Poker News

Confirmation by poker news Daily that Ultimate Bet pro Tiffany Michelle will appear on the 15th installment of the CBS reality series “Amazing Race” has led to a flurry of excitement in the industry. poker news Daily sat down with Annie Duke, whose appearance on the popular reality franchise “Celebrity Apprentice” helped raise well over $730,000 for charity.

poker news Daily: We’re sure you’ve had a chance to digest the news that Tiffany Michelle will appear on the upcoming edition of “Amazing Race,” reportedly with Maria Ho. Is her appearance good for poker?

Duke: In general, it’s good for poker players to be on reality shows. One of the problems with poker is that the game is seen as fringe in the sense that people think it is awful morally and socially. That’s part of the reason that you have a block of the country that wants to stop it. The more poker gets onto these mainstream shows, the better. It takes poker out of the fringe and into legitimacy.

Having been on “Celebrity Apprentice,” I get more offers that are straight business now, where I’m asked to comment on things from a business perspective. People see me as a more mainstream person. I know there are at least a couple of poker players lobbying to get on the next season of “Celebrity Apprentice.”

PND: Will Michelle’s acting background prove useful in appearing on a reality show?

Duke: I don’t think so. The best way you can see that is to look at “Celebrity Apprentice.” You have a people who are used to being in the public eye. They’re used to the cameras and know how to handle themselves in the media. They often don’t do well at all. You can’t hide from a camera when it’s on you for15 hours a day.

After 15 hours, there wasn’t an instance of me lying on “Celebrity Apprentice.” People saw that I didn’t lie and there wasn’t a single incident of me calling Brandi [Roderick] stupid. People believed Joan [Rivers], but by the end, there was so much footage and people figured out that she was lying. So, the cameras can work either way. The producers edit the show to create a story, but they can only use the footage they get. Whatever you give them could be used against you.

PND: So how do you think Michelle and Ho will do on “Amazing Race”?

Duke: I haven’t watched tons of “Amazing Race,” but I’ve seen enough to know that regardless of how you do, a lot of people regret going on there. People look like jerks. You’d probably be better served on a show like “Amazing Race” being generous. With “Celebrity Apprentice,” one of the things I did was be up front with people about what they were doing wrong. On “Amazing Race,” it’s better to help your fellow contestants out if they have trouble finding a route marker, for example. You don’t have to go overboard, but if someone clearly needs help, you should help them.

PND: Does being a poker player give a team an advantage on “Amazing Race”?

Duke: On that show, I don’t know that being a poker player is helpful. I guess the only place poker skills might come into play is in puzzle challenges. Poker players think things through more logically. There’s some strategy in things like buying airline tickets as well, so they’ll have an advantage there. For Tiffany Michelle, it helps that she’s a pretty girl.

PND: Are poker players clamoring to be cast for reality shows after your success on “Celebrity Apprentice” and Jean-Robert Bellande’s appearance on “Survivor”?

Duke: I’m sure people saw what “Celebrity Apprentice” did for me. I think that poker players as a group are very popular. They’re very much in the American conscious at the moment, so it’s good casting. One of the things with “Celebrity Apprentice” is that they like people who are strategic. Poker players will always be strategic. That creates good television and good contrast with other people.

PND: What poker players do you think would do well on shows like “Amazing Race,” “Celebrity Apprentice,” and “Survivor”?

Duke: I’d want someone who would put the best face on poker and would also do really well. I’d love to see John Hennigan on “Amazing Race.” He’s a really good person and would be great. On a show like “Celebrity Apprentice,” my brother [Howard Lederer] would be great, although he might not be loud enough to get attention. Chris Ferguson and Rafe Furst would also be great.

With “Survivor,” I’d want someone younger. You know who would be good? Joe Sebok. He’s in great physical condition, very smart, and very physical. He’d be my number one choice. Joe would be great strategically, well-liked, and good in challenges. On “Amazing Race,” Joe would be fast. He also has solid business sense, so he’d do well on “Celebrity Apprentice.” If you had to package the all-around reality show guy, I’d pick Joe Sebok.

Everest Poker, the official on-felt sponsor of the 2009 <a href=”http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/” title=”World Series of Poker”>World Series of Poker (<a href=”http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/” title=”wsop“>wsop), is celebrating its fifth anniversary in style. The promotion is highlighted by a $500,000 guaranteed prize pool event featuring a live finale.

