May 14 2012, Martin Harris, Mickey Doft

There weren’t any champions crowned on Day 8 of the 2012 Spring Championship of Online Poker (SCOOP) at PokerStars, but Sunday’s action did set the stage for a big Day 9 that will see 15 winners determined. Shaun “shaundeeb” Deeb and Viktor “Isildur1″ Blom already have two SCOOP wins apiece this series and they’re in good position for a third title. They’ll begin Day 2 of Event 20 – H in fifth and sixth place, respectively, out of the 53 returning players. Meanwhile, Stefan “I’am_Sound” Huber commands the biggest stack in Event 21 – H with 60 players left.

PokerStars SCOOP 20 – H – $2,000 No-Limit Hold’em ($750K Guaranteed)

Buy-inEntrantsPrize Pool

$2,000+$100	782	$1,564,000

Sunday saw another two-day $2,000 no-limit hold’em tourney arrive on the SCOOP schedule, and many of poker’s elite were among the massive field of 782 players. The prize pool more than doubled the guarantee, and practically every table was filled with recognizable usernames and avatars.

After six hours the field had been trimmed to 250 players, with David “Betudontbet” Emmons, Brian “brianm15″ England, and “Milana Jones” having pushed to the top of the leaderboard as the only players over 100,000. Ivan Demidov and 2012 SCOOPerstar Viktor “Isildur1″ Blom were right there on the front page of the counts as well, both sitting inside the top 20.

As play continued and the field fell below 200 players, Demidov and Blom joined the growing group of players in the 100,000-chip club despite being seated side-by-side. A little while later another familiar name appeared to occupy the seat on the other side of Blom – current SCOOP Player of the Series leader Shaun “shaundeeb” Deeb. Deeb arrived sporting a hefty stack of better than 170,000, good enough for second position at the time.

Shortly after Deeb sat down, Demidov was explaining to a railbird how he is currently in Kiev, Ukraine for the Russian Poker Series, although his short-term plan was to be otherwise occupied. “Day two is tomorrow,” typed Demidov, referring to this event’s two-day structure.

Ivan Demidov: soooooo i ll be busy trying to take one from shaun
shaundeeb: Ive had enough
shaundeeb: you can have one
Ivan Demidov:

Blom would see his stack start to slide while the other two maintained their chips, but the Swede was eventually moved to another table, this one featuring fellow Team PokerStars Pro Jonathan Duhamel.

Indeed, every table in this one was a tough one. As they approached the nine-and-a-half-hour mark, 100 players remained, led by “scout326,” “micide,” and “SUNDAYKING.” Deeb was right there in fourth, with “ekziter,” Steve “Mr. Tim Caum” O’Dwyer, Adam “Roothlus” Levy, “THEDUTCH414,” and Duhamel all in the top ten.

The money bubble was soon approaching, with Owen “ocrowe” Crowe (98th), Andrew “foucault82″ Brokos (95th) and Taylor “tRaMp$d0PrAy” Paur (93rd) among those just missing the cash. Finally, “TheMatadorCC” was the unfortunate 91st-place finisher and the bubble had burst.

Among those hitting the rail over the next couple of hours and realizing a profit in this one were “kirbynator” (82nd – $4,066.40), McLean “PureProfitFo” Karr (81st – $4,379.20), David “Betudontbet” Emmons (80th – $4,379.20), George Danzer (76th – $4,379.20), “THEDUTCH4141″ (75th – $4,379.20), “bar-bar9999″ (67th – $4,992), and David “CrabMaki” Shallow (65th – 4,692).

That’s when a big hand developed in which “K_0_S_T_Y_A” six-bet shoved a stack of 142,163 (more than 70 big blinds) with and Demidov called with . The Russian’s hand held, and soon thereafter Deeb knocked “K_0_S_T_Y_A” out in 64th ($4,692).

