Online Poker Directory

Archive for June, 2012

There are no quick shortcuts to become a good poker player. That takes a lot of hard work. Tobias “Saibot” Storm is poker coach and one of those, who with a gentle hand is known to get results.

The Player and The Coach

We often hear about them, but seldom notice them. In contrast to football, the coach in poker is well hidden in the background and all the attention is on the players. But who wants to teach others to play better poker, so that there are fewer fish for yourself?  The answer is Tobias Storm. The 24-year-old coach is perhaps one of the best teachers when it comes to poker. We had a chat with the man.

- It started with a board game in elementary school. We were a bunch that way back then played a lot of different games, and in 2003 or so we searched online and found Omaha poker. I deposited some money and started playing low stakes fixed limit. It didn’t take long before it dawned on me that I had a good intuitive understanding of the game and that I probably could get really good at this. When I finished high school, I had built up a good bankroll, but would obviously go out and work. I was a teaching assistant for whole two weeks …

Full Time Gig

It occurred to Tobias that poker was far more interesting than other people’s children, and he began to throw himself full time at poker.

- It’s not because I haven’t tried to work earlier. I have worked as a badminton coach and from when I was 11-12 years until I was 17, And just like Dynamo I had a spare time job as a magician. Yes, it came from that I was bored and went for a walk to the library where I came across these books about magic tricks. Over the next few years I earned a little money on it and got a lot of good experiences as well.

Turning Pro

And when Tobias got started as a professional, he thought about the help he had received from other players via forums, maybe was something he could pass on.

- I had gotten so much help and coaching from others, so I had this idea about trying to impart my knowledge to others. I posted a note on the Danish pokerforum PokerNet and enclosing some graphs. It gave a surprising number of inquiries, so I stood in a situation where I could choose who I would teach. Maybe I offered it a little too cheap, but I just wanted to get started.
That has also meant that I never ever had to give up on a student, caused by the selective selection that has ensured that I can take those players who are most serious and motivated about their poker. There is obviously some I said no to. This is due not so much their attitude, but more that I felt I couldn’t contribute more to their game or mindset. And you must be honest and say that you can’t do anything for them if you can’t.

No Doubt

And should anyone be in doubt about Tobias’s own merits, his game size and BRM witnesses about a player who has gotten a little into his account.

- I typically play Heads-Up Sit’n’Gos at the level from $ 300 to $ 2,000 and sometimes I play a little cash games. When that happens, it’s just from 2/4 to 10/20. I am very conservative in terms of BRM (bankroll management), and play with many buy-ins behind me. You will need to have that when you play $ 2,000 Sit’n’Gos, otherwise the variance can kill you.

Bookworm

Poker sucess has not just come to Tobias easily, it has taken lots of time and hard work.

- I’ve spent so much time on self-development and optimization of my game. I have read tons of books on the subject, but if I must point out one who has had great influence, it must be Stephen Covey’s “7 Habits”. It is about personal leadership, self-control and the philosophical thoughts in order to achieve your goals. When I start a course up, I take base in the student. What typically happens is that we take an introductory talk and find out how we should weight the technical poker section up against the personal- or mental development.

Development is important for Tobias.

 

- I think that teaching occupies only 15% of my poker time. It is important that I develop. Modern poker is constantly evolving; and we are therefore forced to follow its path. It’s like in chess, where strategy and response strategy goes hand in hand. Nothing Of course is quite square, but there are always new things we a need to adjust to. If you want to live from poker or just be good at it, players must ask themselves: What do I want with this? You have to get yourself a goal and some sub-goals. You are forced to look at your win rate, get coaching and input.

Freebird

Right now, Tobias is free as a bird and has plenty of time for himself and his new project.

- Poker has given me some sort of financial freedom. I therefore embarked on a project together with Anders Jensen. It’s a poker camp that we intend to start up shortly. The idea is that you basically sign up for six months. The camp will consist of Anders Jensen, I and six others. It becomes a very intense process where we spar, work and evolve together. Physically, mentally and in poker as well. We start the day with physical training, which we have developed together with physiotherapists and coaches that will mainly focus on core training. It is necessary to build stability in the upper body when you have to sit so many hours in a chair in front of a screen. Then we exercise for condition and start working with poker. Were looking for a place where people can stay permanently and where there will be beds available to everyone. Right now it’s a little expensive project for us, but I think it pays off over a longer time.

Not on the circuit

However, it is extremely rare to see Tobias at events like WSOP or other large tournaments, unlike many of his colleagues.

