Joe in Tennessee wrote:

Hi Russ, I’ve been trying to get good enough to play in the WSOP, but with this Rule in effect, I’m now saving for a WPT Event. This change proves that Harrah’s/WSOP is more concerned with building their “brand” than they are in promoting good poker and I’ll have no part of it!!!

Only an IDIOT would like this idea. Besides, Twitter is the most useless tool ever invented for people with too much time on their hands!!! Thanks!

I wrote Joe back:

I wouldn’t give up on playing in the WSOP, Joe. While I admire someone who has principles and sticks to them, I think in this case you’d be depriving yourself of too much reward/joy in an effort to stand up against Harrah’s stupid rule.

Don’t give up the thrill of playing for a WSOP bracelet. It’s something every poker player must do at least once in a lifetime.

Can’t wait to see if WSOP floor supervisors will be able to avoid tweeting chaos at the tables this year…

T.J. Cloutier

Pro pawns 2005 WSOP bracelet but hopes to get it back

I hope T.J. Cloutier gets back his World Series of Poker bracelet. I really do, even though I remember the night he… Well, more about that in a minute.

Cloutier has won six WSOP bracelets in a long and successful career as a tournament pro (60 titles, nearly $10 million in winnings). But his last bracelet — won in 2005 in the $5,000 no-limit hold’em championship — made headlines in recent days when it was sold at auction on eBay for $4,006.

The seller was a pawn shop in Texas where T.J. had pawned it for an undisclosed sum. “Yeah, it’s mine,” he was quoted as saying by several poker websites. “I was short. I pawned it. I tried to get it back with my ticket but I was too late.”

The buyer was online site Cake Poker. A spokesman for the site has been quoted as saying they will “have some fun” with the bracelet through their poker site and then return it to Cloutier.

In the site’s blog, a Cake Poker representative stated the following.

“Since winning the bid and celebrating wildly, we have taken some time to reflect on our glorious new prize. As much as we would love to have a WSOP bracelet, or even award it to one of our cherished poker players, we can’t, in good conscience keep it from the man who rightfully won it, which is why we’ve decided to return it to T.J. Cloutier…just as soon as we have some fun with it.”

I suppose at that point, everyone will be a “winner” in this bizarre story. T.J. got some cash for the bracelet, the pawn shop made money, Cake Poker will have had some fun, and the pro will get his prized possession back.

But my first thought when I read about this was a night about 10 years ago in a stud tournament at Hollywood Park in Los Angeles. The field was down to nine players and I was still alive, but short-stacked as were two others. Only eight of us would get paid.

The action had slowed to a snail’s pace. For at least 30 minutes it was: low card brings it in, high card completes, everyone folds. Nobody wanted to risk missing out on cashing, including me. All very strategic, but very boring.

Then, to move things along, a tall-stacked player proposed that everyone agree that the tournament winner would give the ninth-place finisher his buy-in back out of his first-place winnings.

Excellent idea, everyone said. Well, everyone except T.J. He steadfastly refused to agree to the plan, no doubt figuring that as the most experienced player left he had a good chance to win the event. Giving up a couple hundred bucks, if he won, wasn’t in his playbook.

So, the deal was nixed and play continued. As you can guess by now, I busted out ninth, with nothing to show for many hours of competition. The infamous “bubble boy” title was mine.

Although T.J. did nothing wrong by quashing the deal, at the time it struck me as not particularly sporting of him. Then again, my view of the situation admittedly was colored.

Two nights later, in another stud event at the same tournament, I found myself once again short-stacked as the money bubble approached. This time, more determined than ever not to bust out without cashing, I managed to score a fifth-place finish, which soothed the sting from what happened two nights earlier.

Several poker sites are offering multiple ways that players can contribute to the relief effort with just a click or two on their computer. Based on similar charitable efforts by the poker sites in the past, I’m sure the generosity of poker players will emerge once again.

Here is a good story by Dan Cypra posted today at PokerNewsDaily.com that has the details:

By Dan Cypra, PokerNewsDaily

The 7.0 magnitude earthquake that rocked the tiny nation of Haiti left the country in shambles and perhaps as many as 50,000 people may have perished. In response, the online poker world has come together to raise money for the natural disaster’s victims.

Full Tilt Poker has launched “Aid for Haiti” tournaments in which the site will match the rake paid and then donate it to several charities on the ground in the island nation. For Full Tilt Poker members who don’t want to hit the virtual felts in order to donate, the world’s second largest online poker site has set up “Aid for Haiti No Play” tournaments. Ten of these events are scheduled for Sunday, January 17th and Full Tilt is matching the buy-ins. No poker will actually be played in “No-Play” tournaments.

The site has also created a special user account dubbed “Aid for Haiti.” In a similar fashion as transferring funds from one player to another, those who wish to help can send money directly to the account in $5 increments or larger. Full Tilt will then match the funds raised.

PokerStars has taken a streamlined approach to fundraising. The site has selected the Red Cross as its beneficiary and, like Full Tilt Poker and others involved, is matching donations dollar for dollar. The opportunity to donate will be open through January 31st. All players need to do is open up the PokerStars client, go to “Tourney” and “Special,” and enter one of the Haiti Earthquake Relief events. None of these tournaments will actually play out. Instead, the $1 to $1,000 buy-in allows players to donate directly to the Red Cross. PokerStars members can also ship money to “Haiti Fund,” a player account set up specifically to accept donations. Go to “Requests” and “Transfer Funds” in the top menu to take advantage of this method.

Meanwhile, the Calvin Ayre Foundation, named for the founder of Bodog, has pledged £10,000 to the U.K.-based foundation Oxfam to support the cause. The internet mogul added, “I also want to challenge the rest of this industry to also contribute to Oxfam to help out in Haiti and my private foundation will match any proven payment to Oxfam by an online gaming person up to $1,000,000.”

Bodog, PokerStars, and Full Tilt Poker all accept players and donations from the United States. The latter two are the largest and second largest sites in the world, respectively.

