October 2006 Archives

Editor's note: I did not make it to the European Poker Tour event in Dublin, a fact that was more than a little disappointing. I have several friends in Ireland and even more on the EPT circuit. Missing out on the fun was unfortunate. Late last night, as the sun...more

His name may have been dizney1984, but he proved he wasn't Mickey Mouse-ing around. In a $1.4 million Sunday Million battle that lasted nearly eleven hours, Denmark's dizney1984 took home more than $180,000 for his first place finish. Final table results are below.PokerStars Sunday Million Results(Results based on three-way deal...more

I'm happy, and it's not just the Guinness. I don't know Roland de Wolfe at all, but I kept bumping into him today, and when I did we'd share brief friendly chats. Every time I met him I'd will him to win a little more. Now he's just brought his...more

11.39pm -- We have a winner... The pot is raised pre-flop. David and Roland check a 3 5 A flop. The turn's another 5. Roland bets 70,000. David considers, then he raises to 250,000. Roland calls. The river is a 9. Roland bets 250,000. David moves all-in. Roland quickly calls....more

Here are profiles of our final table players, thanks to Mad Harper.Seat 1. Rob Yong (UK) - 365,000 chipsRob Yong, 34, used to be a blackjack player but got barred because his "system" was too effective. He took up poker three years and is the founder of the new Dusk...more

I met Roland De Wolfe as I waited for a taxi yesterday. He wanted to talk poker. "Did you see that hand?" "Did you see it when I hit a ten on the river?" "Not sure I should have called that one..." He reminded me of a schoolboy who'd scored...more

We now have our final table of 8. Rob Yong, William Thorson, Nick Slade, Gavin Simms, David Tavernier, Patrick Bueno, George McKeever and Roland De Wolfe will all return tomorrow at 3pm local time. It promises to be an exciting final table, Roland De Wolfe and Wiliam Thorson are aggressive,...more

Willie Tann goes all-in. There have been many all-ins that have seen 8 players fold, but this one is different. This time the all-in finds a call. Roland De Wolfe is the caller, he shows AK. Willie can only manage AJ.The board is 9 K 4 8... and Willie's drawing...more

It's all gone quiet at our last table. Patrick just went all-in and doubled up with 9 9, taking chips from Roland De Wolf.Lee Jones is calling the hands in expert style, quickly calculating the odds at the turn of every card.Lee calls handsThe £500 tournament here is a very...more

We have nine players left, seated at one table, and when we lose one more we'll declare our 'final table'. These eight players will return to play on Sunday at 3pm. Here's the chip counts of the nine players at the quasi-final table...1 Rob Young 588,0002 William Thorsen 1,300,0003 Nick...more

Down to one table now. Only 9 players left... Iclandic PokerStars qualifier Finnur Hrafnsson was here in his first major tournament, he told me earlier that he was proud to be the first Icelandic player to cash in an EPT event. He might well consider himself lucky to be here,...more

Luca Pagano has been busted in 13th place after running his A-J into Willie Tann's K-K. Willie had raised to 45,000, Luca moved all in over the top with his remaining 115,000, and Willie called quick as a flash. Nothing helped Luca on the flop and turn, and a J...more

It looks like we're going to reach our final 8 as quick as you'd call an all-in bet when you find AA. Well, perhaps that's exaggerating, but we have lost 3 players in less than half an hour. Paul Telstud was out first. He was all-in pre-flop with 44. Nick...more

Here's Chipcounts from the final 16. On the televised table are:Gavin Simms 149,000Nick Slade 308,000Willie Tann 129,000Connor Doyle 60,000Luca Pagano 147,000William Thorsson 697,000Paul Telstud 30,000Finnur Hrafnsson 190,000The other table:Patrik Bueno 90,000Roland de Wolfe 840,000Rob Young 225,000George McEever 150,000David Tavernier 378,000Christoffer Stahl 185,000Marcel Baran 675,000Vinnie McNamar 98,000...more

Finnur HrafnssonMarcel Baranby Simon YoungTwo more of our PokerStars qualifiers are going great guns as just 16 players remain here in Dublin. Icelandic Finnur Hrafnsson and Germany's Marcel Baran have piled on the chips in a frenetic hour or so of poker.They both took huge pots off Jonas Helness, the...more

PokerStars Ray Coburn is out in 24th place. He moved in with AQ and Paul Telstud called with 88. An 8 on the flop ended Ray's second Dublin EPT. He's been in the money twice here, but will be disappointed not to improve on last year's 14th place finish.We've lost...more

Ara Melikian was shortstacked and needed to make a move. He moved in with 9 3. Roland De Wolf took him on with A 8. Roland's ace was enough to put Ara out. He'll take €7,390 back to New York.There are now 24 players left and they're re-drawing for seats....more

Luca Pagano: leave my pizza aloneby Simon YoungTeam PokerStars' Luca Pagano has been making steady, if unspectacular progress all day. He started with a respectable 49,000, and has built gradually without putting himself in a great deal of peril.Now up to the 72,000 mark he had a great chance to...more

Jonas Helness 140,000Chrristoffer Stahle 330,000Roland De Wolfe 380,000William Thorsson 405,000Willie Tann 205,000Luca Pagano 100,000Ray Coburn 83,000Ara Melekian 47,000Roy Brindley 115,000Karin Lungren 55,000Nick Slade 330,00Marc Goodwin 100,00Willie Tann and William Thorsson...more