- I’ve never focused on the live tournaments. When I’m “off” it is important for me to get away. When you have worked so intensely with poker as Anders and I have, it’s important to do something different once in a while, and simply take a break. I’m in the fortunate position that I can afford to travel around. So I do and try to kite-surfing along the way. Now it’s not like that I throw around my money. I do not spend money on expensive hotels, places like Noma (world’s best restaurant placed in Copenhagen) or wild benders. It has been more sensible things like an apartment and a car. I think my controlled consumption is one of the reasons that I can keep myself in the industry. I make no ill-considered financial decisions …

Full Support

And fortunately, Tobias also supported by the people who could worry about him.

- My parents were of course sceptical at first. But now they can see how well it has gone, so I have their full support. And regarding my acquaintances, I have a diverse network, but they have all gotten used to it now, so it’s just that thing I’m doing. Should I have to do anything else, it would probably be toward something with teaching. Alternative perhaps psychology, it is also a topic I have been working with a lot. But I’m passionate about poker. I have no end goal about achieving financial independence in order to stop playing. I see poker as a sport where I can deliver my own potential, and not as a cynical business.

Poker Camp

Right now Tobias is engaged in his poker camp – and that with a lot of passion. While many of the other poker players get their annual experience in Las Vegas, Tobias has started to organize training courses and set the framework for the next six months. A lot of hard work just to make others just as talented as himself, in a world where cynicism otherwise is rewarded.

with additional reporting by Sam Cosby

If you’re a constant Twitter refresher you may have caught wind of a shooting bet between the Fab Four — Vanessa Rousso, Maria Ho, Liv Boeree, and Vanessa Selbst — all whom are living together in Rousso’s new home. Apparently, Wednesday, June 20, the four decided to got out to a shooting range, and a prop bet ensued.

“We were at a shooting range, shooting targets,” Boeree explained. “And naturally, Vanessa (Rousso) was running her mouth, saying how she was the best, and how she was going to do better than the rest of us, so we ended up making a bet.”

“What we decided on was $ 500 from each person, and the loser would have to wear a costume of the winner’s choice,” Boeree continued.

“And it’s not just for today either,” Maria Ho chimed in. “It’s for the whole tournament, so you may see her win a bracelet dressed as a cockroach.”

Vanessa Rousso: Still going to be around after the nukes fallWhen it came to choosing a costume, Boeree took to twitter and asked for suggestions.

“There was a lot of choices really,” Boeree said about the costume. “I just felt like this was the best of them.”

Among the tweet recommendations for costumes were “a giant penis,” “Snookie,” and “Pippy Longstockings.”

Rousso wasn’t upset about it though. She was more than happy to go along with the bet.

“I’m just going with it,” Rousso said. “Liv had some mercy on me because the other costume choice was a penis. I’m just really thankful it wasn’t that. It’s cutting off the circulation to my face a little, but that’s it. When you make a bet, you have to follow up.”

Vanessa Selbst had never shot a gun before, but apparently, she had some natural skill.

“I had never really shot a gun before,” Selbst said about the experience. “It was interesting.”

Maria Ho was the other member of the Fab Four at the bottom of the pack.

“I am really enjoying it,” Ho said. “It’s great because it was all four of us in the bet, and clearly Liv was No. 1, and Vanessa was in second, so I had to sweat it out.”

This is definitely one of the most exciting prop bets that we’ve seen so far at the World Series of Poker, but we’re sure that there will be much more to come.

It’s because of the heat and humidity in the air. The penalties in poker last longer here, too. Whether that’s down to the hot-headed dealers, I can’t say. Last week I had to sit out a whole round of a tournament because I tweeted during a hand. And I wasn’t even in the money. Ridiculous. I had to share that here on my twitter account!

Part of the Team!

I’m, of course, in Vegas for the WSOP with PartyPoker. Every year I look forward to visiting this playground for excessive partying and gambling, even though it’s not really my kind of city. Too hot for me.

What do I do on a day off?

At the moment, I’m playing a few one-day tournaments with celebrities and friends. Last week I had a day off, but headed to the tables anyway to support a good friend of mine in the final. I don’t have a day without poker, but then again, that’s why I’m here – for work, not to be on holiday. There’s bound to be another big tournament coming up soon. I’ll keep you posted and do my best at every table – without a hangover, and hopefully without a hot-headed dealer. That’s all for now. Until next time!

