February 11 2011, Elaine Chaivarlis

If you’re anything like us, you’re scrambling for a last-minute Valentine’s Day gift, so we’re not going to dilly-dally today. You came looking for the news, and that’s what you’ll get. On top of remembering that heart-shaped box of chocolates, don’t forget that the World Poker Tour IX begins airing this weekend. Also, you should know that one of online poker legislation’s opponents is retiring. Read on to find out more, and have a great weekend!

In Case You Missed It

The 10th Annual European Poker Awards are being held this weekend in Paris. We’re pretty sure you want a look at the categories and nominees, so here’s a preview and our picks for you.

The World Series of Poker Circuit stop in Tunica, Mississippi, this month will mark the halfway point of the 2010/2011 schedule. Check out who has qualified for the $1 million freeroll that will take place in May.

Mindset coach extraordinaire Sam Chauhan will be working with the Full Tilt Poker Academy to create a mindset training program. In our latest PokerNews Interview, we talked to him about the program, his clients, and his recent signing with Full Tilt Poker.

Because one PokerNews Podcast this week just wasn’t enough, we brought you two. Here’s the latest PokerNews Podcast featuring Ashton Griffin discussing his insane prop bet and the mysterious and newly minted Team PokerStars Online member, Mer “PeachyMer” Brit.

Checking out the high-stakes online poker action is fun, but you could probably do without sifting through all the information. Lucky for you, the Online Railbird Report does it for you.

World Poker Tour Returns to Television Sets

We can’t count how many times we’ve told you about the new and improved World Poker Tour, and quite frankly, we’re too lazy to count. If you don’t know anything about it, here are some key things you should know: Kimberly Lansing is returning and will be the show’s anchor, handling interviews, etc. Tony Dunst has a spot on the show, hosting the Raw Deal segment in which he picks apart the action, and, of course, who could forget the Royal Flush Girls, the new brand ambassadors of the show.

If you haven’t been able to make it to a World Poker Tour stop this season, you’ll be able to catch all the changes on your television sets beginning this Sunday, Feb. 13, at 8:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. local time on FSN.

The broadcast is taking a new approach, including coverage from Day 1 action, to show you how the final six made it to the final table, a four-color deck will be implemented, as well as new stats on the players, and new theme music from NFL Flims’ Emmy-Award winning Tom Hedden.

“As Season IX rolls out, fans will find all the great poker action they’ve come to expect with a new, faster-paced, edgier tone,” Steve Heller, CEO of World Poker Tour said. “We are introducing new elements, graphics and talent throughout the season. Each week viewers are guaranteed to see something unexpected and uniquely WPT.”

Be sure to check your local listings so you don’t miss out on the new show, and if you want to find out more, head on over to WorldPokerTour.com.

Senator Kyl Talks About the Future

Senator Jon Kyl announced on Thursday that he won’t run for re-election. Kyl is one of the biggest opponents to online poker legislation. He was a big supporter of 2006′s Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act and has tried to pass other bills that would outlaw online gambling.

“I’d really like to do something where I still have the ability to be involved in public policy in some way,” Kyl said. “I’m not going to give up politics I’ll still be supporting candidates running for office, helping them raise money and that sort of thing,” Kyl told Arizona’s ABC15.

Read more about Kyl’s future plans on ABC15.com.

Ongame Network to be Sold

After the end of the current quarter, the Bwin and PartyGaming merger will go into effect. According to a Bwin spokesman in an article on the eGaming Review, after the merger, the Ongame Network will likely amount to “surplus assets” and will either be sold or offered to strategic partners to take a stake. The spokesman confirmed that Ongame was part of the assets that were referred to in the merger as “no longer needed,” and could potentially be sold to “generate revenue which can subsquently be reinvested.”

The spokesman said the companies were not in a hurry to sell the network and could possibly wait and see how legislation goes on the U.S. front in hopes that they could maximize value for shareholders.

“We understand that that the American gaming industry wants online poker regulated, as they want access to that revenue stream. Regulatory developments in the US would raise interest in these assets. But we haven’t yet established any firm deadline, and will look at all options,” he said.

EGRMagazine.com has more.

UKIPT Nottingham Kicks Off

The PokerStars UK and Ireland Poker Tour Nottingham kicked off at the Dusk Till Dawn club for the second stop on the second season of the tour. Liv Boeree, Kevin MacPhee, and David Vamplew were among the 491 players who ponied up £500 and entered Day 1a. It’s highly possible that the field for this event breaks the U.K.’s record for largest tournament field, but we’ll have to wait and see how many players turn up Saturday for Day 1b.

If you want to check up on the updates, you can head on over the PokerStars Blog.

Pay for School Through GR88.com

GR88.com is giving students a fun way to make money to pay for their tuition. The GR88 University Poker Championship will host a weekly free online poker tournament in which students from around the world can participate. There will be cash prizes awarded weekly, and players will be able to qualify for the Grand Finale. Those who qualify will have a shot at $9,000 in tuition along with a trip to Los Angeles to celebrate with 2010 Playboy Playmate of the Year, Hope Dworaczyk.

“It’s the fact that it costs absolutely nothing, no catch, no strings attached. Players can come to www.gr88.com/campus, play for free, win a weekly cash prize and qualify for the University Poker Championship finale. Where else can you win $9000 cash toward you tuition, and party with a playmate of the year in one of the coolest cities in the world,” GR88.com poker room manager, Jacob Locutis said.

If you want to find out more, check out GR88.com.

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Right now, you not only can get a free $50 bankroll from PartyPoker and PokerNews, but you also will get a free month at PokerNews Strategy. Hurry as this is a limited offer, but the great thing is you do not even need to make a deposit at any stage, just go to our PartyPoker Free $50 Page and follow the walk-through.

