Andy Beal Versus The Corporation
Wild Week of High-Stakes Poker has The Corporation Down $10 Million
by Lisa Wheeler
Over the years, mathematical theorist Andy Beal has applied probability to the game of poker and found new fame by repeatedly challenging the elite in a spirited game of limit Texas hold'em.
"Beal's conjecture," otherwise known as the "Beal problem," became just that for "The Corporation" – a team of professional poker players who aggregated their $10 million and matched it against his $20 million in a series of private sessions. Over the subsequent two weeks, the event became a virtual roller-coaster ride for players and fans alike.
A year had passed since the burgeoning aerospace entrepreneur had suffered a loss to his bankroll and possibly his ego. Beal returned to Las Vegas and the Wynn Las Vegas Hotel Casino to challenge poker professionals Jennifer Harman, Todd Brunson, David Grey, and Ted Forrest.
Wednesday, Feb. 1
The stakes were negotiated and The Corporation opted for $30,000$60,000 limits, but Beal insisted that the blinds be set at $25,000-$50,000 with $50,000-$100,000 limits.
The first player, celebrating the biggest win during last year's union, was heads-up specialist Todd Brunson, and after five hours of intense counteraction, Beal was up more than $1 million.
Thursday, Feb. 2 - Jennifer Harman challenged Beal until the dinner break, winning $1 million. Then, David Grey and Ted Forrest took their turns at the felt, losing the $1 million Harman win and essentially breaking even for the day.
Friday, Feb. 3 - Ted Forrest was back and Beal employed a more aggressive style, but Forrest was unaffected by Beal's change in technique and ended the day with a $4.5 million lead, bringing The Corporation up $3.5 million over the first three days of competition.
Saturday, Feb. 4 - Forrest returned, but Beal appeared focused and determined not to suffer a slide similar to the day before. Play ended at about 7:30 p.m. with no substantial gains for either side.
Sunday, Feb. 5 - The short session with Todd Brunson broke at around 4 p.m. and Beal was down $3 million for the week.
That evening, Beal boarded a plane to Texas. It wasn't clear if he would return for another round of matches, but no one was prepared for the events that would transpire over the next few days. Craig Singer, speaking on Beal's behalf, issued a shocking statement: "Andy is done with poker for good." The news quickly resonated throughout the press and created a wave of intrigue and confusion.
On a popular poker forum, Todd Brunson responded: "Andy has made these claims before. He is very eccentric and may be back to Vegas tomorrow, or we may never see him again. Who knows?"
On Saturday, Feb. 11, Beal boarded a plane back to Las Vegas and play resumed the next day.
Sunday, Feb. 12 - Jennifer Harman returned to the felt with Doyle Brunson by her side. She'd accumulated almost $2 million at midday, but by session's end, she was down $5 million.
Monday, Feb. 13 - Todd Brunson had won The Corporation $2.5 million, but with an hour to go until the break, Beal battled back to a $1.2 million win.
Tuesday, Feb. 14 - Forrest was able to regain $7 million of the previous losses, but with two hours remaining, Andy had profited $3.5 million.
"It's been going great," Beal said. "But you always want to win more."
Wednesday, Feb. 15 - It wasn't long before Ted Forrest's chip racks were empty.
The Corporation had depleted their $10 million bankroll and prepared themselves for the L.A. Poker Classic championship event, which was to commence on Feb. 16 in California.
The Corporation had won approximately $10 million in 2004, and a substantial amount over the course of several years. Beal came closer to evening the score, and made a reputable comeback.
Beal returned to Texas, but not before he praised his opponents for their grace and performance.
Will Beal and The Corporation return to "the trail of the richest poker game of all time," or has it run its course and reached the end of a five-year road? One can only speculate and hope that everyone involved is merely on another temporary hiatus. 
Rapper Snoop Dogg Hosting a $2 Million-Guaranteed Tournament
Winner Will Receive $1 Million
by Bob Pajich
Benny Binion and the other founding fathers of tournament poker probably never envisioned this.
