January 09 2012, Brett Collson
We hope you all enjoyed your weekend. Now, back to business. In the Monday edition of the Nightly Turbo, we bring you a Guinness World Record by Team PokerStars Online member Randy “nanonoko” Lew, reality TV appearances by Beth Shak and Tiffany Michelle, and more.
In Case You Missed It
The PokerNews Podcast crew is still in the Bahamas for the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure. This week, the team caught up with Eric Baldwin and Randy Lew and discussed the big stories taking place at the PCA.
A victory at the European Poker Tour San Remo Main Event in 2010 changed everything for Liv Boeree. She discussed that and more in Part 2 of the Seat Open series.
For the first time ever, the Bicycle Casino is hosting a World Series of Poker Circuit event. Chad Holloway previewed the the $1,600 Main Event, which begins Tuesday, Jan. 10.
How did the Sunday Majors play out on PokerStars? Who took home the biggest win? Find out in the Sunday Briefing.
Day 1b of the 2012 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure Main Event concluded Sunday night. The second flight attracted 654 entrants, with Alex Venovski finishing on top.
The first World Poker Tour stop in Ireland wrapped up Sunday evening. Dave Shallow cruised to his first live victory and a $289,031 payday.
The Fastest Clicker on the Interweb?
Team PokerStars Online member Randy “nanonoko” Lew is considered by many to be the fastest poker player in the world. On Sunday, Lew set out to prove it.
Lew set a new Guinness World Record Sunday by playing the most hands ever recorded in eight hours while making a profit. Lew logged 23,493 hands while turning a profit of just $7.65, creating a tension-filled atmosphere in the corner of the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure tournament floor late Sunday evening.
“This is a great feeling. I finished it,” Lew told the PokerStars Blog after achieving the feat.
“I had a crowd. Everyone clapped for me. I was reading chat while I was playing. I probably shouldn’t have. But people were like ‘Go, Randy, go!’ So, it kept me pumped, and it is a good feeling when people want you to win.”
Read more about Lew’s record at PokerNews.com.
Poker Players or Reality TV Stars?
Beth Shak and Tiffany Michelle call themselves poker pros. But lately it seems like the two ladies spend more time on the sets of reality TV shows.
Shak, who appeared on Bravo’s Millionaire Matchmaker in November 2010, will be featured in an upcoming episode of TLC’s NY Ink. The following chip shows Shak playing a hand of hold’em for a free tattoo:
If you look carefully, the tattoo artist’s cards actually changed midway through the hand. Reality TV poker is so rigged.
Meanwhile, Michelle has parlayed her sixth place finish on The Amazing Race into an appearance on The Food Network’s Worst Cooks in America. Michelle will compete against seven other “recruits” trying to transform into skilled cooks. The first episode of Season 3 will premiere on Sunday, Feb. 12.
We know one thing: If french fries are on the menu, we’re betting the house on Tiffany.
Read more about Michelle at multivu.com.
Dancing Isildur
Viktor “Isildur1″ Blom has more than a million reasons to celebrate after winning the $100,000 Super High Roller at the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure on Saturday. So, how is the Swede letting loose after his big win?
By dancing!
Well, kind of. While browsing TwoPlusTwo.com we came across an interactive site that allows users to take control of a virtual version of Blom on the dance floor. Among his wide array of moves: the robot, the twist, and even some disco.
The site has been around for a while and there have even been spinoffs featuring Phil Ivey and Howard Lederer. However, since this is the first time we’re seeing it, we had to share.
Check out the dancing Viktor Blom.
U.S. Crimes Against Online Poker
Last April, the U.S. Department of Justice deemed that the three major online poker sites had been breaking the law on charges of bank fraud, money laundering, and illegal gambling. PokerWorks.com writer Linda R. Geenen recently took an alternate approach to Black Friday by suggesting that the government committed crimes against U.S. citizens, using online poker as a front.
In the article, Geenen examines several instances of corruption committed by the government involving the World Trade Organization, Neteller, Firepay and more. She also questions why it took nine years before Bill Frist snuck the UIGEA onto the Port Security Act.
Writes Geenen, “Frist should be arrested for creating a massive can of worms that still has never been sorted through, regulated, or enforced and has cost literally tens of thousands of dollars in slipshod enforcement by expecting banks to shoulder the cost of upgrading and changing their banking regulations and software to stop money transfers. Banks are not law enforcement agencies but apparently the US government still hasn’t recognized this.”
Check out the entire piece at PokerWorks.com.
Let the Moose Guide You
The Aussie Millions isn’t the only major tournament hitting Melbourne this month. The rankings for the Australian Open were released on Monday, and SportMoose.com is the place to go for odds and betting advice during the first tennis Grand Slam event of the year.
