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What followed in the subsequent days will be remembered by poker players as one of the most difficult and trying times in the history of the game. Hundreds of thousands of players flocked to internet forums to read the details of the act and express their own sentiments. Many players reacted with frustration with both our government and those who supported the act. One member of a forum stated, “I will never again vote for anyone who supported this bill.” Others were downtrodden and confused; as one poster would ask, “Why do I feel like I’m being punished for something I didn’t do! Trying to make criminals out of everyday people through such awful, hypocritical legislation is just unbelievable. This bill lacks integrity completely.”
Poker players from around the world came together and urged all players to write to their respective representatives in Congress to express their concerns. Alliances were formed to take collective stands against the decisions our government made. Most important of these communities, perhaps, has been the Poker Players Alliance (PPA), a group of professional and casual players bound by one cause: to protect the game of poker in the face of Federal legislation. Michael Bolcerek, the President of the PPA, issued the following statement:
“We continue to demand that poker receive separate treatment from other forms of gaming. It is a game of skill, where performance is merited, and a community game, where the house is not your competition. These are real and significant differences. Our desire is to achieve the same type of exemption from legislation that other interests have received (Horseracing, Lotteries, and Fantasy Sports). We will continue to push forward to obtain this separate treatment when Congress comes back from the elections and into the next legislative session. Between now and when the new bill becomes effective (3 to 9 months) poker has an opportunity to achieve the same exemption. This is our most immediate shortterm goal.”
The first major repercussion of the signing of the bill was the decision of Party Poker to halt the processing of payments between US customers and Party Gaming. Party Poker had long been the largest internet poker site in the world, and the fallout would be substantial. In the following month, many of the largest poker sites in the world would sever connections with US customers, including Paradise Poker and all of the skins of the Cryptologic network. One company that surged through all of the dissension was Poker Stars, which made a commitment to its US customers to continue providing games and tournaments to anyone who would like to play.
One of the brighter notes in the aftermath of the legislation was the news that Neteller, the world’s largest independent money transfer business, would maintain its operations as usual, providing its services to US customers. This meant that, even though a lot of websites were pulling out of the US market, you could still find a new site and would have legal and appropriate ways of funding it.
However, on January 18th, breaking news that Neteller had decided that it was in its best interest to stop business with US customers, spread like wildfire across the internet. While there are still alternatives and viable ways to get your money to your favorite online poker sites, the process has become more challenging and frustrating to those who have been feeling the effects of this legislation.
Amid the confusion of the last few months, one thing remains certain. In order to protect our rights as players of this game of skill, there must be a motivated, optimistic, and intelligent approach to countering the legislation. We encourage anyone who is concerned and interested in furthering the cause to visit and join the Poker Players Alliance at www.pokerplayersalliance.org.
THE BIGGEST GAME IN TOWN
It all started with a phone call from our Bluff HQ in London. Rumor had it that Andy Beal, the big shot billionaire whose poker games with a group of top name pros were chronicled by Michael Craig, in his book The Professor, the Banker, and the Suicide King, was headed to Vegas to resume those epic games. That evening, we were on a plane in search of the biggest poker game in the world. When we found the game at the Wynn, shortly after it began, Andy Beal and Todd Brunson were playing $50,000/$100,000 Limit Hold’em. Also spotted at the table was the author himself, Michael Craig. During one of the breaks in the action, Bluff was able to negotiate a deal with Craig, which would bring every detail of this game exclusively to Bluff Magazine readers.
There were three separate trips over the month of February. It seemed that after nine days of fierce competition, Andy Beal was walking away from the game a winner, something he hadn’t done much of in the past. In the May issue of Bluff, Craig wrote of the final moments of the second of three sessions of the 2006 Beal games:
At 12:32 pm, Beal won the last of his opponents’ $10 million. By 12:45, I knew he was destined to lose it all back.
On February 21st, Andy Beal was back in Las Vegas, and this time Phil Ivey would be the opponent. Over the next three days, Ivey won close to $16 million from Andy, which covered the money the group had lost the previous week and earned an additional $6 million in profit. The total could have been more, but over the first two days, the stakes of the match were dropped to $30,000/$60,000.
Since that last day of play, on February 23rd, the poker world has waited hungrily for an Andy Beal sighting, but so far there has been no sign of the gentleman billionaire. Could 2007 bring even more high stakes excitement? We certainly hope so…
HELLMUTH ON RAMPAGE AT WSOP
In 2005 Johnny Chan become the first ever poker player to win a tenth World Series of Poker bracelet and Doyle Brunson was quick to follow Johnny a few days later. That left one man still sitting with nine: Phil Hellmuth.
Phil showed the poker world he meant business early on by cashing in the first open event at the 2006 WSOP, and he followed that up with another solid performance, coming in 13th in the $3,000 Limit Hold’em event on July 2nd. Then, on July 6th, Phil was in the position he had been waiting for – at the final table of the $5,000 NL Hold’em event. He had a tall order ahead of him, as the table was stacked with the likes of Marcel Luske, Eugene Todd, and Isabelle Mercier. Phil dismantled the table with skill and grace, and looked well on his way to getting a hold of that tenth bracelet. That is, until he ran into a young man by the name of Jeff Cabanillas. Phil came in second and was graceful in defeat; the world would have to wait for King Hellmuth to put that tenth piece of gold around his wrist.
