January 2008 Archives

It was the best of days, it was the worst of days. For some the highs of looking ahead to a third day, whilst for others a night spent thinking of a hand misplayed or the hand the other guy shouldn’t have played, but did, and did well, awaits. Two...more

The plan was for eight levels of a field down to 32. We wondered how long it would take and it turned out things moved fast just when it was expected to slow. The approach to the bubble was as expected, nothing like the hour long bubble play last year....more

Seeing as though Marcel Luske is a sponsored player for PokerStars here in Dortmund I figured I’d spend a few minutes watching him play a few hands. If nothing else he’d probably provide a song and the quality of play when he’s around never seems to tarnish. With him at...more

Play is progressing after the dinner break. Tournament director Thomas Kremser intends to see through eight levels of play but will stop if we reach 32 players left. It’s difficult to say in level 13 right now which will come first. Meanwhile there have been a few keys eliminations...more

The money is a plus, but few things do your poker reputation as much good as some kind of record. A lot are dubious - first to do this, the first to win that, but others really separate the good from the incredible. PokerStars blogs have always featured the possibility...more

Ricky Fohrenbach - where have you heard that name before? Well Ricky finished 8th at the PCA a few weeks ago and was the chipper sounding 20-year-old who had a spell in the commentary box with the EPT Live team out in the Caribbean. Richard Fohrenbach “I’m on a pretty...more

Half an hour in and 13 players are already on their way home. One of them is Passport winner Dustin Mele. Dustin Mele Fair’s fair Dustin had the work to do. He came ready to turn his 4,600 into a colossus, one that would guarantee the PokerStars passport winner a...more

We’re close to a just about honorable 100kmp on the autobahn out of Dortmund. The sun still refuses to shine and the wind chill seems to pierce our metal bus, but this is the way – the road to day 2 of the EPT Dortmund and 149 players are strapped...more

Thomas Kremser picks up the microphone, he tells the dealers to deal six more hands, and being the disciplined staff they are they do just that, wrapping up day 1b at the EPT Dortmund. The last act was the exit of last year’s winner Andreas Hoivold, out in a showpiece...more

And so the mighty begin to fall. First it was Ram Vaswani, and now PCA Champion ElkY has lost his fight against terminal chip loss. With his stack on the ropes the money went in pre-flop on the back of ace-ten. A player in position called with pocket jacks for...more

Whilst 132 German players made the trip to Dortmund for their home EPT one man’s journey here involved 16,000 miles across desert, ice capped mountains, oceans, more mountains and immigration control - albeit by plane. Kara Scott talked to Australian Kristoffer Myhre… Into level seven and 117 players remain. The...more

A split lunch and the field has joined together as one once more. Before the break though came a mammoth hand, a three way all in that left a trail of wreckage and two players on the rail. PokerStars player George Danzer was one of them. The German pro is...more

With a break just a few minutes away it’s not difficult to see where the two unofficial feature tables are – that is if the crowd on the rail is anything to go by, and they happen to be next to each other. On the one side is Team PokerStars...more

Team PokerStars Pro Daniel Negreanu arrived slightly late to the tournament area, but he wasted no time in getting involved with a hand against a fellow Daniel – Daniel Pidun. On a rainbow flop of K-5-3, Daniel N bet with Daniel P calling. The turn was a deuce which Daniel...more

Popular for his singing, impeccable politeness and killer instinct at the tables, Flying Dutchman Marcel Luske lines up in level one a seat to the left of Team PokerStars Pro ElkY. Swapping Caribbean sun for European glum, ElkY's peroxide hair is fading slightly but you sense a man on top...more

Welcome to day 1b of the PokerStars EPT Dortmund... What can you say about day1b that’s different to day 1a? The same structure, the same optimism at the start, the true feeling that everyone can win. And the same look of defeat on their faces if things go belly-up. We...more

There was something about the moat theme at the beginning of the day – good for making this an isolated poker world, bad for making you feel trapped when your time came to exit. It’s not a moat as such that surrounds the Casino Hohensyburg, it’s more that the...more

83 players remain going into the eighth and last level of the day. One player quite happy to be here at the end of the day is Malte Strothmann, not least because earlier today the 19 year old from near Frankfurt was close to the door. “I folded over pairs...more