As the final levels played out, Ken “kenny05″ Smaron moved up into the top spot with more than 400,000, with Demidov his nearest challenger hovering just below 300,000. Duhamel, Deeb, O’Dwyer, and Blom jockeyed for position in the next four spots. Meanwhile, the final eliminations of the night took place, including Giuseppe “Ansgar2000″ Pantaleo (63rd – $5,004.80), Andre “aakkari” Akkari (60th – $5,004.80), “KaptianKush” (57th – $5,004.80), and “jonwayne69″ (54th – $5,474).

Just 53 remained when play was stopped for the night. Here’s a look at the stacked top 10:

(46th).

PokerStars SCOOP 20 – M – $200 No-Limit Hold’em ($500K Guaranteed)

Buy-inEntrantsPrize Pool

$200+$15	5,516	$1,103,200

Just 63 players survived to return on Monday in this one, with $172,575.88 awaiting the player who manages to survive Day 2.

“Pvd170590″ was the first player to a million chips, getting there after a little over nine hours of play when less than 200 players remained, though would ultimately fall in 82nd place ($1,412.09). Others lasting until almost night’s end on Sunday included “Unicum next” (70th, $1,720.99) and “rabbit195417″ (64th, $1,720.99).

Here’s what the top 10 looked like when play was stopped on Sunday night:

SeatPlayerChips

1	The Giggy	2,146,557
2	bostanu24	2,057,153
3	holyguacmole	2,010,653
4	MD IACONI	1,878,346
5	Fairy verde	1,674,918
6	Ryan “Daut44″ Daut	1,546,463
7	IraiseYouUp	1,432,104
8	yugurt1961	1,428,648
9	ShippityShip	1,428,356
10	JC “PrtyPsux” Alvarado	1,424,064

PokerStars SCOOP 20 – L – $25 No-Limit Hold’em ($250K Guaranteed)

Buy-inEntrantsPrize Pool

$25+$2	22,013	$550,325

Another big field in the “Low” version of Event #20 meant all three of the event’s guarantees were more than doubled by the prize pool. As in the “High” version, 53 players made it through to Monday’s Day 2 in this one. A cool $55,048.04 awaits the eventual winner.

Here’s what the top of the counts look like heading into Monday:

Among those who cashed were Steve “gboro780″ Gross (70th – $5,325.60), Chris “Genius28″ Lee (72nd – $5,235.60), Marcin “Goral” Horecki (78th – $4,945.20), Igor “lechuckpoker” Kurganov (88th – $4,564.80), Luke “LukeFromB13″ Staudenmaier (100th – $3,994.20).

Here are the top 10 stacks heading into Day 2:

(53rd).

PokerStars SCOOP 21 – M – $200 No-Limit Hold’em ($1M Guaranteed)

Buy-inEntrantsPrize Pool

$200+$15	7,383	$1,476,600

Event 21-M, the day’s Sunday Million, saw a field of 7,383 trimmed down to 84 on Day 1. Notable finishes included Chris “Bushman” Bush (107th – $1,343.70), Arnaud “frenchkiss” Mattern (112th – $1,225.57), George “Jorj95″ Lind (123rd – $1,136.98), and Jason “jdtdpoker” Wheeler (155th – $841.66). Among those still in the hunt are Rob “Vaga_Lion” Akery (14th) and Nick “Nickdawgg” Harvalis (70th). The top prize is set at $224,595.

Here are top 10 chips counts:

PlacePlayerChips

1	Michail1111	3,894,733
2	griske1	2,998,998
3	diemaus36o	2,211,466
4	Pendos90	2,136,291
5	puan29	2,060,413
6	AJacejackAJ	1,925,513
7	Hiren “hustla16″ Patel	1,890,520
8	Bohni16	1,790,007
9	DOCTORB911	1,720,075
10	dragonwarior	1,717,914

PokerStars SCOOP 21 – L – $25 No-Limit Hold’em ($400K Guaranteed)