PokerStars qualifiers Ray Corbin and Ara Melikian are shorter stacks now, but both just won significant pots. Ara just doubled up. He was in middle position holding AA. Everyone folds to him, he goes all-in. He gets called by a big stack willing to take a gamble on J 10....more

There was no cagey play on the bubble of this tournament. Two players went out in quick succession. This left the 32 remaining players cheering as it was announced that they were taking home a bundle of Euros. Or even a shiny EPT suitcase full of Euro notes if they...more

A few hands after the dinner break and Marcel Baran finds AA in the small blind. Another big hand lurked in the big blind. Dave Clayton was unlucky to find KK. I missed how all the chips went in the middle, but Marcel, from Frankfurt, won a huge pot. He's...more

40 players left now, and they've just gone on an hour dinner break. Before they left we gathered some more fresh chipcounts from the tourney floor.Roland de Wolfe 375,000 Willie Tan 260,000Andy Black 198,000Simon Ehme 150,000Marcel Baran 125,000Ray Coburn 39,000Ara Melikian 55,000Luca Pagano 47,000David Tavernier 187,000Finnur Hrafnsson 40,000Ade Adebayo is...more

On the televised table Andy Black goes all-in. He's quickly called by William Thorsen who turns over his KK. Andy groans, he holds 99. The cards are dealt 10c 5h 2h. Lee Jones, calling the card on the televised table says, "Andy has a 9 of hearts, he needs a...more

Mark Goodwin 180,000Roland DeWolfe 270,000Andy Black 100,000Roy Brindley 70,000Jonas Helness 140,000Luca Pagano 87,000Johnny Lodden 38,000Christoffer Stahle 140,000Nick Slade 97,000Andy Black 100,000Willie Tann 85,000William Thorsen 209,000Roland De Wolfe...more

45 player remain. Sadly Gerald Lemke is now out. He stood for a long while at his table, checking his cards as soon as they were dealt, often walking away to chat to his Mother on the rail. He found a hand he wanted to play, this was AQ. He...more

by Simon YoungThere's an old saying in poker - with a "chip and a chair" you are still very much in with a chance. I know it's a cliche, and normally the poor owner of said chip is launched the wrong way through a tournament's revolving door within minutes, but...more

It's hard to count chips very accurately now that there are many coloured chip mountains everywhere, also bear in mind that we're not allowed close to the TV Table. Blog helper Sam has done great work getting these estimated figures together for you.Jonas Helness 145,000Andy Black 150,000Finnur Hraffson 150,000Ray Coburn...more

David Murray just went out, now 63 players remain. Murray was at the TV table, alongside Andy Black, Willie Tann and William Thorsen who was second in chips at the start of play. David had only 10,000 chips left and went all-in with 88. Fellow PokerStars qualifier Finnur Hraffnsson called...more

We've lost Noah Boeken, I didn't see him go out, but spotted him playing in a cash game. This isn't online poker, you can't do two tables at once. Apparently Noah was all-in with KQ and ran into an AA.Unfortunately it looks like I won't be bragging in the press...more

Katja Thater: Where was the last spade?by Simon YoungTeam PokerStars' Katja Thater stood on her chair and tried to suck the winning card out of the dealer's hands. Any spade would have been enough, or any ace. Sitting on about 30,000, she had got into a raising war with Kevin...more

John Duthie just commented that they're 'dropping like flies'. Last time I looked there were 88 players all hoping to avoid the fly-drop problem and reach the final 8 at the end of the day.Marcel Luske is sadly one of the early casualties, always good to watch the Dutch player,...more

Shut up!: Roland de Wolfe silences Bayoby Simon YoungAde Bayo has started today as he left off yesterday - very loudly. Famed for defending his big blind and berating anyone foolish enough to try and raise it, Ade has already been on his feet shouting for the whole room to...more

PokerStars players in action today include Team PokerStars Katja Thater and Luca Pagano. Noah 'Exclusive' Boeken is also representing PokerStars today, by my calculations Noah's made going on for $300,000 from his EPT poker to date with 5 cashes. Of course we'll be following these well known PokerStars players, but...more

It's going to be a dull day in Dublin today... Of course I'm talking about the cloudy weather! The poker is going to be far from dull. 109 players return to the Regency Hotel today to play down to 8, ready for the final table on Sunday. Chipleader at start...more

65 players bagged their chips at the end of day 1B. They'll join the 51 players of day 1A, and come back to play again tomorrow. Amongst the 'name players' with chips at the end of day 1A are: Marcel Luske, Noah Boekan, Luca Pagano, Peter Gould, Andreas Hagen, Nick...more

Average chips 27,800, 72 players remain with blinds now 400/800. Here's some chipcounts:Finnur Hrafasson 28,000David Murray 38,000Ramzi Jelassi 41,000Roland de Wolfe 47,000Marcel Luske 42,000Neil Channing 90,000Noah Boeken 30,000 Ara Melikman 47,000Luca Pagano 36,000Gerry Lemke 20,000Conor Pope 14,000Roman Makowski 22,000Marcel Baran 33,000 Ches Denisen 30,000Willie Tann 41,000Ade Bayo 40,000I asked Ade...more