Hellmuth had another crack a few weeks later, making another final table; this time in the $3,000 Omaha H/L event. Fate once again cheated Phil of number ten in what we all thought would be his last chance in ’06 to close the deal. We were wrong.
On July 25th, 2006, Phil proved once more that he’s as good as he says he is by steamrolling the final table of the $1,000 rebuy NL Hold’em event, and winning his record-tying tenth bracelet. Time to kick back, relax, and let the Dom Perignon flow, right? Wrong again! Phil wanted number eleven. And man, was he close! During the madness of the final days of the Main Event, tucked away in the RIO, Phil made a run at event 45. Once again, he came oh-so-close, but had to settle for third. All in all, Phil had eight cashes, one bracelet, and won close to $1.2 million dollars. We never doubted you once, Phil!
JAMIE GOLD DOMINATES WSOP MAIN EVENT
Everybody dreams of winning the World Series of Poker Main Event. In 2007, 8,773 people had a shot at fulfilling their dreams. Only one man would be able to claim the victory.
Jamie Gold, former Hollywood agent to the stars, was that guy. On Day 4 of the Main Event, Jamie took the chip lead. On Day 5 he still had it. Day 6, he had 2 million more chips than his closest competitor. At the end of Day 7, Gold held a huge lead going into the final table, with over $25 million in chips. Jamie had dominated the Main Event, and held the chip lead for four days, a feat that is unmatched. His aggressive style and table talk seemed to keep his opponents baffled and tilting. He now had nine opponents left and wasn’t looking to let his lead slip one bit.
The poker world thought differently. Allen Cunningham was hovering in the background in second with a whopping $17 million, and many thought the seasoned pro would be able to pick apart the flamboyant amateur. The poker world was wrong, and when Gold knocked out Cunningham in fourth, like he had done to so many others before him, the crown was almost his. Gold dispensed of Michael Binger, and then Paul Wasicka, to take the 2006 Main Event and a hefty $12 million purse.
ENTER HORSE, $50K H.O.R.S.E THAT IS.
This year’s World Series of Poker was like nothing ever seen before, with its massive fields, huge prize pools, big name final tables, and a new event: an event that would only attract the Who’s Who in poker; the cream of the crop; an event that many considered to be the “real” championship event – the $50k buy-in H.O.R.S.E tournament. With 143 entrants and a prize pool of close to $7 million, nobody really knew what to expect. It was scheduled as a three-day event, and they weren’t kidding! These players battled long and hard during the first two days of the event, which included a nineteen-hour Day 2 that went into the wee hours of the morning. As the field dwindled from 143 to 9, the cream did rise to the top, and the world was ready to experience one of the greatest tables assembled in poker’s history: Doyle Brunson, Chip Reese, Phil Ivey, TJ Cloutier, Dewey Tomko, David Singer, Jim Bechtel, Andy Bloch, and Patrik Antonius.
The atmosphere was electric. Gary Wise, Bluff blogger, summed it up best when he said:
“This is it. This is the next evolution of poker. Today we see the greatest table of all time ending the most skill-based tournament ever played. This is the day we introduce HORSE to the world, expanding the viewer’s definition of poker beyond mere Hold’em. The next poker is here; it’s poker, the real deal.
“Twenty-seven bracelets decorate this table. The old guard, the new guard, the live and online communities are all represented. We’ve survived an old-style marathon to get here, with these players lasting nineteen hours last night.”
The night did not disappoint, and we saw some amazing poker. It came down to Chip Reese, one of the best poker players in the world, and Andy Bloch, the MIT superstar. Heads up was epic, the longest in WSOP history. And when the dust settled, Chip Reese took the coveted bracelet and a first prize worth over $1.7 million. Oh, and the title of the Best All Around Poker Player in the World, too.
OSCAR WINNING PERFORMANCE FROM JEFF MADSEN
A lot’s been said about the new breed of poker player: the young, brash, internet players who are dominating fields around the poker world. But Jeff Madsen doesn’t really fit into that category. The 21-year-old film student from Santa Barbara knew he could play, and was ready to put his skills to the test in a few World Series events. Unlike many of the other youngsters that pepper the poker scene, keen to show off their NL Hold’em prowess, it was an Omaha H/L event where Jeff first made his mark. Not a game for beginners, that’s for sure. He turned his meager bankroll into just over $97,000 by taking third place in the event. Unfortunately for his opponents, that was just the start.
A little over a week later, Jeff went on to become the youngest in history to ever win a WSOP bracelet. Jeff beat out over 1,500 players and took home close to $700,000. Madsen, fresh off his victory, decided he could maybe play a few more events now. Eric Froelich, in the meantime, had decided that, since Jeff had broken his record for the youngest ever player to win a bracelet, he now needed to become the youngest ever to win two bracelets, and he did. Sorry, Eric, this Madsen kid is just not gonna let you keep any of your records.
