The Inside Straight

Player of the Year Race Up for Grabs

Michael Mizrachi Has Many Good Players Breathing Down His Neck
By Bob Pajich



Welcome to the race, boys.



The World Series of Poker, with its massive player fields and 40-some poker tournaments, has redefined the Card Player Player of the Year race. Several new players have bullied their way into the top 10, but they're all still chasing Michael "The Grinder" Mizrachi, who has sat on top since February.

Mizrachi leads everyone with 5,865 points, but he accumulated most of those points during a three-week span starting at the end of January. He finished second in the Gold Strike World Poker Open, won the Borgata Winter Poker Open a week and a half later, and then finished second in the $2,500 buy-in no-limit hold'em event at the L.A. Poker Classic.



On Aug. 2, he added another 960 points by winning a $1,000 no-limit hold'em event at the Bellagio Cup II. During the WSOP, he could do no better than 54th in all the events he played, but at the Bellagio Cup II, he cashed four times.



Standing tall right behind Mizrachi is Phil Hellmuth, who had a fantastic WSOP. He won his 10th bracelet, made four final tables, and cashed eight times. Whether people liked it or not, Hellmuth had a strut about him during the WSOP. He was determined to get his 10th bracelet, and that determination put him right in the thick of the Player of the Year race.



With 3,755 points, Hellmuth is part of a group of nine who have between 3,000 and 4,000 points, showing just how tight the race is this year. Mizrachi is going to have to continue to win this year in order to claim the award. He has to know that it's still anybody's prize to win.



Right behind Hellmuth in third place is Shannon Shorr, a 21-year-old player from Birmingham, Alabama, who is having a great year. He won the $10,000 Bellagio Cup II championship event and its $960,690 top prize. That was his second victory at the Bellagio Cup II (he also won a $1,000 no-limit hold'em event). Since January, he's made five final tables.



Continuing the youth movement is Jeff Madsen, who not only became the youngest WSOP bracelet winner this year, but also captured the WSOP Player of the Year award for his fantastic play. He has 3,680 points, all of which came from WSOP events. He made four final tables, finished no worse than third at any of them, and won two bracelets.



Nam Le is fifth on the list with 3,585 points, and he's won $1,895,424 so far this year on the tournament trail. He has five final tables since January, including a second-place finish in the WSOP $2,000 no-limit hold'em event and a victory in the $5,000 no-limit hold'em championship event at the Scotty Nguyen Poker Challenge II in June.



Of all the players in the top 10, John Hoang has won the least amount of money so far this year ($460,406), but has made the most final tables (11). Go figure. He made two WSOP final tables this year, and is a pure tournament grinder. A win or two in a large buy-in event will thrust Hoang right to the top of the standings.



Allen Cunningham is next in the standings list with 3,344 points. He finished fourth in the WSOP main event that attracted 8,773 players, but don't feel bad for him for not winning the bracelet. He won $3,628,513 for fourth place. He made three final tables at the WSOP, including a win in the $1,000 no-limit hold'em event.



Erick Lindgren has been hanging around the top 10 all year. He has 3,286 points, which puts him in eighth place in the standings. But, he's only 470 points away from overtaking Hellmuth for second. He finished second to Madsen in the WSOP $5,000 no-limit hold'em shorthanded event.



David Williams now sits in ninth place with 3,152 points. He won a bracelet in the WSOP $1,500 stud event, and made four final tables this year. He also finished second in the WSOP $5,000 no-limit deuce-to-seven lowball event.



Rounding out the top 10 is William Chen, who won two WSOP bracelets this year (both in hold'em) and also has a series of cashes in smaller buy-in tournaments that count in the Player of the Year race. He has 3,146 points, and if he continues to play as well as he did at the WSOP, he has a chance to win the Player of the Year race, as do all the players who are in the top 10.



However it turns out, it should be fun to watch.

Bellagio Cup II and Champion Shannon Shorr

By Lisa Wheeler



Leave it to Bellagio to come up with a major tournament that drew a massive number of players already in Las Vegas for this year's World Series of Poker. While the Rio was boasting record attendance, Bellagio hosted the Bellagio Cup II tournament, with 33 no-limit hold'em events, including a $10,000 championship.

Shannon Shorr outlasted and outplayed 324 entrants to take home nearly $1 million in prize money, beating out final-table finishers Danny Wong, Gioi Luong, Men Nguyen, and Johan Storakers. This added another impressive notch to Shorr's belt after a whirlwind international tournament tour that began in January.



When the action was heads up at the final table of the Bellagio Cup II championship event, Shorr was face to face with another up-and-comer, Danny Wong. Wong had cashed in four major tournaments in 2006, but Shorr wasn't intimidated, as he had cakewalked his way to the final table with an impressive chip lead. And he maintained that lead all the way to the winning hand.