I just saw Luca Pagano double up with JJ vs 88, and having to sort out a huge pile of chips. I thought it was a big pot until I realised they were mainly green 25 chips. It's hard for us bloggers to bring you accurate chipcounts when there are...more

David Tavernier, the French player with the proud PokerStars User Id 'Davethebest,' nearly didn't make it to Dublin at all. He was 5 minutes late for his flight yesterday. He had another flight arranged for this morning. This was cancelled due to bad weather. He and his wife finally got...more

107 players remain. It's at that stage of the night where time seems to slow, the tourney's been playing nine hours now, but players won't go home easy. Blinds are now 200 400. When an ante is introduced at the next level I expect things to get lively, at least...more

I've just heard Jonas Molander is out. Apparently he was bluffing and ran into a player with 2 pair. Ok.130 players left now. Here's some chipcounts:Peter Gould 14,000Iwan Jones 9,000Anthony Holden 8,500Marcel Luske 44,000Ade Bayo 32,000Padraig Parkinson 4,500Willie Tann 15,000Markus Golser 34,500Steve Vladar 5,000Nick Gibson 15,500Birgitta Johansson 12,500Ross Boatman 21,800Patrick...more

Dave 'Devilfish Ulliott listed his name as 'Dave Devilfish' on his EPT Dublin registration form. It's a bit confusing. This means I don't know what to call him. I've heard a lot of names used to describe him today. Devilfish earler accused me of distracting him from his play, apparently...more

You know I debated whether I was Jonas Molander's lucky charm, and decided that this was plainly not so? It made me wonder about why I like him. He's a good player to watch. An agressive player, but I'd call his style 'cautious agressive'. As I watched him play a...more

142 players remain, here's the chips of notable players:Keith "The Camel" Hawkins 4,500Julian Gardner 7,000Dave Ulliott 11,000Ramzi Jelassi 26,000Peter Gould 11,000Iwan Jones 8,500Jan Boubli 5,000Marcel Luske 23,000Anthony Chessa 10,300Harry Demetriou 8,000Christer Johansson 2,000Michael Grecco 9,000Ross Boatman 18,000Jonas Molander 14,000Patrick Bueno 5,000Tony Cascarino 15,000Roland De Wolfe 33,000Noah Boeken 11,000Dave Colclough 5,500Tony...more

After a tedious card-free day, Anthony Holden - who is playing for PokerStars - has just had his first moment of happiness. With pocket Kings, he went all-in against a player to his left with A8. An 8 on the flop brought a moment of anxiety but the Kings held...more

There's a prize pool of €1,847,750. Here's how it'll pay the lucky winners.1st €554,3002nd €314,1203rd €184,7804th €138,5805th €112,7106th €88,6907th €70,2108th €51,7409-10th €31,41011-12th €25,87013-14th €20,33015-16th €14,78017-24th €11,09025-32nd €7,390...more

162 players remain, it's a staggered dinner break here with half the field playing, the other half eating. I overheard a player checking out the half-empty room and saying, "Looks like we can win now, there's not many players."Ara Melikian with chips to suggest he's playing well, didn't want to...more

Ramzi Jelassi has been busy at his table, and just won a big pot with most of the chips going in on a A 9 3 6 board, with Ramzi claiming, "I've got Jack Ten off" as his opponent deliberated. His opponent called, only to face another big bet my...more

Greg Raymer lost most of his chips in a hand where his opponent held the nut flush, Greg mucked, and was left in desperate shape with around 700 chips.He moved all-in in late position, the small blind and big blind could hardly fold. No cards to be shown preflop, there...more

Ram Vaswami had two big hands against fellow Hendon Mobster Ross Boatman. He held QQ when Ross held KK and lost most of his chips. A few hands later shortstacked Ram went all-in with his remaining chips holding 88, Ross called with KJ. A King on the river sent Ram...more

I just saw a waitress deliver a burger and chips to a hungry player, the dinner break should be within an hour, but I guess he wanted fries now.I hope you want some pre-dinner break chips too? Here they are. Enjoy!Michael O Sullivan 22,000Roland de Wolfe 29,000Tony Cascarino 12,000David Barnes...more

Gerry Lemke is a 20 year old from Connecticut, he won his seat for just $5 and he's enjoying his first ever trip to Europe. It seems the EPT has made him think about his future, and win or lose here in Dublin he says he's decided to quit his...more

Vicky Coren was down to 6,000 chips, she lost a big pot holding a set early in the tournament. She held AA and got 5,000 chips in re-raising pre-flop, the rest heading for the centre of the felt was always going to be a formality. Ewan Jones seemed almost embarassed...more

Joe Beevers, Ross Boatman, Barney Boatman, Noah Boeken, Tomas Brolin, Tony Cascarino, Neil Channing, Tony Chessa, Dave Colclough, Victoria Coren, Roland De Wolfe, Harry Demetriou, Dave Devilfish, Peter Eichhardt, Don Fagan, Tony G, Julian Gardner, Michael Grecco, Pete Haslam, Keith Hawkins, Juha Helppi, Anthony Holden, Jacob Juhl, Marcel Luske, Brian...more