The first five levels have thinned the field a little, from 198 to 123. The hour may have taken its toll as well as it gets late here in Dortmund and the effects of jetlag adds weight to heavy heads. The pace has definitely slowed on table five. Here sit...more

The dinner break has arrived for some but not others. A split break so as not to strain facilities here see’s at least one player working on an empty stomach - England’s Julian Thew. With 5k left, and a board of 2d-5s-Ts-6d it was on Julian to act. Only he...more

Being described as aggressive in poker is non-negotiable if you’re to get anywhere. Better still you need some stronger words to help build your reputation on the rail. ‘Sick’ used to mean that but gets used so many times now that it’s lost its meaning. But when it comes to...more

Most poker players arrive at tournaments with a standard armoury of trinkets and paraphernalia to see you through. Large and dark sunglasses are popular, hiding any weakness in the eyes; a baseball cap can disguise your face in the same way and headphones plugged into an MP3 player help break...more

Players began taking their seats, signing TV waivers and examining their free card protectors, as a heavy guitar version of the song ‘Viva Las Vegas’ blasted over the sound system, the opening credits you might say. It was hard to place the version but it lacked the adrenaline of...more

Some will tell you that Dortmund is the seventh largest city in Germany and that it’s one of the country’s most hi-tech. Others will tell you that Dortmund was for generations a centre for coal mining yet remains one of the greenest cities in Europe. Others will tell you of...more

The bright neon discotheque setting of the Nightrooms nightclub PokerStars bade welcome to players on Monday night, arriving in town for the second EPT Dortmund. This was no ordinary welcome - up a flight of stairs from Street level guests were greeted by a woman in a close lace outfit...more

The final Sunday in January was a big one all around. Folks in Italy saw two of their countrymen take home big prizes as ponente71 won $20,000 in the Sunday Hundred Grand and Dario Minieri won the $5,200 Freeze Out for $100,000. The big winner of the day was the...more

How about this? Let's just say you have an extra $7.50 sitting in your PokerStars account. Or, better yet, let's say you have 500 Frequnt Player Points and nothing to do with them. Okay, now, let's just imagine you find your way into an EPT Steps tournament. Now, sure, there's...more

At the end of the 2007, when PokerStars introduced the PokerStars Passport and opened it up to the top 100 players on the TLB, you just had to know big things were in store for 2008. Now, those big things are happening. PokerStars has just made several updates to the...more

Tom, how was your PokerStars Caribbean Aventure? by Tom McEvoy I recently got back for the Bahamas where I participated in the 5th annual PokerStars Caribbean Adventure. For the first time, this was part of the European PokerTour. Already we have broken all previous records for attendance and prize money...more

It seems like the Sunday Million is settling into a new norm. In the past, it was great to see more than 6,000 players every week. The past few weeks, the Sunday Million has been rocking and rolling with more 7,000 people. This week saw 7,520 people sit down for...more

Last weekend, we learned who will spend the next year traveling the world on PokerStars' dime as the holder of the one-of-a-kind PokerStars Passport. Dustin Mele has earned himself buy-ins and travel to ten high stakes poker tournaments all over the world. Now, as he gets ready to set off...more

If you read this blog, you have probably been playing on PokerStars long enough to know what happens when you sign up for a Sit & Go. You register, the tourney lobby pops up, and it's up to you to close it from your screen. No more. Now, you have...more

After our initial interview in a back hallway at Atlantis, we gave 2008 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure winner Betrand "ElkY" Grospellier some time to breathe. Now, we've asked him to write a little bit about what his first major win meant to him and his poker career. by Bertrand "ElkY" Grospellier...more

It must be something in the high stakes waters. It's only been a couple of weeks since Dario Minieri won both the Sunday $5,200 freezeout and High Stakes showdown in the same day. This week, someone else did the same thing. Canada's Apathy123 must have had something to care about...more

