When Choosing a Fantasy Team, Follow the Sponsorship Trail

This article appeared in the October 2009 issue of Online Poker Pro Magazine (European publication) and on their website at http://www.onlinepokerpromagazine.com/articles/1489-fantasy-poker.html. It then appeared in the December 2009 issue of Poker Pro Magazine and on their website at http://www.pokerpromagazine.com/when-choosing-a-fantasy-team.html.

When Choosing a Fantasy Team, Follow the Sponsorship Trail

by Chad Holloway

Getting sponsored by a major online poker site seems to be of the utmost importance to professional poker players. The topic was recently thrust into the spotlight when Jeffrey Lisandro could not acquire sponsorship before the 2009 World Series of Poker and then went on to win a record-tying three bracelets and the Player of the Year award. This left many sponsors shaking their heads while revolutionizing who should receive sponsorship and for what reasons.

In the poker world, sponsorship occurs when a company (usually an online poker site) recruits a player to wear its logo and promote the site; in exchange, the player will usually have a number of expenses covered, such as travel costs and tournament buy-ins.In his blog, Daniel Negreanu talked about the correlation between sponsorship and the low turnout at the 2009 WSOP $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. Championship:

“No TV is what caused it. Not for the reasons you might think. Not because poker players are so desperate to be on television. The main reason we lost so many players is that many pros today have sponsorship deals. Many of those deals are contingent on the fact that the event is televised.”

Negreanu elaborated: “For example, Pepsi might sign Joe Cassidy to a deal where he wears their logo. They might pay him a yearly salary and agree to pay his buy-ins for televised tournaments. Well, with ESPN coverage gone, instead of Pepsi ponying up the money, Joe would have to fork over the whole $50,000 out of pocket. There is no longer any incentive at all for Pepsi to pay his buy-in because they won’t get any real logo exposure out of it.”

Implications for Fantasy Poker

Clearly, sponsorship is a complicated and heated issue in the poker industry; however, its implications are also applicable to the Fantasy Poker world. You might wonder: How does sponsorship relate to Fantasy Poker at all? Simply put, drafting players who are fortunate enough to be sponsored will give you a better chance at success than selecting those who are not sponsored.

Players enjoy sponsorship because it allows them to travel the world and play in the premier poker tournaments free of charge. Unfortunately, most poker players do not have sponsorship and must pay expenses out of pocket. This means they must allocate a large portion of their bankroll to tournaments, and since tournaments are such high variance propositions, they are less likely to play as many events as a player who doesn’t worry about the cost.

So, by selecting sponsored pros, you will assemble a team that will play a full schedule of events without the stress of losing their own money, two determining factors in Fantasy Poker.

Now, suppose you’ve made the decision to select sponsored pros on your next fantasy team. There are two questions you must address to proceed further: Who is sponsored and in what events?

TV Coverage Is Key

For exposure reasons, sponsors are more likely to recruit players in events that will receive extensive coverage. At the WSOP, a list of which events will be broadcast on television and the Internet is released weeks in advance and it is a safe bet that most sponsored pros will be playing in these events. If all goes right, the sponsors will be rewarded by having a player make the final table, showcasing their site’s logo, a huge advertising opportunity in comparison to the initial buy-in.

On an interesting side note, the WSOP instituted Rule 43-B-i to address the sponsorship phenomenon. The rule was designed to keep broadcasts from seeming like an infomercial for the various online poker sites and states: “No more than three (3) players at the final table – and all other tables featured for television coverage – will be allowed to wear apparel with logos, patches or promotional language from the same entity.”

If you are preparing for Fantasy Poker and would like to draft some sponsored players for your team, you’re going to need to know who has been awarded a lucrative sponsorship deal. Each of the major online poker sites has a core stable of professionals chosen for varying reasons.

Full Tilt Poker

Full Tilt Poker put together a roster of names recognizable to the poker masses. These players are known as “Team Full Tilt” and consists of Howard Lederer, Phil Ivey, Chris Ferguson, John Juanda, Jennifer Harman, Phil Gordon, Erick Lindgren, Erik Seidel, Andy Bloch, Mike Matusow, Gus Hansen, Allen Cunningham and Patrik Antonius.

Joining Team Full Tilt in site representation are the “Full Tilt Pros,” which include November Niner James Akenhead, Eli Elezra, Robert Williamson III and dozens more. Finally, Full Tilt has developed a working relationship with CardRunners (Taylor Caby, David Benefield, Corwin Cole, etc.) and the Hendon Mob (Barny Boatman, Ross Boatman, Joe Beevers and Ram Vaswani).

