Online Poker Directory

Archive for August, 2012

The Punta Cana Poker Classic is an annual Texas Hold’em tournament that features a huge $ 500,000 guaranteed prize pool and takes place in the beautiful sun soaked beaches of Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. Read on to learn how to qualify for a $ 5,000 prize package that sends you to the 2012 Punta Cana Poker Classic at the Hard Rock Hotel in the Dominican Republic.

Each prize package includes the following:

 

• One $ 1,500+150 buy-in to the Main Event with $ 500,000 Guaranteed!
• 6 nights accommodations for two at the 5-star Hard Rock Hotel Casino Punta Cana from October 12th through 18th
• Round trip airfare up to $ 800
• Ground transportation in Punta Cana (airport-hotel-airport)
• All-inclusive premium food and beverages for two
• A welcome gift bag
• 24-hour premium room service for two
• $ 1,500 Resort Credit to spend on spa, golf, and tours at the hotel

How Do I Win A Seat?

We are holding a Step Tournaments with the winner receiving a $ 5,000 prize package that gets you a buy-in to the Punta Cana Classic main event, airfare, accommodation at the 5-star Hard Rock Hotel and all-inclusive VIP treatment. Click here for more details.

A Step Tournament is a chain of single table tournaments in which the first prize is a seat in the next step and also awards tournament entry coupons to the same step and/or lower steps and cash! It is basically a type of Sit & Go with a tiered format that gets you to climb through the Steps Tournament levels to reach the top and take your shot at winning the amazing grand prize!

You can enter the tournament in any step, starting as low as $ 1.10.

Start your Punta Cana Steps Tournament with Step 1 or any Step you feel comfortable. If you start with Step 1, it will award the following: 1st progresses to Step 2, 2nd-4th receives Step 1 Entry and 5th receives $ 0.20.

Win Step 5 and gain entry into the Punta Cana Classic with all of the amazing rewards this prize package has to offer.

Jose Martin Lugo from Peru has been playing at Titan Poker since last December. His nickname is “JMDevil” and his preference is tournament play.

“Sit ‘n’ go tournaments,” he tells us. “But occasionaly I like to play guaranteed prize tournaments as well.”

Jose is not one of our big tournament winners, yet, but one day soon he may be one of our best players. We caught up with Jose and asked him some questions about playing online poker.

What is your biggest online tournament win so far?

Fourth place in the $ 3,000 Depositor Bonus Token freeroll, earning $ 240.

Were there any memorable hands that you can remember?

Yes, on one hand I have 77 in utg, raise 3BB, everyone folds and the BB re-raises to 7BB. I call. The flop is 744, he bets 3/4 pot and I raise all-in because I think I have a strong enough hand if he calls. He pays and shows AA. Turn A. I have only one out. What do you think? Yes, the river is the last 7.

Have you ever played a land-based tournament, and if so, which one and what was it like?

No, but I’d like to!

When did you first begin playing poker?

At the beginning of 2008 with my friends. It was so exciting and I have not stopped playing so far, but now I play with a little more professionalism.

What have you done to improve your poker skills?

At first I read many books, that helps a lot at first, but then you realize that the only way to keep improving and strengthening your style of play is to play as many hands as possible, studying and analyzing errors made by other players.

What is your advice for new poker players?

I don’t think I’m the right person to give advice, but from experience I would tell new players that poker is consistency. Poker is not about winning one or two tournaments or avoiding winless streaks. It’s being consistent with good play. A good player may lose with AA against A4 but over time, the one with AA will play and recover, whereas the A4 will lose all advantage as quickly as he got it. And what I recommend is to play at one of the best online rooms and not just because I play there, I have had the opportunity to play in many rooms, but only Titan Poker gives me the confidence, support and ease of withdrawals. This is just not the case at other rooms. Play at Titan Poker!

What are your poker goals for 2013?

To play a big tournament in and/or outside my country. I think I’m ready for one, and I will try to win.

In a landmark ruling, a U.S. district judge determined that the game of poker is “predominated by skill” and therefore is not to be included in federal laws prohibiting gambling.

