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‘Controversial’ Online Players Take to the Tables Down Under
Two of online poker’s most controversial figures, Josh “JJProdigy” Field and Mark Teltscher, made the trip to Melbourne, Australia for the 2008 Aussie Millions — largely because both players were banned from entering the Poker Stars Caribbean Adventure in the Bahamas. Apparently, Field’s and Teltscher’s ban from playing on Poker Stars also extends to the site’s live events. Field’s Poker Stars account was permanently closed in February 2006 after an internal investigation revealed that he had been playing on multiple accounts during online tournaments, while Teltscher continues to be embroiled in scandal following this year’s WCOOP Main Event, in which he allegedly played on his own account, busted from the event, then resumed playing the tournament under an account registered to his sister. Controversial or not, both players did rather well at the Aussie Millions — Field final-tabled the $2,000 mixed Pot Limit event Hold’em/Omaha/
Omaha 8/B), while Teltscher finished runner-up to Howard Lederer in the $100,000 buy-in NLHE event, winning $650,000.
The Stars Align in Melbourne
Michael Vartan, star of the ABC television series Alias and Big Shots, was a surprise visitor to the Aussie Millions. Freed from his television commitments due to the ongoing
Hollywood writers’ strike, the actor played all of the NLHE preliminary events at the Aussie Millions and, at press time, is scheduled to play in the Main Event. Vartan has been playing poker for five years and frequently plays online. His skills are nothing to sneeze at — Vartan went deep in two events and went all in with the best hand in both, only to face brutal suckouts. Shannon Elizabeth was also spotted at the Crown Casino playing $2/$5 NLHE as well as a few single-table satellites. In one satellite, she had made it down to threehanded play, when she got it all in on the turn after her K-Q made two pair. Unfortunately, that turn card also made her opponent’s straight, causing Elizabeth to leave the table in a huff. Her parting words to her opponent? “You suck!”
Perhaps she’ll fare better in the Main Event, as Mansion Poker agreed at the last minute to pick up her $10,000 buy-in.
The Aussie Millions’ Craziest Side Game
After a $1,000/point Chinese poker match failed to materialize, Gavin Smith and a few friends decided it would be much more fun to spend the evening playing some low limit No Limit. The Crown Casino staff opened up a private $2/$3 NLHE table for the occasion, and Peter “Nordberg” Feldman, Paul Wasicka, Matt Savage and BLUFF’s own Paul “Dr. Pauly” McGuire joined Smith and his fiancé to sling some cards and enjoy more than a few cocktails. The game drew a crowd three deep on the rail and the rotating cast of dealers went out of their minds trying to keep the game running, as Smith and Company asked permission to do things like show one card post-flop and agree in advance to check certain streets down. By the end of the evening, no fewer than three drinks had been spilled on the table, one schooner of lager ending up in Wasicka’s lap. The game’s big winner? Smith’s fiancé, who ended up with over $3,000 in her stack (in a $200 buy-in game!).
The Aussie Millions Fashion Report
In the laid-back beach culture of Australia, almost anything goes at the poker tables. Roland de Wolfe left his loud Hawaiian shirts at home and played the Main Event in a smart white button-down with gray stripes, while Jimmy “Gobboboy” Fricke appeared to have an endless supply of tie-dye T-shirts in his suitcase. Allen Cunningham sported what would have ordinarily been a perfectly nice black hooded sweater on Day 1A of the Main Event, were it not for the obnoxious patches of Burberry plaid on the sleeves. The usually chic Clonie Gowen unfortunately donned a frilly black and white baby-doll dress at the Celebrity/Media event that reminded this little birdie of a French maid’s outfit... paging Mr. Blackwell! An incredibly fit-looking Annie Duke sweated her brother Howard Lederer en route to his victory in the $100,000 NLHE event clad in caramel-colored boots tucked into skintight jeans, and chatted with friends on the rail about her newfound love for distance running in the steep canyons near her Hollywood Hills home. J.J. Liu was colorful as ever in a floral and leopard-print silk blouse while that other JJ (Prodigy) took hipster-chic to a new low in skinny gray jeans and red trimmed Converse high-tops.
Ivey Wins $160k at LAX
While waiting at an airport gate, most people might read a magazine, check email, or make a couple of last-minute phone calls. If you’re Phil Ivey, you play a little 500/$1000 Pot Limit Omaha just to pass the time. Ivey sat at his eponymous “Thunderdome” headsup table and took on high-stakes online player “Zigmund” while waiting in an airport lounge at Los Angeles International to board his 15 1/2 hour flight to Melbourne for the Aussie Millions. After multiple $100k pots exchanged hands, Ivey quit a $160,000 winner.
Prop Bet of the Month -- Could You Live in a Bathroom for 30 Days?
A man identified only as “20k Jay,” a regular in the Bellagio’s $10/$20 NLHE game, recently took a bet at 2 to1 odds that he could live in a Bellagio hotel room lavatory for 30 straight days. Though the use of a computer is strictly forbidden, Jay Kwik was allowed to bring a small portable DVD player into the bathroom (his first request was for Season One of Sex and the City) and can order room service up to 4 times in a 24-hour period. He is not permitted to talk to anyone, with the exception of 400 total minutes of cell phone usage over the month, in order to keep in contact with his 10-year-old son. (“Daddy, why are you living in a bathroom?” “To put you through college, son.”) Though the exact amount of the bet has not been publicly disclosed, it is rumored to be in the low to mid-five figures, and the loser must also pay the hotel bill for the month (which will easily run over $10,000). A 24-hour a day webcam view of the bathroom is available online, and anyone who catches Jay stepping outside is entitled to a $500 reward. The bet began in the early morning hours of January 12th and as of press time... he’s still in there. And if this bet sounds familiar to you, well… you must be one of the five people who saw last summer’s Eric Bana flick Lucky You.
Who’s Got Sponsorship Now?
How many pros will Full Tilt stop at? 100? 200? This month, Full Tilt added no fewer than five more European pros to their ever-growing roster. Dario Alioto of Italy, who captured his first bracelet at the WSOP Europe’s $5,000 Pot Limit Omaha event, is now “red” pro, as is young Austrian tournament player Stefan Rapp. Germany’s Marco Liesy, who most recently went deep at the EPT Dortmund, also joins them, as does his fellow countrywoman, Christiane Klecz, who cashed in last summer’s WSOP Main Event and appeared on Party Poker’s made-for-TV Women’s World Open, which aired on European television. And another German, $2,500 H.O.R.S.E. bracelet winner Thomas Bihl, was
spotted decked out in full Full Tilt Poker regalia while playing in the Aussie Millions prelims.
Chad Brown and Vanessa Rousso to Say “I Do”
Chad Brown is going to make an honest woman of Vanessa Rousso. The 40-something-year-old pro proposed to his 24-year-old girlfriend over the Christmas holiday... and she said yes! The two have been item for nearly two years and announced impending nuptials on Poker Road Radio during the Poker Stars Caribbean Adventure in Bahamas. Our very best to Chad and Vanessa... and let’s see some photos of the bling!
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