Rapper Snoop Dogg will host the $2 Million Rappers' Challenge Texas Hold'em Tournament on The Big Easy, a casino boat that's set to depart from Miami on Friday, May 5. The buy-in for the event, which is being organized by Hold'em Productions, is $15,000, and a prize pool of $2 million is guaranteed.
The winner will receive $1 million. Included in the entry fee are round-trip airline tickets and a four-day, three-night stay in a hotel. Players are also guaranteed to have at least two seats at their first table filled by a celebrity or a rapper.
The entry fee also includes entrance into a pre-tournament party, an open bar, food, entertainment throughout the day, a ticket to an after-party, and a ticket to the Rappers' Challenge, a rap battle in which the winner will receive $15,000.
Those who just want to go to the parties can purchase a VIP ticket for $2,000.
Legends Celebrity Invitational Poker Tournament
by Lisa Wheeler
Parading the red carpet between
Playboy bunnies and Hollywood celebrities was the stunning poker professional Jennifer Harman, who hosted the
Legends Celebrity Invitational poker tournament at the Palms Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas over Super Bowl weekend.
On Friday, Feb. 3, the famous, the elite, and the lionized faced off in the Key West poker room to guarantee $250,000 for the Dan Marino, John Elway, Roger Clemens, and Andre Agassi charitable foundations. In addition to the tournament,
Playboy hosted a lingerie fashion show and the Palms celebrated the opening of The Mint, a new high-roller gaming lounge.
Celebrity guests Cindy Margolis, Joe Mantegna, Josh Duhamel, Gordon Clapp, and National Hockey League and Major League Baseball players joined more than 140 donators who made the $2,500 buy-in. Notable poker professionals Patrik Antonius, Marco Traniello, Carlos Mortensen, Mike Sexton, Barry Greenstein, Phil Ivey, Hoyt Corkins, Erick Lindgren, Chau Giang, Johnny Chan, and the Brunson family were also present.
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| 1. Jennifer Harman 2. Patrik Antonious 3. Doyle and Todd Brunson 4. Legends Celebrity Invitational poker tournament at the Palms Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas |
Imagine the reaction of players at table No. 6 when they joined David Benyamine in seat No. 3, Todd Brunson in seat No. 4, Eli Elezra in seat No. 5, David Grey in seat No. 6, and Gus Hansen at the end of the lineup in seat No. 7. The action and banter were maniacal until the end of the third level, where the chip leader from each table was established. The remaining 16 players, including Elezra, advanced to the semifinals. Leren Rustem eventually won the event, but many of the players and fans had moved on to the next scheduled affair.
Playboy treated partygoers to a lingerie fashion show hosted by Ashley Jones of The Bold and the Beautiful. Johnny Chan and John Elway were among those who sat near the runway and nibbled on chocolate-dipped strawberries while they sipped expensive champagne.
World Poker Tour's Season-Five Schedule Released
For the Second Year in a Row, 17 Tournaments Will Be Aired
by Bob Pajich
In season five, like members of the Starship Enterprise, the
World Poker Tour is going to a place it never has been before. In doing so, two familiar tournaments have been axed.
The
WPT will visit Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas for the first time in the fifth season of the show to cover the
Mandalay Bay Poker Championship in June, and is ending its working relationship with online poker sites PartyPoker and UltimateBet.
In a press release, Steve Lipscomb, the founder of the
WPT, stated: "We've had a great run with both companies, but the circumstances have changed since we elected to launch WPTonline.com, our own international gaming website. Although they will no longer be on the tour, we continue to explore future opportunities with both of these organizations."
The
PokerStars Caribbean Poker Adventure remains on the schedule.
Remaining season-four tournaments include the
WPT Invitational at Commerce Casino, Feb. 22-24; the Bay 101
Shooting Star at Bay 101 Casino, Feb. 27-March 3; the
World Poker Challenge at the Reno Hilton, March 27-30; the
Foxwoods Poker Classic at Foxwoods Resort Casino, April 6-9; and the
WPT World Championship at Bellagio, April 18-24.