Lightning fast poker has debuted at Titan Poker. Speed Hold’em Poker is available initially at select Texas Hold’em cash games. Speed Hold’em revolutionizes the way you think about, and play online poker. You’ve never played the game this quickly. 

In Speed Hold’em, you join a large pool of players and face different opponents with every hand. You can fold your hand at any time by clicking a Speed Fold button, even if it’s not your turn to act. After folding, you’re immediately moved to a different table where you are dealt a new hand. The action is fast-paced and the table changes are seamless and quick. 

The first thing you need to do is select a BETA Speed Hold’em table to join. These tables are easily found in the software. Just select the BETA Speed Games tab. When joining you’ll be asked how many chips you want to bring to the table, but you’ll always be able to replenish your stack. 

Each hand brings you into play with a different set of opponents from the extended player pool. There are no waiting lists. Instead, the more players, the merrier. You’re part of the action all of the time, without the tiring waiting for opponents to play their cards. 

You can multi-table as well, playing Speed Hold’em with more than one entry or at the same time as your game play at other tables and/or tournaments. However, the pace of the game in Speed Hold’em is incredibly fast and you will find it better, at least initially, to concentrate on your action there. 

The Speed Hold’em tables fill up quickly at Titan Poker, but there’s always an open seat for another player. Try out the Speed Hold’em action today and get ready for the fastest poker you’ve ever played.

I am at Frankfurt airport and I am off to Houston in the US. Mission control can you hear me? In my role as manager and sponsor of the Lithuanian men’s basketball team I am heading out to oversee three friendly matches as warm-up for London 2012 Olympic qualifiers in Venezuela on 29th June. In Houston we are playing three friendly matches, two against Great Britain and one against Russia to send them back to Russia!

Houston we have no problems!

The squad is going to acclimatize in Houston before going to Venezuela. I have a new suit and am looking forward to meeting the Mayor of Caracas at the airport in my role as Vice President of the Lithuanian Basketball Federation. Then I am off to meet Hugo Chavez, whether that is heads-up I do not know. The plan in Venezuela is simply to qualify for the Olympics, I know we are qualified! I have had to sacrifice entering the One Drop at the WSOP for the sake of my country. It is a shame this clashes as I have recently been in Minsk and am well fattened up from there and healthy you could say.

One Drop

Guy is doing a great thing in Vegas for an amazing cause so I encourage you to rail my Team PartyPoker.com team mate Mike Sexton from here on. I have channelled my energy through him so he’ll crush Robl if necessary. The best way to follow all the action in this history making tournament is to follow the updates on PokerNews.com : the team are doing an amazing job in Vegas.

Back Home

Zasko is at home at Tony Resort, guarding the empire. While I was there I got him a new friend to play with (not Hellmuth’s neck) by the name of Nordus – a fine young german shepherd who also likes to go hunting in the woods. I named him after a bank that helped me fund Tony Resort, if that’s the case I suppose I should have called him Minsk!

England FTW!

I have been giving you my tips for Euro 2012 on twitter but in the last couple of days you’ve been really vocal in your responses. I tipped Ukraine and they lost but quite frankly they scored against England and they deserve to be champions. I had a huge bet on Ukraine – I really think something has to be done about goal line technology. I tend to think this was a huge conspiracy on the part of the English but I suppose what is done is done. From here on I am supporting and backing England.

No WSOP This Year

My next poker tournament is going to be the WPT Cyprus 4th – 9th August, subject to Olympic commitments. No WSOP for me this year. Get to Cyprus, qualify online at PartyPoker.com now – there’s loads of Russians there. I’m even considering an offer to commentate in English and Russian on the live stream but as I will be at the final table that could be hard. For details on how to qualify read http://www.partypoker.com/promotions/wpt-cyprus.html

Anyway, keep your eye out for the most qualified and passionate men’s basketball team in the world! Gold lays at the end of the rainbow!

Joe Cada, the 2009 World Series of Poker champion and Team PokerStars Pro, has taken the top spot among his fellow team members on the 2012 WSOP earnings list. It’s not going to be easy to knock him off.

As we’ve been doing for the past several weeks, we tabulated the earnings of every member of Team PokerStars Pro and Team Online who has cashed at the WSOP so far this year. So far this year, the members of Team PokerStars Pro and Team Online have combined for around $ 1.25 million in cashes. Around a third of that money is in Cada’s bank account today.

Earlier this week, Cada finished runner-up in a giant $ 1,500 NLHE event and won more than $ 400,000. It marked the first time since the beginning of this year’s event that Vanessa Selbst wasn’t leading the pack.

