How Social Media Can Help Your Fantasy Poker Game

The following article appeared in the October 2010 issues of Poker Pro Magazine and Online Poker Pro Magzine as well as on their website (http://www.pokerpromagazine.com/how-social-media-can-help-your-fantasy-poker-game.html)


How Social Media Can Help Your Fantasy Poker Game

Surefire Ways to Find Out Which Events the Pros Will Be Playing in

By Chad Holloway

I believe Fantasy Poker is a game that is constantly evolving. That was never more apparent than at the 2010 World Series of Poker when Full Tilt Poker (FTP) hosted the most advanced Fantasy Poker competition to date. In that league, participants were able to choose 15 poker players for each of the events at the WSOP, with the option to change the starting lineups right up to the start of the tournament. This "interchangeable" format proved to be a revolutionary advancement in a game where most leagues only allow a single lineup for all events.

The thing that makes the interchangeable format so appealing is that it puts Fantasy Poker on par with other fantasy sports by allowing participants to take it as serious or carefree as they like. If it’s something they’d rather not devote their time and attention to, they can simply pick a team and keep the same roster for the entire Series; on the other hand, if they want to take it a step further, they can put serious time and effort into researching the various aspects of Fantasy Poker and update accordingly.

This includes finding out what games certain players are proficient in, any recent success and most importantly, if they will even be playing in the tournament for which they’ve been selected.
Information pertaining to this last aspect can be particularly difficult to find, for a plethora of reasons, which is quite a shame since such info can make or break your Fantasy Poker team; after all, you can’t earn points if your selected player isn’t even playing the event.

For example, let’s say you want to pick Phil Hellmuth for a $1,000 no-limit hold’em event at the WSOP. You already know Hellmuth is a solid choice for a no-limit tournament, given his track record, but how do you know if he’ll even register for a low buy-in tournament? This is the great "registration question" of Fantasy Poker leagues around the world.

When I was working for PokerNews at the 2010 WSOP, I updated my FTP lineup based on information gathered at the WSOP and via social media outlets. Now not everyone has the benefit of being at the tournament venue; however, most people have access to the latter via the Internet.

There are three primary social media outlets that have proven particularly effective in registration research: blogs, Facebook and Twitter.

Let’s examine each outlet individually and their potential impact on Fantasy Poker.

Blogs

Daniel Negreanu, Doyle Brunson, Scotty Nguyen and Phil Laak are just a few of the individuals who regularly blog about their personal experiences, opinions, successes and other noteworthy events. They will often blog about their upcoming itineraries, including the slate of tournaments they’re planning to attend. This is especially true when the WSOP, WSOPE, Aussie Millions and European Poker Tour events roll around.

Take Negreanu, for example. He is notorious for blogging about his tournament schedule, usually doing so weeks in advance of any given tournament. This provides his readers with a great deal of information that proves essential to Fantasy Poker success. Not only does Negreanu tell you what tournaments he will play for sure and when you should start him, but he also lists the ones that he has no interest in playing at all, in which case you’ll want to start someone else. If everyone did this on his or her blog, choosing who to start in Fantasy Poker would be easy.
However, as fascinating as blogs can be, they do come with a number of problems. First, they are not always up to date. Some players only blog once every few weeks, meaning there is a good chance their plans have changed or become outdated. Second, you often have to read through a lot of entries to find information applicable to Fantasy Poker since a lot of poker players’ blogs deal, ironically, with things other than poker. This is not to discourage you from using blogs in your Fantasy Poker research; on the contrary, if you’re willing to work through these roadblocks, blogs will provide you with a great deal of useful information.

Facebook

Facebook has proven especially useful in the Fantasy Poker world because of its up-to-the-minute capabilities. Poker pros are constantly updating their statuses, often including their event schedule and tournament updates. All you have to do to gain access to this information is send them a "friend" request. I personally have around 200 poker "friends" on Facebook and have found that most players are more than happy to accept a request. For those pros who prefer to keep their Facebook profile personal, there are a number of fan pages devoted to various players that you’ll be able to access.