Also accepting U.S. action and promoting relief to the residents of Haiti is Cake Poker. The room has set up three special “holding tanks” totaling $5, $25, and $100. Players can register for each of them and the site, which features Lee Jones as its Card Room Manager, will match all funds raised. No cards will be dealt in these tournaments; instead, they are purely for donation purposes. The trio of “holding tanks” will be available until Midnight ET on January 31st.

Facebook poker application Zynga is donating $1 to Fonkoze, “an organization that supports families in Haiti,” for every chip package sold. Other added benefits, including a “Hearts for Haiti” gift, will be thrown into the mix.

On PocketFives.com, top-ranked online poker player David “Doc Sands” Sands announced that he was donating 10% of his Sunday profits up to $10,000 to a “disaster relief fund.” Sands called on other all-star players to do the same, with Ryan “gutshtallin” Welch, who sits at #39 in the world, agreeing to similar terms. Sundays feature some of the largest online poker tournaments in the industry, including the Sunday Million on PokerStars and $750,000 Guaranteed on Full Tilt Poker.

The United States pledged $100 million in aid for Haiti. Hopefully, the online poker community can band together for this worthwhile cause.

Maria del Mar Gomez contributed to this article.

Leeann Tweeden returns for her third season as hostess of NBC’s popular “Poker After Dark,” which now is in the second week of its sixth season.

Players featured in this week’s new series of shows for Season 6 are, from left, Annette Obrestad, Mike Matusow, Antonio Esfandiari, (host Leeann Tweeden in center), Erick Lindgren, Phil Laak and Phil Hellmuth. Ol’ LuckyDog wonders how many times the aggressive Obrestad will come over the top of Hellmuth’s raises acting right after him? No doubt he’ll try to trap her with some smooth calls…

(NOTE: ENTRY UPDATED 1-11 WITH BACKGROUND INFO ON ‘NICKNAMES’ EPISODE PLAYERS)

Producers of “Poker After Dark” are promising dramatic action, first-time winners, new faces and plenty of laughs when NBC launches the show’s sixth season, beginning with nightly episodes late on Monday.

NBC reports that 13 players will make their PAD debut this season.

Returning to the show are Ali Nejad to provide commentary and hostess Leeann Tweeden to do interviews (and brighten up the poker room!).

Of special interest the first two weeks will be the debut of Joe Sebok from Poker2Nite and High Stakes Poker’s new co-host Kara Scott in Week 1’s “Commentators” episode, followed the week of Jan. 11 by the PAD debut of the young poker phenom Annette Obrestad in a “Nicknames” episode.

Here’s the season lineup, updated today:

Week of January 4 - NEW IN HD (Commentators)
Howard Lederer, Gabe Kaplan, Joe Sebok, Ali Nejad, Mark Gregorich, Kara Scott

Week of January 11 - NEW IN HD (Nicknames)
Annette Obrestad, Mike Matusow, Antonio Esfandiari, Erick Lindgren, Phil Laak, Phil Hellumth

Week of January 18 - Encore (Top Guns Cash Game, Part 1)
Tom Dwan, Patrik Antonius, Howard Lederer, Eli Elezra, Ilari Sahamies, Phil Ivey

Week of January 25 - Encore (Top Guns Cash Game, Part 2)
Eli Elezra, Tom Dwan, Howard Lederer, Phil Ivey, Patrik Antonius, Ilari Sahamies

Week of February 1 - Encore (Magnificent Six)
Phil Hellmuth, Chris Ferguson, Howard Lederer, Phil Ivey, Doyle Brunson, Daniel Negreanu

Week of February 8 - Final (Celebrities and Mentors)
Barry Greenstein, Jason Alexander, Phil Gordon, Orel Hershiser, Don Cheadle, Gavin Smith
Note: No Show on February 13 for Olympics

Week of February 15 – No Shows: Olympics

Week of February 22 – No Shows: Olympics

Week of March 1 - Rebroadcast in HD (Commentators)
Howard Lederer, Gabe Kaplan, Joe Sebok, Ali Nejad, Mark Gregorich, Kara Scott

Week of March 8 Rebroadcast in HD (Nicknames)
Annette Obrestad, Mike Matusow, Antonio Esfandiari, Erick Lindgren, Phil Laak, Phil Hellumth

Week of March 15 - NEW IN HD (Cash Game 50k, Part 1)
Chris Ferguson, Phil Hellmuth, Antonio Esfandiari, Brandon Adams, Todd Brunson, Mike Matusow

Week of March 22 - NEW IN HD (Cash Game 50k, Part 2)
Todd Brunson, Mike Matusow, Phil Hellmuth, Brandon Adams, Antonio Esfandiari, Chris Ferguson

Week of March 29 - Encore (USA vs. Italy)
Howard Lederer, Marco Traniello, Dario Minieri, Erick Lindgren, Max Pescatori, Chris Ferguson

Week of April 5 - Rebroadcast (Railbird Heaven Cash Game, Part 1)
Patrik Antonius, Daniel Negreanu, Gus Hansen, Phil Ivey, Tom Dwan, Phil Hellmuth

Week of April 12 - Rebroadcast (Railbird Heaven Cash Game, Part 2)
Tom Dwan, Gus Hansen/David Peat, Phil Ivey, Phil Hellmuth, Patrik Antonius, Daniel Negreanu

Week of April 19 - NEW IN HD (My Favorite Pro)
Craig Ivey, James Ashby, Steve Bartlett, Phil Hellmuth, Jens Voertmann, Chris Ferguson

Week of April 26 - NEW IN HD (He Said, She Said)
Erica Scoenberg, Jean-Robert Bellande, David Grey, Karina Jett, Mike Matusow, Annie Duke

Week of May 3 - Rebroadcast in HD (Cash Game 50k, Part 1)
Chris Ferguson, Phil Hellmuth, Antonio Esfandiari, Brandon Adams, Todd Brunson, Mike Matusow