The schedule for season five is as follows, minus two events that will soon be announced:
Mirage Poker Showdown, The Mirage
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May 14-17 |
Mandalay Bay Poker Championship, Mandalay Bay
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June 4-8 |
Grand Prix de Paris, Aviation Club de France
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June 12-16 |
Legends of Poker, The Bicycle Casino
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Aug. 26-30 |
Borgata Poker Open, Borgata
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Sept. 15-19 |
North American Poker Championship, to be announced
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Oct. 23-27 |
World Poker Finals, Foxwoods Resort Casino
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Nov 11-14 |
Bellagio Five-Diamond World Poker Classic, Bellagio
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Dec. 15-19 |
PokerStars Caribbean Poker Adventure, Atlantis Casino, Bahamas
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Jan. 6-13, 2007 |
World Poker Open, Gold Strike Casino, Tunica
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Jan. 21-25, 2007 |
L.A. Poker Classic, Commerce Casino
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Feb. 15-20, 2007 |
WPT Invitational, Commerce Casino
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Feb. 21-23, 2007 |
Shooting Star, Bay 101 Casino
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Feb. 27-March 3, 2007 |
World Poker Challenge, Reno Hilton
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March 26-29, 2007 |
| WPT World Championship, Bellagio |
April 21-27, 2007 |
Amateur Wins 25 Hours in Jet Through PartyPoker.com
He'll Take the $125,000 Equivalent Prize
by Bob Pajich
Paul Wieber, a 32-year-old customer-service manager at a Grand Rapids sign company, won PartyPoker.com's High Flier Jet Promotion tournament. By being the last man standing, he won 25 hours of flight time in a private luxury jet. But since he is the father of a 7-month-old boy, he decided to take the $125,000 equivalent prize.
Wieber, who has been playing online poker for only about six months, got into the tournament by entering a PartyPoker freeroll that cost him 500 Party Points. If he had paid to enter the tournament, it would've cost $270. Satellites for the private jet promotion were as little as $6.
He says part of the money will go toward his son's college fund, some will go to "toys" for himself, and at least part of it will go toward his first visit to Las Vegas.
Local Man Working to Legalize Poker in Wyoming
Hopes to Convince Lawmakers to Allow Cardrooms in State
by Bob Pajich
Robert Shepard wants to own his own cardroom. He wants it to be a place where players can go and safely play poker, have fun, and socialize. He also wants a place of his own so that he doesn't have to travel to other states to play legally.
Unfortunately, Shepard lives in Wyoming, one of the few states in this country that doesn't even have a state lottery. But things are changing in Wyoming, as they are in all parts of the country.
Wyoming will soon have its first Indian casino, which is now being built by the Northern Arapaho tribe north of Shepard's home in Wheatland. And with poker acceptance at an all-time high, Shepard thinks it might be the right time to ask his state politicos to allow people to open cardrooms for profit in Wyoming.
He knows he's in for a fight.
"My idea is, since poker has achieved acceptance, I'm seeking to get the state legislators to allow legal cardrooms in Wyoming," Shepard said. "But the state Legislature traditionally has been real negative on organized and sanctioned gaming. And there's a strong moral contingent in the state of Wyoming."
Shepard, who pilots DC-9s for a freight operator, has spent the last few months educating himself about the legal issues surrounding poker in the United States.
He has spent many hours on the phone and e-mailing such people as Card Player magazine's Bob Ciaffone and Roy Cooke, as well as Todd Erks, who's passing a petition around South Dakota to try to get lawmakers to legalize tournament poker.
Shepard watched closely as a bill in Alaska that would allow cardrooms there squeaked through the House, but it doesn't have enough support in the state's Senate. He's trying to assure that the bill he's trying to have his legislators introduce has a better fate.
"There's an obvious move afoot nationwide to allow the players a venue in which to compete. And I'm hoping to be toward the front of that in Wyoming," Shepard said.
He's also drawing upon what he thinks are the best parts of California's poker code to help him convince the lawmakers that poker isn't a game of chance.
He has made many phone calls to a handful of Wyoming's elected officials and acknowledges that he has a lot of work to do convincing those in charge that poker is indeed a game of skill.
"And I hope that if the Legislature will allow games of chance, they would allow card games of skill," Shepard said, referring to the Indian casino that will soon open. "I think politicians are guarded in an area that can be as controversial as casino gaming. I think there's a little more support than they're willing to admit."
