March 2006 Archives

It's shaping up to be a big weekend at PokerStars. From the World Cup of Poker to the final WPT Foxwoods satellites, there's something for every bankroll and dream. Here's a list of events to watch out for this weekend.PokerStars VIP Club freerolls--All the PokerStars Vip Club freerolls will be...more

The PokerStars World Cup of Poker is a worldwide competition between national teams of poker players that pits team versus team and country versus country. You can be among players from all around the world who compete for national pride, bragging rights, and $200,000. Visit the 2006 World Cup of...more

This Sunday, the big tournament buy-in was bigger on PokerStars and so was the action. What's more, there was a very familiar name in the final table crowd. Greg "FossilMan" Raymer worked his way through the field to final table the $1,050 No-Limit Hold'em Event, the first of the quarterly...more

It's shaping up to be a huge weekend on PokerStars. The best online poker tournament site anywhere is starting up a new quarterly event. Four times a year, players will be able to play a big-buy-in event for $1 million guaranteed.This Sunday at 4:30pm ET, PokerStars will host a $1,050...more

It's amazing how a $215 tournament can turn into a $1+ million prize pool every week. But it's happening every Sunday on PokerStars. This week, it happened again and a lot of people walked away with big money in their pockets. Here are the final table results for this week.PokerStars...more

Saturday night in Florida the Aston Martin Racing team finished the 12 Hours of Sebring endurance race in second and third place after a thrilling finale in the GT1 competition.The team's two Aston Martin DBR9s (decked out with PokerStars logos) ran faultlessly throughout the race. Between them, the classic green...more

Aston Martin Racing will start Saturday's 12 Hours of Sebring race from first and second positions in the GT1 class. What's more, the cars will speeding around the track with PokerStars' logo them. "I'm feeling quite pleased. It's my first qualifying pole in this series and it shows that all...more

It wouldn't be fair to say Jeff Williams was ever a "nobody." He was a young man with friends and an active online poker hobby. You might have known him simply as "yellowsub86." Still, a week ago, Jeff Williams wasn't a "somebody" in the European Poker Tour Grand Final. He...more

Links to PokerStars Blog coverage of the 2006 European Poker Tour Grand Final in Monte Carlo:Monte Carlo PayoutsMonte Carlo Day 1A CoverageMonte Carlo Day 1B Coverage Monte Carlo Day 2 CoverageMonte Carlo Day 3 CoverageMonte Carlo Final Table Play by PlayFinal Table ReportMonte Carlo ResultsEPT Photo Gallery...more

The river card hit. All that mattered to Jeff Williams was that the card was not an eight or a six. For a split second, it appeared the worst possible thing had happened. But, no, no. It was not an eight. It was the half-shape of an eight. It was...more

In a stunning run that saw the 19-year-old American storm through a field nearly 300-strong, Jeff Williams, a freshman at the University of Georgia, has won the European Poker Tour Grand Final. For his win, he takes home €900,000.Jeff's final hand was ATo versus the UK's Arshad Hussain's A8o. Williams...more

The European Poker Tour Grand Final final table is set to begin at 3pm (9am ET). Click refresh and scroll to the bottom of this page to see the lastest information.***Seat 1: Marc Karam (Canada) 231,900Marc hails from Ottawa, Canada and in recent months has developed quite a reputation as...more

After a long hard day of poker, eight players remain and will hit the TV table tomorrow. Here are your final table players, their nationalities, and chip counts. Play resumes at 3pm Saturday. We'll be here with full coverage starting then.EPT Monte Carlo Grand FinalSeat 1: Marc Karam (Canada) 231,900Seat...more

Day 3 Coverage of the EPT Grand Final in Monte Carlo will be featured here. Click refresh and scroll to the bottom of this post to see the lastest coverage. Again, many thanks to the newly formed Team Blog: Nigel, Russell, and Mad. Without them, this job doesn't get done.Click...more

Day 3 Coverage of the EPT Grand Final in Monte Carlo will be featured here. Click refresh and scroll to the bottom of this post to see the lastest coverage. Again, many thanks to the newly formed Team Blog: Nigel, Russell, and Mad. Without them, this job doesn't get done.1:59pm--The...more

Chip Counts BelowIt's just after 3am and the poker room is awash with the news that Greg Raymer just pocketed the $160,000 first prize in the first-ever $20,000 Sit & Go here in Monte Carlo. Raymer got heads up with Perr Ummer and came from behind to pocket the monster...more

Play is about to resume for the night. We will cover the action all night long. Hit refresh to see the latest news at the bottom of this post. Many thanks to Nigel, Russell, and Mad for their help on the tables.Click here for Day 2 Afternoon Coverage8:49pm--Sixty-five players are...more

Play is about to begin for the day. We will cover the action all day long. Hit refresh to see the latest news at the bottom of this post. Many thanks to Nigel and Mad for their help on the tables today.1:59pm--As players find their seats, many eyes are on...more

Included here: All coverage from Day 1B, the $10,000 Sit and Go, and news about the likely Battleship tournament that will break out todayDay 2 is juat one and a half hours away from starting. It is shaping up to be a big day in Monte Carlo. Below you will...more

Late night note: Just before 4:30am, 2005 WSOP Champion Joe Hachem got heads up with online stalwart MrSmokey1 in the richest Sit&Go in EPT history, a record $10,000 per player. In the the first of the two biggest hands of heads up play, MrSmokey1 got his money in with AT...more

We will return you to your normal tournament coverage in just a moment, but first this news...A $10,000 Sit and Go tournament has broken out in the back corner of the room. Players are currently working out the details and exhanges rates. Noah Boeken reports the game will likely be...more