Buy-inEntrantsPrize Pool

$25+$2	24,185	$604,625

A huge field of 24,185 in Event 21-L is down to just 62 players after Day 1. Highlighting the remaining 62 players is the mysterious online tournament star “uaredead lol,” who currently sits eighth in chips. First place pays more than $60,000. Here are the top ten stacks heading into Day 2:

PlacePlayerChips

1	GUSANO444	11,331,519
2	killaherni	10,399,278
3	KarstenLud	8,746,797
4	Juecksel	8,215,985
5	vova4izh	7,890,568
6	Paris Dedes	7,317,853
7	4thbwithu	7,230,055
8	uaredead lol	6,828,869
9	umbroSS	6,290,583
10	Achuttam	6,239,240

We will be providing daily recaps of all SCOOP Day 1s and final tables, so be sure to keep it here at PokerNews to stay up to date on all of the exciting action as it occurs.

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May 13 2012, Brett Collson

Did you miss any of the top poker news stories this week? Well you’ve come to the right place to get caught up. We’re covering the big changes for the WSOP, Lock Poker leaving the Merge Gaming Network, and more.

Poker Business

2012 World Series of Poker on ESPN and WSOP.com

Just hours before the World Series of Poker held its annual conference call on Tuesday, ESPN unveiled the television schedule for the 2012 WSOP. Now, everyone is gearing up for poker’s biggest event that is now less than three weeks away.

ESPN announced that it will be airing three events as part of its schedule this summer and fall. In addition to the Main Event, the $1 million buy-in Big One for One Drop and the WSOP National Championship will be showcased as part of the coverage. The final day of the Big One (July 3) and the Main Event final table (Oct. 30) be shown on a 15-minute delay, giving viewers a chance to watch the action with hole cards virtually live.

“Fans know Tuesday night is poker night on ESPN,” said Doug White, ESPN senior director of programming and acquisitions. “Beginning with the Big One for One Drop and the WSOP National Championship, and continuing on Tuesdays with the WSOP Main Event, we will set the stage for this intense competition and continue the excitement through the Final Table in October.”

For a full look at the schedule, read the story here at PokerNews.com.

In addition to the ESPN coverage, the World Series of Poker will be streaming the final tables of all 60 bracelet events straight to your computer from May 28 through July 8. This year’s prelim coverage will be aired on a five-minute delay without hole cards to comply with gaming regulations. David Tuchman will be joined by a rotating cast of analysts to provide commentary for the stream on WSOP.com.

For a full look at the schedule, read the story here at PokerNews.com.

Lock Poker Leaving Merge Network

Lock Poker is making big changes in the next few weeks. The online poker room announced Monday that it will be leaving the Merge Gaming Network and launching a new network called Revolution Gaming on June 1, 2012. As part of the move, Lock will be purchasing “selected” assets from the Cake Poker Network.

Lock Poker said in a press release that members of the LockPRO ELITE team will play a major role in “driving technology, marketing, player rewards and implementing a richer tournament schedule” at the new network, which will remain open to players residing on the U.S. Lock Poker is the largest skin on the Merge Gaming Network, which ranks eighth worldwide in online poker traffic according to PokerScout.com.

“We are very excited at the prospect of driving the product, marketing and overall vision of the network. It is a dream come true,” said Lock Poker CEO Jennifer Larson. “Merge was a great stepping stone for us but we have outgrown them. We really need to forge our own path to continued success. The only way to do this is to stay true to our of core philosophy: partnering with our players.”

For more, read the story here at PokerNews.com.

Bwin.Party Enters California

On Monday, bwin.party digital entertainment announced another partnership in anticipation of intrastate online poker legislation in the U.S. The U.K. online gaming giant agreed to a 10-year deal with the United Auburn Indian Community (UAIC) to provide online poker services in California once the activity is legalized.

In February, two California Senators introduced a bill that would allow online poker to be played within the state’s lines. The Internet Gambling Consumer Protection and Public-Private Partnership Act of 2012, also known as SB 1463, is still working its way through the California legislature amidst opposition from several tribal casinos.

