tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5003723287661476162024-03-13T19:19:30.795-07:00This and Thatnews and insight from Bill BruceBill Brucehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11706277417405179436noreply@blogger.comBlogger77125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-500372328766147616.post-21798322930849983182009-12-17T14:08:00.000-08:002009-12-17T14:41:42.811-08:00Schedule Announced for 41st Annual World Series of Poker®<img src="http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f364/bustya/WSOP2007.jpg" alt="World Series Of Poker" border="0" /><br /><br /><p><strong><em>Set to Run From May 27 - July 17, 2010 at the Rio® All-Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas</em></strong></p><br /><p align="justify"><strong>LAS VEGAS, NV (December 17, 2009)</strong> – The 41st annual World Series of Poker® (WSOP®) -- a set ofpoker tournaments open to anyone 21 years of age or older -- returns Thursday, May 27, 2010 when live action and satellites begin. The annual poker extravaganza, which dates back to 1970, is televised exclusively on ESPN from the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas and consists of a comprehensive slate of the game’s most popular variations running from May 27-July 17, 2010.<br /><br />A total of 57 coveted gold bracelets will be up for grabs in 2010 – equal to last year’s total. July 4th is the tournaments sole “off day”, and will be dedicated to satellites for all those seeking another entry option into poker’s biggest event.<br /><br />On Friday, May 28, the first open bracelet event will be the $50,000 buy-in Player’s Championship – the most expensive buy-in event to ever open up the World Series of Poker. Playing for the bracelet and the prestigious Chip Reese Memorial Trophy, the event will follow an eight-game format made popular by the late poker legend, and those participating in the mythical “Big Game” around Las Vegas card rooms. Over the first four days, Limit Hold’em, Omaha Hi-Low Split-8 or Better, Seven Card Razz, Seven Card Stud, Seven Card Stud Hi-Low Split-8 or Better, No-Limit Hold’em, Pot-Limit Omaha and 2-7 Triple Draw Lowball will be played, with the Final Table being No-Limit Hold’em, as was the case when Reese won the inaugural $50K buy-in event in 2006. ESPN will provide television coverage of this event under the new format.<br /><br />The opening weekend (May 29-30), features a $1,000 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em tournament, which last year established a non-Main Event record of 6,012 entrants. The four-day event includes two starting flights, one each on Saturday and Sunday at 12 noon.<br /><br />Another first at the WSOP this year, the first 5 weekends of the series will feature $1,000 buyin No-Limit Hold’em tournaments with two starting flights. May 29-30, June 5-6, June 12-13, June 19-20 and June 26-27 will offer No-Limit Hold’em players from the weekend warrior to the most advanced player the opportunity to compete in some of the largest fields of the year for huge prize pools and a gold bracelet. A sixth event on July 1-2, will also offer the same event at the same buyin level, just days before the Main Event commences. <br /><br />The 41st annual WSOP will conclude, as is customary now, with the $10,000 No-Limit Hold’em Championship (aka the Main Event) which begins play Monday, July 5 and should reach its final table (nine players) on Saturday, July 17, at which time play will be halted for the third consecutive year. The famed tournament’s culmination will be held with the “November Nine” from November 6-9, before a live audience with special primetime coverage from ESPN.<br /><br />"Whatever your game and whatever your bankroll, the 2010 WSOP schedule offers something for everyone,” said WSOP Tournament Director Jack Effel, who will oversee the event for the fifth consecutive year. "We are planning for the largest WSOP ever and look forward to welcoming all players to the Rio in Las Vegas next summer."<br /><br />The entire convention center of the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino will be exclusively dedicated to the 2010 World Series of Poker for the first time, with tournament tables in the 58,000 square foot Pavilion and the 38,000 square foot Amazon Room. The final number of tables in play is subject to regulatory approval, given just prior to the tournament commencing.<br /><br />Player comfort is also being addressed by new rules regulating the daily amount of play. Excluding the Main Event, gold bracelet tournaments will begin at 12 noon and 5 PM Pacific Time each day, with a maximum of 10-one hour levels being played for the noon starts, while the 5 PM events playing a maximum of 8 one-hour levels. Day 1 play is expected to conclude at 12:45 AM for noon starts and 2:45 AM for the 5 PM starts. For those advancing past the first day, re-starts for noon bracelet events will be at 2:30 PM, and 5 PM tournaments will restart at 3 PM, with a maximum<br />of 10 levels being played each day until a champion is crowned. The Main Event features two-hour levels and play begins at 12 noon each day.<br /><br />Registration for all bracelet events will remain open until the start of the third level(approximately 2 hours, 20 minutes after start time) – or until all available seats have sold. Preregistration for the 2010 WSOP is now available on-site at the Main Cage of the Rio in Las Vegas and online through www.wsop.com. This is the earliest registration has ever opened, as players now have more than five months to register for the first event, and more than six months to register for the Main Event.<br /><br />Players are encouraged to register in advance to avoid being shutout of their favorite events. Any foreign entrants who wire transfer monies will receive the exchange rate into U.S. dollars at the time of the wire transfer, thus locking in their exchange rate in advance.<br /><br />New policies and procedures regarding Main Event registration will be detailed in the future, but entrants can expect to be assigned starting days after a certain date. The only way to guarantee your starting day will be to pre-register prior to the determined cut-off date.<br /><br />All Harrah’s properties in Las Vegas offer special reduced room rates for entrants of WSOP bracelet events. Rates start as low as $69 for players staying at the host property, the Rio. Imperial Palace offers rates as low as $30, and Bally’s, Flamingo, Harrah’s, Paris and Caesars Palace provide WSOP player rates as low as $45-$100 a night. Click here for the special WSOP player hotel rates.<br /><br />The 2010 WSOP marks the 41st running of the game’s most prestigious annual tournament. In 2009, the WSOP generated the most entries ever (60,875) from 115 different countries that competed for more than $174 million while awarding 57 championship gold bracelets, globally recognized as the game’s top prize.<br /><br />To view the entire schedule, visit www.wsop.com/schedule where you can download event<br />structures, pre-registration forms or save the schedule to your calendar and even link it to your Facebook, Twitter or other social network sites. Media can add a WSOP schedule widget to their websites, by going to http://wsop.com/poker-widgets/<br /><br />Among the highlights of the 2010 schedule:<br /><br />· 57 gold bracelet events over 51 days.<br /><br />· Expanded footprint – The giant Pavilion Ballroom (58,000 sq. feet) will be in use this year for poker in the Rio Convention Center. The Pavilion is the largest ballroom at the Rio, and along with the famed Amazon Room (38,000 sq. feet), will make-up the playing rooms for this year’s WSOP. The entire convention space will be used.<br /><br />· Expanded capacity – Along with expanded footprint, comes more poker tables. A<br />record 295 tables were utilized last year, and this year’s configuration is still being plotted, but expected to offer about 20 percent more tables.<br /><br />· No Food Tent – The outdoor food tent will now become an indoor food court<br />experience. The Miranda Ballroom, last year used as a room for play, will be converted into a food court with a variety of popular food items for players and spectators.<br /><br />· Sensational Structures & Starting Chips – Drafting off last year’s success, all gold bracelet events in 2010 will feature triple the buy-in in starting chips and deep structures, providing plenty of play.<br /><br />· $25K 6-Handed No-Limit – A new event this year will be a $25,000 buy-in 6-handed<br />No-Limit Hold’em 4-day event. Event #52 begins on Wednesday, June 30 at 12 noon.<br /><br />· $50K Players Championship – The Chip Reese Trophy is up for grabs at the $50,000<br />buy-in eight-game mixed event, dubbed the Players Championship, which is being<br />morphed from the $50K H.O.R.S.E. tournament run the past four years. This new eightgame format will serve as the true test of the game’s greatest all-around player and receive star treatment, with ESPN cameras covering the five-day event for television.<br />Event #2 starts on Friday, May 28 at 5:00 PM.<br /><br />· Still Plenty of H.O.R.S.E. – A new $10,000 buy-in H.O.R.S.E. Championship<br />tournament will be offered, to go along with $1,500 and $3,000 buy-ins to the popular<br />game.<br /><br />· The 4th annual Ante Up For Africa Celebrity-Charity Tournament -- $5,000 buy-in<br />No-Limit Hold’em celebrity and charity tournament on Saturday, July 3, (two days<br />before the Main Event begins) featuring the opportunity for anyone age 21 or older to<br />enter and be seated at the same table as A-list celebrities and top poker pros.<br /><br />· The Ladies Only No-Limit Hold’em Championship – On Friday, June 11, featuring a<br />$1,000 buy-in and helping to raise awareness for the Nevada Cancer Institute, the<br />official community relations partner of the World Series of Poker.<br /><br />· The Seniors Only No-Limit Hold’em Championship – On Friday, June 18 , featuring<br />a $1,000 buy-in for all poker enthusiasts 50 years of age or older.<br /><br />· June $550 No-Limit Hold’em Tournaments – Every Tuesday, Wednesday and<br />Thursday at 1:00 PM throughout June, the Rio will host new $550 No-Limit Hold’em<br />tournaments for those looking for a Hold’em fix. These are one-day structured<br />tournaments, and not bracelet events.<br /><br />In addition, a complete array of satellites, from single-table to mega, will be offered beginning from May 27-July 8. Nightly No-Limit Hold’em tournaments will be offered from May 27-July 4 at 7:00 PM and 11:00 PM.<br /><br />All winners will be required to provide a valid picture ID. Tax forms will be completed for those with winnings in excess of $5,000 net of event buy-in. Players without a Tax Identification Number and foreign players from non-tax treaty countries are subject to up to 30 percentage tax withholding. WSOP reserves the right to cancel, change or modify the tournament or any tournament event, in part or in whole, without notice.</p><br /><p style="font-size:80%;">ABOUT THE WSOP: The World Series of Poker (WSOP) is the largest, richest and most prestigious gaming event in the world awarding millions of dollars in prize money and the prestigious gold bracelet, globally recognized as the sport’s top prize. Featuring a comprehensive slate of tournaments in every major poker variation, the WSOP is poker’s longest running tournament in the world, dating back to 1970. In 2009, the event attracted 60,875 entrants from 115 different countries to the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas and awarded over $174 million in prize money. The WSOP in December, 2008 was named the 7th most admired sports brand in North America by the Turnkey Sports Survey, trailing only the older and more established NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, NASCAR and PGA Tour among sports properties. In addition, the WSOP has experienced groundbreaking alliances in broadcasting, digital media and corporate sponsorships, while successfully expanding the brand internationally with the advent in 2007 of the World Series of Poker EuropeSM. For more information on the World Series of Poker, please visit thier website at www.wsop.com.</p><p style="font-size:80%;">* World Series of Poker and WSOP are trademarks of Harrah's License Company, LLC ("Harrah's"). Harrah's does not sponsor or endorse, and is not associated or affiliated with, This and That or its products, services, promotions or tournaments.<br /><br /><a href="http://blog.billbruce.info">http:blog.billbruce.info</a></p><a href="http://www.mixx.com/" onclick="window.location='http://www.mixx.com/submit?page_url='+window.location; return false;"><br /><img src="http://www.mixx.com/images/buttons/mixx-button1.png" alt="Add to Mixx!" border="0" /></a><!-- AddThis Bookmark Button BEGIN --><a href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php" onclick="window.open('http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?wt=nw&pub=ibill909&url='+encodeURIComponent(location.href)+'&title='+encodeURIComponent(document.title), 'addthis', 'scrollbars=yes,menubar=no,width=620,height=520,resizable=yes,toolbar=no,location=no,status=no,screenX=200,screenY=100,left=200,top=100'); return false;" title="Bookmark using any bookmark manager!" target="_blank"><img src="http://s9.addthis.com/button1-addthis.gif" width="125" height="16" border="0" alt="AddThis Social Bookmark Button" /></a><br /><!-- AddThis Bookmark Button END --><br />Bill Brucehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11706277417405179436noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-500372328766147616.post-21838216638682795752009-08-18T23:28:00.000-07:002009-08-20T14:30:50.534-07:00ESPN, WSOP Extend with a 7-Year Deal<p align="justify"><strong>Harrah's Entertainment - (August 18, 2009)</strong> – ESPN and Harrah’s Interactive Entertainment today announced they have reached a new seven-year agreement that will keep the World Series of Poker (WSOP) airing on ESPN through April 2018.<br /> <br />The WSOP, the world’s richest sporting event and longest running poker tournament, attracts a total audience of nearly 82 million U.S. viewers each year. ESPN has broadcast WSOP events every year since 2003 and was operating under an agreement set to expire after the 2010 WSOP.<br />Under the terms of the new deal, ESPN will telecast a minimum of 32 hours of event coverage from the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas annually, including WSOP gold bracelet events and the “November Nine” Championship. <br /><br />"The WSOP is proud to call ESPN home for another nine years," said Jeffrey Pollack, President of Harrah's Interactive Entertainment and the World Series of Poker. "This long-term agreement ensures that our content will continue to reach sports fans around the world through a wide variety of platforms."<br /><br />WSOP content will appear on ESPN, ESPN HD, ESPN2, ESPN2 HD, ESPN Classic, ESPN.com, ESPN360.com, ESPN Mobile TV and ESPN International platforms outside of the United States.<br /><br />“We are very excited to continue our relationship with Harrah’s to deliver the largest, richest, and most prestigious gaming event in the world to fans across a variety of our platforms,” said Doug White, senior director of programming and acquisitions, ESPN. “Poker continues to be a solid ratings performer for us and allows us to continue offering diverse programming to our viewers.“<br /><br />ESPN’s coverage of the 40th Annual World Series of Poker Presented by Jack Link’s Beef Jerky airs every Tuesday night on ESPN. Norman Chad and Lon McEachern call the action. Tonight at 8 PM ET, coverage of the game’s richest tournament, the No Limit Hold’em Main Event begins as 6,494 players compete for $61 million in prize money with the winner walking away with $8.5 million – more than the U.S. Open golf, U.S. Open tennis, Daytona 500 and Indianapolis 500 winners received combined this year. Main Event coverage continues each Tuesday through November 10.</p><br /><p style="font-size:80%;">* World Series of Poker and WSOP are trademarks of Harrah's License Company, LLC ("Harrah's"). Harrah's does not sponsor or endorse, and is not associated or affiliated with this blog or its products, services, promotions or tournaments.<br /><br /><a href="http://blog.billbruce.info">http:blog.billbruce.info</a></p><a href="http://www.mixx.com/" onclick="window.location='http://www.mixx.com/submit?page_url='+window.location; return false;"><br /><img src="http://www.mixx.com/images/buttons/mixx-button1.png" alt="Add to Mixx!" border="0" /></a><!-- AddThis Bookmark Button BEGIN --><a href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php" onclick="window.open('http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?wt=nw&pub=ibill909&url='+encodeURIComponent(location.href)+'&title='+encodeURIComponent(document.title), 'addthis', 'scrollbars=yes,menubar=no,width=620,height=520,resizable=yes,toolbar=no,location=no,status=no,screenX=200,screenY=100,left=200,top=100'); return false;" title="Bookmark using any bookmark manager!" target="_blank"><img src="http://s9.addthis.com/button1-addthis.gif" width="125" height="16" border="0" alt="AddThis Social Bookmark Button" /></a><br /><!-- AddThis Bookmark Button END --><br />Bill Brucehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11706277417405179436noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-500372328766147616.post-80932390428647430802009-06-18T22:46:00.000-07:002009-12-12T10:05:24.695-08:00Ante Up For Africa<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_R4_-g-2rQBQ/SkxaN5SlS4I/AAAAAAAAABw/wTfd-0axhok/s1600-h/anteupforafrica_sm.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 43px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_R4_-g-2rQBQ/SkxaN5SlS4I/AAAAAAAAABw/wTfd-0axhok/s400/anteupforafrica_sm.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353753251800238978" /></a><p><strong><em>More Big Name Stars Come Out To Play At The 3rd Annual Ante Up For Africa Celebrity Charity Poker Tournament</em></strong></p><p align="justify"><strong>LOS ANGELES, CA (June 18, 2009)</strong> – Stars Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Brad Garrett, Mekhi Phifer, and top poker professional Phil Hellmuth have joined the growing list of celebrities who plan to play in the Ante Up For Africa charity tournament July 2 at the 40th annual World Series of Poker. Some of Hollywood's biggest stars are expected to go all in for the 3rd Ante Up For Africa (AUFA) Celebrity-Charity poker tournament.<br /><br />Annually, the largest celebrity poker tournament in Las Vegas, the event is accessible for the public to play with their favorite stars or watch as spectators. A full house of celebrities will join Academy Award Nominee, Don Cheadle and “Celebrity Apprentice Star” and WSOP Bracelet winner Annie Duke at the event taking place during the 2009 WORLD SERIES OF POKER® (WSOP) at Rio in Las Vegas on Thursday, July 2 at 2 PM.<br /><br />This No-Limit Hold’em poker tournament has an entry fee of $5,000 and provides entrants the opportunity to walk away with a six-figure payday. The event allows players to rub elbows with top Hollywood stars, athletes and poker professionals while contributing to a great cause. Celebrities and athletes will join poker’s most notable players to raise public awareness and funds to support the victims of the humanitarian crisis in Darfur, Sudan.<br /><br />Among those confirmed to participate, subject to availability, are Cheadle, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Brad Garrett, Cedric The Entertainer, Charles Barkley, Danny Masterson, Herschel Walker, Jason Alexander, Kenny Smith, Montel Williams, DEan Cain, Tia Carrere, Sarah Silverman, Mike Tyson, Nelly, Rob Schneider; Poker Professionals Howard Lederer, Andy Bloch, Tiffany Michelle, Erik Seidel and Phil Hellmuth with more to be confirmed.<br /><br />The tournament will feature a fast-paced structure designed to complete the competition within five hours. Seating for the tournament is open to anyone age 21 or older. Players can register in person at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, or online through June 18, 2009 at www.worldseriesofpoker.com under the registration tab.<br /><br />This event, as is every World Series of Poker tournament, is open to the public for viewing and admission is free. The event will take place in the famed Amazon Ballroom in the Rio Convention Center, just one day prior to the start of the WSOP Main Event, the game’s most prestigious poker event.<br /><br />Cheadle, an accomplished poker player, and Duke, who has more than $4 million in tournament winnings, are committed to raising both public awareness about the tragedy in Darfur and funds to aid its victims. As the world’s richest sporting event, the WSOP awarded more than $180 million in 2008 and attracted participants from a record 124 nations.