The $500,000 Guaranteed will begin with an online tournament on October 4th. However, its conclusion will play out under the hot sun in Las Vegas. The nine finalists who reach the Sin City component of the $500,000 Guaranteed will be invited to stay and watch the feature table of the 2009 wsop Main Event, which will take place inside the Penn and Teller Theater at the Rio beginning on November 7th. Step tournament qualifiers for the $500,000 Guaranteed will begin in August. The final Step (#5) is worth $360 and Step 1 weighs in at just $2. Everest Poker players who reach the Las Vegas finale will receive $2,000 to cover airfare and accommodations. In addition, a special five year anniversary party will be held.

Everest Poker has grown by leaps and bounds over the years. On March 4th, 2005, the online poker site hit 10 million hands. On January 1st, 2006, it kicked off the New Year by dealing its 100 millionth hand. On April 17th, 2007, Everest Poker hit a colossal one billion hands. Now, the independent site is on the brink of recording its five billionth hand. Every player who is dealt cards in the five billionth hand on Everest Poker will receive a $5,000 cash bonus. In addition, any player who makes quad fives between July 1st and August 31st will take home 55,555 Summit Points. Only real money ring games qualify for the quad fives bonus and at least one five must be in the pocket. Players need to notify Everest Poker through e-mail in order to receive the massive Summit Point boost and include their Hand ID.

Also a part of the Everest Poker five year celebration is the Daily 5. Players who earn at least five Summit Points per day for one calendar month will qualify for a $5,000 <a href=”http://www.freerolls24.com”>freeroll. Players who earn five Summit Points daily between July 5th and August 4th are able to play in a $5,000 <a href=”http://www.freerolls24.com”>freeroll on August 6th at 18:00 GMT. Players who earn five Summit Points daily between August 5th and September 4th can qualify to play in a $5,000 <a href=”http://www.freerolls24.com”>freeroll on September 8th, also at 18:00 GMT. The site notes, “If you have an off day, we understand. As long as you earn 5 Summit Points 30 out of 31 days, you are still eligible for our <a href=”http://www.freerolls24.com”>freerolls.”

Summit Points can be exchanged for top-tier merchandise in the Store on Everest Poker. During the five year anniversary, players will see 5% to 55% discounts on select items in the Summit Point Store, making their balance go just a little bit further. Items up for grabs include Everest Poker shirts, chipsets, sports bottles, and mouse pads. In addition, the Summit Points Store also showcases an Aston Martin DB9 Coupe, a Cartier Roadster Chronograph watch, a Corum Bubble Royal Flush watch (the same manufacturer as wsop bracelets), and a Seadoo Seascooter GTI.

Finally, Everest Poker is holding $5,000 Refer-A-Friend <a href=”http://www.freerolls24.com”>freerolls. Players who refer four or more friends in July or four or more friends in August are eligible to enter <a href=”http://www.freerolls24.com”>freerolls on August 4th and September 2nd, respectively. Both freebies will issue the “Shuffle up and deal” command when the clock strikes 19:00 GMT. Everest Poker explains, “Players who meet the referral requirements for our $5,000 Refer-A-Friend <a href=”http://www.freerolls24.com”>freerolls will be pre-registered for the poker tournaments.” The Refer-A-Friend <a href=”http://www.freerolls24.com”>freerolls are on top of the $50 bonus regularly received per referral.

In the game of poker, sometimes the hand you hold has different capabilities depending upon the game that you’re playing: what would be a great hand in one form of poker will be mere junk in another discipline of the game. In this series of articles, we’ll examine particular hands and what strategies a player should put in place; because the same hand isn’t always the best in different games.

Middle Pairs - Tricky And Dangerous

When it comes down to the middle pairs – and in this instance, we are talking about pocket sixes through pocket pairs – you can find yourself in a very tricky circumstance. You are starting with a pocket pair, but it is very susceptible to being outdrawn. Unless you hit the set (in most games, as you will see), it is a hand that will often be beaten by players who sit on face cards or Aces. The proper approach, dependent on the game, will help you to maximize the value and, when you are in a difficult situation, get away with the least amount of chips lost.

Texas Hold’em

In Texas Hold’em, the pocket pair can be wielded pretty easily. When you have the middle pair, though, you have to delicately walk through the board. Unless you catch that set - about a one in eight chance - you have to be able to read the board correctly and judge whether you are sitting good or have to muck the hand.

Pre-flop, pocket tens through pocket eights can be played for a raise with some semblance of confidence. The pocket sevens and sixes, however, don’t have the same level of strength that a player should look for when raising a hand. This doesn’t mean that you should throw these hands away, though; all of the middle pairs are worth calling a raise unless there is a huge amount of action in front of you, and you can at the minimum take a look at the flop.