Shannon Shorr – Wanting it All

At a time when poker has exploded on college campuses nationwide, the 21-year-old student is now living the most recent version of the American dream. From the sofa of his Tuscaloosa apartment, Shorr used a wireless keyboard and a big-screen TV to hone his poker skills to blue-ribbon status, playing up to eight online games at a time. Halfway through his sophomore year at the University of Alabama, he was doing just fine as a civil engineering student with a minor in math, but the international poker tournament world had certain allures that engineering school couldn't offer.



"The lifestyle is a lot better," said Shorr.



After winning more than $100,000 playing poker in 2005, Shorr put his education on hold and took time off to pursue a career as a professional. He broke the news to his mother in January that he would be skipping a semester and traveling more than 10,000 miles to compete in the Australian Poker Championship.



"Are you serious? You want to do what?" Clearly, his mother was not enthusiastic about the idea, but eventually she resigned herself to it. "It's your life and your decision," she told him.



On Jan. 19, Shorr surreptitiously made his way to the final table of the Aussie Millions, placing fourth and winning $203,000. A week later, he was the runner-up in the Canadian Poker Championship in the Bahamas, adding another $75,000 to his bankroll.



In March, he made the final table in an event in Vienna for $10,000, and then rounded off his international tour in Barcelona, where he cashed in the World Heads-Up Poker Championship. Shorr then headed home, feeling better prepared to take on America.



The momentum continued as he rocketed past the competition at the World Series of Poker Tournament Circuit in Lake Tahoe, finishing second and third in back-to-back events. Finally, he was off to Las Vegas and the World Series of Poker. But if Shorr wanted to carve out a name for himself, he'd have to outshine thousands of other hopeful challengers.



He finished 72nd in the $2,000 no-limit hold'em event, in which another young gun, Jeff Madsen, won his first of two bracelets. Shorr also placed 46th in the $1,000 no-limit hold'em event, in which Phil Hellmuth won his record-tying 10th WSOP bracelet.



After busting out of the WSOP main event, Shorr took his game to the Bellagio Cup II, and the rest is history. By winning the championship event and $960,690, he captured a $25,000 seat in the 2007 World Poker Tour World Championship in Las Vegas.



"I'm very, very much looking forward to going back to Bellagio in April," Shorr said.



But Shorr has his sights set on something more. He realized that it was possible for him to challenge current Card Player Player of the Year point leaders, Michael Mizrachi and Phil Hellmuth Jr., for the title. With his decision to stay in Las Vegas and his Bellagio win, Shorr is third in the standings, and another brass ring seems just within reach. "I feel like I'm in a position right now where I should compete for player of the year. The prestige of being ranked that high in the world is almost as important as the money … almost."



With the support of his friends and fellow poker players, Shorr is off to rack up more Player of the Year points at the Empire State Poker Championship and the WPT Legends of Poker, and then plans to cap his American tour at the Borgata. From there, he'll fly across the pond to play the European Poker Tour London at Grosvenor, then round out the season with the WPT North American Poker Championship in Canada.



"He is going to be a star," said friend and fellow poker player Brett King, echoing the opinions of many in the poker industry.



As for the early chidings of Mrs. Shorr, she's now a staunch supporter. "I'm so thankful you didn't listen to your mother," she told him.

David Einhorn Donates All $659,730 of World Series of Poker Main-Event Winnings

The Michael J. Fox Foundation Will Benefit From His Tournament Run

By Bob Pajich



David Einhorn raised $659,730 for The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research by finishing 18th in the World Series of Poker main event.

Einhorn sits on the foundation's board and planned from day one of the main event to donate all of his winnings to the nonprofit organization. It just so happened that Einhorn almost made it to the final table. He entered his final day with $2,340,000 in chips and had a real shot to win the whole thing and its $12 million prize. Einhorn would've gotten a very nice bracelet; The Michael J. Fox Foundation would've gotten an even nicer donation. Despite his premature exit, it still got a very nice donation, and Einhorn got a lot of memories from playing in the WSOP.



"It's been an absolute blast," Einhorn said soon after he was knocked out. "It feels great."



Einhorn was knocked out by chip leader Jamie Gold, who eventually went on to win the championship. Einhorn held K-Q and Gold held Q-6. Einhorn found himself all in against Gold's two pair on the flop, and that was enough to send the philanthropist back to New York City with a huge check that he'll immediately sign over to The Michael J. Fox Foundation.



"Obviously, this is Gold's tournament. He's catching lots of cards and playing very well," Einhorn said after his elimination. "And I'm just really thrilled that I got to where I did. What a couple of weeks."



He doesn't know if he'll play in any other major tournaments, because of his demanding job as the president of Greenlight Capital, an investment firm that manages $3 billion in assets. But he said that he really enjoys the game of poker and wouldn't count out the chance of playing in another event.



"It wouldn't surprise me to play in more poker tournaments in my life," he said.



He has a history of working with social organizations and can afford it, because, he said, he has had a great and lucky decade managing hedge funds.



Einhorn has a personal connection to Parkinson's. His grandfather suffered with Parkinson's and he jumped at the chance to sit on the foundation's board after he was asked by Michael J. Fox. He is currently the co-chair of a fundraising event at the Waldorf Astoria in New York, scheduled for November.