Week of May 10 - Rebroadcast in HD (Cash Game 50k, Part 2)
Todd Brunson, Mike Matusow, Phil Hellmuth, Brandon Adams, Antonio Esfandiari, Chris Ferguson

AND HERE, courtesy of PAD, is a bit of background about the six players in this week’s episodes:

Annette Obrestad: (Seat 1)

* Nicknamed “The Huntress,” she is a 21-year-old professional poker player who resides in Sandnes, Norway
* Known as Annette_15 online, she began playing poker when she was 15 years old and amassed in excess of $1.75 million in online tournament winnings prior to the 2007 World Series of Poker Europe main event, which she won
* Career live tournament winnings in excess of $2.84 million, ranking No. 1 on Norway’s all-time money list, and also ranks No. 3 on the women’s all-time money list, trailing only Kathy Liebert and Annie Duke
* Is the youngest bracelet holder in WSOP history, and also holds the record for the largest cash by a woman in history, just over $2 million
* In July 2007, defeated 179 players in an online tournament while only looking at her holecards once, and then only because she was faced with an all-in decision. She says she did it to show the importance of playing position and focusing on the other players at the table

Mike Matusow: (Seat 2)

* Known as “The Mouth” for trash talking at the tables, and one of poker’s most recognizable players
* Winner of three WSOP bracelets, his latest in the prestigious 2008 $5,000 no-limit 2-7 draw event with rebuys
* Lifetime live tournament winnings in excess of $7.29 million, and ranks 23rd on the all-time money list
* Won a $100,000 prop bet with Ted Forrest at the beginning of the 2008 WSOP by losing more than 50 pounds since the 2007 WSOP, weighing in at a svelte 179
* Released his autobiography entitled Check-Raising the Devil in May 2009, a candid and revealing look at his life and the battles he’s faced with demons over the years

Antonio Esfandiari: (Seat 3)

* Nicknamed “The Magician” for having been a professional magician before becoming a poker player
* Winner of one WSOP bracelet and one WPT event
* Career live tournament winnings in excess of $3.56 million
* Went deep in the 2009 WSOP main event, finishing 24th, collecting his biggest WSOP payday ever of nearly $353,000
* Hired Mindset Coach Sam Chauhan for a six-month period beginning in 2009 to help him regain his poker focus and his hunger and desire to win

Erick Lindgren: (Seat 4)

* Nicknamed “E-Dog” and a very popular player among fans
* Won his first WSOP bracelet in 2008, and also made two other final tables
* Lifetime live tournament winnings in excess of $7.39 million, and ranks 22nd on the all-time money list
* Started playing poker full-time as a prop player for a California casino at the age of 21, and was hired by then poker room manager Bill Edler
* Author of the book Making the Final Table

Phil Laak: (Seat 5)

* Nicknamed “The Unabomber” for the trademark hooded sweatshirt and sunglasses he usually wears
* Holder of one WPT invitational title, and won the PartyPoker.com World Open V in London in October 2009, good for $250,000
* Career live tournament winnings in excess of $1.68 million
* May be the man mostly responsible for “hoodies” becoming popular apparel among poker players
* Known for his unusual and often humorous antics and mannerisms at the table

Phil Hellmuth: (Seat 6)

* Known as the “Poker Brat,” a name he now embraces, and was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in July 2007
* 1989 World Champion, and won his 11th WSOP bracelet in 2007, making him the first and only person in history to own so many
* Career live tournament winnings in excess of $10.99 million, and ranks fourth on the all-time money list, despite never having a cash for more than $755,000
* With six cashes in the 2009 WSOP, now has more WSOP cashes (75) and has made more WSOP final tables (41) than any other player in history
* His fame has given him the opportunity to be involved in many businesses on the side, and he is highly acknowledged as the game’s best self-promoter

Nicknames Week will begin airing on NBC late tonight/tomorrow morning at 2:05 a.m. and will continue for four more consecutive nights in the same timeslot. A special “Director’s Cut” episode will air late night Saturday at 1 a.m., right after “Saturday Night Live”.

Here from PAD is background info on last week’s players:

Howard Lederer: (Seat 1)

* Nicknamed “The Professor,” and one of the most respected of all players among his peers
* Has won two World Series of Poker bracelets and two World Poker Tour titles, and just missed winning his third bracelet when he finished second in the 2009 World Series of Poker Europe pot-limit Omaha event
* Lifetime live tournament winnings in excess of $5.58 million, and ranks 40th on the all-time money list
* Made two final tables at the 2009 WSOPE, good for $223,000, and won the $10,000 H.O.R.S.E event at the 2009 Festa al Lago, good for another $92,000
* Highly regarded as a television poker commentator and analyst

Gabe Kaplan: (Seat 2)

* Longtime actor and comedian, best remembered for his role in the 1970s hit television sitcom “Welcome Back Kotter”
* Proficient in many games, and has played poker for more than 30 years
* Career live tournament winnings in excess of $1.58 million
* In 1980, challenged 1978 World Champion Bobby Baldwin and 1979 World Champion Hal Fowler to $200,000 heads-up freezeouts and defeated them both
* Oft-seen analyst on several poker television programs and highly regarded for his knowledge of the game and the humor he infuses into his commentary

Joe Sebok: (Seat 3)

* Nicknamed “The Cub,” he is a professional poker player from San Francisco, California
* Stepfather is Barry Greenstein, who he refers to as “The Bear”
* Lifetime live tournament winnings in excess of $1.87 million, and went deep in the 2009 WSOP main event, finishing 56th for $108,000
* Along with Greenstein, is the co-founder of PokerRoad.com, a poker multimedia outlet, which he co-hosts along with Ali Nejad
* Constantly involved in prop bets with good friend Gavin Smith, who sports a tattoo bearing a four leaf clover and Sebok’s initials after losing a prop bet to him

Oliver Nejad: (Seat 4)

