May 15 2012, Brett Collson

Looking for the day’s biggest poker stories? You’ve come to the right place. In this edition of the Nightly Turbo we’re bringing you Phil Galfond’s latest blog, the official launch of PokerStars’ Zoom Poker, and more.

In Case You Missed It

Shaun Deeb has been crushing tournaments during the PokerStars Spring Championship of Online Poker. Rich Ryan discussed that and more in his latest Five Thoughts piece.

Kurt Jewell has been a monster on the World Series of Poker Circuit since the 2010-2011 season. Jewell sat down with Chad Holloway to discuss his recent success.

Fifteen players won PokerStars SCOOP titles on Monday. Martin Harris and Mickey Doft break down all of the winners in the Day 9 SCOOP recap.

Galfond’s Early Years

Phil Galfond’s introduction to poker certainly doesn’t compare to the exhilarating tales of most old-school gamblers, but the high-stakes wizard’s ascension to the nosebleed games should still be fascinating to most poker enthusiasts.

On Tuesday, Galfond shared his story in a blog entry titled My Poker (+other) Story. The 5,000-plus word entry includes Galfond’s first taste of online poker during college, his decision to drop out of school to become a poker pro, and the surprising relationships he’s built because of that decision.

Here’s a particularly funny excerpt from the blog:

I’m an introvert, so I enjoy my alone time. Actually, I need my alone time. I like people, sure, but too long in a crowded environment with no chance to get away is debilitating. I need my alone time to reset. My room was poker plus alone time – heaven.

My heaven was part of a three bedroom apartment. I shared it with two girls, one of whom was sure I was gay for the majority of that year. I think it was because I had a small poster on the outside of my door of a cat with a tiara that read “I’m a Princess” (I thought it was funny), and because she never saw me with a girl.

Galfond is a gifted writer and his story will hit home with a lot of poker grinders out there. You can find his blog at PhilGalfond.com.

Zoom Poker Launches

PokerStars has officially launched Zoom Poker after a successful beta release that resulted in skyrocketing traffic numbers on the world’s leading online poker site.

PokerStars says it dealt more than 300 million hands of the fast-action Zoom Poker during the two month beta phase. Zoom was originally only available for low stakes no-limit hold’em, but it is now available in Omaha, Omaha hi/lo and five-card draw with stakes ranging up to $2.50/5.

“Zoom Poker offers people a different way to play poker,” said Team PokerStars Pro Daniel Negreanu. “Recreational players, who want more constant action, will be able to fold instantly and wait for better hands, while pro grinders will be able to get in hundreds of more hands an hour and win more. On top of all that, it’s just so much fun to play!”

In addition, Zoom Poker Mobile has been released on the Android platform for players on PokerStars.com, PokerStars.eu and PokerStars.net. The new Android app also includes scrollable lobby menus to ease navigation, improved search, a new auto-rebuy function, and various other improvements.

For an in-depth look at Zoom Poker, check out Matthew Pitt’s review here at PokerNews.com.

Full Tilt Poker Staffers Decline Tapie’s Offer

According to Gaming Intelligence, Full Tilt Poker employees in Dublin have declined an offer from Groupe Bernard Tapie to join a new online poker venture in Paris.

One day after GBT’s deal with the U.S. Department of Justice fell through, Laurent Tapie emailed high-ranking FTP staff members with a job offer, according to a report by Diamond Flush Poker. In the email, Tapie laid out plans to write a new poker software platform and relaunch using a new brand.

Apparently, Tapie’s offer wasn’t tempting enough to lure key FTP employees from company headquarters in Ireland. Gaming Intelligence reports that the employees have been told that the deal with PokerStars is moving forward. PokerStars has remained mum about the deal other than to reiterate that discussions with the DOJ are ongoing.

Read the full story at Gaming Intelligence (paywall warning).

Mizrachi Signs Extension with Breeders’ Cup

DeepStacks Pro Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi has renewed his contract with the Breeders’ Cup through 2012. “The Grinder” will resume his role in helping raise awareness of the Breeders’ Cup within the poker community.