Play is now underway, 208 players at 21 tables, paying €5,000 for 10,000 chips. And the most important number of all? 1 winner..? Well, of course that's what it's all about, so yes, that's an important number, but it feels like that's far off business for Sunday. Today I just...more

I thought it was supposed to rain a lot in Ireland? Well it's a sunny day here in Dublin, as it was yesterday, apart from the steady drizzle from the lobby chandelier. Hotel water problems didn't seem to dampen the enthusiasm of any of the players who took their seats...more

Here are the official chips from the end of yesterday's day 1A. Jonas Helness ended the day as chipleader on 117,400.Marc Goodwin 98,200David Clayton 61,100Adrian Walshe 16,500Kevin Breesey 83,900Christopher Stalie 40,900Testud Paul 77,100Pascal Perrault 5,300Martin Kenor 37,000Eoin Olim 47,100Johnny Lodden 44,900Joakim Hammar 66,500George Geary 8,700Bosch Oliver 22,400Jim Reid 37,200Jimmy Dahlavist...more

A little surprisingly only 51 players remain of the 198 who started play on the first day of EPT Dublin. I'll bring you official chipcounts in the morning, but players likely to sleep easy tonight are Andy Black and Jonas Helness, who Katja Thater tells me has been bullying her...more

James Blundell qualified for EPT Dublin by spinning a 40 FPP satellite buy-in into this €5,000 seat. James from Coventry, England, is most often found playing at PokerStars $0.25/$0.50 NL tables, today found hiself sitting next to Andy Black. When I found him still playing in the last 60, I...more

Liam Flood is now out, he held KQ and his all-in bet was called by Jonas Helness with AQ.Other recent casualties, Jeff Kimber, Scott Taylor, Torstein Iversen, Rory Liffey, Philip Hilm.68 players remain. Here's some chipcounts:Max Trigas 30,000Katja Thater 31,000Pascal Perrault 37,000Andy Black 27,000Ray Coburn 27,000Jonas Helness, 80,000Daniel David Ryan,...more

Identical twins, JJ (Jeppe) and Jacob Juhl are playing in this EPT tournament. JJ plays today in Day 1A, his brother plays tomorrow's Day 1B. The Danish pair are TV-hosts, and involved in producing many TV shows. Jeppe has been executive producer for "Survivor" in Scandinavia for 9 years. He's...more

Unfortunately our blogging software has been offline for 90 minutes. I just wanted to explain why quite a few posts have appeared all of a sudden. Strangely this downtime coincided with the Regency Hotel's Happy Hour free bar. You might well have expected the alcohol-free tournament room to empty when...more

Andy Black raises preflop, a player in a coat and stripy jumper goes all-in for around 5,000 chips. Another player dumps yet more chips in the middle. These are counted, his re-raise 7,875 more to Black. Andy thinks. 'You're two sick men,' he says. Finally he makes a pained noise,...more

ElkY was down to just under 4000 chips, and only had one move left. He wen't all-in with pocket 3s, and didn't need to run into a big pair, only a bigger pair. He found a player with 88, and I saw him studying an EPT promotional postcard, perhaps contemplating...more

89 players left, and they're on a short break. I took the opportunity to admire their lucky chip protectors and do-sits.Ray Coburn's shell and sweetiesA lucky conkerA big buddhaAndy Black's um, er... fancy bronze thing....more

Joe Rafferty is out, with few chips left he went all in with AJ the player on the big blind found JJ. Last year my job was to escort the final table players to the venue where the final table was to be filmed, and Joe refused to get in...more

There are 108 players left, here's chipcounts of some of the remaining PokerStars qualifiers. Jordan Scott 11,900Russell L Rosen 9,000Wesley M Wyvill 14,000Simon Lewis 26,500Seth Cohen 10,400Michel Palmieri 6,100Ray Coburn 8,100James Blundell 16,100David L.Atrubin 7,600Jordan ScottRussell L.RosenSimon LewisWesley M WyvillMichel Palmieri...more

Chris Moneymaker, shortstacked goes all-in on the small blind. The big blind says, 'sorry,' as he calls. Moneymaker has 8h 9h. The big blind has AA. Two aces on the flop, and Moneymaker is well and truly out.Katja Thater meanwhile has just doubled up with 77. She's on 14,000 now....more

Team PokerStars players Katja Thater and Chris Moneymaker both have very few chips. Katja just lost a big pot. She bet 3,500 on a Td 7c Jc board. The turn is Ts - both players check. The river 3s, Katja's opponent checks and Katja bets 3,000. The other player goes...more

The Regency Hotel has had a few problems with their plumbing today, many players found their showers didn't work this morning. I also noticed water pouring from the chandeliers. But all is good now, the Regency Hotel has turned water (or the lack of it) into wine (or perhaps Guinness?)...more

Katja Thater has just doubled up, she was re-raised all-in on a flop of 5h 9c 7h. Katja held KK and her opponent Ah 2h for a flush draw. Katja doubles up to around 15,000 chips. Max Trigas has doubled up too, he's now on 10,000.It seems Roy Brindley is...more

The other half of the tournament room is empty now, as the second group of players take their dinner break. The non-stop play means no break for us bloggers. 144 players now remain. Average chips are 12,700 and blinds are now 100/200. Here's a few estimated chip counts from the...more

