level after level, both players refusing to give ground. Finally the blinds grew so large, the game became a matter of push all-in or fold.

On the final hand, Wager picked the wrong time to push with his naked king. Stewart had a naked ace and it turned out to be good.

Stewart's win held off the defending champions and gave Scotland new life going into the fourth heat.

Team Costa Rica: 2, Scotland: 1

Reidar Monsen (Team Norway)

Reidar Monsen is one of those guys that's hard to look at across the table. While genial and friendly off the table, Monsen has an assassin's stare at the felt. He claims to have never played live poker before today. The way he played, I'd almost call him a liar. Then again, most poker players are liars. And the way Monsen looks at his foes, I would be the last one to accuse him of anything.


Dietmar "Didi" Wegerer (Team Austria)

Dietmar Wegerer is much the same as his Norwegian opponent, except this Austrian admits haveing played a bit of live poker in Vienna's Concord Card Casino. His admission is evidently true because this guy can play some cards as well.

***

This was one of those matches where I called more of the action than I took notes on. Nonetheless, it was an important match. A Norwegian loss would put the team woefully behind and in a position where it had to win its next match to stay in the hunt for the finals.

It appeared as though Austria may take the match straight off. Wegerer took an earlry lead and held on to it for some time. Monsen's lack of live experience showed in the early rounds. The Austrian picked on Monsen for some time before relinguishing the lead and finding himself behind. Then Monsen ramped up his aggression and never let go of the lead. With his assassin's glare, he took down the second heat and gave his team significant breathing room.

Team Austria: 1, Team Norway: 1

Jose Rosenkrantz (Team Costa Rica)

Jose Rosenkrantz is a member of a well-known cabal of poker players from Costa Rica. Look around the well-known Brenes brothers and this one-time businessman will likely be nearby. Rosenkrantz is a one-time World Poker Tour winner who lives by the philosophy that that true happiness is an unreachable ideal, but searching for it is a joy in itself.

Andy Richmond (Team Scotland)

Let's het this out of the way first. Andy Richmond goes by the nickname "The Wee Stinker." I'd venture several guesses why, but it is more thank likely because he's a bit mischievous. For instance, ask him which celebrity he most resembles and he'll answer, "Halle Berry. The remblence is uncanny." Ask him what annoys him the most abuot himself and he'll answer "Er, um, lack of decisiveness. I think...hang on. maybe not." He also owns a black cat named "Lucky." That should be enough to let you know, this guy he more than a poker player. He is The Wee Stinker.

***

As was the norm today, the first level was more about the players feeling each other out than taking serious risks. On one hand of note, Rosenkrantz was a bit behind in chips but flopped the ugly end of a straight with his 56o on a 789 flop. Richmond held a ten but folded to Rosenkrantz's check raise after a ten thousand chip bet.

When level two began, Rosenkrantz took control of the table, picking up AQ and making trips on the river. He then demonstrated a great read he'd put on Richmond, calling Richmond's river bluff with only queen-high and taking down the pot.

Richmond would not be bullied, however and subsequently played back at his Costa Rican opponent, at one point pushing Rosenkrantz off the best hand for a sizable win. By the end of the second level, Richmond had battled his way back to even stacks.

It would play that way for another two levels. One player would move to out to a sizable lead, only to give it back over the course of a few hands. It seemed as if it were going to play out like that for a while.

Which is when the unthinkable happened for this embarassed blogger.

I was terribly thirsty and needed a drink. A rushed to the bar for a Diet Coke. I mean, the chip-stacks were fairly even. It seemed like a reasonable proposition. Sure enough, just as I make it down to the bar, the non-playing members of the Costa Rican team went wild, high-fiving each other and generally getting on in a wild and crazy manner. I looked up at the monitor. Jose had just mad trip jacks on the river and took down the whole contest, giving his team a second win and a good lead.