* Nickname is “Ali” and was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay area
* Worked as the host of his own television show when he was still a high-school student
* Studied at Cal-Berkeley to expand his career in broadcasting
* Began playing poker in 1996, and has been a low-limit player, prop player, dealer, online player, and high-limit player
* Has served as commentator on several televised poker shows, including Poker After Dark, Poker Superstars II, and the National Heads-Up Poker Championship, as well as The World Series of Golf

Mark Gregorich: (Seat 5)

* Is a former high school teacher from Washington State, and has been a professional poker player since 1995
* Served as a commentator on the original Poker Superstars I, and became an instructor at the World Series of Poker Academy in 2009
* Lifetime live tournament winnings in excess of $1.25 million
* Contributed to Doyle Brunson’s book Super System II
* Has made a WSOP final table in five different games

Kara Scott: (Seat 6)

* Born in northern Alberta, Canada, she moved to the United Kingdom in 1999, where she is now a TV personality, journalist, and poker player
* Only woman to cash in both the 2008 and 2009 WSOP main events, finishing 104th in 2008 and 238th in 2009, and only the second woman in history to cash in back-to-back years
* Lifetime live tournament winnings in excess of $557,000
* Served as the TV host for the European Poker Tour in 2007 and 2008, and is working as a co-host on High Stakes Poker season six
* Lost a prop bet in 2007 to Chris Tessaro, host of The Hardcore Poker Radio Show, resulting in her having to handle her responsibilities at the EPT San Remo dressed in a bunny suit

A quick look at the full schedule reveals that players with relatively modest bankrolls will have their best opportunity ever to experience poker’s biggest show.

One of the key additions to next year’s WSOP — which starts in just five months — is a sixpack of $1,000 buy-in no-limit hold’em tournaments. No WSOP bracelet event has ever cost less than that.

Moreover, five of those six tournaments will be on weekends, allowing potentially even greater participation than the $1,000 Stimulus Special held in 2009 which drew more than 6,000 players — the largest turnout in history for a non-main event WSOP competition.

The expansion to six of the $1,000 events virtually assures that the 2010 WSOP will set attendance records again, breaking last year’s record of nearly 61,000 total entries. The total number of event remains at 57 next year.

There are plenty of other reasons to start thinking about a trip to the WSOP — triple starting stacks, a new food court, a 20 percent increase in the number of tables, and more.

Now that I think about it: For a poker player, what could make a better Christmas gift than a seat in a WSOP event in 2010!

Here’s a news release sent Thursday by Nolan Dalla, WSOP media director, which gives the particulars:

LAS VEGAS (Dec. 17, 2009) – The 41st annual World Series of Poker® (WSOP®) — a set of poker tournaments open to anyone 21 years of age or older — returns Thursday, May 27, 2010 when live action and satellites begin.

The annual poker extravaganza, which dates back to 1970, is televised exclusively on ESPN from the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas and consists of a comprehensive slate of the game’s most popular variations running from May 27-July 17, 2010.

A total of 57 coveted gold bracelets will be up for grabs in 2010 — equal to last year’s total. July 4th is the tournament’s only “off day”, and will be dedicated to satellites for all those seeking another entry option into poker’s biggest event.

On Friday, May 28, the first open bracelet event will be the $50,000 buy-in Player’s Championship — the most expensive buy-in event to ever open up the World Series of Poker. Playing for the bracelet and the prestigious Chip Reese Memorial Trophy, the event will follow an eight-game format made popular by the late poker legend, and those participating in the mythical “Big Game” around Las Vegas card rooms. Over the first four days, Limit Hold’em, Omaha Hi-Low Split-8 or Better, Seven Card Razz, Seven Card Stud, Seven Card Stud Hi-Low Split-8 or Better, No-Limit Hold’em, Pot-Limit Omaha and 2-7 Triple Draw Lowball will be played, with the Final Table being No-Limit Hold’em, as was the case when Reese won the inaugural $50K buy-in event in 2006. ESPN will provide television coverage of this event under the new format.

The opening weekend (May 29-30), features a $1,000 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em tournament, which last year established a non-Main Event record of 6,012 entrants. The four-day event includes two starting flights, one each on Saturday and Sunday at 12 noon.

Another first at the WSOP this year, the first 5 weekends of the series will feature $1,000 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em tournaments with two starting flights. May 29-30, June 5-6, June 12-13, June 19-20 and June 26-27 will offer No-Limit Hold’em players from the weekend warrior to the most advanced player the opportunity to compete in some of the largest fields of the year for huge prize pools and a gold bracelet. A sixth event on July 1-2, will also offer the same event at the same buy-in level, just days before the Main Event commences.

The 41st annual WSOP will conclude, as is customary now, with the $10,000 No-Limit Hold’em Championship (aka the Main Event) which begins play Monday, July 5 and should reach its final table (nine players) on Saturday, July 17, at which time play will be halted for the third consecutive year. The famed tournament’s final-table culmination will be held with the “November Nine” from November 6-9, before a live audience with special primetime coverage from ESPN.

“Whatever your game and whatever your bankroll, the 2010 WSOP schedule offers something for everyone,” said WSOP Tournament Director Jack Effel, who will oversee the event for the fifth consecutive year. “We are planning for the largest WSOP ever and look forward to welcoming all players to the Rio in Las Vegas next summer.”

The entire convention center of the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino will be exclusively dedicated to the 2010 World Series of Poker for the first time, with tournament tables in the 58,000 square foot Pavilion and the 38,000 square foot Amazon Room. The final number of tables in play is subject to regulatory approval, given just prior to the tournament commencing.