The two-time World Series of Poker and World Poker Tour champ will take part in the Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge and will actively encourage his fellow poker pros to participate in the $10,000 handicapping event. The Breeders’ Cup will take place Nov. 2 through 3 at Santa Anita Park outside of Los Angeles.

“Partnering with the Breeders’ Cup has been amazing” said Mizrachi. “I look forward to fine-tuning my handicapping skills as I prepare for the Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge. Check my Twitter and Facebook accounts for updates as I plan to visit a number of tracks throughout the summer.”

As part of his deal last year, Mizrachi hosted the inaugural DeepStacks Poker Tour Breeders’ Cup Celebrity Invitational, which attracted big names like Mike “The Mouth” Matusow, John Racener, David Williams and Karina Jett, as well as NBA players Brian Cardinal, Jermaine Taylor and Carl Landry. The second event will be held later this year.

Read more at Deepstacks.com.

A Record Made to be Broken?

Is Phil Laak’s Guinness World Record for sleep deprivation consecutive hours playing poker in jeopardy? Barry Denson seems to think so.

The Manchester, U.K., native will take a shot at Laak’s feat at the G Casino in Manchester beginning on Sunday, July 1, 2012. Denson, an ex-Territorial Army soldier, will attempt to raise money for Help For Heroes, a charity aimed at helping Britain’s soldiers that have been wounded since September 11, 2001.

“One of the biggest challenges will be finding enough players to play me,” said Denson. “Guinness World Records will only allow other players to play for up to four hours at a time so we need as many players as possible to come along and take part, especially in the early hours or the mornings!”

Laak played 115 straight hours at the Bellagio in Las Vegas in 2010. He could barely put together a sentence by the end of the marathon, as you’ll see in this interview with PokerNews’ Kristy Arnett.

Read more at tnplmanchester.com.

Illinois Joins Online Poker Race

Illinois made history in March by becoming the first state to offer online lottery tickets on the Internet. Now, legislation has been introduced that could ultimately allow the state to offer other forms of online gambling like poker.

On Tuesday, Senate President John Cullerton proposed an amendment to a bill that would create the division of Internet Gaming within the Illinois Lottery. Illinois officials estimate the state would gain hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue under the new legislation.

The Chicago Democrat reports that the bill has to be approved by May 31 in order to qualify under legislation pending in the U.S. Senate.

Cullerton’s proposal comes nearly five months after the Department of Justice changed its position on the Wire Act of 1961. On Dec. 22, the DOJ released a response to Illinois and New York regarding the Wire Act’s effect on intrastate sales of lottery tickets via the Internet. In the memo, the DOJ found that the Wire Act only applies to sports betting.

Reuters has more.

The Return of Durrrr?

Even though he’s been playing the biggest games in the world in Macau, Tom Dwan is getting the itch to play online poker again.

During his trip to the Philippines for the Manilla Millions, Dwan told CalvinAyre.com’s Tatjana Pasalic that traveling and finding games to play is becoming a grind, and that game selection is proving much more difficult than on the virtual felts. Dwan also discussed U.S. legislation, the Epic Poker League, World Series of Poker bracelet bets, and the downfall of his former employer Full Tilt Poker.

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April 23 2012, Chad Holloway

The 2011-2012 World Series of Poker Circuit Harrah’s St. Louis Main Event concluded on Monday when Tripp Kirk conquered the 625-player field to capture the $190,961 first-place prize and punch his ticket to this summer’s National Championship – not to mention laying claim to his second gold ring.

Twenty-one players remained at the beginning of the third and final day, but it didn’t take long for them to fall. Michael McKuin was the first player to exit, busting within minutes of the day’s start. Not long after, WSOP Circuit phenom and unfailing casher, Alexandru Masek, opened to 32,000, Dave Schwartz called behind and Brian Davis made it 100,000 to go from the small blind. Masek took just a few seconds to move his stack in the middle, Schwartz got out of the way, and Davis called.

Showdown

The board ran out an uneventful and Masek was denied his record-tying fifth gold ring, finishing in 20th place for $8,021. From there, 10 more players hit the rail before the final table was reached, with a particularly exciting hand occurring on the bubble.