Senior United States District Judge Jack B. Weinstein last week dismissed the conviction of Lawrence Dicristina, a New York City businessman who operated a poker club in the back room of his Staten Island warehouse. Weinstein ruled that Dicristina hadn’t violated a key federal gambling law because unlike roulette or slot machines, poker isn’t “predominated by chance,” a common legal definition of gambling.

The ruling marked the first time that a federal court considered poker’s status. The ruling could encourage the U.S. Congress to pass legislation that would legalize online poker as a regulated industry.

 

Playing poker is not a crime

“Judge Weinstein’s thoughtful decision recognizes what we have consistently argued for years: poker is not a crime, it is a game of skill,” said John Pappas, executive director of the Poker Players Alliance (PPA) in a press release issued at the conclusion of the court case.

“As the judge’s opinion aptly notes, poker is an American pastime that is deeply embedded in the history and fabric of our nation and his decision sets aside the notion that the vague laws render the game criminal,” Pappas said.

Weinstein’s ruling determined that Dicristina’s warehouse poker games were not illegal under the Illegal Gambling Business Act (IGBA).

Last year, the U.S. Department of Justice announced that “interstate transmissions of wire communications that do not relate to a sporting event or contest fall outside of the reach of the Wire Act.” The Wire Act, legislation enacted in 1961, barred wagering via telecommunications that cross state lines or international borders, a ruling that some claimed also related to online poker and gambling.

As noted in the Wall Street Journal, the new decision “puts a dent in the legal weaponry the federal government has used to curb online poker.” Referring to the decision, Pappas said: “Hopefully that will lead toward regulation.”

Previous articles on this subject:

Legal Online Poker in the U.S. Is Getting Closer

Online Poker, Just Legalize It!

The State(s) of Online Poker Legislation

Efforts to Legalize Online Poker in the U.S. May Fold

Play poker in the sun with a luxury $ 6,500 package!

You’ve got a few more days left to qualify! The WPT Malta is back! And as last year’s event was such a huge hit with the players the World Poker Tour is heading back to the Mediterranean island from 16th–20th September, 2012, it’s going to be five days of sunshine, big-money poker and VIP treatment.

This is an amazing chance for you to bag a prized WPT bracelet and we can guarantee you a seat in the main event at the Casino Portomaso in St Julian’s if you win one of our $ 6,500 prize packages.

Each $ 6,500 package includes:

• $ 4,200 WPT Malta main event buy-in
• $ 850 spending money
• Five-star hotel accommodation
• Our world-renowned hospitality, including a WPT Players’ Party

Check out the full qualifying structure and register today for your chance to be a part of the WPT’s Malta spectacular.

At times it has felt like the first main event of the new season has been headlined by Finnish players from the start. On day one Aku Joentausta held the lead. Then heads were turned by the return of Ilari Sahamies to live tournament poker. Then a third contender emerged in the form of 20-year-old Joni Jouhkimainen, whose recent form tipped us off to a likely final table appearance.

But there was another player, lost in the euphoria and waiting for his moment. That was Mikalai Pobal who tonight confounded everyone to pull off an unlikely win, one of the biggest surprises in tour history. He claimed the EPT Barcelona title, a HD3 Slyde watch, and €1,007,550. But the biggest surprise was that he was from Belarus, not Finland.

Cheers to and for EPT Barcelona winner Mikalai Pobal

“I don’t believe that it’s happened to me,” said Pobal, who may take a while to adjust to his new status as champion. “I’m really excited about it. It is my dream which came true.”

Pobal’s bewilderment may be matched in the morning by both Finns, each of whom looked destined to earn EPT glory at one point.

Mikolai Pobal: The calm amid the storm

Sahamies might have won when he was heads up with Pobol. But Jouhkimainen should have already had it wrapped up by then. But sometimes the story that should be written is spiked never to be read. Pobal did what he needed to do and was faultless in his execution.

Hat tip Sahamies

Those with perfect hindsight will speculate on what caused the Finnish collapse, perhaps wondering whether the dinner break – which Sahamies and Jouhkimainen spent drinking and buying sequined hats for themselves and every Finn in Catalunya – was the turning point. Jouhkimainen perhaps lost some of the sparkle of his play, although not from his hats. He changed them often in what will be a nightmare for the continuity staff on the final TV edit.