<br /><br />In the previous events, many of the in the money finishers volunteered to donate half of their winnings to the charity. Proceeds from the event will go to the ENOUGH Project and Refugees International, organizations whose goals include raising public awareness and providing aid to the survivors of Darfur. <br />More information about the tournament is available at www.worldseriesofpoker.com. If you would like more information regarding the organization, please log onto www.anteupforafrica.org and follow us on twitter at www.twitter.com/anteupforafrica.</p><p style="font-size:80%;"><br />For more information, please contact: <br />Danika Berry for Ante Up For Africa<br />db Agency Public Relations<br />323-544-1482<br />danika@dbagencypr.com<br /><br />Seth Palansky for WSOP <br />702-407-6344 <br />spalansky@harrahs.com<br /><br />Deanna Pettit for Rio<br />702-777-7610<br />dpettit@harrahs.com<br /><br /><b>About the World Series of Poker</b><br />The World Series of Poker (WSOP) is the largest, richest and most prestigious gaming event in the world awarding millions of dollars in prize money and the prestigious gold bracelet, globally recognized as the sport's top prize. Featuring a comprehensive slate of tournaments in every major poker variation, the WSOP is poker's longest running tournament in the world, dating back to 1970. In 2008, the event attracted 58,720 entrants from 124 different countries to the Rio in Las Vegas and awarded over $180 million in prize money. The creation of the new delayed Main Event final table more than doubled ratings on ESPN year-over-year. In December, 2008 the WSOP was named the 7th most admired sports brand in North America by the Turnkey Team Brand Index trailing only the more established NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, NASCAR and PGA Tour among sports properties. In addition, the WSOP has formed groundbreaking alliances in broadcasting, digital media and corporate sponsorships, while successfully expanding the brand internationally with the advent in 2007 of the World Series of Poker Europe. For more information on the World Series of Poker, please visit our website at <a href="http://www.worldseriesofpoker.com">www.worldseriesofpoker.com.</a><br />* World Series of Poker and WSOP are trademarks of Harrah's License Company, LLC ("Harrah's"). Harrah's does not sponsor or endorse, and is not associated or affiliated with, This and That or its products, services, promotions or tournaments.<br /><br /><b>Ante Up For Africa (AUFA)</b> is a non-profit organization founded in 2006 by Don Cheadle, Annie Duke and Norman Epstein. We are dedicated to raising money and awareness for Africans in need. To date, Ante Up For Africa has raised close to $2 million for the cause and has donated to organizations such as Not On Our Watch (NOOW), ENOUGH and The International Rescue Committee. For more information, please log onto www.AnteUpForAfrica.org.</p><p style="font-size:80%;"><a href="http://blog.billbruce.info">http:blog.billbruce.info</a></p><p><h4>UPDATES:</h4><ul><li><a href="http://www.pokerlistings.com/blog/ante-up-for-africa-red-carpet-and-afterparty" target="_blank">Ante Up for Africa Red Carpet and After-Party</a> - Geoff Fisk (PokerListings.com)</li><li><a href="http://www.anteupforafrica.org/promo.html" target="_blank">Ante Up For Africa Promo Video</a></li></ul></p><a href="http://www.mixx.com/" onclick="window.location='http://www.mixx.com/submit?page_url='+window.location; return false;"><br /><img src="http://www.mixx.com/images/buttons/mixx-button1.png" alt="Add to Mixx!" border="0" /></a><!-- AddThis Bookmark Button BEGIN --><a href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php" onclick="window.open('http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?wt=nw&pub=ibill909&url='+encodeURIComponent(location.href)+'&title='+encodeURIComponent(document.title), 'addthis', 'scrollbars=yes,menubar=no,width=620,height=520,resizable=yes,toolbar=no,location=no,status=no,screenX=200,screenY=100,left=200,top=100'); return false;" title="Bookmark using any bookmark manager!" target="_blank"><img src="http://s9.addthis.com/button1-addthis.gif" width="125" height="16" border="0" alt="AddThis Social Bookmark Button" /></a><br /><!-- AddThis Bookmark Button END --><br />Bill Brucehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11706277417405179436noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-500372328766147616.post-62190250243584042052009-06-11T18:31:00.000-07:002009-12-12T09:39:19.647-08:00California Bullying Case Costs Families Thousands<p align="justify"><strong>CA - June 11, 2009)</strong> – The Stockdale High ninth-grader thought he was going to a poker game.<br /><br />Instead, five upperclassmen from his debate team pinned him down, encased him ankles-to-shoulders in plastic wrap and bound him tightly with duct tape, including thick layers over his mouth.<br /><br />A full half-hour of mockery and threats followed before a trickle of blood from the boy's mouth frightened some of the older students who freed their captive.<br /><br />Two-and-a-half years later, fallout from the incident in a Stockton hotel room continues.<br /><br />Five upperclassmen were expelled. They and two other students, their parents and the Kern High School District paid $260,000 to settle a civil lawsuit filed by the boy's father.<br /><br />The case illustrates the degree to which students, including minors, and their parents can be held financially accountable for bullying allegations.<br /><br />It also shows that students can be held financially responsible even if they are witnesses or simply know about such incidents, but don't tell authorities.<br /><br />Two upperclassmen paid the highest settlements: $45,000 apiece. Each student's parents paid an additional $10,000.<br /><br />Four other students paid $12,500 to $20,000, with parents again ponying up $10,000. The school district paid $42,500.<br /><br />The case stemmed from an October 2006 incident in which Stockdale's forensics debate team -- many of them honors students -- traveled to Stockton to compete in a three-day tournament at University of the Pacific.<br /><br />The suit was filed in Kern County Superior Court in October 2007 by Tim Denari, the boy's father. Denari's son is referred to in most filings as John Doe.<br /><br />The final settlement concluded Monday.<br /><br />Several parents of accused students said the allegations were overblown and the incident was more a prank than bullying. Insurance companies, in at least four cases, paid the settlement monies.<br /><br />One set of parents were upset their son, who was not involved in restraining the boy, was punished by the school and dragged into the legal case.<br /><br />WHAT HAPPENED<br /><br />The night of Oct. 27, 2006, John Doe and a sophomore -- later to become a defendant -- were lured by the promise of a poker game to the upperclassmen's room at the Courtyard by Marriott Stockton.<br /><br />When Doe and the sophomore walked in, "five other students took physical hold of (Doe) and began to wrap him up in plastic wrap and duct tape," a Stockdale High investigation determined.<br /><br />The sophomore and a ninth-grader already in the room -- who also became a defendant -- ran out when they saw what was happening to the boy. Neither told adults what they'd seen.<br /><br />The five older students held Doe's hands, feet, stomach and head as they bound him in Saran wrap and tape. One student held his jaws shut to seal his mouth, up to the nostrils, with duct tape.<br /><br />Then they "made a mockery of Doe, taking pictures of him, all the while laughing, as he lay there mummified and gasping for air," the original complaint said.<br /><br />They told the boy they were going to tape him to the wall and leave him alone in the room for a few hours. The upperclassmen made several attempts to attach him to the wall.<br /><br />The boy struggled and fell to the floor each time.<br /><br />His hands, balled against his belly under the wrappings, "plunged into his stomach, knocking the wind out of him" every time he fell, the complaint said.<br /><br />The students then flipped him on his back. Brian Wright, who later settled for $45,000, repeatedly dropped a roll of duct tape onto the boy's chest from shoulder height.<br /><br />The boy panicked and started to cry.<br /><br />At one point, when the supervising teacher called the room to check on students, Wright held the boy's mouth shut to silence him.<br /><br />When the boy managed to open a small breathing hole for his mouth, Wright slammed his mouth shut, causing him to bite his tongue.<br /><br />"Blood then began trickling out of the side of his mouth," according to the complaint, at which point several students worried something was wrong and let him go.<br /><br />The incident lasted about 30 to 45 minutes.<br /><br />The next day, two upperclassmen showed off their cell-phone pictures of the taped-up ninth-grader to other students at the tournament.<br /><br />One of them, Conor O'Sullivan, who settled for $12,500, urinated on Doe's shirt.<br /><br />The complaint says the high school district was liable because the trip was a school-sponsored event that counted for class credit and the teacher in charge didn't properly monitor and control students.<br /><br />The district settled months before parents and students reached an agreement with The boy's father. Attempts to reach Richard Bookout, the teacher in charge, on Thursday were unsuccessful.<br /><br />The district's defense attorney, Anthony DeMaria, termed the settlement as "reasonable" but wouldn't comment further.<br /><br />DeMaria estimated he has handled six or seven bullying cases in California in the past decade and said it's rare for this kind of case to go to trial.<br /><br />He also said choosing to sue the parents as well as the students was "unique" and a "strategic decision."<br /><br />LONG TIME<br /><br />The boy didn't tell his parents or school officials about the wrapping incident until four months later -- after he received a three-day suspension for bullying fellow ninth-grader Yash Patel.<br /><br />That incident, in February 2007, shows how bullying allegations often are far from clear-cut.<br /><br />Doe called Patel a "terrorist" and other derogatory terms and touched his face with a fly swatter, a countersuit filed by Patel's family showed.<br /><br />Denari and his son paid $4,500 to settle the Patels' countersuit.<br /><br />The Patels paid $5,000. Yash Patel, also a ninth-grader at the time of the Stockton incident, had run out of the room after the upperclassmen began restraining Doe.<br /><br />Doe told his parents and school police he held the secret because he worried about being an outcast on the forensics team and feared retribution.<br /><br />While suspended, he told his mother and father about the Stockton trip and other bullying incidents at school.<br /><br />The Denaris e-mailed a letter to school officials detailing the allegations and demanding a school investigation, saying they would file a criminal complaint and a civil suit "if the truth does not come out."<br /><br />Less than three weeks later, the school reported the five upperclassmen had admitted to their actions in Stockton and been expelled.<br /><br />PARENTS UNHAPPY<br /><br />One set of parents involved in the case spoke to The Californian on the record.<br /><br />William and Greta Lydecker maintain their son Henry, a sophomore at the time, didn't know about the plan and left the hotel room as soon as he saw what was happening.<br /><br />Lydecker "was not involved with the restraining or wrapping," a school police report concluded.<br /><br />In the days after the incident, Henry and John Doe were debate partners and won medals, Greta Lydecker said.<br /><br />Yet the Lydeckers' insurance company paid $27,500 to settle out.<br /><br />"We feel wrongfully accused," said William Lydecker. "We didn't like the notion of settling. We would rather have had our son cleared of this, but from a financial perspective, here's where we are."<br /><br />They were disturbed by Stockdale's rush to judgment that "summarily" lumped Henry in with the other students, he said.<br /><br />Greta Lydecker said Henry was suspended for five days after being "interrogated" by district police and told to write and sign a statement, which would later become evidence in the case.<br /><br />The school needs to provide an environment where verbal bullying is not allowed, said Greta Lydecker.<br /><br />"And I think parents need to step up and know that verbal bigotry is every bit as harmful as physical bullying," she said.<br /><br />POWAY BULLYING CASE<br /><br />The Kern High district and families could very well have been on the hook for more damages if the case had gone to a jury trial.<br /><br />Last October, the California Court of Appeal (Fourth District) upheld a jury's finding that the Poway Unified School District in San Diego County took little to no action when two high school students were harassed relentlessly because they are gay, according to Lambda Legal, which represented the plaintiffs.<br /><br />The students were awarded $300,000.<br /><br />The Poway and Kern incidents should be a wake-up call for school districts, said Lambda attorney Tara L. Borelli.<br /><br />"These cases should send a strong signal to educators that they have an important obligation to make sure students are safeguarded on campus and at school events," she said.<br /><br />ARE YOU COVERED?<br /><br />At least four defendants' settlement payments in the Stockton incident were made by their homeowners insurance policies -- even though the bullying took place in a hotel room 230 miles from Bakersfield.<br /><br />How can you tell if you'd be covered in a similar situation?<br /><br />Tully Lehman, spokesman for the Insurance Information Network of California, an industry group, said "it really does behoove parents" to understand the liability portion of their homeowners or renters policies.<br /><br />Typically, a homeowners policy provides $150,000 to $300,000 in liability coverage. Renters often opt for less.<br /><br />As to whether you'd be covered if your kid bullied or witnessed the bullying of another student, that's trickier. Lehman recommended calling your carrier and asking if you'd be covered.<br /><br />Even that's not a guarantee. There may be exclusions for willful intent, for example.<br /><br />Or, he said, something that sounds similar at first might not play out the same way.<br /><br />SPEAKING OUT<br /><br />Obviously, at a minimum, these kids used poor judgment, said Rick Phillips, director of Community Matters, which developed the Safe School Ambassadors anti-bullying program taught in four district high schools (but not Stockdale).<br /><br />"It doesn't look like a prank to roll someone up in duct tape in today's world," said Phillips.<br /><br />But it's the bystanders that are of greater concern for Phillips.<br /><br />"Where are the kids who knew and didn't do anything? That's my bigger concern than about the guys who made the poor judgment and are paying the penalty now," he said.<br /><br />With most data showing an increase in bullying, Phillips said, the greater degree of meanness displayed by students, and the lessening of holding peers accountable, is the larger question to which adults should pay attention.<br /><br />Especially now, he said, because cell phones and social networks allow bullying evidence -- like the pictures of the mummified John Doe -- to spread rapidly, and may even motivate some kids to bully for the thrill of spreading it around to a large audience.<br /><br />"Kids are confused between fun and reality," Phillips said.<br /><br />"Is there an opportunity for adults to learn some lessons and realize there is an ethical dilemma here for students about being responsible to speak up when they know there's something unjust going on?" Philips asked.</p><br /><p>Source: Bakersfield.com<a href="http://www.bakersfield.com/news/local/x820007988/Exclusive-Bullying-case-costs-families-thousands" target="_blank"></a></p><p style="font-size:80%;"><a href="http://blog.billbruce.info">http:blog.billbruce.info</a></p><a href="http://www.mixx.com/" onclick="window.location='http://www.mixx.com/submit?page_url='+window.location; return false;"><br /><img src="http://www.mixx.com/images/buttons/mixx-button1.png" alt="Add to Mixx!" border="0" /></a><!-- AddThis Bookmark Button BEGIN --><a href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php" onclick="window.open('http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?wt=nw&pub=ibill909&url='+encodeURIComponent(location.href)+'&title='+encodeURIComponent(document.title), 'addthis', 'scrollbars=yes,menubar=no,width=620,height=520,resizable=yes,toolbar=no,location=no,status=no,screenX=200,screenY=100,left=200,top=100'); return false;" title="Bookmark using any bookmark manager!" target="_blank"><img src="http://s9.addthis.com/button1-addthis.gif" width="125" height="16" border="0" alt="AddThis Social Bookmark Button" /></a><br /><!-- AddThis Bookmark Button END --><br />Bill Brucehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11706277417405179436noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-500372328766147616.post-77083250832773342372009-05-13T14:05:00.000-07:002009-08-04T14:48:51.931-07:00Official World Series Of Poker® (WSOP) Launch Party Saturday, May 30<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqItjjUut6ghD7hXgpYEfO5X8deNsld2UDuakkugIKzOnQ9q3zjooXhgay3W5x2sIsGzRwlE7cfCaUk9SdZKX4sRhzNso2r8gOm5LsDP7UMFMJgwVDXwIFk5pwIYhio1Zyd7T1jo9TuRk/s1600-h/WSOP2009LaunchPartywLaceyJones.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 20px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 244px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqItjjUut6ghD7hXgpYEfO5X8deNsld2UDuakkugIKzOnQ9q3zjooXhgay3W5x2sIsGzRwlE7cfCaUk9SdZKX4sRhzNso2r8gOm5LsDP7UMFMJgwVDXwIFk5pwIYhio1Zyd7T1jo9TuRk/s400/WSOP2009LaunchPartywLaceyJones.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="2009 WSOP Launch Party at ND's with Lacey Jones" /></a><p><strong><em>Lacey Jones To Host Official World Series Of Poker® (WSOP) Launch Party at ND's The Club, Saturday, May 30 at 10:30 PM inside the RIO</em></strong></p><p align="justify"><strong>LAS VEGAS, NV</strong> – With the 40th Annual World Series of Poker, the world’s largest, richest and most prestigious gaming event, set to kickoff at the end of May at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, there’s no better way to celebrate the milestone event by throwing a party at one of the hottest new spots in the city. Everyone 21 and older is welcome to attend the celebration on Saturday, May 30th at ND’s the Club inside the Rio. Festivities begin with a VIP cocktail mixer at 9:00 PM “invite only” and the event officially kicks off at 10:30 PM. “We’re excited that the World Series of Poker chose ND’s The Club as the official launch party venue,” said ND, owner of ND’s The Club. “We welcome all the poker players, poker fans, tourists and locals to this much anticipated event.”<br /><br />Professional poker player and model, Lacey Jones, is hosting the party, and special guest DJ Digital Boy will provide the music. Do It Right Productions, a full service marketing and PR firm will serve as the event organizer. Event is open to the public, all poker players, pokers fans, tourists and locals are welcome to attend this event. Capacity is limited.<br /></p><p><h4>UPDATE:</h4><ul><li>Video: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TICxmRJsc5A" target="_blank">Lacey Jones hosts WSOP Kick-Off Party</a> (PokerListings YouTube Channel)</li></ul></p><p style="font-size:80%;"><br /><b>About the World Series of Poker</b><br />The World Series of Poker (WSOP) is the largest, richest and most prestigious gaming event in the world awarding millions of dollars in prize money and the prestigious gold bracelet, globally recognized as the sport’s top prize. Featuring a comprehensive slate of tournaments in every major poker variation, the WSOP is poker’s longest running tournament in the world, dating back to 1970. In 2008, the event attracted 58,720 entrants from 124 different countries to the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas and awarded over $180 million in prize money. The creation of the new delayed Main Event final table more than doubled ratings on ESPN year over year. The WSOP in December, 2008 was named the 7th most admired sports brand in North America by the Turnkey Sports Survey, trailing only the older and more established NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, NASCAR and PGA Tour among sports properties. In addition, the WSOP has experienced groundbreaking alliances in broadcasting, digital media and corporate sponsorships, while successfully expanding the brand internationally with the advent in 2007 of the World Series of Poker EuropeSM. For more information on the World Series of Poker, please visit our website at <a href="http://www.worldseriesofpoker.com">www.worldseriesofpoker.com.