Once you’re "friends" with a poker player, you’ll be able to receive any status updates relevant to Fantasy Poker. In the meantime, you’ll also be able to check out his profile, view pictures, and do all the other good Facebook stuff that people do. If you’re really daring, and polite, you can even send them a message. I’ve sent a few Fantasy Poker questions to various players and have found that most respond with a quick answer. If you find Facebook useful, you’ll no doubt find it even more effective when used in conjunction with Twitter.

Twitter

For those of you who don’t know what Twitter is, Wikipedia describes it as "a social networking and micro-blogging service, owned and operated by Twitter Inc., that enables its users to send and read other users’ messages, called tweets. Tweets are text-based posts of up to 140 characters displayed on the author’s profile page."

Essentially, Twitter allows you to follow a people, in this case poker pros, and read their up-to-the-minute Tweets (which can be set up to appear on their Facebook pages). Twitter has had a major influence on Fantasy Poker by becoming the go-to place for accurate registration information.

Poker players are aware that people are interested in knowing what tournaments they will be playing; as such, most use their Twitter accounts to post the tournaments they’ll be playing, followed by updates on how they are doing in the tournament. These updates can, and often do, come several times per hour. On top of this, Twitter allows you to customize who you follow, meaning you can subscribe to updates from your favorite players and those on your Fantasy Poker roster.

At the 2010 WSOP, I used Twitter on a daily basis to keep abreast of registration news. This allowed me to select fantasy players I knew would be playing in a certain event, thus improving my chances of earning points. This research paid off time and time again, but never more so than in Event 36, $1,000 no-limit hold’em, when I selected former November Niner Scott Montgomery, who had Tweeted that he was planning on playing a few hours before the tournament even began. Montgomery went on to win and scored me some major fantasy points; in fact, that selection pushed me toward the top of the leaderboard and allowed me to finish in 343rd place, which was among the top 2 percent of the field.

Setting up a Twitter account is free and you can add poker players at your leisure. For those of you who are interested, I’ve provided a list of some of the most popular poker player Twitter accounts.

If you play in an "interchangeable" Fantasy Poker league, I highly recommend you use Twitter and other social media outlets to help determine your starting roster.

You might just find that it ups your game and leads you to Fantasy Poker success.

Follow Them on Twitter
Annie Duke . . . AnnieDuke
Phil Hellmuth . . . phil_hellmuth
Daniel Negreanu . . . RealKidPoker
Doyle Brunson . . . TexDolly
Scotty Nguyen . . . TheScottyNguyen
Jennifer Harman . . . REALJenHarman
Erik Seidel . . . Erik_Seidel
Barry Greenstein . . . barrygreenstein
Annette Obrestad . . . Annette_15
Mike Matusow . . . TheMouthMatusow
Eric Baldwin . . . basebaldy
Jean-Robert Bellande . . . BrokeLivingJRB
Michael Mizrachi . . . TheGrinder44
Gavin Smith . . . oleGSmith
Todd Brunson . . . ToddBrunson
Justin Smith . . . BoostedJ
Greg Raymer . . . FossilMan
Vanessa Rousso . . . VanessaRousso
Joe Sebok . . . joesebok
　
Chad Holloway is a semi-professional poker player from Baraboo, Wisconsin, who specializes in Fantasy Poker. He currently writes for Predictem.com and is a featured blogger at UnaBomberPoker.com

2010 WSOP Fantasy Poker Recap

The following article appeared in the September issue of Poker Pro Magazine and Online Poker Pro Magazine.