There's no doubt the event will partially become a celebration of Einhorn's poker achievements and his extreme generosity. After all, $659,730 can go a long way in helping cure the disease.



"It's going to be a great night. I think this is a disease that a cure will be found for," he said. "I think sometimes you have to go a little bit outside the box to go about that. I think that The Michael J. Fox Foundation is doing it."



He called his two weeks of poker at the main event "a real easy, fun way to raise money" for the foundation.



Along with The Michael J. Fox Foundation, he also sits on the board of the Robin Hood Leadership Council, an organization that fights poverty in New York City.



A few years ago, he paid more than $200,000 in a charity auction to have lunch with investment guru Warren Buffet. The benefactor was Glide Memorial Church, a San Francisco-based nonprofit organization that runs programs for the poor and homeless.

Jeff Madsen 2006 World Series of Poker Player of the Year

Youngest Bracelet Winner Ever Beat Out Phil Hellmuth for the Honor

By Bob Pajich



It's official. Despite some confusion concerning the World Series of Poker Player of the Year race, Jeff Madsen is the clear winner with 1,467,852 points. He outraced Phil Hellmuth, who finished with 1,130,559 points.

Harrah's Rory Shanahan, who is responsible for keeping the race's statistics, confirmed the results to Card Player at around midnight on the night the final table of the main event was going on.



Madsen, a 21-year-old film student from California, won two WSOP bracelets ($5,000 shorthanded no-limit hold'em and $2,000 no-limit hold'em) and made another final table. He also became the youngest bracelet winner in WSOP history. He won $1,467,852 at this year's WSOP.


Hellmuth won his 10th bracelet this year and made multiple final tables, including a third-place finish in the $1,500 no-limit hold'em event. This caused some confusion among the media at the Rio (some had Hellmuth ahead of Madsen), but Shanahan assured Card Player that Madsen was indeed the WSOP Player of the Year.



Last year's award winner, Allen Cunningham, came close in the main event, but was knocked out of the tournament by eventual Champion Jamie Gold in fourth place.

PokerStars Players Win More Than $21 Million at World Series of Poker

Three Made Main-Event Final Table

By Bob Pajich



The run of World Series of Poker main-event champions affiliated with online poker site PokerStars.com ended when Jamie Gold took home $12 million and a very nice bracelet, but players who qualified for WSOP events through PokerStars still did incredibly well.



Almost 20 percent of the entire main-event field of 8,773 players qualified at PokerStars.com. A total of 1,623 qualifiers from PokerStars participated in the main event, and throughout the entire Series, players who got into events through PokerStars earned more than $21 million in 46 WSOP events.



WSOP champions Chris Moneymaker and Greg Raymer both qualified for the main event through PokerStars, and last year's champion, Joe Hachem, signed with the site soon after he won the main event. He said he's played at PokerStars since 2001.



Hachem didn't qualify for the main event through PokerStars, though.



In 2005, PokerStars sent 1,116 players to the main event.



Three PokerStars qualifiers made the main-event final table this year. Doug Kim finished seventh and earned $2,391,520; Erik Friberg finished eighth and won $1,979,189; and Dan Nassif finished ninth and won $1,566,858.



More than half of the players who participated in the WSOP main event this year qualified through online sites. In the last three years, PokerStars has sent more players to the WSOP than any other online poker site.

World Championship of Online Poker at PokerStars Just Around the Corner

Series Features 18 Tournaments and $10 Million in Guaranteed Prize Money

By Bob Pajich



For the fifth time, PokerStars.com is gearing up for the World Championship of Online Poker (WCOOP), an 18-tournament series with guaranteed prize money of $10 million.



The series kicks off on Saturday, Sept. 16, with a $215 razz event and ends on Sunday, Oct. 1, with the $2,600 no-limit hold'em championship event. This event has a guaranteed prize pool of $3 million. A complete schedule of events appears below.



Satellites for all of the events are now running at PokerStars, where people can win their way into the events for as little as $3.30. Plenty of Frequent Player Points tourneys are also running. They can be found under "WCOOP" under the "Events" tab.



The razz tournament joins two H.O.R.S.E. tournaments as new additions. The $5,200 H.O.R.S.E. tourney will be hosted by Team PokerStars member Barry Greenstein.



The winner of each event will also receive a champion's gold bracelet, commemorating the win.