Shepard's "cautiously optimistic" that his efforts will gain speed and cause his lawmakers to at least talk about this issue publicly. His phone calls have done at least one thing for the lawmakers, Shepard said.
"I think they're listening."
If you want to give Shepard a hand, he can be reached at [email protected].
Hooters is Getting Bigger
by Bob Pajich
The restaurant and airline company recently opened its first hotel and casino in Las Vegas. Hooters Hotel and Casino is located one block off the Las Vegas Strip on East Tropicana, where the old Hotel San Remo used to be.
The restaurant's trademark tin ceilings and cedar wood accents can be found throughout the 30,000-square-foot casino. The company claims that 15 miles of cedar was used in the casino, with some of that wood decorating a three-table poker room that spreads both limit and no-limit hold'em.
The hotel contains 696 rooms, and each has been "Hooterized" with matching cedar headboards and armoires, and a high-top cocktail table with four barstools.
The casino contains 670 slot and video poker machines, 32 table games, and the Hooters Calendar Girl Party Pit.
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| 1. Instead of a traditional ribbon-cutting, Richard Langlois Sr., vice president of marketing for Hooters Casino Hotel, opens the hotel with a bottle of the good stuff. There to help him were Hooters 2006 cover girl Anna Burns (left) and 2006 centerfold Sarah Coggin (right). 2. Hooters' famous waitresses enjoy the festivities. 3. Model and TV personality Brooke Burke and actor David Charvet hit the blackjack table on opening night. 4. Fireworks lit up the sky in celebration of the grand opening of Hooters Casino Hotel. |
'The New Cut Crew'
Cashin' In and Talkin' Smack at the Winter Poker Open
by Scott Huff
The poker home game is not just tequila and wild cards anymore.
That should be the slogan for "The New Cut Crew." They may sound like a boy band, or a hip-hop barbershop quartet, but The New Cut Crew is actually a group of about 28 guys who play in a home poker game in Severn, Maryland – a home game that's a lot tougher than yours.
How do I know? Think about the fourth-best player in your home game. How likely is he to make it to the final table at the World Series of Poker? The fourth-best player in my home game is a guy named Bob, who changes his hair color more often than the second-best player in our home game, Joe, changes his underwear.
The New Cut Crew, on the other hand, boasts Steve Dannenmann, 2005 WSOP runner-up, as a faithful participant, and he claims he isn't the best player in the game.
Dannenmann's improbable run at the 2005 WSOP is the dream of dreams for home-game heroes everywhere, although it seemed less like a fluke when I got to talk with Dannenmann and his buddies. We had some beers after fellow Crew member Mark Schaech cashed for the first time in a World Poker Tour event. Schaech placed 45th out of 381 at the Borgata Winter Poker Open, and pocketed $14,783 for his efforts. Both he and Dannenmann also cashed in a $1,500 preliminary event that saw Dannenmann make the final table and two other members of The New Cut Crew find their way into the top 60.
So, if Dannenmann is the guy, Schaech is the guy behind the guy, and apparently the best player in the game. Schaech acted as a call-in coach for Dannenmann during his WSOP run, and their conversations amounted to more than just pep talks. Schaech actually discussed strategy with Dannenmann. In fact, one of his conversations with Schaech was the impetus behind the now famous hand in which he bluffed Howard Lederer out of a pot with just an 8 high.
So, what did Schaech get from Dannenmann and friends after his first major poker accomplishment? A lecture about his less than ideal bubble play. Tough love is another strategy The New Cut Crew adopted when they traded tequila shots and wild cards for the WSOP tournament structure and a seriously competitive home game.
When you're around The New Cut Crew, it feels like you're hanging with a lovable group of underdogs from some '80s movie. They don't profess to be on the level with the best in the world. In fact, even though he pocketed nearly $5 million in 2005, Dannenmann kept his job as a CPA. They're just determined to stick together, have fun, and try to get good enough to get some shots in on the bullies.
How many times have you, or someone you know, after just bludgeoning your Sunday afternoon game, thought, "I can beat Sammy, Billy, Danny, Joey, Jimmy, Timmy, and Rick, so why not Howard, Phil, Phil, Phil, Greg, Scotty, and Grinder?"
