poker52 europa n1 - sept/oct 2011

PK52EURO_N1_COUV.indd 1 10/08/11 17:55

PK52UE_N1_CS5.5.indd 1 11/08/11 13:20

PK52UE_N1_CS5.5.indd 2 11/08/11 13:20

PK52UE_N1_CS5.5.indd 3 11/08/11 13:20

PK52UE_N1_CS5.5.indd 4 11/08/11 13:20

5

Dear Readers,

We are very proud to launch a brand new poker magazine

EDITOrIal

We are very proud to launch a brand new poker magazine, freely distributed all over Europe, Poker52 Europa. This magazine will focus on all the great poker venues and tournaments that European poker has on offer, like upcoming tournaments and leading players from across our wonderful continent. Its glossy design and high-quality printing will be a real treat for all the poker fans and players alike. I also want to thank Bruno Fitoussi, who has given me his trust one more time for this new magazine, after our success in France with Poker52.For this first issue, we had an exciting in-depth interview with Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier, who has just completed a wonderful performance at the World Series scoring a bracelet at the $10,000 Stud Championship, completing his hat-trick and thus entering the Triple Crown Club. Our friends, Daniel Negreanu, Bruno Fitoussi, Isabelle Mercier, Sami Kelopuro and Victoria Coren will provide you with the best insights possible to everything poker related from annoying rules to those annoying people who can’t seam to view Vegas outside their camera’s LCD.This autumn will be jam packed with some great poker moments, with events like the PPT Final and the WSOP-Europe in Cannes, the WPT Grand Prix de Paris at the Aviation Club, the Masters Classic Of Poker in Amsterdam, the CAPT, WPT Amnéville, Marrakesh Poker Open, and of course all of the European Poker Tours…

POKER 52 auropa // SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2011 // ISSUE 1

PK52UE_N1_CS5.5.indd 5 12/08/11 14:39

6 ISSUE 1 // SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2011 // POKER 52 auropa

PK52UE_N1_CS5.5.indd 6 11/08/11 13:20

CONTENTS12 NEWS22 INTERVIEW Elky, sick hat-trick!

34 UPCOMING TOURNAMENTS 36 WSOP-Europe in Cannes 40 PPT Finale 44 WPT Grand Prix de Paris 48 The Baden Casinos Austria Poker Tour 51 Masters classic of poker 2011 54 WPT Amnéville 56 Marrakesh Poker Open 58 EPT London

68 POKER BUSINESS Win your buy-in

76 HENDON MOB RANKINGS

81 TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE CHRONICLES 20 Victoria Coren

Mutatis mutandis 32 Tony G.

From Paris with Love 60 Isabelle Lemercier.

Return to the Belagio 62 Daniel Negreanu

The table talk rule 66 Sam Kelopuro

Alive and well in vegas 70 You are the tournament director, series 4 84 François Delmotte

74 STRATEGY 10 000$ Short-Handed Championship par Bruno Fitoussi

22

is published by Game Prod - 14 rue de Berri 75008 PARIS / France+33 (0)1 53 89 14 00www.poker52europa.comDirected by : Bruno Benveniste +33 (0)1 53 89 14 08 - [email protected] by : Samantha Delmas - [email protected] editor : Jérôme Schmidt - [email protected] : Julien Morello, Antoine Salvi, François Delmotte, Philippe LemaireCover picture : ElkY by Alexander JE BradleyInside pictures : Jules Pochy, Neil Stoddart, XDRRe-writing and translation : Alexander JE BradleyAdvertisment : Marine Jouaillec+33 (0)661 489 501- [email protected] : Bruno Fitoussi

DESIGN

www.mayapress.netArtistic Director: Sébastien Martorell - [email protected] - Layout: Jennifer Bouvard, Cécile Chatelin, Laetitia Rossi - Print: EUROprintCZ s.r.o.

6036

62

PK52UE_N1_CS5.5.indd 7 11/08/11 12:36

PK52UE_N1_CS5.5.indd 8 11/08/11 13:20

PK52UE_N1_CS5.5.indd 9 11/08/11 13:20

PK52UE_N1_CS5.5.indd 10 11/08/11 13:20

POKER 52 auropa // SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2011 // ISSUE 1 11

Three years ago Bruno Fitoussi launched Poker52, France’s leading poker magazine. This autumn sees a new mark history as we venture into the world of international poker.This new publication, Poker52 Europa, will continue in the path of the prestigious Poker Europa, the title created by Nic Szeremeta, which has been a unique free poker magazine available in poker rooms and casinos across Europe since 1999. Poker52 Europa starts as a bimonthly publication produced by a brand new team of journalists, poker players and columnists built by Poker52.Poker52 Europa will also be in charge of the organization of the prestigious annual European Poker Awards in January 2012 in Paris. For over ten years now the EPA has put the spotlight on the best European pros and newcomers, as well as on the people involved in running the poker industry. We are sure that you will be thrilled by this upcoming event as ever. The award ceremony is a highlight in the poker year that no one wants to miss, especially because of its prestigious ceremony in the most luxurious Parisian venue and of the incredible field of players and poker VIPs who come every year. Last year, the ceremony hosted by the lovely Michelle Orpe recognized the achievements of great champions like Jake Cody, Tony G, James Bord and Liv Boeree. We truly believe this new venture will capture the attention of the poker world and we hope it will do the same for you.Best regards,

Bruno Fitoussi & Nic Szeremeta

OPEn lETTEr

Dear friends,

PK52UE_N1_CS5.5.indd 11 11/08/11 13:21


With 14 bracelets claimed during the World Series of Poker this season, Europe has already crushed its 2009 records, and has proved the continent is great at poker. The Germans (2007 and 2008), then English (2009 and 2010) supremacy over the continent was overthrown this year by the wonderful runs of French players, who managed to give their country the best results it has ever had during the Series, and the first place in the European countries 2011 overall ranking. Bertrand Grospellier ($10,000 Seven Card Stud), Elie Payan ($1,500 Pot Limit Omaha), Fabrice Soulier ($10,000 H.O.R.S.E.) and Antonin Teisseire ($5,000 Triple Chance) took down their first bracelet in some of the most strenuous events of the Series. Three countries are sharing the second place of this 2011 ranking: England (Jake Cody, $25,000 Heads Up; Matt Perrins, $1,500 2-7 Triple Draw Lowball; and Darren Woods, $2,500 NL Six-Handed), Ukraine (Eugene Katchalov, $1,500 Seven Card Stud; Oleksii Kovalchul, $2,500 NL Six-Handed; and Arkady Tsinis, $1,500 NL), and Russia (Viacheslav Zhukov, $10,000 Omaha Hi-Low Split 8; Mikhail Lakhitov, $2,500

NL; and Maxim Lykov, $1,000 NL), while Alexander Anter ($1,500 NL) gave one bracelet to Sweden. Thanks to their first victories in the WSOP, Bertrand Grospellier and Jake Cody managed to enter in the small Triple Crown Club alongside with Roland De Wolfe and Gavin Griffin (after their victories in EPT and WPT) and confirmed that they are two of the best poker players of the world. In cash results, Jake Cody reached the first place of the European players with a massive prize of $851,192, closely followed by Antonin Teisseire ($825,604) and Alexander Anter ($777,928).This great European season of 2011 World Series of Poker is not finished yet, because no less than five European players managed to enter the Final Table of the $10,000 Main Event: the Czech chip leader Martin Staszko, the Irish Eoghan O’Dea, the German Pius Heinz, the Ukrainian Anton Makievskyi and the English Samuel Holden. We will have to wait until November to know if one of them reaches the top, succeeding to the Dane Peter Eastgate, the latest European to win the Main Event, in 2009.

a wOnDErful haRvest foR euRopean playeRs

// wOrlD SErIES Of POKEr 2011

// SPaIn

Try to defeat the best Spanish poker players in their own battlefield! The PokerStars Estrellas Poker Tour, the most important Spanish live poker tour, will close its second season in the fancy “Casino de Ibiza”, from the 21st to the 25th of September, after five stops in the biggest casinos of the kingdom (Madrid, Malaga, Alicante, San Sebastian and Barcelona, during the EPT). As well as awarding the winner of each €910 + €90 Main Event with a

huge cash prize, this Series will crown the best player in Spain, with a point leaderboard, headed so far by Alvaro Santamaria. The best players of the leaderboard will be awarded with a €1,750 package for the Estrellas Poker Tour Season 3, which includes the buy-in for the Main Event, accommodation and transport.

So far, the winners of the first stops are Alejandro Piñeiro (€75,800) in Alicante, Antonio Dieguez Rodriguez (€81,500) in Malaga and Ricardo Escobar (€103,503) in Madrid, where

the field of 498 participants generated a big prize pool of €435,054.

The 3-Day €910 + €90 Main Event will kick off on the 21st of September in the “Casino de Ibiza”, and the players will receive a 15,000 chips starting stack, for a 60 minutes levels structure. The Spanish members of the PokerStars Team Pro, Juan Manuel Pastor and Juan Maceiras will be the hosts of the tournament. The side events schedule will be announced soon, so keep an eye on the EPT’s official website, at

www.estrellaspokertour.com

POKErSTarS ESTrEllaS POkER TOUR SEASOn 2

nEwS

PK52UE_N1_CS5.5.indd 12 11/08/11 13:21

luca PaGanO,THE kInG OF SAn REMO

Luca Pagano, one of the nicest European players in the international poker scene and a member of the PokerStars Team Pro Italy, this August got his fi rst victory in his native country, cashing €210,000 for his performance at the Italian Poker Tour stop of SanRemo, a €2,200 no Limit Hold’em event. Overcoming a fi eld of 426 players, who generated a €826,440 total prize pool. The Italian player managed to defeat the Romanian Dan Muratiu after a three hours heads-up struggle. The runner-up, who won the 2010 Unibet Open in Varna, Bulgaria, left SanRemo with a €131,000 cash prize.

This is the second biggest cash win for Luca Pagano, right behind his sixth place at the EPT Monte Carlo in 2008, for €330,000, but, above all, this is the fi rst victory that the 33 year-old player earnt since his title in nova Gorica All Stars of Poker event in May 2010, where he cashed €200,000. Luca Pagano, who managed to cash eighteen times in the EPT circuit (with six Final Table), thus joins Liv Boeree and Jason Mercier in the Casino San Remo’s major events winners list,

and his carrier total profi ts reach now €1.8 million. SanRemo was the third stop of the Italian Poker Tour Season 3, after Malta in May (won by Marco Figuccia for €82,000, its second victory in IPT after its title in nova Gorica in 2009), and Campione in June (bested by Domenico Cordi for CHF230,000). The next events will be held in the Perla Casino of nova Gorica, 1st - 5th September, before the Final Event in Casino di Campione, 24th-28th november.

// ITalIan POKEr TOur SEaSOn 3

IPT San rEmO fInal TaBlE PayOuTS

1. Luca Pagano : €210,0002. Dan Morariu : €131,0003. Matteo Fratello : €82,0004. Enzo Tommasone : €62,0005. Giovanni Bigoni : €41,3006. Matyas Poloch : €33,0007. Vitaliy Minakov : €24,7008. Andrea Ventura :€16,5009. Luigi Torquato : €12,400

With a guaranteed prize pool of €250,000 Dublin will be the eighth stop of the UKIPT before the grand finale at EPT London. The five-day event will feature a €500 + €60 (£437/$704 +£52.50/$84.50) buy-in main event with a 700-player capacity on the 8th of September, and a large range of satellites from the 7th to the 12th of September, like the 1,500 NL High Roller with a buy-in of €1,500 + €120, or the 300 NL (€300 + €30).

Last year, the main event drew 590 players to the Irish capital, smashing the event’s €250,000 guarantee. And surprise, though team PokerStars Pros Vanessa Rousso, Jude Ainsworth, Julian Thew and JP Kelly were among the hopefuls in attendance, it’s online pro Max Silver who has taken the first place prize. Silver had actually qualified for the €560 UKIPT Dublin via an $11+ rebuy tournament at PokerStars. Ronan Gilligan was the

runner-up and took home €43,400, while Silver secured a prestigious UKIPT title, as well as the €72,000 top place prize.The second edition of the Irish Fi-nal will take place at the Ballsbridge Inn. To stick to the Irish tradition, the event will feature a warm Irish welcome party and nightly enter-tainment. UKIPT Dublin is going, once more this year, to be a high-level poker event, as well as a great fun experience!

POKERSTARS UNITED KINGDOM & IrElanD POKEr TOur

// uKIPT DuBlIn


PK52UE_N1_CS5.5.indd 13 11/08/11 13:21


nEwS

17 - 24 SEPTEmBErA nEW STOP In EUROPE FOR WPT SEASOn 10

It’s the biggest milestone ever in Maltese Poker History: for the fi rst time this year, the World Poker Tour will make a stop in the gorgeous Mediterranean archipelago. The huge poker circuit just keeps getting bigger for its tenth season: Malta is one of the three newest European tournaments added to the World Tour, along with Slovenia and Czech Republic. Strategically located in the crystal clear waters of the Mediterranean Sea, between Italy and Tunisia, and conveniently being an English-speaking country, Malta will be able to welcome international players in great conditions. With poker still growing in popularity in the archipelago and it’s closest neighbour, Italy, no doubt the WPT Malta is going to be packed!From the 17th to the 24th of September, the scenic Portomaso Casino in St. Julians will be the hottest place in this small subtropical paradise. The elegant complex is an integral part of the unique marina located on the main island’s north-eastern coast and

it is the biggest facility dedicated to gambling in the country. During this ultimate poker week it will host six satellite events, all of them with a €300 + €30 buy-in, and a €3,000 + €300 buy-in Main Event starting on the 20th.With a slightly smaller buy-in, the Maltese events are in reach of the bankroll of more players than most tournaments of the prestigious World Poker Tour series. Besides, during the month of August, there will be a wide range of qualifi ers that will be organized to get into the satellites, starting from as little as €1. Therefore, there will be plenty of value to be had there, with a crowd of amateurs giving big buy-in tournaments a whirl for the fi rst time, as well as plenty of online qualifi ers in the fi eld. Bringing together fi rst-comers and some of the biggest players in the Poker World, the Malta WPT is going to be a great opportunity to achieve a breakthrough in a major worldly series. But beware of the card sharks, as world champions will be there too!

// wOrlD POKEr TOur malTa

It’s been only six months since 24-year-old British pro Rupert Elder captured the EPT San Remo title on the Italian Riviera, and the popular tournament is already back on track! The prestigious event is breaking with tradition, being brought forward to an autumn slot. From the 21st to the 27th of October, the Casino San Remo will attract a huge field for the eighth time. San Remo is a beautiful and popular resort in Liguria, on Italy’s North West coast, close to the French border, the town, which has a population of

57,000, is celebrated for its mild climate and is often called the City of Flowers. Its colossal 1905 Liberty style-casino is a must-see. Elegant and luxurious, it has a delightful retro charm that will make you travel through time while playing the greatest European series. For four years in a row it has been the scene of one of the most exciting stops on the European Tour and has hosted the greatest players in the world, who are particularly fond of this precise event.In May 2011, season 7 was amazing: Elder bested a 988-strong field, beating Max Heinzelmann in heads-up to take the title and giant first prize of

€930,000, plus a stunning bracelet worth more than €16,000 from the EPT’s Official Bracelet Sponsor, Shamballa Jewels. Players from 57 countries were competing, creating a giant prize pool of €4,786,950. With poker’s popularity growing in European markets, Season 8 promises to be the biggest yet, and the legendary EPT stop in San Remo will be one of its highlights. With a €4,600 + €300 Main Event and a large range of side events, EPT San Remo is also the final of the PokerStars.it Italian Poker Tour. More information and a complete schedule will be posted on the official EPT website soon.

POKErSTarS.cOm euRopean pokeR touR san ReMo

// ITaly

PK52UE_N1_CS5.5.indd 14 11/08/11 13:21


POKErSTarS.cOm euRopean pokeR touR lonDonRight after the first two stops of the eighth season of the European Poker Tour in Tallinn and Barcelona in August, and just before the Italian stop of San Remo in late October, London will host the world’s richest poker tour from the 30th of September to the 6th of October, in its two splendid locations of Edgware Road, the Hilton London Metropole and the Grosvenor Victoria Casino. no less than 32 events will be provided this year, in all kinds of games and in a large range of buy-ins, from a £100 + £20 no Limit Hyper Turbo event or a £300 + £30 nL Turbo Rivers (where each player receives their own River card) to the two stupendous High Roller events, a £10,000 + £300 nL Turbo “6 Max” event, and a £20,000 + £500 “8 Max” 3-Day event. This year again, all kinds of games will be organized, like a £500 + £50 5 Card PLO 8 or Better event, a 2-Day £5,000 + £250 nL Heads Up event, the 2-Day £2,000 + £150 European

8 Game Championships, a £2,000 + £150 no Limit Hold’em event, and a £2,000 + £150 Pot Limit Omaha event. The 6-Day £5,000 + £250 Main Event will kick off on the 30th of September, and the broadcasted Final Table will be held on the 6th of October. The members of the PokerStars Team Pro will all be there (Chris Moneymaker, Daniel negreanu, Joe Hacem, Vanessa Rousso, Bertrand Grospellier, Arnaud Mattern, Joe Cada, Viktor Blom, Jason Mercier, Jonathan Duhamel, Luca Pagano, Barry Greenstein and Dario Minieri) alongside the best poker players of the world, playing their A Game trying to succeed the 2010 Main Event winner, Scottish David Vamplew, who leave London with a huge £900,000 cash prize. Last year 848 players generated a massive prize pool of £4,112,800 for 128 payouts and the tournament directors are waiting for an even bigger field this September, with a 1,000 seat capacity. The London stop of the

European Poker Tour will also host the Grand Final of the PokerStars.com United kingdom & Ireland Poker Tour, with a £300+ £30 Super Turbo £25,000 Guaranteed tournament.

// EnGlanD

Since January, the European Master of Poker Season 3 is traveling around Europe to offer a series of high quality tournaments for a very reasonable buy-in. Organized by the Finnish poker company Entraction Network (which provides satellites online every month), the EMOP already stopped this year in Gran Canaria, Lisbon, Sunny Beach (Bulgaria) and Dublin for some successful tournaments: The Norwegian Stefan Hansen took down €34,160 in Canary Islands, the Finnish Jukka Koskela triumphed

over 308 participants in Portugal for €72,615, the Romanian player Abdul Atila Seiar defeated 276 opponents in Bulgaria for €65,100, and the Danish Søren Larsen received a €71,210cash prize for his achievement in the Irish capital.The last stop before the €1,500 + €150 EMOP Final Event in the Casino di Venezia in Malta this November (date and schedule will be announced soon), will be held in the Gran Casino Barcelona from 29th of September to 2nd of October, where the 3-Day €1,000 + €100 No

Limit Hold’em event will attract local players, online qualifiers, as well as Scandinavian players, who make up the largest part of the field: last year in Barcelona, the Swedish Anton Wigg managed to overcome 398 players for €55,502, and six Scandinavian players (five Swedish and one Finnish) reached the Final Table. The series will also host some NL and PLO side events, with buy-ins ranged between €150 and €450. You can find all the information atwww.europeanmasterofpoker.com

BarcElOna EurOPEan MasteR of pokeR

// SPaIn

PK52UE_N1_CS5.5.indd 15 11/08/11 13:21


a DeepstaCk event in DuBlinwInamax POKEr OPEn

The french leading online poker room Winamax organizes a new edition of his Winamax Poker Open, a 550€ 6-handed Deepstack tournament, which will be held from Sept. 22nd to 25th, in Dublin. Its fi rst edition, last year, had gathered more than 300 players, and with its brand new re-entry concept, one can expect a very big prizepool : players who get busted on Day 1A have now the possibility to register on Day 1B for a second chance! Two more side-events will also take place (220€ nLHE and a 330€ nLHE 2-day tournament). A very good pick for those of us who don’t have the bankroll to play bigger events, but who are still delighted by very good structure and 6-handed action.