</a><br />* World Series of Poker and WSOP are trademarks of Harrah's License Company, LLC ("Harrah's"). Harrah's does not sponsor or endorse, and is not associated or affiliated with, This and That or its products, services, promotions or tournaments.<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_R4_-g-2rQBQ/Shkaindjs0I/AAAAAAAAABg/Y-QlxR6QhaQ/s1600-h/NDs_header.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 137px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_R4_-g-2rQBQ/Shkaindjs0I/AAAAAAAAABg/Y-QlxR6QhaQ/s400/NDs_header.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="ND's The Club" /></a><b>About ND’s The Club</b><br />ND's The Club debuts a multi-faceted club experience at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino. Combining the elements of an interactive production with live performances, ND's introduces an exciting and unique evolution of nightlife to Las Vegas. This nightclub provides a total sensory experience with state-of-the-art technology and integrated performances by talented dancers and singers backed by live music. Interludes with surreal characters, elaborate costumes, and high-tech digital imaging make "ND's The Club" a premier nightlife destination. For further inquires please visit <a href="http://www.ndstheclub">www.ndstheclub.com</a></p><p style="font-size:80%;"></p><p style="font-size:80%;"> <a href="http://blog.billbruce.info">http:blog.billbruce.info</a></p><a href="http://www.mixx.com/" onclick="window.location='http://www.mixx.com/submit?page_url='+window.location; return false;"><br /><img src="http://www.mixx.com/images/buttons/mixx-button1.png" alt="Add to Mixx!" border="0" /></a><!-- AddThis Bookmark Button BEGIN --><a href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php" onclick="window.open('http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?wt=nw&pub=ibill909&url='+encodeURIComponent(location.href)+'&title='+encodeURIComponent(document.title), 'addthis', 'scrollbars=yes,menubar=no,width=620,height=520,resizable=yes,toolbar=no,location=no,status=no,screenX=200,screenY=100,left=200,top=100'); return false;" title="Bookmark using any bookmark manager!" target="_blank"><img src="http://s9.addthis.com/button1-addthis.gif" width="125" height="16" border="0" alt="AddThis Social Bookmark Button" /></a><br /><!-- AddThis Bookmark Button END --><br />Bill Brucehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11706277417405179436noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-500372328766147616.post-59598682546752656132009-03-26T20:57:00.000-07:002009-07-01T22:25:15.487-07:00Harrah's Rincon WSOP Circuit #7: Adam Hannula – From Worst to First!<img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 20px;" src="http://billbruce.info/images/Blog/2009_WSOPC -Rincon_Event7webSM.jpg" alt="Harrah's Rincon WSOP Circuit Event #7 winner Adam Hannula" border="0" /> <em>26-Year-Old San Diego Business Owner Makes Dramatic Final Table Comeback and Wins First Poker Tournament Ever</em><br /><br /><strong>Hannula starts final table lowest in chips, then wins WSOP Circuit gold ring</strong> <br /> <br /><p align="justify"><strong>Harrah’s Rincon (March 26, 2009)</strong> – It’s intimidating enough to sit down at the final table of a major poker tournament and play for what amounts to thousands of dollars in prize money. But when the player is making his first-ever final table appearance in a World Series of Poker-related event, the pressure is even more so. Complicate matters by giving the player the lowest stack at the table and the task ahead might seem daunting, if not impossible.<br /><br />But Adam Hannula wasn’t intimidated. He didn’t feel pressure. He wasn’t even concerned by having the fewest chips of any of the final nine players. Hannula simply played his best game, made wise strategic decisions, and then outlasted and ultimately pulled off the biggest upset of any player at this year’s WSOP Circuit series at Harrah’s Rincon. Hannula, a 26-year-old business owner booked a win worth $14,185. He was also presented with a gold ring, the ultimate prize given out on the WSOP Circuit.<br /><br />The $300 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em tournament won by Hannula attracted 195 entries, generating $56,754 in prize money. The top 18 players collected payouts. In an interesting anomaly, three of the top ten finishers were from Omaha, Nebraska. All had come to Rincon separately, yet managed to take three of the top money spots. All the action took place over a two-day period inside the Rincon Pavilion Showroom.<br /><br />After 186 players were eliminated on the first day, nine survivors took their seats at the final table. David Kruger, visiting Rincon from his home in Missouri, started day two with the chip lead. The top nine finishers were:<br /><br />9th Place – Just a few hands into action, Michael Hook busted out when he made top pair, but ended up losing to trip jacks. Hook was dealt Q-8. He moved all-in after the turn showed Q-J-2-J. But Nick Manganaro had J-8, good for three jacks – which scooped the sizable early pot. Hook, who works as a police sergeant in El Cajon, CA, was playing in his first WSOP event ever. He collected $1,702 for ninth place, a nice start to his poker tournament career.<br /><br />8th Place – Three hands later, Stacy Kimbrel became the next tourney casualty when he moved his short-stack in with A-5 suited against Thomas Hover’s A-Q suited. Kimbrel’s hand was dominated from the start and failed to improve, which meant an eighth-place finish for the poker dealer from Omaha, NE. Kimbrel received a payout totaling $2,270. <br /><br />7th Place – Five minutes later, Thao “Scratch” Thiem was scratched-off the final table faster than a losing lottery ticket when he lost two consecutive pots. First, Thiem lost much of his stack to Hannula. Then, he busted out holding K-4 against David Kruger’s K-Q when the higher hole cards played and scooped the pot. Thiem, who has made 12 final tables at various tournaments over the past year and has over $100,000 in prize money earnings, added $2,837 to his poker bankroll.<br /><br />6th Place – David Kruger suffered a miserable hour at the final table. The early chip leader never seemed able to generate the momentum needed to close out victory. First, Kruger got trapped for most of his chips when he tried to steal a pot, which was snapped called by Yasha Terlissi -- who just so happened to be sitting on the stone-cold nuts. Terlissi had A-Q of diamonds and could hardly contain his delight when three diamonds flopped. Joy turned to ecstasy when Kruger moved all-in hoping to steal the pot. Terlissi feasted on Kruger’s aggression like a starving wolf, which left the early chip leader with the lowest stack. He went out a few hands later. Kruger, who has made four previous WSOP Circuit final tables including a second-place finish earlier this year at Council Bluffs (Iowa), earned $3,405 for sixth place.<br /><br />5th Place – Thomas Hover came to the final table with the most experience of any player. He seized the chip lead early but lost a heartbreaking race holding Q-Q against A-K (an ace flopped) which very likely ruined his chances for victory. Hover then went out holding A-5 against Hannula’s A-K. Hover, who has 30 cashes in major tournaments (all since 2006), including eight in-the-money finishes in WSOP-related events collected $3,972 for fifth place.<br /><br />4th Place – Play tightened up considerably when play became four-handed. In fact, the quartet battled for an hour before the next elimination. That came when Yasha Terlissi moved all-win with A-Q suited and was called by Hannula, holding pocket nines. The middle pair held up, which knocked Terlissi out in fourth place. The project manager from Toronto, Ontario received $4,767.<br /><br />3rd Place – Steven Monheim went out in third place when he moved all-in with K-Q against Hannula’s A-Q. Monheim’s hand was dominated and he failed to improve, which ended the tournament for the 24-year-old poker player. Monheim, from Pittsburgh, PA, received $5,675 in prize money.<br /><br />2nd Place – When heads-up play began, Hannula enjoyed a 3 to 2 chip advantage over Manganaro. The players battled for about a dozen hands during which Manganaro seized the chip lead. Then, the most decisive hand of the tournament took place when Hannula got all his money in with pocket nines, against Manganaro’s pocket queens. It couldn’t get much better than that for Manganaro, holding a dominant overpair. But a nine on the flop was a dramatic reversal of fortune for both players. Hannula caught his magic card (good for trip nines), which left Manganaro low on chips.<br /><br />The final hand of the tournament was even more brutal for Manganaro. He moved all-in with pocket jacks. Hannula called the raise and tabled Q-10. As though he could do no wrong in the finale, the final board showed K-10-8-7-A, giving Hannula a straight. The event was over and while Hannula received applause and congratulations from well-wishers, Manganaro walked the death plank to a disappointing second-place finish. The 27-year-old poker pro from America’s heartland in Omaha, NE received $9,079.<br /><br />1st Place – The tournament winner was Adam Hannula, who lives in San Diego. He has previously cashed in a few small tournaments in the area. But this marked his biggest payday ever and his first victory. Hannula is a graduate on the University of San Diego, where he played both college football and basketball. In fact, he says he loves sports. While his alma mater continues to enjoyed mixed success on the court and the gridiron, Hannula ultimately won his own championship – playing poker.<br /><br />With seven events now completed at Harrah’s Rincon, the tournament has now attracted more than 3,393 entries and has awarded in excess of 765,745 in total prize money. Still to come are six more events and three nightly daily double tournaments which begin at 4 pm. The WSOP Circuit at Harrah’s Rincon continues through April 1st. </p><br /><p style="font-size:80%;">For more information, please contact: <br />Nolan Dalla -- WSOP Media Director at (702) 358-4642<br />e-mail: nolandallawsop@gmail.com<br />Or visit our official website: www.worldseriesofpoker.com<br /><br />Jeffrey Pollack – Commissioner, WSOP<br />Ty Stewart – Director, Sponsorship and Licensing, WSOP<br />Craig Abrahams – Director, Broadcasting and New Media, WSOP<br />Seth Palansky – Communications Director, WSOP<br /><br /><br />Executive Staff, World Series of Poker Circuit – Harrah’s Rincon<br /><br />Jimmy Sommerfeld – Tournament Director<br /><strong>Bill Bruce – Assistant Tournament Director</strong><br />Janet Beronio – General Manager<br />Robert Livingston – Assistant General Manager and VP of Operations<br />Jill Barrett – VP of Finance<br />John Sebastian – Director of Casino Operations<br />Lee Torres – Director of Marketing<br />Alexia Alsop – Poker Room Manager<br />Elizabeth Liemandt – Public Relations Manager<br />Michelle Becket – Table Games Supervisor<br /><br />* World Series of Poker and WSOP are trademarks of Harrah's License Company, LLC ("Harrah's"). Harrah's does not sponsor or endorse, and is not associated or affiliated with, This and That or its products, services, promotions or tournaments.</p><p style="font-size:80%;"> <a href="http://blog.billbruce.info">http:blog.billbruce.info</a></p><a href="http://www.mixx.com/" onclick="window.location='http://www.mixx.com/submit?page_url='+window.location; return false;"><br /><img src="http://www.mixx.com/images/buttons/mixx-button1.png" alt="Add to Mixx!" border="0" /></a><!-- AddThis Bookmark Button BEGIN --><a href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php" onclick="window.open('http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?wt=nw&pub=ibill909&url='+encodeURIComponent(location.href)+'&title='+encodeURIComponent(document.title), 'addthis', 'scrollbars=yes,menubar=no,width=620,height=520,resizable=yes,toolbar=no,location=no,status=no,screenX=200,screenY=100,left=200,top=100'); return false;" title="Bookmark using any bookmark manager!" target="_blank"><img src="http://s9.addthis.com/button1-addthis.gif" width="125" height="16" border="0" alt="AddThis Social Bookmark Button" /></a><br /><!-- AddThis Bookmark Button END --><br />Bill Brucehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11706277417405179436noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-500372328766147616.post-10861205050681095832009-02-23T23:18:00.000-08:002010-02-02T06:55:33.559-08:00San Diego WSOP Circuit Poker Series Includes 22 Tournaments<img border="0" src="http://www.pokertournamentconsultants.com/images/wsop/wsop_2009circuit_300x225.jpg" alt="world series of poker circuit logo" /><br /><br /><br /><p><strong><em>Big Turnout Expected at Rincon's Sixth-Annual WSOP Circuit Competition</em></strong></p><br /><p align="justify"><strong>Valley Center, CA - February 23, 2009</strong> – By Nolan Dalla - (PRESS RELEASE) -- The world's largest and most prestigious poker tournament series is returning again to Southern California. For the sixth consecutive year Harrah's Rincon, the San Diego area's premier gaming and resort destination, will be hosting a World Series of Poker Circuit event. This year's 13-day tournament series takes place from March 19th through April 1st, 2009. <br /><br />The World Series of Poker is the world's richest sporting event. Last year, the WSOP competition in Las Vegas alone awarded nearly $170 million in prize money to winners - more than Wimbledon, the Masters, and the Kentucky Derby combined. Five years ago, the WSOP hit the road for the first time in history. Poker tournaments were offered at multiple Harrah's properties spread throughout the United States. Rincon was one of the first casinos ever to host a WSOP-related event held outside of Las Vegas. Turnout has been strong every year, making Rincon one of the Circuit's most popular attractions. <br /><br />This year's action-packed schedule includes 12 major daily tournaments, plus ten more late afternoon tournaments - bringing the combined menu to 22 total tournaments. This makes the upcoming Rincon series one of the busiest poker destinations of the season. In addition, the Rincon Poker Room will offer multiple satellites and around-the-clock cash-game action. <br /><br />The Harrah's Rincon Casino and Resort is nestled in a quiet valley between the mountains 45-miles northeast of San Diego. Rincon, which has multiple dining, entertainment, and spa/fitness options for guests of all ages, is a convenient destination for poker enthusiasts throughout Southern California. In years past, Rincon's WSOP Circuit tournaments have attracted thousands of poker players with all levels of experience, from recreational competitors to world champions. Former WSOP champions Doyle Brunson, Chris "Jesus" Ferguson, Greg "Fossilman" Raymer, and Jerry Yang have attended in recent years. Rincon has also been visited by other poker greats, including Phil Ivey, Daniel Negreanu, Berry Greenstein, Phil Gordon, Chris Moneymaker, Annie Duke, Howard Lederer, Scotty Nguyen and many other superstars. <br /><br />This year's poker tournament schedule includes a wide variety of poker games, including Limit Hold'em, No-Limit Hold'em, Pot-Limit Hold'em, Omaha High-Low, Seven-Card Stud High-Low, and H.O.R.S.E. In addition, there will be a ladies-only poker tournament and a special tournament for seniors. Tournament buy-ins start as low as $125. The Rincon championship event will be played on the final three days of the series (March 30th through April 1st) and will cost $5,150 to enter. Super-satellites for the championship event costing as little as $65 will be held daily, 24-hours a day. <br /><br />"Harrah's Rincon is proud to be a fixture on the World Series of Poker Circuit," said Robert Livingston, Vice President & Assistant General Manager at Harrah's Rincon. "I know all our casino and hotel employees look forward to the excitement of this big-time tournament coming to Southern California. This year, we really intend to roll out the red carpet for everyone, whether they just want to play a little poker for fun or strive to become a world champion." <br /><br />This year's tournament director is Jimmy Sommerfeld, one of poker's most respected and experienced gaming officials. The Harrah's Rincon poker room manager is Alexia Alsop, who will be working with her staff to coordinate San Diego's premier poker event. Additional staffing will be provided by the elite and prestigious Poker Tournament Consultants group. <br /><br />To kick things off, Harrah's Rincon will host a "World Series of Poker Boot Camp," held on March 15th. The hands-on instructional series has proven to be wildly popular and immensely helpful to poker players of all levels. The special $399.99 package includes poker lessons from experts, entry into two daily poker tournaments (to be held Sunday, March 15th at 7 pm and Monday March 16th at 12 noon), a seat into a WSOP satellite tournament, a choice of hotel room accommodations, and a $50 food and beverage credit. This tremendous package value can be booked online at: www.harrahs.com. Later, on March 27th, Eric Lynch will be in attendance for a book signing. He is the author of "Winning Poker Tournaments One Hand at a Time." <br /><br />Rincon is also providing special luxury hotel accommodations to poker players for as low as $81 per night. In addition, entrants who purchase a tournament buy-in $500 and greater will receive a $15 food coupon which can be used at several casino restaurants.</p><p style="font-size:80%;">More about Harrah's Rincon<br /><br />Winner of the 2007 SHRM Workplace Excellence Award (Marble Award in the Large Company category) and owned by the Rincon San Luiseno Band of Mission Indians and managed by HCAL, a subsidiary of Harrah's Operating Company, Harrah's Rincon Casino & Resort is located at 777 Harrah's Rincon Way (33750 Valley Center Road) in Valley Center, CA, 20 minutes northeast of Escondido. With approximately 1,600 employees and an identity as a top resort-gaming destination, the casino offers state-of-the-art amenities and the unparalleled customer service that has made Harrah's a nationally recognized brand. </p><p style="font-size:80%;">* World Series of Poker and WSOP are trademarks of Harrah's License Company, LLC ("Harrah's"). Harrah's does not sponsor or endorse, and is not associated or affiliated with, This and That or its products, services, promotions or tournaments.</p>Bill Brucehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11706277417405179436noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-500372328766147616.post-10414433389733270512009-02-23T18:23:00.000-08:002009-12-12T09:41:48.741-08:00Interview with Tournament Director Jimmy Sommerfeld<p align="justify"><strong>February 23, 2009</strong> – Jimmy Sommerfeld is the Tournament Director of the 2009 Oklahoma State Championships of Poker. A major player in the world of tournament directing, Sommerfeld works with <a href="http://www.pokertournamentconsultants.com">Poker Tournament Consultants</a>, a group dedicated to being “the industry leader in the coordinating, directing, and executing of the most prestigious poker tournaments worldwide.”<br/ ><em><a href="http://www.tourneyblog.com/category/Poker-Life/Interview-with-Tournament-Director-Jimmy-Sommerfeld-200902230003/">Read entire article by Deanna Goodson here on TourneyBlog.com</a></em><br /></p><p style="font-size:80%;"><a href="http://blog.billbruce.info">http:blog.billbruce.info</a></p><a href="http://www.mixx.com/" onclick="window.location='http://www.mixx.com/submit?page_url='+window.location; return false;"><br /><img src="http://www.mixx.com/images/buttons/mixx-button1.png" alt="Add to Mixx!" border="0" /></a><!-- AddThis Bookmark Button BEGIN --><a href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php" onclick="window.open('http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?wt=nw&pub=ibill909&url='+encodeURIComponent(location.href)+'&title='+encodeURIComponent(document.title), 'addthis', 'scrollbars=yes,menubar=no,width=620,height=520,resizable=yes,toolbar=no,location=no,status=no,screenX=200,screenY=100,left=200,top=100'); return false;" title="Bookmark using any bookmark manager!" target="_blank"><img src="http://s9.addthis.com/button1-addthis.gif" width="125" height="16" border="0" alt="AddThis Social Bookmark Button" /></a><br /><!