On July 22nd, playing heads up against one of the greatest players in the world, Erick Lindgren, Jeff once again was in the record books. He was now the youngest ever to win two bracelets. This kid was for real! You would think that Jeff would be ready to sail off into the sunset with his newfound bling; but no, he just had to play some Seven-card Stud H/L two days later and final-tabled that one, too. How’s that for a film, Jeff? Come into the WSOP a total unknown and leave with two bracelets, four final tables, over $1 million in winnings, and a 2006 WSOP player of the year title? Hopefully, for Jeff, that’s just the opening scene.
AUSSIE, AUSSIE, AUSSIE, OI, OI, OI!
No, we didn’t forget this wasn’t 2005. But anyone who thought Joe Hachem was some one hit wonder who luckboxed his way to a Main Event win is sorely mistaken. Joe followed up his impressive 2005 Main Event victory with a very spectacular year. He made two WSOP final tables in 2006, as well as becoming one of only four players to win both a WSOP Main Event and a WPT title. Joe joined the likes of Doyle Brunson, Chris Ferguson, and Carlos Mortensen, by winning the 2006 Five-Diamond Classic. Earlier in the year, Joe also found himself heads up for his second WSOP bracelet, but unfortunately fell just short when Dutch Boyd spiked a miracle card to crush the Aussie’s dreams. Joe found his way to that familiar final table felt once more in the $2,500 PL Hold’em event, but, again, found himself getting unlucky. We here at Bluff know, like the rest of the world now, that Joe is the real deal and we look forward to seeing a lot more of the Aussie Prince in years to come.
GOLD VS. LEYSER
Although you never hear much about the deals made between players in the poker world, the code among players says when you make a verbal agreement, you pay the man. But when there’s $6 million on the line, you better believe any deal made may turn messy. The details are spotty at best, but we do know this: Allegedly, in return for helping Crispin Leyser fill some celebrity seats in this past year’s Main Event, Jamie Gold swapped fifty percent of himself. This was, however, before Gold became a one man wrecking crew, mowing down opponents left, right, and center on his way to world domination. When it came time to pay up, it seems that Mr. Gold didn’t recall any deal being made at all. What does all this mean? Well, $6 million dollars is frozen at the RIO until the matter is decided in court. C’mon guys, let’s work this out in 2007. It’s only $6 million, after all.
A NEW BREED
“Barely Legal” Poker Players take Live Tournaments byStorm One of the great success stories of 2006 is the rise to dominance of the young players and internet qualifiers. In 2003, Chris Moneymaker rocked the poker world by winning the 2003 World Series of Poker, but it wasn’t until 2006 that the wealth of internet players overwhelmed the live professionals in live tournaments.
The first major tournament of the year took place in the Bahamas for the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure. Well-known internet professional Steve Paul-Ambrose took first in that event for a prize of over 1.3 million dollars.
When the World Series of Poker began, common wisdom was that the live professionals still had a significant edge over the many young, inexperienced players. Jeff Madsen quickly dispelled that notion, winning two bracelets and making four final tables before going on to win WSOP Player of the Year.
Other young guns with huge results in 2006 were Shannon Shorr, Justin Bonomo, Mark Newhouse, Andreas Walnum, Chad Bautista, and Eric Froelich.
FAREWELLS
Puggy Pearson
Puggy Pearson was born Walter Clyde Pearson in 1929. The nickname “Puggy” came from a horrific accident Puggy suffered as a child that left him with a disfigured nose. Puggy entered the Navy at a young age and honed his skills there as a pool player. He eventually became known as one of the top billiards players in the world, and then started playing poker. In 1973, Puggy solidified his place in poker history by winning the World Series of Poker Main Event, defeating the great Johnny Moss heads up for the bracelet. Puggy passed on April 12, 2006. Those who knew Puggy will always remember him as an instinctive player and personable man, always sitting at the table with cigar lit and singing whatever song was in his head for all to hear.
Paul Hannum
Paul Hannum passed away on August 3, 2006 from complications following an appendectomy. Paul was best known in the poker world as a cameraman for the World Poker Tour. The WPT revolutionized the way the lens approached the poker table, and Hannum is responsible for a great deal of that innovative vision.
Outside of the poker world, Paul was known as a very loving and generous family man and an acclaimed filmmaker. A website and charity have been launched to help provide for Paul’s fiancée Sarah and their new baby Cameron, who was born on October 24th. Visit the website at www.babyhannum.com.
Party Poker
For a very long time, Party Poker was as synonymous with internet poker as Microsoft is with computer technology. The overwhelming giant in the industry, Party Poker offered more games and tournaments than any website, and always had more people logged in playing at any given time than other sites did.
Party Poker was the first major internet poker website to announce that they would be cutting off all transactions with US customers following legislation that outlawed poker sites from dealing with US financial institutions.
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