// IrElanD

After the Merit Summer Classic in August, its $1,000,000 guaranteed summer series, the Merit Poker Club will organize another big prize pool event this autumn in Cyprus. The MPS Cyprus will kick off on the 26th of September for a seven-day event full of great satellites, such as a NL Hold’em Bounty KO Freeze Out on the second day, with a buy-in of $1,000 + $100 ($200 Each KO), a Mix Event Omaha & Hold’em W/R&A on day 3 with a buy-in of $500 + $50 (1 rebuy & 1 Add-on), a NL– Hold’em 2 day event (Deep Stack) on day 4, with a $1,500 + $150 buy-in, and a $1,000 + $100 buy-in NL Hold’em Heads Up (32 max).On the 1st of October, the Main Event will start, with a $300,000 guaranteed prize pool, a $2,500 + $250 buy-in giving you a starting stack of 20,000 chips. Attracting players from Eastern and Western Europe and Turkey, this series is the opportunity to challenge them and the local poker stars in the idyllically located Merit Crystal Cove. Ho.tel & Casino, and maybe bring home one of the big prizes.

mErIT POKEr SErIESfall open ‘11

// mErIT POKEr SErIES cyPruS

For its second season, the Russian Poker Series continues to travel around Eastern Europe, mostly between the Latvian capital of Riga, and Kiev, the main city of Ukraine. The Royal Casino Spa & Hotel Resort of Riga hosted the Latvian leg of the series in May 2011, and its €2,000 Main Event attracted 121 participants, mostly from Latvia and Russia, creating a €217,134 prize pool. Sergey Ilin bested his opponents, cashing a €65,234 first prize, and the runner-up, Siarhei Piliuhin, came back home with €43,400. The Kreschatyk Poker Club in Kiev

is also a main venue for the series, with no less than three stops planned this season. 265 players joined the tables in May for the $3,000 Main Event and its massive prize pool of $706,887, and Tevosov Garry won the title, for $180,087. In July, 383 participants entered the $600 Main Event for a $203,797 prize pool, and Vladislav Tonkih took down the $35,547 first place prize.From the 2nd until the 11th of September, the RPS will stop once again in Kiev, for three big events, with many other side events, for a total of 26 tournaments.

On the 3rd of September, the $600 3-Day Ukrainian League Event will kick off, followed by the $2,500 Main Event, from the 7th until the 10th of September, with a $600,000 guaranteed prize pool. The 9th, a 3-Day $1,100 Grand Special Day Event will be launched, with at least $200,000.The next tournament series of the RPS will take place for the first time at the the Casino Portomasso in Malta, on the 10th to the 16th of October where a €2,000 4-Day Main Event will be organized from the 12th of October.

ruSSIan POKEr SErIES Of KIEv& ukRainian leaGue 2

// uKraInE

nEwS

PK52UE_N1_CS5.5.indd 16 11/08/11 13:21

PK52UE_N1_CS5.5.indd 17 11/08/11 13:21

PK52UE_N1_CS5.5.indd 18 11/08/11 13:21

PK52UE_N1_CS5.5.indd 19 11/08/11 13:21

“Get to the point” is the new advertising slogan for the Luxor hotel-casino, but what exactly is “the point”?

laS VEGaSMUTaTIS MUTaNDIS

VICTOrIa COrEN

Is it me, or is there something strange about that? “Get to the point”? What does it mean? I stared at it for some time, looking for a dice pun. “The point” is a dice term, but the people in the picture aren’t playing dice. They’re drinking and flirting, rubbing up against each other. Is the advert saying: don’t waste time, hurry straight to the Luxor bar to get drunk and get off with strangers, because that’s the point of Las Vegas? How weird that it isn’t a pun. It looks like it should be a pun.

It confused me a great deal. I’ll leave you to think about it.

Speaking of the point of Las Vegas - or of travelling at all - here’s something that makes me frustrated. The following people have taken the “Eiffel Tower ride” at the Paris hotel: a lift that takes you up to the top of the Paris’s fake Eiffel Tower (a lot shorter than the real Eiffel Tower, but still pretty tall) to have a look at

the magnificent view. Quite the experience. You can see the whole of Las Vegas, from all angles, including a birds-eye perspective on the famous

Bellagio fountains.

Come on people! Put the camera down and look! What kind of film do you think you’ll have when you get home anyway? What kind of photographs? You’ll have a small, square frame of an astonishing view that you never saw with your own eyes! Because you’re not actually seeing it. You’re too busy creating a bad, blurry, picture of Las Vegas that’s been taken a million times before, by a real photographer who will make it look much better than you ever could, and is all over the internet anyway. Just search it on google people!

Don’t waste your time, just experience the moment! Just stand there and look at the view, and then remember it! The vision in front of you is real! Why do you think it will only become real when you look at

it on screen later? Stop being so bloody 21st Century!

Here’s one lady making the most of the view from the top of the Eiffel Tower

CH

RO

NIC

LE V

ICT

OR

IA C

OR

EN

The Luxor advert that greets you at the arrival hall of McCarran Airport


PK52UE_N1_CS5.5.indd 20 12/08/11 14:40

Sorry. I got cross for a moment there. Let’s all calm down and with a nice cheering image of a man relaxing and enjoying the spectacular night-time late show at the Parasol bar. Imagine he is there he is with his wife, having a romantic time; they’re entwined together as a couple, sharing an experience, nothing but the here and now - themselves, the night, the show - absolutely in the moment.

******

Another thing that made me sad this trip, was going to visit my old haunts from the Once More, With Feeling days: Excalibur and The Luxor. My friend Charlie and I stayed at Excalibur because we loved its “Olde English” ethos, so reminiscent of our homeland. Plastic castles, village greens, King Arthur, Robin Hood and Harry Potter, all jumbled up together in a joyful explosion of themed restaurants, gaming tables and live shows.

But this time, it was all gone. No more jesters in the foyer. No ladies in Medieval hats playing Greensleeves on the double bass. Just another boring old casino with brown carpet.

I was relieved to see a signpost to the old Sherwood Forest Café, where we wrote our terrible porn script, but it seemed to lead only to some shabby-looking blackjack tables.

“Sherwood’s gone”, sadly expressed an elderly croupier. “Ain’t nothing left now but the sign.”

Next door at the Luxor it was even worse. It was the home of our favourite ancient Egyptian motion sensor ride (“Strap yourselves in and shake, rattle and roll back to ancient days!”). We were fascinated by one of the characters on that ride, most especially his name: Reginald Osiris. To the creators of the ride, the 1920s English name “Reginald” was of roughly the same antiquity as the 4000-year-old god Osiris, ie. the past. We loved that concept so much; we named a character in our own film after him.

“New management”, said an elderly receptionist sadly. “They sold off all the artefacts to a museum. They were some genuine artefacts.”

But WHY? Why are the new management so ashamed of the lovely old themed days of Vegas? The Venetian (one of the snazzier new hotel-casinos at the other end of the Strip – a perfect recreation of Venice, with less decay and more slot machines) is a sign of how the joy of theme can be reinvented with a loving touch. What’s wrong with that?

If The Luxor wants to erase all memory of its thematic past, I think it has a bit of a design problem. Yeah. That’s the outside. Ain’t nothing they can do about that, short of knocking it down and starting all over again.

Of course, they could knock it down and start all over again - happens here all the time. But they didn’t. They decided to leave the core structure as it was, just rip out everything “Egyptian” from the inside. What does that leave? A pyramid with some slots and a Starbucks inside. What is that? It’s not anything.

Think back to the advert at the top, the advert for The Luxor that new arrivals see at the airport. Did you get it? Maybe you got it immediately and you’re smarter than I am. But I only got it earlier tonight, planning this blog. And I saw the advert three weeks ago.

“Get to the point”... of course it’s a pun! It’s a pun on the fact that the Luxor has a pointy top! That’s all the “new management” are left with. Their building is not exciting to them because it’s a pyramid, or because it’s Egyptian, or because it’s in any way themed. It’s just…. pointy.

Gah, I’ve got annoyed again, thinking about the bad management decisions of the Luxor’s new owners. So here’s a last cheering image - properly cheering this time.

I was having another walk down Fremont Street, and… why, who’s this cool cat? He’s been in Vegas since years before I got here. He loves it even more than I do. He loves poker even more than I do. His autobiographical novel, one of my favourite books of all time, describes how the hero (“Mickey Dane”) wears quirky holiday clothes and crazy sunglasses to get action at the tables. I’ll leave you to work this one out on your own.

It’s just good to know that some things never change.

But the ride is gone. The Nile is gone. The display of ancient Egyptian artefacts is gone. The lobby now looks like this


PK52UE_N1_CS5.5.indd 21 12/08/11 14:40


InTErvIEw

ElKySIcK haT-TrIcK!

PK52UE_N1_CS5.5.indd 22 11/08/11 13:21


Do not tell to Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier that his WSOP 2011 “Triple Crown” was somehow “predictable”. The man has lived so many lives that nothing at all can be predicted in his career… Previously a videogame pro, he has experienced the roller-coaster of fame whilst he was still in his teen years, when crowds of south-korean girls and boys went, screaming, to stadiums to see this “genius from Europe” defeating the local champions at Starcraft.

Interview by Jérôme Schmidt / photos : Jules Pochy

SSince then, he and his friend Guillaume Patry, have made the switch to poker, with different results. One quiet night in the suburbs of Nancy, a small town in eastern France, ElkY deposited some money on PokerStars. A few months later he became the first Elite Supernova player of the online poker site and played the highest limits at sitn’gos and tournaments. He now has become one of the most respected young guns of the circuit, having won the most prestigious tournament s (bo th Poker s t a r s Carribean Adventure’s Main Event and the following yeat, the High-Roller),

as well as one WPT Title. Add to that numerous local tournaments (such as Barrière Poker Tour Lille, in 2010) and appearances in TV cash-games (High Stakes Poker, The Big Game, etc.) and you’ll get a pretty clear picture of why ElkY is now a superstar, an “E.T.” in the poker world. But there remained one last thing to do for this genius: to wear a WSOP bracelet. Even if he has not had great sucess in previous WSOPs (too many cash-games, too many nights spent at the Spearmint Rhino, his “second home” as he used to joke), he arrived this summer 2011 in Vegas in a different state of mind:

he did not have to do it, he will just do it. And his fans did not have to wait very long for this momentum, ElkY grabbed one of the most prestigious bracelets of the Series, in the Stud-Hi Championship, after a crazy heads-up where he crushed his opponent who made huge mistakes under ElkY’s pressure. The joy on Bertrand’s face, the day of the bracelet ceremony, was a real treat for the French poker community who did not know yet that they’d have a fantastic summer, taking down three more bracelets before the curtain finally fell…

PK52UE_N1_CS5.5.indd 23 11/08/11 13:22


Why did you decide to register at the stud Championship — you joked that you “barely knowing the rules of the game”…

For the 2011 WSOP, I wanted to play the most diverse competitions, not to lose myself in the boredom of too many No Limit Hold’Em tournaments. The non-NLHE tourneys have much smaller fields and it’s easier to have an edge. I had almost never played Stud, except in some online tournaments. I know that I can have a good edge on this type of poker, because the players have to remember a lot of information and the live-analysis is pretty central as well. You can play Stud almost “mechanically” if you know all the odds and figures involved. First, I played very solid, and it went well and I tried some more aggressive plays once we were in the money. It was a thrilling experience as I did not know, for example, the heads-up play for Stud: I just never ever played heads-up before in this type of poker! [laughs] You just know one card of your opponent for the first bet, and it’s hard to gather any good information. My opponent was a Stud specialist but he was not used to final table’s pressure, unlike me. The pressure was too big for him and he made some crazy mistakes —otherwise, I’m afraid that he could have crushed me easily.

has there been any key-moments during the final table?

Well, you know, the subject has been hotly discussed online, but it’s true that at one moment, I was almost all-in before the bring-in, and he had twenty-five time more chips than me. He just had to pay the bring-in and I was all-in… Instead, he preferred to fold,

despite the antes, which were so high. That was a clear huge mathematical mistake. At that moment, I was pretty sure I was about to bust, but I remained focused and what I’ve been waiting for five years became reality at last!

What was different in this series for you?

I was really physically and mentally at the top of my game. I’ve trained myself so hard in the previous months and I felt like my A-game was back, especially after I cashed well in my EPT Madrid side-events. In 2009 and 2010 I had played too many No Limit Hold’Em events, and Lady Luck rewarded me for my good decisions…

now that you have your triple Crown, what are your poker dreams?

There are some many tournaments I want to win! [laughs] Like WSOP Main Event, or another EPT title… I’d also like to win big in Asia, because I know that Asia will be the next big thing in the poker world.

Will you still play some local tournaments in france? When you had won Bpt lille last year, you were almost as happy as you were after your pCa win for example!

In fact, winning in my own country was somewhat special. I have already made numerous final tables over the past few years, at the Aviation Club de France for example, but have never succeeded in winning one. In Lille, it was really different because I was pretty sure I would win it concidering my huge chiplead. Moreover, the city is located in the northern part of France, not that far from my hometown, so it was a special pleasure for me.

how do you organize your poker life?

I make a really tight schedule with my friend Jacques Zaïcik, who has helped me so much in organizing my life as a poker pro. It’s so new to me, as I used to live “carpe diem”! I have a coach as well in PokerStars and I’m lucky enough to be part of Team Lagardère, which is a top-notch sports team launched by one of France’s most powerful businessmen. This autumn, I’ll be part of the Epic Poker League, of course I’ll play most EPTs, will stop at the WSOP Europe in Cannes, and will try to be there for WPT Grand Prix de Paris and the PTT. There are tournaments every day in the world, and one has to focus on the game only, not on the schedule and organization… Personnaly, I prefer the EPTs, because I think they have the best structures in the world and PokerStars works hard to make it even better every season. Playing mostly European tournaments is less tiring than traveling overseas all the time but it’s still pretty challenging… Tournament organisers now have to pick their dates very carefully because there can be some interferences and some fields become really small only because its Day 1 is organized on the same day of another tournament’s Day 1.

What is your favorite ept stop?I’d logically say PCA, even if it’s not that much an EPT! At least, it’s not in Europe… But it’s where I’ve made my biggest cashes and I think this tournament really thrust me to another status in the poker world. Otherwise, I really used to love EPT Grand Final when it was in Monte Carlo. I will always have a good experience at EPT Deauville, because of all my French friends who gather there. I think EPT

InTErvIEw

I prefer the EPTs, because I think they have the best structures in the world

PK52UE_N1_CS5.5.indd 24 11/08/11 13:22


PK52UE_N1_CS5.5.indd 25 11/08/11 13:22


InTErvIEw

PK52UE_N1_CS5.5.indd 26 11/08/11 13:22


Snowfest was a good addition to the schedule because it really is so unique.

has the french regulation change anything in your life as a poker pro?

I’m really happy to be involved in the daily life of Pokerstars.fr, and to be its ambassador. PokerStars has always been a big family, where Team Pros are listened to. Our advice is important, and the tournaments organised by the sponsors have bigger and bigger prizepools. This law in France shows that poker is not just something fashionable which will disappear soon, it is deeply rooted in the people, which I’m happy about! But now the cash-games though, are not big in online France, because there are only French players, and so there are not that many high-rollers but I’m pretty sure it will evolve in the coming months…

you played last season of high stakes poker… how did you feel to play with the “big boys”?

I ’ve played in two very different shows last year: The Big Game, by PokerStars, and High Stakes Poker. I think the previous one is the coolest shown because of the “loose cannon” concept: you have better edge on the player, whereas in High Stakes Poker, it’s almost impossible to have a sucker at the table — except when there are billionaires who come here just for fun! [laughs]. The Big Game is played short-handed and you have more spots as well; in High Stakes Poker, the table is full, the limits are higher, and played as No Limit…. My table was really hard: Daniel Negreanu, Phil Ivey, Doyle Brunson, Eli Elezra, Phil Galfond, Tom Dwan, Mike Matusow, David Benyamine… No a lot of dead

money, right? [laughs]. I felt almost immediately at ease, and I played somehow looser than usual at those stakes.

Where do you play cash-game when you’re in las vegas?

I really try to focus on the tournament scene when I’m in Las Vegas. The problem is that during the World Series or the WPTs, there is so much large action that I want to sit down at the table and never stand up! I like the Wynn mostly, where I can play like 36-hours sessions. But I’m a sponsored player and I try to avoid being too tired when entering a tournament. Tournement poker is more like a challenge to me: being the last guy standing, getting the bracelet , it’s such a thrill! If one day — knock on wood —, I lose my sponsorship, I’ll surely get back to the cash-game scene which is the bread and butter of any grinder. Cash-game is really more difficult, because there is more meta-game involved…

Is pCa 2008 still the highlight of your career despite your Wsop bracelet?

That day, I became a millionaire. It’s a pretty nice feeling, no? [laughs]. Afterwards, the poker community did not look at me with the same eyes. It was also the beginning of a long rush: I was just unbeatable! I really did not think it would ever stop! [laughs] But it happened, though I really cannot complain about my luck in tournaments… I spent almost a year not winning, until late 2010, and the “machine” came back into full force in 2011, with wins at EPT Madrid, and finally, this WSOP bracelet and a second final table just after. I must

say the Triple Crown is really amazing because people now say I’m part of history.

you play almost all the high-roller tournaments — do you think that in the near future, there will be two or three leagues of poker tournaments?

There is a small but somehow active scene for the highroller tournaments. I still think that the 3k-5k tournaments are still the most interesting because they gather many more players and thus create really large prizepools. I don’t know that many players who can afford a 10k or 20k buy-in. At the PCA, there was even a super-high-roller, because there is more money in the pocket of high-stakers online young guns. Despite the buy-ins, though, most of the high-roller tournaments must be played like turbo sit’n’gos! Not really deepstack… WSOP have also announced a $1 million buy-in tournament for 2012, thanks to Guy Laliberté and his charity. We’ll have to wait and see if and how it’ll take place!

Do you think that one day you’ll go back to your first love of video games?

It’s very difficult now because it really takes a lot of time to come back to my A-game in Starcraft. While I’ve been playing poker, all the asian players have practiced gaming every day so I think I’ll need some heavy catch-up before making any come-back. To be honest, videogames are not that different from poker: it’s a game of information, strategy, bluff and counter-strategy. After the WSOP I have a new challenge: competing with Thai boxers and I’ll be spending most of my summer in a training camp there!

Cash-game is really more difficult, because there is more meta- game involved.

PK52UE_N1_CS5.5.indd 27 11/08/11 13:22


InTErvIEw

PK52UE_N1_CS5.5.indd 28 11/08/11 13:22


2007

23 nov$2,500 aPPT main Event - no limit hold’emAPPT Macau, Macau

5th $48,576

11 Jun$2,500 no limit hold’em38th World Series of Poker (WSOP) 2007, Las Vegas

9th $29,124

17 JanDKK37,500 EPTno limit hold’emScandinavian Open, Copenhagen

2nd $399,953

2006

7 oct€5,000 - no limit hold’emEPT - The Big Double 2006, Baden

16th $15,976

1 Jul$2,000 no limit hold’em37th World Series of Poker (WSOP) 2006, Las Vegas

37th $10,478

2005

19 feb€500 no limit hold’emThe French Open, Deauville

9th $2,591

2008 tournament Result earnings

20 oct$15,000 wPT championship6th Annual Festa Al Lago Classic, Las Vegas

1st $1,411,015

13 oct$2,500 no limit hold’em6th Annual Festa Al Lago Classic, Las Vegas

2nd $155,870

15 May€10,000 Grand Prix De Parisno limit hold’emRendez Vous A Paris 2008, Paris

5th $122,468

15 apr

€10,000 Stars of Pokerno limit hold’em Entry restrictedEPT Grand Final, Monte Carlo

4th $-

13 Mar$2,000 no Limit Hold’emThe Wynn Classic, Las Vegas

5th $11,097

5 Jan

$7,800 PokerStars caribbean adventurePokerStars Caribbean Adventure, nassau

1st $2,000,000

PrIzE lIST

2010

9 Dec€3,000 no limit hold’emmain EventTrophees Haussmann, Paris

1st $147,000

oct€1,500 no limit hold’emBarriere Poker Tour, Lille

1st $63,227

24 apr€5,000 no limit hold’emheads upEPT Grand Final, Monte Carlo

2nd $79,876

2009

27 nov

€10,000 no limit hold’em - Team Event2009 Belgium Open Poker Championships, namur

1st $16,744

18 apr

$25,000 no limit hold’emchampionship EventSeventh Annual Five Star World Poker Classic, Las Vegas

3rd $3776,245

6 Mar$20,000 no limit hold’emnBC national Heads-Up Championship 2009, Las Vegas

3rd $125,000

2 Mar$500 no limit hold’emThe Wynn Classic , Las Vegas

2nd $25,414

23 Jan€20,000 no limit hold'emhigh rollers EventEPT - Deauville, Deauville

3rd $101,839

7 Jan

$24,500 no limit hold’emhigh roller EventPokerStars Caribbean Adventure, Paradise Island

1st $433,500

2011 tournament Result earnings

27 Jun

$10,000 no limit hold’emSix handed championship42nd World Series of Poker (WSOP) 2011, Las Vegas

3rd $447,074

12 Jun

$10,000 Seven card Stud championship42nd World Series of Poker (WSOP) 2011, Las Vegas

1st $331,639

12 May€10,000 no limit hold’emhigh roller TurboEPT Grand Final, Madrid

1st $227,087

5 May€25,000 no limit hold’em high roller EventEPT Grand Final, Madrid

1st $779,221

27 feb$25,100 high roller Event2011 L.A. Poker Classic, Los Angeles

3rd $146,055

The French Open, Deauville

Total earnings (career) : $8,437,747

Total des gains en 2011 : $2,087,762

PK52UE_N1_CS5.5.indd 29 11/08/11 13:22

PK52UE_N1_CS5.5.indd 30 11/08/11 13:22

PK52UE_N1_CS5.5.indd 31 11/08/11 13:23

TONY G.