-- AddThis Bookmark Button END --><br>Bill Brucehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11706277417405179436noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-500372328766147616.post-64112439790964978152009-01-28T09:55:00.000-08:002009-01-28T11:07:51.588-08:00Christina Lindley Meet and Greet<img border="0" src="http://billbruce.info/images/Blog/harrahs_TUN_purple_med.jpg" alt="Harrah's Tunica" /><br /><br><br /><p><strong><em>Actress, Model, Professional Poker Player / Blogger, and Former Tennessean Christina Lindley to Play in Harrah’s Tunica World Series of Poker Circuit Event</em></strong></p><br /><p align="justify"><strong>TUNICA, MS - January 23, 2009</strong> – Fresh from filming “Best Damn Poker Show 2” on ESPN actress, model, poker player / blogger, and former Nashville, Tennessee resident is making her way to Tunica, Mississippi to compete in the World Series of Poker Circuit Event at Harrah’s Tunica. Lindley will meet and greet fans and sign autographs Saturday, January 31, 2009 from noon to 2 p.m. <br /><br />At the early age of fourteen, Christina got her first big break when a photographer discovered her at a mall in Georgia. He entered her in the Seventeen Magazine/JCPenney Cover Model Contest and Christina was one of the finalists. She appeared in her first layout in Seventeen Magazine followed by YM. Since then she appeared in countless national and international magazines including: “Maxim,” “Stuff,” :FHM,” “Celebrity Interview in Playboy,” “Fitness RX,” “Muscle And Fitness,” “TV Direkt,” “Olympian News,” “Ironman Magazine,” Boss,” “Muscular Development,” “MuscleMag,” “In Touch Weekly,” “People,” and “Star Magazine.”<br /><br />Her national campaigns for print, commercial, and endorsements have included: Penta water, Vizio Flat screen Televisions, Pantene Pro-V, Strut, BSN, Bodybuilding.com, Lasvegasdirect.com, movietickets.com, and several others.<br /><br />Once she found success in the modeling and fitness industry, naturally, the road led west. Christina packed up and moved to Hollywood intent on pursuing a career as an actress in film and television.<br /><br />No stranger to hard work, she hit the ground running immediately engrossing herself in training with the best acting coaches in Hollywood including: Howard Fine, Larry Moss, and Eric Morris. She also began honing her comedic chops at the world famous Groundlings in Los Angeles. The Groundlings is the famous launching pad for the likes of Phil Hartman, Will Ferrell, and countless other SNL Alum.<br /><br />In the short time since her arrival in LA, she has extensive film and television credits to her name. She just wrapped on three projects that will be released in 2008: A guest starring role on the all improv non-scripted "Head Case" on STARZ! Network starring Alexandra Wentworth, and she costars alongside the likes of Tom Cavanaugh in the first ever Lifetime miniseries produced by Emmy award Winning producer Stanley Brooks called "The Capture of the Green River Killer", as well as cameo in the feature film "Playboys" starring Trever Moore and Zach Creggor.<br /><br />Her past film and television credits include: a costarring role in the 20th Century Fox film "The Marine" starring John Cena and Kelly Carlson, a national promo for the NFL and NBC promoting the FLEX SCHEDULE, "Campus Ladies" for Oxygen and famed “Curb your Enthusiasm” director Robert B. Weide, HBO's “Entourage,” appearing in the second season on MTV's popular tv show "Wild N'Out" with Nick Cannon as a "Wild N'Out" girl, GRB Entertainment's "Princes of Malibu". A guest star on Bravo's “Blowout,” Spike TV's “Video Game Awards” assisting Snoop Dogg in giving geeks there cheat codes, SPIKE TV's guide to dating for men called "The Playbook.” “Undiscovered” starring Ashley Simpson (The Hot Chick), Carrie Fischer (Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle) and Kip Perdue (Thirteen), as well as a Nick Cassavettes film (he directed “John Q and The Notebook”) called “Alpha Dogs,” featuring Bruce Willis (The Whole Ten Yards), Justin Timberlake (Longshot), and Sharon Stone (Catwoman).<br /><br />A native of the South, Christina grew up in Atlanta, Georgia and attended high school in Nashville, Tennessee.<br /><br />Christina currently resides in Los Angeles, and is a contributing writer to several national fitness magazines.</p><br /><p style="font-size:80%;">Harrah's Entertainment, Inc. is the world's largest provider of branded casino entertainment through operating subsidiaries. Since its beginning in Reno, Nevada over 70 years ago, Harrah's has grown through development of new properties, expansions and acquisitions, and now owns or manages casinos on four continents. The company’s properties operate primarily under the Harrah’s, Caesars and Horseshoe brand names; Harrah’s also owns the London Clubs International family of casinos. Harrah's Entertainment is focused on building loyalty and value with its customers through a unique combination of great service, excellent products, unsurpassed distribution, operational excellence and technology leadership. More information about Harrah's is available at <a href="http://www.harrahs.com" target="_blank">www.harrahs.com</a></p><p>Contact: Patrick Collins 662-357-6924, pcollins1@harrahs.com</p><p style="font-size:80%;"><a href="http://blog.billbruce.info">http:blog.billbruce.info</a></p><a href="http://www.mixx.com/" onclick="window.location='http://www.mixx.com/submit?page_url='+window.location; return false;"><br /><img src="http://www.mixx.com/images/buttons/mixx-button1.png" alt="Add to Mixx!" border="0" /></a><!-- AddThis Bookmark Button BEGIN --><a href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php" onclick="window.open('http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?wt=nw&pub=ibill909&url='+encodeURIComponent(location.href)+'&title='+encodeURIComponent(document.title), 'addthis', 'scrollbars=yes,menubar=no,width=620,height=520,resizable=yes,toolbar=no,location=no,status=no,screenX=200,screenY=100,left=200,top=100'); return false;" title="Bookmark using any bookmark manager!" target="_blank"><img src="http://s9.addthis.com/button1-addthis.gif" width="125" height="16" border="0" alt="AddThis Social Bookmark Button" /></a><br /><!-- AddThis Bookmark Button END --><br>Bill Brucehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11706277417405179436noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-500372328766147616.post-19815898075112738742009-01-15T09:58:00.000-08:002009-01-16T11:07:05.114-08:00New Site Hoping Dominoes Next Big Thing<img border="0" src="http://billbruce.info/images/Blog/Dominoes_300px.jpg" alt="dominoe" /><br /><br><br /><p align="justify"><strong>OAKLAND, California -- January 15, 2007</strong> -- (PRESS RELEASE) -- With the launch of a web site and national television show, the owners of DominoChamp.com are betting that dominoes is the "next big thing" in gaming entertainment. Modeled after the success of online and televised poker tournaments, DominoChamp looks to follow poker's successful transition into mainstream entertainment. Online poker burst onto the Internet in the late 1990's and grew into a $2.4 billion business by 2005. Celebrity and professional poker tournaments are now the third most-watched televised sport on cable TV - behind only car racing and football. <br clear="all" /><br />How can an up-start domino web site have a chance against the established poker giants? <br clear="all" /><br />DominoChamp's founder John Biddle sees success coming from dominoes' most passionate rivalries: family members. "Poker may be popular, but it's not family-friendly," asserts Mr. Biddle. "You don't see many families gathered around a poker table. At DominoChamp, you'll find husbands playing wives and parents playing their children. We have soldiers in Iraq meeting family members at our domino tables instead of making long distance calls." He is also quick to add, "The chance to be on TV doesn't hurt, either."<br clear="all" /><br />The DominoChamp television show will air nationwide this fall on WGN's cable network. The first season is "in-the-can" and the producers have already found that dominoes attracts pop-culture's biggest celebrities. Contestants will be a mix of well-known celebrities and the best players from DominoChamp.com. The show will feature weekly tournaments that end in one player being crowned the DominoChamp on the season finale. <br><br />Unlike illegal gambling web sites that allow players to bet on each game played, DominoChamp.com is not a gambling web site. It is legal in thirty-two states in the United States. DominoChamp.com operates on a subscription-based model, like Pogo.com and MSN Games. Any adult resident of a legal state can compete in the cash and prize tournaments for free. Subscription players are given extra features and can compete in more tournaments for larger prizes.<br /><br clear="all" /></p><p style="font-size:80%;"><a href="http://blog.billbruce.info">http:blog.billbruce.info</a></p><a href="http://www.mixx.com/" onclick="window.location='http://www.mixx.com/submit?page_url='+window.location; return false;"><img src="http://www.mixx.com/images/buttons/mixx-button1.png" alt="Add to Mixx!" border="0" /></a><!-- AddThis Bookmark Button BEGIN --><a href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php" onclick="window.open('http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?wt=nw&pub=ibill909&url='+encodeURIComponent(location.href)+'&title='+encodeURIComponent(document.title), 'addthis', 'scrollbars=yes,menubar=no,width=620,height=520,resizable=yes,toolbar=no,location=no,status=no,screenX=200,screenY=100,left=200,top=100'); return false;" title="Bookmark using any bookmark manager!" target="_blank"><img src="http://s9.addthis.com/button1-addthis.gif" width="125" height="16" border="0" alt="AddThis Social Bookmark Button" /></a><br /><!-- AddThis Bookmark Button END --><br>Bill Brucehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11706277417405179436noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-500372328766147616.post-15677909034790905482008-11-26T19:51:00.000-08:002010-02-02T07:00:22.800-08:00Texas bill would legalize poker<p align="justify"><strong>TEXAS -- November 26, 2008</strong> – An amended bill seeking to legalize and regulate poker rooms has been introduced in the state legislature. <br /><br /><strong>Poker Gaming Act 2009</strong> <br />Democratic State Representative Jose Menendez re-launched HB222 in the House of Representatives after a previous attempt to introduce laws legalizing and regulating poker fell apart at the committee stage. <br /><br />If passed, the Poker Gaming Act 2009 would require that all poker gaming in Texas be regulated and licensed by the Texas Lottery Commission. <br /><br />The bill will allow for a wide range of applicants to host poker gaming, including bars, tribal-gaming interests and charitable organizations. <br /><br />The bill would also form a Poker Gaming Revenue Fund, which would be used on social projects for the homeless. <br /><br />Menendez told local radio he is not interested in seeing poker rooms "on every corner around the state," pointing out that the aim of this bill was to ensure the game could exist in a regulated format. <br /><br /><strong>Poker, Texas style </strong><br />Texas is obviously a big poker-playing state, given that it was there that Texas Holdem, the most popular variant of poker in the world today - was invented around a century ago. <br /><br />Menendez noted that there is a need to amend the current laws banning the game to make room for certain instances in which poker is played, such as the need for a venue to collect a bit of the pot to pay for certain things such as air-conditioning. <br /><br />He justified the bill on the grounds that requiring licensing would prevent the proliferation of poker rooms and that it would also improve security, given that illegal poker games are an easier target for robbers who know they have nothing to fear from police involvement.</p><p>Source: Online Casino Reports</p><p>Related Articles:<ul><li><a href="http://www.pokerlistings.com/bill-seeks-to-legalize-poker-in-texas-33432" target="_blank">Bill seeks to legalize poker in Texas</a> - Sherri Geller, PokerListings.com (2008-11-26)</li></ul></p><br /><p style="font-size:80%;"><a href="http://blog.billbruce.info">http:blog.billbruce.info</a></p>Bill Brucehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11706277417405179436noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-500372328766147616.post-9675995042304230752008-10-31T19:07:00.000-07:002010-02-02T07:03:13.876-08:00Joy Miller Interviews Bill Bruce<object classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" width="480" height="360"><param name="flashvars" value="file=http://a4.g.akamai.net/7/4/42194/v1/smb2.download.akamai.com/42194/http/10-31%20bill%20bruce%20talkinV2.flv" /><param name="movie" value="http://walkernewsdownload.googlepages.com/mediaplayer.swf" /> type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" flashvars="file=http://a4.g.akamai.net/7/4/42194/v1/smb2.download.akamai.com/42194/http/10-31%20bill%20bruce%20talkinV2.flv" /></object><br /><p style="font-size:80%;"><a href="http://blog.billbruce.info">http:blog.billbruce.info</a></p>Bill Brucehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11706277417405179436noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-500372328766147616.post-71819600106299468532008-10-30T05:00:00.000-07:002008-10-30T05:14:16.904-07:00Caesars Palace Classic<p align="justify"><strong>LAS VEGAS, NV - October 30, 2008</strong> –- The 2008 Caesars Palace Classic attracted a record number of entries. The field of 311 players eclipsed last year's mark of 286. <br /> <br />Due to the large field size, play went longer than expected on Days 1 and 2. Day 3 will be played on Thursday, October 30th, starting at 2 pm. The 19 remaining players will battle down to the final ten, which will constitute the final table. <br /> <br />Final table play is expected to begin sometime on Thursday evening and will be played through to a conclusion.<br /> <br />The current chip leader is 2007 WSOP Main Event finalist Hevad Khan. Also of interest is Sabyl Cohen, who ranks in third place. Cohen was the highest female player to finish in the 2006 WSOP Main Event. Gold bracelet winner Johnny "World" Hennigan also remains in the running.<br /><br />20. Johnny D’Silva Bad Aibling (Germany) 17,738<br />21. William Heimiller Henderson, NV 17,738<br />22. Tony Ma S. El Monte, CA 17,738<br />23. Todd Peterson Henderson, NV 17,738<br />24. Dar Mahboubi Beverly Hills, CA 17,738<br />25. Keone Young Los Angeles, CA 17,738<br />26. Noah Schwartz Bay Harbor Island, FL 17,738<br />27. Kathy Liebert Las Vegas, NV 17,738</p><p>Source: Nolan Dalla reporting</p><p style="font-size:80%;"><a href="http://blog.billbruce.info">http:blog.billbruce.info</a></p><br /><a href="http://www.mixx.com/" onclick="window.location='http://www.mixx.com/submit?page_url='+window.location; return false;"><br /><img src="http://www.mixx.com/images/buttons/mixx-button1.png" alt="Add to Mixx!" border="0" /></a><br /><!-- AddThis Bookmark Button BEGIN --><br /><a href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php" onclick="window.open('http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?wt=nw&pub=ibill909&url='+encodeURIComponent(location.href)+'&title='+encodeURIComponent(document.title), 'addthis', 'scrollbars=yes,menubar=no,width=620,height=520,resizable=yes,toolbar=no,location=no,status=no,screenX=200,screenY=100,left=200,top=100'); return false;" title="Bookmark using any bookmark manager!" target="_blank"><img src="http://s9.addthis.com/button1-addthis.gif" width="125" height="16" border="0" alt="AddThis Social Bookmark Button" /></a><br /><!-- AddThis Bookmark Button END --><br>Bill Brucehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11706277417405179436noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-500372328766147616.post-73622082863575247182008-10-03T09:10:00.000-07:002008-10-03T09:45:59.298-07:00John Juanda Wins 2008 WSOP Europe<img border="0" src="http://billbruce.info/images/WSOPE/JohnJuanda_2008WSOPE Champ528x584.jpg" alt="WSOPE 2008 Champion John Juanda" /><br /><br><br /><p style="font-size:110%;"><strong>John Juanda wins the record breaking Main Event at the World Series of Poker Europe presented by Betfair</strong></p><br /><p align="justify"><strong>LONDON, UK; October 3, 2008</strong> --- At 10:32 am American John Juanda was the last man standing at the dramatic final table of the World Series of Poker Europe played at The Casino at The Empire, Leicester Square. Outlasting a starting field of poker heavyweights including Daniel Negreanu, Phil Ivey, Phil Hellmuth and Doyle Brunson the newly crowned 2008 WSOPE champion Juanda has taken home the £868,000 cash first prize and a coveted WSOPE winner's bracelet.<br /> <br />Juanda is the first American to win a WSOPE bracelet and his victory in London has ended his own personal drought dating back to 2003. Juanda came into the final table as chip leader and his shrewd and cunning performance throughout has landed him his 4th WSOP bracelet.<br /><br />In a pulsating encounter which saw the record for the most hands played at a final table emphatically smashed, Juanda had to overcome two determined, rising Russian stars to claim the title. First he eliminated Ivan Demidov, the first man to reach both the WSOP and WSOPE final tables, and then he had to overcome Stanislav Alekhin, the man who had led for long periods of the day’s play. In the final heads up of the six day Main Event which lasted more than 19 hours Juanda revealed a (insert hand) beating Alekhin’s (insert cards).<br /><br />Attracting the best players from around the world, WSOPE is the most prestigious event to take place outside of the US and compliments the WSOP which takes place annually in Las Vegas.<br /><br />Beginning on the 19th September this year's WSOPE has seen established pros and Betfair online qualifiers go head-to-head to compete for the millions of prize money on offer.<br /><br />Taking place at The Casino at The Empire, Leicester Square this year's showcase tournament has featured 1047 entrants for the four sanctioned bracelet events (No-Limit Hold'em / H.O.R.S.E / Pot Limit Omaha and World Championship No Limit Hold'em), with 362 chasing the Main Event dream.<br /><br />1st Place – John Juanda (£868,800)<br />2nd Place – Stanislav Alekhin (£533,950)<br />3rd Place – Ivan Demidov (£334,850)<br />4th Place – Bengt Sonnert (£271,500)<br />5th Place – Daniel Negreanu (£217,200)<br />6th Place – Scott Fischman, USA (£171,950)<br />7th Place – Robin Keston, England (£135,750)<br />8th Place – Toni Hiltunen, Finland (£108,600)<br />9th Place - Chris Elliott, Scotland (£81,450)<br /><br />Link: <a href="http://www.wsope2008.com/" target="_blank">WSOPe2008.com</a><br /><br />- Report by Nolan Dalla</p><br /><p style="font-size:80%;"><a href="http://blog.billbruce.info">http:blog.billbruce.info</a></p><br /><a href="http://www.mixx.com/" onclick="window.location='http://www.mixx.com/submit?page_url='+window.location; return false;"><br /><img src="http://www.mixx.com/images/buttons/mixx-button1.png" alt="Add to Mixx!" border="0" /></a><br /><!-- AddThis Bookmark Button BEGIN --><br /><a href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php" onclick="window.open('http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?wt=nw&pub=ibill909&url='+encodeURIComponent(location.href)+'&title='+encodeURIComponent(document.title), 'addthis', 'scrollbars=yes,menubar=no,width=620,height=520,resizable=yes,toolbar=no,location=no,status=no,screenX=200,screenY=100,left=200,top=100'); return false;" title="Bookmark using any bookmark manager!" target="_blank"><img src="http://s9.addthis.com/button1-addthis.gif" width="125" height="16" border="0" alt="AddThis Social Bookmark Button" /></a><br /><!-- AddThis Bookmark Button END --><br>Bill Brucehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11706277417405179436noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-500372328766147616.post-12340881411788488502008-09-19T11:47:00.000-07:002008-10-03T09:07:38.234-07:00World Series Of Poker EUROPE is off and running<br><img border="0" src="http://billbruce.info/images/WSOPE/WSOPE_logo.PNG" alt="WSOPE logo" /><br /><br><br /><p style="font-size:110%;"><strong>BIGGEST NAMES, BRACELETS, BROAD TV EXPOSURE<br /> AND THE CHANCE TO DETHRONE THE QUEEN. WORLD SERIES OF POKER EUROPE PRESENTED BY BETFAIR IS OFF AND RUNNING AT THE CASINO AT THE EMPIRE IN LONDON</strong></p><br /><p align="justify"><strong>LONDON, U.K., September 19, 2008</strong> – The 2nd annual World Series of Poker Europe Presented by Betfair has arrived, and so have the biggest names in poker from all across the world.