Player comfort is also being addressed by new rules regulating the daily amount of play. Excluding the Main Event, gold bracelet tournaments will begin at 12 noon and 5 PM Pacific Time each day, with a maximum of 10-one hour levels being played for the noon starts, while the 5 PM events playing a maximum of 8 one-hour levels. Day 1 play is expected to conclude at 12:45 AM for noon starts and 2:45 AM for the 5 PM starts. For those advancing past the first day, re-starts for noon bracelet events will be at 2:30 PM, and 5 PM tournaments will restart at 3 PM, with a maximum of 10 levels being played each day until a champion is crowned. The Main Event features two-hour levels and play begins at 12 noon each day.

Registration for all bracelet events will remain open until the start of the third level (approximately 2 hours, 20 minutes after start time) – or until all available seats have sold. Pre-registration for the 2010 WSOP is now available on-site at the Main Cage of the Rio in Las Vegas and online through www.wsop.com. This is the earliest registration has ever opened, as players now have more than five months to register for the first event, and more than six months to register for the Main Event.

Players are encouraged to register in advance to avoid being shut out of their favorite events. Any foreign entrants who wire transfer monies will receive the exchange rate into U.S. dollars at the time of the wire transfer, thus locking in their exchange rate in advance.

New policies and procedures regarding Main Event registration will be detailed in the future, but entrants can expect to be assigned starting days after a certain date. The only way to guarantee your starting day will be to pre-register prior to the determined cut-off date.

All Harrah’s properties in Las Vegas offer special reduced room rates for entrants of WSOP bracelet events. Rates start as low as $69 for players staying at the host property, the Rio. Imperial Palace offers rates as low as $30, and Bally’s, Flamingo, Harrah’s, Paris and Caesars Palace provide WSOP player rates as low as $45-$100 a night. Click here for the special WSOP player hotel rates.

The 2010 WSOP marks the 41st running of the game’s most prestigious annual tournament. In 2009, the WSOP generated the most entries ever (60,875) from 115 different countries that competed for more than $174 million while awarding 57 championship gold bracelets, globally recognized as the game’s top prize.

To view the entire schedule, visit WSOP.com/schedule where you can download event structures, pre-registration forms or save the schedule to your calendar and even link it to your Facebook, Twitter or other social network sites. Media can add a WSOP schedule widget to their websites, by going to WSOP.com/poker-widgets/.

Among the highlights of the 2010 schedule:

• 57 gold bracelet events over 51 days.

• Expanded footprint – The giant Pavilion Ballroom (58,000 sq. feet) will be in use this year for poker in the Rio Convention Center. The Pavilion is the largest ballroom at the Rio, and along with the famed Amazon Room (38,000 sq. feet), will make-up the playing rooms for this year’s WSOP. The entire convention space will be used.

• Expanded capacity – Along with expanded footprint, comes more poker tables. A record 295 tables were utilized last year, and this year’s configuration is still being plotted, but expected to offer about 20 percent more tables.

• No Food Tent – The outdoor food tent will now become an indoor food court experience. The Miranda Ballroom, last year used as a room for play, will be converted into a food court with a variety of popular food items for players and spectators.

• Sensational Structures & Starting Chips – Drafting off last year’s success, all gold bracelet events in 2010 will feature triple the buy-in in starting chips and deep structures, providing plenty of play.

• $25K 6-Handed No-Limit – A new event this year will be a $25,000 buy-in 6-handed No-Limit Hold’em 4-day event. Event #52 begins on Wednesday, June 30 at 12 noon.

• $50K Players Championship – The Chip Reese Trophy is up for grabs at the $50,000 buy-in eight-game mixed event, dubbed the Players Championship, which is being morphed from the $50K H.O.R.S.E. tournament run the past four years. This new eight-game format will serve as the true test of the game’s greatest all-around player and receive star treatment, with ESPN cameras covering the five-day event for television. Event #2 starts on Friday, May 28 at 5:00 PM.

• Still Plenty of H.O.R.S.E. – A new $10,000 buy-in H.O.R.S.E. Championship tournament will be offered, to go along with $1,500 and $3,000 buy-ins to the popular game.

• The 4th annual Ante Up For Africa Celebrity-Charity Tournament — $5,000 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em celebrity and charity tournament on Saturday, July 3, (two days before the Main Event begins) featuring the opportunity for anyone age 21 or older to enter and be seated at the same table as A-list celebrities and top poker pros.

• The Ladies Only No-Limit Hold’em Championship – On Friday, June 11, featuring a $1,000 buy-in and helping to raise awareness for the Nevada Cancer Institute, the official community relations partner of the World Series of Poker.

• The Seniors Only No-Limit Hold’em Championship – On Friday, June 18 , featuring a $1,000 buy-in for all poker enthusiasts 50 years of age or older.

• June $550 No-Limit Hold’em Tournaments – Every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at 1:00 PM throughout June, the Rio will host new $550 No-Limit Hold’em tournaments for those looking for a Hold’em fix. These are one-day structured tournaments, and not bracelet events.

In addition, a complete array of satellites, from single-table to mega, will be offered beginning from May 27-July 8. Nightly No-Limit Hold’em tournaments will be offered from May 27-July 4 at 7:00 PM and 11:00 PM.

All winners will be required to provide a valid picture ID. Tax forms will be completed for those with winnings in excess of $5,000 net of event buy-in. Players without a Tax Identification Number and foreign players from non-tax treaty countries are subject to up to 30 percentage tax withholding. WSOP reserves the right to cancel, change or modify the tournament or any tournament event, in part or in whole, without notice.

ABOUT THE WSOP

The World Series of Poker (WSOP) is the largest, richest and most prestigious gaming event in the world awarding millions of dollars in prize money and the prestigious gold bracelet, globally recognized as the sport’s top prize. Featuring a comprehensive slate of tournaments in every major poker variation, the WSOP is poker’s longest running tournament in the world, dating back to 1970. In 2009, the event attracted 60,875 entrants from 115 different countries to the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas and awarded over $174 million in prize money. The WSOP in December, 2008 was named the 7th most admired sports brand in North America by the Turnkey Sports Survey, trailing only the older and more established NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, NASCAR and PGA Tour among sports properties. In addition, the WSOP has experienced groundbreaking alliances in broadcasting, digital media and corporate sponsorships, while successfully expanding the brand internationally with the advent in 2007 of the World Series of Poker EuropeSM. For more information on the World Series of Poker, please visit our website at www.WSOP.com.