Team PokerStars

“Team PokerStars Pros” is well known for having signed former world champions Chris Moneymaker, Greg Raymer, Joe Hachem and Peter Eastgate. Joining these champs are some of poker’s biggest names, including Daniel Negreanu, Vanessa Rousso, Bertrand Grospellier, Barry Greenstein, Isabelle Mercier, Chad Brown, Dario Minieri, Gavin Griffin, Humberto Brenes and Joe Cada.

In addition, PokerStars has made an effort to sign players to represent countries from around the world (Fabrice Soulier, Bruno Stefanelli, Johan Storakers, etc.), while adding a number of sports stars and celebrities to the ranks (Jason Alexander, Orel Hershiser, Boris Becker, Sebastien Chabal, Mats Sundin and Sami Selio).

Not Just Stars and FTP

Doylesroom originally recruited a cast of old-time poker legends to represent the site, including Doyle Brunson, Todd Brunson, Mike Caro, Cyndy Violette, Hoyt Corkins, T.J. Cloutier, Minh Ly and Dewey Tomko; however, last month the site announced the formation of the “Brunson 10,” a group consisting of players who are under the age of 25 and consistently achieve at a high level. Although all ten players had not been chosen at press time, the first three players to be announced were Alec Torelli, Amit Makhija and Zach Clark, who is the nephew of the late Chip Reese. The “Brunson 10” will join the old-timers to create one of the most formidable sponsored teams in online poker.

Poker icons Phil Hellmuth and Annie Duke are the foundation of Team UltimateBet and are joined by fellow pros Adam “Roothlus” Levy, Brandon Cantu, Hollywood Dave Stann, Liv Boeree, Matt Graham, Michael Binger, Scott Ian, Shawn Rice and Tiffany Michelle. Likewise, UB’s sister site, Absolute Poker, has two sponsored pros: Matt Vengrin and Lacey Jones.

Team Bodog has thrown its hat into the sponsorship ring by signing some young up-and-coming players, namely Jean-Robert Bellande, David Williams, Justin Bonomo and Evelyn Ng. Likewise, RPM Poker decided to sign popular online players Steven “Zugwat” Silverman, Stephen “stevie444” Chadwick, Jim “Mr_BigQueso” Collopy and Andrew “luckychewy” Lichtenberger.

Not Just America

The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) of 2006 has altered the sponsorship realm, forcing many sites to shift their focus away from American players to a broader worldwide audience. Everest Poker, which does not accept players from the United States, has put together a diversified roster known as “Team Everest,” which currently includes Cristiano “lalanco1” Blanco (Italy), Steven “Viktor” van Zadelhoff (Netherlands), Voitto “RandomEyes” Rintala (Finland), Kim “—icebeer—” Wooka (Japan), Maria “.may.” Maceiras (Spain) and Antoine Saout of the November Nine (France).

Likewise, Devilfish Poker caters to players from the UK and Europe and is home to the entertaining David “Devilfish” Ulliott.

Of course, this is not an all-inclusive list of sponsored poker professionals; however, it is quite comprehensive and a useful guide for Fantasy Poker enthusiasts. If you visit any online poker site, you will likely find a complete list of their sponsored pros.

These lists are useful tools that are often overlooked in the Fantasy Poker world. By taking advantage of this information and recruiting sponsored players, you will be a step ahead of the competition and give yourself the best chance of taking down a Fantasy Poker title.

Who knows, you might just become a Fantasy Poker celebrity and find some sponsorship yourself. Chad Holloway is a semi-professional poker player from Baraboo, Wisconsin. He specializes in Fantasy Poker and currently writes poker material for Predictem.com.