<br /><br />With ESPN set to televise this year’s WSOPE Main Event in the U.S. and across Europe, the 2008 World Series of Poker Europe will become the most broadly televised poker tournament ever – and the first European poker tournament to receive TV coverage in the United States.<br /><br />“We had tremendous success at the inaugural World Series of Poker Europe, but are convinced the changes to this year will result in an even better tournament,” said WSOP Director of Marketing Ty Stewart. “Registration is tracking ahead of last year and the lineup of names and the addition of another bracelet event have brought an electric buzz to start off this tournament.”<br /><br />This television exposure and the chance to win the most prestigious prize in all of poker – a WSOP gold bracelet – is drawing the biggest names in poker.<br /><br />“Betfair are delighted with the launch of the WSOPE. The player feedback has been tremendously positive and we look forward to this being the largest and most successful tournament in Europe this year,” said Ben Fried, head of poker for Betfair. <br /><br />Among the players registered to participate in the 2008 WSOPE include the following professionals: 11-time WSOP bracelet winner Phil Hellmuth, 10-time WSOP champion Doyle Brunson, 10-time WSOP champion Johnny Chan, Defending WSOPE Main Event Champion Annette Obrestad, Daniel Negreanu, Phil Ivey, Allen Cunningham, Layne Flack, Patrik Antonius, Gus Hansen, Josh Arieh, Howard Lederer, Robert Williamson III, Barry Greenstein, Chris Ferguson, Mike Matusow, Max Pescatori, Vanessa Rousso, David Williams, Eric Seidel, Michael Mizrachi, Robert Mizrachi, Nenad Medic, David Benyamine, Tuan Le, Eli Elezra, Steve Zolotow, Ted Lawson and November Nine finalists Craig Marquis, Ivan Demidov, Peter Eastgate & Kelly Kim.<br /><br />Last year, 18-year-old Norwegian Annette Obrestad bested a star-studded field to win the inaugural WSOPE Main Event and take home the largest prize ever for a female in any sporting contest, £1 million. Obrestad, who celebrated her 20th birthday yesterday, returns to defend her crown, against what promises to be another tough field of the game’s best poker players.<br /><br />The 2008 WSOPE features four gold bracelet events, a £1500 No-Limit Hold’em that opens the tournament today and tomorrow (two start days), plus a £2500 H.O.R.S.E. event (9/22), a £5000 Pot Limit Omaha (9/24) and the Main Event (9/26), a £10,000 No Limit Hold’em World Championship.</p><br /><p style="font-size:80%;"><a href="http://blog.billbruce.info">http:blog.billbruce.info</a></p><br /><a href="http://www.mixx.com/" onclick="window.location='http://www.mixx.com/submit?page_url='+window.location; return false;"><br /><img src="http://www.mixx.com/images/buttons/mixx-button1.png" alt="Add to Mixx!" border="0" /></a><br /><!-- AddThis Bookmark Button BEGIN --><br /><a href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php" onclick="window.open('http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?wt=nw&pub=ibill909&url='+encodeURIComponent(location.href)+'&title='+encodeURIComponent(document.title), 'addthis', 'scrollbars=yes,menubar=no,width=620,height=520,resizable=yes,toolbar=no,location=no,status=no,screenX=200,screenY=100,left=200,top=100'); return false;" title="Bookmark using any bookmark manager!" target="_blank"><img src="http://s9.addthis.com/button1-addthis.gif" width="125" height="16" border="0" alt="AddThis Social Bookmark Button" /></a><br /><!-- AddThis Bookmark Button END --><br>Bill Brucehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11706277417405179436noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-500372328766147616.post-86042285710347463992008-07-07T20:06:00.000-07:002008-07-07T20:33:55.821-07:002008 WSOP Main Event - Day One<br><img border="0" src="http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f364/bustya/wsop2008.jpg" alt="WSOP logo" /><br /><br><br /><p style="font-size:110%;"><strong><em>The four Main Event Day One starts are complete.</em></strong></p><br /><p align="justify"><strong>LAS VEGAS - July 7th, 2008</strong> -- The official “first day” is split into four flights spread over four consecutive days. Due to the large size of the field, it became necessary in recent years to play the Day One sessions in four groups, divided as Days 1-A, 1-B, 1-C, and 1-D. The World Series of Poker Main Event began with Day 1-A on Thursday, July 3, 2008. Day 1-B was played on July 4th. Day 1-C was played on July 5th. Day 1-D was played yesterday on July 6th. The combined number of players entered into the 2008 Main Event totals 6,844. This ranks as the second-largest live poker tournament in history. This year’s turnout surpassed 2007 attendance (6,358) by 7.4 percent. Only the 2006 WSOP Main Event was larger than this tournament -- with 8,773 entrants. The 2008 WSOP Main Event winner will collect $9,119,517 in prize money.<br /><br /><br /><strong>Eliminated Players</strong><br /><br />Jaime Gold (2006 Champion)<br />Greg "Fossilman" Raymer (2004 Champion)<br />Dan Harrington (1995 Champion),<br />Phil Ivey (five-time WSOP gold bracelet winner),<br />Daniel Negreanu (four-time WSOP gold bracelet winner),<br />Chris Ferguson (2000 Champion),<br />T.J. Cloutier (Six-time WSOP gold bracelet winner and Poker Hall of Fame member),<br />Tom Schneider (2007 WSOP “Player of the Year),<br />Mark Seif (Two-time WSOP gold bracelet winner),<br />Huck Seed (1996 Champion),<br />Noel Furlong (1999 Champion), <br />Jim Bechtel (1993 Champion),<br />Berry Johnston (1986 Champion),<br />Tom McEvoy (1983 Champion),<br />Bobby “the Owl” Baldwin (1978 Champion),<br />Maria Ho (the last female player to survive 2007 WSOP Main Event, finishing 38th),<br />Sabyl Landrum (highest female finisher in the 2006 Main Event),<br />Jennifer Tilly (Oscar-nominated actress),<br />Chuck “The Iceman” Liddell (UFC fighter),<br />Orel Hershiser (World Series (of baseball) MVP and major league all-star)<br />Jose Canseco (former Major League Baseball player),<br />David Wells (former Major League Baseball player),<br />Larry Flynt (Pblisher and free-speech advocate),<br /><br />Forrest Griffin (UFC Light Heavyweight Champ). Incredibly, just hours after he won the UFC Light Heavyweight World Championship (which took place the night before), the iron man played in the WSOP Main Event.<br /><br /><strong>Remaining Players</strong><br /><br />Nine former champs remain in the 2008 Main Event. They include – Jerry Yang, Johnny Chan, Phil Hellmuth, Carlos Mortensen, Brad Daugherty, Chris Moneymaker, Joe Hachem, Scotty Nguyen and Robert Varkonyi.<br /><br />Russian poker player Nikolay Evdakov played on Day 1-D. Evdakov set a new record at this year’s World Series for “Most Cashes in a Single Year” – with ten in-the-money finishes.<br /><br />Professional golfer Paul Azinger, who is also Captain of the 2008 Ryder Cup Team, played in this day. The best performance in the WSOP ever by a P.G.A. golfer was Rocco Mediate’s 600th place finish in the 2005 WSOP, with 5,619 entrants. Azinger made the cut and will play on Day Two.<br /><br />Ray Romano (actor) and Shannon Elizabeth (actress) passed the Day 1 audition and will get a call back for Day 2.<br /><br />Sully Erna (lead singer for Godsmack). This is his third consecutive Main Event. Erna’s performance has been impressive as he cashed both previous years at the WSOP – 713th out of 8,773 entrants in 2006, and 237th out of 6,358 entrants in 2007. He is low on chips, but will continue play on Day Two.<br /><br />Hal Lubarsky, who was the first blind player ever to cash at the WSOP (197th place in the 2007 Main Event, good for $51,398), played in this day. Lubarsky used a designated “card reader,” who sits behind the player and verbalizes the hole cards and board cards by whispering into his ear. Lubarsky makes all the table decisions. He ended the day with 70,700 in chips, which places him in the top 20 percent of the field.<br /><br />For the second-consecutive year, Jack Ury was the senior player in the Main Event. At 95-years young, Ury broke his own record (set last year at the spry age of 94) as the oldest player ever to compete in a WSOP event.<br /><br /><strong>Other Notable players advancing from Day 1-A:</strong> Scotty Nguyen, Brandon Adams, Mark Vos, Chau Giang, Hasan Habib, Blair Hinkle, Bill Baxter, and Ted Lawson.<br /><br /><strong>Notable players advancing from Day 1-B:</strong> Robert Mizrachi, Erick Lindgren, Thor Hansen, Barney Boatman, Tony Hachem, Hoyt Corkins, Dave Colclough, Erick Seidel, Patrik Antonius, Chris Bjorin, Kathy Liebert, Bill Edler, Mickey Appleman, Steve Zolotow, Alex Kravchenko, and Robert Varkonyi. <br /><br /><strong>Notable players advancing from Day 1-C:</strong> Chris Moneymaker, Joe Hachem, David Singer, Brad Booth, Evelyn Ng, Nenad Medic, Jeff Madsen, Clonie Gowan, Isabelle Mercier, Liz Lieu, Mike Matusow, Minh Nguyen, Bill Chen, Sammy Farha, Adam Schoenfeld, Jerrod Ankenman, Rhett Butler, Frankie O’Dell, Peter Vilandos, Burt Boutin, Mike Wattel, John Juanda, Brad Daugherty, Mel Judah and Jim McManus.<br /><br /><strong>Notable players advancing from Day 1-D:</strong> Phil Hellmuth, Johnny Chan, Jerry Yang, Carlos Mortensen, David Oppenheim, Victor Ramdin, Doug Saab, Gus Hansen, Cliff Josephy, Kirill Gerasimov, Jean-Robert Bellande, Brandon Cantu, Duncan “Pumper” Bell, Thomas “Thunder” Keller, Antonio “the Magician” Esfandiari, John Friedberg, Steve Billirakis, Men “the Master” Nguyen, Hevad Khan, Phil Gordon, Chip Jett, Steve Dannenmann, Bryan Micon, Matt Savage, Jennifer Harman, Allen Cunningham, Scott Clements, Dan Shak, Pat Poels, Paul Magriel, Howard Lederer, Tom Chambers, Lou Esposito, Eric Haber, James Worth, Anders Henriksson, and Bernard Lee.<br /><br /><strong>Additionally:</strong> <br />It’s official. Tournament pro and gold bracelet winner Erick Lindgren is the 2008 WSOP “Player of the Year.”</p><br /><p>Specila thanks to Nolan Dalla and the WSOP for information contained in this post.</p><br /><p style="font-size:80%;"><a href="http://blog.billbruce.info">http:blog.billbruce.info</a></p><br /><a href="http://www.mixx.com/" onclick="window.location='http://www.mixx.com/submit?page_url='+window.location; return false;"><br /><img src="http://www.mixx.com/images/buttons/mixx-button1.png" alt="Add to Mixx!" border="0" /></a><br /><!-- AddThis Bookmark Button BEGIN --><br /><a href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php" onclick="window.open('http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?wt=nw&pub=ibill909&url='+encodeURIComponent(location.href)+'&title='+encodeURIComponent(document.title), 'addthis', 'scrollbars=yes,menubar=no,width=620,height=520,resizable=yes,toolbar=no,location=no,status=no,screenX=200,screenY=100,left=200,top=100'); return false;" title="Bookmark using any bookmark manager!" target="_blank"><img src="http://s9.addthis.com/button1-addthis.gif" width="125" height="16" border="0" alt="AddThis Social Bookmark Button" /></a><br /><!-- AddThis Bookmark Button END --><br>Bill Brucehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11706277417405179436noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-500372328766147616.post-23052873930353616942008-07-07T17:55:00.000-07:002008-07-07T18:36:26.679-07:00World Series Of Poker® Announces 2008-2009 WSOP Circuit Schedule<br> <img src="http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f364/bustya/WSOPCircuitEvents.jpg" border="0" alt="wsop circuit"><br /><br><br /><p style="font-size:110%;"><strong>New Horseshoe Hammond to Host First Circuit Event & Chicago’s Biggest Poker Tournament</strong></p><br /><p align="justify"><strong>LAS VEGAS – July 7, 2008</strong> – The World Series of Poker® (WSOP) today announced its official schedule for the 2008-2009 season of circuit events, played around the United States at Harrah’s owned casinos throughout the year. <br /><br />The high-stakes poker tournaments provide poker enthusiasts of all levels the opportunity to compete on a regional basis in a variety of events that include the opportunity to win a seat in the 2009 World Series of Poker Main Event in Las Vegas. <br /><br />“Playing World Series of Poker Circuit events is the best way to hone your live tournament poker skills in a friendly and competitive environment,” said Jeffrey Pollack, Commissioner of the World Series of Poker. “We continue to fine tune the World Series of Poker Circuit schedule and structures to deliver poker players the best tournaments throughout the year.” <br /><br />The 2008-2009 World Series of Poker Circuit begins October 2, 2008 at Caesars Indiana and includes stops at Harrah’s properties in Hammond, Lake Tahoe, Atlantic City, Tunica, Council Bluffs (Iowa), Rincon (Southern California), Las Vegas and New Orleans. The entire schedule is as follows: <br /> <br />October 2 -- October 14, 2008: <br /><strong>CAESARS INDIANA</strong><br /> <br />October 24 -- November 2, 2008: <br /><strong>HORSESHOE HAMMOND</strong> (Chicago area)<br /> <br />November 6 -- November 16, 2008: <br /><strong>HARVEYS LAKE TAHOE</strong> (Nevada)<br /> <br />December 5 – December 18, 2008: <br /><strong>HARRAH’S ATLANTIC CITY</strong><br /> <br />January 20 – February 9, 2009: <br /><strong>HARRAH’S TUNICA</strong> (Mississippi)<br /> <br />February 12 – February 25, 2009: <br /><strong>HORSESHOE COUNCIL BLUFFS</strong> (Iowa)<br /> <br />March 4 – March 14, 2009: <br /><strong>CAESARS ATLANTIC CITY</strong><br /> <br />March 19 – March 29, 2009: <br /><strong>HARRAH’S RINCON</strong> (San Diego)<br /> <br />April 12 – April 29, 2009: <br /><strong>CAESARS PALACE</strong> (Las Vegas)<br /> <br />May 8 – May 20, 2009: <br /><strong>HARRAH’S NEW ORLEANS</strong><br /> <br /><br />Circuit schedules are subject to change. For more information on individual circuit events, including event schedules and structure sheets, can be found at each property website or by visiting www.worldseriesofpoker.com </p><br /><p>Source: <a href="http://www.worldseriesofpoker.com/news/article.asp?newsid=2149" target="_blank">worldseriesofpoker.com</a></p><p style="font-size:80%;"><a href="http://blog.billbruce.info">http:blog.billbruce.info</a></p><br /><a href="http://www.mixx.com/" onclick="window.location='http://www.mixx.com/submit?page_url='+window.location; return false;"><br /><img src="http://www.mixx.com/images/buttons/mixx-button1.png" alt="Add to Mixx!" border="0" /></a><br /><!-- AddThis Bookmark Button BEGIN --><br /><a href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php" onclick="window.open('http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?wt=nw&pub=ibill909&url='+encodeURIComponent(location.href)+'&title='+encodeURIComponent(document.title), 'addthis', 'scrollbars=yes,menubar=no,width=620,height=520,resizable=yes,toolbar=no,location=no,status=no,screenX=200,screenY=100,left=200,top=100'); return false;" title="Bookmark using any bookmark manager!" target="_blank"><img src="http://s9.addthis.com/button1-addthis.gif" width="125" height="16" border="0" alt="AddThis Social Bookmark Button" /></a><br /><!-- AddThis Bookmark Button END --><br>Bill Brucehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11706277417405179436noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-500372328766147616.post-580758971374129232008-06-25T08:45:00.000-07:002008-06-28T09:14:36.717-07:00How To Get A Dealing Job In Las Vegas<p align="justify"><strong>LAS VEGAS, NV June 25, 2008</strong> – If you're a good dealer with a good attitude and you are willing to work hard there are still dealing jobs available in Las Vegas. Keep in mind you may have to start at the bottom and work your way up.<br /><br /><strong>Do your homework</strong> <br />Ask any poker dealer you know where's a good room to work in. Believe me they know. Go play in the rooms you might like to work and talk to the dealers there. Ask them, how they like it there and how are they treated. Also ask, if they didn't work there, where would they like to work.<br /><br /><strong> Search for job openings</strong> <br />Job openings can usually be found on each casino's website. Make a list of every casino you'd like to work and then go to thier respective websites. You need to make a list because you will rarely get yur first choice. If you can't decide on a list, then go to ALL of them.<br /><br /><strong> Auditions</strong> <br />You will always have to audition. I reccomend calling each casino and asking to speak to the Poker Room manager. The best time to call will be weekdays before 5pm. Let them know you are looking for a job and would like to come down to audition. If they are hiring, they probably have an upcoming audition scheduled (not always). Make sure you ask for the manager don't just ask the first person who answers the phone at the Poker Room extension. At the audition you must be prepared to deal EVERY game that that casino spreads. If you cannot, go back to school. Do not expect to be asked to deal Hold'em, any beginning dealer can deal Hold'em. When in doubt be perpared to deal one hand of Omaha Hi-Lo and one hand of Pot Limit with pot raises on multiple streets, you'll need to be able to give the pot raise amount throughout the hand without counting the pot. If you cannot do this you need more practice. Make sure you show up dressed in dealer black and whites. It shows you are professional and some auditioners, myself included, will automatically reject you if you do not arrived dressed appropriately.<br /><br /><strong> Extra Board / Off Strip Properties</strong> <br />Even if you have experience be prepared to start as extra board with no benifits and you will probably have to start at a property off the strip if you are new to Las Vegas. You will need to be available to work any shift and weekends will be mandatory.<br /><br />If you live outside Las Vegas, consider setting up several auditions during a one week period and then travel there and audition. I do not advise moving there before securing an offer of employment.<br /><br />Good Luck and Happy Hunting.</p><p style="font-size:80%;"><a href="http://blog.billbruce.info">http:blog.billbruce.info</a></p><br /><a href="http://www.mixx.com/" onclick="window.location='http://www.mixx.com/submit?page_url='+window.location; return false;"><br /><img src="http://www.mixx.com/images/buttons/mixx-button1.png" alt="Add to Mixx!" border="0" /></a><br /><!-- AddThis Bookmark Button BEGIN --><br /><a href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php" onclick="window.open('http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?wt=nw&pub=ibill909&url='+encodeURIComponent(location.href)+'&title='+encodeURIComponent(document.title), 'addthis', 'scrollbars=yes,menubar=no,width=620,height=520,resizable=yes,toolbar=no,location=no,status=no,screenX=200,screenY=100,left=200,top=100'); return false;" title="Bookmark using any bookmark manager!" target="_blank"><img src="http://s9.addthis.com/button1-addthis.gif" width="125" height="16" border="0" alt="AddThis Social Bookmark Button" /></a><br /><!-- AddThis Bookmark Button END --><br>Bill Brucehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11706277417405179436noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-500372328766147616.post-63171140507660407252008-06-19T23:13:00.000-07:002009-04-08T08:17:38.134-07:002008 World Series of Poker<p style="font-size:110%;"><strong><em>The 39th annual WSOP is underway and I am BUSY</em></strong></p><br /><p align="justify"><strong>LAS VEGAS, CA June 19, 2008</strong> – The World Series of Poker has been underway for several weeks now. I keep thinking I'm going to post some blog entries about the happenings and share some behind the scene stories with you all, but quite frankly I don't have much free time this year. It's been a non-stop whirlwind (it is every year). For my friends and family members who have never been to this ginormous event (Charlie's favorite descriptive word of the Series) it's hard to explain. It's two months of non-stop all day hype and excitement leading up poker's most prestigious annual spectacle, the Main Event at the World Series of Poker. I recently read a blog post from one of the media that I thought was quite descriptive. He are some excerpts:<br><br />"...the hours are messed up and one day tends to bleed into another...You know that in a week's time words like Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday will cease to matter; only Day 1, Day 2, Day 3. You know that 2 a.m. will, at some point start to feel like 2 p.m., that meals will happen whenever there is time... Your new home is a room the size of an airplane hangar cooled to the temperature of a refrigerator and you'll spend over 500 hours (there)."<br><br />You can find her post titled "Desert Calling" in it's entirety on her blog <a href="http://potcommitted.blogspot.com/2008/05/desert-calling.html" target="_blank">Pot Committed</a>.