CH

RO

NIC

LE T

ON

Y G

In all seriousness I would like to congratulate France on their bracelet success and ElkY deserves to join the Triple Crown club. I also watched with huge interest the run of

my old friend, Mr Guillaume Darcourt, in the Main Event. It is a shame he didn’t go further and

I loved the pink hair, who does he think he is, the Pink Panther? I liked the fact

that he stood out and he deserved all the exposure he got for himself and

his sponsors at PMU. I just had this funny feeling inside that he could go all the way to the November Nine but I was proved to be wrong. I’m sure the producers wanted him to go all the way.

That gave me a thought , perhaps for September’s WPT Grand Prix de Paris, France’s finest can all dye their hair. Maybe Guillaume can have a tricolour, Bruno Fitoussi

frOm ParIS wITh lOvE

Didn’t the French do well at the WSOP? Some of you will say that I should put my words on a plate an eat them!

After all, here was French players within world-class line-ups owning tables, succeeding and flying the

flag. Perhaps there is a point but there is always going to be a minority of players who do well, you are a big country after all.

PK52UE_N1_CS5.5.indd 32 11/08/11 13:23

could go purple and Patrick Bruel could go red. Maybe ElkY could go yellow (hang on, isn’t he already!). Then we can all go on a date to Crazy Horse with the Royal Flush Girls. Sounds like a good idea to me. Maybe I could get the Lithuanian flag shaved on to the back of my head, not sure what my sponsors at PartyPoker.fr would think about that though.

I had lots of comments about not being at the Main Event this year, I had family to attend to and I am also learning ballroom dancing. Why am I doing that you might ask? I’m sure you can guess. All I can say is that I would be a better contestant than Phil Hellmuth.

As for Hellmuth, what can you say about him? Well done but it must have been a choker not to take down a bracelet in the end. He played great poker, showed true heart and commitment but am I going to put up with his showboating about it, no! Am I going to tolerate his tendency to believe he is god, no? Does he still need to keep up with the kids, yes. Poker needs it’s Hellmuths however, just like poker needs it Darcourts. People may

have laughed at Guillaume’s pink hair but he stood out, he was entertaining and if we want to grow this great game of ours this is so important. Yes poker is about skill, math and sharpness but to reach the mass audience, appearances and table talk is essential. Go the Pink Panther!

I look forward to seeing you all at the Aviation Club soon. I am going to be super charged by a new coffee I have found from South East Asia where they use a lemur, who eats only the finest coffee beans, puts it through its system, and produces the perfect cup (yes it is digested and comes out the other end). The French might like their coffee, but not as high class as this.

Am I going to tolerate Hellmuth’s tendency to believe he is God?


PK52UE_N1_CS5.5.indd 33 11/08/11 13:23


PK52UE_N1_CS5.5.indd 34 11/08/11 13:23


uPcOmInG TOurnamEnTS

PK52UE_N1_CS5.5.indd 35 11/08/11 13:23

TOurnamEnT

PK52UE_N1_CS5.5.indd 36 11/08/11 13:23


O

cannESThE nEw caPITal Of POKEr

WoRlD seRies of pokeR euRope

After being held in London for four years, the World Series of Poker Europe is moving to Cannes this autumn, from the 7th to the 20th of October. Seven gold bracelets will be awarded to the winners of this prestigious event, hosted by the Lucien Barrière Casino in its sumptuous seaside Hotel Majestic complex. Cannes will become the centre of the poker world, the place to be if you want a seat at the best international players’ tables.

By Julien Morello

“Our new venue in Cannes along with our new partnership with Barrière Poker will offer the best player experience we have ever had for WSOP Europe,” declares WSOP executive director Ty Stewart. Indeed since its inception in 2007, the event had been held at Caesars-owned casinos in London, but their capacity was reaching its limits. This year the new huge facilities in Cannes allows the WSOPE to greatly expand it’s capacity, with more than 80 poker tables, twice as many as in 2010. More contestants are expected for the bracelets awarded events of which there are seven, two more than the previous edition.

the perfect combination for the WsopeThis alliance of Lucien Barrière Casino, a well-run organization focusing on excellence, with Harrah’s, the world longest run-ning and richest poker brand, will provide the best quality ever proposed for this international event, directed by Jack Effel. US floor staff and French employees will work together, making the perfect conditions for the WSOPE.

Since 1951, Lucien Barrière has been the leader of the casino mar-ket in France and Switzerland, with 39 casinos, 17 luxury hotels, over 135 restaurants and bars, over 2,740 shows and events per year and over 7,300 employees. Establishments represented by the Lucien Barrière Hôtel & Casinos brand have developed a range of unrivalled high-quality leisure offers focusing on excellence, high quality service and French art de vivre, and it’s legendary facility in Cannes will be the perfect setting for two amazing weeks of poker. The first days of the tournaments will take place in the Hotel Majestic, one of the finest palaces on the French Riviera, and the following days will be organized in the Croisette Casino, located inside the mythical Palais des Festivals. Last but not least, players will receive special room rates for their stay in Cannes, as the Majestic and the Gray d’Albion Hotels have arranged pri-vileged rates for players.

the biggest Wsope ever“Players will find non-stop action throughout the two-week event”, says WSOP executive director Ty Stewart, with no less than eight stupendous events for the biggest WSOPE ever. The Six-Handed No Limit Hold’em event will kick off the tournament on Friday,

PK52UE_N1_CS5.5.indd 37 11/08/11 13:23


7th of October at 5pm, and feature a €2,500 + €180 buy-in and a 3-day structure. Other events include a €1,000 + €900 No Limit Hold’em event, a three-day €5,000 + €300 Pot Limit Omaha event, a €3,000 + €200 No Limit Hold’em Shootout event, a six-handed €1,500 + €120 Pot Limit Omaha event, and a €500 + €50 Ladies event.The most exciting new addition to the schedule is a unique Split Format event, especially designed for the high rollers. This special four-day event will play Day 1 as 9-handed, Day 2 as six-handed, Day 3 as Heads-Up and the final table will be contested heads up. It’s being dubbed as All-Around No Limit Hold’em Championship and will feature a €10,000 + €400 buy-in.The Series will conclude with the six-day €10,000 + €400 buy-in No Limit Hold’em Main Event, which will start on Saturday, 15th of October. The tournament directors are waiting for a huge field this year and the prize pool will surely break the 2007 record of £3,676,990.

Cannes, the poker stars’ rendezvousSince 2007, the world’s poker elite has been participating in the WSOPE. Some of the best players of the poker scene were awarded during this Series, like Annette Obrestad, Dario Alioto, John Juanda, Daniel Negreanu, Sorel Mizzi, Jason Mercier,

Howard Lederer, Phil Ivey, Jeff Lisandro, Jesper Hougaard, Barry Shulman, Praz Bansi, James Bord, Gus Hansen, John Racener or Men Nguyen, and you can be sure to find these poker stars in October, running for one of the seven WSOPE gold bracelets up for grabs.High-level action and luxurious settings will make the WSOPE more glamorous and exciting than ever before. Held for the first time on the sunny and warm seaside of the French Riviera, this two-week event will bring together the greatest players and the leading organizing brands in stunning décor, making Cannes the world capital of poker. Don’t miss this perfect poker vacation!

Players will find non-stop actionthroughoutthe two-week event

TOurnamEnT

lIST Of wInnErS2007 (field: 362 players) 1st Annette Obrestad £1,000,000

2d John Tabatabai £570,1503rd Matthew McCullough £381,910

2008 (field: 362 players)1st John Juanda £868,800

2d Stanislav Alekhin £533,9503rd Ivan Demidov £334,850

2009 (field: 334 players)

1st Barry Shulman £801,603

2d Daniel negreanu £495,589

3rd Praz Bansi £360,887

2010 (field: 346 players)

1st James Bord £830,401

2nd Fabrizio Baldassari £513,0493rd Ronald Lee £376,829

PK52UE_N1_CS5.5.indd 38 11/08/11 13:23


whErE TO STay? night lifeBar Galerie du Fouquet’s: Inside the Hôtel Majestic Barrière, this modern-chic bar is a clever combination of authentic luxury with a genuine lounge. Comfortably seating in tra-ditional arm-chairs or on high bar stools, you will be able to enjoy hot beverages, champagnes and a wide range of cock-tails. A must!9:00am – midnight (weekdays), 9:00am – 1:00am (Fridays & Saturdays)

Da Da Da: A hybrid club bridging cabaret, theatre, disco, mid-night movies and more, this nonconformist space is a trendy and attractive spot, terribly contemporary and offbeat. The perfect place to discover an irreverent, independent art scene on the Riviera.15 Rue Frères Pradignac9:30pm – 2:30am

RestaurantsLa Petite Maison de Nicole: La Petite Maison, in Nice, is the reference for Southern cuisine over the last 20 years. In April 2010, it has opened a brand new restaurant at the Hotel Majestic. Serving traditional local cuisine, it has already become all the international stars’ favorite address to feast on Provençal delicacies.€55-100 - 10 Boulevard de la Croisette

Chez Vincent & Nicolas: Crowded with young people, this friendly restaurant, close to the old port, is trendy and charming at the same time. Food here is modern with a French touch, like the foie gras hamburger or the raspberry millefeuille. You can seat in the stone-vaulted dining room or opt for the terrace, for a cosy, yet hip evening.€45-50 - 92 Rue Meynadier

hotelsHotel Majestic: Ideally located on the Croisette, facing the sea and the Palais des Festivals, the mythical Cannes palace has just been entirely renovated and refurbished, involving French designer Christian Dior. This 5 star hotel is one of the Leading Hotels of the World, and is renowned for its exquisite taste and refinement.Special rates for WSOPE participants.10 Boulevard de la Croisette

Hotel Gray d’Albion: This 4 star Lucien Barrière Hotel offers 191 rooms and 8 suites, decorated in a highly modern, contem-porary style, which combines comfort and attention to details. A few yards back from the sea, the Gray d’Albion is the perfect option if you are looking for some discretion.Special rates for WSOPE players.38 Rue des Serbes

the Barrière’s touchAlong with Barbara Martinez, Rémy Biechel, Pierre Canali, Bruno Beneviste and Adrien Allain, the members of the Team Pro BarrierePoker.fr, Roger Hairabedian will be the host of the Series. Best French poker player for two years in a row, “Big Roger” is the perfect ambassador for the WSOPE and Lucien Barrière Group. The field of the WSOPE Main Event will also include the best poker players of the seven qualification stops of the Barrière Poker Tour 2011 (Toulouse, Nice, Lille, Dinard, Enghien-les-Bains, Trouville and Bordeaux), who all received a €12.000 package for their performance.

PK52UE_N1_CS5.5.indd 39 11/08/11 13:23


TOurnamEnT

PK52UE_N1_CS5.5.indd 40 11/08/11 13:23


ThE ulTImaTE frEnch POKEr fESTIval

paRtouChe pokeR touR Main event in Cannes

For its fourth season, the E8,500 Partouche Poker Tour Main Event, hosted by the wonderful seaside Palm Beach Casino in Cannes, offers no less than a E4 million guaranteed prize pool, including at least E1 million for the winner of this week long tournament. International poker stars will crowd the Croisette from the 12th to the 17th of September, so take your chance to have a share of the biggest prize pool in Western Europe!

by Antoine Salvi

BBienvenue à Cannes! Known the world over as the city of the International Film Festival, where movie stars walk up the red carpet every year in May. In September, the most attractive city of the French Riviera will host the biggest poker event of the continent, attracting since 2008 the elite of the international poker society. Phil Ivey, Tom Dwan, Gus Hansen, Erik Seidel or Phil Laak, Carlos Mortensen, Sorell Mizzi, Mike Matusow, David Williams or Michael Mizrachi, Bertrand “Elky” Grospellier, Antonio Esfandiari, David Benjamine or Fabrice Soulier, all those A Level players have animated the tables of the luxurious Palm Beach Casino.

the palm Beach, a gambling complex by the seaIdeally located on the seaside, opposite to the Palais des Festivals on the Croisette, the top-end shopping Boulevard, the 6,800 square meters of the architecturally hip Palm Beach Casino will provide you an unforgettable experience. The scenic game room, with 100 slot machines and 21 poker tables, offers a stunning view of the bay and the Lerins Islands. The Casino also includes

a private beach with a pool, a lounge bar, two conference rooms

with terraces opening onto the sea, two restaurants, the extrava-

gant Hotel 3.14, and the Palm Club, the perfect place to enjoy

the best of Cannes nightlife after a nice day of poker.

luxury and authentical art de vivreBlessed with a warm climate, September in Cannes is still in

the summertime, minus the crowds of tourists. It’s the perfect

time to enjoy sunbathing on the beach or to admire the beauty

of the old city, right after the high season, when days are still

long and surprisingly sunny.

Within walking distance from the Palm Beach Casino, you will

find the finest brands of French couture, gastronomic restaurants,

selective nightclubs and five stars hotels, such as the famous

Carlton, Majestic and Martinez palaces. From the most extensive

luxury to charming Provençal traditions, Cannes has everything!

Take a walk by the old port, discover local products at the market

and savor the local relaxed rhythm of life, before having a rush

of adrenaline at the poker tables. Sea, sun and poker, what else?

PK52UE_N1_CS5.5.indd 41 11/08/11 13:23


Massive prize pool at the ever growing Main event Since 2008, The Partouche Poker Tour Final Event launched some careers, and lives of poker pros. Vanessa Selbst, Alain Roy, Antonin Teisseire and Jean-Paul Pasqualini wouldn’t be the same if they hadn’t performed in the old Ligurian city. The players know best, and more and more come every year. Starting with 479 runners on the first edition, we saw 764 players last year, generating an impressive prize pool of €5.6 million.

This year, the e8,500 Partouche Poker Tour Main Event will be held from the 12th of September and it will provide a first-class tournament structure: 30,000 starting chips and 90 minutes levels on Day 1 and 120 minutes levels afterwards for a e4 million guaranteed prize pool. It’s the opportunity to challenge the best poker pros in the world, who will all be there this year, competing for the massive first prize. The whole tournament will be broadcasted by Eurosport in 59 countries, and you will have to be patient

for the Final Table, which will be held in November and covered by all the main poker media.

a big range of attractive side eventsFrom the 11th of September, the series will also provide a large variety of interesting side events, with buy-ins ranging from e200 to e5,000, such as a e500 Deepstack event, a e550 Ladies event, a e1,000 Short-Handed event, a e3,000 Freezout event and a broadcasted e5,000 Heads-up event. Among the 19 side events, you will be sure that you can find the perfect game for you.

The Palm Beach Partouche Poker Tour is the ultimate poker series in Europe, and this year again it will reveal new talents on the poker scene. If you don’t make it to final stage of the Main Event, you will still be able to make the best of your stay on the French Riviera, from the small town of Juan-les-Pins to the vibrant city of Nice. In case you ever get tired of sunbathing, eating fresh Mediterranean food and buying souvenirs, don’t worry; there are quite a few casinos on the Côte d’Azur.

TOurnamEnT

PK52UE_N1_CS5.5.indd 42 11/08/11 13:24

OK… so you finished 10th in a €500 side-event, with 102 players registered… It’s time to celebrate your first Hendon Mob entry! Treat yourself wih a suite at the Negresco (starting €550), rent a little boat in the port of Antibes

(€390 a day at www.yacht-riviera.com), or just get hustled by a local cab driver who’ll be more than happy to take your brand new €500 bill to drive you around the Riviera for couple hours.

€5,000 is a good win for a non-pro. But will it change your life? Not really… Better spend it all in one of the best restaurants on earth, the famous Monte-Carlo Louis XV restaurant. Run by worldwide chef Alain Ducasse, it displays amazing architecture and fabulous winelist. But be careful, €5,000 should be sufficient for you and your girfriend but do not make the mistake to invite all your poker buddies or you’ll definitely lose big at the credit card roulette…

Winning a 10k buy-in in a €5 online satellite is nice. And cashing the same amount after 4 days of struggle at the PPT or WSOP-E Main Event is even nicer. As you’re now part of poker history, just behave like the pros and get the hugest watch available. Poker players wear Hublot, especially the new Big Bang one: state-of-the-art technology, “red” gold and crocodile leather. Its price? €12,500. Where to find it? Go to the Hublot store, 4 La Croisette, in Cannes, opened from 10am to 8pm everyday

ShOPPInGDid you do good at the WSOP-Europe or the PPT Finale? Do you want to spend it all while you’re still on the Riviera? Cannes, Monte-Carlo, nice, Menton or even San Remo are perfect places to burn money, whether you cashed big… or small!

So you’re the winner right? With your WSOP-E bracelet in hand, you feel like the king (or queen) of the world. It’s time to live like the richest guys on earth. Just go the « Port des Millardaires », in Antibes, and buy your dream-boat at Yacht World. Smallest boats start at €1,700,000 and prices can go up to €22,000,000. Seems like you’ll need to win some more tournaments now, right?

Bubbling a final table can be frustrating. But having almost €100,000 is a pretty good news. Call your girlfriend or boyfriend, and hop in a cab, direction: Saint-Tropez! The famous jet-setter place hosts the nicest Louis Vuitton store of the Riviera: Villa Louis Vuitton. The Louis Vuitton Villa in St Tropez The shop features large windows opening out onto inner gardens studded with Provençal briquettes, while pale-stone floors and blond wood furnishings give the villa a bright and spacious feel. On the other side of the villa is the shoes and women’s ready-to-wear section, which comes complete with its own VIP room: a spacious area made to look like a French apartment with beige upholstered sofas, armchairs and black and white photographs on the walls. Here, guests will be able to preview rare and special edition Louis Vuitton bags and accessories. Spend your dimes there, and you’ll be the most elegant poker player ever.


PK52UE_N1_CS5.5.indd 43 11/08/11 13:24


rEPOrTaGE

wPT GranD PrIx DE ParISGETS nEw SchEDulE

Wpt RenDeZ-vous à paRis

PK52UE_N1_CS5.5.indd 44 11/08/11 13:24


Historically, the Aviation Club de France was the first venue in France to welcome the prestigious World Poker Tour back in 2004. The WPT, created by Steve Lipscomb and broadcasted with one of poker’s most famous icon, Mike Sexton, has helped to bring poker to a broader audience and to encourage newcomers to try their hand on the green felt. The new version of Rendez-vous à Paris, scheduled for early September 2011, and it’s featured event, the WPT Grand Prix de Paris should be simply exceptional…

by Julien Morello

PK52UE_N1_CS5.5.indd 45 11/08/11 13:24


Players will have to wait until early September to be able to compete in the Aviation Club de France at the prestigious “Rendez-vous à Paris” festival of poker. This edition is really special as the Main Event, entitled “Grand Prix à Paris”, is once more associated to the WPT brand. From the 3rd to 11th of September the cameras of this worldwide renowned TV show will be broadcasting the €€7,500 Main Event tournament taking place in the Aviation Club de France. Moreover, two more tournaments will take place: the €15,000 High Roller, as well as a brand new €5,000 Omaha Cup.

Grand prix de paris : 7th editionThe tournament series “Rendez-vous à Paris” was created in 2004 and since then, it has welcomed poker’s greatest players. Just take a look at each year’s champions or good performers and you will quickly understand what we mean. In 2004; Surinder Sunar (winner), Tony G. (2nd, with one of WPT’s most famous moment when the latter trash-talked the former), Markus Golser, Chip Reese, Sammy Farha, David Benyamine. In 2005; Roland de Wolfe was the winner, and was attended by such players as Juha Helppi (2nd), Alan Goehring and JJ Liu who made good runs. In 2006; the Scandinavian struck back with Jani Sointula (2nd), Thomas Walhroos (3rd), as well as Phil Hellmuth and Elie Marciano. In 2007; the young Canadian, Will Ma (winer), engaged in a long battle versus Jeff Lisandro and Ram Vaswani during the final

table. In 2008 a Frenchman finally won the tournament, Roger Hairabedian, knocking out Mickael Seban and other big names like ElkY and Rémy Biéchel. In 2009 finally an Italian old-timer, Fabrizio Ricci, took the title after having defeated Jérôme Zerbib, Vikash Dhorasoo, Jan Boubli, David Pecheur and Nicolas Lévi. Last year, Theo Jorgensen signed a wonderful comeback after having battled for hours with Frenchman Antoine Amourette.

a competition like no otherDuring all these years, poker has written its history during Grand Prix de Paris. First and foremost, the now legendary heads-up session between Surinder Sunar and Tony G. Guoga is a renowned trash-talker and he proved it for good during his duel against Sunar, by trying to make him tilt. Surinder Sunar remained calm and eventually won the title to the sheer delight of the spectators. This televised heads-up has made Tony G. very popular in the poker community, concreting him as the number one trash-talker, far ahead of Phil “The Poker Brat” Hellmuth. Tony G. remembers it very well: “In 2004, during the heads-up with Surinder Sunar, we were so different. I had a lot of fun. It’s not a lack of respect, not at all, it’s just a show. I tried to make televised poker just a little bit more lively. I like this game so much, I want people to feel the heat and passion I have in my veins!” (Poker 52 magazine, June 2009).