Fans of Poker After Dark on NBC shouldn’t have any problem finding a favorite to root for on the Season 5 finale, which begins tonight/early Tuesday morning. The two-week-long cash game episodes will feature, from left: Patrik Antonius, Daniel Negreanu, Gus Hansen, Phil Ivey, Tom Dwan and Phil Hellmuth. That’s hostess Leeann Tweeden brightening up the photo in the center. (Photo by PAD)

Poker After Dark wraps up Season 5 on NBC over the next two weeks, starting tonight, with a televised cash game featuring six of poker’s most popular players. (OK, Phil Hellmuth is playing, so let’s just call him one of the game’s most-talked-about players, and move on.)

It should be fun to watch a lineup of Patrik Antonius, Daniel Negreanu, Gus Hansen, Phil Ivey, Tom Dwan and Hellmuth go at each other with starting buy-ins of at least $100,000 (max buy-in is $250,000).

NBC will air five late night/early morning episodes each week (check local schedules for times), then wrap up both weeks with a “director’s cut” episode late Saturday night.

The players will redraw for seats after the first five episodes. Here, from Poker After Dark, are bios of the six pros:

PATRIK ANTONIUS (Seat 1)

* Former male model and tennis player. Native of Helsinki, Finland. Now living in Monte Carlo, but also has a home in Las Vegas
* Considered one of the best short-handed high-stakes cash game players in the world, whether live or online, and is a fan favorite in the online community
* Lifetime live tournament winnings in excess of $2.84 million, and ranks No. 1 on Finland’s all-time money list
* Cool, calm, and calculating at the tables, with a propensity never to go on tilt
* In November 2009, won the largest pot in online poker history while playing heads-up pot-limit Omaha against “isildur1” of Sweden, a pot of $1,356,946.50

DANIEL NEGREANU (Seat 2)

* Dubbed “Kid Poker,” and one of poker’s most likeable and recognizable personalities
* Owns four WSOP bracelets, the latest in a 2008 WSOP $2000 limit hold’em event, and two WPT titles
* With his second-place showing in the 2009 WSOPE main event in October 2009, now has lifetime live tournament winnings in excess of $12.42 million, and ranks No. 1 on the all-time money list
* Had nine cashes, including three final tables, in the 2009 WSOP, more than any other player
* Ranks No. 1 on the World Poker Tour’s all-time money list with winnings of nearly $5.52 million

GUS HANSEN (Seat 3)

* Known as “The Great Dane” and “Gambling Gus”
* Is the only player in history to have won three WPT open titles and almost won his fourth in the 2008 WPT Championship at Bellagio, finishing second
* Lifetime live tournament winnings in excess of $7.52 million, and ranks 21st on the all-time money list
* Difficult to read because of his loose-aggressive style of play
* Winner of the 2007 Aussie Millions, and authored a book detailing his play hand-for-hand in that event entitled “Every Hand Revealed”

PHIL IVEY (Seat 4)

* Regarded by many as the best player in the game today
* Winner of seven WSOP bracelets, including two in 2009 in the $2500 no-limit deuce-to-seven lowball event and $2500 Omaha/7-card stud eight-or-better event, and one WPT title
* Career live tournament winnings in excess of $12.23 million, and ranks second on the all-time money list
* Capped off a terrific 2009 WSOP by finishing seventh in the main event, good for $1.4 million
* One of only five players in history to win three WSOP bracelets in one year (2002)

TOM DWAN (Seat 5)

* Nicknamed “durrrr,” and has a huge following in the online community
* Primarily a high-stakes cash game player with remarkable success despite his young age, and is considered one of poker’s premier cash game players
* Live career tournament winnings in excess of $1.12 million
* Made two final tables in the 2008 WSOP, the first he was old enough to play in
* In 2009, issued a $1 million heads-up challenge to anyone except Phil Galfond to put up $500,000 and play 50,000 hands at blinds of $200-$400 while playing four tables of no-limit hold’em or pot-limit Omaha at once online, saying that if his opponent finished up a minimum of $1 after rake once the hands were completed, he would pay them an extra $1.5 million; if Dwan was up $1 or more, the opponent would pay him $500,000

PHIL HELLMUTH (Seat 6)

* Known as the “Poker Brat,” a name he now embraces, and was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in July 2007
* 1989 World Champion, and won his eleventh WSOP bracelet in 2007, making him the first and only person in history to do so
* Career live tournament winnings in excess of $10.92 million, and ranks fourth on the all-time money list, despite never having a cash for more than $755,000
* With six cashes in the 2009 WSOP, now has more WSOP cashes (75) and has made more WSOP final tables (41) than any other player in history
* His fame has given him the opportunity to be involved in many businesses on the side, and he is highly acknowledged as the game’s best self-promoter

Jacob Zalewski, who suffers from Cerebral Palsy, came up with the idea for a charity poker tournament to help victims of the disease. The second annual “All In For CP” event is set for Saturday, Dec. 12, at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas — and you’re invited!

TOURNAMENT BRINGS TOGETHER PROS, PLAYMATES, CELEBS & AMATEURS

“We hope to see a future where Cerebral Palsy is a thing of the past. We know are getting one step closer to that vision everyday.”

With that guiding premise, Cerebral Palsy victim Jacob Zalewski of Houston initiated the “All In For CP” no-limit Texas hold’em tournament a year ago. Now it’s time for the second annual tourney, and you’re invited to join the fun!

The event is set for Saturday, Dec. 12, at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. That’s one day before the start of the Doyle Brunson Five Diamond World Poker Classic, so you can expect many top pros to be on hand to help the CP cause.

You’ll also see Playboy Playmates (!) and personalities from television and film coming together to benefit the One Step Closer Foundation, which is 501(c)3 certified. Jennifer Tilly will host the event.