<br /><br />So far, at this years WSOP, the Professional Poker Players are doing quite well winning 79% of the gold bracelets (through Event #33). I get lots of emails and phone calls asking about who is doing well and who is the chip leader on this day etc. So I tell you what I'm going to do. I'm going try to compile a list of resources you can check for chip updates, articles andc photos (If you know any links you'd like me to include just contact me). I will add to this list as I discover sources of additional info, so check back to this post regularly.<br /></p><p>Live Updates:<ul><li><a href="http://www.worldseriesofpoker.com/tourney/updatelander--new.asp" target="_blank">Live Tournament Updates</a> (worldseriesofpoker.com)</li><br /><li><a href="http://www.pokernews.com/live-reporting/2008-world-series-of-poker" target="_blank">Live Reporting</a> (PokerNews.com)</li></ul></p><p>Links:<ul><li><a href="http://www.worldseriesofpoker.com" target="_blank">Official Website</a> (worldseriesofpoker.com)</li><br /><li><a href="http://www.pokernews.com/wsop-2008/" target="_blank">2008 WSOP Coverage</a> (PokerNews.com)</li><br /><li><a href="http://www.pokerlistings.com/live-tournaments/wsop" target="_blank">2008 WSOP section</a> (PokerListings.com)</li><br /><li><a href="http://news.pokerpages.com/index.php?option=com_simpleblog&task=userView&userid=134&Itemid=322" target="_blank">2008 WSOP Coverage</a> (PokerPages.com)</li></ul></p><p>Related Articles / Links:<ul><li><a href="http://www.cardplayer.com/" target="_blank">Cardplayer.com</a></li></ul></p><p style="font-size:80%;">http://blog.billbruce.info</p><br /><a href="http://www.mixx.com/" onclick="window.location='http://www.mixx.com/submit?page_url='+window.location; return false;"><br /><img src="http://www.mixx.com/images/buttons/mixx-button1.png" alt="Add to Mixx!" border="0" /></a><br /><!-- AddThis Bookmark Button BEGIN --><br /><a href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php" onclick="window.open('http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?wt=nw&pub=ibill909&url='+encodeURIComponent(location.href)+'&title='+encodeURIComponent(document.title), 'addthis', 'scrollbars=yes,menubar=no,width=620,height=520,resizable=yes,toolbar=no,location=no,status=no,screenX=200,screenY=100,left=200,top=100'); return false;" title="Bookmark using any bookmark manager!" target="_blank"><img src="http://s9.addthis.com/button1-addthis.gif" width="125" height="16" border="0" alt="AddThis Social Bookmark Button" /></a><br /><!-- AddThis Bookmark Button END -->Bill Brucehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11706277417405179436noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-500372328766147616.post-57859373729090936892008-03-26T08:24:00.000-07:002008-06-20T07:38:04.421-07:00WPT World Poker Challenge Reno<br><img border="0" src="http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f364/bustya/wptimage.jpg" alt="WPT logo" /><br /><br /><p style="font-size:110%;"><strong>World Poker Tour stop at the Grand Sierra Resort in Reno, Nevada</strong></p><br /><p align="justify"><strong>Reno, NV March 25, 2008</strong> – I am in Reno for the WPT event at the Grand Sierra Resort. As usual I'm to busy to write much about the event while it's going on, however I do like to provide you with links where you can find as much insight and information as possible. I will post additional links as I run across them so check back each day. The final table is on Friday the 28th at 5pm here. I will be announcing and supervising (along with Brooks Turk) the televised final table which is open to the public. If you'd like to see the event live and purhaps catch yourself on TV in the audience come on down to the Grand Sierra and join the fun.</p><p>Live Updates:<ul><li><a href="http://liveupdates.worldpokertour.com/tournament/?x=updatesnews&postUserName=Live+Blog&days=" target="_blank">WPT Live Updates</a> (worldpokertour.com)</li><br /><li><a href="http://www.pokerlistings.com/live-tournaments/wpt/season6/world-poker-challenge/live-updates" target="_blank">World Poker Challenge - Live Updates</a> (PokerListings)</li></ul></p><br /><p>Related Articles / Links:<ul><li><a href="http://www.pokerlistings.com/blog/wpt/season6/day-1-at-the-world-poker-challenge" target="_blank">Day 1 at the World Poker Challenge</a> (Matthew Showell, PokerListings.com)</li><br /><li><a href="http://www.pokerlistings.com/blog/wpt/season6/day-2-at-the-2008-world-poker-challenge" target="_blank">Day 2 at the 2008 World Poker Challenge</a> (Matthew Showell, PokerListings.com</li><br /><li><a href="http://www.pokerlistings.com/blog/wpt/season6/final-table-set-at-wpt-world-poker-challenge" target="_blank">Final Table Set at WPT World Poker Challenge</a> (Matthew Showell, PokerListings.com</li><br /><li><a href="" target="_blank"></a></li><br /></ul></p><p>Player's Blogs:<ul><li>David Williams - <a href="http://www.realpokerblog.com/at-least-it-was-quick.htm" target="_blank">At least it was quick..</a></li><br /><li><a href="http://campfires.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Bryan Devonshire</a></li><br /><li><a href="http://docfreeze.blogspot.com/2008/03/im-so-out.html" target="_blank">DocFreeze</a></li></ul></p><br /><p style="font-size:80%;">http://blog.billbruce.info</p><br /><a href="http://www.mixx.com/" onclick="window.location='http://www.mixx.com/submit?page_url='+window.location; return false;"><br /><img src="http://www.mixx.com/images/buttons/mixx-button1.png" alt="Add to Mixx!" border="0" /></a><br /><!-- AddThis Bookmark Button BEGIN --><br /><a href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php" onclick="window.open('http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?wt=nw&pub=ibill909&url='+encodeURIComponent(location.href)+'&title='+encodeURIComponent(document.title), 'addthis', 'scrollbars=yes,menubar=no,width=620,height=520,resizable=yes,toolbar=no,location=no,status=no,screenX=200,screenY=100,left=200,top=100'); return false;" title="Bookmark using any bookmark manager!" target="_blank"><img src="http://s9.addthis.com/button1-addthis.gif" width="125" height="16" border="0" alt="AddThis Social Bookmark Button" /></a><br /><!-- AddThis Bookmark Button END -->Bill Brucehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11706277417405179436noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-500372328766147616.post-79624971918236666862008-03-07T01:30:00.000-08:002008-03-07T01:36:39.699-08:002008 WSOP Tournament Rules<br><br /><p align="justify"><strong>LAS Vegas, NV March 7, 2008</strong> <br /><br />SECTION I – TOURNAMENT REGISTRATION AND ENTRY <br /><br />1. As used herein, “Harrah’s” means Harrah’s Operating Company, Inc. and its parent, affiliates and subsidiaries including, but not limited to, Rio Properties, Inc, dba Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino. Harrah’s reserves the right to refuse anyone entry into the tournament, in its sole and absolute discretion. <br /><br />2. Entry into the World Series of Poker (herein “WSOP” refers to all events from May 30, 2008 through July 17, 2008) is limited to persons 21 years of age and older, with proof of age, that Harrah’s, acting in its sole and absolute discretion, deems appropriate. Only one entry is allowed per person, per event as set forth in event descriptions. <br /><br />3. Participants may register for any 2008 WSOP tournament event in person at the WSOP Registration Area in the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino, 3700 W. Flamingo Road, Las Vegas, Nevada 89103, beginning May 28, 2008, for scheduled events in the 2008 WSOP. Cash, cashier’s checks drawn from accredited banks and made out to registrants or the Rio, and Rio gaming chips may be used to pay for entry into a WSOP event. <br /><br />4. Subject to the restrictions described in these rules, pre-registrations can be initiated by downloading a pre-registration form online at www.worldseriesofpoker.com, The completed form and deposit must be submitted to the Rio no later than two weeks prior to the start of the selected event(s). The deposit required is for the full amount of an event one pre-registers for and may be applied to the event registration at the Rio or used for whatever other purpose participants may elect. Pre-registration will remain open until two weeks prior to the start of a particular event. All pre-registrants must finalize their registration on site. Thereafter, participants may register in person at the Rio. Complete instructions can be found at www.worldseriesofpoker.com. Pre-registered participants will need to present proof of identity (passport, driver’s license, state identification card or military identification card) in person at the Rio to complete the registration process and obtain his or her table and seat assignment. Participants wishing to apply the deposit to an event other than what was selected during pre-registration must do so in person at the Rio. <br /><br />5. Third-party registrations for players are not permitted unless submitted by Official WSOP sponsors; Official WSOP promotional partners, or Official WSOP product licensees. No third-party registrations will be accepted from online gaming sites conducting business with U.S. residents. For more information regarding third-party entries please contact Angele Marshall by email at anmarshall@harrahs.com. <br /><br />6. Harrah’s may limit the number of entries into any WSOP event and may award entries into any event through any means it deems appropriate. Harrah’s intends to award a limited number of entries through satellite tournaments, third-party marketing arrangements and or other promotional activities in its sole and absolute discretion, and will add the required entry fee(s) to the prize pool. <br /><br />7. Participants are responsible for payment of any and all taxes, licenses, registrations and other fees associated with tournament registration. <br /><br />8. Participants must show their current valid picture identification (driver’s license, state identification card, or military identification card) acceptable to Harrah’s at registration and Will Call. If a participant is not a U.S. citizen, a current passport, consular identification or alien registration card is required. <br /><br />9. Employees of Harrah’s and its parent, subsidiaries, affiliates, owned, operated or managed properties, contractors hired for the operation of the WSOP or parent companies and immediate family members of such employees are not eligible to play in any WSOP events, unless approved in advance by Harrah’s. Immediate Family is defined as: spouse, children and any relative or other person residing in the employee’s place of residence. <br /><br />10. Individuals who are excluded from casino facilities, either through a government program or by their own request, are not eligible. <br /><br />11. Each participant must certify their own eligibility. <br /><br />12. No teams, substitutes, transfers or assisted play will be permitted. Harrah’s reserves the right to accommodate players based on special needs. <br /><br />13. Cancellations or voids must be completed prior to the start of a particular event. Please contact the Tournament Manager, Daniel Vogel, for a Cancellation Form in the Tournament Offices at the WSOP, by email to dvogel@lvrio.harrahs.com, or by telephoning 702-777-6777. The Cancellation Form must be signed and received prior to the start of a particular event. Email notification is also acceptable provided such notification is received and approved prior to the beginning of the event. <br /><br />14. By submitting a Pre-Registration Form to Harrah’s for registration in and/or participation in the WSOP, such persons and/or entities agree to these rules. <br /><br />15. The ability to pre-register as described in these rules is void where prohibited or in any way restricted by law. <br /><br />16. Entries will be retained for record-keeping purposes in accordance with local legal requirements. <br /><br />SECTION II – TOURNAMENT SCHEDULING <br /><br />17. WSOP tournament times are approximate. Harrah’s reserves the right to change WSOP tournament times in its sole and absolute discretion. <br /><br />18. Harrah’s may cancel, modify, relocate or reschedule the WSOP or any individual event within the WSOP for any reason with prior notification to the appropriate gaming regulators, to the extent such is required. <br /><br />19. Harrah’s is not responsible for electronic transmission errors or delays resulting in omission, interruption, deletion, defect, delay in operations or transmission, theft or destruction or unauthorized access to or alterations of entry materials, or for technical, hardware, software, or telephone failures of any kind, lost or unavailable connections, fraud, incomplete, garbled, or delayed computer transmissions, whether caused by Harrah’s, users, or by any of the equipment or programming associated with or utilized in the promotion or by any technical or human error that may occur in the processing of submissions, any of which may limit, restrict, or prevent a participant’s ability to participate in the tournament. <br /><br />20. Harrah’s is not responsible for injuries or losses arising or resulting from participation in the WSOP and is not liable for any acts or omissions by employees, whether negligent or willful, in the conduct of the WSOP, and is not liable in the event of any equipment or software malfunction. This includes, but is not limited to, any loss of any tournament chips players leave at playing tables during tournament play, except during authorized breaks. <br /><br />21. If for any reason the Tournament is not capable of running as planned, including infection by computer virus, bugs, tampering, unauthorized intervention, fraud, technical <br /><br />2008 World Series of Poker, Las Vegas, Nevada – May 28, 2008 through July 16, 2008 Page 3 of 15 <br /><br />failures, or any other causes within or beyond the control of Harrah’s that corrupt or affect the administration, security, fairness, integrity or proper conduct of this tournament, Harrah’s reserves the right at its sole discretion to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend the Tournament. <br /><br />SECTION III – PRIZING AND SEATING <br /><br />22. Prizes and entries are non-transferable. Prize structures depend on the number of entrants and type of event. <br /><br />23. Winners are responsible for payment of any and all taxes, licenses, registrations and other fees associated with tournament prizes. <br /><br />24. Winners must show their current valid picture identification (driver’s license, state identification card, or military identification card) acceptable to Harrah’s in order to collect prizes. If a participant is not a U.S. citizen, a current passport, consular identification or alien registration card is required. <br /><br />25. Entrants will be assigned to a table and seat through a random computer selection. <br /><br />26. A random seating draw for an event will be determined based on expected participation. Tournament management reserves the right to allow additional table seating beyond expected capacity. In the event tables are added to a tournament beyond the anticipated random draw, those players assigned to the additional tables will be the first to break. <br /><br />27. If the participant is not present at the start of the tournament, all forced antes and blinds bets will be removed from an absent player’s stack accordingly. If player shows up and still has chips remaining, [s]he may play his or her chips. <br /><br />28. Harrah’s reserves the right to cancel, change or modify the WSOP at any time, for any reason, subject to all applicable regulatory approval, provided that such modification shall not, as of the date of such modification, materially alter or change any participant’s prize already awarded. <br /><br />29. No-value tournament chips are used for the tournament and are the exclusive property of Harrah’s and may not be removed from the tournament area or the assigned event. Players found to be transferring chips from one event to another or from one player to another will be subject to penalty in accordance with Rule No. 31. <br /><br />SECTION IV – PLAYER CONDUCT AND TOURNAMENT INTEGRITY <br /><br />30. Harrah’s may impose penalties of any kind or nature upon any person who gives, makes, issues, authorizes or endorses any statement or action having, or designed to have, an effect prejudicial or detrimental to the best interest of the Tournament as determined by Harrah’s, acting in its sole and absolute discretion. This may include, but shall not be limited to, expulsion from the event and property, forfeiture of a player’s entry fee(s) and/or loss of the right to participate in this and/or any other tournament conducted by Harrah’s. Additionally, Harrah’s may in its sole and absolute discretion impose penalties of any kind or nature upon any person who, in Harrah’s view engages in inappropriate conduct during tournament play. <br /><br />31. Harrah’s may disqualify any person for any prize based upon fraud, dishonesty, violation of promotional rules or other misconduct while on the property or otherwise occurring in relation to the World Series of Poker or as otherwise reasonable or necessary for Harrah’s to comply with applicable statutes and regulations, in its sole and absolute discretion. Harrah’s also reserves the right to exclude any individual(s) acting in a disruptive or inappropriate manner. <br /><br />32. Any attempt by any person to deliberately damage, corrupt or undermine the operation of the WSOP tournament may be a violation of criminal and civil laws and should such an attempt be made, Harrah’s reserves the right to seek damages from any such person to the fullest extent of the law. <br /><br />33. All decisions regarding the interpretation of World Series of Poker Rules, player eligibility, scheduling and staging of the Tournament, and penalties for misconduct lie solely with Harrah’s, whose decisions are final. <br /><br />34. Harrah’s employees will use reasonable commercial efforts to consider the best interests of the Tournament and fairness as the top priority in the decision-making process, with the understanding that “best interests of the Tournament and fairness” shall be determined by Harrah’s, acting in its sole and absolute discretion. Unusual circumstances can, on occasion, dictate that the technical interpretation of the rules be balanced against the interest of fairness. Harrah’s decisions are final and can not be appealed and shall not give rise to any claim for monetary damages, as each participant understands that, while poker is primarily and largely a game of skill, the outcome of any particular hand or event is dependent on many factors, including but not limited to the cards dealt, the cards retained and the actions of other participants. <br /><br />35. Any player who directs any profane and/or abusive language at another player, dealer or tournament staff member or who makes any profane and/or abusive comments about another player, dealer or tournament staff member will be penalized in accordance with Rules No. 31 and/or 51. In particular, the use of the so-called "f-bomb" and "c-bomb" as well as derivatives of those and similarly offensive terms, will subject the offending player to penalties if they are directed at or refer to another player, dealer, staff member, patron or official of Harrah's or the WSOP. In Harrah’s sole and absolute discretion, it <br /><br />may impose at any time a zero-tolerance policy for profane language whether directed at another person or not. <br /><br />36. Excessive celebration through extended theatrics, inappropriate behavior, or physical actions, gestures, or conduct may be subject to penalty. Any player that engages a member of the tournament staff during the celebration or utilizes any property of Harrah’s will be penalized in accordance with Rules No. 31 and/or 51. Harrah’s property includes but is not limited to chairs, tournament tables, and stanchions. <br /><br />37. Any player(s) adjudged or determined by Harrah’s to be colluding with other players will immediately be disqualified from the event, and will not be allowed to play in future WSOP events at any Harrah's Entertainment property. <br /><br />38. Player or staff abuse will not be tolerated. A player may incur a penalty up to and including disqualification for any abuse towards another player or staff member, and player could be asked to leave the property. Repeated etiquette violations such as touching another player’s cards or chips, delay of game and excessive chatter will result in penalties. <br /><br />39. The WSOP is subject to all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations, including gaming, and all aspects of the WSOP are subject to the approval of appropriate regulatory authorities. <br /><br />40. Tournament Rules