Doyle Brunson Wins 10th WSOP Bracelet

The legendary Doyle Brunson has once again amazed the poker world by winning his 10th World Series bracelet and is once again tied for the all time record with Johnny Chan, who won his tenth earlier this week. Doyle won the $5,000 Short-Handed No-Limit Hold'em event #31 with a T3, the big brother to his famous T2. Adding to poker history not only is Doyle and his son Todd the only father and son to ever win WSOP bracelets, they have now each won bracelets in the same series. Todd won the $2,500 Omaha Hi-Lo Split event 21 last week.

Inaugural Women's Poker Convention Scheduled In Las Vegas

Inaugural Women's Poker Convention Scheduled In Las Vegas The Women’s Poker Convention (August 12 – 14 at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino)provides an opportunity for women to take their game to the next level by learning to improve their skills through the experiences shared by top professional players. Hosted by renowned poker author Lou Krieger, the goal of the convention is to empower women with necessary information to successfully challenge their opponents and to emphasize the influence women have in the world of poker. The keynote speaker is celebrated high-stakes player Jennifer Harman, who holds a World Poker Tour title as well as two World Series of Poker bracelets. Other world-class poker players presenting during the seminars include three time World Series of Poker champion Barbara Enright, two time World Series of Poker champion Susie Isaacs, noted Poker writer Amy Calistri, and professional players Roxci Rhodes, Cat Hulbert, and Lacey Jones. The seminars are followed by a panel discussion and will close with a women’s poker tournament where the champion will take home her share of the prize pool, along with a prize package including a publicity kit, professional photograph session, a profile in Woman Poker Player magazine, and a private tutoring session with a professional player. The recent popularity of poker has created a demand for a convention specifically about poker for women. Women are the fastest growing demographic of new poker players. This year’s World Series of Poker ladies tournament attracted a record turnout with a 300 percent increase in registrations from 2004, yet the numbers of women who play poker professionally are still a minority. To qualify for the early registration discount, women should register by July 12th. The registration fee includes all formal functions, continental breakfasts, and lunches. For sponsorship opportunities and more conference information, visit www.womenspokerconvention.com

Tournament Poker In The 21st Century

Tournament Poker In The 21st Century by Earl Burton for PokerNews.com One night, after one of the dinner breaks during a final table at this year's World Series of Poker, Media Director Nolan Dalla sat down next to me as we watched as five players (out of the nine who started six hours previously) got ready to go again. "Earl," Nolan remarked, "we used to have final tables at previous World Series events and have them done in three, four, maybe five hours. It seems like every time we sit down for one now, it's at least eight or nine and sometimes goes on as long as twelve hours. Why is that?" It's an excellent question, posed by a man who has seen more in the world of poker than I have (so far, Nolan!). The shortest final table I witnessed at this year's event was eight hours; we were all thankful for a short evening and you should have seen the media clear out as soon as it was completed. What follows is the exact same thing I told Nolan, and it has relevance as to the state of tournament poker in this century. First off, the size of fields have to be a main contributor. Previous to this century, the only events that pulled over 300 players in the World Series was the Main Event. With the advent of the Internet, as well as the increase in satellite entries and players straight out buying into the events, those numbers began to grow astronomically. Last year's 2,576 in the Main Event was a threefold increase on the previous year's record field, and this year look for Harrah's to find some more tables somewhere and crack the 7,000 mark (remember, you read it here first). Of the events that have played to this point, only eight of the 31 events have had less than 300 players. to read more about Poker in the 21st Century - check out the article at PokerNews.com

Poker's on a roll, so why not cash in on the fun?

Poker's on a roll, so why not cash in on the fun? by Chuck Blount for The Star If image consultants need a model for the perfect makeover, there is no better example than the game of poker. Out are the old stereotypes of games being played in smokey backrooms of neighbourhood saloons, with shady characters waiting to put a bullet through your chest if enough money has been lost. In are the mental pictures of anybody and everybody getting together for a fun-filled game of cards that not only sets the stage for generous financial reward, but also tests every step of the thinking process. Poker — more specifically, Texas Hold 'Em — is on a serious winning streak, and it has television and the Internet to thank. The popularity can be traced to two key events. First came The Travel Channel's World Poker Tour, which introduced the brilliant concept of inserting tiny cameras into the table to expose the cards and never-before-seen pro strategy. But the real boom hit in 2003, when a Tennessee accountant, fittingly named Chris Moneymaker, turned a $40 Internet buy-in into $2.5 million with a victory in the World Series of Poker's main event. ESPN's cameras captured the magic and proceeded to air it over and over again to an adoring audience that brought incredible ratings. There, the dream was born that anybody can win. Moneymaker ground out his victory against a field of 839 players plunking down $10,000 per seat for a shot at poker royalty. In 2004, the World Series of Poker attracted a field of 2,576 players, increasing the championship haul to more than $5 million for Greg Raymer. The 2005 World Series is estimated to hit the 6,000-player range. Prior to the Moneymaker sensation, poker TV programming used to be confined to late-night filler on ESPN. Now it can be seen on multiple channels, as Bravo has Celebrity Poker Showdown, the Game Show Network airs Casino Royale and Fox joins the game with its Poker Superstars competition, among others. Poker — more specifically, Texas Hold 'Em — is on a serious winning streak, and it has television and the Internet to thank The Las Vegas casinos that shut down their poker rooms to clear space for more slot machines in the 1990s have had a sudden change of plans. Strip staples such as the MGM Grand and the Bellagio have introduced lavish poker rooms. The newly opened Wynn Las Vegas has raised the bar further, even going so far as to hire 2004 Player of the Year Daniel Negreanu, a Toronto native, as its poker ambassador. Internet card rooms, most of them set up in the Caribbean, are running around the clock, and millions of players are wagering millions of dollars in tournaments and cash games. At any one time, more people are playing in online poker rooms than at all of the live casino tables in North America combined. Bookstores are devoting more space to poker-strategy books penned by pros such as Doyle Brunson and Phil Hellmuth Jr., capitalizing on the notion that readers will become better with these tips. Check out your catalogues or peruse your local shopping centres if you want further evidence. The hot gifts this past holiday season included fancy sets of poker chips, fold-over tabletop poker tables and crisp decks of cards. Check out the Saturday Star each week for your dose of poker news. Look for book reviews, profiles of people in poker, tall tales from the felt and strategies that might help you improve your game. While you might not see me on TV any time soon earning million-dollar prizes, I know the people on TV who are earning million-dollar prizes. I'll tell you what they tell me. Move over, bridge, spades and hearts — poker has reclaimed its crown in the card-playing universe. And if the staggering number of players gives any indication, it is here to stay. We're only starting to build this pot of popularity.

Actor Tilly upstages poker stars

Actor Tilly upstages poker stars All the time she spent playing gangsters' molls and hanging around gambling dens must have rubbed off on actor Jennifer Tilly: she beat 600 players to win the Texas Hold 'Em event at the World Series of Poker tournament in Las Vegas. Skilful play by the 46-year-old actor, plus admitted good luck, earned her $158,625 (£88,000) at the two-day event, which features some of the top female professionals in the world. "I think she showed an incredible amount of talent," the tournament's media director, Nolan Dalla, said. "She had an enormous chip lead and never looked back. It was almost as though her victory was never in question." Tilly, an Oscar nominee for her role in the 1994 film Bullets Over Broadway, said she has learned plenty of pointers from her boyfriend, the poker player Phil "Unabomber" Laak. "When you're living with Phil, you kinda learn by osmosis," Tilly told CardPlayer.com. "Even in the middle of the night, he wakes up screaming out poker terms. Most guys scream out other girls' names."