Costa Rica: 2, Scotland: 0

Sigi Stockinger (Team Austria)

"I am an open book," Stockinger will respond if you ask him to reveal his hidden personality. Methinks it's a bit of a false tell on his part. Cagey, aggressive, and no slouch at heads-up play the Austrian is no open book at the poker table. Nominated by PokerStars to the Austrian team, Stockinger syas if he wasn't playing poker he'd spend his time organizing a world peace conference. Seems to be a bit of a oxymoronic philosophy for a man who loves to do battle at the poker table. Nonetheless, he is a gentleman on an off the table and who am I to question his desire for world peace?

Age Spets (Team Norway)

Age Spets claims to still go to bed with a teddy bear. I'll let that sink in a moment while I offer that Spets dream world is inhabited by beautiful beaches, good food and drink, and lots of beautiful women. When he's not dreaming of that, he's cleaning up the online poker tables. He qualified for the WCP through PokerStars Frequent Player Point program.

***

About 30 seconds before this match was set to begin, I was called into the commentary booth to provide color for the match. As such, my note-taking on the match was more mental than physical. So, you'll have to make do with my brief recollection.

In short, Stockinger established himself early as the agressor, raising pre-flop with marginal hands and maintaining the aggression as the board played out. In contrast, Spets played a rather tight game. As you might imagine, Stockinger jumped out to an early lead.

Spets had the good fortune to pick up pocket aces twice, big slick four times, and AQ twice. To his misfortune, however, because he played very tight, it was easy for Stockinger to identify when Stockinger had a hand and when he did not. Only once did Spets get any action. He played one pair of aces to a nice-sized pot which allowed him a chip lead for a couple of levels.

In the end, however, Stockinger's read on Spets held on and the Austrian was able to regain his lead and come back for the win.

Team Austria: 1, Team Norway: 0

Terrence Chan (Team Costa Rica)

Don't get in Terrence Chan's way. That goes for the poker table and in Costa Rican dark streets at night. Not only is the professional poker player very good at his game (he's cashed in every big tournament he's ever played outside the United States), he's also been kickboxing for the past seven years. So, opponents would be smart to avoid Chan's check-raising and roundhouse kicks. Having quit two day jobs in the past five years to play poker, the Canadian native is now a fulltime card player in Costa Rica. He'll also admit to be exceptionally handsome, if you allow the caveat that it's hard to determine that because his face gets in the way.

Dave "Diamond Dave" Veitch (Team Scotland)

You may not think it just by looking at him, but Dave Veitch's middle name might as well be "rock and roll." While he's a family man and fulltime IT systems engineer, the Linlithgow Scotland resident is a closet rock and roller. A huge fan of the band Motorhead, Veitch also plays in a band called Jonestown Mind which sometimes doubles as an AC/DC tribute band. However, he keeps his rock and rolling a secret at the table and answers to the name "Diamond Dave."






In the first heat of the day, the players started out carefully. Each started with 150,000 in chips facing blinds that began at 1000/2000 and promised to go up every 15 minutes. In the first level, Chan established an early chip lead, picking up a few big playable hands and rounding out the difference with notable Costa Rican aggressiveness.

At the beginning of the second level, though, Veitch erased the difference and overtook Chan. Both players saw the flop on the cheap, with Veitch holding Q5o to Chan's Q4o. Chan bet out on the flop, 53J and both players saw the turn, a dangerous Q. Chan check-called. At first it seemed Chan might be setting up for a check-raise on the river. The river came down as a nine. Chan checked and Veich put out a substantial bet Chan, perhaps now afraid of a bigger hand, simply called and saw his top-pair was beat by Veich's two-pair.

It was then that Chan ramped up his aggressiveness. On the next hand, Chan missed his straight draw on the river but still bet out 22,000 in chips. The bet forced Veich to lay down his winner. The hand set a bit of a precedent.