and any and all changes in the rules and event descriptions for the WSOP May 30, 2008, through July 16, 2008 in Las Vegas, Nevada, will be available at the tournament facilities in the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino. <br /><br />41. Where a situation arises that is not covered by these rules, Harrah’s shall have the sole authority to render a judgment, including the imposition of a penalty, in accordance with the best interests of the Tournament and the maintenance of its integrity and public confidence. <br /><br />SECTION V – PLAYER LIKENESS AND IMAGE <br /><br />42. Prior to entering and playing in the Tournament, each participant must execute a Player Release Form. Failure to do so may, at the option of Harrah’s acting in its sole and absolute discretion, subject the player to immediate disqualification at any point in the Tournament. If the player is disqualified he or she shall forfeit all entry fees and not be entitled to any Tournament prize monies or any other prize consideration that he or she may have qualified for at the point of disqualification. <br /><br />43. Tournament participants may wear apparel with multiple logos, patches or promotional language. However, no individual logo, patch or block of promotional language is to be <br />larger than 12 square inches. No single company name is to be represented more than once on any individual article of clothing. For players seated at a table taped for television or broadband video coverage, logos may not be added after the beginning of that day’s session of play. In addition, all logos, patches and promotional language are strictly prohibited if they: <br /><br />(a) Contain any false, unsubstantiated, or unwarranted claims for any product or service, or make any testimonials that Harrah’s, in its sole and absolute discretion, considers unethical; <br /><br />(b) Advertise any habit-forming drug, tobacco product, handgun or handgun ammunition; <br /><br />(c) Advertise any malt beverage or any distilled liquor or any non-alcoholic product containing the name of a liquor product other than Milwaukee’s Best Light or another product of the Miller Brewing Company. <br /><br />(d) Contain any material constituting or relating to a lottery, a contest of any kind in which the public is unfairly treated or any enterprise, service or product that abets, assists or promotes illelgal gambling <br /><br />(e) Contain any material that is defamatory, obscene, profane, vulgar, repulsive or offensive, either in theme or in treatment or that describes or depicts repellently any internal bodily functions or symptomatic results of internal conditions, or refers to matters that are not considered socially acceptable topics; <br /><br />(f) Advertise pornographic products of any kind; <br /><br />(g) Include any element of intellectual property without the owner's consent to such use or gives rise to any claim of infringement, misappropriation or other form of unfair competition; <br /><br />(h) Disparage or libel any person or product. <br /><br />(i) Advertise a dot.com gaming site that conducts business with U.S. residents. <br /><br />(j) Are or might be injurious or prejudicial to the interests of the World Series of Poker, the Rio, Harrah's or its affiliated companies or are otherwise contrary to honest advertising and reputable business in general. This includes but is not limited to the name or logo of any person or entity that uses or has used the trademarks, trade names or logos of Harrah's or its affiliated companies without written authorization from an authorized officer of Harrah's. <br /><br />(k) In addition, all logos, patches, and promotional language for any dot.net website must contain a clear and visible "dot.net" suffix at least the same size as the site name. <br /><br />(l) Harrah’s reserves the right at all times to impose a ban on any apparel deemed objectionable by Harrah’s, in its sole and absolute discretion. <br /><br />SECTION VI – POKER RULES <br /><br />44. Floor People: Floor People are to consider the best interest of the game and fairness as the top priority in the decision-making process. Unusual circumstances can on occasion dictate that decisions in the interest of fairness take priority over the technical rules. The floor person’s decision is final. <br /><br />45. Chip race rule: Race-off is defined as removal of a denomination of chip no longer in use. When it is time to color-up chips, they will be raced off with a maximum of one chip going to any player. The chip race will always start at the first player left of the dealer. A player cannot be raced out of a tournament. In the event that a player has only one chip remaining, the regular race procedure will take place. If that player loses the race, [s]he will be given one chip of the smallest denomination still in play. Players found to have lower denomination chips remaining in their stack after the race-off will forfeit those chips unless they are equivalent in value to a chip still in play. Players are encouraged to witness the chip race <br /><br />46. Side pots: Each side pot will be split as a separate pot. Pots will not be mixed together before they are split. <br /><br />47. Odd Chips: The odd chip(s) will go to the high hand. In flop games, when there are two (2) or more high hands or two (2) or more low hands, the odd chip(s) will go to the left of the button. In stud-type games, the odd chip will go to the high card by suit. However, when hands have identical value, e.g., a wheel in Omaha 8 or Better, the pot will be split as evenly as possible. <br /><br />48. Calling-for-clock procedures: Once a reasonable amount of time, which is no less than three minutes, has passed and a clock is called, a player will be given one (1) minute to act. If action has not been taken by the time the minute has expired, there will be a ten (10) second countdown. If a player has not acted on his hand by the time the countdown is over, the hand will be dead. Any player intentionally stalling the progress of the game will incur a penalty in accordance with Rule No. 51. <br /><br /><br />49. Dead Button: Tournament play will use the dead button rule. Dead Button is defined as a button that can not be advanced due to elimination of a player or the seating of a new player into a position between the small blind and the button. <br /><br />50. A player exposing his or her cards with action pending may incur a penalty, but will not have a dead hand. The penalty will begin at the end of the hand. All players at the table are entitled to see the exposed card(s), if requested. A penalty may also be imposed if a player throws a card off the table, violates the one-player-to-a-hand rule or engages in similar behavior. Penalties will be invoked in cases of soft-play, abuse or disruptive behavior. All penalties will be imposed at Harrah’s sole and absolute discretion, in accordance with Rule No. 51. <br /><br />51. In its sole and absolute discretion, Harrah’s may impose penalties that include verbal warnings and missed-hand penalties. A missed-hand penalty will be assessed as follows: The offender will miss one hand for each player at the table, including the offender, when the penalty is given, multiplied by the number of rounds specified in the penalty. Tournament staff can assess one-, two-, three- or four-round penalties or disqualification. Players who receive a missed-hand penalty must remain outside the designated tournament areas for the length of their penalty. The player must notify the tournament staff prior to returning to their seat. Repeat infractions are subject to escalating penalties up to disqualification. <br /><br />52. A player who is disqualified shall have his or her chips removed from play and no refund will be provided to that disqualified player. Any player who forfeits play for health or other personal reasons after the start of a tournament will have his or her chips blinded off accordingly. <br /><br />53. A player must be at his or her seat by the time all players have been dealt complete initial hands to have a live hand. Players must be at their seats to call time. “At your seat” is defined as being within reach or touch of your chair. <br /><br />54. All cards will be turned face up once a player is all in and all action is complete. If a player accidentally folds/mucks their hand before cards are turned up, the Tournament Staff reserves the right to retrieve the folded/mucked cards if the cards are clearly identifiable. <br /><br />55. If a player puts in a raise of 50 percent or more of the previous bet but less than the minimum raise, he or she will be required to make a full raise. The raise will be exactly the minimum raise allowed. In no-limit and pot-limit, an all-in bet of less than a full raise does not reopen the betting to a player who has already acted. Putting a single oversized chip into the pot will be considered a call if the player doesn’t announce a raise. Putting in two $500 chips on a 300-600 blind level without an announcement will also be considered a call even though it is two chips. If a player puts an oversized chip into the pot and says, “Raise,” but doesn’t state the amount, the raise will be the maximum allowable up to the denomination of that chip. To make a raise with a single oversized chip, a verbal declaration must be made before the chip hits the table surface. After the flop, an initial bet of a single oversized chip without comment will signify a bet equal to the size of the chip. <br /><br />56. In no-limit or pot-limit, a raise must be made by a.) placing the full amount in the pot in one or more continuous motion(s) without going back toward the player’s stack or b.) verbally declaring the full amount prior to the initial placement of chips into the pot or c.) verbally declaring “raise” prior to the placement of the amount to call into the pot and then completing the action with one additional motion back to the player’s stack. Less than a full raise in an all-in situation does not reopen the betting to a player who has already acted. <br /><br />57. Players are obligated to protect the other players in the tournament at all times. Therefore, whether in a hand or not, players may not a.) disclose contents of live or folded hands, b.) advise or criticize play before the action is completed, or c.) read a hand that hasn’t been tabled. While in a hand, players may not a) discuss hands or strategy with any spectator, or b) seek or receive consultation from an outside source. The one-player-to-a-hand rule will be enforced. Players who violate this rule are subject to penalty in accordance with Rule 51. <br /><br />58. Tournament and satellite seats will be randomly assigned. Tournament staff reserves the right to accommodate players based on special needs. <br /><br />59. The English-only rule will be enforced at all WSOP tables during tournament play. <br /><br />60. There will be no foreign objects on the table except for a maximum of one card cap. Card caps can be no larger than two (2) inches in diameter and no more than one-half (1/2) inch in depth. <br /><br />61. Deck changes will be on the dealer push or limit changes or as prescribed by Harrah’s. Players may not ask for deck changes unless a card is damaged. <br /><br />62. When time has elapsed in a round and a new round is announced by a member of the tournament staff, the new limits apply to the next hand. A hand begins with the first riffle. <br /><br />63. If a player announces the intent to re-buy before the first card is dealt, that player is playing behind and is obligated to make the re-buy. A player may not miss a hand. If a player runs out of chips during the re-buy portion of a re-buy event, he must re-buy or declare to re-buy before the start of the next deal. <br /><br />64. Players must keep their highest denomination chips visible at all times. <br /><br />65. Verbal declarations as to the content of a player's hand are not binding; however at Harrah’s discretion, any player deliberately miscalling his hand may be penalized. <br /><br />66. In cases where hands are concluded prior to the last card being dealt, the next card to be dealt will not be exposed under any circumstances. This prohibited practice is commonly referred to as “rabbit hunting.” <br /><br />67. A player who intentionally dodges his or her blind(s) when moving from a broken table must post both blinds and will incur a penalty, in accordance with Rule No. 51. <br /><br />68. All chips must be visible at all times. Players may not hold or transport tournament chips in any manner that takes them out of view. A player who does so will forfeit the chips and face disqualification. The forfeited chips will be taken out of play. <br /><br />69. The breaking order for an event will be posted at the beginning of that event. The table to which a player is moved will be specified by a predetermined procedure. Players going from a broken table to fill in seats assume the rights and responsibilities of the position. They can get the big blind, the small blind or the button. The only place they cannot get a hand is between the small blind and the button. Harrah’s reserves the right to alter the breaking order due to unusual circumstances. <br /><br />70. Play will halt at any table that is at least three players short. In fields greater than 20 tables, players will be moved from the next numerical table at full capacity to the short table. Once a tournament is below 20 tables, players will be moved from the next table in the breaking order that is at full capacity to the short table. Players moving from a full table to a short table assume the same rights and responsibilities of the position as outline in Rule No. 69. In flop games and all other games that use a dealer button, players will be moved from the big blind to the worst position (which is never the small blind) at the new table. In stud games, players will be moved by position (the last seat to open up at the short table is the seat to be filled). <br /><br />71. There is no cap on the number of raises in no-limit games. In flop games, the initial raise must be at least double the big blind, with all subsequent raises being at least the size of the previous raise. In limit events there will be a maximum of one bet and four raises, even if there are only two players remaining in the hand. Once the tournament becomes heads-up, the rule does not apply. There may be unlimited raises at the heads-up level. <br /><br />72. In stud-type games, if any of the players' two down cards are exposed due to a dealer error, it is a misdeal. In flop games, exposure of one of the first two cards dealt is a misdeal. Players may be dealt two consecutive cards on the button. The following situations may also be cause for a misdeal, if during the initial deal a) two or more extra cards have been dealt b) the first card was dealt to the wrong position c) cards have been dealt to an empty seat or a player not entitled to a hand or d) a player has been dealt out who is entitled to a hand. <br /><br />73. If a dealer kills an unprotected hand, the player will have no redress and will not be entitled to his or her money back. An exception would be if a player raised and his or her raise had not been called yet, he or she would be entitled to receive his or her raise back. <br /><br />74. A dealer cannot kill a winning hand that was turned face up and was obviously the winning hand. Players are encouraged to assist in reading tabled hands if it appears that an error is about to be made. <br /><br />75. Harrah’s reserves the right to cancel or alter any event at its sole discretion in the best interest of the casino or its players. <br /><br />76. Poker is an individual game. Soft play will result in penalties that may include forfeiture of chips and/or disqualification. Chip dumping will result in disqualification. <br /><br />77. Players are entitled to be informed of the pot size in pot-limit games only. Dealers will not count the pot in limit and no-limit games. If requested, dealers may spread the pot so that it can be counted by a player. <br /><br />78. When heads up in blind games, the small blind is on the button and acts first. When beginning heads-up play, the button may need to be adjusted to ensure no player takes the big blind twice. <br /><br />79. At the end of the last round of betting, the player who made the last aggressive betting action in that betting round must show first. If there was no bet during the final round, the player to the left of the button shows first, and so on in a clockwise direction. In stud games, the player with the high board must show first. In razz, the lowest board shows first. <br /><br />80. Players must remain at the table if they still have action pending on a hand. <br /><br />81. Dealers will be responsible for calling string bets/raises. All players at the table are encouraged to assist in calling a string bet/raise if a dealer fails to identify one. String bets/raises called by a player must be verified by a floor person. A string bet/raise is defined as attempting a bet or raise in multiple movements that include a return to a player’s stack without a prior verbal declaration of intent or include deception intended to induce action our of turn before a player’s action is complete. <br /><br />82. A player must show cards when playing the board to get part of the pot. <br /><br />83. Any player registering for multiple events and who makes Day Two or the final table of a <br /><br />particular event, may transfer his or her buy-in for the subsequent event to another event, or may also receive a refund, upon request, provided that the transfer or refund is approved and initiated prior to the beginning of the event from which a transfer or refund is being requested. <br /><br />84. Players are responsible for checking their tournament entry receipts before they leave the registration window. All changes must be made before the start of any event. <br /><br />85. Registration is open until the end of the second level of any event. <br /><br />86. Late registrants for any event will be subject to the following rules in addition to all other rules. In games with blinds, a player who enters during the first round of play will receive no penalty so long as the blinds have not passed their position. Players who enter after the first round of blinds must wait until their first opportunity to post to begin play. In games with only antes, the player must ante at their first opportunity. <br /><br />87. Cell Phone Rule: All cell phones and other voice-enabled and “ringing” electronic devices must be silenced during tournament play. A player who wants to use a cell phone must be at least one table length away from their assigned table or be subject to penalty. The hand of any player talking on a cell phone, texting, e-mailing or otherwise communicating electronically while in a hand with action pending will be declared dead. Any player using a cellular phone while in a hand with no action pending (player has gone all-in) will receive a missed hand penalty to be assessed on the next hand. Any player using a cell phone while at their seat even if not in a hand will receive a missed hand penalty. No cell phones or other electronic communication device can be placed on a poker table. <br /><br />88. Approved Electronic Device Rule: Players are allowed to use as approved electronic devices iPods, MP3 and other music players or noise-reduction headsets during tournament play until they have reached the money in any tournament , so long as the approved electronic devices can not access the internet, send or receive SMS texts and are not equipped with any type of communication device. Therefore, iPhones, iTouch, Treos, Blackberrys, and other similar devices will not be allowed. Once players are in the money in any tournament, all approved electronic devices must be removed. An announcement will be made to players once they have reached the money to remove all such electronic devices. Failure to do so will results in a penalty up to and including disqualification. <br /><br />89. All chips put into the pot in turn stay in the pot. If a player has raised and his or her hand is killed before the raise is called, the player may be entitled to the raise back, but will forfeit the amount of the call. Any chips put into the pot out of turn fall under action "may or may not be binding". <br /><br />90. Players must act in turn at all times. Action out of turn may or may not be binding. If a player acts out of turn and the action does not change by the time it is that player's turn to act, that player's action is binding. Action changes only if a player makes an initial bet or raises before the action gets back to the person that acted out of turn. Action does not change when the player in front of a player acting out of turn checks, calls or folds. If a player acts out of turn and the action changes, the person who acted out of turn may change their action by calling, raising or folding and may have their chips returned. Players may not intentionally act out of turn to influence play before them. Players will receive a warning for the first occurrence of acting out of turn, and will receive a penalty, in accordance with Rule No. 51, every time after. <br /><br />91. Rules governing Live Action Play are detailed in the Live Action Poker Manual that will be located at the Poker Podium within the Live Action side of the tournament area. <br /><br />SECTION VII - TOURNAMENT OPERATIONS POLICIES AND PROCEDURES <br /><br />92. There will be dinner Breaks for all events that begin at 12 noon and will be anticipated after the end of six levels of play. Dinner Breaks will last 90 minutes. There will be no staggered Dinner breaks. <br /><br />93. There will be no Dinner Break for events that begin at 5 p.m. An extended break will be awarded after four levels of play and will last 30 minutes. There will be no staggered breaks. <br /><br />94. Play will end after 10 levels of play for all events that begin at 12 noon. Play will resume the following day at 2 p.m. The Tournament Director may modify this schedule for any reason. <br /><br />95. Play will end after eight levels of play for all events that begin at 5 p.m. Play will resume the following day at 3 p.m. The Tournament Director may modify this schedule for any reason. <br /><br />96. Tournament Supervisors are to consider the best interest of the game and fairness as the priority in the decision making process. Unusual circumstances may, on occasion, dictate that the technical interpretation of the rules be ignored in the interest of fairness. The Tournament Supervisor's, or highest authority in the room, decision is final. <br /><br />97. Upon nearing the “Money” (the first level of the prize pool payout), a “Hand-for-Hand” method of determining player placement within the prize pool and the actual amount of prize pool disbursement within that event will be utilized. This will begin by completing the current hand in progress at all tables. Once all hands are complete, the dealer at each table will deal one hand only, then – once the hand is complete – suspend play. This process will continue until enough players have been eliminated to reach the money. During the Hand-for-Hand process, more than one player may be eliminated during the same hand. If two players are eliminated during the same hand at different tables, both players will “tie” for that place finish. If two players are eliminated during the same hand at the same table, the player who began that hand with the highest chip count will receive the higher place finish.