Bwin.party co-CEO Jim Ryan told PokerNews in February that California is a “compelling market” for online poker, but realistically online poker won’t launch in the U.S. until 2013.

“California is the largest state in the U.S. in terms of population and is known to have a significant number of poker players who like to play poker online,” Ryan and co-CEO Norbert Teufelberger said in a press release on Monday. “Combining our own significant assets and resources with those of UAIC will create a strong partnership that is well-placed to seize the opportunities that will arise if appropriate online poker legislation is enacted in the Golden State.”

Bwin.party partnered with MGM Resorts and Boyd Gaming last October to offer intrastate online poker in Nevada. The company submitted a license with the Nevada Gaming Control Board in March.

Read more in the press release at MarketWatch.com.

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DeepStacks at Mohegan Sun

On Thursday, the brand new DeepStacks Poker Tour announced a partnership with Mohegan Sun to host a series of championship poker events over the next few years.

The deal will initially see the DeepStacks Poker Tour Mohegan Sun National Championship take place from Dec. 1 through 3, 2012, featuring a $2,500 buy-in event with a $500,000 guarantee. DeepStacks Pros Michael Mizrachi, Mike Matusow, Randal Flowers and Justin “Boosted J” Smith will be among the players in attendance.

The championship final table will be televised regionally, with Joe Stapleton and Tristan “Cre8ive” Wade calling the action.

“Having one of the most respected brands in the world as our national casino partner is truly an honor,” said DeepStacks CEO Chris Torina. “Mohegan Sun is one of the world’s premier resort and gaming destinations. We couldn’t be happier to join forces with such a great casino.”

The winner of each DeepStacks Poker Tour event will earn a seat to the DSPT National Championship at Mohegan Sun. Billy Vogel won the first event of the DeepStacks Poker Tour in Niagara Falls in February.

Read the full press release at DeepStacks.com.

Poker Legislation

New Jersey Has a Situation

Earlier this year, New Jersey Sen. Raymond Lesniak told PokerNews that the state would have online poker up and running in the state by the end of 2012.

Now, it seems, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has thrown another wrench into Lesniak’s plans.

According to Philly.com, Christie’s political ambitions could prevent the state from approving online gambling anytime soon. Christie is a major supporter of Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney and has been mentioned as a possible running mate for Romney in this year’s election. Romney, meanwhile, is believed to be courting the support of casino billionaire Sheldon Adelson, who is stubbornly opposed to online poker legislation on the U.S.

That set of circumstances doesn’t bode well for the online gaming industry or casinos in Atlantic City.

“Christie is putting the future of A.C. in jeopardy because of his overriding concern for support from [Sheldon] Adelson,” Lesniak told Philly.com last week. “Atlantic City casino revenues have declined 29 of the 30 months since Gov. Christie’s been in office. Internet gaming will add $200 million a year to their revenues, and likely will make the difference between some closing or staying open and saving hundreds of jobs.”

Read more at Philly.com.

Spain’s Regulated Gaming Market Set for June

After months of delays, Spain’s new regulated online gambling market will open on June 1, 2012. The country is following the lead of European nations like Italy, Denmark and France by introducing a new set of standards for the industry.

PokerNews Spain reports that Spanish gaming licenses are expected to be handed out by the end of June. More than 60 operators submitted applications for licenses late last year, according to numerous reports. Among the rumored online poker rooms interested in the space were PokerStars, bwin.party, 888, and Ladbrokes. Once operators are approved for the license they can begin operating under a “dot-es” domain.

Under the new market regulations, the online poker player pool will initially be segregated, but changes could be made beginning next year to allow players to compete against other nations of the European Union.

All operators without a license will be prohibited from offering their services to Spanish gamblers. Bodog was among a handful of sites that recently exited the market ahead of the country’s new gambling regulations.

PokerNews Spain has more.

European Sites Added to Belgian Blacklist

Internet service providers in Belgium have been ordered to block more online gambling providers from offering services to residents in the country.

