Poker Info Source

Last year marked the first time in the past four years that the number of players in the WSOP no-limit hold‘em main event had decreased, with attendance dropping more than 2300 players, a decline of over 25%. Yet, it was still had “the richest payout in all of sports,” with a total prize pool of almost $60 million and first prize being worth $8.25 million. Despite the drop in attendance, the main event still garnered 6, 358 players, which is quite impressive when compared to the 839 entrants of the first widely televised WSOP in 2003. It is widely known that poker has exploded in popularity recently, but why is it that this event in particular has done so well? Principally, victories by amateurs Robert Varkonyi in 2002 and Chris Moneymaker (beating Sam Farha in a thriller heads up!) in 2003 showed people that anyone who paid an entry fee to the main event had a chance of capturing the championship. Even a “weaker” player like Jamie Gold proved he could win big, again motivating newcomers to the game!

Big poker tournaments have been broadcast for years but were not highly publicized until millions of people tuned in to watch the 2003 World Series of Poker Main Event. Earlier tournaments did not employ the ‘card cam’, a small camera implanted in the table that allows the viewer to see a player’s cards during a hand. This change completely revolutionized televised poker, as commentators no longer had to blindly guess as to what hands the players were holding. At the same time that the ‘card cam’ technology was implemented, the two players mentioned above won back-to-back tournaments, inspiring thousands to take up the game and buy their way into the WSOP.

Yet, the no limit hold’em main event has a buy-in of $10,000, making it one of the more expensive events to enter. Even though all of the tournaments have grown in popularity, none have expanded as much as the main event. Why don’t amateurs enter into the smaller events, where the buy-in is smaller and the chance of winning greater? It’s because the main event is the pinnacle of poker competition, even if it is in name alone. The winner is named ‘World Champion’ for a year and gets his/her name emblazoned alongside past greats who have won the event. Imagine being able to buy yourself a spot in the Super Bowl and have a chance to make the winning kick at the end of the game; this is what it is like to play in the World Series of Poker Main Event, where the player really does have a chance to win it all. Although the immense swell of poker players has recently subsided, the game will retain its newfound increased popularity as long as amateurs continue to compete – and win – in the biggest tournament in the world.

Great update at casinocasino for anyone looking to play in Atlantic City… They’ve listed their favorite Atlantic City pokerrooms and given them a personal review — love it!

Read it right here: Atlantic City: Where to Play Poker

(photo below – borgata poker room!)

World Series of Poker 2005. Sam Farha and Oliver Hudson both flop a full house. Sammy has the nuts. Oliver Hudson thinks he has the nuts. He goes out in his first hand, Sammy doubles up.

Aah the terror of No Limit Hold’em.

Hahahaha I so hate Humberto Brenes and I so love Scotty Nguyen. Scotty makes a perfect bluff on Humberto, and I’m absolutely lovin’ it baby!

Way to go Scotty, send the Shark home!

Daniel Negreanu gets a lot of respect in the poker world and that’s pretty much thanks to making laydowns like this one. Sammy Farha possibly got a little greedy on the river but hey — if you feel Daniel Negreanu has a straight you’re thinking he’ll pay you off right?

I like the respect Sammy shows to Daniel in the end. Two top players.

Just cleaned out a donkey online and wanted to share the story because the guy played his hand so strangely, and he played it so weak considering the very deep stack sizes I just had to share…

Anyway, I’m under the gun with KJ and as it was a very passive table I decided to limp. Five players limped behind me and the blinds call/checked. Seven players in the hand — no raise.

The flop comes KK4 rainbow. Excellent flop for me obviously and I bet out 70% of the pot in third position assuming SOMEONE will have a pocket pair or a 4 to give me some action. I get called by 3 players.

The turn brings a Jack, giving me the nuts. I check to make them think I may have been stealing on the flop and one guy behind me bets. Button moves all-in right away, I just call, and get a call behind me. The river is a ten. I move all-in and get called by K-10, cold deck for him. Button shows aces.

Slowplaying aces and then paying off with SEVEN players in (chances someone has a king are huge). BADBADBADpoker.

No way in the world is Jamie Gold the best bluffer ever — he gets called down like all the time due to his irritating habit of bluffing at EVERY pot. Anyway, sometimes it works and he gets people to lay down nice hands like this hand I found on Mad World of Poker.

Daniel Alaei has KK, Jamie Gold has jack sh*t, and Alaei lays it down. Congratulations Jamie, you’re the BEST in poker!

[edit] video was removed from YouTube — bah!

So are we, Jamie. So are we…

(more on Jamie Gold on JamieGold.net!) 

And if you do — realize you’re taking in extremely important vitamins and other things vital to a poker player such as: Niacinamide, Cobalamin, Pantothenic Acid, Choline, Folic Acid (this will KILL your teeth, but SUPERSIZE your bluffing-abilities), Taurine, Riboflavin, Trimethylxanthine, Acetyl-L-Carnitine and Pyridoxine.

Sounds tasty, Mr. Hellmuth!

Still interested? Check drinkproplayer.com!

I’ve just watched the second season of NBC’s Poker After Dark and in the bracelet winners episodes, I felt like punching T. J. ‘The Tart” Cloutier in the stumach most of the time. I mean, his ego was like Layne Flack’s and Phil Hellmuth’s ego combined. And he did it without being open about it. He was like: “listen to me guys I’m a big poker player too I have ze bracelets!”.

Yes T.J., you have bracelets. Congratulations, TIT!