On the next hand, Chan came in for a standard raise with 67o. Veich finally found a big, playable hand, a pair of jacks. Instead of reraising, Veich played his pair slow and just called. The flop was as dangerous as it gets: 485. Chan had flopped the stone cold nuts to Veich's overpair. Chan bet out, Veich raised, and Chan immediately moved all in. Veich went in the tank. While he had Chan covered, it wasn't by much. A loss would surely cripple him. After several minutes, Veich muttered "pass" and slid his cards into the muck.

The hand gave Chan the chip lead, 176,000 to Veich's 124,000.

Shortly, the blinds moved up to 3000/6000 and Veich again earned his title of King of the Laydown. With AJo, Veich raised to 18,000. Chan looked down to find AQo and made it 45,000 to go. Well behind, but not sure of it, Veich again went in the tank and again decided his hand wasn't worth the risk.

Chan now had a 2-1 chip lead and used it to his advantage. On the next hand, Veich turned top pair with his K8. Chan, chasing a straight draw, missed on the river and bet enough to put Veich all-in. The thing was, the river was an ace. Veich struggled with his decision and eventually laid down his winner, perhaps fearing the ace hit Chan.

The next big hand seemed to be the end. Chan found AK and bet out. Veich found K7s and moved all in. Chan insta-called and looked to win the hand. But the board came out 98J/9/T to give Veich the rivered straight and moved him back up to 118,000 in chips to Chan's 182,000.

Again, the blinds moved up, this time to 4000/8000. It would prove to be the last level. Finding KT of diamonds, Veich came in for a raise. His timing couldn't have been more unfortunate. Chan held a pair of aces and moved all in. His aces held up and Chan claimed the first heat for Team Costa Rica.

Costa Rica: 1, Scotland: 0

When the World Cup of Poker began, the battles were contested in an ethereal realm. The players sat in their homes, perhaps in the underclothes, perhaps snacking on fried food (okay, that's how I would do it), clicking madly as their heads-up matches played out.

Now, the remaining teams, defending champs Costa Rica, Scotland, Norway, and Austria have made their way to London, England for the semi-finals and finals.

We sit today along the River Thames at Riverside Studios. The players have congregated in the bar area and I have slipped quietly inside the control room. Studio access, where the actual play will take place, is under lock and key. It may require some trickery to slip inside for some pictures. As it happens, though, I'm in a favorable spot to monitor the action. In fact, it occurs to me the the conditions may be too favorable. I'm going to have access to the hole card cameras. I won't be able to reveal that information however, as there's a chance the players may review this and no one should be allowed undue advantage.


Bridge over not-so-troubled waters

The actual structure of this blog is still a bit of a mystery at this point. Hand-by-hand action will likely not rule the day at this point. I hate to promise it at this point and then fail to deliver based on circumstances beyond my control.

Last night, the teams submitted their line-ups for the best of five competitions. High-level strategy sessions had taken place in the hours before as the players decided who would lead off and who would follow.

The first match has now been revealed. At Noon London time, the first match of the day will begin. Costa Rica's Terrence Chan will face Scotland's Dave Veitch.

Keep your eyes here throughout the day and the rest of the week for comprehensive coverage of this event.


Blog Control: The PokerStars Blog invades the controol room

Please see the links below for an index of coverage from the PokerStars World Cup of Poker II

World Cup of Poker Set to begin
Heat 1 Scotland v. Costa Rica
Heat 1 Norway v. Austria
WCP Heat 2: Costa Rica vs. Scotland
WCP Heat #2: Austria vs. Norway
WCP Heat #3: Scotland vs. Costa Rica
World Cup of Poker Day 1 Wrap-up
WCP Heat #4: Scotland vs. Costa Rica
WCP Heat #4: Austria vs. Norway
WCP Heat #5: Austria vs. Norway
World Cup of Poker Day 2 Wrap Up

Third Place Playoff Pt 1. (Austria v. Scotland)
Third Place Playoff Pt. 2 (Scotland v. Austria)
Championship Final Heat 1
Championship Final Heat 2
Third Place Playoff Pt. 3
Third Place Playoff Pt. 4
Day 3 Wrap-up
Third-place playoff decided
Championship Final Heat 3
Championship Final Heat 4

Team Costa Roca wins PokerStars World Cup of Poker II

Editor's note: The following is a guest post from Denver-area freelance writer and PokerStars friend Lisa Jo Barr.