They can be found at:

http://www.pokerpromagazine.com/2010-wsop-fantasy-poker-recap.html

http://www.onlinepokerpromagazine.com/articles/1974-2010-wsop-fantasy-poker-recap.html

2010 Fantasy Poker Recap
Poker Articles - September 2010

If You Picked Mizrachi or Kassela, You Have Some Serious Bragging Rights

By Chad Holloway

The Main Event final table is set, which means the 2010 World Series of Poker is on hiatus until November, but what a summer it has been. Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi redeemed himself by winning his first bracelet in the $50,000 Poker Players Championship and then becoming a member of the November Nine; Men “The Master” Nguyen won his seventh bracelet, tying him with Billy Baxter, while Gavin Smith finally got his first taste of WOP gold; and Dan Kelly took down the $25,000 Six-Handed Event, earning himself a spot in the “Brunson 10” in the process. All the while, Fantasy Poker enjoyed a year like none other.
This year saw Fantasy Poker grow by leaps and bounds. There was the ever popular ESPN Fantasy League with the likes of Daniel Negreanu, Howard Lederer, Eric Baldwin and myself; Full Contact Poker (FCP) once again held its popular pick’em game, where participants chose a side of a matchup and tried to decide who would earn more throughout the WSOP; and Full Tilt Poker (FTP) hosted the most complex and comprehensive league in Fantasy Poker history.
Most Fantasy Poker leagues, including FTP’s, are based upon how much money a player earns at the WSOP. This year, one name stood above the rest in Michael Mizrachi, who was a stud in any league based upon cash winnings even without the undetermined figure he will earn for his November Nine appearance. Likewise, Dan Kelly was thrust toward the top of the list after he took down the $25,000 buy-in event. In addition, new poker superstars emerged in Vladimir Shchemelev, a previously unknown banker from Russia, and Pascal Lefrancois, a young player from Quebec.

Here is a list of the top money earners in the 2010 WSOP (not including the Main Event final table):

Top 2010 WSOP Money Earners
Michael Mizrachi $1,684,051*
Dan Kelly $1,338,609
Frank Kassela $1,255,314
Pascal Lefrancois $1,203,985
Vladimir Shchemelev $1,144,617
Jeffrey Papola $1,061,302
Daniel Alaei $1,001,704
Tomer Berda $1,000,494
Shawn Buchanan $ 874,951
Jason DeWitt $870,881
* (not including Main Event)

On the opposite end of the spectrum are those pros who were skunked at the WSOP and didn’t earn a single dollar in open events. Among those were some of the biggest names in poker, including: Howard Lederer, Freddy Deeb, Gus Hansen, Doyle Brunson, Layne Flack, Kathy Liebert, Chris Moneymaker, Phil Laak and Joe Cada. Fantasy Poker players, myself included, expected many of these names to have a big year, only to be sorely let down; as a result, their value in future drafts has certainly deteriorated.

Those whose stock has gone up include the top performers in the WSOP Player of the Year race. Last year’s race was dominated by multiple bracelet winners and eventually won by Jeffrey Lisandro, who took home an astounding three bracelets. This year, there was only one multiple bracelet winner in Frank Kassela, who took home gold in the Seven-Card Stud High-Low Championship and the Seven-Card Razz event; in addition, he placed third in the $25,000 Six-Handed event and added three more cashes along the way. Kassela is a WSOP veteran (he was at the final table when Johnny Chan won his tenth bracelet) who finally had his breakout year.
Another player who was on fire was the previously mentioned Michael Mizrachi. He started the summer with a victory in the $50,000 Players Championship and then added three more cashes, including two more final table appearances in Championship events. This doesn’t even include his performance in the Main Event, where he managed to make the final table and will compete for the World Championship – and poker’s biggest payday – in November. In fact, if Mizrachi can win the title, he will tie Kassela for P.O.Y. and share the title.
These two players were without a doubt the biggest Fantasy Poker Studs in 2010.

WSOP Player of the Year Race

Frank Kassela 290 pts
John Juanda 225 pts
Vladimir Shchemelev 210 pts
Dan Heimiller 205 pts
Michael Mizrachi 190 pts*
James Dempsey 185 pts
Jeffrey Papola 180 pts
Men Nguyen 180 pts
Richard Ashby 180 pts
*(not including Main Event)
Many Fantasy Poker leagues award points based on the number of cashes a player amasses. This number is not always indicative of cash earned or tournaments won; instead, it is usually an indicator of consistency. Last year, Daniel Negreanu and David “Bakes” Baker had eight cashes apiece. This year, two more players managed to match that number in Canada’s Shawn Buchanan and Allen Kessler, with Buchanan netting more than twice as much in earnings.
Although neither managed to nab a bracelet, they both showed they have what it takes to perform.