A perfect occasion for great action and a never seen before star-studded field!

TOurnamEnT

PK52UE_N1_CS5.5.indd 46 11/08/11 13:24


In 2008, Roger Hairabedian won one of the toughest final tables in the history of Grand Prix de Paris, after having eliminated Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier and the runner-up, Mickael Seban. During this edition, the tournament helped to reveal to its audience some new young guns like Seban, some great champions such as ElkY and old-timer cash-game players like Roger Hairabedian who, afterwards, launched a very good tournament player career.

the new omaha CupThis year, the Aviation Club de France has decided to organize a brand new event, a €5,000 Pot Limit Omaha competition.

Last year, the new High Roller attracted the biggest players in

the world, but in this 2011 edition, we’ll see both new faces

specialized in Omaha, as well as all the biggest names. PLO is

a very popular poker game in France, and the Aviation Club

de France has been the place where France’s best players like

David Benyamine, Antony Lellouche or Fabrice Soulier, have

trained for years. A perfect occasion for great action and a

never seen before star-studded field! It is the first time such

an event is organised in Paris, and it should interest all the

French High Rollers and the important poker stars. Let’s have

a rendez-vous in Paris this autumn!

lIST Of wInnErSGpp Wpt 2004Surinder Sunar €679,860

Gpp Wpt 2005Roland de Wolfe €479,680

Gpp Wpt 2006Christian Grundtvig €712,500

Gpp Wpt 2007Will Ma €422,560

Gpp Wpt 2008Roger Hairabedian €419,520

Gpp Wpt 2009Fabrizio Ricci €419,520

Gpp Wpt 2010Theo Jorgensen €638,377

Wpt Grand prix de paris – a7,500 nlhDay 1A • Monday, 5th Sept 2 pm Day 1B • Tuesday, 6th Sept 2 pm Day 2 • Wednesday, 7th Sept 2 pm Day 3 • Thursday, 8th Sept 2 pm Day 4 • Friday, 9th Sept 2 pm Day 5 • Televised final table Saturday, 10th Sept 2 pm

high Roller – a15.000 nlhDay 1 • Friday, 9th Sept 4 pm Day 2 • Saturday, 10th Sept 4 pm Day 3 • Sunday, 11th Sept 2 pm

omaha Cup – a5,000Day 1 • Saturday, 3rd Sept 2 pm Day 2 • Sunday, 4th Sept 2 pm

PrOGram

PK52UE_N1_CS5.5.indd 47 11/08/11 13:24


a GrEaT wEEK Of POKErIn ThE GErman BlacK fOrEST

22nd pokeR eM euRopean pokeR ChaMpionship in BaDen

For its twenty-second edition, the Poker EM European Poker Championship, will once again take place in the Grand Casino Baden, from 24th of October to the 3rd of november. Plenty of exciting tournaments will be provided during this series, which is the biggest and the best circuit in Austria, and players will enjoy one of the most stylish atmospheres in Europe.

by Julien Morello

TOurnamEnT

PK52UE_N1_CS5.5.indd 48 11/08/11 13:24


For this exciting week of poker, the best Austrian and European players will sit at the tables of the Grand Casino Baden, situated south of Vienna (all infos on: www.baden.casinos.at). The oldest casino in Austria, with its magnificent surroundings and its extravagant interior, was described by the world famous actress Marlene Dietrich as “the most beautiful casino in the world”. Fashioned on the lines of French royal palaces 250 years ago, the Grand Casino Baden has always been a temple to the alluring felt games, where nobles and the elite from all over Europe met in the last century to tempt fortune, and it now opens its doors to all of Baden-Baden’s guests.

a benchmark in europeAfter the enormous success of it’s three previous editions, the Casinos Austria Poker Tour stops in seven Austrian casinos (owned by Casinos Austria, one of the largest casino operators of the world) for its fourth season. With about 40 land-based casinos in 16 countries (and 12 in Austria), 8 shipboard casinos, 15 slot parlors and one online gambling platform, the Casinos Austria International operates over 750 gaming tables and 7,600 gambling machines in the world. The company, with it’s headquarters in Vienna, is a benchmark for gambling in Europe. Since January 2011, the CAPT stopped in the sublime casinos of Seefeld, Bregenz, Salzburg, Innsbruck, Velden and Kitzbühel, where the best players in Europe battled for great cash prizes and leaderboards points. All these events attracted large fields of participants, and all the players are now waiting for the 22nd

European Poker Championship, organized during the CAPT Baden Grand Finale from the 24th of October.

a great week of competitionWith a total of 19 tournaments held from the 24th of October to the 3rd of November, the Grand Casino Baden will host an amazing week of poker. The buy-ins will range from e150 to e20,000, along with two freeroll tournaments for the best players of the CAPT Ranking 2011.The e2,000 CAPT Final Main Event will kick off on the 25th of October, and it will keep everybody awake until the Final Table, scheduled for the 27th of October, after three days of action. Last year, the Austrian Harry Casagrande overcame his 125 opponents for a cash prize of e67,030, and the total prize pool reached e239,400.But this tournament is not the only one. Along with smaller events, the series will include two European Poker Championship tournaments: the e4,000 Poker EM Texas Hold’em Freezeout event (4-Day, from the 27th of October) and the e3,000 Poker EM Omaha Pot Limit Double Chance event (2-Day, from the 2nd of November). Then, on the 31st of October, the third e20,000 Nations Cup NLH/PLO Team Competition will kick off, for a 2-Day tournament. Last year, the Finnish Team, led by Juha Helppi, defeated the Italian Team for e40,250, and the title of the Best European Poker Team. So if you want to enjoy a high roller tournament with your three best friends and play for your country, the Grand Casino Baden is waiting for you!

the Grand Casino Baden has always been a temple to the alluring game of chance

PK52UE_N1_CS5.5.indd 49 11/08/11 13:24


SchEDulE 24.10 - 3.11.2011

Days Event Event Event Event

monday 24.102 p.m.nLH Deepstack€ 300

8 p.m.Satellite CAPT BadennLH / € 200

tuesday 25.102 p.m.Speed Satellite CAPT Baden nLH / € 200

7 p.m.CAPT Baden nLH,€ 2.000 / Day 1

Wednesday 26.10 2 p.m.CAPT Baden nLH / Day 2

2 p.m.Speed Sub Sat.Poker EM nLH / € 150

7 p.m.Main Satellite Poker EM nLH / € 600

thursday 27.10 2 p.m.Poker EM nLH Day 2

2 p.m.Speed SatellitePoker EM nLH / € 300

7 p.m.Poker EM nLH€ 4.000 / Day 1

Friday 28.102 p.m.Poker EMnLH Day 2

3 p.m.nLH / € 200

saturday 29.102 p.m.Poker EMnLH Day 3

2 p.m.nLH / € 1.000

11 p.m.Players Party

sunday 30.102 p.m.Poker EMnLH Day 4

2 p.m.nLH / € 500

monday 31.10 12 p.m.nations Cup Round 1

2 p.m.nLH Deepstack / € 500

8 p.m.nations Cup Round 2

tuesday 01.11 2 p.m.nLH / € 300

3 p.m.nations Cup Final

8 p.m.Satellite Poker EM PLO € 300

Wednesday 02.112 p.m.Poker EM PLO€ 3.000 / Day 1

3 p.m.nLH / € 250

10 p.m.CAPT Ranking 2011

thursday 03.11 2 p.m.Poker EM PLO Day 2

7 p.m.Freeroll Tournament

maX PlayER

Texas Hold’em no Limit, Freezeout, Deepstack, Buy-in € 300 150 Supersatellite CAPT Baden: Texas Hold’em no Limit, Buy-in € 200, 1 Rebuy or 1 Add-on 100 Speed Satellite CAPT Baden: Texas Hold’em no Limit, Buy-in € 200 ,1 Rebuy or 1 Add-on 100 CAPT Baden: Texas Hold’em no Limit, Freezeout, Buy-in € 2.000 200 Speed Subsatellite Poker EM Texas Hold’em: Texas Hold’em no Limit, Freezeout, Buy-in € 150, Subsatellite for Satellite at 7 p.m. 100 Satellite Poker EM Texas Hold’em: Texas Hold’em no Limit, Freezeout, Second Chance 180 min., Buy-in € 600, 150 Speed Satellite Poker EM Texas Hold’em: Texas Hold’em no Limit, Buy-in € 300, 1 Rebuy or 1 Add-on 100 Poker EM Texas Hold’em: Texas Hold’em no Limit, Freezeout, Buy-in € 4.000 250 Texas Hold’em no Limit, Freezeout, Second Chance 180 min., Buy-in € 200 120 Texas Hold’em no Limit, Freezeout, Buy-in € 1.000 150 Texas Hold’em no Limit, Freezeout, Second Chance 180 min., Buy-in € 500 150 nations Cup: Texas Hold’em no Limit, Omaha Pot Limit, Team competition, Buy-in € 20.000 27 Texas Hold’em no Limit, Freezeout, Deepstack, Buy-in € 500 150 Texas Hold’em no Limit, Freezeout, Second Chance 180 min., Buy-in € 300 120 Supersatellite Poker EM Omaha: Omaha Pot Limit, Buy-in € 300, 1 Rebuy or 1 Add-on 90 Poker EM Omaha: Omaha Pot Limit, Freezeout, Double Chance, Buy-in € 3.000 180 Texas Hold’em no Limit, Freezeout, Second Chance 180 min., Buy-in € 250, knockout Bounty € 50 100 CAPT Ranking 2011: Freeroll tournament. 2nd to 31st ranked players of the CAPT 2011 Best Overall Player Ranking only. 30 Freeroll: First 100 players who entered at least 3 tournaments can take part in a shootout freeroll tournament.

The prizepool is € 10.000! The winner takes it all! 100

TOurnamEnT

PK52UE_N1_CS5.5.indd 50 11/08/11 13:25


TwEnTy yEarS In ThE hISTOry Of POKEr

MasteRs ClassiC of pokeR 2011

rEPOrTaGE

PK52UE_N1_CS5.5.indd 51 11/08/11 13:25


The Masters Classic Of Poker is one of Europe’s most reknown tournament series. It is also one of the oldest competitions, where all the big names of the European poker scene have competed. Some champions like Dave ‘Devilfish’ Ulliott, Roland De Wolfe, Marcel Lüske, Bruno Fitoussi, Rob Hollink, katja Thater, neil Channing and Jani Sointula pick this series as one of their all time favorites. For the twentieth birthday of Holland Casinos, from the 5th until the 12th of november, you can rest assured that the MCOP will still be one of the greatest places on earth to play poker….

By Jérôme Schmidt

AAsk the question to those who are now considered as “old-timers” from the European poker scene, and you’ll often get the same answer: their favorite poker festival is the the Masters Classic Of Poker. All thanks to its perfect location in Amsterdam (one of the coolest cities in Europe), its wonderful and human-size casino (in the middle of the city, close to Leidseplein Square) and it’s very professional staff.

a roaster of championsSince 1993, the Master Classics Of Poker is a landmark in contemporary poker. It’s first Main Event had an already well-known champion, Surinder Sunar, who at that time won, drum roll, $22,000, beating players like Lothar Landauer or Mickey Finn. Two years later, the buy-in was reduced to ƒ1,000. (instead of ƒ2,000) and it was a woman, Belinda Blokker who won the title for more than $50,000, with three french players in the money (Rene Vernhet, Michel Leibgorin and Bruno Fitoussi) as well as Jeff Lisandro. In 1997, the Main Event became a ƒ5,000. Tournament, with 90 players for a total prizepool of $230,000, which was really rare at that time. Few pros made it to the final table that was eventually won by Bjorn Janson ($91,000).

an international fieldIn 1998, China made a crazy performance at the ƒ5,000 Main Event with two players in the money (Wong Ke Hu, 2nd and Hong Sheng Xu, 9th), in a competition involving 125 entries for a $330,000 prizepool ! The following year, the winner was the Hendon Mob champion Ram Vaswani ($130,000), followed by Marcel Cohen and his fellow mate, Barny Boatman (whose brother, Ross, finished 18th). The Dutch WSOP winner, Rob Hollink finished 7th. The 2000 edition saw the US champion T.J. Cloutier traveling overseas to taste the fishtank water and finishing 3rd, for $30,000, in a 159-players field, whilst the win-ner was Steve Liu.

cOmPlETE SchEDulE5th november, 2pmBuy-in: €1,500no Limit Hold’Em - Freezeout

6th november, 2pmBuy-in: €200Pot Limit Omaha - unlimited rebuys

7th november, 2pmBuy-in: €800no Limit Hold’Em - Freezeout

8th november, 2pm: high Roller tournamentBuy-in: €10,000no Limit Hold’Em - Freezeout

9th november, 3pm: Main event lido international Dutch openBuy-in: €5,000no Limit Hold’Em - Freezeout

10th november, 2pmBuy-in: €1,000no Limit Hold’Em - Freezeout



TOurnamEnT

PK52UE_N1_CS5.5.indd 52 11/08/11 13:25


The MCOP might be the favorite poker festival of european pros

Million euros prizepoolIn 2004, with its €5,000 Main Event, the MCOP got a €1 mil-lion prizepool. Unfortunately for the European poker players, it was an American champion who got the title, none other than Robert Mizrachi (€372,000), as well as some other famous players who made the money like Thomas Bihl, Keith Hawkins, Pascal Perreault, Rob Hollink, Isabelle Mercier or Eric “Eric123” Sagstom. The following year, the prizepool exploded with almost €2 million, and more than 420 players for the 2007 edition, won by Trond Eidsvig, followed by Michael Martin, Tristan McDonald and local hero, Noah Boeken. Every year, the prizepool and the field is more and more interesting. There is no doubt that the 2011 edition, from the 5th until the 12th of Nobember will be one of the highlights of this autumn!

whErE TO STay?• amsterdam Marriott hotel

Stadhouderskade 12 1054 ES Amsterdam Tel. +31 (0)20 607 5555

• park hotel amsterdam Stadhouderskade 25 1071 ZD Amsterdam Tel. +31 (0)20-671 1222

• eden amsterdam american hotel Leidsekade 97 1017 Pn Amsterdam Tel. +31 (0)20-556 3000

• nh amsterdam Centre Stadhouderskade 7 1071 ES Amsterdam Tel. +31 (0)20-554 4000

• Bilderberg hotel Jan luyken Jan Luykenstraat 58 1071 CS Amsterdam Tel. +31 (0)573 0730

• eden leidse square hotel amsterdam nassaukade 387-390 1054 AE Amsterdam Tel. +31 (0)683 4935

PK52UE_N1_CS5.5.indd 53 11/08/11 13:25


a uSa-SIzED EvEnT In francEWoRlD pokeR touR aMnéville 2011

After it’s first edition last year was so successful, the World Poker Tour Amnéville will welcome a large field of players from all over the world between the 29th of October and the 6th of november. The huge Seven Casino and all the thermal city’s wonderful facilities are ready for the biggest WPT event ever organized outside the United States of America. For nine days the north Eastern town, located close to the Belgian, German and Luxembourgian borders will become the “French Las Vegas”.

By Julien Morello

TOurnamEnT

PK52UE_N1_CS5.5.indd 54 11/08/11 13:25


AAmnéville is a deeply European city. Physically and culturally close to its neighbours, Germany, Belgium and Luxembourg, the French Rhinelandic town is located in Lorraine, a region famous among the French for its Germanic cultural heritage. This could explain why the first edition of the World Poker Tour Amnéville last year was such a great success: players from all over Western Europe attended in droves to the only WPT stop in France after Paris. The €3,500 Main Event reached a record participation of 543 contestants, which makes it the biggest WPT event ever organized outside the United States of America.

everything is ready for the big dayNo surprises this year, the whole town is expecting another cosmopolitan crowd of poker players coming for a share of that giant prize pool. All the hotels in Metz, Amnéville, and in between, are keeping their rooms for WPT Amnéville participants, so you will have a large choice of facilities for your stay in Lorraine, from budget accommodation to top end suites.The new gambling complex of the thermal resort, the Seven Casino, offers for its part, no less than 10,000 square meters completely dedicated to leisure and competition, including a fine restaurant and a four star hotel. It is prepared to welcome all the challengers for the WPT title. Everything is ready for those nine days of poker at the tables of the Seven Casino.

some interesting side-eventsA total of 18 events will be held this year, starting from the 29th of October. With buy-ins ranging from €100 + €10 to €1,000 + €100, the side events will provide a lot of action, particularly with

several satellites for the Main Event, a 2-Day €400 NLH event, a

€700 NLH Double Chance, the 3-Day €1,100 Eastern Cup and a

€400 NLH Deepstack event. The climax of this series will kick

off on the 1st of November, with the €3,200 + €300 Main Event

that will hold everyone’s breath until the Final Table, on the 6th

of November. Last year the Swiss player Sam El Sayed bested his

542 opponents for a big cash prize of €426,425 and a ticket for

the WPT Bellagio Final (worth $25,000) and we are expecting

last year’s €1,640,096 prize pool to be even bigger this autumn

for the second edition of the WPT Amnéville. Everything’s ready,

Amnéville and the WPT title are just waiting for you!

hOTElS In anD arOunD amnévIllE• amnéville plaza hotel****Located on the edge of the Coulange forest, in the heart of Amnéville-les-Thermes Leisure Park, the hotel is part of a new complex comprised of the Seven Casino (400 slot machines), a restaurant and a 600 square meters entertainment venue. With its 78 rooms and suites, spa, cutting edge technology facilities and bar, open 24/7, the Amnéville plaza is the most prestigious hotel in town. A perfect balance between luxury and comfort.> Parc de Coulange 57360 Amnéville

• la Citadelle ****near the historic heart of the city, the only four star hotel-restaurant in Metz offers a peek into history, only 15 kilometers away from Amnéville. Once a military citadel, the imposing building’s décor, from the sixteenth century, is evocative of the fortress way of life in all its extravagant splendour. In a leafy setting, La Citadelle is a short distance from the cultural center of the city, shopping areas, and the major access roads. A jewel in town, and the best way to time travel when you leave the Casino.> 5 Avenue Ney 57000 Metz

Amnéville and the WPT title are just waiting for you! Amnéville and the WPT title are just waiting for you! Amnéville and the WPT title are just waiting for you! Amnéville and the WPT title are just waiting for you! Amnéville and the WPT title are just waiting for you! Amnéville and the WPT title are just waiting for you! Amnéville and the WPT title are just waiting for you! Amnéville and the WPT title are just waiting for you! Amnéville and the WPT title are just waiting for you! Amnéville and the WPT title are just waiting for you! Amnéville and the WPT title are just waiting for you! Amnéville and the WPT title are just waiting for you! Amnéville and the WPT title are just waiting for you! Amnéville and the WPT title are just waiting for you! Amnéville and the WPT title are just waiting for you! Amnéville and the WPT title are just waiting for you! Amnéville and the WPT title are just waiting for you! Amnéville and the WPT title are just waiting for you! Amnéville and the WPT title are just waiting for you!

lIST Of wInnErS

Field: 543 playersBuy-in: €3,500Total Prize Pool: €1,640,0961st Sam El Sayed €426,425

+ 1 ticket for the WPT Bellagio Final ($25,000)2d Franck Pepe €229,613

+ 1 ticket for the WPT Paris (€10,000)3rd Ilan Boujenah €161,550

PK52UE_N1_CS5.5.indd 55 11/08/11 13:25


hIGh lEvEl TOurnamEnTIn ThE rED cITy22nd MaRRakesh pokeR open

From September 21st to 25th, The Casino de Marrakesh Es-Saadi will host its 22nd edition of Marrakesh Poker Open, two months before its upcoming World Poker Tour edition. known as the Red City, Marrakesh and its stunning facilities will be all about poker during this 4-day series, where the best players will gather around the tables for the DH 15,000 Main Event, with DH 1,000,000 guaranteed. In late november, though, from 24th to 27th, the WPT will stop at Es Saadi again for a €3,300 Main Event. A high-level tournament in the beauty of the Moroccan landscapes.