Here are the top five players on Team Pro so far this year.

TEAM PRO 2012 WSOP MONEY LEADERS

1. Joe Cada: $ 412,424

2. Vanessa Selbst: $ 182,019

3. Barry Greenstein: $ 124,257

4. Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier: $ 112,156

5. Victor Ramdin: $ 60,165

Joe Cada leading Team Pro at 2012 WSOPThe $ 10,000 2012 WSOP Main Event begins two weeks from tomorrow. It doesn’t leave Team Pro a great deal of time to nab its first bracelet of this year’s Series. We also can’t fail to mention how a cash in the $ 1 million buy-in One Drop charity event could completely skew these numbers of by the end of the Series. As of right now, Jonathan Duhamel, Daniel Negreanu, Jason Mercier, and ElkY are confirmed players in the event.

For now, however, here’s the complete rundown of Team Pro and Team Online cashes.

Andre Akkari

$ 10,219

(Event #35, $ 2,500 Mixed Hold’em 15/393 $ 10,219)

Viktor Blom

$ 2,706

(Event #16, $ ,1500 NLHE Six-Handed, $ 2,706)

Liv Boeree

$ 14,708

(Event #9 $ 1,500 NLHE Re-Entry — 84/3,404 $ 6,157)

(Event #23, $ 3,000 NLHE, 47/924 — $ 8,551)

Humberto Brenes

$ 16,418

(Event #13, $ 1,500 Limit Hold’em — 35/730 — $ 5,469)

(Event #28, $ 2,500 $ -Handed NLHE — 55/750 — $ 5,767)

(Event #29, $ 1,000 Seniors NLHE– 243/4128 — $ 2,415)

(Event #33, $ 1,000 NLHE 148/2,795 — $ 2,767)

Chad Brown

$ 6,670

(Event #8 $ 1,500 PLO8 32/967 — $ 6,670)

Joe Cada

$ 412,424

(Event #31, $ 1,500 NLHE, 2/2811 — $ 412,424)

Jonathan Duhamel

$ 24,721

(Event #9 $ 1,500 NLHE Re-Entry — 21/3,404 $ 22,885)

(Event #33, $ 1,000 NLHE 148/2,795 — $ 1,836)

Barry Greenstein

$ 124,257

(Event #7 $ 1,500 Stud 2/367 — $ 78,038)

(Event #18, $ 2,500 Razz 6/309 — $ 30,150)

(Event #22, $ 2,500 2-7 Triple Draw 12/228 — $ 8,169)

(Event #37, $ 2,500 8-Game Mix 21/477 — $ 7,900)

Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier

$ 112,156

(Event #19, $ 10,000 PLH, $ 23,876)

(Event #23, $ 3,000 NLHE Six-Max, 6/924 — $ 68,738)

(Event #32, $ 10,000 HORSE 16/178 — $ 19,542)

Angel Guillen

$ 6,614

(Event #9 $ 1,500 NLHE Re-Entry — 312/3,404 $ 2,895)

(Event #21, $ 1,500 NLHE — 140/2,811 — $ 3,719)

Eugene Katchalov

$ 56,128

(Event #10, $ 5,000 Seven Card Stud — 9/145 $ 18,693)

(Event #23, $ 3,000 NLHE Six-Max, 17/924 — $ 21,189)

(Event #32, $ 10,000 HORSE 17/178 — $ 16,246)

Marcel Luske

$ 11,851

(Event #29, $ 1,000 Seniors NLHE– 40/4128 — $ 2,415)

Max Martinez

$ 3,395

(Event # 3, $ 3,000 HUHA, 45/317 — $ 3,395)

Jason Mercier

$ 11,128

(Event #2, $ 1,500 NLHE, 180/2,101– $ 2,893)

(Event #9 $ 1,500 NLHE Re-Entry — 260/3,404 $ 3,216)

(Event #23, $ 3,000 NLHE, 101/924 — $ 5,019)

Daniel Negreanu

$ 47,322

(Event #5, $ 1,500 PLH 5/639 — $ 41,683)

(Event #8 $ 1,500 PLO8 45/967 — $ 5,639)

Victor Ramdin

$ 60,165

(Event # 3, $ 3,000 HUHA, 32/317 — $ 5,144)

(Event #6 $ 5,000 NLHE Mixed Max 29/409 — $ 14,328)

(Event #19 $ 1,500 NLHE 215/2302 — $ 2,796)