Events, buy-ins, dates, and guaranteed prize pools are as follows:



• $215 razz, Sept. 16, $100,000

• $530 no-limit hold'em, Sept. 17, $1.5 million

• $320 pot-limit hold'em (rebuys), Sept. 18, $400,000

• $215 no-limit hold'em match play, Sept. 19, $300,000

• $530 Omaha eight-or-better, Sept. 20, $300,000

• $215 no-limit hold'em (rebuys), Sept. 21, $1 million

• $215 limit hold'em, Sept. 22, $200,000

• $215 H.O.R.S.E., Sept 23, $100,000

• $530 pot-limit hold'em, Sept. 23, $400,000

• $1,050 no-limit hold'em, Sept. 24, $1 million

• $320 stud, Sept. 25, $100,000

• $320 pot-limit Omaha eight-or-better, Sept. 26, $200,000

• $320 pot-limit hold'em, Sept. 27, $400,000

• $530 stud eight-or-better, Sept. 28, $200,000

• $530 pot-limit Omaha, Sept. 29, $300,000

• $5,200 H.O.R.S.E., Sept. 30, $100,000

• $1,050 limit hold'em, Sept. 30, $400,000

• $2,600 no-limit hold'em, Oct. 1, $3 million

GSN Renews High Stakes Poker

Viewers Can't Get Enough of Those Big Piles of Cash

By Bob Pajich

GSN has renewed its cash-game poker series High Stakes Poker for a third season.

"We were betting that High Stakes Poker would be a success, and we have won big," said Rich Cronin, president and CEO of GSN. "This show has proven to be a breakout hit with poker fans. We couldn't be more pleased by the response that we have gotten from viewers and television critics, who have called High Stakes Poker a 'must-see' and the 'best poker show' on television."



The location and players for the third season of High Stakes Poker will be announced later. The taping is scheduled to begin in October, and the producers recently invited newly crowned World Series of Poker Champion Jamie Gold to participate. He has yet to commit.



High Stakes Poker is the first true poker cash game on television, with a $100,000 minimum buy-in. Unlike other poker shows that are tournaments, in which the most that players can lose is their initial buy-in, the players on GSN's High Stakes Poker have several hundred thousand dollars of their own cash at stake.



The first two seasons featured top poker professionals, including Doyle Brunson, Daniel Negreanu, Barry Greenstein, Jennifer Harman, Antonio Esfandiari, Mike Matusow, Phil Hellmuth, Phil Laak, Johnny Chan, and many others, as well as amateurs like Fred Chamanara, a restaurant owner from Chicago, and Los Angeles Lakers owner Jerry Buss.



The current season of High Stakes Poker was taped at the Palms Casino in Las Vegas. Gabe Kaplan and A.J. Benza call the action.



As the popularity of poker continues to grow, GSN has also announced that it will be replaying the first season of High Stakes Poker on Mondays, beginning Sept. 18 at 8 p.m. Eastern time.

InterPoker.Com Signs Online Whiz

Morgan Goes Extreme

By Michael Friedman



InterPoker.com, the home of the Extreme Poker Championship, has added another player to its already impressive roster of professional player representatives. Joining Juha Helppi, Kathy Liebert, Pete Giordano, Robert Varkonyi, and Scott Fischman is online sensation Jordan "iMsoLucky0" Morgan.



Starting his poker career while attending the University of Oklahoma, Morgan quickly realized that he much preferred the poker felt to the physics classroom. If Morgan's four cashes at this year's World Series of Poker are any indication of what's to come from this rising online star, the poker world could be in for a big surprise from InterPoker.com's youngest superstar.



"Jordan is one of the best players of his generation. He bets wisely, and plays very aggressively when the odds are in his favor. Jordan is the perfect addition to the InterPoker.com Extreme Team, as he is young and energetic, and has a wonderful rapport with the online community," said InterPoker.com spokesperson Peter Marcus.



According to a recent InterPoker.com press release, Morgan is currently one of the top 10 online players worldwide and has a large online fan base. Mentored by fellow teammate Scott Fischman, Morgan has his sights set on moving up the professional ranks.



"I am delighted to be part of one of the most respected online poker rooms in the world, especially since most of my success has come within the online world. With InterPoker, it is apparent that they truly care about providing players with a safe, exciting, and, above all, genuine poker experience on the Web, and I am extremely pleased to be associated with them," Morgan said.

A Lesson From the Pro Poker Tour

By David Apostolico



Here is the situation: We are about three hours into a Professional Poker Tour event at Bellagio in Las Vegas. I am sitting on the button with about $8,000 in chips. I am below average, but definitely not short-stacked. I am in no danger of being blinded out or having to make a move. Since no one at our table has more than $12,000, I am still a viable threat against anyone. The blinds are $100-$200. Gary Bush raises to $600 from under the gun. Doyle Brunson calls from middle position. Everyone else folds. I peek at my cards and see A-K offsuit.

The table has been playing very conservatively up to this point. I figure that one of my opponents has to have a decent-sized pair and the other may be playing a big ace. I think I have three options: First, I can call. Next, I can make a standard raise. Finally, I can make a big raise. Under different circumstances, I think this is a great situation to just call. By calling, I hide the value of my hand. I have position, which gives me a lot of flexibility with the flop. As long as both of my opponents miss the flop, I can probably make a play for the pot. If I flop the ace, I may make a decent amount of money from a hand like A-Q. However, in this particular case, I do not think I have much upside in calling. First, I really believe one of them, if not both, has a decent-sized pair. If I do not hit the flop, one of them will bet out and I will be forced to fold. Next, if I do hit the flop, I do not believe I will make any more money. If they have smaller pairs, they are too good not to fold to an ace. Plus, I have already seen Doyle make some incredibly tough laydowns. I just do not believe either player will pay me off. Finally, if one of them is playing a big ace, I am drawing that much thinner against a big pair like J-J or Q-Q. So, I decide to raise.