It happened when there was around 400,000 in the pot and a board reading , Bradley Lipsey checked to Brian “Big Kat” Davis, who bet 225,000. Lipsey stood up from his chair, looked at his stack, asked for a count, and then announced that he was all in. Davis called off his last 380,000 and the cards were turned up.

Showdown

Davis had spiked a jack on the turn to come from behind and take the lead. He was a 95 percent favorite to double on the hand. Unfortunately for him, and much to the astonishment of the railbirds and players alike, the peeled off on the river to give Lipsey the winning set. A shell-shocked Davis was eliminated from the Harrah’s St. Louis Main Event in 10th place for $14,259, bringing about the official final table.

Pre-Final Table WSOP Circuit Harrah’s St. Louis Payouts

At the final table, Jerry Milanos became the first elimination after his ran into the of Tim Killday on a flop. Neither the turn nor river helped Milanos, and he became the ninth-place finisher.

The next player to go was James Russell, who found himself all in preflop for around 700,000 holding and racing against the of Chris Conrad. Any excitement quickly dissipated when the flop delivered a set for Conrad and a huge lead. The turn left Russell drawing dead, and he made his way to the payout desk in eighth place after the was put out on the river.

A short time later, after a flop of , Jeff Fitzgerald checked to Charles “Woody” Moore, who bet 200,000. Fitzgerald responded with a check-raise to 460,000, Moore moved all in, Fitzgerald quickly called off his stack, and the cards were turned up.

Showdown

It was top two pair versus bottom set with Moore out in front. In order to survive, Fitzgerald needed to catch either an ace or nine, but it was not meant to be as the appeared on the turn followed by the on the river. Fitzgerald became the seventh-place finisher for $28,445.

After dinner, Lipsey opened for 130,000 and received a call from Killday, who then turned around and led out for 300,000 on the flop. Lipsey thought for a few moments before moving all in and Killday snap-called.

Showdown

Lipsey had flopped top pair but ran straight into the nuts. The left Lipsey drawing dead, and after the was put out on the river, he made his way to the rail in sixth place. “You led out,” Lipsey said to Killday. “That’s what got me.”

Minutes later, Gannesh Letchumanan moved his short stack all in preflop and got a call from Kirk. The blinds released and the hands were tabled.

Showdown

The board ran out and Kirk’s two pair sent Letchumanan to the rail in fifth place for $48,224.

Moore, fresh off a runner-up finish in the Council Bluffs Main Event, impressed many with a fourth-place finish in St. Louis. His demise came when he was in the small blind and limped, prompting Kirk to check his option in the big. When the flop fell , Moore checked, Tripp bet 60,000 and Moore check-raised to 225,000. Kirk flatted and then snap-called when Moore shipped his chips in the middle on the turn.

Moore knew he was in trouble when he showed , but it was worse than he could have expected because he was drawing dead to Kirk’s . The was put out on the river to seal the deal, and Moore shook hands with the other three players before taking his leave in fourth place.

During three-handed play, Kirk and Conrad got involved in a preflop raising war where Conrad ended up all in with against Kirk’s . Conrad, who began the day as chip leader, was clearly dejected, and even more so when the flop came down . The turn sent Conrad from his seat, and the river sent him out the door in third place, good for $86,372.

Kirk began heads-up play with an almost 2:1 chip lead, and it didn’t take long for the final hand to develop. On a board reading , Killday checked to Kirk, who fired out 200,000. Killday thought for a moment before announcing, “All in.”

“Call,” Kirk snapped and rolled over . Killday sheepishly turned over and it was all over. Even before the was put out on the river, Kirk was out of his seat celebrating with his friends. Killday sought comfort with his own rail, and will have a $118,119 payday to help ease the pain.

WSOP Circuit Harrah’s St. Louis Final Table Payouts

That does it for PokerNews’ coverage from the WSOP Circuit Harrah’s St. Louis. Next stop? Harrah’s Chester near Philadelphia that runs from April 26 through May 7, 2012. Join the PokerNews Live Reporting Team the for all the action from the 2011-2012 WSOP Circuit’s second-to-last stop.

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