FULL HOUSE CELEBRITY POKER TOURNAMENT
THE MILE HIGH STATION, DENVER, CO

By Lisa Jo Barr

It was a classic spring day in Denver, Colorado --not too warm--not too cold. But the temperatures didn't stay that way once the sun went down and the poker play heated up at the FULL HOUSE CELEBRITY POKER TOURNAMENT, an event to raise money for The Breast Cancer Research Foundation, The Denver Children's Advocacy Center, and The Denver Police Activities League sponsored by PokerStars.com, Amber Homes, and the Foote Foundation.


Adam Foote and Joe Sakic at the Full House Celebrity Poker Tournament

On my way downtown, listening to Gwen Stefani, I pondered how poker and sports celebrities kind of go together like basketball and hoop, hockey and puck. The competitive edge flowing through the veins of well-known athletes amplifies their fine appreciation of a good poker match.

The Mile High Station is a spacious two-tiered events center located near Invesco Field, home of The Denver Broncos. It's totally tucked away, like a hidden treasure, underneath a viaduct. Trying to find can be baffling--it was even a challenge to mapquest. It was well worth finding though, especially tonight when Mile High Station was the place to be--a chance for PokerStars.com players to get their poker and celebrity fix playing with current and former Avalanche favs like Adam Foote, Joe Sakic, Chris McAllister, and Dan Highnote.

Tons of other celebs walked down the rolled out red carpet and into the poker floor--stars like the NCAA champion DU Pioneers, Ryan and Trista Sutter of reality TV's Bachelorette, colorful and hilarious radio DJs Floorwax and Slacker, sports commentator Irv Brown, Former Colorado Rockies Mark Randall and Mike Lansing, and others.

I decide to stroll upstairs--where my senses are suddenly infused with a sports memorabilia paradise--framed signed jerseys, photographs and other items for the silent auction that awaits. It looks like a mini-sports museum. PokerStars.com has donated a number of items, including a signed Shaquille O' Neal jersey (that was later sold for $500 to the lucky high bidder, with all the proceeds going to great charities).

PokerStars.com player cosportsgirl had her fingers crossed before play time. She wanted to be at Adam Foote or Joe Sakic’s table.

Jake Schroeder, the down-to-earth lead singer of Opie Gone Bad, introduces himself to those arriving. He's tight with all the hockey players. After all, he sings the national anthem at all the Avalanche games. In addition to his successful music career, Schroeder is committed to serving the community and volunteers time to The Denver Police Activities League, where he helps with a youth hockey team. At the start of the night--he was the first one to welcome me--before hardly anyone arrived. Just a really nice guy (who's band rocks, by the way)!

The entire DU tri-delta sorority showed as volunteers--all wearing black and white and selling helium balloons in the international colors of the poker world--red, white and black--to raise more money for breast cancer research, and greeting guests with a smile.

A cop stands at the entrance, near the red carpet.

"Is playing poker part of your agenda tonight, officer?" I ask.

"They told me I couldn't play with a gun," he said, "That would be too much like the Old Wild West."

But... it was like The Old Wild West-- a real show down... at table one.

Earlier in the night, while players were still making their way to the celebrity-studded tables, Adam Foote sat at table one--waiting and shuffling some chips.
Two hours of straight play later, with two players left, Foote knocks over a stack of chips. There's no crying over these spilt chips, however as Foote is way ahead on the chip count, up about two-thirds.

One red chip rolls over to me. I pick it up and hand it back.