The next question is: How much should I raise? There is $1,500 in the pot. I will gladly take that money right now. That will put me at $9,500 and give me a little more cushion to work with. I already have decided that I do not want to see a flop if I can avoid it. I have to raise enough to force both players out. Yet, I do not want to overbet and show desperation. There also is the possibility that someone could move in on me, in which case I am not sure what I would do. I have to prepare for that possibility, however, so I want to leave myself with enough chips not to be pot-committed and still have the option to fold. I decide to make it $2,200. Both players fold without much hesitation.



Gary was clearly disappointed, and when I asked him what he had, he told me pocket jacks. I have no idea what Doyle had, but



I was happy with the result.



As is the case with most situations in poker, do not get too cute if there is not much to be gained and more to lose. If I had just called, I would have been left with $7,400. If I missed the flop and one of my opponents bet $1,000, I was going to be forced to fold. If I hit the flop, there was a chance that I might be able to pick up a few bets, but I knew I was up against tough opponents who would not be likely to pay me off. If I forced everyone out preflop, I would be sitting on $9,500. I think that a common mistake beginning players make is not to consider all of the consequences of their actions. Here, the most likely possibilities were that I would end up with $7,400 (if I just called the $600 raise and was forced to fold on the flop) or $9,500 (if I raised preflop and forced everyone out). There was a potential upside to calling, such that the $7,400 situation could end up netting me more than $9,500 if I hit the flop and got some action. On the flip side, there was a risk that someone could move in on me. So, there was a chance that the raising situation could leave me with less than $7,400. (If my raise did not work, I would be down to $5,800.) If you learn to think in these terms, it will make coming to the correct decision a lot easier.



While I ended up being correct in this situation, it was a calculated risk. I may have missed out on an opportunity to win even more chips, but I felt strongly that the extra $2,100 (the difference between $9,500 and $7,400) could be used as leverage to win more chips.



Of course, if I had been up against weaker opposition, I would have played this hand very differently. Don't think in absolutes; analyze each situation individually.



David Apostolico is the author of the recently released Lessons From the Pro Poker Tour, as well as Tournament Poker and The Art of War and Machiavellian Poker Strategy. You can contact him at [email protected].

Poker Superstars III Exquisite Eight Nearly Complete

Seven Players Are In, Three to Fight for Last Spot

By Bob Pajich

There's only one match to go before the final eight of the Poker Superstars III are determined. Todd Brunson beat his table of four to bully his way into the exquisite eight, and Daniel Negreanu, Phil Ivey, and Carlos Mortensen now will face off to find out who stays to play, and who goes home.



Here's who has made it through so far:



In the first group of four, Mike Matusow won the first round, beating Eli Elezra, Card Player COO Jeff Shulman, and Mike Sexton.



A week later, FSN showed the battle between those three, and Shulman came out on top, punching his ticket into the round of eight.



The second group consisted of Antonio Esfandiari, Johnny Chan, Phil Hellmuth, and Chris Ferguson. Chan won the match between all four players. A week later, Esfandiari won his table of three to move forward.



The third group featured Erick Lindgren, Gus Hansen, Barry Greenstein, and Freddy Deeb. Deeb beat his table of four to advance, and a week later, Hansen moved forward by beating the remaining two players to advance into the round of eight.



Once the final player is determined, the players will be split up into two groups of four. The winner of each group will advance, and then, just as in the round of 16, the remaining three players will play again. The winners of the smaller groups will then move on.



Poker Superestars III is shown on FSN every Sunday at 8 p.m. local time. Visit www.CardPlayer.com to view Internet coverage of this TV series.

Is Jungleboy Poker's Future?
By Michael Friedman



According to William Wallace, the Scottish hero portrayed by Mel Gibson in the highly successful movie Braveheart, "Every man dies; not every man lives." These words aren't wasted on Leif Force, one of Bodog.com's new up-and-coming online talents.



Force took a major step forward in establishing his professional career by cashing 11th in this year's World Series of Poker main event, but don't expect "Jungleboy" to be outwardly happy with his latest poker experience. A perfectionist and relentless competitor, Force is a Frisbee-loving poker player who is determined to become a poker superstar.



According to Force, he got the nickname Jungleboy because he grew up in the woods and spent a lot of time climbing trees. Just as he was fearless in his youthful exploits, now at 23 he shows little fear at the tables and seems to enjoy himself at every turn.



Although ESPN portrayed Force as a "Charles Manson surfer look-alike," he's quite the opposite. Calm, cool, and collected, Force uses his life experiences to give him a sense of peace and rare confidence that carries over to the poker tables.



"I don't really get too amazed by too much. I know that can sometimes be a bad thing, but in poker I think it has helped out.



Usually, I'm a really shy person, but everything went very smoothly during the main event. I didn't really feel any pressure and just played my best," Force said.