2009 WSOP Fantasy Recap

This article appeared in the September 2009 issue of Online Poker Pro Magazine and was also featured on their website at http://www.onlinepokerpromagazine.com/articles/1457-2009-wsop-fantasy-recap.html


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Current Issue - Sept 2009

Who Were the Studs and Duds of World Series Fantasy Leagues? By Chad Holloway The 2009 World Series of Poker is in the books, with the exception of the Main Event final table, which will wrap up in November. Needless to say, the 40th Anniversary of the WSOP was one for the history books. Thang Luu took down the $1,500 Omaha High-Low Even, an event he won in 2008 and finished runner-up in in 2007. A special invitational tournament welcomed back all former Main Event champions for a chance to compete for a 1970 Corvette and the newly established Binion Cup. And, the ever-popular Phil Ivey had a performance that many in the poker world believe will spark another poker boom. So how do the events of the WSOP translate to the world of Fantasy Poker? The answer is, it depends. If your Fantasy Poker League was based solely on a player’s WSOP earnings, then Vitaly Lunkin was the MVP. The Russian took down the $40,000 40th Anniversary No Limit Hold’em event ($1,891,012), finished second in $10,000 World Championship Pot-Limit Omaha ($419,832), fourth in $50,000 World Championship H.O.R.S.E. ($368,812) and added two other cashes ($46,560) for a grand total of $2,726,216 in 2009 WSOP earnings. Lunkin’s performance earned him a third-place finish in the WSOP Player-of-the-Year race and made him the biggest stud in most Fantasy Poker Leagues. Even though Lunkin finished with more than $1.5 million more than the second place earner, there were still a number of other impressive performances. In fact, the 2009 WSOP saw six non-Main Event poker-made millionaires: Top 2009 WSOP Money Earners 1.) Vitaly Lunkin - $2,726,216 2.) David Bach - $1,279,295 3.) Isaac Haxton - $1,254,539 4.) Matthew Hawrilenko - $1,159,287 5.) Ville Wahlbeck - $1,082,176 6.) Pete Vilandos - $1,080,538 Of course, money earned is not the only criteria in Fantasy Poker. Some leagues award points based on the number of cashes a player can attain. Last year, Nikolay Evdakov set a record with a remarkable ten WSOP cashes. This year it was a familiar name at the top of the list, none other than Daniel Negreanu. Kid Poker, known for playing numerous events every year, managed to notch eight cashes at the 2009 WSOP, a distinction shared with David Baker. Top 10 2009 WSOP Non-Main Event Cashes 1.) Daniel Negreanu - 8 cashes ($331,860) 2.) David Baker - 8 cashes ($198,729) 3.) Barry Greenstein - 7 cashes ($161,243) 4.) Darryll Fish - 7 cashes ($116,068) 5.) Anthony Cousineau - 7 cashes ($71,086) 6.) Ville Wahlbeck - 6 cashes ($1,082,176) 7.) Jeffrey Lisandro - 6 cashes ($807,521) 8.) Brock Parker - 6 cashes ($806,870) 9.) Fabrice Soulier - 6 cashes ($65,101) 10.) David Fox - 6 cashes ($53,219) Many Fantasy Poker Leagues have shifted their focus from cash results to predicting who will win a WSOP bracelet. Although there were 55 bracelets awarded so far at the 2009 WSOP, there were only 50 bracelet winners. This is because four players won multiple bracelets, as compared to only one (John Phan) in 2008. John “Brock” Parker, Greg Mueller and Phil Ivey each won two bracelets (with Ivey still in contention for his third in the Main Event), while Jeffrey Lisandro captured a remarkable three bracelets in one year, all coming in stud variations (seven-card stud, seven-card stud high-low, and razz). By capturing three bracelets, he joined Puggy Pearson (1973), Phil Hellmuth (1993), Ted Forrest (1993) and Phil Ivey (2002) as the only players to have done so, and became the first player in the post-poker boom era to accomplish the feat. “That’s a pretty elite club,” Lisandro said. “I think I might have the distinction of playing all of those guys heads-up live for cash. I beat most of them.” A number of other professional players found relative success at the WSOP and were consistent fantasy performers. Huck Seed, who was coming off his 2009 NBC National Heads-up Championship win, had two cashes for $378,895. Likewise, Roland de Wolfe notched some impressive numbers by cashing five times for $410,063 while becoming the second person to accomplish poker’s Triple Crown; that is, having won a World Poker Tour, European Poker Tour and WSOP title. On the flip side, there were a number of poker pros entering the Series with high expectations who fell flat. Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier, perhaps the hottest player on the tournament circuit the first half of 2009, had only two cashes for $36,691 (not including his 122nd place finish in the Main Event). Other big names who flopped in the fantasy world, meaning they had no cashes at the 2009 WSOP (not including the Main Event), included: Joe Hachem, Chris Moneymaker, Phil Laak, Peter Eastgate, Michael Mizrachi, Patrik Antonius, Tom “Durrrr” Dwan, Adam Junglen, Phil Galfond and John Phan. Fantasy Poker League Results Now that the various fantasy poker studs and duds have been identified, the question remains: Who were the big winners in the major Fantasy Poker leagues? Not surprisingly, the 2009 Fantasy Poker season was ultra-competitive and attracted thousands of participants. Most were attracted to free leagues while some ventured to make a friendly wager. Below are some results from poker’s most popular leagues. Full Contact Poker, Negreanu’s forum site, which has long been a pioneer in Fantasy Poker, changed things up in 2009 by offering a free Fantasy Pool. This pool featured more than fifty matches where players chose who they thought would win more money over the course of the WSOP (not including the Main Event and non-open events). The rules were simple – one point was awarded for each match won and a tiebreaker was submitted in the event of a tie. The tiebreaker was a guess on how much money Negreanu would cash for at the 2009 WSOP. The following is a list of winners who were awarded a range of prizes, including PokerStars balance transfers, Poker VT memberships and FCP merchandise: 2009 FCP Fantasy Top Prize Winners Member Name: Points: Tiebreaker: 1.) rasmer 40 $325,000 2.) JeffUSSM 40 $250,000 3.) Barrin 40 $500,000 4.) 2J4U 40 $119,119 5.) Primehousto1 39 $285,000 6.) deadmeat82 39 $418,000 7.) Thamz 39 $220,000 8.) scaremy316 39 $447,006 9.) mcpickl 39 $212,451 10.) sunsetmirage 39 $200,000 11.) ActionAl 39 $1,400,000 12.) acesfull333 38 $327,000 13.) BlackVip1543 38 $375,000 14.) kekz 38 $265,000 15.) Acesfull1208 38 $422,000 Another successful Fantasy League was run by Boyles Sports, where participants chose five players and were awarded 30 points for a bracelet win and ten points for a final-table appearance. The winner of the popular league was “xxellaxx,” whose team (Ivey, Negreanu, J.C. Tran, John Juanda and Allen Cunningham) earned 160 points and $2,479,094 in tournament winnings. For his efforts, “xxellaxx” received a £1,000 main event GUKPT package. Interestingly, the top three teams in the league all had Ivey, Juanda and Tran on their rosters, further proof that these titans of poker are consistent fantasy studs. 2009 Boyle Poker Fantasy Top 10 Member Name: Points: 1.) xxellaxx 160 2.) upll 160 3.) bignuts08 140 4.) StuTheUKShark 130 5.) MERRYjeremy 130 6.) hairyeggbag 120 7.) chriscasey21 120 8.) incanted 120 9.) daver13 110 10.) juniorbud 110 Finally, the most talked about league at the 2009 WSOP was without a doubt the ESPN Fantasy Poker League run by Andrew Feldman. The league featured eleven teams of eight players each, awarding points based upon the following scoring system: 1 point for making the money 2 points for making the top 50 5 points for making the top 20 10 points for the final table, then: 1 additional point for ninth 2 additional points for eighth 4 additional points for seventh 6 additional points for sixth 10 additional points for fifth 15 additional points for fourth 20 additional points for third 30 additional points for second 40 additional points for first (Double points awarded for all events with buy-ins of $10,000 or more) The participants were a mixture of poker pros and journalists including, with their team’s point total: Negreanu (834), Howard Lederer (471), Dennis Phillips (312), Lance Bradley (297), Chops Preiss (218), Mark Seif (211), Bernard Lee (164), Gavin Smith (157), Dan Michalski (157), Feldman (156) and Gary Wise (116). Negreanu not only won the league, he did so in dominating fashion. This was primarily due to the fact he had both Ivey and Lisandro on his team. With such fantasy foresight, it is no wonder Negreanu has been a leading innovator in the Fantasy Poker world over the years. Negreanu’s Winning ESPN Fantasy Team Round Player 1.…………………… Phil Ivey 2.…………………… Jeffrey Lisandro 3.…………………… David Chiu 4.…………………… Huck Seed 5.…………………… Daniel Alaei 6.…………………… Jennifer Harman 7.…………………… Alexander Kostritsyn 8.…………………… Freddy Bonyadi The 2009 WSOP was truly historic. New fantasy stars emerged, while others with limitless potential floundered. Although this year’s fantasy season has come to an end, preparation for next year’s WSOP has already begun, meaning it isn’t too early to be thinking about Fantasy Poker in 2010. Chad Holloway is an amateur poker player from Baraboo, Wisconsin. Chad has been playing fantasy poker for more than three years and is a featured writer at Predictem.com