Here is a list of the “leading cashers” at this year’s WSOP:

Top 2010 WSOP Cashes
Shawn Buchanan 8 ($874,951)
Allen Kessler 8 ($373,733)
David Baker 7 ($709,896)
Dan Heimiller 7 ($271,687)
Will Failla 7 ($228,752)
Christian Harder 7 ($143,367)
Tad Jurgens 7 ($86,100)
Pat Pezzin 7 ($81,227)
11 players tied with six cashes

Fantasy Poker League Results

Full Contact Poker, which is Negreanu’s forum site, has hosted a variety of Fantasy Poker competitions over the years. FCP decided to do what they did last year and offer the popular free Fantasy Pool. This pool featured over 50 matches where players chose who they thought would win more money over the course of the WSOP (not including closed events and the Main Event).

A few examples of the matchups were Daniel Negreanu vs. Phil Ivey; Todd Brunson vs. Doyle Brunson; Phil Hellmuth vs. Erick Lindgren; and David “Devilfish” Ulliott vs. Eli Elezra.
One point was awarded for each correctly predicted match. Unfortunately, I didn’t do too well, earning 25 points and tying for 784th place.
Below is a list of the top performers, who each earned prizes. For a complete list of results, check out http://fullcontactpoker.com/wsop/.

2010 FCP Top Fantasy Performers
Name:……….Points:….Tiebreaker:
xiang90……………...39……………$350,000
bigchill23……………36……………$235,000
FARGOpokerND …35……………$135,775
mplolz………………..35…………..$220,000
nilez……………….....35…………..$36,367
danara……………….35……………$250,000
takedown88………....35……………$300,000
IngeMat……………...35…………..$400,000
garnes44……………35……………$425,000
roelos………………..35……………$435,000
silicon……………….35……………$458,000
maxcon007………..34…………..$175,000
wixkaz……………….34……………$76,000
Cloud2k4…………..34…………….$225,010
Y2gray……………….34…………….$40,000

Full Tilt Poker
The most popular Fantasy Poker league this year was the one hosted by FTP. In that league, participants chose 15 players for each tournament, five each for an “A,” “B,” and “C” team. The scoring was based on how much money the selection earned in the event. If they were on the “A” team, they would be awarded three times the amount they actually earned; likewise, they would earn twice as much if on the “B” team and the exact amount if on the “C” team.
The impressive feature of this league was that it allowed participants to change their roster for each event right up until the start of the tournament. This option really brought it to the same level as other fantasy sports and favored those who put the most effort in. This included finding out who would be playing what events, usually by scouring blogs and Twitter accounts.
The Main Event counts in that league, but the final standings have already been determined. This was done by awarding any players in the November Nine prize money according to their chip stack. For example, Mizrachi’s stack is in seventh place, so for the FTP league he will be awarded seventh place money. Luckily, I had Mizrachi on my “B” team along with some other players who did quite well. This allowed me to jump up a few hundred spots in the final event and finish the league in 343rd place (out of about 25,000 players).
Another fun feature of this league is that it allows for participants to compete against various Full Tilt Pros. Below are some lists highlighting the current FTP Fantasy Poker Leaders and the performances of some VIPs:

FTP Fantasy Poker Winners
1.) SexyFF220…….. $15,279,299
2.) ERDEImarius….. $14,514,226
3.) magaloche94…... $14,352,261
4.) boostn…………. $14,261,916
5.) Jebawa…………..$14,245,005
6.) danmonkeyTHM… $14,175,224
7.) etrong……………. $13,854,020
8.) stacbern…………. $13,562,076
9.) JTski23………….. $13,553,347
10.) wd1head…. $13,538,457