By Julien Morello

TOurnamEnT

PK52UE_N1_CS5.5.indd 56 11/08/11 13:26


hIGh lEvEl TOurnamEnTIn ThE rED cITy

LLocated on the foothills of the Atlas, the biggest mountain range in North Africa, Marrakesh is a busy, cosmopolitan town, with a great historical heritage. It is the most important former imperial city in Morocco’s history. It has the biggest souk and one of the busiest squares in Africa, the Djemaa el Fna Square. It aquired the nickname “The Red City” for the colour of the stone used in its buildings and the sand of the desert surrounding it, it is one of the most attractive cities in Morocco, and every year it welcomes crowds of tourists, looking for sunny holidays all year long.

8,000,000 square meters of luxuryIn the heart of the city, facing the snowy mountains of the Atlas, stands the Es-Saadi Gardens and Resort, a colossal complex of no less than 8 million square meters offering a sumptuous park, a hotel, a palace, villas, restaurants, swimming pools, spas, an extravagant casino and the best night club in Morocco, the TheatrO. This is the perfect place to live the 1001 nights dream, a perfect combination of luxury and refinement with the Moroccan traditional hospitality. The Casino’s 2,500 square meters of gaming space features 100 gaming machines and 24 tables in an astonishing atmosphere. Every year this, the first Moroccan Casino, established in 1952, hosts a swag of poker competitions, like the Marrakesh Poker Open, The Moroccan Poker Championship, the ChiliPoker Deepstack Open, and the most prestigious of all, the ChiliPoker WPT Marrakesh, the only stop of the circuit outside the United States of America and Europe.

live the dream for a reasonable buy-inSince its first edition in 2009, the World Poker Tour Marrakesh attracted some of the best international players, mostly from Europe and North Africa, for Main Events that brought together up to 30 different nationalities at the tables. A lot of poker stars were in the field in 2009 and 2010, like Ross Boatman, Dominik Nitsche, Huck Seed, Antonio Esfandiari, Sorel Mizzi, Carlos Mortensen, Annette Obrestad, Benny Spindler, Tony G., John Tabatabai and Johan Williamson. Morocco and France share a long love story, and the best French players always feel at home in Marrakesh. So don’t be surprised

if you meet poker pros like Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier, Roger Hairabedian, Thomas Bichon, Arnaud Mattern, Liz Lieu, Alexia Portal, Davidi Kitai, Antony Lellouche, Ludovic Lacay, Léo Truche, Guillaume de La Gorce, David Benyamine or Pascal Perrault. The 2009 WPT Marrakesh was won by the Frenchman Christophe Savary, followed, in 2010, by the German Sebastian Homman, who both bested cosmopolitan and high-ranking final tables, mostly composed by French players, for a huge cash prize. This year, the field will be even bigger: the buy-in has been lowered from €4,250 + €750 to a more affordable €3,000 + €300. So pack your summer clothes and escape to Morocco to have a chance to grab your first WPT bracelet!The 22nd edition of the Marrakesh Poker Open, in September, underlines the great competition always taking place at Es Saadi Casino, and once again players from all around the world will gather there for the 1,000,000 dirhams-guaranteed Main Event. A perfect rehearsal, to say the least, before the upcoming World Poker Tour stop, two months later.

lIST Of wInnErS

2009 (field: 416 players. Buy-in: €4,500.Prize Pool: $2,450,223)

1st Christophe Savary €377,2732d Eoghan O’Dea €263,1473rd Ludovic Lacay €164,467

2010 (field: 222 players. Buy-in: €5,000 Prize Pool: $1,222,400 (€956,652)) 1st Sebastien Homman €250,1962d Guillaume Cescut €138,9913rd Sébastien Compte €92,661

PK52UE_N1_CS5.5.indd 57 11/08/11 13:26


anD EurOPE BEcOmES EvEn BIGGEreuRopean pokeR touR season 8

From the cold forests of north Eastern Europe to the warm water of the Caribbean Sea, from the Mediterranean seaside to the Atlantic Ocean costs, the first half of the European Poker Tour Season 8 will stop for the next six months all around the old continent. In August, the EPT Tallinn launched this new year of world class poker and announces another season of high-ranking action between the best players of the world. You will find in those pages the full schedule of the brand new EPT.

By Antoine Salvi

TOurnamEnT

PK52UE_N1_CS5.5.indd 58 11/08/11 13:26


anD EurOPE BEcOmESEvEn BIGGEr

IIn August 7, Ronny Kaiser became at the same time the first EPT champion from Switzerland, and the first bracelet winner of the EPT Season 8. 282 joined the tables of the Swissôtel Tallinn for the €4.000 + €250 Main Event, generating a €1.071.600 prize pool, and the Swiss player grabbed €275.000 in cash prize for his achievement, after bested his last opponent, the Polish Grzegorz Chichocki, who left Tallinn with €180.000.

the race is onSince 2004, The PokerStars European Poker Tour provides the best poker tournaments in Europe, in the most splendid casinos of the continent. There is no surprise for its eighth season, because this year again, the circuit will bring the best competitors of the world all together in each side of Europe. The first half of the schedule is already announced: Tallinn was the first step and Barcelona will host the tour on August, followed by London from September 30 and San Remo in October. The EPT Prague will end up the 2011 year session, from December 5 to December 10, and Deauville will welcome the first European stop of 2012, right after a short detour in the Bahamas, for the exotic PokerStars Caribbean Adventure in early January 2012.

only 8 years old, but already momentousDuring its first 8 years, the EPT crowned some of the best players of the poker scene, and its Main Events became a “must win” for all international poker stars: Pascal Perrault, Patrik Antonius, Jeff Williams, Roland de Wolfe, Gavin Griffin, Bertrand Grospellier, Jason Mercier, Sebastian Ruthenberg, Carter Phillips, Jake Cody, Liv Boeree or Roberto Romanello, they won all at least one of the EPT Main Events title, and entered into history.But the tour created as well some surprises, revealing to the world unknown players who then became poker pros. So if you want to touch the dream and be a part of this ultra-select club, it’s not too late, and the next step it’s in London!

POKER 52 auropa // AOÛT 2011 // nUMÉRO 1 59

EPT all-TImE lEaDErBOarD

1st Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier pts 5.1122nd Luca Pagano pts 4.7033rd Johannes Strassmann pts 3.4664th Sebastian Ruthenberg pts 3.3565th Martin Jacobson pts 3.1896th Pierre neuville pts 3.1787th Antony Lellouche pts 3.0838th Mike McDonald pts 3.0059th Arnaud Mattern pts 2.97510th kevin MacPhe pts 2.854

EPT SEaSOn 8 SchEDulE

1. EPT TALLIn - Aug, 2 - 7 €4.200 + 250

2. EPT BARCELOnA - Aug 27-Sep 1 €5.000 + 300

3. EPT LOnDOn - Sep 30-Oct 6 £5.000 + 250

4. EPT SAn REMO - Oct 21 – 27 €4.600 + 300

5. EPT PRAGUE - Dec 5 – 10 €5.000 + 300

6. 2012 PCA - Jan 5 -15 $10.000 + 300

7. EPT DEAUVILLE - Jan 31 – Feb 6 €5.000 + 300

PK52UE_N1_CS5.5.indd 59 11/08/11 13:26


It’s noon on my clock and the director says “Shuffle Up and Deal!” No luck for me today, I’m still in the poker room. It’s day 2… I miss the fountains, and the quiet atmosphere of the Fontana Bar, surrounded by a more private, intimate and exclusive ambience, far from the casino and the sports books’ noises and agitation, just opposite a huge lake that is keeping the desert alive. All the poker’s luxury. But whatever, I am on the table with poker veterans who are living in Las Vegas, sitting on decades of experience. I prefer to playing with them, rather than with young guns that don’t care for anything and have only played poker for seven and a half weeks. They are fearless, in poker as in life… Down with evolution! €

Phil le Dingue, my fellow countryman from Québec (soooo nice), is on my table, and still in good company, I quickly realize that 1) my table is really passive, or 2) everybody is still sleeping. So I plan to raise three times a round until they wake up. UTG with 8-10 of spades, I raise, and I win. On cut-off with A-Q offsuit, Phil le Dingue raises to 1,400, Phil Junior Ivey calls 1,400, I reraise to 4,100, they both call! Here we are, already awake guys? The flop shows 5-6-8 rainbow, my two opponents check, I move with 11K, Phil le Dingue folds, but Phil Junior moves all-in for 50K! Grrrrrrrr. Foooooold.

CH

RO

NIC

LE I

SA

BE

LLE

ME

RC

IER

ISaBEllE mErcIEr“No Mercy”

The World Poker Tour in the Bellagio… I just can’t miss it. After finishing day 1 alongside Joe Sebok and Jeff Madsen, I have a 37k+ stack at the WPT Festa Al Lago, ready to begin the Day 2.

rETurn TO ThEBEllaGIO


PK52UE_N1_CS5.5.indd 60 11/08/11 13:26


Down to 20K. The table is broken before I finish my first three-raises round. Directly to the Fontana Bar! I chat with Phil le Dingue, walking to our seats, and he’s just on my left wing!!! Then, there is Lyle Berman, Daniel Negreanu, and five other players who don’t seem really cool. I eat a banana, and I receive two Kings UTG on 400-800 blinds and 100 antes. I min raise to 1,800, hoping for a reraise, but I’m only called by Lyle and the button. Flop: 8-6-3 with two hearts, thank God, there is no Ace. I keep checking, still hoping for a reraise, and Lyle bets 5,500. The button mucks and I add 5,300 more. He calls, with deuces and I win the pot, which gives me some air. I raise in mid position with Q-9 of diamonds. Daniel calls from the button and we see the flop in heads-up; A-9-3 with two diamonds! I continuation-bet 3K, ready for action, but Daniel insta-folds. Right after, during the same level, I raise to 2,200 with A-K of spades in mid position. The big blind reraise to 10K, so I chose to show all my power by moving all-in. After quickly thinking, he calls with a pair of Jacks. The miraculous flop shows a good pot for me, even if I don’t go all-in pre-flop: 2-4-5 with two spades! Here I am, back on track! If we calculate this precisely I’m only 60% above. Nothing crazier than A-J vs K-Q, so it’s not a big deal. Indeed, no Ace, no King, no spade, no Isa running for the title because I’m out on this hand, halfway through the second day.

Fortunately Vegas offers some great pleasures, the kind of pleasure that make me forget the 20 hours trip! So, thanks to the Edemame and the Black Cod with Miso at Nobu restaurant, the rock-and-roll absolute gambling in the Hard Rock Casino, the midnight shopping in Las Vegas’ galleries, the Champagne in Richard’s bar, right after the Bellagio entrance (he works only from 2 am.), the instant dry cleaning service and the Chanel boutique in the same hotel (who always offers Vegas/Hawaii exclusive collections), and of course, thanks to the stunning scenery of the fountains. I can never burn out watching those fountains, and for ten years that splendid view has always make a great impression on my guests.

When I leave Vegas, I always feel nostalgic, whatever my next stop will be. Leaving Las Vegas…

Isabelle Mercier plays at the Sun Casino in Monaco.

I miss the fountains, and the quiet atmosphere of the Fontana Bar

I miss the fountains, and the quiet


PK52UE_N1_CS5.5.indd 61 11/08/11 13:26

DanIEl nEGrEanu

ThE TaBlETalK rulEDuring this year’s WSOP Main Event the floor man was heavily enforcing a TDA rule that essentially says you are not allowed to disclose the contents of your hand. The TDA rule has been in place for seven years, but I’d never actually seen it enforced. It is such a flawed rule that no TD would ever dare enforce it in any marginal situation.

“Kid Poker”

CH

RO

NIC

LE D

AN

IEL

NE

GR

EA

NU The problem with this rule is that the TDA cannot

agree as a group as to what constitutes breaking this rule. There is far too much wiggle room for a floor person to rule one way or the other, which actually puts even more stress on the floor staff, and makes their job that much harder.

To prove my point, I’d be willing to wager a hefty sum of money on the following: Matt Savage can pick

any ten tournament directors in the world to do a simple quiz. I’ll come

up with ten scenarios, and if all the floor staff agree on what constitutes an infraction of the rule, I lose. If the tournament directors are given the SAME information, but don’t all enforce the rule the same way, then Houston...

we have a problem.

I asked Linda Johnson if she wanted a piece

of this bet and she smartly declined.

So the problem here is this:

if the TDs c a n n o t

agree on how to implement this rule, how can players ever understand what is okay to say and what is not? They play in one tournament and Matt Savage says, “That’s fine you can say that “ then a week later play in David Lamb’s event and he says, “That’s a penalty.” The goal of the TDA has been to standardize rules, but they have made a grave error with this rule because it cannot be standardized the way it’s currently written, because every floor person will rule identical situations differently.

That point alone demands that the rule should be changed, but don’t worry, I have plenty more. On a recent radio show Matt Savage and I discussed this rule and I quizzed him on various situations. He contradicted himself repeatedly and backtracked on original responses to situations. For example, I sent him the following question: Is it okay if I say this on the river when a player is thinking of calling, “You really thinking about calling with Ace high? Good Luck with that.” Matt’s answer “Penalty.” He later flip-flopped and said it’s fine.

That same day he was asked if the following was okay: A player moves all-in and a player is thinking of calling, “I’ll take it here man, I don’t want to race.” In this case he says that’s fine. The problem is, if you enforce the rule the way it’s written, this should NOT be okay because you’ve revealed information about your hand. If you had Aces, you wouldn’t be racing,

PK52UE_N1_CS5.5.indd 62 11/08/11 13:27

so now your opponent knows (if you are telling the truth) that you don’t have aces.

On question after question, the answers become more and more confusing which leaves a player with only one option: Do not say ANYTHING during a hand or you could receive a penalty.

Facing a river bet you say one of the following:“I can only beat a bluff.”“Gosh, I’ve had like 10 big pairs today and get screwed every time.”“I can’t beat a flush but you might be betting top pair here.”“I can’t beat a set, but I have a pair of deuces crushed.”“I had the best hand before the flop for sure.”“I have the same pair I started with.”

In these cases, the player never reveals the exact hand that they have, but they do give information away about their range of hands. Which one of those statements warrants a penalty?A player is thinking about calling you and you say: “I either have a set of Kings or Queen high. It’s 50/50 you should flip a coin.”“You don’t seriously think I’d bet ace high in this spot do you? Ha, I know you have like deuces and are trying to be a hero. You silly boy.”“Don’t be silly son, you can live to fight another day. Muck that piece of trash.”Slightly different scenario, where a player may be coaxing his opponent into either a call or a fold. Which one of these statements warrants a penalty?

This rule is supposed to protect players, but I gave Matt another scenario where I was shocked by his answer. It’s so obviously unjust: 65 year old man, tournament newbie has pocket aces. River comes a flush card and his opponent goes all-in. The man mumbles to himself, “Oh man every time I get these stupid aces I always lose!» Now he thinks for a bit, then makes the call. I asked Matt Savage if he would penalize this guy and Matt’s response? “Absolutely, he deserves a penalty.” I can’t believe Matt, or anyone who really feels this guy genuinely deserves a penalty. He’s clearly not colluding, and his comment, out of frustration, is clearly innocent. I can’t believe Matt would actually penalize this guy, but this rule would rightfully allow him to do so.

******

Is revealing your range of hands considered revealing the contents of your hand? If so, is that okay? If it’s okay, then how narrow can you reveal your range to be? Is it okay to say, “I can beat bottom pair but I really think you have top set.” Is it okay to say “I can beat JJ but I can’t beat AA.” In the first case my exposed range is between bottom pair and top set. In the second example I am exposing the fact that I have QQ or KK.

Matt seems to be okay with some of this stuff, but not all. If I bet the river and say, “I either have a set of Kings or Queen high” Matt says that’s a penalty, however, all I’ve done is revealed my RANGE of hands. Of course, I could be lying.

In not one of the example mentioned is collusion ever an issue. Over 99% of table talk is completely unrelated to collusion, which appears to be the one and only reason that the TDA added this rule. The biggest lie that’s being told is that if you get rid of this rule, you make collusion legal. That is just not true. Collusion and soft play is illegal. It was before this rule was implemented, and I imagine it always will be.

If the players at the table and/or the floor staff suspect two players are colluding either with signals, verbally, or by blatantly soft playing each other, they should absolutely be penalized.

The other point they try to make is that if you allow table talk, everyone is all of a sudden going to start colluding with each other. Huh? I never colluded before this rule was implemented, and taking away this rule isn’t going to make everyone feel like they have a license to cheat. Verbal collusion is illegal. Table talk, and revealing information about your hole cards doesn’t equal collusion. In fact, verbal collusion is by far the least likely way two legitimate cheaters would ever cheat because it brings more attention to what they are doing.

The proper procedure for dealing with collusion was in place long before the existence of this rule. If two players are suspected of collusion, either the players at the table, the dealer, or the floor over seeing it, would investigate. The tournament director would take a look at both hands and either issue a warning, or if it’s blatantly obvious, and a repeated offense, penalize the players involved in the collusion.

An example of blatant collusion would look something like this: Blinds 1,000-2,000 (300 ante) everyone folds to the small blind who has 200,000 in chips. The big blind has another 400 in chips after paying the 2,000 big blind. The small blind folds! In this case, the players at the table should be VERY suspicious. The floor should be called. The floor then should take a look at the small blind’s cards. It hardly matters in this case, as he should put him all-in even if he has 7-2 off suit . If the floor now sees a hand like A-10 he can remove any doubt whatsoever. This is pure collusion. If it’s a more marginal case, the floor issues a stern warning and lets both players know that if anything like this happens again, they will be penalized. The rest of the players at the table will now have their eyes


PK52UE_N1_CS5.5.indd 63 11/08/11 13:27

CH

RO

NIC

LE D

AN

IEL

NE

GR

EA

NU

on any future suspicious behavior between these two players.

Matt also asserted that it’s impossible to know the relationships between the various players in a tournament, but in fact, that is completely irrelevant. In the previous example, their relationship doesn’t make a difference. They were colluding. Which brings me to my next important point: it is NOT okay for a player to collude with another by telling him he has AA, and then his opponent folds KK preflop. Fixing this awful rule would not change this fact.If this happens, “Let it go man I have AA for real. Throw it away.” Then his opponent folds, the players at the table should call the floor immediately. The floor should take a look at both hands. If it appears as those these two players may be colluding verbally, either a stern warning or a penalty should be given. Once again, these two players would be put on notice, and any future banter would be heavily scrutinized.

******

Years ago I tried to explain the various scenarios where this rule crosses the line, but Matt doesn’t want to understand it. There are times where certain table talk could be collusion, however, there are other times where revealing the strength of one’s cards is clearly, and undeniably unrelated to collusion. For example:Phil Hellmuth moves in on the river and it’s up to me. Hellmuth isn’t saying a word. Then I start yapping, “All in Philly boy? Why so much? Can you beat two jacks? Feels like you are getting greedy here man. I would have called 8,000 with jacks in a heart beat but now you have me confused.”So I’ve revealed that I have jacks. Please TDA, please someone on the TDA please explain to me how this disclosure could in any way, shape or, form, be considered collusion? Can we not see the difference

between the innocent table talk here that reveals my hole cards, and a guy on the money bubble saying, “Fold your hand I have aces and I’ll show you. I just want to make the money.” Can we really not see the distinction here? Surely you can.

******

What We lose as players

Part of what makes poker interesting is the ability to look at your opponent and gauge whether or not they look like they are bluffing or not. It is undoubtedly a poker skill. This rule infringes upon a skill that’s been used since poker’s inception and is one of the sexier aspects to the game, not to mention the viewing public. I’d like to share three examples from my past:In the WPT Championship years ago Russell Rosenblum raised under the gun and I called on the button with AQ. I was worried he had a strong hand since he raised from early position, but felt like I should at least see a flop. The flop came A-A-6. He made a small bet on the flop and I called. The turn was a 3 and he moved all-in.Immediately, I said, “Ugh I’m so stupid! That’s why you aren’t supposed to call raises with this stupid hand!” I looked over at Russell and he was giddy, almost giggling at me while I tortured myself. Then I pondered further, and said aloud, “I guess he could have AJ...” I looked over at Russell and he clammed up! He stopped breathing! It finally dawned on him that I had AQ and he was in trouble. He went from giddy thinking he had me beat, to instant panic mode and I could see it. I called and he showed A-T. He hit a 10 on the river but that’s besides the point. For those assuming I was going to call anyway, they don’t know what poker was like seven years ago. I had a good stack and didn’t have to call here at all. I called solely based on the physical tell that my “shtick” provoked.

Was I colluding? Was I cheating? Was I harming anyone else in the tournament? Of course not, unless you believe in the merits of this TDA rule.