Well, The New Cut Crew is living proof that you can do more than think it; you can do it.
Log on to http://www.cardplayer.com and tune in. You don't want to miss the interviews, analysis, and antics of Card Player's The Circuit.
CardPlayer.com Forum Contest
CardPlayer.com boasts the largest poker forums on the web at http://forums.cardplayer.com/. And now, forum users can win a free one-year subscription to "The Poker Authority" by just sharing their thoughts with our 65,000 registered users.
We'll publish an insightful post each issue, and the author will receive a free one-year subscription to the magazine.
This issue's winner is ferrisbuellr, Aric Erickson, for his post, "Bankroll Management Made Easy – the 10% Percent Rule." An edited excerpt of this post appears below. To read the full thread, and Jason's bluffing hand examples, go to www.cardplayer.com/link/forumcontest2.
I have been seeing all the advice on having 200-600 times the buy-in to play at a certain level. While this may be good for some, I think you actually need to think about it a different way. Let's say you have a bankroll of $150 and have a goal of getting it to $250 before moving up a limit. With all of the limit selections online, take 10 percent of your bankroll ($15) and sit down at a 25¢-50¢ limit table. Now, you will have to play tight, and usually only good hands, but if you play good cards, your bankroll will increase with minimal loss. Now let's say you donk'd off the $15, so your bankroll is now at $135. Take another 10 percent ($13.50) and go back to the same limit and try again. If you keep losing and get below $100, drop down to the 5¢-10¢ limit and try again. You sometimes have to grind it out.
Now let's say you are winning and get your bankroll up to $250 (your goal). Now it's time to move up to the 50¢-$1 limit tables with 10 percent … Usually, I have a set goal to win when I sit down. If I sit down with $15, I will usually get up when I get to $30-$50 and take the same $15 and sit at a new table or try a multitable tournament (MTT) with my winnings. Now, if you are going to play MTTs with a $150 bankroll, you should play tourneys with a buy-in of $1-$10, and as you win or lose, increase or decrease the buy-ins. Once you get about $400-$500 in your bankroll, start playing $10-$50 buy-in MTTs, and this is where you will start making good money when you win or get to the final table.
The whole premise of this article is that you need to be smart with your bankroll, and not have 300 times the big blind to play a certain level. If you sit down with 10 percent of your bankroll, you will still defend your chips like your children, but with minimal loss if you do lose or hit a bad swing. You have to risk money to make money, and if you don't step up the levels and risk some of your bankroll, you won't learn as much, and won't make as much money, either.
Wynn Las Vegas Poker Room Review
BY LISA WHEELER
Director of Poker Room Operations Deborah Giardina was kind enough recently to point out some of the features of the Wynn Las Vegas poker room that make it stand out from the myriad of cardrooms available in Las Vegas.
Wynn's poker room uses a technologically advanced and easy-to-use system to keep track of the game lists. Players' names are maintained in a computer and displayed on monitors above the podiums. This system makes it easy for all players to see which game types and limits are being played, who is on the lists, and how many are waiting to play a particular game.
When it's time to play, the floorperson announces the next player's name on the list and then seats him personally at his table. There's no need to buy chips from the cage, unless you really want to. Floor personnel and chip runners have an impressive service-oriented approach to collecting your money and bringing you chips.
The Red Card Club players card is Wynn's complimentary club program. One can enroll at the poker room podium or the Red Card Club desk located in the casino in front of the guest elevators. To earn benefits, one simply presents his card to a list attendant and tells him he wishes to have his play rated. While playing, one earns discounted or complimentary services and other benefits reserved especially for preferred guests.
The Wynn Las Vegas poker room is full of action around-the-clock, with at least half of its tables still going until the wee hours of the morning, even during the week. Weekends offer players just about any game or limit they could desire.
Weekday mornings feature mostly live games from the night before, but by midday, all 26 tables are loaded, and lists move quickly. The ambiance of the poker room seems swanky at first glimpse, but it has a plush and comfortable air about it. It's no wonder this poker room has become a regular locale for players and tourists.