This is one of over a hundred articles I have written for Predictem.com. It can be found at http://www.predictem.com/poker/rio-wsop.php

The Rio During the WSOP

The Rio during the WSOP
by Chad Holloway of Predictem.com

When it comes to premiere poker, the World Series of Poker takes the cake. The numerous events in the different variations of poker bring people by the thousands from around the world. These tournaments become poker lore through numerous broadcasts on television and extensive online coverage. However, there is one part of the WSOP that does not harness the attention of the mainstream media, and that is the cash games.

The cash games that are spread at the Rio throughout the WSOP are nothing less than spectacular. WSOP officials set aside approximately 50 tables (they'll add more if needed) for cash games that are spread 24 hours a day. Almost every variation of poker can be found at almost any limits.

Some of the regular games spread during the WSOP include No Limit Hold'em, Limit Hold'em, Pot Limit Omaha, Omaha Eight or Better, Razz, Seven Card Stud, Mixed Games, Chinese Poker, H.O.R.S.E., along with many more.

The stakes are as varied as the games, the cheapest being the $2- $5 No Limit Hold'em tables and the highest . . . well there isn't a limit since the Rio will spread any game at any limit if enough players are interested. Games such as $200-$400 Mixed Games, $100 a point Chinese Poker, and $100-$200 Stud are a daily occurrence.

On top of the excellent game and stake selection, the Rio offers the chance for players to play against some of the most recognizable names in the poker world. Players such as Greg Raymer, Chris Moneymaker, Jerry Yang, Teddy "Iceman" Monroe, and Robert Williamson III could be seen playing various cash games at the 2009 WSOP.

Afraid you can't afford their stakes? You may be excited to know that Raymer was playing $2-$5 No Limit, while Moneymaker and Yang were found at the $5-$10 No Limit tables, making it affordable for the average Joe to sit and play with a World Champion.

There are some other specifics regarding cash games at the Rio during the WSOP that make a visit worthwhile. Although the rake is a bit higher than other casinos at $5 a hand, it is well worth it considering the speed of the dealers (there are no automatic shufflers in the cash games) and the other amenities offered. These amenities include offering a massage service at $2 per minute and free drink service (this includes free alcohol, Red Bull, water, etc).

Second, the experience of playing at the WSOP, whether in a tournament or in a cash game, is second to none. Being able to play with or near some of the biggest names in poker will make any amateur feel like a pro.

Finally, the competition in the WSOP cash games is easier than you might think. Many tournament players venture into the cash arena in between tournaments and tend to lose a bit while others at the tables are merely tourists looking to have a good time. These table dynamics are enough to make any serious poker player's mouth water.

Trying to capture the magic and wonder that surrounds the WSOP is not an easy task; in fact, the only real way to really understand its mystique is to experience it for yourself. Whether you are a cash game specialist or a tournament player, the next time you are in Vegas between the months of May and July, the Rio is the place to go for the highest quality poker action.

Fantasy Poker: Handicapping the World Series

The following article appeared in the June 2009 issue of Poker Pro Magazine and on their website at http://www.pokerpromagazine.com/fantasy-poker.html