153 players remain of the 195 who started on Day 1A. Half the players are taking a dinner break, the rest play on and will take their dinner when they return. Here's selected chipcounts of players in action right now.Chris Moneymaker 9,000Andy Black 15,000Arshad Hussein 13,000Thang Duc Nyugen 7,000Rory Liffey....more

Thierry Cazals is one of those players who seems busy at the tables, every time I wander near his seat he seems to be involved in a hand. Perhaps this agressive style is the reason why he's won so many EPT seats at his favourite site? Thierry is a management...more

I'm not sure what it has to do with old Arthur Guinness and his pints, but I just heard some important news regarding another variety of Guinness. The 2007 edition of the Guinness Book of World Records has just been published, and page 136 lists PokerStars as a record breaking...more

Max Trigas is a Greek nightclub entrepeneur, who's been playing poker for little more than six months. In his short time in the game he's been having a lot of fun with EPT satellites, claiming it's 'easy to qualify' at PokerStars.Max was involved in a less 'easy' decision in a...more

Chris Moneymaker is studying a flop of 9d 4d Qh. Player-whose-name-I-don't-know bets. Chris declares, 'All-in' He pushes 7,000 chips into the middle. 'I need to catch,' Moneymaker says. 'I have a flush draw.'He has a little better than a flush draw, he turns over QJ of diamonds, for top pair...more

Things are progressing slowly, as usual in these early stages. We've lost 5 of the 195 players. Ben Grundy was the second player to exit EPT Dublin. He held AK with a King on the flop, his opponent held a straight. He claimed matter-of-factly, 'I didn't think I had enough...more

EPT Dublin has now begun, starting around an hour late with just under 200 players. Notable players I've spotted so far, Andy Black, Mickey Wernick, Johnny Loddin, Mel Judah, Willie Tann, Ben Grundy, Liam Flood, Dario Minieri, Donnacha O'Dea, Roy Brindley. PokerStars players we'll be watching out for, include Chris...more

Dublin's Regency Hotel hosts this EPT event which is due to begin at 2pm local time. It's a grand old hotel with plenty of old oak and chandeliers. It reminds me of some Irish Great Aunt who's feeling 'splendid' after a few after dinner sherries... Pretty in pink - The...more

You have to admire a place that claims an alcoholic beverage as its unofficial city mascot. Dublin is proud to have created Guinness, the celebrated pint with it's black body and creamy head. The city hosts a museum dedicated to this famous stout, a museum that is Ireland's number one...more

Aston Martin Racing finished first and fourth at the Monterey Sports Car Championships at Laguna Seca on Saturday 21 October. Pedro Lamy and Stephane Sarrazin taking the final victory of the 2006 American Le Mans Series in their Aston Martin DBR9, the team's fifth win this year.Aston Martin Racing finished...more

The PokerStars Sunday Million continues to get bigger every week. Once again, players saw the biggest Sunday Million of all all time--6,413 players! The final three players all won more than $100,000 after cutting a deal at the final table. Final table results are below.PokerStars Sunday Million Results(Based on finishing...more

I have to smile when I think back to a day nearly two years ago when I set down in Nassau. Blogging had been around for quite a while and poker blogs were starting to take hold in the blogging community. Even the concept of live-blogging a tournament wasn't a...more

It was an amazing day for the PokerStars Sunday Million. More than 6,150 people signed up to play in the world's biggest weekly poker tournament--and the largest ever Sunday Million in history. It took nearly ten hours to finish, but all the work paid off for the winner. Hacken took...more

Thang Duc Nguyenby Simon YoungAfter four days filled with poker's joy, drama, disappointment, disbelief and the ridiculous, a gaggle of 331 players whittled down slowly but surely to just one. The lucky last man standing was Thang Duc Nguyen, a German chef who owns his own restaurant in Hamburg.He had...more

Thang Duc Nguyen punches the air after winning the titleGerman chef Thang Duc Nguyen has won the EPT Baden, beating New Yorker Ben Johnson to win the crown and €487,397.He went into the heads up battle with a two to one chip lead, and Johnson never really looked like clawing...more

This man Thang Duc Nguyen is looking unstoppable. No sooner had he dumped Daniel Dodet out of the EPT Baden, than he sent Italian Dario Minieri out of the door in third place. Nguyen now has two million chips, nearly twice those of Ben Johnson as we now play heads...more

Thang Duc NguyenHe has been waiting patiently for his spot, like a lion hiding in the long grass for an innocent gazelle to wander past. Now Thang Duc Nguyen has pounced on Daniel Dodet and, to put it bluntly, devoured him.Nguyen, who reached two final tables in the recent PokerStars...more

Ben Johnson: hungry for chipsThe remaining four players have gone on a dinner break. Ben Johnson, the pro player from Brooklyn, New York, will be enjoying his sandwiches more than the rest, as he has taken the chip lead with 1,210,000.Italian Dario Minieri, who had himself been in the Number...more

Minieri: "I'm so crazy"Dario Minieri has taken the chip lead by eliminating German Sacha Biorac in 5th place. With the blinds at 10,000-20,000 and a 2,000 ante, Minieri raised to 80,000 with 6-6. The action folded to Biorac, who thought long and hard before pushing all in, about 220,000 more,...more