If you’re going to be in Vegas that day, this will be one of the highlight events to consider. The tourney starts at 2 p.m. at the Hard Rock with a $550 buy-in and $200 re-buys. For tickets and information, call 281-740-8604 or go to www.allinforcp.com.

After the event, the Poker Players Alliance, headlining sponsor for the tournament, will host a party for participants.

Jacob Zalewski realizes that he is one of the “lucky ones,” a news release noted. “It is his hope, through the One Step Closer Foundation and this annual event, to help ease as much as possible the lives of those who suffer from CP,” the release said.

“He’s a great guy with amazing spirit,” said Crys Spelman of Polaris Publicity, who added that it is hoped that holding the tournament in Las Vegas so close to a major poker event will lead to even greater participation than in 2008.

Last year’s event in Houston raised nearly $45,000, but that total grew significantly when the champion, Sam Simon, donated his top-prize winnings to the cause. Simon, as you may know, is an Emmy and Peabody award-winning writer/director/producer. The Sam Simon Foundation, which supports One Step Closer, reflects Simon’s lifelong love of animals by rescuing dogs from animal shelters and humane societies to become Hearing Dogs for the deaf or hard of hearing.

The tournament’s “star power” will be significant!

Set to play are actors Dean Cain, Ken Davitian, Shannon Elizabeth, and Glenn Morshower, TV personality Montel Williams, and last year’s tournament champion, “Simpsons” creator Sam Simon. Joining them are lead guitarist for Anthrax, Scott Ian; Napster creator Shawn Fanning, WWE diva Alicia Webb, playmates Stacy Fusion, Jennifer (‘jennicide’) Leigh, and Brande Roderick, along with husband and former Denver Bronco linebacker Glenn Cadrez.

Returning for this year’s tournament are 2006 World Series main-event champion Jamie Gold, 3-time WSOP bracelet winner Barry Greenstein, and some of poker’s biggest personalities, including siblings Pam and Todd Brunson, Phil Laak, Clonie Gowen, and Men ‘the Master” Nguyen, with many others expected to attend.

Here’s more background about Jacob Zalewski:

Born three months premature with a host of medical conditions, doctors gave Jacob a 30 percent chance of survival. He beat the odds. As a child, doctors suggested to his parents that he would be better off if they institutionalized him. They didn’t, and now he’s showing them how determined he is.

He has continued to beat the odds and has become a thriving young man who graduated from the University of Houston, majoring in Media Production.

Jacob’s father is a professional poker player, which allows him access to the top players and celebrities on the poker circuit. He bumped into Ben Affleck and struck up a conversation with him at Don Cheadle’s event in Houston in 2008, amongst other celebrities garnering much-needed support for this event. He hasn’t stopped since.

Founded in 2007, the One Step Closer Foundation is a non-profit, charitable organization whose main goal is to ease, as much as possible, the lives of those who suffer from Cerebral Palsy.

The OSCF, through various fundraising efforts such as the All In For CP Celebrity Charity Poker Tournament, supports groups and individuals with financial aid. The OSCF also financially assists researchers looking for medical advancements in treating and diagnosing Cerebral Palsy.

This is your chance to play in a poker tournament where you can play against poker pros, meet your favorite celebrities, and help those in need all at the same time. Half of the proceeds will be donated to the One Step Closer Foundation.

Earlier today, the U.S. Department of Treasury and Federal Reserve Board announced a six-month extension of the compliance date for the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act.

That means the ill-conceived, citizens’-rights-thwarting legislation won’t fully kick in on Tuesday. The new date is June 1, 2010.

This gives Congress, with continued pushing from freedom-loving Americans, six months to enact HR 2267, the Internet Gambling Regulation, Consumer Protection, and Enforcement Act, which would legalize, regulate, and tax U.S.-based secure online poker.

Today’s action might be a huge momentum swing in favor of legalizing online poker in the U.S. All citizens — not just poker players — who don’t want their rights trampled will be watching and hoping that Congress does the right thing.

Here’s the news release from the Poker Players Alliance, which petitioned for the delay:

FED, TREASURY ACCEPT PPA REQUEST TO DELAY UIGEA

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Nov. 27, 2009) – The Poker Players Alliance (PPA), the leading poker grassroots advocacy group with more than one million members nationwide, today applauded the six-month delay of the implementation of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) regulations.

The Federal Reserve and Department of Treasury today extended the deadline for UIGEA enforcement until June 1, 2010, which is the result of a petition filed by the PPA, the National Thoroughbred Racing Association and the American Greyhound Track Operators Association.

The groups filed the petition for an extension in order to give lawmakers and financial institutions more time to clarify definitions contained in UIGEA, as well as develop policies and procedures to ensure compliance with the law.

“The PPA is extremely pleased with the decision by the Federal Reserve and Treasury to grant the six month extension. This is a great victory for poker, but an even greater victory for advocates of good and fair public policy,” said PPA Chairman and former Senator Alfonse D’Amato.

“These additional months are critical to provide legislators time to clarify UIGEA and pass legislation to license and regulate poker early next year. It is our hope that another extension would be granted should the deadline approach before these pieces of legislation can be passed,” D’Amato said.

Concerns about the vague language contained in UIGEA, and the resulting challenge of enforcing the law, have been raised by the banking and gambling communities since the law was passed in 2006. PPA members have been, and continue to be, contacting their members of Congress via phone, e-mail and visits to urge clarification of the UIGEA regulations. In fact, over 300,000 letters alone have been sent to members of Congress by PPA members.

Given the significant struggles of banks over the past few years, deputizing them to enforce a poorly written and overly vague law would add to their already heavy burden. To this end, several leading banks and financial services groups also expressed their support of a delay with the Federal Reserve and Department of Treasury.

Delaying implementation of the UIGEA regulations, which were pushed through by the previous Administration at the eleventh hour, will give Congress time to clarify the law to give clearer direction to the banks and those impacted by UIGEA.