FTP VIP Fantasy Poker Standings
45. Perry Friedman……..$12,150,912
343. DISCO_CHAD……..$8,891,904*
401. Eric Froehlich………$8,677,666
3017. Rob Hollink ……… $5,153,598
3694. Berry Johnston …… $4,864,305
3851. Joe Beevers……….. $4,799,095
4480. Jordan Morgan…… $4,592,134
7221. Steve Zolotow…….. $3,908,036
8208. Andy Bloch.………. $3,715,556
10880. Phil Gordon……….. $3,309,648
*the author of this article
This year’s Fantasy Poker season has been intense, and I haven’t even looked at my favorite league yet, which is the popular, highly publicized, invite-only ESPN Fantasy Poker league hosted by Andrew Feldman. It includes some of the top professionals in the poker world and I was given the opportunity to participate for Poker Pro magazine.
How did I do? Well, let me just say that I had Mizrachi and Jason Somerville on my team, both of whom earned me a load of points. In a future article, I will write an in-depth report on the 2010 ESPN Fantasy League with player insights and reveal how I managed to do against the best in the business.


Chad Holloway is a semi-professional poker player from Baraboo, Wisconsin, who specializes in Fantasy Poker. He covered the 2010 World Series of Poker and currently writes poker material for Predictem.com and is a featured blogger at UnaBomberPoker.com.

Who Are the World’s Best 6-Handed Tournament Players?

This article first appeared in the March 2010 issue of Poker Pro Magazine. It also appeared on their website at http://www.pokerpromagazine.com/tips-for-surviving-unti-the-world-series.html


FANTASY POKER

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Poker Articles - March 2010
Who Are the World’s Best 6-Handed Tournament Players?

By Chad Holloway

Who are the best players to pick for your fantasy poker team? This is the question I’ve been exploring over the past few months. When determining the best fantasy poker players, we must take into consideration scoring factors such as the various systems (points based upon finish, cash earned, final table bonuses, etc.) and how the players perform in the different variations of poker, not just hold’em. This is because the best fantasy poker players are those who perform consistently in as many events as possible.
Recently, I’ve been looking at a single poker variation and compiling relevant statistics, including a player’s finish, number of cashes, final tables, and earnings. The stats are gathered from events as far back as the 2005 World Series of Poker (the unofficial year fantasy poker began). By doing this, I’ve been able to compile a list of the top performing players, while determining the top fantasy poker selections, in each variation.
This month I’ve compiled and analysed the statistics from the 14 six-handed hold’em events since the 2005 WSOP. The 2010 WSOP will feature a new $25,000 buy-in six-handed NL hold’em event that will draw the biggest names in poker and surely change many of the names on this list, but until then, I have determined what I consider to be the ten best fantasy poker studs in six-handed events.

10. Eugene Katchalov

Although his six-handed earnings aren’t all that impressive, Katchalov has managed to notch four cashes in six-handed events, more than any other player. All of these cashes were top 50 finishes, which translate into major fantasy points, and of his 15 WSOP cashes, 25 percent have come in six-handed events. With such consistency, Katchalov cracks the top ten and becomes an excellent choice for fantasy players in any six-handed tournament.

Total six-handed earnings: $37,378
six-handed final tables: 0
six-handed cashes: 4 (15th, 25th, 25th, 32nd)
six-handed Money List Rank: Tied for 123rd

9. Daniel Negreanu

Negreanu is one of the most well-known poker players in the world. He has four bracelets and came close to his fifth when he finished runner-up to John Brock Parker in the $2,500 limit hold’em/six-handed event last year. Negreanu’s stats in six-handed events aren’t overly impressive, but if he can continue his success from last year, he will surely add to them. This will prove especially true in any future limit six-handed events, where Negreanu truly excels. Add to this the fact that Negreanu likes to play numerous events and has a sponsorship deal, and it’s easy to see that he has real value.