"I think this belongs to you, sir," I say, smiling at one of Avalanche's finest defensemen. He thanks me, taking the chip with one hand, as he digs another chip out of his glass of water with the other.

So many chips, so little time.

All poker play takes a short break for a live auction. There's a well-organized chaos of quick bidders, fast-talkers, and re-raisers--for items like an African Safari (donated by African Eyes) and a poker table with celebrity autographs (donated by PokerStars.com)

During the break, I caught up with Foote's only remaining opponent at table numero uno--Gary, who's a Denver resident and financial advisor.

Summing up Foote's poker play? "He's real sneaky," says Gary, "and a great player."
Any similarities between poker and hockey? I think out loud. Gary responds. "When you go all in and pound someone with a good hand--it's kinda like pounding someone into the boards."

Okay, I can see that.

I look down at the felt. I'm glad there's no blood on this red table—just friendly cards and chips.

The auction ends and the music begins with Opie Gone Bad's guitary-funkadelic, get-up and move tunes—the musicians play on a stage with a giant lucky horseshow behind them. Shuffle up and deal! The action's back on table numero uno.

The flop is turned—revealing an 8 of hearts---Ace of clubs and 9 of hearts.

Gary goes all in.

Foote stares him down with a friendly grin-like poker face, as if trying to get a read on him. Adam sighs heavily, then calls the bet.

The hole cards are flopped:
Adam's shows an 8 of clubs and 6 of spades.
Gary holds a 2 of diamonds and 2 of clubs.
4th street turns an 8 of spades

The game is over...

The river shows a 3 of hearts, but game cards have already landed Foote the winner, cleaning up with his trip 8s.

Adam Foote tells me to meet him upstairs and leads me into the VIP lounge, where being star struck is not for the weak-hearted. Stars are everywhere--it feels like a best-of locker room, a who's who of the sports world. We sit on a couch. I'm a bit nervous, but his friendly demeanor sets my mind at ease.

Foote tells me he started The Foote Foundation last year, during the hockey-season that-wasn't. He wanted to give back to the community and has raised money for a number of different causes--especially those that fund breast cancer research.
As for poker, Foote, who's been playing a while, and picking up Texas hold'em just in the past two years, says he kept getting bullets tonight, and kept calling guys at the table bluffing.

Foote says poker is a friendly game, that he doesn't have to hit anybody like he does at his day job with The Colorado Avalanche.

Diamonds may be a girl's best friend, but they're also Adam Foote's favorite suit--who says he likes everything about them--their color, name, pattern and shape. He sees a lot of them too.

Foote recalls a colorful play at a game last Wednesday---his "2-3 incident"

Foote announced to the table he was holding a 2-3. Nobody believed him. Before the river, Foote had an inside straight draw. Foote kept saying: "I'm looking for Bobby Orr" (who's team number is 4). Everyone thought he was nuts. Well, there was a four on the river and Foote won the hand with a 5 high straight, and then thanked Bobby Orr out loud for his spirit of four.

I stroll over to Joe Sakic's table. A cameraman from Channel 9 news is capturing his every move. Sakic looks cool and relaxed. I ask the player next to him, what his strategy is. Joe cuts in with a joke and says--"he keeps looking at my cards, that's his strategy!"

That strategy didn't last long. The next hand, Sakic won a big pot with two pair, jacks and aces. "Wow, you're winning, Joe!"

As he stacked up his winnings, Sakic says, jokingly about his Avalanche teammate "Yeah, I really want to win a signed photo of Adam Foote!"

He was definitely in the minority. Most people here would love to get their hands on that prize!

730 pm--
At another table, Boxer DaVarryl Williamson, aka "touch of sleep," plays at an all-boys table. This current WBC Continental Americas Heavyweight Camp--says he's new to the game of poker but loves it. "Poker has taken the world by storm!" he says with a glamorous smile, then folds, and gets philosophical: "Those who do not belong have eliminated themselves." Good advice in the boxing ring--perhaps at the poker table, as well.