The tournament was straight forward enough; 100 runners, regular blinds, 3,000 starting chips and a 15 minute clock. But the field and prize were something altogether less ordinary. An exclusive list of the top 100 players on the PokerStars tournament leader board had been assembled, competing for a prize that...more

by Brad Willis and Howard Swains Photography by Neil Stoddart Bertrand "ElkY" Grospellier was a pro-gaming star before he was a PokerStar, but celebrity is not what gets him out of bed in the morning. It's the competition. It's the winning. He was the first PokerStars player to achieve VIP...more

All Level 28 news will be updated here. The blinds and antes are 80,000/160,000/20,000. If you're refreshing on a regular basis, the latest information will be at the top. All Level 27 action can be found HERE. Bertrand "ElkY" Grospellier wins the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure, and $2 million. Hafiz Khan...more

by Michelle Willis Supernova Shane "fumbo420" Fumerton might remember this PokerStars Caribbean Adventure by the ones that got away: a tournament victory and one really big fish. I met Shane early this morning, down at the ferry boat dock. He and fellow Supernova Clayton "slammedfire" Mozdzen, Clayton's girlfriend Keli Keyes,...more

All Level 27 news will be updated here. The blinds and antes are 60,000/120,000/15,000. If you're refreshing on a regular basis, the latest information will be at the top. All Level 26 action can be found HERE. Kris continues to climb--On the last hand before the end of the level,...more

All Level 26 news will be updated here. The blinds and antes are 40,000/80,000/10,000. If you're refreshing on a regular basis, the latest information will be at the top. All Level 25 action can be found HERE. On extended break--We're on an extended break while the TD and players talk...more

All Level 25 news will be here. The blinds and antes are 30,000/60,000/5,000. If you're refreshing on a regular basis, the latest information will be at the top. Yesterday's level 24 action can be found HERE. Level ends--Level 25 is in the books. Chip counts coming soon. [12:25pm] Christian Harder...more

There are still 11 minutes left of level 24, which we'll be updating in this post. The blinds and antes are 30,000/60,000/5,000. If you're refreshing on a regular basis, the latest information will be at the top. Yesterday's level 24 action can be found HERE. Done with 24--That level didn't...more

The final table of the 2008 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure is scheduled to begin soon. You can follow the action here or at EPT Live. In the meantime, here's a look at the people who will be fighing for the $2 million first prize. Seat 1: Kris Kuykendall, 25 - PokerStars...more

It started with a hula and it finished with a cheer. Forty players entered the Grand Ballroom at noon to find it transformed into a tiki lounge: the colors of the poker chips were matched in the feathers of parrots, the contents of cocktail glasses and the patterns on shirts....more

"I'm not being cocky," Dustin Woolf said as he strode across the psychedelic carpet of the Atlantis Grand Ballroom. "I'm just in the zone." One of online poker's best-known players, Woolf arrived today as one of 32 players in the second flight of the PokerStars World Championship of Battleship Poker....more

We'll be updating all the news from Level 24 in this post. We're moving to 25,000/50,000/5,000. If you're refreshing on a regular basis, the latest information will be at the top. Level 23 PCA news can be found HERE. Final table-- David Pham 7,390,000 Bertrand "ElkY" Grospellier 3,060,000 Joe Elpayaa...more

We'll be updating all the news from Level 23 in this post. We're moving to 20,000/40,000/4,000. If you're refreshing on a regular basis, the latest information will be at the top. Level 22 PCA news can be found HERE. End of the level--The level is over, with 11 players still...more

We'll be updating all the news from Level 22 in this post. We're moving to 15,000/30,000/4,000. If you're refreshing on a regular basis, the latest information will be at the top. Level 21 PCA news can be found HERE. Freeroller runs out of steam--Emil Timberg's fairytale run deep in this...more

We'll be updating all the news from Level 21 in this post. We're moving to 12,000/24,000/3,000. If you're refreshing on a regular basis, the latest information will be at the top. Level 20 PCA news can be found HERE. Lights, camera, action--They’re standing on chairs at the rail of the...more

We'll be updating all the news from Level 20 in this post. We're moving to 10,000/20,000/3,000. If you're refreshing on a regular basis, the latest information will be at the top. Level 19 PCA news can be found HERE. Break time--Players are on a 10-minute break. Elpayaa hits the Dragon--A...more