While pleased with the delay, the PPA remains committed to passing legislation to license and regulate online poker. UIGEA does not provide protections for underage and compulsive gamblers. The licensing and regulation proposed in legislation such as Chairman Barney Frank’s H.R. 2267 and Sen. Robert Menendez’s S.R. 1597 would protect these vulnerable communities.

A hearing will be held Thursday, Dec. 3, in the House Financial Services Committee on Chairman Frank’s bill.

“PPA is continuing its efforts to urge members of Congress to implement thoughtful and effective regulation of online poker as opposed to outright prohibitions, which history has shown do not work,” said D’Amato.

“We are thankful to our co-petitioners, the National Thoroughbred Racing Association and the American Greyhound Track Operators Association, and for the dozens of members of Congress who voiced their support for this petition through letters to Secretary Geithner and Chairman Bernanke. The PPA looks forward to working with regulators and legislators to pass legislation that protects consumers and the great game of poker,” D’Amato said.

We’re only 10 days away from the scheduled Dec. 1 enforcement of the ill-conceived and freedom-curtailing implementation of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act. On that day, banks will start facing penalties if they allow electronic transactions between a personal bank account and a poker site.

Who knows what the eventual impact of the law will be for online poker? Already, other legislation is in the works that would outlaw the UIGEA and legalize regulated, taxed and secure online poker sites in this country.

I know this: The online poker sites will be crazy busy on Dec. 1, as usual, even if a current legislative effort fails to delay the start-up of a law that shouldn’t exist in the first place.

Poker is not a crime. Poker players will keep playing poker. Period. And people who say this isn’t an issue to get riled up about simply aren’t looking at the bigger picture.

Even if you don’t play the game, ask yourself if you really want government to:

* Impose control on legal activities in the privacy of your own home
* Restrict your use of the Internet
* Limit your personal freedoms
* Implement a new Prohibition Era to save society from itself
* Boldly seize money from your bank account without saying why

All of these un-American events either have already happened or could happen after Dec. 1. But it’s not too late to take a stand against the government’s attempt to squash our freedoms.

If you care about losing your fundamental rights, you must read this article by Rich Muny:

RAISING ON ACES AND EIGHTS: THE GOP’S BAD BET AGAINST ONLINE POKER

It’s posted at biggovernment.com and ought to make you angry about this latest attempt by government to diminish or eliminate our freedoms. Today the target is online poker, but if we don’t resist, what will the intruders go after next?

Muny, a board member of the Poker Players Alliance, notes that it takes just 60 seconds to tell your legislators that you don’t want the Internet censorship or curtailed freedoms tied to this moral attack on a legal activity that long has been an American pastime. You can go to “Tweet for Poker” and make your voice heard, or go to http://www.capwiz.com/pokerplayersalliance/issues/alert/?alertid=14005591&type=ML.

I did.

Part of the big crowd Q-C Waterfront Convention Center in Bettendorf, Iowa, during the dinner break at Friday night’s charity tournament to support United Way.

LOTS OF RE-BUYS AT BETTENDORF CHARITY HOLD’EM EVENT!

A whopping 224 players came out Friday night in Bettendorf to test their tournament poker skills and help raise money for United Way.

When the chips stopped rattling at the spiffy new Q-C Waterfront Convention Center on State Street, the players had generated about $14,000 for United Way during the third annual City of Bettendorf & Scott County Texas Hold’em Tournament.

Emerging as champion was Bob Stineman of Davenport, who hit a three-outer heads-up to gain a commanding chip lead over runner-up Ted Papuga of DeWitt. After that huge pot, it took just one more hand to finish the tournament.

The heads-up battle only lasted six hands, but the action was punctuated by both players being dealt pocket aces once each in separate hands!

For his efforts, Stineman received a seat at a future World Series of Poker Academy event in Las Vegas, with travel courtesy of AirTran. The seat and trip were valued at $1,899. He also claimed the champion’s bracelet provided by Riddell’s Jewelry.

Any disappointment at finishing second was eased for Papuga when he received a $500 Galena Getaway from Trissle, Graham & Toole.

“That was a great turnout!” said tournament director Jason Schadt, Bettendorf city accountant. “It was an exciting (and exhausting) event. Hopefully we can continue to have this much success at future events.”

Schadt thanked everyone who contributed to staging the tournament and the players for their support.

Here’s a rundown of the remaining six players who made the final table and their prizes:

* 3rd — Steve Vonk, who came all the way from St. Joseph, Mich., a gas grill from J&K Hardware.

* 4th — Jason Williams, Rock Island, an Allsteel office chair.

* 5th — Drew Lawrence, a planter bench set donated by Creative Decks & Fence.

* 6th — Paul McShane, Bettendorf, a “Poker Night” deluxe poker chip set.

* 7th (tie) — Steve Comer, Davenport, and Delane Holmes, Aledo. Both players had the exact same chip count at the start of their final hand and both were eliminated by a third player in the hand. This was the second straight year Comer made the final table. Both players received a “Poker Night” deluxe chip set.

(NOTE: Ol’ LuckyDog came up short in the event. With about half the field eliminated, I raised pre-flop with pocket J-J and then called the all-in move by big-stack Jason Williams, who had A-Q offsuit. A third player called all-in, too, holding A-J offsuit. I liked my chances to win the roughly 25,000-chip pot when we turned our hands up, but alas, a queen came on the board helping to propel Williams to the final table. Nevertheless, the tournament was lots of fun and I recommend you check it out next year!)

Click “read the rest” for more photos from the tournament.

Bob Stineman of Davenport outlasted everyone to win Friday’s night’s Texas Hold’em Tournament to support United Way. His jacket conveys the top prize he won — a trip to Las Vegas and a seat at a World Series of Poker Academy session.

Some of the 224 players who competed at the third annual Bettendorf-Scott County fundraiser for United Way.