One hour and 22 minutes remain tonight. Selected chip counts have been posted at the top of your screen. Dustin Dirksen of Iowa appears to have taken the chip lead after someone was unfortunate enough to run their queens into his aces. Edgar "Ragde" Skejvold is not far behind. Kristian...more

It is with a heavy heart we must bid goodbye to PokerStars' friend and the first PokerStars VIP Club Supernova Bertrand "ElkY" Grospellier. After a day of running on the shortstack, he finally committed his final 3000 chips pre-flop with KJ suited in spades. After no small amount of thought,...more

Trying to talk to an American like me about football is likely to draw you into a conversation about the game-altering effects a quarterback vs. wide receiver pesonality clash. However, here in the empire of soccer (er...football), my ramblings don't draw much interest.Much more interesting, however, is the story of...more

With 24 minutes remaining in the dinner break, players are walking off a meal of baked chicken, shrimp, and pasta. If you're just logging on for the day, here's what you've missed so far:Day 1A Coverage Index--All the coverage from Day 1ADay 1B Begins--A photo gallery of notable playersAction in...more

Chip counts swing her like a monkey on hallucinogenic drugs and Red Bull. Even bi-hourly checks of the stacks do no good to keep accurate track. One thing, though, is fairly clear. Kristian Ulriksen has emgerged from the pack with the early chip lead.Kristian Ulriksen, sitting on more than 32,000Elsewhere...more

EPT Monte Carlo Payout Table1. €900,0002. €492,0003. €251,0004. €195,0005. €168,0006. €140,0007. €112,0008. €84,0009. €56,00010-12 €33,50013-15 €28,10016-18 €22,40019-27 €16,800...more

Joe Hachem has been eliminated from the EPT Grand Final in Monte Carlo. We pick up the action on the flop.Hachem bet into his opponent on the flop and his opponent raised. Hachem thought for a moment before re-raising. His opponent appeared as if he might fold, then pushed in...more

It's not always this way. Action can spring up anywhere, after all. It can happen in the back or side of the room. Still, it seems at least geographically comfortable for the center of the room to be the center of attention today.It's not simply because 2005 WSOP champion Joe...more

Day 1B of the European Poker Tour Grand Final here in Monte Carlo is underway. Once again, we begin with a field of fresh faces that face either elimination or a 12-hour session that will lead them into Day 2. Sixty-five of the 147 runners survived Day 1A. Today, we...more

Here's a recap of all the action from the European Poker Tour Grand Final Day 1A.EPT Monte Carlo: Pre-game coverageEPT Monte Carlo Day 1 begins--A photo gallery of poker faces from Day 1 and the story of FPP qualifer Kevin TennantCruel for Bruel--How Patrick Bruel found the railEnough for de...more

Official Chip counts belowDay 1A has ended and the official chip counts have come in with amazing speed. Many thanks to Thomas Kremser and his staff for getting us the official numbers so quickly.Jen Mason from BlondePoker.com, not only finds herself finishing the day, but finishing as THE chip leader....more

I'll admit it was hard to believe. After all, since this afternoon, Isabelle Mercier had looked in literal pain. Her chip stack was afflicted with such stasis, I feared some sort of Monte Carlo mold might grow on it. And yet, before the last level, Isabelle Mercier looked me straight...more

A European journalist sidled up to me."Who is that?" he said. His eyes were locked on a stack of chips more than 60,000 high."I wish I knew," I said. The face was young and fierce, his head full of bushy curls.It was clear, the room once again had a new...more

Update: Mystery solved. Obviously, I don't get around Blackpool much. You're looking at Wigan, UK's Lee " Pnut" Briscoe, a man with a lot of friends who were kind enough to put me in my place. Wanted: The identity of this man.Now, sure, I could go up and ask. Thing...more

In case you missed it:EPT Monte Carlo: Pre-game coverageEPT Monte Carlo Day 1 begins--A photo gallery of poker faces from Day 1 and the story of FPP qualifer Kevin TennantCruel for BruelEnough for de KnijffDinner Break RumblingsSo, here we sit, halfway through Day 1A. The players are letting their dinners...more

From this angle, you just can't tell how bad a day Isabelle Mercier is having. Here, she looks poised to crush the table. She looks like she could be ready to rip the throat from anyone who dares look at her chips. In fact, it has not been a...more

by Mad Harper and Russell SpringateIf it wasn't for some early 200AD drainage action by the Romans, Spalding in Lincolnshire, England would be pretty much underwater. And if it wasn't for the town's annual Tulip Festival, there would be precious little to talk about in Spalding either. Until today that...more

In case you missed it:EPT Monte Carlo: Pre-game coverageEPT Monte Carlo Day 1 begins--A photo gallery of poker faces from Day 1 and the story of FPP qualifer Kevin TennantFor Day 1, the EPT producers have chosen to not tape a featured table for television. Somehow, in some organic way,...more

A long time ago, back in the days when I was a "normal" journalist, I subscribed to the theory that everyone has a story. While my normal journalism days are on indefinite hiatus, I still hold on to the maxim. In every poker player, there is some sort of story,...more

What's interesting about Monte Carlo, to me at least, is that, although I have been here before, I find myself looking at it as if it is a whole new city. Indeed, the EPT has moved the Grand Final into the lush Monte Carlo Bay Resort. Hip, ultra-modern, and slick,...more

Most gambling cities have some surreal sense about them. Timepieces are irrelevant. The food seems to taste better. Above all, money seems to take on a different value. So, that's why it feels a bit gauche to toss a bellman at the Hotel Hermitage a ten-spot for carrying my bags...more

Team PokerStars' Wil Wheaton has long been a man who defied definition. He's an actor, writer, blogger, poker player, and several things that defy definition themselves. However, a week ago, he embraced the label of "celebrity" for a few days and it paid off in a very big way.Wheaton played...more