“We’ll talk about it for a long time and it’s going to be real fun to watch the episode whenever it is coming on TV,” Jouhkimainen said. “It’s going to be a fun one.”

Joni Jouhkamainen: It could have been him

Before the break Jouhkimainen had 75 per cent of the chips in play. But when play resumed he conceded his lead to Sahamies, who six-bet shoved with queen-eight suited. Jouhkimainen, hat tipped Sinatra style, was forced to fold his ten-six. From this he would never recover, but Jouhkimainen had no regrets about his performance or his dinner time excursion.

“We tried to have fun with Ilari, and this Belarusian guy who won, he was taking it more seriously,” said Jouhkimainen. “But I don’t think drinking changed it too much. We were just trying to have some fun. It’s not too serious. It’s one million, but we just wanted to have some fun.”

Sahamies, who had taken fourth place in the Super High Roller earlier this week, was looking to close this one out. But Pobal was the one who kept finding the hands: finding the nut straight and the nut flush, for instance, which swung things in his favour. It wasn’t all plain sailing. In one incidence, he was forced to serve a one-orbit penalty when he mistakenly checked behind with the nuts.

Ilari Sahamies: Two final tables in a week

The final hand came when Sahamies got aggressive with nine-five. Pobal called with aces, catching another on the flop. The poker world had been turned on its head.

The final table

Much earlier, John Juanda, who had the second shortest stack when play resumed, was first to go, ahead of one of several players setting a personal best, Antonin Duda in seventh.

Antonin Duda: Czech out

Sinel Anton was also in the event of a lifetime, but was more a spectator than willing participant. The Romanian opened the day, winning a pot uncontested. He wouldn’t play another hand for several hours, at which point he was eliminated by Anaras Alekberovas, leaving a few awkward seconds later when he was reminded that his now complete absence of chips meant that he was required to vacate his seat.

Samuel Rodriguez had written his own story this week, mainly because nobody knew anything about him.

Samuel Rodriguez: Home hope

Returning as one of the chip leaders today the amiable Spaniard had the hopes of the local poker community behind him. Could he become the first ever EPT champion? Alas, no. But he had won his seat in a €50 satellite, so this was an exceptional result.

That left four, a quartet that played for several hours before breaking the deadlock. That Anaras Alekberovas would be next to leave says nothing of how much the Lithuanian impressed, impeccable in a jacket and button-down shirt, he was never rattled, always cool despite intense heat under the TV lights, and was in no way outplayed.

Anaras Alekberovas

The story of the final three will be discussed for some time, and even as Pobal celebrated, the Finns looked at ease with their results, more amused than anything. For now though a non-sequined hat tip to Mikalai Pobal, who becomes the second Belarusian EPT champion.

As the celebrations begin tonight (Sahamies was among the first to leave the tournament room), we can salute the first champion of Season 9, the first event of the Tour which now baosts an enhanced schedule, with high profile national finals preceeding the main event. The Tour now takes a few weeks to relocate the jamboree to Sanremo in Italy. The popular coastal town is the second stop of the season, starting on October 5.

It was a dramatic end to ten days of competition, which started with Dan Smith’s win in the €50,000 Super High Roller and concluded with wins for Laurent Polito in the €10,000 High Roller and now Pobal.

Catch up on the coverage today at any of the following hyperlinks. Read about this final day, how to approach a final table with help from Ivan Demidov, how Spain will have to wait a little longer for a first champion, how two drunken Finns set about bringing life to the main event final and how all this played out 12 months ago.

For now that’s everything from Barcelona. See you in Sanremo.

Earlier this week, Federal Judge Jack Weinstein from New York ruled that poker is not gambling because it’s primarily a game of skill (this is something poker players have always known). The ruling resulted in a dismissal of a Federal indictment against a man convicted of operating an underground poker club.

Archaic laws on the books

This ruling is hugely significant in the lives of poker players in the U.S. because most states have similar archaic laws on the books that essentially say it’s illegal to play any games for money with “cards or dice” because they’re games of chance. Poker has now been blessed by a Federal judge and I’m expecting many states to change their archaic laws and agree with Judge Weinstein’s 120 page opinion that poker is a game of skill and not a game of chance.