Rodion Cherednichenko is out in sixth place after PokerStars' Daniel Dodet outdrew him with a flush. All the chips went in after the 10-3-8 flop, all three hearts. Daniel had 9-9, one of them a heart, and Rodion 10-J for the top pair. The turn changed nothing, but Q of...more

PokerStars qualifier Jonas Molander has been busted in 7th place. He had been nursing a short stack for some time, and with the blinds just up to 8,000-16,000, with a running ante of 2,000, he decided enough was enough. Perhaps any hand would do, but in the end Jonas pushed...more

The final table contendersSweden's Peter Eichhardt is our first faller at the EPT Baden final table. With the blinds at 6,000-12,000, and only 88,000 behind him, Eichhardt pushed all in after finding K-Q spades. Dario Minieri called instantly with 8-8, and it was a classic match-up.The flop came A-8-10, giving...more

Ben Johnson: clear chip leaderNew Yorker Ben Johnson has just won a huge pot to eliminate Andrea Balla in ninth place - and take himself into a commanding chip lead. The manner of his exit was brutal for Balla, from Italy. Johnson raised to 60,000 with A-10, and Balla moved...more

Three players are scrapping over the chip lead right now, and all of them are PokerStars players. Ben Johnson just has the edge with 605,000, but moving up menacingly is Daniel Dodet, of Belgium, with 600,000, who won a huge pot against Peter Eichhardt in a K-K v Q-Q battle....more

Dario is mobbed by friends after knocking out Argyris ArgyrouTo the collective sigh of many females in the room, we have lost jolly Cypriot Argyris Argyrou. As had been his style in the last two days, he was playing a lot of pots, and this was one too many.Under the...more

We have moved into the next level, with blinds now up to 8,000-16,000 with a 1,500 running ante. PokerStars player Ben Johnson, who had been pushed around in the early squabbles, has just taken a huge pot of Peter Eichhardt.They pushed chips into the middle before the flop, and Johnson...more

The cards have been in the air for little more than 30 minutes, and already we have lost two players. With blinds starting at 6,000-12,000 some of the shorter stacks had to make a move, and for Peter Gould and Marcus Golser it did not work out.Gould, who works as...more

Your 12 players who have made the final day here in Baden are:Peter Eichhardt, SwedenArgyris Argyrou, CyprusBen Johnson, U.SDario Minieri, ItalyThang Duc Nguyen, GermanyAndrea Balla, ItalyJonas Molander, SwedenSacha Biorac, GermanyRodion Cherednichenko, RussiaPeter Gould, UKDaniel Dodet, BelgiumMarcus Golser, AustriaFor overnight chip counts, look here...more

Ever wondered what it takes to set up a televised poker final table? It's a logistical minefield, best left to the experts. But here is your easy, cut-out-and-keep guide should you ever need to set up an international poker event yourself.Cooking instructions:First, take a normal road map to find out...more

Casino Baden: Theatre of DreamsSo here we are for the climax of the season three EPT Baden. More than 330 players entered, building a prize pool of €1,572,250, including a handsome €487,397 first prize for the winner.Twelve hopefuls are left - five of them PokerStars players - and they must...more

Goodnight from Casino BadenPlay has finished for the night, with 12 players surviving to come back for tomorrow's final day. Just before the end, Germany's Thorsten Schuler became our 13th place finisher.He had 9-9 and faced Peter Eichhardt's A-K. The flop was K-Q-5, and the turn added a flush draw...more

Andy BlackIreland's Andy Black is our 15th place finisher, picking up €15,722 for his efforts.It was a curious hand. Black, relatively short-stacked, moved all in under the gun with 10-J. He was called by both Hungary's Csaba Kuremszki with A-J and Ben Johnson of the U.S. holding A-K. The flop...more

Team PokerStars' ElkY (Bertrand Grospellier from France) has been eliminated in 16th place by Sweden's Peter Eichhardt. Just one hand earlier Eicchardt had raised, everyone folded and he showed A-K. This time, ElkY had the Big Slick, raised - and walked straight into Eichhardt's K-K....more

Christian TogsverdThere are now just 16 runners left of the EPT Baden after another two fallers. First Birgitta Johansson from Sweden was busted by PokerStars' Argyris Argyrou when his A-Q overtook her Q-Q. Then Christian Togsverd, who had been chip leaders earlier in the day, crashed out to PokerStars' Jonas...more

ElkY claims Danish scalpDane Martin Wendt has been busted in 19th place by Team PokerStars' ElkY, who now moves on to over 150,000 chips. Wendt moved all in with his 53,000 for the second hand running, this time holding K-Q suited. ElkY dwelled for a minute and then called with...more

Argyrou: trash talkWhen a poker table is full of quiet, reserved players it can get a bit dull. But often a character sits down and livens it up a bit. Sometimes one arrives and livens it up a lot. Step forward rubbish recycling manager Argyris Argyrou (I don't mean he's...more

Dario Minieri on a chargePokerStars young gun Dario Minieri is on a charge, having just knocked out two players within ten minutes. The Italian now sits behind more than 200,000 and is in a commanding position.It was not without some good fortune, though. First he kicked Britain's Marc Goodwin out...more