(Event #25, $ 1,500 Limit Hold’em Shootout–4/366 — $ 37,897)

Vanessa Selbst

$ 182,019

(Event #2, $ 1,500 NHLE, 4/2,101– $ 161,345)

(Event #12, $ 10,000 NHLE HU, 9/152 — $ 20,674)

Martin Staszko

$ 5,447

(Event #21, $ 1,000 NLHE, 116/2779 — $ 2,771)

(Event #27, $ 1,500 HORSE, 88/889 — $ 2,676)

Richard Toth

$ 3,831

(Event #38, $ 1,500 NLHE 230/2,502, $ 3,831))

Lex Veldhuis

$ 6,534

(Event #28, $ 2,500 $ -Handed NLHE — 46/750 — $ 6,534)

David Williams

$ 58,455

(Event # 3, $ 3,000 HUHA, Quarter finalist out of 317 — $ 9,644)

(Event #7 $ 1,500 Stud 4/367 — $ 36,470)

(Event #27, $ 1,500 HORSE, 23/889 — $ 7,116)

(Event #35, $ 2,500 Mixed Hold’em 30/393 $ 5,195)
TEAM ONLINE

Randy Lew

$ 8,271

(Event #19 $ 1,500 NLHE 196/2302 — $ 3,076)

(Event #35, $ 2,500 Mixed Hold’em 30/393 $ 5,195)

George Lind III

$ 11,480

(Event # 3, $ 3,000 HUHA, Quarter finalist out of 317 — $ 9,644)

(Event #33, $ 1,000 NLHE 148/2,795 — $ 1,836)

Gabriel Nassif

$ 23,435

(Event #27, $ 1,500 HORSE, 52/889) $ 3,876)

(Event #31 $ 1,500 NLHE 42/2,811 $ 12,559)

(Event #35, $ 2,500 Mixed Hold’em 43/393 $ 4,229)

(Event #38, $ 1,500 NLHE 230/2,502, $ 2,771)

Mickey Petersen

$ 28,147

(Event #9 $ 1,500 NLHE Re-Entry — 292/3,404 $ 2,895)

(Event #28, $ 2,500 $ -Handed NLHE — 10/750 — $ 25,252)

For those of you who’ve been following our Jungleman WSOP promotion you’re probably thinking a little like I am, “Who are these people?” and “Where do they come up with this stuff?“ and “I’ll have a pint of what ever Dan Sauva is having” right? Well maybe not that last point but you get my point.

Luckily for me I’ve had the real pleasure of catching up with a few of them. All have a unique story to tell and all have a real love for the game of poker. If only we could take you all to Las Vegas for the WSOP!

Anyway Dan Sauva loves a bit of it

Today I managed to catch up with none other than Dan Sauva, whose currently enjoying his 15mins of fame with his “Free Hugs” video which is proving to be extremely popular, even TonyG thought so!

Alright Dan let’s start with the basics: age, city and a little bit about yourself?

I’m 30 years old, live in London and work in advertising. When I’m not penning punchy slogans for ad campaigns, I’m bouncing between London poker venues looking for entertainment, overlays and soft games with inebriated businessmen. How do they always get there on the river? Sigh.

What was the thinking behind your entry for Jungleman’s good deed WSOP challenge?

I was keen to do something light-hearted and fun that would make people smile. I decided to avoid the ‘tug at your heartstrings ‘ approach as I felt it might be a little insincere given the competition setting. I toyed with a few ideas and landed on free hugs. I felt this would be a good way to spread some happiness and joy on an otherwise mundane mid-week lunch-break and really capture the spirit of good deeds in an entertaining way.

I asked Emily, a good friend of mine, to jump on-board as she has bubbliness in abundance and I knew she’d get the hug-ball rolling. My mate Paul grabbed his camera and we were off. Armed with a whiteboard, marker pen, heart t-shirt, and with hugs on the brain, we set out onto the streets of Camden Town, London and nailed it. I have never seen so many happy people – a bit of free love really does brings out the best in everybody. It was great fun.

What got you in to poker?

I was invited to a home game with some friends about five years ago. After a confusing lesson from a drunken mate I was in for £20 and completely out of my depth. I remember little about the game apart from that I definitely knew how to say ‘all-in’, act out of turn, hit gutshots, fumble chips and generally annoy. I won. There’s nothing like a fortuitous bink to slingshot you into degeneracy and I’ve been on the poker rollercoaster ever since.