Fantasy Poker

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Poker Articles - June 2009

Handicapping the World Series Who Will Benefit From the Larger Starting Stacks? The 40th Annual World Series of Poker, as well as this year’s fantasy poker season, is upon us. The Series will encompass a record 57 events, including ten World Championship events, a $40,000 buy-in no-limit hold’em event to celebrate the Series’ 40th Anniversary, and of course the $10,000 World Championship Main Event. For 2009, WSOP officials have instituted a major change: “We’ve tripled the chips (in relation to the buy-in) for every event,” explains WSOP tournament director Jack Effel. “Now some people might say, ‘Oh, you must’ve eliminated levels.’ On the contrary, we’ve added levels…It’s a tough economy, so we wanted to make sure our poker players were getting the most value, but this is about making the tournaments better for the longevity.” With more starting chips and added levels, poker skill will truly have a chance to establish itself. What does this mean for fantasy poker? Simply put, the larger starting stack and additional levels are going to favor poker professionals by allowing them more time to utilize their talents; consequently, determining which of these professionals will be the most successful is more difficult than ever, but not impossible. Based on recent success, experience and preparation, here is a list of five pros likely to make a statement during the 2009 WSOP fantasy poker season. Daniel Negreanu Always one to take the World Series seriously, Negreanu has been playing the $400-$800 eight-game mix on PokerStars in an attempt to prepare for multiple events. “I plan on getting loads of practice before this year’s WSOP and have spent almost a year planning for the WSOP 2009. I’m physically stronger than I’ve ever been, and it’s really not even close.” Furthermore, Negreanu has revealed in his online blog that he will attempt to play almost half the events. This is a fantasy poker player’s dream as the more events played, the higher the chance of fantasy success. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Negreanu make a final table or two as he pursues his fifth bracelet. The only downside with Negreanu, if there is such a thing, stems from his personal life. His mother, with whom he is very close, has experienced serious health complications, which could have an emotional impact on his performance. Predicting how someone will react to such a situation is difficult; however, Negreanu is a professional and highly successful player. More than likely he will use the WSOP as a chance to honor his mother by playing his best, much as Brett Favre did in the NFL when he passed for four touchdowns and 399 yards the day after his father passed away. Negreanu is one of the world’s greatest players who consistently performs well at the WSOP. The 2004 Player of the Year has been practicing numerous games, will be playing a large number of events and will likely turn problems in his personal life into a motivating force. He is a must have in any fantasy poker league. Huck Seed Although he hasn’t had a strong WSOP showing since 2006, aside from a seventh-place finish in the 2008 $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. World Championship, Seed is coming off a huge tournament win. In March, Seed won the 2009 NBC National Heads-Up Championship on his way to becoming the all-time leader in that tournament with an 18-4 record (he has also cashed in all five years the event has been held). The Heads-up Championship has developed into one of poker’s most prestigious events, and a win there carries a lot of momentum into the WSOP. For instance, Chris Ferguson, who took down the event in 2008, went on to cash five times at the WSOP that year, including second and third place finishes. Add to this that Seed is no stranger to the WSOP, having won four bracelets – including the 1996 Main Event – and a strong fantasy candidate emerges. Seed is one of the most respected players on the tournament circuit today. Very few players will be entering the WSOP with a recent major tournament title and that fact alone warrants attention. If he brings his “A” game, Seed will be a force to be reckoned with both at the WSOP and in numerous fantasy poker leagues. Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier No one has had as much success in the first three months of 2009 as “ElkY.” He started the year by outlasting 48 players in the EPT PokerStars Carib-bean Adventure’s $25,000 High Roller event for $433,500. Over the course of the next ten weeks, Grospellier went on a heater, cashing at the L.A. Poker Classic, finishing third at the EPT Deauville High Roller deep stack event, third at the NBC National Heads-Up Champion-ship and second at the Wynn Classic Event 4, giving him tournament winnings of more than $700,000 in the first few months of 2009. Although Grospellier only has six cashes in WSOP events, he has to be a favorite to win his first bracelet. Given his momentum, ability to focus and deep stack poker skills, Grospellier is primed to take advantage of the increased starting stacks and added levels. It wouldn’t be beyond the realm of possibility for Grospellier to have six cashes this year alone, making his fantasy potential hard to ignore. David “Devilfish” Ulliott One of poker’s most well known international stars, Ulliott has had a strong start to 2009 by winning PartyPoker Irish Poker Champ-ionship Event 2. He followed this up two weeks later with another win at the Euro Finals of Poker main event at the Aviation Club in Paris and then made a 23rd-place cash at EPT Deauville a week after that. “It’s nice to get off to a winning start in 2009 after few tournament results in 2008,” Ulliott says. “If I was a racehorse, I’d never have been given so many chances; I would have been shot long ago.” Like Grospellier, Ulliott will be entering the WSOP with a lot of confidence and momentum. The Devilfish, who is known for his cutthroat play, is proficient in multiple games and will likely make an impact in the hold’em and pot-limit Omaha events. There is a chance cash games will lure Ulliott away from some tournaments, but after a lackluster performance at the WSOP in 2008, look for him to concentrate and make a return to prominence. Andy Bloch How many times can one man play bridesmaid? Bloch came close to tasting gold last year when he finished second in the $10,000 Pot-Limit Hold’em World Championship event and in 2006 when he was runner-up to Chip Reese in the inaugural $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. World Championship. In last year’s WSOP, Bloch had five cashes (four of which were 16th-place finishes or better) bringing his career cash total to 20. Block was the top fantasy poker point earner in the Full Contact Poker League last year and there is no reason to believe he won’t put up similar numbers once again. Bloch is adept at multiple variations and always plays a wide variety of events. He is determined to win a bracelet and will do everything in his power to do so. All things considered, he is likely to duplicate his success and remain among the top fantasy point earners, making him a wise choice for any roster. Of course, this is not an all-inclusive list of potential fantasy league stars. There are numerous other players who deserve honorable mention such as World Poker Tour 2009 Bay 101 Shooting Star champion and poker veteran Steve Brecher; Internet sensation and issuer of the infamous “durrrr Challenge,” Tom Dwan; new Go Daddy Girl and 2009 NBC Heads-Up Championship runner-up Vanessa Rousso; 2008 WSOP Player of the Year and bracelet winner Erick Lindgren, and odds-on non-bracelet winner most likely to win one, Patrik Antonius. With the increased starting stacks and added events, the 2009 WSOP is shaping up to go down in history; likewise, the 2009 fantasy poker season should be the biggest and best yet.