Total six-handed earnings: $177,132
six-handed final tables: 1
six-handed cashes: 2 (2nd, 8th)
six-handed Money List Rank: 38th

8. Charidimos Demetriou

All of Demetriou’s ten WSOP cashes have come in hold’em events, with two in six-handed events. What does this mean? It means you can expect him to play a lot of hold’em events, including the six-handed variety; in fact, Demetriou’s best finish came in the 2005 $2,500 short-handed event where he finished second to Isaac Galazan. Demetriou has made two six-handed final tables, which is an impressive feat in itself. Needless to say, it seems this man has a knack for six-handed action.

Total six-handed earnings: $222,569
six-handed final tables: 2
six-handed cashes: 2 (2nd, 6th)
six-handed Money List Rank: 31st

7. Ralph Porter

A former equity options trader, Porter has thirteen WSOP cashes, including a bracelet for his victory in the 2008 $1,500 six-handed event. He has $931,950 in WSOP earnings, meaning 41 percent of that came from his six-handed performances. Porter tends to stick to the $1,500 and $2,500 buy-in events, which can be valuable since many of the top pros tend to avoid smaller buy-in events. Not only has Porter shown he is a consistent player, he has proven he has the ability to close as well.

Total six-handed earnings: $386,577
six-handed final tables: 1
six-handed cashes: 3 (1st, 25th, 52nd)
six-handed Money List Rank: 15th

6. Bill Chen

Since 2000, Chen has proven himself a serious player. He plays all the games well and has managed fourteen WSOP cashes, including two bracelets. One of these bracelets came for winning the 2006 $2,500 six-handed event and was good for his biggest cash to date, $442,511. A couple other deep performances have given Chen a total of three six-handed cashes. Willing to play both small and big buy-in tournaments, you can expect Chen to compete in most, if not all, of the six-handed events in future WSOPs.

Total six-handed earnings: $462,843
six-handed final tables: 1
six-handed cashes: 3 (1st, 19th, 64th)
six-handed Money List Rank: 12th

5. Alex Bolotin

Bolotin, also known as “Diesel,” has an impressive 14 WSOP cashes for $1,082,720. More than half of these winnings have come from his two impressive finishes in six-handed events. In 2006, Bolotin made his first six-handed final table when he finished fifth in the $2,500 event. He followed this up a year later when he made another final table and finished runner-up to Bill Edler in the $5,000 six-handed event. One of the few players to have made multiple six-handed final tables, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Bolotin continue his success in the six-handed format.

Total six-handed earnings: $582,978
six-handed final tables: 2
six-handed cashes: 2 (2nd, 5th)
six-handed Money List Rank: 7th

4. Russ “Dutch” Boyd

Most people remember Boyd for his performance in the 2003 WSOP Main Event, where he finished twelfth. After battling through some personal issues, Boyd returned to claim his first bracelet in the 2006 $2,500 short-handed event, where he defeated none other than 2005 WSOP Main Event Champ Joe Hachem. That win accounted for nearly 74 percent of Boyd’s career WSOP earnings. He added another six-handed cash – fifth in the 2007 $5,000 event – to join the elite company of players who have made two six-handed final tables.

Total six-handed earnings: $645,081
six-handed final tables: 2
six-handed cashes: 2 (1st, 5th)
six-handed Money List Rank: 5th

3. Bill Edler

Edler burst onto the poker scene when he won a publication’s Player of the Year award. That was the same year he won his first and only bracelet by taking down the $5,000 six-handed event for a staggering $904,672. Edler fell off the radar in 2008 when he failed to cash, but came back on the scene in 2009 when he managed two cashes, both in six-handed events. Edler is a solid short-handed player and he should not be overlooked.

Total six-handed earnings: $929,361
six-handed final tables: 1
six-handed cashes: 3 (1st, 38th, 49th)
six-handed Money List Rank: 2nd

2. John “Brock” Parker

Parker won back-to-back events at the 2009 WSOP, both of which happened to be six-handed tourneys. These were the first two cashes in six-handed events for Parker, who has a total of 15 WSOP cashes, and he sure made them count. He took down Negreanu in heads-up play in one event and Joe Serock in the other. Parker defeated some tough opponents on his way to victory and showed he is a force when it comes to six-handed play. It will be interesting to see if Parker can keep up his six-handed success in the coming years. My guess is that he will.