Novak Djokovic and Carolina Wozniacki claimed the top seeds on the men’s and women’s sides, respectively. Djokovic is the defending champ and was listed as a 2.56-to-1 favorite by Betfair to defend his crown. He was followed in the rankings by second-seeded Rafael Nadal, although the Spaniard is listed as the fourth favorite by Betfair with odds of around 8-to-1.
Despite receiving the top seed on the women’s side, Wozniacki was listed at just 15-to-1 by Betfair to win her first Australian Open. Reigning Wimbledon champ Petra Kvitova is listed as the favorite by most sports books at around 4-to-1, and bettors can take defending champ Kim Clijsters at around 10-to-1.
In addition to the tennis coverage, you can find the latest odds on up to 20 sports and reviews for a number of online sports books at SportMoose.com.
What Makes a Poker Player Nervous?
Poker pros have to deal with high-pressure situations all the time. PokerNews’ Sarah Grant set out to discover what makes poker players nervous.
Are you following PokerNews on Twitter? Like us on Facebook while you’re at it, and sign up for the newsletter. You know you want to.
Follow Brett Collson on Twitter – @brettcollson
January 09 2012, Chad Holloway
The World Series of Poker Circuit kicked off the new year with a special engagement, the first WSOPC stop in Bell Gardens, California. From Jan. 1 through 12, 2012, the Bicycle Casino will play host to 12 ring events, including the $1,600 Main Event that begins Tuesday, January 10.
Only half of the events have finished, but some big stories have already emerged. Michael Rosenbach won his third WSOPC ring when he won Event #4 Six-Handed No Limit Hold’em for $22,035. What’s especially incredible is that Rosenbach won all three rings within the last two months, the first two coming at the Harvey’s Lake Tahoe stop. The 29-year old pro’s performance in November earned him the “Best All Around Player” distinction, which guaranteed him a spot in the National Championship.
Speaking of players who have multiple rings, La Sengphet, who you may recall as last year’s National Championship fourth-place finisher, took down Event #5 $345 No-Limit Hold’em, making her the first woman to win three WSOPC titles. Sengphet outlasted a field of 377 players to claim the $25,242 first-place prize, and in doing so, joined an exclusive list of players that have three or more rings including Kyle Cartwright, Dwyte Pilgrim, and Mark “Pegasus” Smith.
La Sengphet
This week, the PokerNews Live Reporting Team will be providing coverage of the Main Event. Here’s a look at the WSOP Circuit Bicycle Casino events completed thus far:
WSOP Circuit Bicycle Casino Ring Event #1 No-Limit Hold’em Re-Entry
| $300+$45 | 748 | $217,668 |
| 1 | Huy Quach | West Covina, CA | $44,663 |
| 2 | Joshua Evans | Plano, TX | $27,610 |
| 3 | Ryan Buckholtz | Encino, CA | $20,250 |
| 4 | Travis Carson | Los Angeles, CA | $15,060 |
| 5 | Joseph Saccone | Venice, CA | $11,350 |
| 6 | Kevin Olsta | Bartlett, IL | $8,670 |
| 7 | Arthur Cole | Mission Viejo, CA | $6,710 |
| 8 | Robert Ross | Stockton, CA | $5,260 |
| 9 | Joseph Dickstein | Los Angeles, CA | $4,175 |
WSOP Circuit Bicycle Casino Ring Event #2 No-Limit Hold’em
| $500+$55 | 191 | $92,635 |
| 1 | Stephen Graner | Henderson, NV | $25,020 |
| 2 | Andrew Sapiro | Alamo, CA | $15,460 |
| 3 | Casey Stewart | Canyon Country, CA | $11,125 |
| 4 | John Kral | San Diego, CA | $8,155 |
| 5 | Vigen Manukyan | Tujunga, CA | $6,080 |
| 6 | Jeff Madsen | Las Vegas, NV | $4,615 |
| 7 | Sam Rachedi | Venice, CA | $3,565 |
| 8 | Aaron Motoyama | Monterey Park, CA | $2,795 |
| 9 | David Hassett | Canyon Country, CA | $2,230 |
WSOP Circuit Bicycle Casino Event #3 No-Limit Hold’em
| $300+$45 | 313 | $91,083 |
| 1 | Adam Bishop | Sparks, NV | $20,958 |
| 2 | Mark Allen | Torrance, CA | $12,960 |
| 3 | Alex Leyberman | Mar Vista, CA | $19,450 |
| 4 | Tom Braband | Las Vegas, NV | $7,010 |
| 5 | Christopher Swan | Campbell, CA | $5,280 |