The following article appeared on www.bluffmagazine.com at http://news.bluffmagazine.com/wsop-event-4-sets-attendance-record-on-day-1b-3815/ and was written during my time at the 2009 World Series of Poker.

WSOP: Event #4 Sets Attendance Record on Day 1b

• Chad Holloway | June 1, 2009 at 2:43 am

Entering Day 1b, all attention was focused on how fast the field would thin after the prior day’s massacre. Day 1a of Event #4 ($1,000 No Limit Hold’em) at the 2009 World Series of Poker saw a massive field of 2,992 decimated at an astounding pace, 4.36 players per minute.

3,020 players put up the $1,000 buy-in on Day 1b, bringing the total of players in Event #4 to 6,012, the largest field for any event outside of the Main Event. This shattered the previous record set in Event #2 ($1,500 No Limit Hold’em) of the 2008 Series.

Along with the usual masses of amateurs, a large number of pros turned out for their shot at the $5,410,800 prize pool, with first place receiving $771,106. The pros in attendance included Daniel Negreanu, Phil Ivey, Andy Black, Tiffany Michelle, T.J. Cloutier and Erick Lindgren.

Action seemed to start a bit slower than Saturday, but that didn’t stop some notable names from busting. Lindgren was ousted when his Q-6 failed to improve against his opponent’s K-Q. Likewise Jonathan Little, Eric Lynch, Michael Mizrachi, David Chiu, Ivey, Michelle, Flack and Black were sent to the rail early. As play continued, interesting and amusing developments began to occur.

One of the more entertaining moments came a few hours into play when Negreanu and some of his table mates were betting on pace of the tournament clock. The clock had two columns listing each spot to be paid and the amount they would receive; however, the left column was cycling through the spots at a slower pace than the right, but with a head start. Negreanu bet that the right column would reach the end of the payouts. Soon a crowd of spectators and floormen gathered as Negreanu chanted, “Go, horsey, go!” Unfortunately for him, the left column reached the mark fifteen spots ahead of the right, thus ending the excitement and Negreanu’s fun.

During the middle stages, action picked up and the number of players dropping began to approach Day 1a levels. Some recognizable names could be seen wandering the halls of the Rio after their eliminations. John Juanda had gotten it all-in with A J but was outdrawn by A 5 when a five hit the flop. Likewise, Gavin Smith’s pocket tens lost a race against A-Q to send him to the rail. Negreanu was eliminated shortly thereafter along with John Phan, Peter Feldman, and David Pham.

Lee Markholt made a stand with Q T and was called by two players holding K K and A [10h], needless to say he was dominated and sent packing when the board came 5 6 4 K A. As the big names in poker continued to fall, the amateurs seemed to be thriving. At the dinner break, 1,017 players remained which meant up to that point the tournament was losing 5.5 players per minute.

One pro who has managed to find success throughout the day was J.C. Tran, who quietly amassed a large stack. In one hand, Tran called an opponent’s all-in bet with A Q only to run into Q Q; luckily, the board ran out K 8 6 K T giving him the nut flush and a 55,000 chip stack.

“I’ve been hitting hands and had a good table draw,” said Tran regarding his success, “They’ve been letting me get away with stuff.”