Matthias StiegerMatthias Stieger, a PokerStars player from Germany, has been busted in 32nd place. He pushed for his few remaining chips - about 12,000 - with J-8 and was called by Day 1A chipleader Rodion Cherednichenko's A-3.The flop of A-J-7 was cruel, the turn, an A, was crueller still, and...more

Bubble boy: Anders OsterstromWell, they took their time, wary of being the unfortunate player to bust on the bubble. But someone had to give - and that was Anders Osterstrom from Sweden, who was dismissed by Thang Nguyen from Germany.No sooner had word spread of the unfortunate Anders' exit, than...more

ElkY running strongAfter falling like flies, play has tightened up as we approach the bubble. Just 38 players are left, and once two more trip over we are in the money. First, though, the players are enjoying a well-deserved break for 50 minutes.With blinds now at 1,500-3,000, Team PokerStars' ElkY...more

Sven PolarskiWe have an emerging chip leader in the shape of Denmark's Christan Togsverd, up to more than 220,000. A chunk of that came from PokerStars qualifier Sven Polarski, from Holland.Our man had worked his way up to 60,000 after starting the day with just 14,000. But his luck ran...more

Daniel Dodet, the luckiest man in BadenPokerStars qualifier Daniel Dodet is still in shock after an astonishing outdraw, the type that you see only once in a blue moon.I'll let Daniel, who works in the insurance industry in Belgium, take up the story. "I had A-9 suited and faced his...more

Carl OlsonCarl Olson, the PokerStars player who has a habit of qualifying for these EPTs, is out after running a bluff at the wrong time. Carl, from the U.S., had A-K, and when he was re-raised before the flop he pushed in half his stack - about 20,000 chips. His...more

Vicky Coren: aces joyPlay has been under way here in Baden for little more than 30 minutes, and already we have had fireworks. PokerStars' Vicky Coren has tripled up, qualifier Chris Roth is out, Daniel Dodet of Belgium has just used up a day's worth of luck, and Britain's Phil...more

Day break in BadenMonday morning in most towns is a chaotic affair. The streets are clogged with cars carrying folk to work; pavements are lined with commuters and kids scurrying to school.Not here in Baden, Austria. My walk from the hotel to the Casino this morning was one of solitude....more

After an amazing World Championship of Online Poker, the PokerStars Sunday Million came back in full force. More than 5,500 players signed up to play in the biggest weekly poker tournament around. The battle raged all the way to the very end. Players never cut a deal and when it...more

Goodnight, ViennaPlay has finished and 45 players are through to Day 2 to join the 38 who made it yesterday. The survivors are busy counting up their chips and signing them off before making their way into the Baden night.It's been quite a day here in Austria, with the lead...more

Carl OlsonEPT uber-qualifier Carl Olson is a man on the move. The PokerStars player, who has qualified for all three EPT events this season already, and who is also heading for Dublin, has more or less doubled through by knocking out Britain's Julian Thew.Thew raised from under the gun with...more

Vicky Coren is smiling againVicky Coren must be thinking someone above is looking after her right now. Weeks ago she won the EPT in London, and now she has used up a wedge of luck to not only survive here in Baden, but double up in the process.Surely this monster...more

The prize money has been announced. Players will be paid down to 36th place....1. €487,397.502. €251,5603. €125,7804. €110,057.505. €94,3356. €78,612.507. €62,8908. €47,670.509. €31,44510-12. €18,88713-15. €15,722.5016-18. €12,57819-27. €9,433.5028-36. €6,289...more

Frode Fragerli: chip leaderNorwegian Frode Fragerli was the nearly man in Monte Carlo when he bubbled in the EPT Grand Final event in March. His luck improved, though, when PokerStars stepped in to give him a package to the EPT here in Baden.It looks as though he is putting that...more

The 97 remaining players are on their dinner break. Chance, then, to take a sideways look at chip management. Here are some of the many different ways poker players leave their stacks. What does it tell you about the owners?:The Tall and Proud: don't mess with meThe Look at Me:...more

Jorryt van HoofPokerStars player Jorryt van Hoof, who plays under the name of TheCleaner11, is sweeping up everything at his table - and has taken the chip lead in Baden.Jorryt was helped on his way by a strange hand when he rivered a set of eights to beat his opponenet,...more

Voodoo holding firmJohan Kretz, Voodoo on PokerStars, had what looked like the table from hell when he first sat down. Noak Boeken, Edgar Skjervold, Mats Iremark AND Marcel Luske arrived to keep him company.But our man from Sweden has not only kept a cool head - he has doubled up...more

Richard GrykoRichard Gryko, Raconteur on PokerStars, was an unlucky man at the London EPT last month. He turned up late, thanks to the city's notorious traffic, and under a peculiar British law, was not allowed to take part. If you are not at your seat when the first cards hit...more

We are only on Level 2, but already some big names have gone to the rail. Barny Boatman is out after running his K-K into A-A, and Ben "Milkybarkid" Grundy, who came eigth for $119,000 in the PokerStars WCOOP main event, is also out.Ben Grundy: OutTwo PokerStars qualifiers share the...more

Play is under way at Day 1B of the Baden European Poker Tour. Another 167 players have sat down to fight their way through - they hope - to Day 2, where 38 runners from yesterday are ready and waiting.We have a host of top names, and a whole bunch...more

