Along with many other media outlets, we may have given the impression in earlier reports (and on Twitter, in the bars etc) that England was going to whip the USA's backside in the soccer World Cup. We may have implied victory was certain given that we (I'm English, obviously) invented...more

It was quite a spectacle. On one side of the World Series of Poker final table stage was a large contingent of Germans cheering their man on. On the other, a smaller, yet still vocal bunch of Americans rooting for their favorite. With each pot won, shouting, songs and rigorous...more

Daniel Negreanu will be the first to admit that his World Series has not exactly gone to plan. He'd entered a whole bunch of events, but had failed to cash in any. The Canadian Team PokerStars Pro is one of life's optimists, however, and his perseverance paid off yesterday when...more

With Texas Hold'em being the dominant force it is today, it's easy to forget how poker used to be. Stud was the name of the game and, if you're anything like me, you probably have images in your head of smoky saloons packed with old men swigging whiskey and playing...more

Stalk the teeming tournament rooms and the crowded corridors at the Rio in Las Vegas and you'll bump into poker's big-name players before very long. They're here, along with thousands of others, to win a WSOP bracelet and make some serious cash. While many previous WSOP World Champions are among...more

It was around this time last year that PokerStars announced it had signed up Jason Mercier to Team PokerStars Pro. After winning buckets of cash on the EPT circuit, Mercier had weeks previously bagged his first WSOP bracelet. Now, PokerStars has introduced another player to the Team PokerStars Pro roster...more

You may not be aware of this, but there is a betting sub-culture at the World Series of Poker that often eclipses even the higher tournament payouts most players achieve. So-called prop bets are big business, and when the wealthy pro players get involved, we're talking about mega money. Rumors...more

Something was wrong. I could sense it as soon as I turned the corner from the main Rio casino and began the long walk down the hallways towards the cavernous convention area that houses the World Series of Poker. The clean-up operation had begun last week. They said it had...more

Darren Fletcher would much rather be in South Africa right now, but the Manchester United midfielder and Scotland captain did not make it to the FIFA World Cup because the Scots failed to reach the finals (and I take no pleasure in writing that, even as an Englishman). While his...more

After the drama of the high-stakes $50,000 Poker Player's Championship, the second big buy-in of the World Series of Poker so far began yesterday, drawing a list of names to make the mouth water. Among the 150 starters in the $10,000 7-Card Stud Championship were Team PokerStars Pros Barry Greenstein,...more

If there's one thing we've come to expect from Daniel Negreanu, it's the unexpected. You see, the Team PokerStars Pro is never shy to speak his mind about all things relating to poker (and golf, food and even painful laser hair removal treatment), and his well-informed views generally kick off...more

While most of us play poker for fun, hoping to make a little money along the way, the big guys do it for a living. Even with hefty scores behind them, however, things can go badly wrong. And it's not pleasant. Michael 'The Grinder' Mizrachi is one such player. Despite...more

It's as if I can hear the sweet sound of violins in the Amazon room; see rose petals drifting down from the ceiling, dancing crazily as they get caught up in the jet-stream of industrial air conditioning. Yes, we have a love story at the WSOP in Las Vegas, a...more

There's been endless articles written about how much electricity Las Vegas chews up. It's the lights that shine so fiercely you can see them from space, apparently. While most of us think it's pretty cool, there are those who get all hot and sweaty about the 'waste' of electricity, even...more

Imagine you are sitting under a Wild Date Palm tree in the middle of the Serengeti, sipping a nice cup of tea while enjoying the awesome view towards a distant mountain range (okay, this is unlikely, but stick with me). As the sun begins to sink below the horizon, and...more

Poker players look forward to the World Series of Poker with as much anticipation as kids waiting excitedly but impatiently for Christmas. While youngsters may get a raw deal, with the fun being over in just a day, the players have two months in which to gorge themselves stupid in...more

If there's one thing we've come to expect from the World Series of Poker, it's that the event's enormity will be a nailed-on eye-opener each and every year. This is my sixth assignment to poker's annual jamboree, and after walking from my home-from-home at the Palms in Las Vegas to...more