To be fair, I’ve studied the game fervently and have had some notable success both online and live. I’m also well versed in spanking chunks of bankroll when late night cash games spiral into the bad-beat and beer abyss.

My main strength is live tournaments and I try to play at least twice a week when I can. For me this is where the real fun and excitement of poker lies, entry to the WSOP Main Event would be crazy.

Who are some of your favorite professional poker players?

I’ve watched every poker show religiously and have spent many an evening sucked into obsessive YouTube vortexes. As a result I have a soft spot for the old guard of poker personalities. The creative aggression of Gus Hansen, the eruptive tendencies of Phil Hellmuth, the ever-effusive Daniel Negreanu and, of course, Tony G and his legendary bike to name but a few.

Which players would you be most scared to see at your table?

Hmmm, I’m not sure I’d be ‘scared’ of anybody per se, I’m a confident player with belief in my abilities. Although saying that, I wouldn’t be overjoyed with a table draw that had me pitted against the ‘genius generation’ of tournament pros. You know, players like Mercier, Grospellier, Katchalov, Cody and the like. Scrap that, I’d be petrified.

Any pros you hope to play with?

I’d like to play with Daniel ‘jungleman’ Cates himself. It may seem like an obvious answer but I genuinely respect what he’s achieved in poker and his generosity with opportunities like this WSOP Challenge. In return I’d attempt to 5-bet bluff him out of a big pot and table it proudly. Joke! I wouldn’t dare

Anything else you’d like to say?

Thanks again to PartyPoker and Jungleman for this once in a lifetime opportunity and thanks to Tony G for his support of Good Deed Hugs on Twitter. If you like the video, then why not send a vote my way. Thanks to everyone, and if the poker gods are looking down on me, see you in Vegas? One time?

Many thanks Dan, good luck it would be great seeing you playing at the WSOP!

So if you missed it here’s Dans ‘Free Hugs’ video, and remember head on over to the ‘Daniel ‘Jungleman’ Cates WSOP Main Event Challenge – So Who Would You Pick?’ page, watch all the videos, like which ones you want and tell us which ones rock in the comment box!

So here’s a playlist of the videos we’ve had submitted for Daniel ‘Jungleman’ Cates WSOP Main Event Challenge, and we’d love for you to help us pick a winner!

All you need to do is watch, give it a thumbs up and write a comment below telling us which video was the best and why. Simple and think of the good deed you’re doing too!

With over 30 videos here guys you’ve plenty of heart and commitment to choose from. Just click the Playlist title below the film and scroll though to find some great good deed moments!

With the World Series of Poker in full swing, most of the world’s professionals have descended upon Las Vegas for their chance at fame and fortune. That has provided some relief for those who have opted to stay at home and grind online, with the usual shark-infested waters of the Super Tuesday perhaps now a little safer for swimming.

Adam “Roothlus” Levy is one who would be very familiar with the torturous WSOP grind, but his decision to grind online has paid off handsomely with an impressive victory today.

A total of 349 players took the opportunity in the weekly $ 1,050 Super Tuesday event on PokerStars, eclipsing the $ 300,000 guarantee.

The top 45 players would see cash added to their accounts, with ch0ppy from Canada the unfortunate bubble of the $ 2,094 min-cash.

Previous Super Tuesday winners wizowizo (38th – $ 2,094), Gambit360 (32nd – $ 2,268.50), zwacke (20th – $ 2,617.50) and PKaiser (17th – $ 3,490) were amongst the money finishers while Nicholas “rounder63″ Carrillo (28th – $ 2,268.50) and James “Jaylee18″ Lee (15th – $ 4,362.50) also returned a handy profit.

After a little over seven and a half hours of play, it was Austrian young_diam18 who bubbled the final table. young_diam18 four-bet and then called it off with [jd][jh], only to discover that tonkaaaa held a monster [kd][kc]. The board ran out without another jack to see our final table of nine set:

Final Table Lineup

Seat 1: Glebarm (341,317 in chips)

Seat 2: muttern3k (194,482 in chips)

Seat 3: tonkaaaa (358,768 in chips)

Seat 4: Roothlus (120,748 in chips)

Seat 5: Openshoves85 (241,153 in chips)

Seat 6: zapacanov (219,461 in chips)

Seat 7: NeillyAA (103,700 in chips)

Seat 8: moukari6 (78,274 in chips)

Seat 9: claudioney18 (87,097 in chips)

With that elimination, tonkaaaa had taken the chip lead, but with the blinds at 2k/4k with a 500 ante, there was still plenty of play ahead of us.

moukari6 was the short stack, and the first to be eliminated. moukari6 opened with a min-raise before claudioney18 three-bet to 19,777 next to speak. Action folded back to moukari6 who didn’t hesitate to move all in with [ac][kc] as claudioney18 made the call holding [7h][7c].

moukari6 was looking for some help, and got it when the flop landed [2d][ah][4c], but the [7s] turn card was the nail in the coffin as moukari6 was drawing dead. The river was the [2s] as moukari had to be content with $ 6,107.50 for 9th place.