Total six-handed earnings: $776,442
six-handed final tables: 2
six-handed cashes: 2 (1st, 1st)
six-handed Money List Rank: 4th

1. Matt Hawrilenko

Hawrilenko has been a solid performer at the WSOP since 2005, notching fourteen cashes. He finally had his big breakthrough in 2009 when he took down the $5,000 six-handed event for over a million dollars and his first gold bracelet. The win catapulted Hawrilenko to the top of the all-time six-handed money list, which was padded by two smaller cashes in previous events, both of which were top 50 finishes. With a padded bankroll, you can expect Hawrilenko to return to the game where he has found the most success.

Total six-handed earnings: $1,021,502
six-handed final tables: 1
six-handed cashes: 3 (1st, 20th, 42nd)
six-handed Money List Rank: 1st

Of course there are other players who deserve honorable mention. A number of players finished high on the all-time six-handed money list due to a single victory. These include Joe Commisso ($911,855 - third on the list), Joshua Brikis ($619,608 - sixth), Dario Minieri ($528,418 - ninth), Hoyt Corkins ($515,065 - tenth) and Doyle Brunson ($367,800 - 17th). In addition, a number of players who didn’t make the list showed consistency with multiple cashes. They include Terrence Chan, Gioi Luong, Men Nguyen, David Daneshgar and Tony Guoga who each had three six-handed cashes.
The top ten six-handed fantasy poker players ought to change with the $25,000 event this year, and it’ll be interesting to see how things pan out. In my next article, I will explore another poker variation and come up with a new top ten list. In the end, I hope to compare the statistics from each variation and determine the top ten fantasy poker studs of all-time.


Chad Holloway is an amateur poker player from Baraboo, Wisconsin, who specialises in fantasy poker. He currently writes for Predictem.com and is a featured blogger at UnaBomberPoker.com.

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.

Fantasy Poker Pro-spective

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

World Series of Poker

Fantasy Poker Pro-spective

Who Would the Game’s Top Players Pick for Their Own Fantasy League Teams?

by Chad Holloway

Are you aware of the fantasy poker leagues that develop around the World Series of Poker? If so, do you play? What is your impression of fantasy poker? These are just a few of the questions I posed to various poker professionals leading up to the 2009 WSOP. As you might expect, the responses varied from “never heard of it” to “actively participate,” but there was one common theme: An underlying confidence that they could make a difference in the fantasy poker world.

Is Mark Seif telling Antonio about his fantasy picks?

Take Mark Seif. The former attorney and Professional Poker Tour announcer has been a fan of fantasy poker – where you draft a “team” of players to compete against others who have done the same thing – for quite some time.
“I participate in one every year. It’s organized by ESPN’s Andrew Feldman. I love it. It’s a ton of fun and I take it seriously, sometimes making big side bets.”
With such an enthusiasm for fantasy poker, which pros would the two-time bracelet winner choose for his fantasy roster?

Barry Greenstein and Chris Ferguson are solid choices for your roster.

“Chris Ferguson because he is such a threat in virtually any tournament. He is so good at so many games. He is my clear favorite. Howard Lederer again because he can play any game very well. Finally, Ted Forrest because he is a beast and can play any game.”
Although he modestly does not put himself at the top of the list, Seif believes he has a great deal of fantasy potential. “When I play my ‘A’ game, no one, I mean no one, wants to see me at their table…and I will be playing almost all the events this year.”

Too Much on My Plate

Not all the pros are fantasy aficionados like Mark.

Eric Lynch at a WSOP final table.