8pm
I head upstairs again—my head is dizzy with flops, turns, rivers...celebrities and pokerstars. All the tables are filled. Cigar smoke lightly scents the air. Denver DJ Michael FLOORWAX (from the Lewis and Floorwax show), who exudes fun--cigar, sunglasses and all, went in hard and doubled up on the first two hands. Then he went all in with a flush draw pair. He got his straight, but was then beat out by someone with a higher one. "It was the weakest thing that anyone's every beat me at--besides golf!"

Earlier that night, during intros, he had leaned over the balcony, and flashed the crowd his super-white and robust tanless-tummy. Wax giggled saying he just had to show off his washboard abs (not). This poker playing DJ poked fun at himself light-heartedly for some laughs. This Denver-based DJ was hilarious!

Back downstairs in the city of blinding light--I order a coke--a local tells me he doesn't play on PokerStars.com but plans to start after being knocked out of a qualifying tourney by a person wearing a PokerStars.com tee shirt. Good thinkin'! Might as well play with the best!

It's 10:20 pm.

Boy, time flies when you're having fun! The games have winded down are over. But a second band, The Railbenders, take to the stage--Big stand up bass.
Twang to the Nth degree. Johnny Cash's spirit is here. And the DU DELTA DELTA DELTA girls can't resist jumping up to dance to the atmospheric tunes--a old school country/rock sound--that painting the end of the night with a soundtrack perfect for a new David Lynch film staring Nicholas Cage and a deck of 52 cards.

I close my eyes for a couple of minutes, and time travel back to The Old Wild West. Saloons in mountain towns. Dirt roads. Horses. Cowboys with cards on fire—player's hearts skipping a beat, awaiting the river.

"I'm driving back to Denver, been driving all night long..." wails the lead singer. I open my eyes back to the year 2005--where poker is still the name of the game, where there's a new breed of card playing cowboys in the form of PokerStars.com players shining in the clear night sky like diamonds.

I head back to the bar for more water--One of the dealers comes up and introduces himself--compliments me on my sparkly PokerStars.com shirt. Dan Carlson has been loyal to PokerStars.com ever since he discovered it. "I think PokerStars.com is the best poker website out there."

Lemon and raspberry bars, bottled water is handed out to those remaining. It's a little after midnight. Everyone's drawn a winning hand tonight, as PokerStars.com along with other sponsors, successfully raised over $100,000 dollars to good charities.

Linda Harmon, co-owner of co-sponsor Amber Homes, said the event "turned out greater than anticipated, and far exceeded all of our expectations. There were way more celebrities than we thought were coming--with 2-3 sitting at each table."

With the success of the event, Adam Foote has announced he intends to do an encore this November. It was a great night with great people which benefited some great causes.

I've been a guitar player for the better part of the last twenty years. I didn't think the callouses on the end of my fingers could get any thicker. This week proved me wrong. There's been a lot going on and my typing fingers are all but worn out.

First off, the news of the day.

London Calling

It's time for a change of scenery. While the online world is lush, flush, and plush, sometimes we need to take a look at some real felt. That's where PokerStars' World Cup of Poker comes in.

After today, the blog is in the air and headed for London to cover the semi-finals and finals of the WCP. Starting next week, Scotland will take on the defending champions from Costa Rica. The winner of that match will face the winner of the Norway vs. Austria match-up in the finals.

All next week, this blog will be brought to you from historic London, England. We'll have full coverage of the World Cup of Poker teams as they fight for world supremecy.

Note: Because the blog is hitting the road, there won't be a report on this Sunday's $350,000 guarantee. However, you should still be able to find the tournament results when you log on to your PokerStars game lobby.

PokerStars Week in Review

As I mentioned, there was a lot to talk and type about this week. If you missed any of it, get your clicking fingers ready.