Despite having found huge success in the biggest field in WSOP history, Force indicated that he was far from satisfied with his performance. "It was so disappointing. Everyone has been like, congratulations, but it doesn't feel great. Obviously, to get that close hurts. To finish one or two spots away from the final table is just painful."



Don't feel too bad for this Florida State college student, though, because he did collect more than $1.1 million for his efforts.



According to Force, the money will go a long way toward helping out his family in Tallahassee, Florida. "My family only found out that I was in the tournament toward the end. They knew I was going to Vegas, and I had mentioned playing in a tournament, but they're really not into hold'em, so they didn't pay much attention. They never wanted me to play poker for a job because my great-grandfather was shot and killed in a cardroom. They thought there was a chance that I might get hurt getting caught up in the wrong game. I told them things have changed, and they've relaxed a bit. It's really great that they accept it now."



Having learned the game from his grandparents, like many poker players, Force began playing the game at age 5, and continues to spend a good portion of his time on the virtual poker felt. In Force's mind, card games brought his family closer, and prepared him for the serious competition of the WSOP. "Our whole community plays cards, so it constantly brings us together. My family doesn't play hold'em, but we play other games that help sharpen your instincts. This is where I learned how to know what I was going to do before things happened in a given hand."



Although he is still undecided on what to major in at college, Force is aware that his talents may lie away from the classroom. "I guess I realized I could play professional poker when I came to the conclusion that there are just so many players out there who aren't very skilled. It was actually easy to make the transition to playing seriously. I just started off slowly and built my bankroll over time," he said.



When asked whether he prefers tournaments or cash games, Force said he preferred cash games. "I like being creative, and I get more of a chance to do that in a cash game. I don't have to worry that if I go all in, I'll get knocked out of the tournament.



Obviously, if you make one wrong move in a tournament, you're done. I really don't take the same chances in tournaments, either."



Force showed just how much he loves cash games when he was continually spotted playing the $1-$2 no-limit hold'em game at Binion's after spending the day playing in the main event. Despite playing grueling hours in the main event, Force played throughout the night and into the early hours of the following day, barely getting enough sleep to start the day's afternoon round of play. When asked whether he was worried if this would affect his play he smiled, and said, "No, not really. I just wanted to have some more fun and play some more hands."



With more than $1.1 million in the bank and major tournament experience behind him, Force seems to be having more fun than most.

Venetian Poker Room Hosts $500,000 Freeroll

J.P. Withrow Wins $150,000

By Lisa Wheeler



The results are in, as The Venetian in Las Vegas recently concluded its second major poker promotion in three months, proving once again that it really is the "New Face of Poker."



The Venetian poker room's $500,000 Freeroll Poker Tournament attracted nearly 400 players. It featured a $150,000 top prize, so it's no wonder it attracted so many players.



Poker players needed to use their Venetian Club cards to "clock in and cash out" over the past few months, accumulating 50 hours of rated play per month or 200 rated hours by July 31 to qualify for a prize pool of more than a half-million dollars in cold hard cash.



On day one, half the field played down to 100 players, and on day two, they did the same. The top 200 players were in the money and went on to compete for the top prize.



J.P. Withrow had a monster chip lead entering the final table, and ended up winning the tournament. Here are the final-table finishers:



1. J.P. Withrow, $150,000

2. Ken Selby, $75,000

3. Sam Chung, $50,000

4. Michael Chaplan, $40,000

5. Pablo Carabello, $30,000

6. Steven Pohl, $20,000

7. Robert Delcher, $15,000

8. Robert Moyers, $10,000

9. Justin Hall, $6,000

10. David Zanella, $4,000



With nearly 11,000 square feet of space, The Venetian poker room is the largest on the Strip. This luxurious poker room is exquisitely decorated and offers state-of-the-art technology in a smoke-free environment.

Ask Jack

Want to know how a multimillion-dollar poker tournament is run? Have a question about a specific tournament poker rule or past ruling you've encountered?



Card Player is giving you a chance to pick the mind of one of the game's finest – Bellagio Tournament Director Jack McClelland.



You can send your questions to [email protected], and McClelland will share his 25-plus years of industry experience with you.

Paul: This year's $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. event in the World Series of Poker is already being touted as the event that will give the winner the most bragging rights as "best player."



My biweekly poker game with friends incorporates these games (among others) in our cash game. However, I thought it would be fun to do a low-limit tournament that would test our skills and, in the end, give the winner a little more cash and bragging rights. I was considering possibly using a $50 buy-in to get $50 in chips, or I could increase that $50 to a more substantial amount in chips. My question for you is, how do you best run a H.O.R.S.E. tournament as far as limits, length, and so on? I would hope my event would last about five-six hours with fewer than 20 people.



Jack McClelland: In a small tournament, I would play each game with the same number of hands at each level – for example, five. You can play each game for the same amount of time – for example, 15 minutes – but you will receive many more hands in razz than you will in Omaha.