After the flop is where things can get a bit tricky. If the flop comes down with overcards to your pair - and especially if the flop contains one or more face cards or Aces - you have to definitely consider the playing style of your opponent and judge whether to continue on in the hand. This is a spot where conserving the chips, either through check-calling or folding, will work out well for your future at this particular table.

If the flop comes under your middle pair, you have to find out where you are at very quickly. A bet or raise should get the information you are looking for here and, if you are raised or three-bet, then you have to make a decision as to whether your opponent is pushing his big Ace or has actually caught a set against your pair. It is a hand that you can go to the river with but be sure to control the betting on future streets.

If you catch your set, there are a multitude of options available to you: you can either slow play the set and look to draw some more chips from your opponent or pound the board with bets (especially useful if you are against an aggressive player). Be mindful of the board texture and be on the lookout for either straights or flushes that come to light.

Omaha Hold’em

With Omaha the middle pair is even more problematic than in Texas Hold’em: in Omaha if you don’t catch a set on the flop - or at least the turn - you are looking at getting rid of the hand, because you more than likely won’t take it down with your middle pair. When you add in the factor of playing High-Low, then the decisions take on another turn.

While hitting the set in High-Low may be good enough to take the high half the pot, you really are looking for the board to pair to make a boat (and try to dodge an opponent who is sitting on their own pair that makes quads). Caution should be at the forefront of your mind here as you can get into a betting war that depletes your stack when you are sitting there with the second best hand.

If you have pocket eights, sevens or sixes, you have to take a look at your other two cards to judge whether you can make a solid low hand. Unless you have a suited Ace to go along with one of your pair cards, you shouldn’t be looking at making the low and even then you don’t have what could be considered to be a playable hand. This is a common mistake that players will make in the Omaha game – continuing to play the hand when they should have gotten out long before the river – and you should look to conserve your chips for a position where you have much better holdings.

Razz

Pocket pairs are something that definitely must be avoided in Razz. With the middle pairs, however, there are some options that open up for bluffing and/or for taking the hand outright.

Pocket tens through pocket eights should be avoided at all costs, but there is potential in the pocket sevens and sixes. You should preferably be gated – with one of your pair in your hidden cards and the other showing – and have your opponents all showing cards higher than yours to make a move on the pot. If you have your pair hidden, you would need an Ace, deuce or trey showing to be aggressive.

In Razz, however, you have to remember that you have to almost draw perfectly over the next four cards to catch the low hand. If your pair hits another like card on Fourth Street - for example, (7-7) 2-7 - then you need to quickly run away. If, however, you are drawing with a (6-3) 6-2-A, you can continue cautiously to Seventh Street to try to catch your low cards. As always with the game of poker and especially with non-community card games, be aware of the potential that your opponents are displaying and get out when it looks as though you are beaten.

Seven Card Stud and Seven Card High-Low

In these games, the middle pair can be a very effective tool, especially if it’s a hidden pair. If you are fortunate enough to be able to pull a third card on one of the streets, you can be aggressive with them and often get players who have two pair to come along with you to the river. In this instance, your payoff would be quite large. But there are some factors that you have to keep in mind before you start counting those chips, however.

If the two other cards to your pair are part of the other player’s face up cards, then you have to consider whether it will be wise to continue on with the hand. If you are holding pocket sevens, for example, and both of the sevens you covet are up, the best you are going to be able to do is two pair (barring hitting trips somewhere over the next four cards). In most cases, the middle pair is not going to be enough to win the hand, as someone else will have built a much better holding.

You also have to consider the texture of an opponent’s displayed cards and judge whether you can beat what they are showing or, in some cases, insinuating that they have. If someone is showing four suited cards or has two pair already in the up cards, your measly pair should have already been in the muck. Remember that you want to be able to have some ammunition when you hit larger hands; calling along and looking to hit aren’t going to conserve your chip stack to be able to do that.

In High-Low, you have to consider the same options that you did in Razz. Unless you catch a card to make the set and take the high, you shouldn’t be in the hand. If you are looking at the low hand, you have to have that Ace, deuce or trey in the mix to allow you to go on in the hand. Always remember your goal in a High-Low game is to scoop the entirety of the pot rather than split it, though.