No Fear

As a game of skill, poker will no longer be deemed illegal, meaning people will be able to play in their homes without fear of legal repercussions. And this will apply to home poker games as well as to internet poker.

A couple of years ago I testified as an expert witness in a similar court case in South Carolina and that judge also ruled poker was a game of skill (something I was quite proud of) but it was a local judge, not a Federal judge. I’m scheduled to again testify as an expert witness in an upcoming Federal case this fall in Norfolk, VA (that guy is being indicted like the guy was in NY for running a poker game). This NY ruling will certainly help, not only for the upcoming case in VA, but for any other similar cases coming up in any state.

This ruling is a GREAT day for poker players and online poker sites!

Mad Marvins Back to Back Wins!

On another note, the poker world is still buzzing about PartyPoker team pro “Mad Marvin” Rettenmaier’s back to back WPT wins. He won the Season X WPT World Championship at Bellagio and followed that up with a win in Cyprus in the kick-off WPT event of Season XI. In the eleven year history of the World Poker Tour, no one has ever accomplished that feat – back to back wins. “Congratulations, Marvin!”

And special kudos to Mad Marvin for trying to make it three in a row. The day after winning in Cyprus, although very tired, he made arrangements to take the long flight to Philadelphia, PA for our WPT event at PARX casino. He entered on Day 1b (meaning he had just one bullet and couldn’t re-enter) but went out early there. Still, just the effort he made to get to Philly to try for the hat-trick is worth noting. So, what do you say about his early elimination? How about, “Welcome back to earth, Marvin.”

Home advantage can be a powerful commodity in a great number of pursuits. Yesterday at the tables of the European Poker Tour main event in Barcelona, it came into play for Samuel Rodriguez, a 25-year-old student and hotel worker from just around the corner.

Despite playing in his first EPT tournament, and sitting for long periods on the feature table, where stress levels can be amplified by studio lights and an audience, Rodriguez looked perfectly at home throughout. He finished the day with a monstrous chip lead – his 5,330,000 is more than two million more than his closest challenger – and could reflect on a job well done.

“I had a very good day,” Rodriguez said. “I am very, very surprised but I played some good poker.”

Samuel Rodriguez: Tomorrow has arrived

Asked about his strategy for the next two days’ play, Rodriguez allowed himself a moment to ponder the idea of reaching a final table, before hastily reining in his ambitions. “Let’s see what happens tomorrow,” he said. “Tomorrow will be another day.”

What then was “tomorrow” has now arrived for Rodriguez, as well as the 23 other players still with designs of their own on the first EPT title of season nine. Our plan for today is simple: to reduce the field of 24 down to the last eight, who will compete for the €1,007,550 top prize tomorrow.

Each of the players – 22 men and two women, from countries including Australia, Lithuania (2 players), Great Britain (1), the United States (1), Finland (3), France (2), Germany (1) and Spain (6) – are guaranteed at least €29,400. But they are seeking significantly more.

The Team PokerStars Sportstar Fatima Moreira de Melo is aiming for her first final table, while Roberto Romanello is keeping the hopes of a double champion flying.

Fatima Moreira de Melo, sport star 

Roberto Romanello, two time? 

The line-up at this stage, plus chip counts, is as follows. This is also the Day 5 starting seat draw:

Table 1

1 – Lucille Cailly France 1,431,000

2 – Antonin Duda Czech Republic 2,054,000

3 – Ole Schemion Germany 1,571,000

4 – Javier Piazuelo Spain 1,256,000

5 – Jonathan Karamalikis Australia 3,085,000

6 – Morten Mortensen Denmark 392,000

7 – Alex Casals Spain 731,000

8 – John Juanda United States 1,644,000

Table 2

1 – Saveikis Algirdas Lithuania 488,000

2 – Alain Roy France 445,000

3 – Mauro Canavese Italy 1,026,000

4 – Ilari Sahamies Finland 1,040,000

5 – Fatima Moreira de Melo Netherlands 805,000

6 – Mikolaj Zawadzki Poland 1,006,000

7 – Luis Rufas Spain 405,000

8 – Elias Gutierrez Hernandez Spain 1,290,000

Table 3

1 – Ibon Merino Borbolla Spain 615,000

2 – Joni Jouhkimainen Finland 1,161,000

3 – Aku Joentausta Finland 1,015,000

4 – Anton Sinel Romania 1,974,000

5 – Anaras Alekberovas Lithuania 685,000

6 – Mikalai Pobal Belarus 2,745,000

7 – Roberto Romanello United Kingdom 497,000

8 – Samuel Rodriguez Spain 5,330,000

We have introduced you to a succession of the more unfamiliar names over the course of the week. Look back in particular to yesterday’s pieces about the Russian invasion, and the Finns and big names. That’s where you will find the biographical information to marry with the hand-for-hand action detailed in the top panel of the main EPT Barcelona page.

For the past few years, Carbon Poker has often featured the largest bad beat jackpot in the online poker industry. In fact, one BBJ was hit after breaching the $ 1 million mark! However, following a lengthy analysis, Carbon has decided that they’ll be able to offer a better long-term experience to players by removing their bad beat tables.Spokesman CarbonRyan discussed the entire situation at TwoPlusTwo by writing the following statement:

We have made the decision, after some long analytical review of the BBJ Tables, to remove them completely.

Once the Jackpot goes off for the last time, the tables will shut down automatically within a few minutes. We will manually reimburse any BBJ rake paid between the time that the jackpot goes off and when the tables can be shutdown.

The 20% that would normally re-seed the next Jackpot will be spread amongst the players instead, making this ultimate Bad Beat Jackpot even more lucrative for the players involved now. *It is currently over $ 313,000.

This change is to ensure a healthier poker room ecology, while providing players with a better ring game selection and increased players at the stakes the BBJ tables use to be.

As you can see from CarbonRyan’s post, this is your last chance to try and win the massive bad beat jackpot. Furthermore, it’s also a great time to play on BBJ tables because of the fact that an extra 20% of the jackpot goes towards involved players.

So far, several posters on TwoPlusTwo seem happy with the decision to get rid of bad beat tables and concentrate on regular poker games. One poster wrote, “Bad Beat Jackpots are the devil! I stand by this statement now and forever.Thanks.”Maybe calling BBJ’s the devil is going a bit too far and reminiscent of the WaterBoy’s mom. But it will focus a larger portion of the Carbon player base back on regular games.

This week’s Super Tuesday saw 364 players turn out for the weekly $ 1,050 buy-in no-limit hold’em tourney, a bit of a dip following several weeks’ worth of above-average fields. That field still created a big $ 364,000 prize pool, besting the event’s $ 300K guarantee. The top 45 finishers divided up those riches, with $ 70,434 due the victor.

As they crossed the four-hour mark the field had shrunk to less than 100 players, at which point Monk532, Svaeren, and WhEADa had pushed into the top spots on the leaderboard. About an hour after that the cash bubble had burst and with 45 left it was Svaeren on top with more than 150,000, ricardo lugo next with about 137,000, and thierr18 third with just under 100,000.

Over the next hour-and-a-half the field was trimmed to 18, with NhFy (43rd, $ 2,184), joeyspanne88 (41st, $ 2,184), Chris “Moorman1″ Moorman (36th, $ 2,366), bartleby666 (30th, $ 2,366), ricardo lugo (23rd, $ 2,730), WhEADa (20th, $ 2,730), and BEGEMOTIK3 (19th, $ 2,730) among the cashers.

TimTainer (18th), Ankush “pistons87″ Mandavia (17th), and Deputado1414 (16th) were the next to go, each earning $ 3,640. The next three players eliminated — lizet555 (15th), vander9279 (14th), and Svaeren (13th) — each took away $ 4,550. And Tyren0 (12th), tonn22 (11th), and yasunori66 (10th) all saw $ 5,460 added to their PokerStars accounts.

The final table was set.