Next example:I’ve played with Sammy Farha a million times and he talks a lot. In a typical hand, he may look me straight in the face, after betting $40,000 and say, “I’ve got you beat, throw your hand away.” I’d ask, “What do you have Sammy?” and he’d reply, “I have the nuts of course, you know I only play the nuts.” It’s up to me to decide if Sammy is telling the truth. Are we colluding? Of course not! If he was soft playing me he certainly wouldn’t have bet $40,000!

Verbal collusion in a heads up pot NEVER EVER EVER happens on the river after a bet has been made. If two players were colluding, they wouldn’t bet all-in and


PK52UE_N1_CS5.5.indd 64 11/08/11 13:27

then say, “Fold your hand man I have the nuts.” If the two players were colluding, they just wouldn’t bet.

The most controversial example is a hand I played in the NBC Heads Up vs Jerry Buss. In this event, you are allowed to show your opponent, one card, or both cards any time you want during a hand. Jerry Buss bet the rest of his stack against me and I found myself sitting with two pair. I confirmed with the floor staff that I could show my hand, and then I turned my cards over and looked over at Jerry. He didn’t flinch, looked completely comfortable, and even smirked a bit. It wasn’t a huge river bet, I had a good lead, but I folded my Queens and Nines because I knew Jerry had it based on how he reacted to seeing my hand. He was at ease. He showed Queens and Tens.

I’m not going to bother advocating for being able to show your cards in tournament poker or Matt will throw a hissy fit, but the point of this example was to show, and explain to people that these river decisions, and what you do to elicit information about your opponents hand is a poker SKILL that’s been stripped from a players arsenal to protect against a completely unrelated issue: collusion.

the Compromise

I think it’s clear that players have no way of feeling safe saying anything during a hand, so the way the current rule is written, it is precisely a NO TALKING rule. The only way to ensure that a floor man won’t enforce this rule based on what you say, is complete silence. Anything you say could possibly be construed as revealing the contents of your hand. A simple. “I didn’t like that card,” could warrant you a penalty if an argument is made that it reveals to your opponent that you don’t have the nuts.

So, while I’d like to see this rule abolished, as it should be, Matt has publicly stated that, “There is nothing Daniel or Phil Hellmuth can say to get this rule changed.”

The TDA’s goals are to standardize rules and protect players, yet in this particular case they are completely ignoring the concerns of the overwhelming majority of poker players.

The best option is to completely eliminate this rule, but I’d accept a compromise that would still make it a penalty to disclose the contents of your hand in some cases, but not in others. I offer an amendment to the rule that would actually give it some clarity, and allow players the freedom to clearly understand what is okay to say and what is not:

“When a player is facing a bet in a heads up pot, he is free to say anything about the contents of his, or her opponents hand.”

If you add that amendment to the already existing rule, it would make crystal clear to the players playing in TDA sanctioned events, that verbal collusion will NOT be tolerated, but they will have the freedom to use table talk to help them make important decisions throughout a tournament. Deal?

******

I’d like to point out that I genuinely like and respect Matt Savage. He is a good guy and I agree with him about 92% of the time. I think he created the best tournament structures in the world, and being a structure geek, that’s saying a lot. Those structures are a model for tournaments around the world to copy. On the radio show I absolutely lost it! I’ve been trying to explain this to Matt for over five years and he has some kind of mental block on this issue, and that frustrated me to the point where I got heated. I genuinely apologize to Matt for the delivery of my points. I certainly didn’t handle myself well during that discussion, but that doesn’t negate the fact that I’m clearly on the right side of this debate.

The vast majority of the poker world agrees with me, both fans and players, and thanks to mediums like twitter, and poker forums, more voices can be heard to support changing this rule and the way it’s currently being implemented.


The vast majority of the poker world agrees with me, both fans and players

PK52UE_N1_CS5.5.indd 65 11/08/11 13:27

CH

RO

NIC

LE S

AM

I K

ELO

PU

RO

SamI KElOPurO“LarsLuzak”

Let’s journey back and see if I can still remember what happened along the way in the PLO event. A little bit before the money bubble I managed to get one of the top stacks in the tournament. Obviously in PLO the stack go up and down constantly but I was in pretty good shape. I was all-in once with just a gutshot when there were about eight players left. UTG limped in (I actually missed that, there was just one big blind so I thought the limp was BB) and I had KK95 on the button. The blinds were huge (average was like 22bb) and I didn’t have a very large stack at the moment so I could commit myself by raising the pot. I made it 175k (25k/50k blinds), actually I could’ve made it 200k but still thought I was against SB and BB but no big deal, wouldn’t really change anything (I wouldn’t think that particular guy would limp aces and 25k doesn’t make much difference). The flop came 568 rainbow. Both checked to me and I had less then the pot left, I pretty much have to go with it and hope they haven’t flopped a set or straight. Ben Lamb called me and the UTG guy limper mucked. Unfortunately Ben flopped the small straight (74xx) and I had only 3 outs. The magical 7 came right away on the turn, but still had to sweat for his... I think 7 outs (two pair and gutter for a nine) but he missed. I think from this hand I had it in good every time and won all except the last one. When the heads up started between Ben and I, he had 6.65m against my 4.18m. I grinded a few pots and soon we were almost even before the final hand. I minraised the button (like I did with every hand I played, we were about

I was in Vegas for four weeks and I arrived back to Finland a few days ago. The trip was good; I had success in the games and good

times outside the tables. I was supposed to play four events but ended up just playing two. I started with the 10k PLO cham-

pionship, which went really well, I finished second, Ben Lamb getting the bracelet. He is having an amazing world series and

nothing seems to be stopping him. Sick results and now even the Main Event final. I think he is a good player and I wish

him best of luck in the november nine.

aliVE anD WEllin VEGas

PK52UE_N1_CS5.5.indd 66 11/08/11 13:27

Tournaments are nice when you run good, and exhausting when you run bad for a long time

50bb deep) with a really nice hand AQK7 double suited and Ben called. The flop was A93 rainbow.

Ben check-called my continuation bet on the flop and the turn Qs gave me top 2 pair. It also opened backdoor spades. He checked and I bet again. He tanked a bit and then asked how much I had and then quickly announced “pot”. I knew he could’ve slowplayed a set of 3’s or 9’s like this, but the quick potsized raise definitely got me thinking he is on a draw. Not that it really matters, I probably have no way out anyways with 50bb deep with top two but now I was sure what I wanted to do. Still didn’t feel too good to put it in with just top two but had to do it. Ben called the rest and showed 6542 with spades, giving him 40% with the nut low at the moment. I couldn’t stop the Ben-run on the river when 5d landed filling up his straight. Sick 60% for bracelet + additional $310k, doesn’t happen every day. In fact, I might never be that close to a bracelet again (can’t get much closer really). To be honest, he would’ve had 1/10 of all chips if he lost so he would’ve still had a small chance to win if I won the pot. The river didn’t come my way this time, but I don’t feel too bad about it. Obviously I ran good until that and 2nd place (and $503k) is great too.

The second tournament I was supposed to play was 10k 6-handed NL, but had already started when we finished the PLO, and I definitely didn’t feel like starting another one yet so it was easy to skip. Unlike Ben, who I guess saw his chances to win the player of the year title and went straight into that one, and it was the right decision.

I skipped the 5k NL triple chance too, just didn’t feel like going and was just going to focus on the Main Event. A couple of interesting hands that comes to my mind: First one was on day 1, 100/200 level, an active young player opens to 450, one guy calls in position and I put the extra 250 in the middle with my Kh8d. The flop comes AKJ with two spades. Check-check to the last player who bet. I thought I shouldn’t call (and almost never do in this spot) but it looked like an automatic bet in position, which I’ve seen before from the same guy. I wasn’t too worried about the guy in between us. I made the call and so did the original raiser. This was not good news. The turn was Qs and I realized I must represent flush/ straight if I want the pot. I bet 2,400 (into about 3,700) the first one called and the guy in position mucked. Maybe I was right about him not having it, maybe not, that didn’t matter anymore. I had to worry about the other guy. He called my bet pretty quickly and I put him on AT/AQ, maybe KQ/QQ. The river was a meaningless red 7. I knew he had a strong hand but I didn’t think he had a flush. He is going to fold two pair and a set if I bet, but if I bet big enough I think he would not call with a straight either. I shouldn’t have any bluffs at this spot, I represent flush and I pretty much have to have it after this kind of action. So I bet about 13,700 (into 8,500 or so). He thought about it a bit and then open folded 96 of spades. The third nut flush! That is beyond sick, right. That was not the hand I tried to outplay for sure. I guess it might be actually a good laydown there, my betsize sure represents nut/second nut flush more that a smaller one. Although I’m sure he didn’t feel too good when I said “big laydown” and showed him 8h.

Another interesting hand was an important hand on day 6 (my last day of the Main). UTG opens, I call from CO with KcQc and button calls too, the blinds fold. The flop is A92 with two clubs. UTG makes a small C-bet, I call and button folds. The turn is a 4, the flush doesn’t fill up. We go check-check. The river is a Queen. He bets out 250k leaving 400k+ behind. I put him on AK/AJ/AT. I decided to put him all-in (I had about 400k more than him). Not a standard play for sure, and pretty dangerous. I did this for a few reasons. First of all, I slowplayed a set earlier and I’m sure he remember it. I opened with 33, two callers behind and flop came 843. I check-called and after that we checked it down all the way on turn 8 and river 6. This is of course a totally different kind of spot but it shows that I at least sometimes slowplay big hands and it gives me some credit on that spot hopefully. Other reason for this play is that I had more chips than him and therefore I don’t risk my tournament life completely with that bluff. And third of all people don’t want to bust at this point of the Main Event. He knows that I might bluff here and there aren’t that many hands I can have that beat AK/AJ/AT which I was hoping he’d have. But he knows that he can only beat a bluff there and I hoped it looked enough like “no one would be crazy enough to bluff here when I have this little chips left”. I guess the most likely value hand I’d have here would be AQ. I could also have slowplayed QQ, Q9s or a checked-behind-set (which doesn’t really make much sense but still possible). Well, he didn’t take much time before calling with AQ. That is sick that he has the hand that I’m supposed to have. If he had a set or called down with one pair that would’ve been OK, but that was sick when I had the blocked Q for that hand as well. I don’t regret that play but this is the one thing that I could’ve done differently. I still think he would’ve ended up laying down AK/AJ/ AT but I can’t know for sure.

After this I had only a little over 10bb left. I survived another half an hour or so without getting any hands to go in with. I picked up something like a suited ace but then there was a raise and an all-in before me so couldn’t do anything. Then I was UTG+1 with 7bb and peeled a K5o. I couldn’t survive the blinds anymore and it was better than average (better than shoving any two on next hand) so I moved all-in. The button tanked awhile and then called with A7s (the blinds folded). It was good and correct call by him giving my situation but it seemed like he almost let it go. The flop was Q85, I hit a king of the turn but he picked up a flush draw. He made the flush on the river and I busted 111th. Unfortunately Jens Kyllönen busted almost the same time (113th), from about average stack and there were no Finnish players in top 100 this year. At least we got $55k. I’m not too greedy, I’m quite happy with that giving that I have been doing really well in tournaments this year.

Tournaments are nice when you run good, and exhausting when you run bad for a long time (I don’t play that many tournaments so the long run is REALLY long). Finally, after a few years of live tournaments I have gotten some nice results and I’m looking forwards to the upcoming tournaments later on this year. There is EPT Tallinn and Barcelona, which I think I’ll play. There is Partouche Poker Tour Main Event, WSOPE (also in Cannes this year) and perhaps WPT Paris unless it over lapses with another one.


PK52UE_N1_CS5.5.indd 67 11/08/11 13:27


It’s been now four years that Stéphane de Durfort lives for his two passions: technology and poker. Since couple months, he has launched a new website: winyourbuyin.com, where poker players can pay at a cheap price some big buy-ins. Let’s meet with this young entrepeneur who has launched a brand new concept…

By Antoine Salvi

wIn yOur Buy-In : TrEaT yOurSElf wITh a BIG Buy-In

how did you get interested into poker ?

After my business school in France, I graduated in marketing in Miami. I play poker since 4 years, No Limit Hold’Em and Omaha, live and internet, but mostly cash-games. I created a firm specialized in new technologies, Crepuscule, which develops new tools for internet or smartphones. We also design softwares for poker rooms.

you also created “prizepool”, an iphone app which became very popular…

Yes : I often see poker players wasting their time calling poker rooms to know the dates and exact time of the upcoming tournaments. I thus decided to create this application which gathers all those information. Prizepool also displays tournament results, calendar updates and articles, such as those by Poker52, who is our editorial partner. The iPhone app is totally free and thousands of players have downloaded it.

Winyourbuyin.com is your newest website, since 2010. What is its concept ?

The site had been launched in july 2010, and its owner asked me to create something really

special. The idea is simple but efficient : poker players with a small bankroll can play big buy-ins tournaments, like PPT or EPT Main Events. The system is quite common : reverse auctions. Our first auction, in july 2010, has allowed one of our members to play the PPT Main Event (total package worth of 8 000€) for only 0,59€. Our tickets almost always include buy-ins, hotel and plane ticket.

how does it work ?Everyone has to find the lowest auction possible (minimum is 0,01€), but one has to be the only one who gives this prize. For example, if you put an auction at 0,23€ and I put an auction at 0,22€, I win instantly the ticket. But if someone after me puts an auction at 0,22€, then you win with 0,23€, because you are alone at that prize…During the auctions, the site informs you if you are the only one at that price level or not.

it’s not gambling at all, then…No, it really is about strategy. One must understand its techniques to win. One of our members has already won 4 packages since the beginning, and three of them have won twice. You can compete in real time and you have to adapt your offers in live condition. If you follow carefully the instructions and information, you have 90% chance to win

the auction. Every member must register and credit its account. Each auction is worth 200 points, which can be bought for 2€. It also depends on the total amount of money you deposit : for 10€, you have a 50% bonus (1 500 points, instead of 1 000 points); for 100€, it’s a 100% bonus; for 500€, it’s 200% bonus, which can mean big wins !

are there some good stories with all your winners ?

Yes, we have a great feedback from our members. One of them, for example, won a total package for Mauritius Paradise Poker Tour, worth of 4 800€, and he flew there with his family, making it to the final table of the Main Event !

What are your new projects ?We have just uploaded a new version of the site, and we currently are building a new partnership to develop our softwares and websites on the European poker scene. We are also in discussion with two big European casino groups to offer to our members regular buy-ins from their tours. We want to have like 15 auctions at a time and be able to offer EPT or WPT tickets as well as regular tournaments in poker clubs or casinos. And, we are about to launch a reverse auction widget for Facebook!

POKEr BuSInESS

STéPhanE DE DurfOrT

PK52UE_N1_CS5.5.indd 68 11/08/11 13:27


PK52UE_N1_CS5.5.indd 69 11/08/11 13:27

CH

RO

NIC

LE H

EN

DO

NM

OB

yOU aRE tHE tOURnamEnt DiRECtOR sERiEs 4DEalER mUCKs BOtH HanDs WHEn allin anD CallEDAn unusual matter to rule on occurred at the London Live tournament at the Victoria Casino in April 2011. All action is folded to the small blind who raises putting chips into the pot, the big blind reraises putting in more chips, then the following verbal actions happened:

• Small blind: All-in• Big blind: Is that an all-in?• Small blind: Yes, all-in• Big blind: Call

So the small blind turns over his cards - the big blind turns over his cards. Both hands were face up on the table, behind the line and exactly as you would expect at a showdown. Everyone could see them, although the dealer wasn’t paying attention.The dealer leans forwards, turns over the two hands and sweeps up all the other cards on the table, pushes the pot towards the BB (the chips were still separate from his pile) and starts mixing all cards face down. He did not get to square the deck or riffle, he had just started table shuffling and at that point the BB said (and others quickly followed) with something along the lines of “What are you doing?”

Both the SB and the BB could remember their exact holdings and there was no disputing this.The dealer says he doesn’t know what happened.• Part 1) How would you rule?• Part 2) If the players could remember the ranks but not the

exact suits how would you rule then?• Part 3) Would the players’ holdings ever make any difference

to your ruling

PART 1 - HOW WOULD YOU RULE?

Matt SavageEven though it is the players’ responsibility to protect their hands this is not entirely the case here as it is a clear dealer mistake. If the hands are identifiable then they must be retrieved. The remaining cards if already mixed together

are then shuffled and the flop turn and river delivered, the winner of the pot is then declared. Of course this is not ideal but it is the fairest way to protect the players.

Tab DuchateauSince there was no dispute as to either players’ cards, I would find each players’, return them to the players, then I would instruct the dealer to shuffle the deck, burn, flop, burn, turn, and burn river. The hand should be played out

to completion and this would fall under a random card theory situation.

Jack EffelSince both players could remember their exact holdings, I would retrieve their cards from the deck, shuffle the remaining cards, and run out the hand... burn flop, burn turn, burn, river. The winner of the hand would receive the pot.

nicolas FraioliI will return the cards to the players and shuffle up the deck to make a flop with three burn cards.


PK52UE_N1_CS5.5.indd 70 11/08/11 13:27

Thomas kremserBecause the deck is mixed up with the discards I would rule this situation a split pot between the two players. It must be guaranteed that no discard (cards that players folded) can come back again otherwise one of the 2 players could

technically lose against «Zero-outs». The fact that cards have been mucked doesn’t influence at all as they have been tabled correctly but the fact that discards could be on the board (after reshuffling the deck) is an important fact. This situation is an obvious dealer mistake; I haven’t seen a situation like this before where you don’t have any cards available to deal a board. Normally when the dealer kills the hands, players protest right away and it is possible to save part of the deck that would allow to deal a board and play the hand.

Dave SimpsonThe hand must be played to completion. Both players’ cards have been shown and can be verified and retrieved. The pot is also retrieved and all remaining cards are re-shuffled and the hand is played to completion.

THE MOB VERDICT ON PART 1There are, as Thomas points out, real issues associated with bringing the discards, as opposed to burn card, back into play.

You could imagine an unfortunate situation where one of the players turned over a pair of fours. Other players claimed to have mucked the remaining fours and a four hit the flop. This could indeed leave a player feeling aggrieved, and although there would be no way of verifying what had really been discarded, it is certainly true that in such a case a player could technically hit a zero outer.

Because of the pre-flop action in this hand you could also argue that bringing back the discards might marginally favour a player with low cards as against, for example AK.

But despite such concerns the flop is essentially random, and running it out is an evenhanded decision.

The overriding principle here is one of fairness. Players need to be protected; hands should be retrieved where possible and mistakes should be rectified where possible. So, is it possible here? We think it is.

If you split the pot you are probably not producing the result that would have occurred if the mistake had not been made. If you deal out the hand you probably are.

There can be no perfect solution, but we would deal out the hand because it is the fairest course of action and is the one most likely to produce the right result.

Although, as Thomas says, it is not ideal to bring discards back into play, we agree with all those TDs who would retrieve the two hands and deal out the flop, turn and river.

PART 2) IF THE PLAYERS COULD REMEMBER THE RANKS BUT NOT THE EXACT SUITS HOW WOULD YOU RULE THEN?

Matt SavageI could make a strange ruling here and then declared that the cards are retrieved and then flushes are now ineligible for the winning hand.

Tab DuchateauI’ve actually had a similar situation happen recently. Since it was not clear what the suits were, and it would be unfair to both players to not be able to have the ability to win the hand via flush, it was decided to split the pot.

Jack EffelIf we know the ranks of each player’s hands but not the suits, my ruling would be to reconstruct both hands but with two different suits in each hand. For example, if the hands were AK vs. AQ, I would randomly pick an Ace and King

from the deck, and assign the other two suits to the AQ. That way, both players would have a completely random chance of making two different flushes without beating the other with a higher flush. And all possible outcomes for both hands would be preserved.

nicolas FraioliIf we don’t know the exact suits I will make a split pot because it would not be fair that a player could make a flush...

Thomas kremserThis wouldn’t change my decision; cards that have been folded must never get back in the game.

Dave SimpsonIf the players can not state with 100% accuracy the suits of their cards they will be unable to claim a flush unless all five suited cards appear on the board.


PK52UE_N1_CS5.5.indd 71 11/08/11 13:27

THE MOB VERDICT ON PART 2The TDs get really imaginative here. Matt and Tab would rule out flushes, Jack would pick suits to give both players a fair shot at a flush. (You could just about see how this might work with two hands, but with three or more...forget about it!) Dave appears to be saying that a flush can only be claimed when it splits the pot, although that is not exactly what he says.

Full marks all round for creativity, but in our view once you can’t name the exact cards you are no longer able to retrieve the hands, and along with Nicolas and Thomas we would split the pot. Anything else is simply stretching things too far and we are not convinced that in a real life situation all the TDs would come up the answer they give here.

PART 3) WOULD THE PLAYERS’ HOLDINGS EVER MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE TO YOUR RULING.