Summary

The middle pocket pair can be one of the sneakiest hands in the game of poker. Played correctly, it can score a nice sized pot into your chip stack; played incorrectly, it can wreck not only your stack but your confidence. Be sure to wade into playing the middle pairs carefully, as the same hand is sometimes not the best hand in different games. In the next segment of this series, we will take a look at the baby pairs and how they can be highly useful in different games.

I recently returned from a trip to Washington, DC in which I was privileged to be part of the Poker Players Alliance’s (PPA) National Poker Week Fly-In. Part of this event included a gathering of 33 PPA State Directors, a handful of poker celebrities, and various lobbyists and media members. Our goal was to gain support for favorable online poker legislation and specifically for House Financial Services Chairman Barney Frank’s HR 2267, which would establish federal licensing and regulation of online poker.

My first impression of Capitol Hill is that I have never seen so many men and women dressed in business attire, scurrying from one building to another, carrying files and folders, all with an agenda to fulfill. The experience of actually seeing our government at work and being part of the process was incredible.

The Fly-In started out with a working dinner at which the participants got a chance to network with each other and hear brief speeches from Alfonse D’Amato, Congressman Robert Wexler, and John Pappas, Executive Director of the PPA.  Afterwards, we were given our meeting schedules for the next two days. My list of appointments included Senators Charles Schumer and Dianne Feinstein, and Representatives Tim Bishop, Shelley Berkley, Dina Titus, and Lynn Westmoreland. I had been given a list of talking points and became comfortable with them through many role-playing scenarios with Jan Fisher and my brother Rich Plante, who accompanied me on the trip.

At each of our meetings, we were taken into an office or small boardroom and allowed to make a presentation about why we believe that online poker should be completely legal, licensed, and regulated in the United States. Most times, there was a lobbyist with us and two or more PPA representatives present. I actually preferred the meetings without a lobbyist, as this gave us more time to personalize our stories and yet were still able to present the persuasive positive points about our position.

Here are some of the facts we presented in our meetings to encourage support of HR 2267:
1. More than 10 million Americans play online poker.
2. If online poker sites were licensed, American citizens would be protected from scam artists who don’t operate their sites with integrity. In addition, we would have legal recourse in U.S. courts if problems occurred.
3. Studies show that approximately $3.3 billion in tax money would be raised annually if online poker were regulated.
4. HR 2267 would provide effective protection to keep underage children from gambling online.
5. HR 2267 provides help to compulsive gamblers.
6. 75% of Americans oppose a ban on internet poker.
7. Poker is a game of skill. State courts in South Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Colorado have recently come to this conclusion.
8. Licensing and regulating online sites would create jobs. I know many people who lost their jobs as marketing directors and party planners when the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) passed.

We also made personal pleas to Senators, Congressmen, and staffers. For instance, I brought up how embarrassing it is that in the “Land of the Free,” we don’t have the same right to fund an online poker account and play in our own homes that citizens of most other countries in the world have. I also brought up the fact that my brother, who lives in Utah where there are no casinos, will eventually have to leave his home state if he wants to play poker unless we get the law changed. There are millions of physically-challenged and infirmed citizens who aren’t able to travel to a casino to play poker. Instead, playing online in their homes can bring them happiness in an otherwise depressing, painful life.

I believe that we helped sway opinions in a positive way through our Congressional meetings. Lots of questions were asked and answered that made it obvious that licensing and regulation is the best way to go regarding online poker. Since the Fly-In, three members of Congress (Representatives Linda Sanchez, John Conyers, and Mike Thompson) have signed on to co-sponsor HR 2267, bringing the total to 51. Many more will follow suit… it only makes sense!

The trip wasn’t all business, though; we had some time for fun in between our meetings. A special treat was lunch at the Pentagon in the Army Executive Dining Room hosted by a Brigadier General friend of mine. After lunch, we were given a tour of the 9/11 Memorial and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery.

I also got to play in a charity poker tournament along with 35 patients from Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Celebrities in attendance included Andy Bloch, Annie Duke, Jan Fisher, Howard Lederer, Dennis Phillips, Montel Williams, and members of Congress and their staff. The PPA donated $25,000 to seed the effort and another $10,000 was raised through rebuys, bounties, and donations. My trip to Washington, DC was truly a top-ten event in my life.

***

Linda,
Nice job. Thank you so much for your efforts. You covered all the primary points that legislators need to be aware of.