As the night wore on, the eliminations continued and by the end of the night 2,636 player’s dreams had come to an end. This meant that 4.39 players were eliminated per minute, slightly more than the Day 1a average. Day 1b was nothing short of historic. The event shattered the record for largest field outside of the Main Event and coincided with two final tables as well as the Tournament of Champions Invitational.

Along with Day 1a’s remaining 376 players, the surviving 384 Day 1b players will return at 2PM on Monday to battle it out some more.

The following article appeared on www.bluffmagazine.com at http://news.bluffmagazine.com/wsop-first-day-of-stimulus-special-loses-436-players-per-minute-3720/ and was written during my time at the 2009 World Series of Poker.

WSOP: First Day of Stimulus Special Loses 4.36 Players per Minute

• Chad Holloway | May 31, 2009 at 2:38 am

Amateur Kevin Volk, from Wisconsin, tries to navigate his way through the massive Day 1a field of the $1,000 buy-in Stimulus Special event.

Harrah’s predicted there would be a large turn out for Event #4 ($1,000 No Limit Hold’em) of the 2009 World Series of Poker and they were right.

Day 1a of the tournament dubbed the “Stimulus Special” began with 2,992 hopefuls, amateur and pro alike, who were looking to claim their share of an almost $6 million prize pool. The field was so large that the Rio’s Amazon Room couldn’t hold all the action; both the Brasilia and Miranda Rooms were used to house the overflow.

Some of the bigger poker names attracted to the event included Chris Ferguson, Shaun Deeb, Kevin Saul, Billy Baxter, Eric Froelich, Barry Greenstein, Teddy “Iceman” Monroe, Dewey Tomko and Vanessa Rousso. Along with all the big guns, another recognizable name showed-up to play, R & B sensation Nelly.

Although some big name pros turned out for the event, the cheap buy-in made for a minefield of amateurs who came from far and wide for their affordable shot at poker immortality. One such player was Kevin “Smoker” Volk from Reedsburg, Wisconsin. Volk was attracted by the modest buy-in and made the trip with some friends.

“I’ve always wanted to do it and this is the event we picked. I would have went $1,500 at the most, but its something I definitely want to do every year [now].” Although he is clearly excited to be playing the WSOP, Volk is also realistic when it comes to his chances of winning. “Everybody says, ‘You’re gonna win,’ but you don’t even think that. I did set a goal, I did want to make the second day. After today if I make it to Monday, I’ll be happy. ”

Ruffling chips and shouts of “Seat Open” permeated throughout the room during the first few levels as players were constantly exiting the tournament. Amateur players were sent to the rail by the dozens with nothing more than a story to tell. Many of the big name pros also made their exits early. Greenstein had to autograph a copy of Ace on the River, his custom when busting out of a tournament, when his K-8 failed to improve against his opponent’s pocket threes. Likewise, Rousso was sent packing when her pocket tens failed to hold up against A-2.

By the time Level 6 rolled around, putting the blinds at 100-200 with a 25 ante, things started to thin down. The Miranda room contained a mere fraction of the tables it did at the start of the day. It seemed as though the remaining players continued to play aggressively. It was at this time that the music star Nelly found himself all-in with K-K against his opponent’s K-Q and was in great position to double-up; however, the board ran out 8 T J 9 3 and the celebrity made his exit with bodyguard in tow. By the dinner break, the Day 1A field had been narrowed to 1,100 players or so with two-thirds of those registered eliminated in the first six hours of play. Players continued to bust throughout the next four levels of play at a much higher rate than anticipated; in fact, the numbers speak for themselves.

There were 10 hours of play and a total of 2,616 players eliminated for an average of 4.36 people sent home per minute throughout play Saturday.

Toward the end of the night a few fan favorites were sent to the rail. Marco Traniello, husband of Jennifer Harman, was all-in with A Q against his opponent’s J J and failed to improve when the board ran out T T 6 3 J. David Williams was eliminated 40 minutes from the day’s end when his Ax-10x couldn’t win a race against the 9 9. Shortly thereafter, Jeff Williams was sent packing when his pocket fours lost to a river flush.

Day 1a of the Stimulus Special was long and arduous where more than 2,600 players who started met their demise. Volk, the amateur from Wisconsin who had high hopes of making it to Day 2, failed to do so. On the other hand, some players were fortunate to survive the day including Tom Franklin, Dan Heimiller and Billy Baxter. While the end came for many, the tournament hasn’t even started for some. The other half of the field will return tomorrow for Day 1b and will play through ten levels of their own.