We'll be updating all the news from Level 19 in this post. We're moving to 8,000/16,000/2,000. If you're refreshing on a regular basis, the latest information will be at the top. Level 18 PCA news can be found HERE and HERE. Reed falls with A9--All in with A9 against Paul...more

We'll be updating all the news from the end of Level 18 in this post. We're still at 6,000/12,000/2,000. If you're refreshing on a regular basis, the latest information will be at the top. Mahoney outdrawn-- Jared Mahoney, the PokerStars qualifier, is today's first casualty, and he got unlucky. He...more

Things have changed in the Grand Ballroom at the Atlantis. What was once a convention centre hosting a poker tournament -- think the Rio, Las Vegas, with fish -- is now a full-on tiki lounge hosting a poker tournament. Think Paradise Island, palm trees, a parrot, a straw cocktail shack,...more

In any poker tournament, the multitude of styles in the field is bound to run the gamut. There are the people who just want to survive until the money. There are the wide-eyed chip-slingers who play for nothing but first place. The PokerStars Caribbean Adventure is the definitive example of...more

We'll be updating all the news from Level 18 in this post. We're moving to 6,000/12,000/2,000. If you're refreshing on a regular basis, the latest information will be at the top. Level 17 PCA news can be found HERE. It had to end, but it wasn't pleasant-- Asa Smith is...more

One $8,000 tournament was never going to be enough for the battalion of poker players that has made its way to the Bahamas this week, and as the main event continues, there have been hundreds of cash games and sit and goes underway, as well as two $1,000 side-events. Then,...more

We'll be updating all the news from Level 16 in this post. We're moving to 5,000/10,000/1,000. If you're refreshing on a regular basis, the latest information will be at the top. Level 16 PCA news can be found HERE. Pirinen profitsMikko Pirinen just took down a decent pot in something...more

We'll be updating all the news from Level 16 in this post. We're moving to 4,000/8,000/1,000. If you're refreshing on a regular basis, the latest information will be at the top. Level 15 PCA news can be found HERE. Level 16 ends--The 16th level of the 2008 PCA has ended...more

We'll be updating all the news from Level 15 in this post. We're moving to 3,000/6,000/500. If you're refreshing on a regular basis, the latest information will be at the top. Level 14 PCA news can be found HERE. Level over--Level 15 is done. We'll have updated chip counts and...more

We'll be updating all the news from Level 13 in this post. We're moving to 2,500/5,000/500. If you're refreshing on a regular basis, the latest information will be at the top. Level 13 PCA news can be found HERE. Nibbling into the break-The last hand of the level on table...more

We'll be updating all the news from Level 13 in this post. We're moving to 2,000/4,000/400. If you're refreshing on a regular basis, the latest information will be at the top. Level 13 ends--Level 13 is now in the books. Looks like we'll get close to the money in Level...more

One hundred fifty-three players. That's how many we'll see stagger into the Atlantis Grand Ballroom this morning. Only 120 of those players will walk out of here with anything resembling a smile on their face. Today, Day 3 of the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure, will see us hit the money bubble....more

by Howard Swains and Brad Willis Day 2 is the day that the moves are made. Some slide out of contention, some come bludgeoning into view. When they started at noon today, there were 478 without the knowledge of which way it would go. When they finished tonight, 159 knew...more

We'll be updating all the news from Level 12 in this post. We're moving to 1,500/3,000/400. If you're refreshing on a regular basis, the latest information will be at the top. Chip counts updated--Selected chip counts of the biggest stacks have been updated on the PCA Chip Counts page. Unofficial...more

We'll be updating all the news from Level 11 in this post. We're moving to 1,200/2,400/300. If you're refreshing on a regular basis, the latest information will be at the top. Fans Divided--Ohio State is taking on Louisiana State University tonight for the national football championship, and some big fans...more

The atmosphere is changing outside on the grounds of the Atlantis resort as the temperature rises and the sky clears, but things are also getting hotter inside the Grand Ballroom. There's a palpable change in the air here. You can feel it as you walk through the tournament area. Everyone...more

The more poker you play, the more important it becomes to develop a way to stay alert during the long, long periods it can sometimes take around the tables. Some players listen to music, others wave to friends on the rail. People eat, drink, read and talk; others lock into...more