Bob: It has been years since I've played in a tournament, and there are a number of tournament-related terms that I haven't seen before. Please explain the following to me:



Shootout

Turbo no-limit hold'em

Add-on chips

Freezeout

Graveyard freezeout

Sit-and-go

King of the Hill

TOC qualifier

Supersatellite



JM: Shootout – A player advances from each table (for example, 25 winners from 25 tables) and then these players traditionally play a freezeout.



Turbo no-limit – A fast-paced game in which you have a short amount of time (for example, 15 seconds) to act on your hand.



Add-on Chips – At the end of the normal buy-in time in a rebuy tournament, you are allowed to buy more chips, regardless of your chip position.



Freezeout – Traditional tournament in which the players play levels according to time, and it continues until one player has all of the chips.



Graveyard freezeout – The same tournaments held early in the morning.



Sit-and-go – A one-table tournament that usually pays three places: first, 50 percent; second, 30 percent; third, 20 percent.



King of the Hill – I'm not really familiar with this one, but I would guess that the winner is entered or seeded into the finals in the next tournament.



TOC qualifier – The winner qualifies for the Tournament of Champions.



Supersatellite – A freezeout-style tournament in which multiple seats are awarded into large buy-in event. For example – last year we gave away 50 seats in the WPT Championship event. When it gets down to 50 players remaining, play is stopped and all players win a seat.


Brian Saddler, Onalaska, Wisconsin: Do you think more and more people will start using card protectors? I am the founder of Holdemweight.com. I can engrave anything people want on a poker-chip-size card protector.



I am trying to play in as many tournaments as I can in Wisconsin, but when I use my card protector, nobody really notices. I think card protectors are very new to people and they don't really know the purpose of them yet.



JM: I especially like card protectors for tournament play. If you are in the seat next to the dealer or if you are all in, the card protector gives you security for your hand. The nicest card protectors I have seen so far are made by George Marlowe. They are distinctive works of art. You can trade ideas: GeorgeMarlowe.com.

Rick Matthews: At my weekly Tuesday night poker tournament at a local casino, one individual tips $5 to each dealer as he sits to deal, and each time he wins a hand. Is this improper in any way during a tournament?



JM: Most dealers pool their tips during tournaments, so that is not an issue. Customarily, players tip after collecting their winnings. This player may tip a lot of money and not make the money. It's a non-issue.

Todd: I have a couple of quick questions for you. First off, is there any purpose to a minimum raise? If so, when, where, and how often should it be used? My second question has to do with blinds battles. It seems as though many people are willing to risk lots of chips with mediocre hands because they want to protect. Is it better to let those players keep their blinds as opposed to trying to steal once in a while? Even if I have, say, a decent A-10 or something, I find it hard to fold when I am put all in from the small blind. Any suggestions on small blind, big blind battles?



Scott: Minimum raises can be dangerous. The big blind pretty much always has pot odds to call, so bear this in mind when you do make a minimum raise.



Typically, under the gun, and early position to middle position, a minimum raise represents one of several hands: A-A or K-K (old school poker player), K-Q or A-10 (new school, Internet donkey). In late position, it can be done with any two cards, so be careful.



I like to minimum raise from late position for a cheap steal or setup play. This way, I can keep the pot small and not risk a lot of chips (especially if I'm attacking a trigger-happy big blind).



Small blind/big blind battles: In the small blind (if folded to me), I minimum raise half of the time to show strength and steal.



You also have "first-to-act" position, so betting out or check-raising any flop will win you a small pot. Folding here one-third or one-fourth of the time will be good for maintaining a tight appearance, so don't be afraid to let a hand go even though it's cheap to limp in. In the big blind, I tend to minimum raise more often, as I have "actual" position. It shows strength and reminds the small blind that I'm in position.



The inverse of the above: If the small blind minimum raises and you're in the big blind – or you limp in from the small blind and the big blind minimum raises – move in or reraise the first time it occurs. After that, be aware that he knows you're capable of making this move. This will work 85 percent of the time, as everyone has to steal to survive in a tournament. Once in a while, you do walk into A-A, but outdrawing is lots of fun.



Essentially, be observant of whom you are minimum raising. Steal the weak-tight big blind. Set up the loose-aggressive big blind. And yes, protect your big blind with A-10 most of the time if the blinds are large.


Chris: I love your column in Card Player, and once I made the following play, I knew I had to ask your opinion.



We were in the money in a turbo multitable online tournament when the following hand came up: The blinds were $2,000-$4,000 with an ante of $500. I was in the small blind with $23,000 (about an average stack), and the table was playing pretty tight, with people appearing to just be content to move up in the money. There were 16 players left at two tables.



The action was folded around to a player in late position who was severely short-stacked and went all in with his last $3,000. Everyone folded to me in the small blind, with A-7 offsuit. My options as I saw them were to just call the $2,000 chip big blind or raise to isolate the all-in player. Well, I looked at the pot of $13,000, got greedy, and raised all in for my last $23,000.