Seat 1: thierr18 (Canada) — 14,981

Seat 2: Illini213 (Costa Rica) — 535,166

Seat 3: Monk532 (Canada) — 162,704

Seat 4: dean23price (United Kingdom) — 296,875

Seat 5: dynoalot (Canada) — 86,611

Seat 6: hitthehole (United Kingdom) — 163,007

Seat 7: 00psiedaisy (Costa Rica) — 207,409

Seat 8: GENEWUA (Ukraine) — 67,878

Seat 9: waaluigi (Canada) — 285,369

The final nine played for a couple of orbits, during which super-short stack thierr18 — making a second Super Tuesday final table in three weeks — managed to double up a couple of times to hang on. They were approaching the eight-hour mark of the tourney when three eliminations came in short order.

First out was GENEWUA. With the blinds 2,400/4,800, waaluigi opened for 9,600 from under the gun and the table folded around to GENEWUA who reraise-pushed for 54,578 from the big blind. waaluigi called, turning over [9c][9s], while GENEWUA had [6d][6c]. The board came [4d][As][Td][2s][Qs], and GENEWUA was out.

A few hands later Steve “Illini213″ Barshak opened for 10,080 from the cutoff seat and Monk532 called from a seat over. Marc “dean23price” Wright then reraise-pushed for 81,405 total from the small blind, and Alex “dynoalot” DiFelice followed by shoving all in as well for 91,511 total, forcing both Illini213 and Monk532 to step aside.

dean23price showed [Ah][Qs] and needed help versus dynoalot’s [Kc][Kh], but the community cards came [Jc][2s][9s][7c][4d], and Wright was out in eighth.

Two hands after that, thierr18 began with a 3x raise to 14,400 from UTG, then Monk532 reraised to 52,800 from the hijack seat. It folded to Tom “hitthehole” Middleton who pushed all in for 138,426, causing the blinds and thierr18 to fold. Monk532 called the reraise, and thierr18 told the table he’d folded [A][Q] as the remaining players’ cards were revealed.

Monk532: [Kc][Ks]

hitthehole: [Ah][Kd]

“gf” typed thierr18, congratulating himself for dodging two dominating hands. The board rolled out [2h][2s][7s][6h][4s], and Middleton was eliminated in seventh.

Following the break the remaining six battled for about 10 minutes before the next player fell. The blinds had moved to 2,800/5,600 when waaluigi raised to 11,200 from early position and got a single caller in Alex “dynoalot” DiFelice from the big blind. The flop came [Jc][3c][Jd]. dynoalot checked, waaluigi bet 14,700, and dynoalot called. The turn was the [Tc]. DiFelice checked again, and this time waaluigi bet 21,840. dynoalot then check-raised all in for 90,880 total and waaluigi called.

dynoalot showed [Ac][9s] while waaluigi had [Js][Td]. The river brought the [Jh] to improve waaluigi’s full house to quads, but by then DiFelice was already drawing dead, knocked out in sixth.

That hand pushed waaluigi out in front with more than 715,000, with Illini213 next with just over 642,000. Meanwhile the remaining three — Monk532, Jeremy “00psiedaisy” Fitzpatrick, and thierr18 — all sat in the 115,000-210,000 range.

The short stack at that point was thierr18, and soon he would slip further to about 85,000 while the blinds moved up to 3,200/6,400. That’s when Monk532 raised to 19,200 from the cutoff, then thierr18 reraised all in from the big blind, getting a call from Monk532.

thierr18 had [Th][Tc], but Monk532 was well ahead with [Ks][Kh]. The board came [6d][8h][3s][7h][Qd], and thierr18 hit the virtual rail in fifth.

Shortly after that Jeremy “00psiedaisy” Fitzpatrick opened for the minimum from under the gun by raising to 14,400, then Steve “Illini213″ Barshak reraised to 37,185 from the small blind. It folded back to Fitzpatrick who shoved all in for 184,336 and Barshak made the call.

Illini213 showed [Ac][Ks] and was racing against 00psiedaisy’s [Qd][Qs]. The flop came [5h][Kh][Jd] to pair Illini213, and after the [Th] turn and [Td] river, Fitzpatrick was gone in fourth.