Adam “Roothlus” Levy was one to give up WSOP glory in favour of the online grind, and he made a nice early double up through zapacanov. Levy moved all in with pocket kings which held against zapacanov’s pocket jacks to bring Levy back into contention.

One of the more interesting hands saw NeillyAA find a big double up with pocket aces against the pocket tens of muttern3k. Perhaps it wasn’t the hand itself, but the banter in the chat box that followed.

NeillyAA said, “ill take 62.25k now”

NeillyAA said, “or play out”

NeillyAA said, “ur choice;”

muttern3k said, “sounds fair”

NeillyAA said, “k click deal”

muttern3k said, “done”

Roothlus said, “lol”

NeillyAA said, “sick offer imo”

muttern3k was crippled after that hand, but managed to catch a couple of double ups to stay alive. It was all for nothing though as muttern3k got tangled up in a pot against Levy. The board read [Kh][3s][8c][Tc] after muttern3k had raised preflop and fired bets on the flop and turn. From the big blind, Levy check-raised all in and muttern3k went deep into the tank before emerging with a call holding [ts][9c] for just a pair of tens. He trailed the [ks][qd] of Levy and it stayed that way when the river bricked the [js]. muttern3k collected $ 8,376 for 8th place.

NeillyAA was pretty happy to have reached five figures, but his comments in the chat box rubbed tonkaaaa the wrong way:

tonkaaaa said, “u see my pic bro? thats me”

NeillyAA said, “ur point?”

tonkaaaa said, “dont use that kinda language”

tonkaaaa said, “its offensive”

NeillyAA said, “oh relax”

NeillyAA said, “its not meant in that context.”

tonkaaaa said, “yah whatever you bigot”

NeillyAA said, “get defensive anytime ne one jokes online, u’ll go far!”

There was certainly tension but it was quickly ended just moments later when the two players went to war with their chips. tonkaaaa opened with a min-raise and Levy flat-called. NeillyAA then squeezed in a three-bet from the big blind before tonkaaaa moved all in. Levy escaped and NeillyAA made the call with [jh][Js] – clearly the danger hand of this final table – as tonkaaaa showed [qc][qs]. It didn’t get any better for NeillyAA as the board arrived [Qd][4s][Ah][4h][2c] to give tonkaaaa the last laugh and NeillyAA $ 11,866 for 7th place.

Just one hand later and we were down to five.

Levy opened with a min-raise to 14,400 from early position before Glebarm three-bet to 32,400 from the big blind. Levy made the call and the flop landed [qs][6d][3d]. Glebarm led out for 49,446 and Levy called as the [2d] appeared on the turn. Another bet followed from Glebarm, this time for the discounted price of 43,200. Again Levy paid to see the [8c] river card complete the board. Glebarm released a third barrel worth 72,545 but Levy moved all in. Glebarm called off his last 138,537 only to discover his [as][qc] top pair had been flushed by the [9d][7d] of Levy. Glebarm was out in 6th for $ 15,356 as Levy was suddenly holding a healthy chip lead.

Openshoves85 got lucky with pocket tens spiking a set to again see pocket jacks cracked as Levy took a small hit. Openshoves85 continued the momentum, making the call holding [as][js] when claudioney18 moved all in for eleven big blinds. claudioney18 could only table a dominated [ac][ts] and couldn’t get ahead on the board of [3s][qc][4s][jc][td]. claudioney18 added $ 19,893 for 5th place.

Again it was only a matter of a few hands between eliminations as zapacanov was next to go. Levy opened with a min-raise to 18,000 before zapacanov moved all in for 160,619. Levy called with [as][9s] and it was the right call as zapacanov opened [ah][4d]. It was all-but-over on the flop as the board ran out [2d][9c][ad][qs][6s] to see zapacanov pick up a very nice $ 28,792.50 for 4th place.