The Belgian Gaming Commission has blacklisted Bwin, Betsson, Betfair and William Hill, along with several other operators that offer online poker and other forms of online gambling. Those providers join the likes of 888, TitanPoker, EverestPoker and ChiliPoker in being blocked in Belgium.

Under the new Belgian Gambling Act, players are only allowed to play on licensed sites, and the nation’s four largest Internet service providers are in the process of barring unauthorized domains. PartyPoker.com and iPoker, two of the biggest online poker sites in the world, have called the Gambling Act “unenforceable” because it leaves issues of taxation unresolved.

Three sites were granted licenses in February: PokerStars.be, Partouche.be and Casino777.be. PokerStars secured a license after developing a partnership with online casino operator Circus Groupe, allowing the world’s leading poker site to operate under the regulation of the Belgian Gaming Commission.

Read more at eGaming Review.

Online Poker

“rUaBot” Crushes Kid Poker

The inaugural PokerStars Limit Hold’em Challenge took place Saturday afternoon, pitting one of poker’s most familiar faces against a player whose identity remains unknown to the poker masses.

Team PokerStars Pro Daniel Negreanu was set to face off against German limit hold’em specialist “rUaBot” in a match consisting of at most 1,250 hands of $200/400 limit hold’em. Both players began with $75,000, and the winner would be determined by whoever had more money at the end of the match.

After a back-and-forth battle for the first couple hundred hands, “rUaBot” gradually extended his lead and closed out the $75,000 win after just 937 hands. Negreanu, a two-time limit hold’em bracelet winner at the WSOP, was noticeably frustrated after just over four hours of play, as evidenced by his chat after the match:

KidPoker: gg

rUaBot: gg

rUaBot: sorry for the sick run

KidPoker: its ok just glad its over!

KidPoker: have never in my life played 2 tables HU LH and I never will again

rUaBot: big thanks for playing here

rUaBot: oh

KidPoker: good night

For more details of the match, check out the PokerStars Blog.

Don’t Mess with PokerStars

PokerStars’ crackdown on third-party poker tracking websites continued this week when Sharkscope and Official Poker Rankings (OPR) complied with requests to operate only as an opt-in service for customers.

PokerFuse reports that Sharkscope and OPR have already implemented the new policy after making announcements on their websites. Both popular services have tracked online tournament results for years across a multitude of online poker rooms. PokerStars, however, has determined that the ability for players to extract information about new opponents ultimately creates an unpleasant environment, especially for the novice player. SharkScope and OPR had been using the opt-in method on a trial basis since 2009.

Earlier this year, PokerStars issued a cease and desist notice to data mining site Poker Table Ratings, which removed the profiles and statistics of all players on the site. Poker-Edge, another tracking site, followed suit a short time later.

PokerFuse has more.

Poker Players

Dwan Being Dwan

Hundreds of pros are gearing up for the World Series of Poker by honing their tournament skills playing the PokerStars Spring Championship of Online Poker this month. Tom Dwan, however, has been noticeably absent from the series.

Apparently, Dwan has been busy mixing it up with some Chinese businessmen at Macau’s Poker King Club, which has housed some of the biggest cash games in the world over the past two years. The games have been running as high as HKD $30,000/$60,000 (US $3,850/$7,700), with many pots hitting seven figures.

On Thursday, Poker Portal Asia reported that Dwan won a pot worth HKD $30 million (US $3.8 million) when he flopped top two pair with against an opponent’s on a board. All the money went in on the flop, and Dwan scooped a giant pile of plaques after the turn and river bricked.

Unfortunately, we don’t know much more about the action, but we can picture Dwan’s excitement as he raked in the pot:

Read more at Poker Portal Asia.

Daniel’s Weekly Rant

Daniel Negreanu was back at it this week with another Weekly Rant – one that didn’t get taken down by Zodiak Rights. In this rant, he discusses the WSOP Conference Call, WSOP APAC, and SCOOP. Don’t be annoyed by those birds in the background, they’re actually pretty cool – only because they can talk.

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