Bird on the Rail

The 2006 World Series of Poker grossed $159,595,825 in prize money. So, where did it all go?

GAVIN SMITH upgraded his Chevy Malibu to a CLK 55 AMG Silver Mercedes Benz Convertible. Gavin has always wanted a convertible and don’t think for a second he had to trade in his Harley for it – he’s keeping that, too! The question is, which is faster? Gav’s been testing the capacities of the new Benz, and got it up to 160mph on I-15.

After four WSOP cashes for nearly $400k, ERICK LINDGREN added a DIRECTV Satellite dish to the top of his blue Esplanade. E-Dog is a huge football fan, and can now watch any game, any time, anywhere. If you see his gold wheels shining in the desert, chances are he’s watching college football, Gonzaga Basketball, or a Sacramento Kings hockey game.

New kid on the block JEFF MADSEN isn’t getting too carried away. He bought some new clothes, went on a shopping spree at Best Buy, and took his friends and family out to a few nice dinners – but that’s it. The two-time bracelet winner plans to finish school and get his degree in film theory at the University of California, Santa Barbara. And, perk of all signing perks, Full Tilt is paying his tuition! The word around campus is that he even has groupies. Between school sessions, Madsen will play 15 major buy-in tournaments before the next WSOP.

PAUL WASICKA pledged 1% of his WSOP winnings to Put A Bad Beat On Cancer. His second place win for $6,100,000 ensured $61,000 for the charity, which he pledged in honor of his poker friend and mentor, Mike Odeh, who is suffering from stage three lung cancer. Tenbracelet- holder PHIL HELLMUTH pledged $25,000, and ANDY BLOCH, runner-up in the H.O.R.S.E. tournament, donated more than $11,000 to fulfill his 1%. Phil Gordon’s Roshambo event raised an additional $25,000 for his “I’ll Raise You a Million Challenge,” which aims to raise one million dollars this year for the Cancer Research and Prevention Foundation.

Casinos often host lavish events for their biggest players. Most recently, the Wynn put on an ultra-exclusive invite-only poker tournament. Around 80 players competed in a free NL Hold’em event. Don’t let the lack of buy-in fool you; the prizes were worth a trip to Vegas. First prize was $500,000 and the second-place winner drove off in a Maserati. Supermogul Warren Buffet was in attendance, as were many of the top “whales” in Vegas. Buffet is no newcomer to the Wynn. He has an annual celebrity-studded party with NetJets that Negreanu and other poker pros have attended. At this year’s summer party, a Ferrari was given away.

YOUTUBE.COM,the be-all-end-all website of homemade videos and global coffee-break laughs, is all the rage. More than 70 million videos are watched daily, and the poker world has its piece of the virtual action, too. Check in and search “poker” (or for your favorite pro) to see short clips of tribute final table moments. Some of the rated favorites include Tony G busting out Ralph Perry at the International Poker Championship, Sammy Farha’s K-K vs. Barry Greenstein’s A-A on High Stakes Poker, and a medley of favorite scenes of Doc Holliday from the movie Tombstone. We all know that Phil Hellmuth is a star – to us, as well as in his own mind – and his presence on YouTube is extensive. One to watch is his homespun High Stakes Poker, where he gives the inside scoop to the betting that took place on Larry Flynt’s private jet on the way home from Monte Carlo with Phil Ivey, Mike Matusow, and Gus Hansen.

If you’ve ever dreamed of playing in the World Poker Tour, your chances just got a lot better. The WPT Boot Camp Caribbean Conference, to be held December 4-8 at Nassau’s Crystal Palace Casino in the Bahamas, is offering an unbelievable prize to one lucky conference winner. For only $3,995 (including airfare from Fort Lauderdale or Miami to the Bahamas, and accommodations at one of the Cable Beach resorts) players will get intensive instruction from T.J. Cloutier, Antonio “The Magician” Esfandiari, Phil “The Unabomber” Laak, Jen Tilly, Mark Seif, Clonie Gowen, Marcel “The Flying Dutchman” Luske, Michael “Grinder” Mizrachi, and Chip and Karina Jett. Tuition is followed by a three-day tournament, the winner of which will receive a “Season Pass” to World Poker Tour events. You heard us right! Free entry into 15 WPT Main Events, worth $160,000. There will be other big winners and goodies that go along with this super conference, so visit www.wptbootcamp.com or call 866-WPT-BOOT for more info.

Players are excited about the start of the PokerStars European Poker Tour. Now in its third season, the EPT consists of six events beginning in Barcelona and ending with the grand finale at the famed Monte Carlo Bay Hotel & Resort in Monaco. The tour takes place between September 13 and April 1, and has truly become a “destination” poker series because of its varied locations, which include England, Austria, Ireland, Denmark, and France.

Though Europe used to be considered a second-class citizen in the world of tournament poker, the Poker Stars EPT has definitely taken European tournament poker to a new level of prestige. Several players have made their name on the EPT, like Patrik Antonius, and Noah Boeken, and veteran player Rob Hollink raised his profile considerably by winning the EPT Grand Championship last year.