There comes a point in every poker tournament where the action starts to edge in on us. With approximately 300 players remaining, the money is getting closer and closer. While there is still a long way to go, we're now starting to get an idea of who might have the...more

About the same time the cards were hitting the felt here in the Grand Ballroom, a fierce wind blew outside. It was the kind of island wind most of us don't feel in our daily lives, and if your legs aren't firmly planted, it could blow you over. As that...more

Coming into Day 1A, David Wells was considered to be a novelty in the field. The leather-assed grinders in the room didn't figure to face any curve balls from the major league pitcher. After all, as the story went, Wells had never played in a serious poker tournament before. That...more

Sparkling conversation and incisive observations are common fare on media row. Put a bunch of hacks together in a confined space and some of the chatter is pure poetry. "What's going on over there?" asked one noted journalist, spotting a colleague returning from the thick of the action. "It's a...more

I always make it a point to go to the Coral Lobby lounge on Sunday nights at the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure. When I heard this week's Sunday Million had more than 7,100 runners, I made tracks to the lounge as soon as I was finished with my PCA work. And,...more

Today is Monday. I think. In tournament terms, it's Day Two. Which is the day that comes after the two Day Ones, that happened yesterday and the day before. Tomorrow will be Day Three, then Day Four, until Thursday, which is neither Thursday nor Day Five. Rather, it's Final Table...more

Not so long ago, the label "internet qualifier" had a different connotation in the bricks and mortar environment than the one it has now. Regular "live" tournament entrants would frequently scoff at what they imagined to be inexperienced, raw players, likely to mishandle their chips, give away tells and not...more

by Michelle Willis The chip leader from Day 1A, Ryan Collett, had a fantastic day off from playing today. He went snorkeling and swam with the sharks. When asked which was scarier, the real sharks or the poker sharks he played against yesterday here at Atlantis, Ryan smiled, shrugged, and...more

In poker, one does not rest on his laurels. Time skirts by too fast. Just ask Tom McEvoy. In 1983, he was the first person to ever enter the World Series of Poker main event via satelilte and win the championship. This year will mark the 25-year anniversary of that...more

The rail at the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure is a cultural experience. In just a few minutes, I met women from Holland, Germany and the United States. They're all here supporting players in Day 1B of the PCA, and they all have a story to tell. Melissa Rivera is rooting for...more

Fans of televised poker will recognise the two faces below. One is Barry Greenstein, one is Hevad Khan. Both have had their fair share of screentime in the past year or so. Greenstein is a stalwart on "High Stakes Poker", arguably the most fascinating televised spectacle for the poker purist....more

We've been watching the number crunchers in the back of the room. After several consultations with an abacus and what might've been a bit of black magic, they have handed over the official numbers for the 2008 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure. Day 1A hosted 556 players and Day 1B started with...more

Throughout Day 1A, people kept coming up and asking, "Is David Wells a poker player or is he just getting lucky?" It's starting to look like the people weren't asking the right question. It's not that Wells is a poker player. There hasn't been a lot of time to learn...more

While we certainly appreciate the thousands of you who are logging on all day long checking in on the PCA news, we also should point you to a number of different ways you can get your PokerStars Caribbean Adventure news. If you'd like to see updates from the PCA in...more

The European Poker Tour is now in its fourth season. There have been 27 tournaments played under the EPT banner, with ever-growing buy-ins and fields since 229 players sat down in Barcelona in 2004 to contest the first event, costing €1,000. At the time, it was something of an experiment....more

Jesse "Hittman76" Hitt is not a big-name poker player. The real estate agent from Tacoa, Georgia spends his days weather the tough home selling market and taking care of his wife and four kids. Still, he likes to play around at the lower limits. With seven bucks, he took a...more

Before Greg Raymer was "World Champion Greg Raymer," Greg Raymer was "Fossilman." The moniker was his online identity as well as his live poker nickname, prompted by the distinctive fossil card protector that he brought to the tables. During his spectacular run to the World Series title in 2004, a...more

As the players get their rear ends settled into their seat cushions for the day, there are a number of interesting tables taking shape. Team PokerStars Pro players Noah Boeken and Hevad Khan are seated immediately next to each other at Table 60, two young guns among a table of...more