Address |
3131 South Las Vegas Boulevard, Las Vegas, NV 89109 |
| Phone Number – General |
(702) 770-WYNN (9966) or toll free (866) 770-7000 |
| Phone Number – Poker Room |
(702) 770-7654 |
| Hotel URL |
http://www.wynnlasvegas.com |
| Poker Room URL |
No URL. From the main page, click on the "Casino" bar, then "Poker" |
| Poker Room Manager |
Deborah Giardina |
| Number of Tables |
26 |
| Most Popular Games |
$4-$8, $8-$16 and midlimit hold'em $1-$3, $2-$5 and $5-$10 no-limit hold'em Midlimit and high-limit regular and mixed games available |
| Other Games |
Mixed games available, up to 10 games Omaha eight-or-better, Pot-limit Omaha, Stud and stud eight-or-better |
| Poker Room Rate |
Poker room rates vary depending on availability and demand. |
| Requirement for Room Rate |
Minimum 6 hours per day during length of stay |
| Tournaments |
Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday at noon: $300 + $30 Friday at noon: $500 + $40 Sit-and-go tournaments run 24 hours a day. |
| Special Notes |
Wynn Las Vegas is allowed to spread high-stakes games with no ceiling by the Nevada Gaming Commission. Players can park on the second floor of the parking garage, a very short distance from the poker room. It's very convenient! |
DAVID: I was playing in a live tournament that started with about 130 people. It got down to two tables and about 15 people left, with the top 11 finishing in the money. There were eight players left at my table and I was in fourth position; the three players in front of me folded. I had $26,000 in chips left, and the blinds were $2,000-$4,000. I looked down to see A-9 offsuit. The table had been playing tight, so I raised to $12,000. The man in the small blind, who had been playing conservatively the entire time I was at the table, raised all in for $25,000. So, I was getting about 3-to-1 on a call, but if I lost, I'd basically be out. I ended up folding, he showed K-J suited, and I finished on the bubble. What do you think was the right play in this situation?
SCOTT: At that point in the tournament and being relatively short-stacked, I would say that you had to go all in preflop or fold. It doesn't make much sense to raise in that spot if you aren't willing to put all of your chips in. You have to decide what your goal is in the tournament; are you trying to just eke into the money or do you want to have a shot to win? If you are just trying to make it into the money, play very tight and wait for others to knock themselves out. However, if you want to give yourself the best shot of winning, you need to start pushing all in to acquire some chips.
ARIC: Hey, Scott (aka Mr. Fischman, since I have never met you and have great respect for your play), I have been playing seriously for about two years and made my first TV table in July. I am thinking of jumping up in stakes (tournaments only, not cash games) to make the payouts better, but I have a limited bankroll to work with. Should I grind it out in the smaller tourneys ($10 to $50 buy-ins) and keep making small money, or should I jump up and play some $100 to $1,500 buy-in tourneys and go for the gold? Thanks, and good luck.
SCOTT: Actually, I would recommend trying to win seats in the bigger events via satellites. That way, you can play the bigger buy-in tournaments without risking your entire bankroll. Aside from the satellites that are run live, you can find qualifying tournaments for most of the major World Series of Poker and World Poker Tour events on online sites. Good luck!
JR: Hey, Scott, I have a very short supply of patience, and it is killing my poker game (not to mention my bankroll). I'll go into a game playing great poker, being extremely patient and making all the right moves, so to speak. Then later, it all goes downhill. I get to the point where I'm always trying to force the action, and I start playing bad cards and bad position, and make bad plays overall. Hell, I even tell myself the plays are bad while I'm doing them, but I just can't break the habit. What helps you remain patient/focused at a table?
SCOTT: Maintaining focus is one of the most difficult aspects of the game. You need to find what works for you. Lots of players listen to music, which helps them maintain their concentration and avoid becoming bored. You really need to be honest with yourself, and if you can't maintain your focus for long periods of time, maybe you should stick to single-table tournaments or play cash games, where you are free to get up and leave anytime. If you know that you are going to start making bad decisions a couple of hours into a tournament, it really isn't a good idea to enter. I think every poker player struggles with this from time to time, and I am constantly trying to change things up to keep myself interested and to stay focused.