It wasn’t long after that one that waaluigi was opening for 14,400 from the button, then Steve “Illini213″ Barshak reraised to 39,115 from the small blind, forcing a fold from Monk532. waaluigi responded with a four-bet to 69,842, and Illini213 called.

The flop came [2c][Td][8d] and Barshak checked. waaluigi bet 81,293, then Illini213 pushed all in for 483,642 and waaluigi called. Barshak showed [Js][8s] for a pair of eights while waaluigi had the better pair with [Ks][Kd]. The turn was the [Qh] and river the [Ah], and they were down to two.

RSS readers click through to see replay
Thanks to that hand, waaluigi began heads-up play with a huge advantage over Monk532 with 1,669,584 to Monk532′s 150,416.

The pair would trade small pots for 17 hands, then, with the blinds at 4,000/8,000, waaluigi open-raised all in from the button and Monk532 called for 82,676.

Monk532 had [Kc][Td] and waaluigi [Qs][Jh]. The flop fell [Jd][5h][4s], putting waaluigi in front, and after the [8h] turn and [Qd], waaluigi’s two pair won the pot and the Super Tuesday title.

RSS readers click through to see replay
Congratulations to waaluigi for topping a field of 364 in just under nine hours to win this week’s Super Tuesday and a $ 70K-plus payday!

Super Tuesday results for 8/21/12:

1st: waaluigi (Canada) — $ 70,434

2nd: Monk532 (Canada) — $ 52,780

3rd: Illini213 (Costa Rica) — $ 40,040

4th: 00psiedaisy (Costa Rica) — $ 30,030

5th: thierr18 (Canada) — $ 20,748

6th: dynoalot (Canada) — $ 16,016

7th: hitthehole (United Kingdom) — $ 12,376

8th: dean23price (United Kingdom) — $ 12,376

9th: GENEWUA (Ukraine) — $ 6,370

We’re less than two weeks away from the 2012 World Championship Online Poker. Check the full schedule (including information about satellites) by visiting the official WCOOP site.

PokerStarsBlog.com

One of the most anticipated poker tournaments of the year is the Punta Cana Classic, which takes place from October 12th-18th, 2012. Besides the $ 500,000 prize pool that’ll be on the line, players are also excited about this event because it’s held in the vacation paradise of Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. With it’s sandy white beaches, palm trees and incredible weather, Punta Cana is one of the most beautiful places in the world!

If you’d like to earn yourself a trip to this amazing destination and play for a $ 500k prize pool, please note that Carbon Poker is currently offering $ 5k Punta Cana Classic packages. Here’s a quick look at what each package offers:

• One $ 1,500+150 Main Event buy-in
• 6 nights accommodations for two at the 5-star Hard Rock Hotel Casino from October 12th-18th
• Round-trip airfare worth up to $ 800
• Ground transportation in Punta Cana (airport-hotel-airport)
• All-inclusive food/beverages for two
• Welcome gift bag
• 24-hour premium room service
• $ 1,500 Resort Credit to spend on hotel amenities

How to win a Prize Package

In order to win your Punta Cana Classic package, you should start by going to the Carbon Poker software. Once here, you go to the “Sit N Go” and “Satellites” tabs; then you look for the steps tournaments labeled “Punta Cana Poker Classic.” There are five Steps in all, and the winner of the fifth Step SNG receives a $ 5,000 Punta Cana package. Below you can see how the Steps tournaments work:

Freerolls and VIP Point Purchases

Stepstournamentsaren’t the only way to win a ticket to the Punta Cana event because there are also freerolls available. To find these, go to the aforementioned tabs in the Carbon software and search for “Punta Cana Poker Classic Daily Freeroll.” This happens every day at 20:00 CET and Step 1 tickets are awarded to the top 5 players.

The last way to get a $ 5k Punta Cana Classic package is to purchase one with Carbon VIP points. For 500,000 points, a player can buy a package that offers everything the $ 5k deal does. For 420,000 points, players can purchase a package that includes everything except the $ 800 in airfare.

As you can see, there are a variety of ways to book your ticket to the Punta Cana Classic. And no matter what your bankroll is, there are plenty of cheap options that enablevirtuallyanybody to compete for a $ 5k prize.

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