</p><br /><p>Source: <a href="" target="_blank">World Series of Poker</a></p><br /><p>Related Articles:<ul><li><a href="http://blog.billbruce.info/2008/03/pre-registration-opens-for-2008-world.html">Pre-Registration Opens For 2008 World Series of Poker®</a></li></ul></p><br /><p style="font-size:80%;">http://blog.billbruce.info</p><br /><a href="http://www.mixx.com/" onclick="window.location='http://www.mixx.com/submit?page_url='+window.location; return false;"><br /><img src="http://www.mixx.com/images/buttons/mixx-button1.png" alt="Add to Mixx!" border="0" /></a><br /><!-- AddThis Bookmark Button BEGIN --><br /><a href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php" onclick="window.open('http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?wt=nw&pub=ibill909&url='+encodeURIComponent(location.href)+'&title='+encodeURIComponent(document.title), 'addthis', 'scrollbars=yes,menubar=no,width=620,height=520,resizable=yes,toolbar=no,location=no,status=no,screenX=200,screenY=100,left=200,top=100'); return false;" title="Bookmark using any bookmark manager!" target="_blank"><img src="http://s9.addthis.com/button1-addthis.gif" width="125" height="16" border="0" alt="AddThis Social Bookmark Button" /></a><br /><!-- AddThis Bookmark Button END -->Bill Brucehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11706277417405179436noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-500372328766147616.post-65880041281510350002008-03-05T22:30:00.000-08:002008-03-06T22:54:07.786-08:00Pre-Registration Opens For 2008 World Series of Poker®<p align="justify"><strong>LAS VEGAS - March 5, 2008</strong> – Harrah’s Entertainment, Inc. said today pre-registration for the 2008 World Series of Poker Presented by Milwaukee’s Best Light is now open. <br /><br />Players will be able to pre-register online at <a href="http://www.worldseriesofpoker.com" target="_blank">www.worldseriesofpoker.com</a> or in person at the main cage of the Rio® All-Suite Hotel & Casino, host property for the 2008 WSOP. Pre-registration instructions and tournament rules are posted on the website. <br /><br />“We’ve received only positive comments about the 2008 schedule, which offers WSOP bracelets in eight variations of poker and at multiple buy-in levels,” said Jack Effel, WSOP tournament director. “Because no alternates will be seated at the 2008 WSOP, we encourage players to pre-register early to guarantee their seats. Once again, acceptable forms of payment will include cash, cashier’s checks, wire transfers and Rio casino chips.”<br /><br />The 39th edition of the WSOP will run from May 30 through July 16, 2008, and will include 55 bracelet tournaments. Buy-ins for open events will range from $1,000 to $50,000. The buy-in for the Main Event – the No-Limit Hold’Em World Championship – will remain at $10,000. The full event schedule is at <a href="http://www.worldseriesofpoker.com" target="_blank">www.worldseriesofpoker.com</a>.</p><br /><br /><p style="font-size:80%;">Harrah's Entertainment, Inc. is the world's largest provider of branded casino entertainment. Since its beginning in Reno, Nevada, more than 70 years ago, Harrah's has grown through development of new properties, expansions and acquisitions, and now owns or manages casinos on four continents. The Company's properties operate primarily under the Harrah's®, Caesars® and Horseshoe® brand names; Harrah's also owns the London Clubs International family of casinos and the World Series of Poker®. Harrah's Entertainment is focused on building loyalty and value with its customers through a unique combination of great service, excellent products, unsurpassed distribution, operational excellence and technology leadership. For more information, please visit <a href="http://www.harrahs.com" target="_blank">www.harrahs.com</a>.</p><br /><p>Source: <a href="http://www.worldseriesofpoker.com/news/varchive.asp?aid=1964" target="_blank">Pre-Registration Opens For 2008 World Series of Poker® Presented by Milwaukee’s Best Light (worldseriesofpoker.com)</a></p><br /><p style="font-size:80%;">http://blog.billbruce.info</p><br /><a href="http://www.mixx.com/" onclick="window.location='http://www.mixx.com/submit?page_url='+window.location; return false;"><br /><img src="http://www.mixx.com/images/buttons/mixx-button1.png" alt="Add to Mixx!" border="0" /></a><br /><!-- AddThis Bookmark Button BEGIN --><br /><a href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php" onclick="window.open('http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?wt=nw&pub=ibill909&url='+encodeURIComponent(location.href)+'&title='+encodeURIComponent(document.title), 'addthis', 'scrollbars=yes,menubar=no,width=620,height=520,resizable=yes,toolbar=no,location=no,status=no,screenX=200,screenY=100,left=200,top=100'); return false;" title="Bookmark using any bookmark manager!" target="_blank"><img src="http://s9.addthis.com/button1-addthis.gif" width="125" height="16" border="0" alt="AddThis Social Bookmark Button" /></a><br /><!-- AddThis Bookmark Button END -->Bill Brucehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11706277417405179436noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-500372328766147616.post-39186795835296194172008-02-05T22:28:00.000-08:002008-02-17T22:48:11.590-08:00WSOP Circuit Harrah's Rincon - Main Event<p style="font-size:70%;"><img src="http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f364/bustya/wsop-c_rincon_ft.jpg" border="0" alt="WSOP Circuit Event - Rincon - Final Table"><br />Image courtesy of <a href="http://www.pokernews.com">PokerPages.com</a></p><br /><br /><p><strong>San Diego/Valley Center, CA February 5, 2008 - Day 1 </strong>: The Main Event is underway here at Rincon. We've got 148 entrants with a nice representation of poker pros and local amatuers on hand to compete for the coveted WSOP Circuit ring and the first place prize money.<br /><br /><strong>Day 2</strong>: - Championship Table: You can watch feature and final tables for WSOP Circuit San Diego Championship Event at <a href="http://www.worldseriesofpoker.com/wsoptv/live.asp">http://www.worldseriesofpoker.com/wsoptv/live.asp</a></p><p>Live Blogs:<ul><li><a href="http://www.pokerlistings.com/live-tournaments/wsopc/2007/harrahs-rincon/live-updates">WSOP Circuit Harrah's Rincon San Diego North</a> (PokerListings)</li><br /><li><a href="http://www.pokernews.com/live-reporting/wsop-circuit-event-rincon/">2008 WSOP Circuit Event - Rincon</a> (PokerNews)</li><br /><li><a href="http://news.pokerpages.com/index.php?option=com_simpleblog&task=view&id=2905">WSOP Circuit @ Harrah's Rincon</a> (PokerPages.com)</li><br /><li><a href="http://www.worldseriesofpoker.com/tourney/updates_pn.asp?tourneyID=4762&groupid=365&m=2&d=7&y=2008">Circuit Championship Event</a> (WorldSeriesOfPoker)</li></ul></p><p>Related Articles / Links:<ul><li><a href="http://www.pokernews.com/news/2008/02/wsop-circuit-rincon-day-1-bedoya.htm">WSOP-C Rincon, Day 1: Bedoya Opens Early Lead</a> (John 'Falstaff' Hartness, PokerNews)</li><br /><li><a href="http://www.pokerlistings.com/blog/wsopc/2007/day-1-at-wsop-circuit-rincon">Day 1 at WSOP Circuit Rincon</a> (Matthew Showell, PokerListings)</li><br /><li><a href="http://www.pokerlistings.com/poker-player-interviews/wsopc/2007/interview-with-vanessa-rousso-on-day-1-of-the-2008-wsopc-rincon">Interview with Vanessa Rousso on Day 1 of the 2008 WSOPC Rincon</a> (Arthur Crowson, PokerListings</li><br /><li><a href="http://www.pokernews.com/news/2008/02/wsop-circuit-rincon-day-2-sabat-watkinson-smith.htm">WSOP-C Rincon, Day 2: Sabat Leads as Watkinson, Smith Make Final</a> (John 'Falstaff' Hartness, PokerNews)</li><br /><li><a href="http://www.pokerlistings.com/poker-player-interviews/wsopc/2007/wsopc-chip-leader-interview-edward-sabata">WSOPC Chip Leader Interview: Edward Sabat</a> (Matthew Showell, PokerListings)</li><br /><li><a href="http://www.pokernews.com/live-reporting/photo-gallery/?t=59&e=247&p=2">Photo Gallery</a> (PokerNews)</li></ul></p><br /><p><h4>UPDATE:</h4><ul><li><a href="http://www.pokerlistings.com/blog/wsopc/2007/michael-pickett-wins-wsopc-rincon">Michael Pickett Wins WSOPC Rincon!</a> (Matthew Showell, PokerListings)</li><br /><li><a href="http://www.pokerlistings.com/poker-player-interviews/wsopc/2007/interview-with-2008-wsopc-rincon-winner-michael-pickett">Interview with 2008 WSOPC Rincon Winner Michael Pickett</a> (Arthur Crowson, PokerListings)</li><br /><li><a href="http://www.pokernews.com/news/2008/02/wsop-circuit-rincon-day-3-pickett-wins.htm">WSOP-C Rincon, Final Table: Michael Pickett Takes It</a> (John 'Falstaff' Hartness, PokerNews)</li></ul></p><br /><p style="font-size:80%;">http://blog.billbruce.info</p><br /><a href="http://www.mixx.com/" onclick="window.location='http://www.mixx.com/submit?page_url='+window.location; return false;"><br /><img src="http://www.mixx.com/images/buttons/mixx-button1.png" alt="Add to Mixx!" border="0" /></a><br /><!-- AddThis Bookmark Button BEGIN --><br /><a href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php" onclick="window.open('http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?wt=nw&pub=ibill909&url='+encodeURIComponent(location.href)+'&title='+encodeURIComponent(document.title), 'addthis', 'scrollbars=yes,menubar=no,width=620,height=520,resizable=yes,toolbar=no,location=no,status=no,screenX=200,screenY=100,left=200,top=100'); return false;" title="Bookmark using any bookmark manager!" target="_blank"><img src="http://s9.addthis.com/button1-addthis.gif" width="125" height="16" border="0" alt="AddThis Social Bookmark Button" /></a><br /><!-- AddThis Bookmark Button END -->Bill Brucehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11706277417405179436noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-500372328766147616.post-28477824512880781222008-01-28T21:38:00.000-08:002008-02-17T22:56:28.893-08:00World Series of Poker Circuit Event - Harrah's Rincon<p style="font-size:70%;"><img src="http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f364/bustya/rincon2008wsopcircuitpokernews_47a3.jpg" border="0" alt="2008 WSOP Circuit Event Rincon"><br />Image courtesy of <a href="http://www.pokernews.com">Pokernews.com</a></p><br /><p align="justify"><strong>SAN DIEGO, CA, January 28, 2008</strong> – I'm back in California, close to home, for the WSOP Circuit Event at <a href="http://www.harrahs.com/casinos/harrahs-rincon-san-diego/hotel-casino/property-home.shtml">Harrah's Rincon</a>. We've got our first champion here, Frank Lin of Los Angeles, CA won Event #1 today.</p><br /><p align="justify"><h4>Update: </h4><strong>SAN DIEGO, CA, February 4, 2008</strong> – It's been a great week here at Rincon thus far. Lots of familiar faces and people I've known forever stopping by to say hello. Many locals have won Circuit rings for the first time which is what the circuit is all about, giving local players a chance to compete against the traveling pros. We had a great day of mega-satellites today and the <a href="http://blog.billbruce.info/2008/02/wsop-circuit-harrahs-rincon-main-event.html">Main Event</a> starts tommorrow....</p><br /><p>Below is a slideshow of various pics from the preliminary events.</p><br /><div><embed src="http://widget-78.slide.com/widgets/slideticker.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" quality="high" scale="noscale" salign="l" wmode="transparent" flashvars="cy=bb&il=1&channel=504403158292445816&site=widget-78.slide.com" style="width:600px;height:320px" name="flashticker" align="middle"></embed></div><br /><p>Links:<ul><li><a href="http://www.worldseriesofpoker.com/tourney/tourneydetails.asp?groupID=365">2008 WSOP Circuit Event - Harrah's Rincon San Diego North</a> (worldseriesofpoker.com)</li><br /><li><a href="http://www.pokerpages.com/tournament/schedule2947.htm">Harrah's Rincon - WSOP Circuit Event</a> (PokerPages.com)</li></ul></p><br /><p>Related Articles:<ul><li><a href="http://blog.billbruce.info/2008/01/grand-world-series-of-poker-circuit_09.html">World Series of Poker Circuit Event - Tunica</a></li></ul></p><br /><p style="font-size:80%;">http://blog.billbruce.info</p><br /><a href="http://www.mixx.com/" onclick="window.location='http://www.mixx.com/submit?page_url='+window.location; return false;"><br /><img src="http://www.mixx.com/images/buttons/mixx-button1.png" alt="Add to Mixx!" border="0" /></a><br /><!-- AddThis Bookmark Button BEGIN --><br /><a href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php" onclick="window.open('http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?wt=nw&pub=ibill909&url='+encodeURIComponent(location.href)+'&title='+encodeURIComponent(document.title), 'addthis', 'scrollbars=yes,menubar=no,width=620,height=520,resizable=yes,toolbar=no,location=no,status=no,screenX=200,screenY=100,left=200,top=100'); return false;" title="Bookmark using any bookmark manager!" target="_blank"><img src="http://s9.addthis.com/button1-addthis.gif" width="125" height="16" border="0" alt="AddThis Social Bookmark Button" /></a><br /><!-- AddThis Bookmark Button END -->Bill Brucehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11706277417405179436noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-500372328766147616.post-69819360278450302392008-01-23T12:49:00.000-08:002008-07-15T09:54:43.160-07:00World Series of Poker® Available To More Than 200 Stations<br><img src="http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f364/bustya/WSOP2007.jpg" border="0" alt="ws2007"><br /><br><br /><p><strong><em>Weekly Nationwide Broadcasts Will Introduce WSOP to New Audiences</em></strong></p><br /><p align="justify"><strong>LAS VEGAS, NV January 22, 2008</strong> – Harrah’s Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE: HET) today announced the launch of World Series of Poker® Radio, the official weekly radio show of the World Series of Poker Presented by Milwaukee’s Best Light. <br /><br />WSOP Radio is produced by Bluff Media and is available to more than 200 stations of the Sports Byline Radio Network. The broadcasts can be heard every Monday from 8 p.m. Eastern Time to 10 p.m. Eastern.<br /><br />“World Series of Poker Radio is the latest addition to our broadcasting and new media portfolio and opens up a new way for us to connect with our fans and players,” said WSOP Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack. “We’re now ‘on the air’ every week with the biggest names in the game, news from the WSOP and insights from top poker analysts.”<br /><br />Listeners can participate in the show by calling 1-866-925-TALK. Guests will include celebrities, past and present WSOP champions, tournament officials and up and coming players from around the world.<br /><br />World Series of Poker Radio will be hosted by Nick Geber, a regular commentator on “World Series of Poker Live” and three-year host of Fox Sports World TV’s “Fox Football Friday.” Geber began his broadcasting career at Fox Radio in Los Angeles and has been heard on Sporting News Radio, Sirius Satellite Radio, Sports Byline Radio and the American Forces Radio. He is an avid poker player and regularly plays tournaments and cash games throughout the Los Angeles area.<br /><br />"I'm very excited to bring poker’s ‘Major League’ to the airwaves," Geber said. "Now sports radio and poker fans can follow and participate in the action of the World Series of Poker every Monday!"<br /><br />In addition to www.worldseriesofpoker.com and www.bluffmagazine.com, World Series of Poker Radio can be heard on American Forces Radio affiliates, www.sportsbyline.com, Cable Radio Network (CRN) and a variety of local radio affiliates in major markets nationwide, including:<br /><br />KFCD 990 AM, Dallas<br />KGOW 1560 AM, Houston<br />KELA 1470 AM, Seattle<br />KSLG 1380 AM, St. Louis<br />WMOH 1450 AM, Cincinnati<br />KCXL 1140 AM, Kansas City<br />KSHP 1400 AM, Las Vegas<br />WSFN 790 AM, Jacksonville<br />KASR 92.7 FM, Little Rock<br />KPUA 670 AM, Honolulu<br />WNKT 107.5 FM, Columbia, S.C.<br />WXRB 1350 AM, Savannah<br />KSOO 1140 AM, Sioux Falls<br />KGNC 710 AM, Amarillo<br /><br />More stations will be added weekly. World Series of Poker Radio also can be accessed over cell phones using Upsnap beginning January 28.<br /></p><br /><p style="font-size:70%;">Harrah's Entertainment, Inc. is the world's largest provider of branded casino entertainment. Since its beginning in Reno, Nevada, more than 70 years ago, Harrah's has grown through development of new properties, expansions and acquisitions, and now owns or manages casinos on four continents. The Company's properties operate primarily under the Harrah's®, Caesars® and Horseshoe® brand names; Harrah's also owns the London Clubs International family of casinos. Harrah's Entertainment is focused on building loyalty and value with its customers through a unique combination of great service, excellent products, unsurpassed distribution, operational excellence and technology leadership. For more information, please visit www.harrahs.com.</p><br /><p>Source: <a href="http://www.worldseriesofpoker.com/news/varchive.asp?aid=1936">WSOP Press Release</a></p><br /><a href="http://www.mixx.com/" onclick="window.location='http://www.mixx.com/submit?page_url='+window.location; return false;"><br /><img src="http://www.mixx.com/images/buttons/mixx-button1.png" alt="Add to Mixx!" border="0" /></a><br /><!-- AddThis Bookmark Button BEGIN --><br /><a href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php" onclick="window.open('http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?wt=nw&pub=ibill909&url='+encodeURIComponent(location.href)+'&title='+encodeURIComponent(document.title), 'addthis', 'scrollbars=yes,menubar=no,width=620,height=520,resizable=yes,toolbar=no,location=no,status=no,screenX=200,screenY=100,left=200,top=100'); return false;" title="Bookmark using any bookmark manager!" target="_blank"><img src="http://s9.addthis.com/button1-addthis.gif" width="125" height="16" border="0" alt="AddThis Social Bookmark Button" /></a><br /><!-- AddThis Bookmark Button END -->Bill Brucehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11706277417405179436noreply@blogger.com0