| 6 | Corey Cutrell | Seattle, WA | $4,035 |
| 7 | Estrella Baltazar | Torrance, CA | $3,135 |
| 8 | Gregory McCullough | Elgin, IL | $2,465 |
| 9 | Noah Fonosch | Inland Empire, CA | $1,970 |
WSOP Circuit Bicycle Casino Ring Event #4 No-Limit Hold’em Six Handed
| $500+$55 | 171 | $82,935 |
| 1 | Michael Rosenbach | Santa Rosa, CA | $22,035 |
| 2 | Daniel Illingworth | Carlsbad, CA | $13,920 |
| 3 | Dean Buchanan | Kirkland, WA | $10,020 |
| 4 | Ryan Jones | Torrance, CA | $7,345 |
| 5 | Steven Richhart | Yorba Linda, CA | $5,475 |
| 6 | David Clark | Dallas, TX | $4,155 |
| 7 | Nathan Geise | Fort Wayne, IN | $3,210 |
| 8 | Damien Leforbes | Bellflower, CA | $2,515 |
| 9 | Brian Patrick | Garden Grove, CA | $2,005 |
WSOP Circuit Bicycle Casino Event #5 No-Limit Hold’em
| $300+$45 | 377 | $109,707 |
| 1 | La Sengphet | Carrollton, TX | $25,242 |
| 2 | John Carreno | Los Angeles, CA | $15,600 |
| 3 | Lisa Santy | El Segundo, CA | $11,380 |
| 4 | Randy Holland | Winnetka, CA | $8,440 |
| 5 | Josh Seibert | Murrieta, CA | $6,360 |
| 6 | Kiet Tuan | Rosemead, CA | $4,860 |
| 7 | Alex Massman | Calabasas, CA | $3,775 |
| 8 | Casey Berlin | Lynwood, CA | $2,970 |
| 9 | Eli Loewenthal | Carmel, IN | $2,370 |
WSOP Circuit Bicycle Casino Event #6 No-Limit Hold’em
| $500+$55 | 289 | $140,165 |
| 1 | John Coon | San Diego, CA | $34,340 |
| 2 | Dustin Dobrilovic | Los Angeles, CA | $21,222 |
| 3 | Andrew Barber | Sacramento, CA | $15,300 |
| 4 | Michael Hurey | Stevenson Ranch, CA | $11,280 |
| 5 | Monte Littlefield | Tucson, AZ | $8,450 |
| 6 | Makya McBee | Santa Monica, CA | $6,400 |
| 7 | Harry Hong | Los Angeles, CA | $4,990 |
| 8 | Drew Fanning | Madison, WI | $3,925 |
With several events yet to be determined, the race for the WSOP Circuit Bicycle Casino Champion is wide open. Whoever captures that title, along with the eventual winner of the Main Event, will automatically qualify for the Second Annual $1 Million National Championship. That event is limited to 100 players, and so far only 12 have qualified:
National Championship Qualifiers
| Hao Le | Harrah’s AC Casino Champ |
In addition to the qualifiers, players who earn enough points on the National Leaderboard will be able to buy-in to the National Championship:
WSOPC National Leaderboard Top Ten*
| David Clark | 135 | 1 | 5 | $46,532 |
| Matthew Chang | 112.5 | 1 | 6 | $23,149 |
| Beverly Cheney | 107.5 | 0 | 6 | $27,753 |
| Felicia Johnico | 107.5 | 1 | 4 | $21,998 |
| Russell Ivy | 102.5 | 0 | 4 | $65,035 |
| Gregory Joslyn | 95 | 1 | 5 | $37,533 |
| Thomas Cronin | 95 | 0 | 4 | $21,396 |
| Matthew Colvin | 87.5 | 1 | 7 | $27,741 |
| Nicholas Long | 87.5 | 1 | 5 | $22,996 |
| John Evans | 87.5 | 0 | 5 | $12,551 |
*Leading up to the WSOP Circuit Bicycle Casino stop.
Don’t miss your chance to qualify for the National Championship. There are still plenty of opportunities to play, including any of the remaining stops on the WSOP Circuit schedule.
Remaining 2011-2012 WSOPC Schedule
| Circuit Event | Caesars Palace (Las Vegas) | Jan. 19 – 30, 2012 |
| Circuit Event | Harrah’s Tunica | Feb. 2 – 13, 2012 |
| Circuit Event | Palm Beach Kennel Club | Feb. 16 – 27, 2012 |
| Circuit Event | Caesars Atlantic City | March 1 – 12, 2012 |
| Circuit Event | Harrah’s Rincon | March 15 – 26, 2012 |
| Circuit Event | Horseshoe Council Bluffs | March 29 – April 9, 2012 |
| Circuit Event | Harrah’s St. Louis | April 12 – 23, 2012 |
| Circuit Event | Harrah’s Chester | April 26 – May 7, 2012 |
| Circuit Event | Harrah’s New Orleans | May 10 – 21, 2012 |
*Photo courtesy of Eric Harkins and ImageMasters.
Get all the latest PokerNews updates on your social media outlets. Follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook today! In the meantime, see who qualifies for the National Championship this week by following our Live Reporting Team’s coverage from the Bicycle Casino.
Follow Chad Holloway on Twitter – @ChadAHolloway
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