Matt SavageOnly in one case if they were identical meaning AA’s vs. AA’s or 22’s vs. 22’s in which case I think it makes perfect sense to split the pot.

Tab DuchateauThe players’ cards would not make a difference in any way.

Jack EffelNo, as long as we know the rankings of each No, as long as we know the rankings of each hand. I would not rule differently based on a player’s holdings even if one of the hands had a significantly higher value such as AA v.s. 2-7.

The idea is to remain true to the hand, and make a decision that is fair for all involved.

nicolas FraioliThe player’s holding won’t make any difference my ruling, it would be the same in both case.

Thomas kremserNo, never.

Dave SimpsonThe players’ holdings are irrelevant, and the hand is played to completion in the same manner regardless of players’ holdings every time.

THE MOB VERDICT ON PART 3We have mixed feelings about this one. We can perfectly well see the simple justice in Matts reply. (Once you ask for an example where the hands would make a difference to your ruling, this is a very good answer.) By running out a flop where the players have identical pairs, you risk a perverse result. This is no more or less than the risk they would ordinarily run.

The idea here is to retrieve the hands and run a flop. This is the simplest, most straightforward approach and it doesn’t really help to introduce exceptions.

In conclusion, we would always run out the flop where the exact hands were known, and never when they weren’t. This is a consistent position that could avoid a lot of soul searching and head scratching if it were generally agreed. C

HR

ON

ICLE

HE

ND

ON

MO

B


PK52UE_N1_CS5.5.indd 72 11/08/11 13:27

POKER 52 auropa // SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2011 // ISSUE 1 73POKER 52 auropa // SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2011 // ISSUE 1 73

PK52UE_N1_CS5.5.indd 73 11/08/11 13:27

74 ISSUE 1 // SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2011 // 74 nUMÉRO 1 // AOÛT 2011 // // SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 747474 nUMÉRO ISSUE nUMÉRO ISSUE 1nUMÉRO 1 //nUMÉRO // 1SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 1SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER //SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER AOÛT SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER AOÛT SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2011SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER //SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER POKER 52 SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER POKER 52 SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER

AEnter the mind of Bruno “king” Fitoussi whilst playing a hand, and follow his analysis “in the tank”. For this issue let’s go to the World Series Of Poker in Las Vegas, for the 6-max Shorthanded $10,000 Championship. Bruno Fitoussi is experiencing a good start, in early levels of this event…

After several tournaments where I’ve done nothing, I am very motivated by this Championship, despite a really bad backache I’ve had for several days —which would force me, few days later, to un-register from the $50k Players Championship. I late-register for this Short-Handed event so I can spend less time on a chair… I double-up very quickly (the starting stack is three times the buy-in: 30k chips), but I remain very active at the table to consolidate my chiplead. I try to put the maximum

pressure on my opponents, and going up to 80k chips. During Level 5, I have to move to a new table, much more difficult than the previous one: young internet pros mostly, as on most of the tables of this tournament, they clearly have an edge. In level 7 (blinds 250-500, ante 50), UTG, I get Ks-9s, and I min-raise to 1,200, as I’m really deepstack. As usual at that table, the young pro on the button, with a 50k stack (around the average), decides to raise. He 3-bets to 3,600,

BrunO “KInG” fITOuSSI

a GOOD STarT

HIGH-ROLLER

STraTEGy

// POKER 52 auropaPOKER 52 SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER POKER 52 SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2011POKER 52 2011 //POKER 52 //aPOKER 52 aPOKER 52 POKER 52 uropaPOKER 52

Joueur 2500

Joueur 1Relance : 3 600

Bruno FitoussiMise : 1 200


PK52UE_N1_CS5.5.indd 74 11/08/11 13:28

// SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2011 // ISSUE 1 75 // AOÛT 2011 // nUMÉRO 1 75POKER 52 a // SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2011POKER 52 aPOKER 52 aurPOKER 52 uropaPOKER 52 opa //POKER 52 // aSEPTEMBER-OCTOBER aSEPTEMBER-OCTOBER uropaSEPTEMBER-OCTOBER uropaSEPTEMBER-OCTOBER SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER //SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER AOÛT SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER AOÛT SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2011SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2011SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2011201120112011//2011nUMÉRO 2011nUMÉRO 2011 //nUMÉRO // ISSUE nUMÉRO ISSUE 1111 757575

and is paid by the BB, which does not provide me any information. The BB has a 40k stack. I decide to pay, to see the flop, with 11k chips in the middle.The flop comes: Qs - 8h - 7sThe BB checks. I have a spade draw, King-high, as well as a runner-runner straight draw, but the Queen can be a dangerous card. I check too, to control the size of the pot. The Button c-bets to 5,600. The BB and I decide to pay. Turn: JdThe turn opens a straight with 9-10, but it’s quite unlikely. One can have two pairs with J-Q, or J-trips. For me it’s just a straight draw, with a 10. But the King high straight would not be the best hand possible, and one can have A-K in this hand.

Surprisingly though, everyone checks the turn.The river does not change anything: 3c.The BB checks, and I decide to try a steal in my position, because the pot is really big. I must bet my missed flush draw as a value-bet, so that my opponents think I have a big hand, and that I had checked

the turn, waiting for a bet to raise. I bet 10k in this 28,200 pot, to represent a strong hand. The Button player hesitates

during long minutes, and decides to fold because he has another player behind him. He told me later

that he folded… a pair of Aces ! The BB player goes in the tank too, but folds and I can rake all the pot and show my bluff…Next stop : WPT Grand Prix de Paris at the Aviation Club!

WSOP – SHORT-HANDED CHAMPIONSHIP 10 000 $

STARTING STACK 30,000 CHIPS

BRUNO FITOUSSI’S STACK 80,000

LEVEL 7 DAY 1 25/500 ANTE 50

POSITION UTG

HAND K

9

PK52UE_N1_CS5.5.indd 75 11/08/11 13:28


FROm Jan. 1st 2011 tO aUG. 15tH 20112011 euRopean pokeR RankinG

The World Series Of Poker in Las Vegas have made quite a fuss, especially after some big wins by european poker pros, like Bertrand «ElkY» Grospellier or Jake Cody, during the Heads-Up championship. Sam Trickett, who spent a nightmarish summer in nevada, is still at the top of the list, though, with almost a million dollars more than ElkY and katchalov. Chris Moorman is still doing good, nearing the Top 10, whereas pros like David Benyamine remain in this Top 10, despite a pretty deceiving summer... But the year is not yet over, and this fall could bring a lot of surprises...

ranKInG

hanking Country player Winnings (en $)

1 Sam Trickett 2,972,760

2 Bertrand Grospellier 2,087,763

3 Eugene katchalov 1,989,510

4 Anton Ionel 1,807,157

5 Max Heinzelmann 1,640,961

6 Max Lykov 1,606,780

7 David Benyamine 1,495,699

8 Rupert Elder 1,456,500

9 Lucien Cohen 1,351,463

10 Torsten Brinkmann 1,349,403

11 Chris Moorman 1,224,545

12 Martin Jacobson 1,179,779

13 James keys 1,033,014

14 Alessio Isaia 971,079

15 Tony Bloom 964,296


16 Jake Cody 950,791

17 Mikhail Lakhitov 907,648

18 Tamas Lendvai 887,901

19 Heinz Pius 865,401

20 Eoghan O'Dea 836,864

21 Carlos Mortensen 834,306

22 Antonin Teisseire 825,604

23 Oleksii kovalchuk 823,009

24 Martin Staszko 804,990

25 niall Smyth 794,580

26 Sam Holden 787,900

27 Anton Makiievskiy 782,115

28 Hasan Alexander Anter 779,019

29 Fabrice Soulier 758,055

30 Dmitry Gromov 744,831

Bertrand Grospellier Eugène KatchalovSam Trickett

PK52UE_N1_CS5.5.indd 76 11/08/11 13:28



31 Yevgeniy Timoshenko 732,328

32 Michael Tureniec 731,893

33 Alexander kuzmin 727,577

34 Andrey Danilyuk 669,333

35 Vladimir Geshkenbein 626,494

36 Marvin Guido Rettenmaier 623,379

37 Per Linde 613,258

38 Juha Helppi 569,858

39 Sami kelopuro 558,024

40 Vadim Shlez 555,066

41 Benjamin Spindler 517,406

42 Lars Bonding 508,315

43 Surinder Sunar 507,211

44 kevin Vandersmissen 495,849

45 Vyacheslav Zhukov 492,319

46 Pieter-Michael De Goede 489,998

47 William Thorson 482,645

48 Andrey Pateychuk 478,174

49 Juan Maceiras Lapido Jr. 467,532

50 John Paul kelly 461,729

51 Vadim kursevich 433,513

52 Julian kabitzke 433,407

53 Sebastian Ruthenberg 428,171

54 David Vamplew 418,972

55 Govert Metaal 414,857

56 John Eames 396,348

57 Andrey Zaichenko 382,622

58 Eros nastasi 381,629

59 Thorsten Schafer 381,044

60 Sadan Turker 381,036

61 Dominik nitsche 380,824

62 Mustapha kanit 372,601

63 John Shipley 369,575

64 Maksim kolosov 364,255

65 Ronan Collet 363,306


66 Julien Claudepierre 353,871

67 Alexander kostritsyn 345,621

68 Aleksandr Mozhnyakov 345,312

69 Samad Razavi 339,146

70 Philipp Gruissem 337,991

71 Richard Ashby 336,203

72 Tom Middleton 335,822

73 Francesco De Vivo 334,888

74 natalya nikitina 332,624

75 Lukas Berglund 327,546

76 Alexander Debus 326,688

77 Szabolcs Mayer 305,610

78 nikolay Evdakov 297,507

79 Elie Payan 295,432

80 Warren Wooldridge 291,326

81 Robbie Verspui 291,207

82 kaspars Renga 287,377

83 Gus Hansen 283,966

84 Jean Luc Marais 283,456

85 Erich kollmann 279,363

86 Daniel Drescher 273,255

87 Adrien Braesco 271,152

88 Domenico Cordi 271,051

89 Darren Woods 269,524

90 Simon Ravnsbaek 269,249

90 Tobias Reinkemeier 269,249

92 Rob Akery 268,705

93 Massimiliano Manigrasso 268,670

94 Martin Petri 260,044

95 Armin Mette 256,177

96 kenny Hallaert 254,592

97 Roberto Romanello 253,605

98 Selim Oulmekki 251,267

99 Guillaume Darcourt 246,640

100 Jon Spinks 246,117

PK52UE_N1_CS5.5.indd 77 11/08/11 13:28


all the hM Ranking can be found online at www.poker52europa.com

all timE mOnEy list - EUROPEWinning a Main Event is always a good thing to do if you want to remain at the top of the All Time Money List... But few players can put in danger Peter Eastgate or Carlos Mortensen, like Gus Hansen (who did not succeed at all in this year WSOP, playing only one or two big events, because of the Full Tilt/Black Friday scandal) or ElkY, who now totals more than $8,400,000

Peter Eastgate Carlos Mortensen Gus Hansen

Ranking Country player Winnings (en $)

1 Peter Eastgate 10,918,443

2 Carlos Mortensen 10,765,799

3 Gus Hansen 9,386,494


5 Ivan Demidov 6,751,371

6 Eugene katchalov 6,418,677


8 Dave Ulliott 5,987,901

9 Roland de Wolfe 5,330,556

10 Chris Bjorin 5,067,301

11 Jeff Lisandro 4,785,971


13 Surinder Sunar 4,569,126

14 Andy Black 4,379,146

15 Yevgeniy Timoshenko 4,199,115

Ranking Country player Winnings (en $)

16 Vitaly Lunkin 4,193,669

17 Marcel Luske 3,939,416

18 Juha Helppi 3,871,990

19 Antoine Saout 3,863,435

20 Marty Smyth 3,819,875

21

Annette Obrestad 3,703,471

22 Alexander kravchenko 3,689,387

23 Ram Vaswani 3,476,778

24 Filippo Candio 3,379,305

25 Martin De knijff 3,372,383

26 Sebastian Ruthenberg 3,312,121

27 Tony Bloom 3,308,051

28 Fabrice Soulier 3,290,642

29 Pieter De-korver 3,286,001

30 Patrik Antonius 3,263,243

ranKInG

PK52UE_N1_CS5.5.indd 78 11/08/11 13:29

tOP tEnall timE mOnEy list

hanking player Winnings (en $)

1 Carlos Mortensen 10,918,443

2 Raul Paez Corral 1,520,357

3 Juan Maceiras Lapido Jr. 1,023,496

4 Jesús Cortes Lizano 775,900

5 Santiago Terrazas 651,405

6 Oscar Blanco Carrasco 510,534

7 Ruben Velasco Merino 423,383

8 Javier Martinez Gil 417,166

9 John Caridad 396,282

10 Diego Bordonaba Perez 391,573


1 Jeff Lisandro 4,785,971

2 Filippo Candio 3,384,128

3 Max Pescatori 3,158,344

4 Salvatore Bonavena 2,133,041

5 Alessio Isaia 1,899,497

6 Luca Pagano 1,863,704

7 Dario Alioto 1,367,518

8 Gianni Giaroni 1,111,616

9 Gino Alacqua 1,047,956

10 Francesco De Vivo 998,337


1 Dave Ulliott 5,987,901

2 Roland de Wolfe 5,330,556


4 Surinder Sunar 4,569,126

5 Ram Vaswani 3,476,778

6 Tony Bloom 3,308,051

7 John Gale 3,252,551

8 James Akenhead 2,990,264

9 Mark Teltscher 2,933,941

10 neil Channing 2,902,416


1 Sebastian Ruthenberg 3,443,118

2 Andreas krause 2,228,884

3 Tobias Reinkemeier 2,217,812

4 Moritz kranich 2,161,082

5 Florian Langmann 1,986,364

6 Benjamin Spindler 1,927,121

7 Sandra naujoks 1,692,996

8 Max Heinzelmann 1,674,632

9 Torsten Brinkmann 1,411,260

10 Marco Sander 1,383,759

PK52UE_N1_CS5.5.indd 79 11/08/11 13:29



1 Chris Bjorin 5,094,404

2 Martin De knijff 3,372,383

3 William Thorson 3,254,188

4 Johan Storakers 2,958,390

5 Erik Marcus Friberg 2,751,068

6 Michael Tureniec 2,641,874

7 Martin Jacobson 2,491,575

8 Christer Johansson 2,161,275

9 ken Lennaard 1,500,653

10 kent Lundmark 1,407,553


1 Andy Black 4,379,146

2 Marty Smyth 3,819,875

3 Padraig Parkinson 1,622,260

4 Eoghan O’Dea 1,546,528

5 Fintan Gavin 1,296,265

6 John Magill 1,207,856

7 noel Furlong 1,145,807

8 Liam Flood 1,142,446

9 Donnacha O’Dea 1,137,412

10 Ciaran O’Leary 954,952


1 Peter Eastgate 10,918,443

2 Gus Hansen 9,386,494

3 Theo Jørgensen 2,856,998

4 Rehne Pedersen 2,299,640

5 Jan Sorensen 2,107,963

6 Søren kongsgaard nielsen 1,988,594

7 Lars Bonding 1,811,259

8 Sander Lyloff 1,712,552

9 Rene Mouritsen 1,402,834

10 Rasmus nielsen 1,397,656


1 Annette Obrestad 3,703,471

2 Jan Olav Sjavik 1,839,863

3 Trond Eidsvig 1,623,879

4 Andreas Hoivold 1,548,058

5 Dag Martin Mikkelsen 1,469,999

6 Andreas Walnum 1,197,518

7 Bjorn-Erik Glenne 1,092,588

8 kristian kjondal 1,057,150

9 Johnny Lodden 960,807

10 Marcel Bjerkmann 941,651


1 Ivan Demidov 6,751,371

2 Vitaly Lunkin 4,193,669

3 Alexander kravchenko 3,689,387

4 Alexander kostritsyn 2,907,613

5 Max Lykov 2,583,844

6 kirill Gerasimov 2,563,108

7 Dmitry Gromov 1,492,294

8 Vladimir Schemelev 1,433,113

9 konstantin Puchkov 1,285,512

10 Mikhail Tulchinskiy 1,203,695

ranKInG



2 Antoine Saout 3,863,435

3 Fabrice Soulier 3,290,642


5 Roger Hairabedian 2,594,573

6 Jean-Pierre Pasqualini 2,424,968

7 Bruno Fitoussi 2,416,651

8 Antony Lellouche 2,409,846

9 Alain Bernard 2,120,165

10 Arnaud Mattern 1,879,227

PK52UE_N1_CS5.5.indd 80 11/08/11 13:29


touRnaMent sCheDuleauGust26 Aug - 1 Sep 2011 • EPT Barcelona, Barcelona28 Aug - 3 Sep 2011 • Croatian Poker Series - 2nd Edition, Split29 Aug - 5 Sep 2011 • IPT Nova Gorica, Nova Gorica31 Aug - 4 Sep 2011 • Belgian Poker Series - Blankenberge, Blankenberge

•B.O. Super Poker Classic, Bad Oeynhausen

septeMBeR1 - 11 Sep 2011 • WPT Rendez-Vous à Paris 2011, Paris2 - 4 Sep 2011 • The Genting Poker Link Game Championship, Liverpool

• High Limit Turniere 2011, Baden• DTD Monthly Deepstack, Nottingham• Montesino Cup, Vienna2 - 5 Sep 2011 • Labor Day Holiday Special, Mashantucket2 - 11 Sep 2011 PokerStars Russian Poker Series - Kiev, Kiev3 Sep 2011 • Casinos Poland Masters of Poker, Warsaw5 Sep 2011 • Palm Beach Big Game, London7 - 8 Sep 2011 • Ceska Pokerova Tour 2011, Prague7 - 11 Sep 2011 • North Sea Poker Classics, Scheveningen8 - 11 Sep 2011 • India Poker Series - Chapter 8, Goa• Shark Bay - Big Cup 2011, Nova Gorica• Soldeverde Season 2011, Vilamoura8 - 15 Sep 2011 • UK & Ireland Poker Tour - Dublin, Dublin10 Sep 2011 • Pokermeeting 2011, Hannover10 - 11 Sep 2011 • Sky Poker Tour - Grand Final, Nottingham• Marbella Poker Classic, Marbella• The Autumn Deepstack, Chaudfontaine11 - 17 Sep 2011 • Partouche Poker Tour - Main Event, Cannes13 - 18 Sep 2011 • Bodensee Poker Championships 2011, Bregenz

14 - 18 Sep 2011 • European Deepstack Poker Tour - Birmingham, Birmingham

15 - 18 Sep 2011 • 2011 Campeonato Espana De Poker - Mallorca, Mallorca

16 - 18 Sep 2011 • September Weekend Festival, London• TNT Hold’em Tournament, Bremen17 - 24 Sep 2011 • WPT Malta, Portomaso20 Sep - 2 Oct 2011 • European Masters of Poker III - Barcelona, Barcelona

21 - 25 Sep 2011 • Marrakech Poker Open, Marrakech• European Short-Handed Poker Championship, Dublin

22 - 25 Sep 2011 • Estrellas Poker Tour Ibiza, Eivissa

23 - 25 Sep 2011 • 2011 Barriere Poker Tour - Bordeaux, Bordeaux

24 - 25 Sep 2011 • 5 Stadte Poker Festival, Vienna Simmering• Genting Players Championship 2011, Birmingham

26 Sep - 2 Oct 2011 • 2011 Merit Fall Open, Kyrenia28 Sep - 2 Oct 2011 • Midwest Poker Classic, Columbus29 Sep - 2 Oct 2011 • Soldeverde Season 2011, Monte Gordo• Ladbrokes Irish Poker Festival 2011, Killarney

30 Sep - 2 Oct 2011 • DTD Monthly Deepstack, Nottingham30 Sep - 5 Oct 2011 • EPT London, London30 Sep - 9 Oct 2011 • 2011 Heartland Poker Tour - Daytona Beach, Daytona Beach

oCtoBeR1 Oct 2011 • 2011 PokerPlayer UK Tour - Teeside, Teesside• 2011 Mountain Poker Party Seefeld, Seefeld• Spielbank Halle Quarterly Tournament, Halle

1 - 2 Oct 2011 • The Classic Deepstack, Chaudfontaine1 - 9 Oct 2011 • Poker Belgique Tournament, Namur3 Oct 2011 • Palm Beach Big Game, London5 - 6 Oct 2011 • Ceska Pokerova Tour 2011, Prague6 - 9 Oct 2011 • 2011 Chilipoker Deepstack Open - Malta, Portomaso

6 - 10 Oct 2011 • Brazil Poker Tour - Florianopolis, Florianopolis

7 - 15 Oct 2011 • 2011 World Series of Poker - Europe, Cannes8 Oct 2011 • Haig Kelegian Classic, Oceanside8 - 9 Oct 2011 • Marbella Poker Classic, Marbella9 - 16 Oct 2011 • 2011 Grosvenor UK Poker Tour - Leg 5, Coventry