Rodion, tidy profit but messy stackOur mystery Russian, he with the massive chip lead at the end of Day 1A, has been revealed as Cherednichenko Rodion. You'll remember he was reluctant to give anyone his name last night, but had he done so, I doubt any of us would have...more

Peace at lastPlay has just finished, with 38 of the 164 starters surviving. Tomorrow we start again with Day 1B.We'll have the official chip counts in the morning, but one thing is certain, our Mystery Russian, "Rodion", has raced into a huge lead, with 200,000 chips. At least they will...more

Mystery Russian and his messy pileA secretive Russian, who will only tell us his name is Rodion, has marched into the lead with about 138,000 chips.Though how anyone can be precise about it is an equal mystery - just look at his chips. The mess he has made may look...more

Vivi Sathern hates the eightsIf you are going to bust out of a major tournament with K-K it had better be to a good hand, and not a lucky one. So it was for Norway's Vivi Sathern. Sitting on just 2,500 she looked down and was no doubt delighted to...more

Come on, who wants itThese are the gleaming trophies our remaining 80 Day 1A players are squabbling over. Two of them, England's Peter Gould, a property venture capitalist, and Sweden's Ramzi Jelassi are vying for the chip lead, both with around 60,000 chips.Ramzi JelassiPeter GouldRamzi just added to his stack...more

Players are on a dinner break here in Baden. Mind you, most have been eating very well, thank you, as the food here is both excellent and plentiful.Time, then, to talk football. I mentioned earlier that Thomas Brolin, the former Swedish striker, was enjoying a good run here in Baden....more

ElkY back up to 12,000We have lost Team PokerStars' Luca Pagano. Finding himself short of chips, the Italian made a stand with his A-J. Sadly, he found a caller with 10-10 and the board brought no help.His table was broken soon after - we are now down to 90 players...more

Eleint, the Viennese whirlThey like their music here, and after every level a burst of The Entertainer greets us over the PA system. That's music to the ears of local boy and PokerStars qualifier Peter "eleint" Provaznik from Vienna.He is a serious classical piano player and helps run the family...more

Hartman: Wake me up, before you go goPokerStars qualifier Daniel Hartman (DanHartman) from Michigan, was so tired after a 26-hour journey to Austria that he needed a little nap to regain his strength. That quick shut-eye turned into something approaching hibernation, and he woke up with a start just 20...more

The pianist has gone for a coffee break, just as well because the players have settled down in their seats. Tournament director Edgar Stuchly has announced "Shuffle Up and Deal", and the EPT Baden is under way.A quick tour of the room sees several interesting clashes, not least table 11,...more

Casino BadenI pity those who travelled to Austria laden with jumpers and coats, expecting chilly weather. After all, this country is famous for skiing. But instead the sun is shining and it feels like high summer. Your blogger was one of those caught out, much as I was in Copenhagen...more

The casino in BadenNot too many miles beyond the mountainous ranges that tower menacingly over the Casino Baden, Julie Andrews sang that the hills are alive with the sound of music. No more. Instead, this area of Austria is buzzing with the poker elite of Europe gathering like a swarm...more

Aston Martin Racing came first and second at the 1,000-mile Petit Le Mans on Saturday 30 September. Tomas Enge and Darren Turner taking the top GT1 honours in their 007 Aston Martin DBR9.The team, drivers and cars performed faultlessly to give British manufacturer Aston Martin the top two positions in...more

Event #1 Report Event #2 Report Event #3 Report Event #4 Report Event #5 Report Event #6 Report Event #7 Report Event #8 Report Event #9 Report Event #10 Report Event #11 Report Event #12 Report Event #13 Report Event #14 Report Event #15 Report Event #16 Report Event...more

A lot of organizations and event organizers like to toss around the phrase "world championship." From competitive hotdog eating to pugilism, promoters just love to talk about their world champions. At PokerStars, however, the concept of a true world championship is not lost.For the fifth consecutive year, PokerStars hosted its...more

J.C. Tran wins 2006 PokerStars World Championship of Online Poker Main EventThe PokerStars World Championship of Online Poker Main Event was bigger than almost anybody expected. More than 2,500 players put up $2,600 apiece to build a record-breaking $6,275,000 prize pool, the biggest in online poker history. First prize guaranteed...more

If no-limit hold'em is a schoolyard brawl of unbridled aggression and fog-of-war cunning, limit hold'em is the battle of wits and math skills that takes place inside the schoolhouse. Inside, you're not going to win by bashing in your opponent's skull and scaring him out of his pants. Inside, you're...more

"HORSE is the new hold'em."--Instant message from fellow Team Blog member and poker blogger, CJ, during Event #16The guaranteed prize pool was $100,000, the kind of money that is nothing at which to sneeze, but also, not the kind of thing that gets up the masses' dander. In fact, while...more

In the big Event #17 $1,000 Limit Hold'em contest, Hungary's laurentia rocked the final table for a brilliant $145,000 win and the Event #17 gold bracelet. The final table showed why the event is called the World Championship of Online Poker, featuring players from the United States, Canada, Austria, the...more

In one of the most star-studded tables of the 2006 World Championship of Online poker, well-known professional player Chad "stelladora" Brown won the first-ever online $5,000 HORSE tournament. One hundred seventy-five players put up $5,200 apiece to fight for one of the most coveted titles in online poker. Brown won...more