Eric Lynch, the online pro known as “Rizen,” explains, “I am aware of the fantasy poker leagues but I don’t really play. WSOP is such a busy time for me and having one more thing to worry about is tough. I think fantasy poker is pretty cool and much like fantasy football/baseball, it gives poker fans a little something extra to be involved with while they follow their favorite players.”
Although he doesn’t participate in a league, Lynch, who has an impressive nine cashes at the WSOP, including a 24th place finish in the 2006 Main Event, does have a plan if and when he does: “I think a good strategy involves picking people who are likely to put in a lot of volume and are good at a wide variety of games. The no-limit hold’em fields are all pretty big and it can be tough to consistently go deep in those, but the guys who are consistently playing the 200-300 person fields and perform in the 2-7, Stud and Omaha events will tend to produce more consistent results from year to year. If I were building a team I’d be looking for guys who play lots of events in a variety of games and play them all well. I definitely wouldn’t pick someone who has a history of only playing a handful of events regardless of how great a player they are.”

Cash-Game Conflict

Greg Raymer says he’d be a good pick.

Not only does the hectic event schedule keep a lot of pros busy and away from fantasy poker, but the lucrative cash games do as well.
“I am aware of these leagues, but do not participate,” says 2004 World Champion Greg Raymer. “For the time spent on it, I would rather play a cash game.”
Still, Greg says he’d be a good pick if he decided to draft a team.
“I will again, as usual, be at the WSOP for the entire time, and will likely play in another couple dozen events, which is typical for me. As such, I am a good pick for somebody’s team, as I not only play all the games, but actually play all the games rather well. Hold’em is not even in the top half for me, especially as compared to the competition.”
Although he doesn’t dive into the fantasy pool, Raymer is quick to offer a few names he believes can be fantasy studs.
“If I were picking a fantasy team, my top pick would be Chris Ferguson. One of the best tournament players of all time, and he plays more events at the WSOP than anybody. He gladly multi-tables the WSOP and has been known to be entered into as many as three tournaments at the same time. Andy Bloch is a great pick for many of the same reasons, as is Barry Greenstein.”

Fun to Watch

There are numerous poker professionals who are familiar with and even enjoy fantasy poker, but some have no fantasy experience whatsoever – at least as far as poker goes.

Tiffany Michelle

Tiffany Michelle, the last women standing in the 2008 WSOP, is one of these players. “Nope, never heard of fantasy poker leagues,” she admits. However, after a quick explanation, Michelle makes a case for her fantasy prowess: “Of course, I’ll be playing the WSOP this year. I already won my Main Event seat and will be playing about thirteen of the NL events…I’m fun to watch and follow and ya never know what’s gonna happen.”

Maria Ho says she has what it takes to beat WSOP fields.

Another popular woman on the tournament circuit, Maria Ho, known as the “Femme on Felt,” is impressed by the fantasy poker trend.
“I am aware that there is such a thing as Fantasy Poker leagues but other than that I don’t know too much about them. I know what fantasy baseball and football leagues are kinda like so it’s cool to know that people follow poker so much that they actually have leagues for the WSOP.”
Between her hostess and on-camera interview duties for worldseriesofpoker.com, Ho will attempt to play in 22 events, giving her strong fantasy potential. On top of this, Ho believes she has what it takes to make a statement in fantasy poker: “Readers should choose me to be on their fantasy poker team because I know I have what it takes to break through in these tourneys and I have a lot of experience playing against big fields and against fields primarily composed of amateurs and inexperienced players. I will be the secret weapon and dark horse for any fantasy poker league team!”
So what makes these pros, who know nothing about fantasy poker, so sure they can make a difference? Maybe it’s the fact that most poker pros are confident and unwilling to admit defeat.

Alec Torelli

On the other hand, there are players like Alec Torelli who remain humble, especially when it concerns fantasy poker.
“I’m not aware of the fantasy leagues but from other similar sports I can infer what it means. I will be playing [the] WSOP this year although I might not be your best draft pick. To be honest, if it’s based on points earned from tournament cashes they shouldn’t [pick me]! I’m not planning on playing all the events and mathematically it won’t give me the best chance of accumulating points. I would seek more of a ‘rat racer’ profile that’s going to grind every tournament.”
Whether they’ve drafted a team of their own or not, it’s clear that pro players recognize and appreciate the growing popularity of fantasy poker, while doing their best to secure a roster spot for themselves in leagues across the world!