A fast deal is a good deal

At this point the three remaining players entertained some deal discussions as they took a quick look at ICM and chip chop numbers with the following stacks:

Seat 3: tonkaaaa (558,518 in chips)

Seat 4: Roothlus (921,911 in chips)

Seat 5: Openshoves85 (264,571 in chips)

Players quickly agreed to an ICM deal and moments later the cards were back in the air with $ 6,000 and the title to play for.

Openshoves85 probably wished to have waited just one more hand to deal after picking up [ah][as] on the very next hand and doubling through tonkaaaa’s [qh][qd] in a rather brutal three-handed cooler.

With the chips pretty even, the three-handed battle was rather intense until tonkaaaa got his revenge to break the deadlock in another epic hand:

RSS readers click through to see replay
The biggest pot of the tournament saw tonkaaaa’s full house grab the chip lead as Openshoves85 was back on the short stack.

Openshoves85 couldn’t recover after a nice play went unrewarded to be next to fall. tonkaaaa min-raised, before Levy three-bet from the small blind. Openshoves85 then cold four-bet jammed all in with [as][6d] and extracted a call from Levy with his ambitious [7c][6c]. However Levy spiked a couple of sevens on the board of [Kd][7d][Qs][9d][7s] to leave Openshove85 with $ 44,844.79 after the deal negotiations for 3rd place.

Heads-up chip counts

Seat 3: tonkaaaa (747,436 in chips)

Seat 4: Roothlus (997,564 in chips)

Levy held the lead but tonkaaaa was able to gain the ascendency in the early stages until the following hand unfolded:

RSS readers click through to see replay
Levy spiked his straight and extracted maximum value from tonkaaaa’s top pair to see Levy take a commanding chip advantage.

From there, Levy was able to close it out with the final hand coming in a preflop war. tonkaaaa four-bet jammed with [ac][jd] only to discover Levy make the call with a superior [ah][ks]. The final board arrived [5h][8s][qd][4c][6h] to leave tonkaaaa to pick up $ 50,874.57 for second place as Adam “Roothlus” Levy adds a Super Tuesday title and $ 60,807.14 to a poker resume that already has over $ 5 million in combined live and online earnings.

Final table results

1st Roothlus (Canada) – $ 60,807.14*

2nd tonkaaaa (Canada) – $ 50,874.57*

3rd Openshoves85 (Colombia) – $ 44,844.79*

4th zapacanov (Russia) – $ 28,792.50

5th claudioney18 (Brazil) – $ 19,893.00

6th Glebarm (Russia) – $ 15,356.00

7th NeillyAA (Costa Rica) – $ 11,866.00

8th muttern3k (Norway) – $ 8,376.00

9th moukari6 (Finland) – $ 6,107.50

Allyn Jaffrey-Shulman, well-known attorney and writer for Card Player Magazine, defeated a starting field of 4,128 entrants to win the 2012 World Series of Poker $ 1,000 Seniors No Limit Hold’em Championship. At the conclusion of the four-day event, Shulman beat 2008 WSOP Main Event third-place finisher Dennis Phillips heads-up to capture her first gold WSOP bracelet and first prize of $ 603,713.

Shulman is the first woman to win a mixed-gender WSOP event since Vanessa Selbst won her bracelet in 2008, breaking a streak of 249 straight male winners of gold bracelet events.

Another record was set with the win as well. Three members of the Shulman family made WSOP final tables in the span of one week.

Card Player publisher Barry Shulman made the final table of a $ 1,500 No Limit Hold’em event while his son, Card Player CEO Jeff Shulman, made the final table of the $ 5,000 Limit Hold’em championship, finishing eighth and third respectively.

“With all due respect to the Brunsons,” said WSOP Executive Director Ty Stewart, quoted by Card Player Magazine, “There is a new first family of poker in town, and they go by the name of Shulman.”

Huge Seniors Championship starting field

The Seniors event, open to players over the age of 50, set another record as well. The starting field of 4,128 players was the largest single day opening in poker history. The event was originally scheduled for three days but ran into a fourth day due to the size of the field.

Asked for comments after her win, Allyn Jaffrey-Shulman said, “I don’t think it’s hit me yet. I feel so humbled by the whole experience that I don’t even know what to think. I have to process this for a little [while].”

Commenting on the fact that she broke the long-running streak of male-only bracelet winners, Shulman said, “I’m happy for myself, but I’m happy for all women that I won this, showing that any woman can win a poker tournament. I’d like to see more of them out there playing, feeling comfortable with going at it with the boys and winning.”