Unfortunately, the big blind (who had me slightly covered) woke up with A-K, and it turned out that the original all-in player had 7-7, leaving me drawing nearly dead before the flop was dealt. Needless to say, I lost the hand and was out in 16th place.



Afterward, I questioned my decision to push all in before the flop, thinking that the big blind would just move in preflop if he did wake up with a hand, and otherwise, we could have just checked it down or I could have gotten away from the A-7 cheaply if he had made a bet on any of the streets. On the other hand, I thought it was a good play to attempt to take the whole pot, and I just got unlucky that the big blind woke up with a big hand.



I hope this doesn't come across as a bad-beat story; it is just one of those hands that I have been scratching my head about for some time.



I'd love to get your input. Thanks a lot.



Scott: I think that most of the time, you made the right move. Typically, the big blind would fold and you would have the opportunity of winning a reasonable pot by taking on the short stack in late position.



It sounds like you are a strong, aggressive player who wants to win rather than limp up the money list.



Making up the small blind does give the big blind an opportunity to move in with any two cards. I guess you need to assess what kind of player he is and make your decision.

Poker and the Meaning of (One Man's) Life

By Tim Peters

Take Me to the River: A Wayward and Perilous Journey to the World Series of Poker by Peter Alson, Atria Books, $24



I can read poker books every day (actually, I do read poker books every day), but sometimes I want something other than a discussion of inflection points or the strategy of the semibluff. This is why I like poker narratives, books that provide a more personal, introspective perspective on the game, like this fine new title from Peter Alson, co-author, with Nolan Dalla, of One of a Kind: The Rise and Fall of Stuey "The Kid" Ungar, The World's Greatest Poker Player.


Alson played poker before poker was cool, starting back in the early 1970s in Gardena, California, then in home games and underground clubs in Manhattan, where he lives now. But this book focuses on his 2005 journey to the World Series of Poker, which came at a particularly soul-searching moment, shortly after he'd turned 50 and gotten engaged to be married. "I had lived my post-college life, the preceding twenty-eight years, as if adulthood were a thing to be avoided at all costs," he writes. "I had never gotten married, had kids, or held a steady job. I don't like bosses, authority figures, or anyone who thought he had the right to tell me what to do. I was my own man."



And to prove that, to himself more than anyone else, Alson heads out to Las Vegas for the duration of the 2005 WSOP, armed with a book contract, a $15,000 bankroll, and desire for one last experience of bachelorhood. The result is an engaging story of both the madness that is the WSOP and one man's midlife crisis, his final act of irresponsibility before settling into the joys of domesticity.



After trying unsuccessfully to qualify for the main event online, Alson checks into the Gold Coast and buys his way into an early $1,500 event and the main event (aka "the Joe Hachem show"). He also worries, about his World Series, his impending marriage, the state of his finances, his life. It's a testament to his skill as a writer that he makes it all interesting. About handing over $11,500 to the cashier at the Rio, he writes, "The act causes me physical pain. One moment I have fifteen grand in my hand, the next it's all but gone; in its place a couple of very expensive lottery tickets."



One of those "lottery tickets" was for event No. 2, the $1,500 no-limit hold'em tournament, which at that time had the biggest (non-main event) field in WSOP history (a record eclipsed this year by the same event, which drew 2,776). He builds his stack to just over $6,000 by the end of the second round, and describes the essentially sound thinking behind his decisions (he knows the games and has read the books; he's also upfront about his mistakes). In fact, by the time that two-thirds of that enormous field are gone, he's up to $8,500 – in good shape, in other words, until his pocket queens are cracked by a set of jacks, cutting his stack almost in half. A few hours later, Alson's run for the money is over, but he is surprisingly stoical about it: "As disappointed as I am by this long journey to nowhere, I shake it off quickly. I played well, after all."



The fact that he knows what he's doing (and how to write about it) makes his suffering so acute. After winning a satellite, he enters a pot-limit hold'em tournament, outlasts 75 percent of the field – and walks away again with nothing. He describes the bust-out moment with painful accuracy: "One minute you're alive, the next you're dead. The suddenness of it, the finality of it, is almost impossible to metabolize. For the first few minutes, you're dazed, walking this way and that … in a kind of limbo."



There's plenty of poker in this book, both his own and from his coverage of some of the 2005 events (Alson is a fine reporter), and it's a tribute to Alson that his knowledge of the game means the poker is depicted accurately and realistically. But Take Me to the River strives to be more than a narrative of winning hands, bluffs, and bad beats. Alson is searching, like all good narratives do, for the meaning behind the experience. Poker players are liable to be more engaged by Alson's tournament woes than the account of his relationship with Alice, but he approaches that with the same refreshing honesty and insight that characterizes his stories from the felt. Even when he finally sits down to play the main event, he's focused more on his impending nuptials than on the game at hand.



But ultimately, Take Me to the River is an adventure story, and one of the tropes of the genre is that the hero earns something for his efforts – treasure, the girl, and self-knowledge. Alson has some minor success at the Series, but his real prize is Alice and the courage to embrace the ultimate form of pot-commitment: marriage.