10 Oct - 1 nov 2011 • 2011 World Poker Finals, Mashantucket11 - 16 Oct 2011 • 2011 Campeonato Espana De Poker - Madrid, Madrid

12 Oct 2011 • 2011 Great Blue Heron Casino Fall Classic, Port Perry

12 - 15 Oct 2011 • Tana delle Tigri - EventiPoker, Brno13 - 16 Oct 2011 • Portugal Poker Series - Espinho, Oporto• Kings Casino €200,000 Guaranteed Tournament, Rozvadov

14 - 16 Oct 2011 • B.O. Poker Classic, Bad Oeynhausen20 - 23 Oct 2011 • Soldeverde Season 2011, Chaves

21 - 27 Oct 2011 • EPT San Remo, San Remo21 - 30 Oct 2011 • 2011 CAPT European Poker Championship/Poker EM, Baden

26 - 27 Oct 2011 • Ceska Pokerova Tour 2011, Prague27 - 30 Oct 2011 • Face to Face Festival, Southend-on-Sea28 - 31 Oct 2011 • paddypowerpoker.com Irish Winter Festival, Dublin

30 Oct - 6 nov 2011 • 2011 Heartland Poker Tour - Tama, Tama

noveMBeR1 - 6 nov 2011 • WPT Amneville, Amnéville2 - 13 nov 2011 • Fall Poker Round-Up, Pendleton3 - 6 nov 2011 • 2011 Chilipoker Deepstack Open - Vienna, Vienna

• Soldeverde Season 2011, Vilamoura4 - 5 nov 2011 • Baden-Württembergische Poker Cup 2011, Baden-Baden

4 - 6 nov 2011 • DTD Monthly Deepstack, Nottingham• High Limit Turniere 2011, Baden5 - 6 nov 2011 Marbella Poker Classic, Marbella6 - 11 nov 2011 • Peoples Poker Tour 2011, Budva6 - 13 nov 2011 • 2011 Grosvenor UK Poker Tour - Leg 6, Blackpool

7 nov 2011 • Palm Beach Big Game, London9 - 10 nov 2011 • Ceska Pokerova Tour 2011, Prague10 - 13 nov 2011 • Sarajevo November Challenge, Sarajevo• Shark Bay - Big Cup 2011, Nova Gorica17 - 19 nov 2011 • 2011 Poker Autumn Challenge, Innsbruck17 - 20 nov 2011 • 2011 Campeonato Espana De Poker - San Sebastian, San Sebastian

18 - 22 nov 2011 • WPT Jacksonville, Orange Park18 - 27 nov 2011 • Full Tilt Poker Series - Russia & Ukraine Grand Final, Kiev

19 nov 2011 • Autumn Riches, Oceanside21 - 27 nov 2011 • 2011 Highroller Week, Seefeld21 nov - 4 Dec 2011 • 2011 Grosvenor UK Poker Tour - Grand Final, London

24 - 27 nov 2011 • WPT Marrakech, Marrakech26 nov 2011 • 2011 PokerPlayer UK Tour - Grand Final, Birmingham

PK52UE_N1_CS5.5.indd 81 11/08/11 13:29

DistRiBUtiOn

DISTRIBUTION POINT toWn COUNTRYRegency Casino Tirana tirana AlbaniaPokertreff Linz linz AustriaPokerClub kufstein kufstein AustriaPoker Royale Wr.neustadt AustriaPoker Royale liezen AustriaPoker Casino Bregenz Bregenz AustriaMontesino Poker Club Graz Graz AustriaMontesino vienna AustriaConcord Card Casinos Salzburg salzburg AustriaConcord Card Casino linz AustriaConcord Card Casino st.polten AustriaConcord Card Casino Graz AustriaConcord Card Casino feldbach AustriaConcord Card Casino Dornbirn AustriaConcord Card Casino leoben AustriaConcord Card Casino vienna AustriaConcord Card Casino innsbruck AustriaClub Hotel Pascha salzburg AustriaCity Poker Wien AustriaCasinos Austria Baden Baden AustriaCasino Wien vienna AustriaCasino Velden velden AustriaCasino Seefeld seefeld in tirol AustriaCasino Salzburg salzburg AustriaCasino Royal innsbruck AustriaCasino kleinwalsertal klienwalsertal AustriaCasino kitbuhel kitzbuhel AustriaCasino Innsbruck innsbruck AustriaCasino Innsbruck innsbruck AustriaCasino Graz Graz AustriaCasino Bregenz Bregenz AustriaCasino Badgastein Badgastein AustriaPoker Liege liege ( Wandre) BelgiumM.Pokerspa spa BelgiumCasino Oostende oostende BelgiumCasino de Spa spa BelgiumCasino de namur namur BelgiumGrand Hotel & Casino varna BulgariaCasino Royal Zagreb CroatiaCasino Cezar Zagreb CroatiaAmerican Chance Casino podstrana-split CroatiaMerit Crystal Cove Hotel CyprusSpearment Casino praha 8 Czech Rep.PokerClubLive Brno Czech Rep.Poker Club Live liberec Czech Rep.Pavel Skopek plzen Czech Rep.Hotel Bobycentrum Brno Czech Rep.Casino Praha praha 1 Czech Rep.Casino Atrium Hilton praha 8 Czech Rep.Banco Casino praha 1 Czech Rep.Card Casino Prague praha 5 Czech Rep. Royal Scandinavian Casino aarhus DenmarkRiver Club valby Denmarkkalundborg Pokerklub kalundborg DenmarkDansk Poker Forbund Charlottenlund DenmarkCasino Odense k/S odense C DenmarkCasino Munkebjerg Vejle vejle DenmarkCasino Marienlyst helsinger DenmarkCasino Copenhagen Copenhagen DenmarkCasino Aalborg aalborg DenmarkDusk till Dawn Cardroom lenton EnglandALEA nottingham EnglandGala Regency Casino nottingham England Gala Regency Casino Bournemouth England WRCC Manhattan Club harrogate England The Suited Club@ The Ivory london England The Regency Club london England The Empire Casino london England TC Poker The Sports Bar farnborough England Stanley Wirral Casino England Stanley newcastle Casino newcastle-upon-tyne England Stanley Casino Derby England Stanley Albion Casino salford England Simon Stocken Doncaster England Shaftesbury Casino (Poker room) Birmingham England S.E. Svendsen lincs England River Card Club london England Plymouth Grand Casino plymouth England norwich Poker Club norwich England napoleons Casino Leeds leeds England napoleons Casino 30 Bradford England napoleon’s Casino kingston upon hull England Maxims Casino Birmingham England

DISTRIBUTION POINT toWn COUNTRYLoose Canon Sports Bar london England Ladbrokes eGaming harrow, Middx England Grosvenor Casino England Grosvenor Casino plymouth England Grosvenor Casino salford England Gala Regency Casino 20 Bournemouth England Gala Regency Casino leeds England Gala Regency Casino stockport England Gala Casino Leeds leeds England Gala Casino liverpool England Gala Casino Bristol England Equal Chance Club london England Circus Casino Star City Birmingham England China Palace Birmingham England Annabelles Stanley Casino Coventry England Alea Casino leeds England Westcliff Casino Westcliff on sea England The Western Club london England The Sportsman Casino london England The Isle Casinos Ltd Coventry England The Poker Club london England TCs Sports Club Berks England Stanley Southport Casino England Stanley Circus Casino stoke-on-trent England Stanley Casino southampton England Stanley Casino Coventry England Stanley Bristol Casino Bristol England Rubicon Casino Wolverhampton England Rendezvous Casino @The kursal southend on sea England Rendezvous Casino Brighton England Reading Sporting Club Reading England Qstix Snooker Room london England Pokernitez Wokingham England Palm Beach Casino london England Oriel House portsmouth England Opera House Casino scarborough England napoleons Casino Hillsborough sheffi eld England napoleons Casino Eccleshall sheffi eld England Maxims Casino Club london England Masino Gaming Chester England Manchester Casino Manchester England International Club london England High Stakes Bookshop london England Hastings Terrace Club hastings England Hastings Terrace Club hastings England Harbour House Casino southampton England Grosvenor Casino Blackpool England Grosvenor Casino leeds England Grosvenor Casino stoke-on-trent, staffs England Grosvenor Casino sheffi eld England Grosvenor Casino luton England Grosvenor Casino Brighton England Grosvenor Casino newcastle upon tyne England Grosvenor Casino Bentley England Grosvenor Casino leeds England Grosvenor Casino Bolton England Grosvenor Casino southampton England Grosevenor Victoria Casino london England Gala Casino Teeside stockton on tees England Gala Casino Barracuda london England Gala Casino Wolverhampton England Full House Club surrey England Fox PokerClub london England Drummond Central Ltd newcastle upon tyne England Circus Casino Manchester England Castle Hill Casino Club Dudley England Broadway Casino Birmingham England Big Bluff london England Aspers Casino newcastle upon tyne England Olympic Casino tallinn EstoniaClassic Casino tallinn EstoniaCasino Mapau tallinn EstoniaPokerMarketti tampere FinlandPoker Saloon Helsinki helsinki FinlandGrand Casino Helsinki helsinki FinlandCasino PAF Mariehamn FinlandMonte-Carlo Sun Casino Monaco FranceCasino de Monaco Monaco FranceSpielcasino Aachen aachen GermanySpielbank Wiesbaden Wiesbaden GermanySpielbank Trier trier GermanySpielbank Schenefeld schenefeld GermanySpielbank Potsdam potsdam Germany


PK52UE_N1_CS5.5.indd 82 11/08/11 13:29

DISTRIBUTION POINT toWn COUNTRYSpielbank Osnabruck osnabruck GermanySpielbank neuenahr -Ahrweller Bad neuenahr-ahrweller GermanySpielbank Mainz Mainz GermanySpielbank Lindau lindau/Bodensee GermanySpielbank konstanz konstanz GermanySpielbank Hohensyburg Dortmund GermanySpielbank Hanover Mitte GermanySpielbank Hamburg hamburg GermanySpielbank Garmisch-Partenkirch Garmisch-partenkirchen GermanySpielbank Berlin Berlin GermanySpielbank Baden-Baden Baden-Baden GermanySpielbank Bad Wiessee Bad Wiessee GermanySpielbank Bad Reichenhall Bad Reichenall GermanySpielbank Bad kissingen Bad kissingen GermanySpielbank Bad Homburg Bad homburg GermanySpielbank Bad Harzburg Bad harzburg GermanySpielbank Bad Ems Bad ems GermanySpielbank Bad Bentheim Bad Bentheim GermanySpielbank Bad Zwischenahn Bad Zwischenahn GermanySielbank Saarbrucken saarbrucken GermanyPokerclub Bad Beat Berlin e.V Berlin Germanykupferkessel nattheim nattheim GermanyDeutscher Poker Sport verbande.v Dresden GermanyCasino Westerland Westerland GermanyCasino Travemunde lubeck-travemunde GermanyCasino Schloss Berg nennig GermanyCasino Luzern Bad fussing GermanyCasino kiel kiel GermanyCasino Flensburg flensburg GermanyCasino Feuchtwangen feuchtwangen GermanyCasino Erfurt erfurt GermanyCasino Berlin Berlin GermanyBremer Spielbank Bremer GermanySpiel Casino Bad oeynhausen Germany Ladbrokes International Ltd GibraltarGala International Casino GibraltarHolland Casinos amsterdam HollandHolland Casinos Breda HollandHolland Casino Venlo venlo HollandHolland Casino Utrecht utrecht HollandHolland Casino Rotterdam Rotterdam HollandHolland Casino nijmegen nijmegen HollandHolland Casino valkenburg aan de Geul HollandHolland Casino enschede HollandClub Pool Hall amsterdam HollandHolland Casino Eidhoven eindhoven Holland Holland Casino Zandvoort Zandvoort Holland Holland Casino Groningen Groningen Holland Las Vegas Casino Budapest HungaryVoodoo Poker Room Dublin 7 IrelandThe Q Club high street, IrelandThe nutz Market square IrelandThe Gold Club Casino letterkenny IrelandThe Castle Casino Castlebar IrelandThe Blackthorn Casino Co Donegal IrelandThe Big Slick P.M.C. athlone IrelandThe Ace Club Buncrana IrelandStix limerick City IrelandSporting Emporium Dublin 2 IrelandSilks Casino Dublin 2 IrelandPocket kings Ltd Dublin 18 Irelandnew Vic Card & Gaming Club limerick IrelandMacau Sporting Club Cork IrelandJools Poker letterkenney IrelandJackpot Casino Club Dublin 2 IrelandJ P Poker saggart IrelandFitzwilliam Card Club Dublin 2 IrelandEglinton Casino Galway IrelandDrogheda Poker Club Drogheda IrelandClub Oasis Dublin 2 IrelandBankCasino & Card Club County Cork Ireland Aces Poker Club Galway IrelandCircolo Citta di Treviso treviso ItalyCasino Vendramin Calergi venezia ItalyCasino San Remo san Remo (iM) ItalyCasino noghera venezia ItalyCasino dela Vallee saint-vincent ItalyOlympic Voodoo Casino Reval Hotel Riga LatviaClub Tobago Riga LatviaCasino du Liban Maameltein Jounieh LebanonOlympic Casino Lietuva vilnius LithuaniaGrand Casino World vilnius LithuaniaAppolonia Hotel Gevgelija Macedonia

DISTRIBUTION POINT toWn COUNTRYCasino Europa Chisnau MoldovaMongolia Sport Poker Association ulan Batar MongoliaMovenpick Hotel and Casino Malabata tanger MoroccoMazagan Casino el Jadida / Casablanca MoroccoCasino Marrakech Marrakech MoroccoThe Fortune Rooms Bangor N.IrelandLuckys Bingo Club Ballymena N.IrelandFrontier Bingo Club Co.Down N.IrelandDormans Poker Room Co.londonderry N.Ireland The Bridge Club Co.Down N.Ireland Red Gaming Club armagh N.Ireland Empire Bingo Group Magherafelt N.Ireland East Belfast Poker Club Belfast N.Ireland Olympic Casino Sunrise Warszawa PolandCasino Royal Warszawa PolandCasino Poland Warszawa PolandCasino Espinho espinho PortugalEdinburgh Circus Casino edinburgh Scotland Wabash Club Glasgow Scotland The International Casino aberdeen Scotland Stanley Berkeley Casino edinburgh Scotland Riverboat Casino Glasgow Scotland Glasgow Stanley Casino Glasgow Scotland Gala Maybury Casino edinburgh Scotland Gala Dundee Casino Dundee Scotland Caplins Club Dundee Scotland Alea Casino Glasgow Scotland Casino Terroubi Dakar SénégalSlovensky Pokovry Zvaz Bratislava SlovakiaCaesar Poker Club Bratislava Slovakiakorona Casino & Hotel kranjska Gora SloveniaHit Casino Perla nova Gorica SloveniaGrand Casino Ljubljana ljubljana SloveniaCasino Portoroz izola SloveniaOlympic Carlton Casino Bratsilava SovakiaThe Irish Fiddler arguinan SpainGran Casino Mallorca islas Baleares SpainGran Casino de Barcelona Barcelona SpainGran Casino Costa Meloneras san Bartolome SpainCentro nordico Mijas SpainCasino Marbella Marbella SpainCasino Gran Madrid torrelodones SpainCasino de Torrequebrada Malaga SpainCasino Castillo de Perelada prov Girona Spain5th Street Club Malaga SpainMalmo Pokerklubb Malmo SwedenCasino Cosmopol AB sundsvall SwedenCasino Cosmopol Malmo SwedenCasino Cosmopol Goteborg SwedenCasino Cosmopol stockholm SwedenBlekinge Pokerklubb nattraby SwedenValue Poker Dubendorf SwitzerlandTwins Poker Wohlen SwitzerlandSwiss Pokerlounge Dietikon SwitzerlandRunner Runner Club Balerna SwitzerlandRoyal kings Zurich SwitzerlandPoker Passion Biel SwitzerlandPoker Maniacs hombrechtikon SwitzerlandPoker klub koniz SwitzerlandPoker Fever prattein SwitzerlandPoker Fame littau SwitzerlandPoker Cracks kloten SwitzerlandOther Poker Club Basel Switzerlandno Smoker Poker frauenfeld SwitzerlandGrand Casino St.Gallen st.Gallen SwitzerlandGran Casino Baden Baden SwitzerlandCasino Lugano lugano SwitzerlandCasino kursaal Interlaken interlaken SwitzerlandCard Casino Thun thun SwitzerlandCard Casino Thun thun SwitzerlandCard Casino Biel Biel SwitzerlandCampione D’Italia lugano SwitzerlandDav Enterprises Ltd Mersin 10 TurkeyDav Enterprises Ltd kordonboyu, Girne TurkeyRoyal Poker Club kharkov UkrainiaOlympic Casino Opera kyiv UkrainiaCircolo Club kiev UkrainiaCasino Favorit odessa UkrainiaAspers at Salubrious Place swansea Wales Les Croupiers Casino Cardiff Wales Grosvenor Casino swansea Wales Grosvenor Casino Cardiff Wales Gala Casino Cardiff Wales


PK52UE_N1_CS5.5.indd 83 11/08/11 13:29

Poker in lebanonpar franÇOIS DElmOTTE

One cannot really say that Beiruth is the most well-known poker city in the world. And since Chernobyl, the Lebanon capital has always been associated with destruction, ruins and distress. If the war which has devastated Beiruth from 1975 to 1990 has left some traces inside the city itself -various destroyed buil-dings, some gunshot impacts everywhere, like the nightmarish Holiday-Inn, in the center of the city-, the reconstruction has been quite effective and part of the Lebanese diaspora has come back to their homeland, ready for a fresh new start.

The Lebanese food is just simply amazing and there are dozen and dozen of hip bars, restaurants, shows or wonderful terraces. Beiruth should soon become a must for all the occidental citybreakers, but only if the political tensions do not erupt again.

The poker scene, though, does not really exist in Lebanon, despite the hundred-ish regular players. Most of them have discovered poker watching TV and play Texas Hold’Em. Some of the local players have suc-ceeded abroad, like Joseph Mouaward, who won EPT London in 2007, or Kassem ‘Freddy’ Deeb, who owns two WSOP bracelets (incl. the famous 2007 HORSE Championship one). I’ve been lucky enough to meet him and all his family at the Beiruth airport when I landed…

Aside the private games, only one venue can gather the players : the Casino Du Liban, situated in Jounieh, 20 kilometers from Beiruth. Players have to drive north during an hour or so —traffic jams are everywhere) to enjoy the luxury of this casinos opened in 1959. The building is massive, 35,000 square meters total, over-looking the Saint-Georges bay. Its international archi-tectural style reminds us of the famous black & white

movies of the 1960s. The Casino du Liban has always attracted international jet-setters, and was the home of the middle-east ‘dolce vita’ : Aristotle Onassis, once the richest man on earth, was there almost everyday, with friends like Omar Sharif, Kim Novak, Anita Erdberg or Dalida, who used to sing there every night. Nowadays, most of the middle-eastern players (from Jordania, Syria, Egypt, etc.) gather there to enjoy the thrill of the game. The Casino, which has been closed for ten years in 1986 for renovation, still displays an Art Deco architecture and remains charming and luxu-rious. The impressive stairway may remind a James Bond Movie, with all the most beautiful women and most elegant men of the region walking up and down its stairs. Aside the casino, one can enjoy a show-room, a theater (where the Crazy Horse does its show), a nightclub and an incredible patio with a crystal-clear pool.

The casino totals 60 tables and 400 slot-machines. Poker cash-games are organized there since 2007, on six tables, ranging from $100 to $500 buy-in. Everyone there pays in dollars, and the tables are ope-ned from 6pm to 3am. Some re-buy tournaments can also be found (from $500 to $1000) and the profile of the players is clearly… large and aggressive, like in Morocco. People like to chat and scream, as in any roulette game, and the poker tables become more and more lively within few hours. Even if the poker activity is not very profitable, there are still some internatio-nal tournaments scheduled for the upcoming months, following the path of the “Joe Hachem Tournament” which was held last year. The 2005 World Champion was born and raised in Lebanon, before leaving to Australia during the Civil War. This $10,000 tourna-ment had attracted 120 players…

The Casino du Libanhas always attractedinternational jet-setters

CH

RO

NIC

LE F

RA

NÇ

OIS

DE

LMO

TT

E


PK52UE_N1_CS5.5.indd 84 11/08/11 13:29

poker52 europa n1 - sept/oct 2011

Documents

european poker tours

poker fans

masters classic of poker

marrakesh poker open

great poker venues

great poker moments

ept london68 poker business

wpt amnville