Arthur

According to an article that appeared this week in The Examiner, two members of the Harlem Globetrotters basketball team and Miss America 2004 may join poker players Tiffany Michelle and Maria Ho on Season 15 of the CBS reality show “Amazing Race.”

poker news Daily can confirm that Tiffany Michelle is among the cast for the 15th cycle of the reality series, citing anonymous sources inside the industry. Her rumored partner is Maria Ho, who Reality Fan Forum snapped a picture of at Los Angeles International Airport on the day that “Amazing Race” filming allegedly began. In the image, she did not appear to be donning a backpack (as is customary for “Amazing Race” teams); instead, she was pulling a suitcase. Michelle and Ho represent the last women standing in the 2008 and 2007 <a href=”http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/” title=”World Series of Poker”>World Series of Poker (<a href=”http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/” title=”wsop“>wsop) Main Events, respectively.

The Examiner speculates that Harlem Globetrotters members Nate “Big Easy” Lofton and Herbert “Flight Time” Lang are members of the “Amazing Race” cast. Lang attended Centenary College in Louisiana and wears #4 for the showcase basketball team. His biography found on the Harlem Globetrotters website appropriately reads, “He is a self-proclaimed reality TV junkie… What Flight Time likes about reality TV is that, even though he knows parts are staged and scripted for dramatic effect, ‘After a certain amount of time, you really get to see what people are like.’” Lang was roped into reality television after catching an episode of CBS staple “Survivor.”

Lofton attended Southeast Louisiana and grew up in New Orleans. His biography notes, “His gregarious personality and thunderous dunks entertain Globetrotter fans young and old.” A total of 26 players make up the current roster of the Harlem Globetrotters, which showcase unusual basketball skills at venues around the world. Several members of the team, including Lang, appeared on the ABC reality series “The Bachelorette” in May. The Globetrotters challenged the seven remaining bachelors to a pick-up game of basketball, with bachelorette Jillian Harris looking on intently. “The Bachelorette” wrapped up on Monday night with Harris riding off into the sunset with Ed Swiderski.

Joining Lang, Lofton, Michelle, and Ho will likely be Miss America 2004, Ericka Dunlap. The Examiner notes that “Amazing Race” has featured pageant winners before, as Dustin-Leigh Konzelman and Kandice Pelletier competed as part of Season 10 and All-Stars. Dunlap hails from Florida; the reigning Miss America is Katie Stern, a native of Indiana. No indication was given as to who will partner with Dunlap for “Amazing Race.”

An entry appearing on Wikipedia adds that two newscasters from the television network C-SPAN will also take part in “Amazing Race” when the 15th season kicks off in September. The show pits teams of two against each other in a race around the world. Along the way, they’ll complete various challenges as part of “Detours” (a choice between two tasks, each with its own pros and cons) and “Road Blocks” (a task that only one team member can perform). Each leg typically consists of one Detour and one Road Block; many of the legs end with the last team arriving at the “Pit Stop” being eliminated.

“Amazing Race” will once again air on Sunday nights, debuting on September 27th for two hours. The popular reality program follows CBS News program “60 Minutes” and will serve as the lead-in for the new drama “Three Rivers.” “Amazing Race” is an Emmy-winning reality show whose reigning champions are lawyers and siblings Tammy and Victor. In seasons past, the top prize has been $1 million and to date, no “celebrity” installment of “Amazing Race” has taken place.

Other poker players who have appeared on major reality shows include Annie Duke, who finished as the runner-up to comedian Joan Rivers on the second season of “Celebrity Apprentice.” In addition, Bodog pro Jean-Robert Bellande competed on “Survivor: China,” the 15th cycle of the cornerstone CBS show. Bellande was the eighth player voted out of “Survivor: China” and served as a member of the jury.

The site unleashed its latest interactive poker software Thursday, promising more cutting-edge features and a more personalized poker experience.

The new look features two new lobby views.

Full Tilt says players can locate games quickly and easily with the interactive six-step Basic View and find their favorite games faster than ever using Favorites and Advanced Filters in the Standard View.

The redesign also includes a series of Full Tilt Poker Lobby Widgets aimed at improving player visibility on important statistics and promotions.

A new Tournament Deals feature allows players to cut deals with their opponents at the final table of any multi-table tournament or sit & go.

Coinciding with the launch of the new software Full Tilt is also giving players a rather sizeable bonus.

Dubbed the “Biggest Bonus Ever,” Full Tilt is offering all players who have earned a Full Tilt Point before July 28, 2009 at least $100 in bonus money with no deposit required.

Players have until August 16 to accept the bonus.