February 11 2011, Chad Holloway

Early Thursday morning, news broke that Sam Chauhan, mindset coach extraordinaire, had signed a deal with Full Tilt Poker. For those who may not be familiar with Chauhan, his website describes him as “a Master Practitioner of Neuro-linguistic Programming, Subliminal Persuasive Linguistics, Unconscious Suggestions, Ericksonian Patterns, Physiological Readings, Quantum Mechanics, Clinical Hypnosis and Muscle Readings. He uses these skills to help people break through barriers and help them find their passion again.”

While Chauhan’s tactics will always have critics, his results speak for themselves. He has helped professionals from all walks of life make incredible comebacks in their respective fields. For instance, he helped guide Gavin Smith to his first bracelet at the 2010 World Series of Poker; worked with David Williams on his way to taking down the World Poker Tour World Championship; and even worked with the “Poker Brat” himself, Phil Hellmuth.

Those are just a few of the people Chauhan has worked with in the poker industry and totally overlooks the scores of CEO’s, business professionals, celebrities, and professional athletes he has helped along the way. Chauhan has been talked about on ESPN, the Chicago Tribune, and TIME Magazine. We sat down with the highly touted mindset coach recently, to get his thoughts on his new Full Tilt deal, his clientele, and his plans for 2011.

Congrats on your new deal with Full Tilt. Can you give us a few more details on what this deal means for both you and Full Tilt? Is it safe to say that in addition to the mindset coaching you’ll be playing a little more poker?

I might be doing a few events here and there, which is safe to say, but the main purpose is to create a poker mindset program for the Full Tilt Academy. That’s where my focus is going to be. The deal that I have is as a “Friend of Full Tilt,” because that is the spot that I fit in, to create this new program with the possibility of working with qualifiers and the like.

Can you tell us a little more about this poker mindset training program you’ll create for the Full Tilt Academy?

We haven’t finalized everything yet, but the poker mindset program will help players build their confidence, get them to deal with tilt and downswings, and give them a great psychological approach. You know, when you have two people of equal skill, the mindset is the difference whether you win or lose, so we’re going to address that issue with some of the techniques that I have.

You’ve been involved in the poker world for awhile now, what inspired you to finally strike a deal with one of the big online sites?

I wanted to make sure it was a good fit for me. The thing with me is that I want to make a difference. I’ve been in the poker world for around three years and I’ve been very consistent. The people I work with have done very well, so I feel I have a psychological formula that helps people perform at their best. Obviously I don’t give any skill to anybody, but I do help them perform at their best, or close to their best, which allows them a better opportunity to win

Aside from Gavin Smith, have you had the opportunity to work with any Full Tilt players?

Yes, [Mike] Matusow. I was with him just a few days ago before he left for his trip. I think Gavin Smith is the only other from Full Tilt.

Does your deal with Full Tilt prohibit you from taking on clients who might be associated with another online site such as members of Team PokerStars or Team UB?

No, not at all. At the end of the day, my purpose is to make a difference and help people get to the next level. Full Tilt has given me a platform where I can do that for large masses of people, but I still work with my other clients on the side. I still work with David Williams, Chris Moneymaker, and all those guys, so sponsorship has nothing to do with it. My deal with Full Tilt is for the mindset academy, so there is nothing saying that I can only work with Full Tilt. At the end of the day my goal is to make a difference, and I’ve found a really good platform to do it.

I’m going to rattle off some other pros you’ve worked with in the past. Give me the first thought that pops in your mind. Antonio Esfandiari?

I owe him a lot for where I’m at because he was my first [poker] client that I ever took on and I wouldn’t be in the poker world if I did not run into him in the bathroom. That’s how my poker world experience started, so I owe him a lot.

What’s the story behind this bathroom meeting?

It was a few years ago in the restroom at the Rio, and he was in the restroom and he kind of just said, “Hey, what do you do?” I said I’m a mindset coach. He said he really needed someone like that because he had all the money, all the girls, but still didn’t feel at his best. That’s how I connected with him and started working with him. In the Main Event that year he finished 24th and that is how I got into the poker world. It’s a very unique story.

Gavin Smith?

Gavin was referred by Brian Balsbaugh, who is his agent. He has had some amazing success and has one of the biggest hearts of anyone I know. The guy is amazing and with all his challenges, he always goes forward.

Phil Hellmuth?

In 2010, I got a call from Hellmuth, who is also from Brian. In 2009, Hellmuth didn’t have any final tables, so he hired me on for six months. In those six months that I worked with him, I think he final-tabled two WPT tournaments.

Lars Bonding?

Well, Lars was interesting because he didn’t contact me, his wife did. She was really worried because he hadn’t won anything in a while and financially that is tough. She thinks he has all the skill in the world and that he just needs to get focused, so she hired me for him. So, I took him on and we had our first discussion, and he took a couple things to heart, changed a couple things, and ended up winning the Sunday Warm-up*. He’s just been on a tear.

*Bonding actually won it twice in three weeks. Check out our interview with him for more details.

Any last words for the scores of Full Tilt players who’ll soon have the opportunity to not only play against you, but to learn from you as well?

I’ve been able to be pretty consistent because the formula is very good. The formula is getting a person to eliminate the distractions, get more focused, deal with tilt a lot better, and to give yourself the best opportunity to win. That’s all I’ve been doing and the results speak for themselves. Even if it’s a two-percent difference in their mindset, it makes the biggest difference in their play.

I think there are people out there who maybe can’t afford to come to an academy and they’re going through a rough patch in lives. Even if there is one thing they can get from the Full Tilt Poker Mindset Academy that might change their lives and build their confidence, I think it’d be a really good thing.

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