News, Reviews And Interviews From Around The Poker World

High Stakes Poker Premieres Feb. 14 on GSN
New Season Features a New Host and Several Familiar Names

Poker’s most popular cash-game show is back, with new episodes starting Feb. 14 on the Game Show Network.

High Stakes Poker has returned to GSN for its sixth season, and it will feature many familiar big-name pros, as well as a new host in Kara Scott. The attractive female poker player and former European Poker Tour television host will comment on the action alongside color commentator Gabe Kaplan.

The new season will air on Sundays at 8 p.m., with encore episodes at 11 p.m. and 2 a.m.

Many of the biggest names in poker will be back for the high-stakes cash game, which will feature a minimum buy-in of $200,000. Among the pros scheduled to play in the televised competition are Doyle Brunson, Phil Hellmuth, Phil Ivey, Tom Dwan, Patrik Antonius, Barry Greenstein, Antonio Esfandiari, Mike Matusow, Daniel Negreanu, Dennis Phillips, David Benyamine, Eli Elezra, Andreas Hoivold, and Lex Veldhuis.

Last season featured many memorable moments, including a much-talked-about hand in which Tom “durrrr” Dwan bluffed both Barry Greenstein and Peter Eastgate off better hands in a $133,500 pot when he fired out a $104,200 bet on a 10-2-2-7 board. Although Dwan held only Q-10, his aggression on the flop and turn got Greenstein to muck his pocket aces and Eastgate to lay down trips, fearing kicker problems with his 4-2.

Season six of High Stakes Poker will feature an immensely talented lineup at virtually every moment. While previous seasons have welcomed a few celebrity amateurs to the table, it will be tough to find any dead money this year. That didn’t mean that the players weren’t willing to gamble. At the end of the first day of play when High Stakes Poker was filmed, there was reportedly more than $3.2 million on the table.

Viewers also should expect to see some wild swings. Network producers have indicated that one big-name player goes broke in the cash game, while another wins more than $1 million.

Bodog Unveils More Than 40 New Casino Games
Table Games, Slots, and Video Poker Offered

Las Vegas has got nothing on Bodog. The popular gambling site recently added to its already extensive cross-channel product offerings with the introduction of more than 40 games to its Vegas-style online casino.

There are four categories of new games: table games, slots, video poker, and specialty games. A guaranteed favorite is PokerBet, a casino table game based on Texas hold’em. Unlike regular hold’em, players in PokerBet can wager at any of the game’s three betting stages, and on as many seat positions as they wish. In addition to being able to wager on the winning hand, a player can bet on the winning turn-card color (until the flop) and the winning river-card suit (until the turn card).

Another popular addition to Bodog Casino’s table games is Casino Hold’Em. In this game, the player competes against the house and not other players. As is the case with any Bodog Casino game, players can practice Casino Hold’Em for free before deciding to try their hand with real money.

A 15-year industry veteran, Bodog offers nearly every sports, horse racing, poker, and casino gaming option possible, as well as unique bonus opportunities, impeccable customer service, top-of-the-line software, and fast, free payout options.

World Series of Poker Europe Now on ESPN2
Watch Card Player CEO Barry Shulman Take Down the Main Event

When the final nine players were determined in the World Series of Poker Europe main event last fall, many fans commented that it may have been the most talented television final table that the poker world had ever seen. With half a dozen WSOP bracelet winners left to vie for the title, great poker was expected — and it was delivered, in thrilling fashion.

ESPN2 began airing episodes of the dramatic WSOPE on Jan. 31 at 11 p.m., with new episodes premiering on subsequent Sunday nights. The first segment featured the inaugural Caesars Cup, an event that pitted Team Europe against Team America in a contest that welcomed a plethora of superstars, including Doyle Brunson, Phil Ivey, Phil Hellmuth, Patrik Antonius, Gus Hansen, and Annette Obrestad.

On Feb. 7, coverage of the WSOPE main event begins. The tournament featured WSOP “November Nine” members James Akenhead and Antoine Saout at the final table, along with big-name players Daniel Negreanu, Jason Mercier, Matt Hawrilenko, and Barry Shulman.
Shulman, the CEO of Card Player, wound up defeating his eight competitors in final-table action that lasted nearly 17 hours, ultimately beating Negreanu after some dramatic heads-up play. With the victory, Shulman won his second WSOP bracelet and almost $1.3 million.

The WSOPE main event was jam-packed with skilled pros looking to take down one of the most prestigious titles in poker; 334 of the world’s best players put up more than $15,000 apiece to compete.

“It was a very tough field. It was a deep-stack tournament with hours and hours of play. Some of the luck that we normally have in poker just wasn’t there,” said Shulman, who has performed well recently in marquee events; he finished third in the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure main event in early January, for an additional $1.35 million. That event also will be televised later on in 2010.

Negreanu says that viewers can expect some fireworks at the end.

“There was a lot of drama from a television perspective … in the way the cards came out,” said Negreanu, who tried to look on the bright side after his disappointing runner-up finish. “One of my goals for 2009 was to gain the number-one spot on the all-time money list, and I did that with the second-place finish.”

Sam Grizzle, ‘Syracuse’ Chris, and Paul ‘Hi Low’ Horn Host New Poker Club in Ohio
New Room Features 15 Tables

On Jan. 13, the Platinum Players Club was born.

The new social club in Columbus, Ohio, is an oasis for poker players who are looking for a friendly and enjoyable game in the state. Hosted by poker pros Sam Grizzle, “Syracuse” Chris Tsiprailidis, and Paul “Hi Low” Horn, this new poker room features 15 tables and offers a variety of different games.

The room spreads no-limit hold’em ($1-$2, $1-$3, and $5-$10), limit hold’em ($2-$4, $3-$6, $10-$20, and $20-$40), limit Omaha eight-or-better ($2-$4, $3-$6, and $10-$20), and seven-card stud ($3-$6 and $5-$10).

“The Platinum Players Club will create a safe and friendly environment,” its website states. “We will be hosting numerous special events such as our March Madness tournament. We will also be hosting promotions such as trip outings and drawings, to name a few; there will also be gin, bridge, chess, and Texas hold’em tournaments.”

The March Madness tournament series runs daily from March 16 to April 5 and features a variety of events, with buy-ins ranging from $120 to $660 for the no-limit hold’em championship.

The Platinum Players Club is located at 3131 Broadway, Grove City, Ohio, 43123.