Full Tilt Poker is represented by over 150 of the world’s best professional poker players including Team Full Tilt’s Chris Ferguson, Andy Bloch and Phil Ivey.

For more information about the site or to sign up and be eligible for PokerListings.com’s exclusive weekly $3k cash <a href=”http://www.freerolls24.com”>freerolls, check out the review here.

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The Bodog Mini Poker Series wrapped up last week awarding a $12,000 prize package that includes the $10,000 Main Event buy-in for next summer.

John “Getn_Outa_MI” Ormsby took it down, wrapping up the 13-event series with a win in the 82-person final event.

“The possibility of winning a seat in next year’s Main Event was the main reason I was interested in playing in the Bodog Mini Poker Series,” said Ormsby.

“I’ve always wanted to go to Vegas to play in the World Series, but have never had the chance. The Mini Series provided me with a great opportunity to do so.”

With the Bodog Mini Poker Series out of the way, the Bodog.com Poker room now turns its attention to the Bodog Flight Club, which awards players packages to major poker tournaments all over the world, including the European Poker Tour, World Poker Tour and Latin American Poker Tour.

In fact, qualifiers are currently running for the WPT Legends of Poker event at the Bicycle Casino in Los Angeles starting as low as $1.

For more on Bodog Poker check out PokerListings’ Room Review.

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Taking a quick look at the MarketPulse top 100 biggest online pots you’ll see the well-known Danish pro involved in the majority of the action.

Of the top 10 biggest hands for July 30, Hansen was a part of nine of them. But even more impressive was the fact Hansen actually won eight of them.

Hansen’s night actually began on July 29 when he was dominated by both Brian “sbrugby” Townsend and Tom “durrrr” Dwan. Apparently Townsend took Hansen for approximately $600,000 while Dwan was up nearly $800,000.

However, Hansen’s luck changed for the better in the early hours of July 30, as he won nearly 10 hands in a row playing heads-up with Dwan.

Although Hansen’s exact total for the session wasn’t known, he did erase at least some of the earlier losses.

In the biggest hand of the session, Hansen turned a jack-high flush and shoved on the river for his last $60,000. Dwan called and insta-mucked when he saw Hansen’s hand. The Great Dane raked $185,385 for winning the hand.

It’s worth noting that 2009 wsop November Niner Phil Ivey also made an appearance at the high-stakes Full Tilt tables over the last two nights.

It was business as usual for Ivey as he crushed the opposition for approximately $760,000, which is about three-quarters of what he will receive if he busts out in ninth at the Main Event final table. Not bad for a few hours worth of work.

You can check out the two biggest hands from the Hansen/durrrr showdown in the PokerListings’ hand replayer below:

Hansen is good.

Hansen scores again.

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Both rooms will be joining Betfair Poker as the official place for satellites into the €1,000 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em Main Event that features a €100,000 guarantee.

The tournament takes place from Aug. 10-16 at the Macau Sporting Club in Cork, Ireland.

PaddyPowerPoker will host a satellite tournament on Aug. 5 with at least one seat into the Irish Classic guaranteed. Entry is $100+$10 with a rebuy and add-on.

Ladbrokes will be hosting its first satellite for the Irish Classic on Aug. 3. The buy-in will be slightly lower at $88+$8.

Meanwhile, online qualifiers continue at Betfair Poker every Wednesday with $80+$8 satellites, but it’s also possible to qualify for as little as $2+$.20 in daily feeders.

Every player that registers for the Irish Poker Classic will automatically be entered into the free Million Dollar Game <a href=”http://www.freerolls24.com”>freeroll where the winner will go to London to play against 17 others for a $1 million first place prize at the Betfair-sponsored World Series of Poker Europe.

Live satellites are also available at the Macau Sporting Club as well as Dubin’s Sporting Emporium, Fitzwilliam Club, Emerald Casino, Clondalkin, JP Poker, Fortune Rooms, Goldclub, Atlantis Casino, Eglington Casino, Fitzpatricks Limerick, Olympus Waterford and Cue Club Killarney.

Last year Irishman Rob Taylor outlasted a record field of 169 to win the event, including Annette Obrestad, Michael Greco, Marty Smyth, Ian Woodley and Mick McCloskey.

Although there was a chop with two players remaining, Taylor still took down $69,003 for his efforts.

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Saturday evening marks a significant milestone in the poker industry, as the game goes prime time on a national network. NBC will launch its new television show this week, Face the Ace, where contestants can win up to $1 million by defeating three heralded pros.
“It’s an exciting new poker-themed game show