Take a wrong turn on Paradise Island and you're likely to run into a fish tank. These aquariums (aquaria?) fill every available space in the walls and rock formations scattered across the resort. In front of them, there is usually a row of sunkissed tourists, pointing and the one with...more

Let's start with an understatement: Winning the PokerStars yearly Tournament Leader Board is no easy task--one person in a sea of thousands of tournaments and tens of thousands of tournament players. One must dedicate so many hours and endure so much tournament play, it's almost impossible to conceive of how...more

by Howard Swains and Brad Willis You don't win a poker tournament on the first day. But you can definitely lose one. And for about 320 of the 556 players who started the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure today, their dream of rolling in a bundle of banknotes on a paradise beach...more

During the last break in play -- a luxurious whole ten minutes -- I took a quick breather in my hotel room, flicking on the TV and taking my mind off the game. Well, it was a nice idea. Instead, a quick flick round the channels ended up on ESPN,...more

This is a big time for the Andler family of Sweden. I found Anita Andler sitting next to the door of the Grand Ballroom here at Atlantis. Her 23 year old son, Christopher, is still playing after five levels on Day 1A of the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure. Playing in this...more

David Wells is, for the moment, not a baseball player. His cap sports a PokerStars logo and is turned backward on his head. His sunglasses are turned backward and hanging off the back of his thick neck. His chair is turned backward, its back straining against the weight of Wells'...more

Scott Seiver is all dressed up and ready to go to dinner tonight, but tomorrow, he'll be hard at work at the tables of the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure. He bought in to the tournament and is scheduled to play in Day 1B. Seiver seems to be in good spirits. He...more

Editor's note: From time to time at the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure, we take a quick break from watching the tables and look over our shoulder at the rail. Some people here have brought friends. Other players have an entourage. The Rail Report introduces us to some of the best sweaters...more

We started with more than 60 tables, we're down to fewer than 50. And the latest news is that we're also missing one Tuan Lam, who busted moments ago. It's not pretty, so look away now if this kind of thing offends you. All the money was in on a...more

Most people in the poker world don't pay you much mind if you bring up the name Bertrand Grospellier. It's a nice enough name and all, but it doesn't slap poker folks in the face like, say, the name ElkY. Long-revered in the pro gaming world, ElkY made the move...more

Counting poker players in the early stages of a major tournament is like trying to number bees in a swarm. Everyone has an assigned seat, of course, but they also often have a friend or family on the rail, a scheduled trip to the bathroom, or a nicotine habit needing...more

It was getting on toward midnight last night when I spotted Team Poker Stars Pro member Andre Akkari. He sat at the back of the Coral Lobby lounge in a long line of Brazilian players. "I'm going to bed. I play tomorrow," he said. There was something, though, binding him...more

No matter how remote the location nor how early one arrives, checking in at a major poker tournament means an end to anonymity. Not everyone knows your name, perhaps, but no player worth their salt forgets a face, and walking through the labyrinthine corridors between lobby and poker room means...more

In southwest Missouri, many miles and a lifetime away, storms from the Kansas plains introduce themselves well in advance of their arrival. Distant flashes of light pop on the horizon, slow rumbles roll across the Ozark Mountains, and urgent winds carry the smell of giant raindrops. It's impossible to ignore...more

"Get lower...lower...lower!" The rich, Bahamian voice was not at all subtle. It was asking a woman to get as close to the floor as possible. It was impossible to see if the target was complying, because the crowd was packed as close as possible. And a lot of things were...more

Lee Jones, an old hand at the PCA, stood like a poker king surveying his land. The poker room (now 33% bigger!) had just opened and within minutes, three single table tournaments and a big cash game were running. "A poker player without action is like a bee without wings,"...more

Island time. It's a phrase used to describe a certain relaxed attitude toward the urgency of a mission. It's also the phrase one could've applied to the man who brought us here. Suffice it to say, the cab driver was not in a hurry. He had a woman to pick...more

If there was ever a Tournament Leader Board battle at PokerStars, the month of December was the one to remember. The top 100 TLB leaders from December knew they were fighting for the dream poker prize: The PokerStars Passport. The player who walks away with that prize will get ten...more